Different Genre Music Video Conventions

Rock/Metal:


Many rock/metal music videos portray mystery and supernatural. The use of dark, low-key lighting also gives off a dark atmosphere, making it go well with the type of music. Narrative use within rock/metal music videos tend to lack verisimilitude as well, and tend to be depressing and serious. Band performances are emphasized highly within this type of genre of music videos, and the use of power is exaggerated.


Indie/Alternative:


Many indie/alternative music videos are cut to the beat, and the editing matches song tempo. Interesting mise-en-scene choices are also common to see within this type of genre music videos. Performance tends to be emphasized as well within this genre, with a little bit of narrative. There tends to be many band shots within these music videos, and a lot of them. Indie/alternative music videos tend to be more experimental, with subverting conventions, the use of disjuncture and intertexuality.

Intertextuality within Music Videos

Intertextuality within Music Videos by Eloise

Analysing music videos with different approaches

Analysing music videos with different approaches

Illustration – the promo basically illustrates the ideas/narrative in the song lyrics

Amplification – uses a key idea/image from the lyrics and develops it into a concept within the promo. A link remains between the lyric and the promo.

Disjuncture – The promo bears no resemblance to the lyric or its meaning; abstract; often seen as unconventional/ ‘arty’ videos; creates a new range of meaning for the song.

Illustration 

Parklife - Blur

This music video starts off with a pint glass, in a vintage filter, resembling how Blur is trying to make their music video seem as if it was filmed in a different period of time.

At 0:52, we see the actor and narrator of the song, Phil Daniels, standing by a car talking into the camera. This is an intriguing, yet effective take on music videos, as it captures an ‘every-day’ man, interpreting his day in a way that the audience wouldn’t suspect.

We then see Graham Coxon carrying a placard saying “Modern Life Is Rubbish” – Blur’s previous album title, and written on the reverse is “End of a Century”, Blur’s last song title on Parklife. This video is very obscure, yet follows the idea of illustration since the ideas and narrative from the song lyrics are actually being performed.

Amplification

The Scientist - Coldplay

This music video starts off with Chris Martin singing The Scientist as he travels back through time. The camera work on this video is incredibly unique, with no other music video really like it. This is because the whole video is filmed and edited going backwards.

In this shot, Chris Martin is actually walking and singing backwards whilst it is being filmed. The narrative of the lyrics explains how Chris Martin is “Going back to the start.” This explains why the video is filmed backwards, reversing its way through time.

This music video also refers to Todorov’s Narrative Theory, since a new equilibrium is formed at the end of the music video. This is because the car, which crashed in the future, drives along as if nothing happened. However the audience could also question this, as they do not know if it will actually take place in the future again.

Disjuncture

Life On Mars? - David Bowie

This music video is completely obscure to its lyrics. It focuses on David Bowies eyes, which feature bold blue eye shadow, instantly making it obvious to the audience that this music video is of an ‘arty’ nature.

This promotional video was filmed backstage at Earls Court, featuring Bowie against a plain white backdrop in a turquoise suit. This video is attempting to be a parody of Frank Sinatra’s “My Way”, as it became very successful.

Life On Mars? bears no resemblance to David Bowie’s lyrics, or its overall meaning. This is because it is more seen as an artful video that is ‘unconventional’, yet very effective with the audience it is being portrayed to and creates a new meaning for the song.

Music Videos with Todorov's Narrative Theory

Todorov's Narrative Theory explains how Narrative music videos tend to go through 5 different stages:

My Hero - Foo Fighters

This music video relates to Todorov's Narrative theory as it shows these 5 different stages through a narrative. In the first 10 seconds, we see that a man is running with the camera following behind him quite shakily - this represents chaos and tension as we do not know what he is running towards. Dis-equilibrium is then portrayed since a fire has broken out in the house the man is running to. As the man runs into a different room, Foo Fighters are performing, with the camera zooming in and out on the front man, Dave Grohl. At 1:02, Recognition takes place since it shows that people are obviously trapped inside the house - making the audience more worried, but more interested to watch the rest. The man then runs out of the house with a baby, passing it to it's crying mother. This is called Reparation, because the man realises he has to try and retrieve everybody inside the burning house. The man saves everybody who is in the building, and also old photos. A new Equilibrium is then formed since everyone is cheering outside for the man and everyone is safe.

Narrative/Illustration/Amplification/Disjuncture

Narrative/Illustration/Amplification/Disjuncture

Narrative in Music Promos

What is a traditional/classical narrative structure?

·         It’s a narrative which has a beginning, middle and end – most narrative in general

·         Exposition – rising action – climax – falling action – denouement   (linear chronological)

Narrative types: MUST USE WHEN ANALYSING NARRATIVE

·         Linear and non-linear (non-chronological)

·         Closed or open ended (closure – end of the story, satisfied audience/leaves the audience questioning – inception)

·         Circular – a narrative which goes in a circle – ends where it starts – leaves the story open

·         Singular-stranded and multi-stranded (singular-stranded – follows one group of people/multi stranded – follows many characters – love actually)

Todorov’s Theory of Narrative

You start off with equilibrium (the normal person), then disruption happens where something disturbs the ‘norm’, recognition then forms as he realises what’s wrong, repair then happens over characters and then a new equilibrium is formed.

Examples which use Todorov’s Theory of Narrative:

Katy Perry – TGIF

Taylor Swift – Love Story

Synaesthesia: “A condition in which one type of stimulation evokes the sensation of another, as when the hearing of a sound produces the visualization of a colour” – therefore, in a song, what sort of emotions are there? What do the lyrics generate?

We automatically look for a beginning, middle and end in a narrative; however a narrative in a song can sometimes not run to how we think it will. IN songs the narrative rarely is complete and therefore often fragmentary. Fragmentary narratives may help the repeatability of promos.

Concepts within music videos:

·         Heartbreak

·         Break up

·         Suggestive sexual concept

·         Fame

·         Money

·         Parties

·         Having fun

·         Drama

·         Life story

·         Real experiences

·         Drugs

·         Surreal

·         Repeatability

·         Abstract

Andrew Goodwin: Suggests music promos can interpret/use the meanings created in the song lyrics in one of the following ways:

·         Illustration – the promo basically illustrates the ideas/narrative in the song lyrics (Stan – Eminem – also non-linear)

·         Amplification – uses a key idea/image from the lyrics and develops it into a concept within the promo. A link remains between the lyric and the promo (The Scientist – Coldplay – “taking it back to the start” – non-linear

·         Disjuncture – The promo bears no resemblance to the lyric or its meaning; abstract; often seen as unconventional/ ‘arty’ videos; creates a new range of meaning for the song. (This too shall pass – OK Go)

Task: Choose a video which follows Todorov’s theory, analyse it/how does it adhere to the theory? Also post definitions of illustration, amplification, and disjuncture – upload examples of at least 3 videos with explanation, and comment on the effects from these elements.

 

 

Conventions of a Music video

What is a music promo?

Basic Ideas:

Camera

·         Range of shots

·         Compositional connections

·         Repetition of shots

·         Lots of MCU/EU

·         Band shots e.g. singer

Editing

·         Special effects

·         Fast paced editing

·         Links song paced

·         Cutting to the beat

·         Sped up

·         Inverted

MES

·         Basic Props

·         Saturated Colour

·         Gimmick Style

·         Vary props

·         Setting goes with the song

Narrative/Performance

·         Band performance – vocal

·         Montage of images

·         Humour

·         Surreal

·         Narrative hidden

·         Aesthetic

·         Dancing

·         Intersexuality

·         Refer to pop culture 

Effective Music Videos

·         Good variety of shots and angles

·         Shot per second

·         Has to go with the song

·         Synchronous – cut to the beat

·         Creative with mise-en-scene

·         Has to be fun

·         Lip synching

·         Narrative/Story

Foals - Inhaler

       In this video, it shows Foals performing straight into the camera, whilst actors are performing in different shots. This video is an effective promotional video, as it shows how the beat is cut to the editing well. Furthermore, Foals have again followed some of the typical stereotypes as it shows the lead singer lip synching in, adding to the synchronous element. A basic location is used for the actors as well as they are seen in a abandoned warehouse.

  

      This video is viewed as a more 'arty and unconventional' video, however it has used the typical stereotypes in effective ways that make the audience want to keep viewing.

     This song is very upbeat, energetic and powerful. The vocals during the chorus tend to be more exaggerated and aggressive as well, to really get the meaning of the song across to the audience.

    There are many shots of a woman with a tattoo of a pair of lungs breathing throughout the song. This connotes how she is trying to breathe, and links with the song title of 'Inhaler'.