Initial research, influences and ideas: Inspirational music videos

This is the music video for "You Need Me, I Don't Need You" by Ed Sheeran: 

This music video is inspirational when coming up with my own ideas for two main reasons:

Firstly, I like how in this video something different and unexpected is done. A common feature of music videos - performing the lyrics of the song - is still done, but in an original way: rather than the artist singing or lip syncing, a boy is performing the lyrics in sign language. This makes the video unique and memorable because, at least as far as I know, it hasn't been done before. 

The second main reason I like the video is the look and style created by the camerawork, lighting and editing. If you don't count the sign language as performing, it is a conceptual video, and there is no obvious story that the audience can follow, but it still is entertaining to watch.

During the first verse and chorus there are no shots other than of the boy doing sign language, but the audience stay engaged with it because of how the visuals are constructed, for example, with the extreme juxtapositions between wide shots and extreme close-ups… 

…that cut in time with the music to create a fast pace that matches the pace of the track. Also changes in lighting and fast-paced editing are used to create a sense of action and movement even though he is standing in one place. This, as well as camera angles used, are essential to making performance-based music videos look like music videos, which will be useful to remember when creating a music video myself. 

As the video goes on the editing gets to an even faster pace, there are constant extreme contrasts in lighting and the shots of the performer central to the video cross-cut with shots of other performers, as well as props that specifically relate to the lyrics, e.g. "Selling CDs from my rucksack, aiming for the papers" - a rucksack and newspaper are cut into the video, literal illustrations of the lyrics contradicting with the sign language performer and other parts of the video that don't seem to match with the lyrics:

The way that props, lighting, editing and camera are used alongside an original and somewhat unconventional idea could be influential when it comes to the production part of this project. 

Another inspirational music video is the video for Kodaline's "All I Want", but for very different reasons:

It is completely opposite to the You Need Me I Don't Need You video in that this one is purely narrative. What I really like about it is how this five-minute narrative to a music video is as capable, if not more so, than many film narratives of evoking an emotional response from the audience - we respond to the characters, are interested to see how the story ends, and react to the different parts of the story.

The main reason why this is an inspirational music video is because I like the idea of creating a story audiences can really connect with, but I want the narrative to cross-cut with performance or conceptual visuals, so a story can be told alongside interesting use of camera, lighting and costume that would create a video that is original stylistically and fun to watch.