Carol Vernalis' Theory

Vernalis studied into music videos carefully and observed that edits come much more frequent than in film. The editing usually always has some rhythmic structure that goes along with the song.

• Obvious edits to draw the attention of the audience. Special effects and wipes are often added.
• Base tracks are frequently used to give video a structure. It allows for different shots of the same scene to be used, this adds a more depth into a music video and makes it exciting for the viewer.
• Rules of continuity are broken to draw attention to what is on screen.

This video Wasn't Me by Shaggy shows the three main rules of Vernallis'.

There is a subtle wipe at the beginning of the song (0:20-0:22). This would add more excitement to the audience as a wipe usually signifies a start or an end. In this case, the music video has an opening sequence with the track playing in the background. It adds a story and meaning to the lyrics.

In this music video there are probably more than 7 base tracks as there are many scenes to this song. This can allow the audience to follow through with what is happening through the visuals. This song is also a narrative, therefore the artist is show less to allow for the story to be shown. 

Continuity is broken in this video by adding all of these base tracks, different shots(jump cuts) and camera work such as panning and tracking(0:43-0:46). This all helps in a music video so the camera work doesn't look stiff. It visually stimulates the viewer if the range of camera work varies in shot types.