music video conventions

In this assignment I will be comprehensively explaining the styles, conventions and techniques of music videos with elucidated examples and consistently using subject terminology correctly.

A.

1.    Lyric interpretation 

The artist has their own interpretations of the lyrics they write. However, the audience listening to the song may interpret the lyrics differently and have their own way of understanding the lyrics. This could also bring the person listening to the song closer to the artist. 

2.    Extending or consolidating song's meaning

This is showing a songs meaning throughout the artists music video. This effects the audience because they can see the artist’s song meaning through the video and gain an understanding of what the artist is trying to represent. 

3.    Focus of performer

This is showing the artist in the music without anything else to take the attention away from them. This effects the audience because it helps them understand what the artist is attempting to put across. 

4.    Lighting for mood

The lighting in the artist’s video will represent the mood of the song within the video. This effects the audience as it helps putting across the mood of the song that the audience is listening to. 

5.    Pace of cuts

The artist’s video will contain different paces of cuts to show the audience the type of song they are representing. This effects the audience as they can get an understanding of the artist. 

Special effects such as Chroma key (green screen)

The Blackout - Radio

They use green screen to film the music video because they are trying to show that they have gone on holiday but without going on holiday. They did this effectively by showing them paragliding, on a boat, playing guitar on the beach and by performing as a band on the green screen beach. Having green screen means the band can have fun and learn about new video styles and being able to include anything they wanted to make it seem realistic of not. In this case not realistic. It also means that the fans can enjoy watching them.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d2PzANQd1cg

Multi-mage (multiple images on screen at once)

Azonto - Fuse ODG Feat. Tiffany

Azonto is a good example of having multiple images on the screen at once. To have more than one image on the screen shows that they have lots of footage and are showing their editing skills. It also means that the viewer can view more than one image at a time. It is effective because it shows that the artist is trying to show off as much as possible in one video.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GTUIlOudlHI

Cutting to a beat

The Blackout - Never By Your Side

They have used Cutting to a beat in this music video to make the video link in with the fast beat of the song. This is effective because it allows you to see that the song has a fast beat. It is also effective because it shows that they have linked the video in with the song. Cutting to the beat enabled the viewer to think that the editor has spent a lot of time on the music video and that the band has thought out what they are going to do. It also means that the band can show what genre of music they produce by having a fast beat music video.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zR5ICFGFTis

An artist miming and lip-syncing to a playback track

Yashin – D.E.A.D

It is clear that the band are lip-syncing in this music video because for the majority of the music video they are in the forest and in the forest there is no electric to play instruments. You can also tell they are lip-syncing because the backing track is perfect. Artists will use lip-syncing while filming a music video because then they know that it will be the same timing as the backing track. Without lip-syncing the video might be wrong. Some artists struggle to lip sync and this could lead the viewers to question them. It all depends on the editor of the music video to enable the backing track to match the footage.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=837wGLKa1M8

Animation

Gorillaz - Clint Eastwood

Some music videos use animation, whether it be for the whole video or just part of it. This can range from stop-motion animation to digital. They are an animated band that is fronted by a group of four animated characters who are 2D (vocals and Keyboards). By having a music video in an animated format means that they are able to show their animation skills as well as their music skills. However, having an animated music video doesn’t make it suitable for kids.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LoQYw49saqc

In-concert footage

Asking Alexandria - Not the American Average

This video shows in-concert footage to promote their new song. This is effective because it shows that they can perform this song live and it shows what they do on stage. You can see that it is in-concert footage because there is the band on stage and they are performing to the crowd. To have in-concert footage as a music video enables the viewers to see what they get up to on stage and enables them to see how they perform. It also shows what they crowd are like in their concerts.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l7Fi8-7HRhc

An "as-live" performer where the group or artist is shown performing (miming/playing instruments) in an empty space

McFly – That’s The Truth

In-Concert Music Videos show the artists of the song doing a live performance of it. Some of them even use videos from a real gig rather than a staged one. Audiences generally enjoy these music videos as they want to see the artist playing the song rather than just hearing it. In some cases, it can be used to represent the feeling of a real concert. However, artists need to ensure that they lip-sync by singing in the same way to the studio version of the song. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xA3tHGWbuF4

An allusion or reference to another musical artist

Metallica - All Nightmare Long

Allusion is when a reference to a person, existing text, place or event is made within a music video. It could be fairly obvious or totally discreet but either way, many music videos feature conventions such as this. For example, in the music video for Metallica’s ‘All Nightmare Long’ which makes reference to the Tunguska event in 1908 as well as the speculative conjecture that circulated around it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EFqjDXy9s5A

C

1.    Narrative (tells a story)

this is when the music video will tell the story throughout the video. For example, the whole 'save rock and roll' album tells a story which is split up between all the music videos. 

2.    Impressionist (more about mood and atmosphere than meaning)

This is when a music video has no purpose or meaning and its more about the artist themselves and the music they are producing. An example would be The blackout's music video for Higher and Higher. 

3.    Interpretative (directly interprets lyrics of son in a visual way)

This is when the lyrics of the song are shown throughout the video in a visual way. An example would be The Blackout's video for their song Start The Party because the lyrics talk about starting a party and in the video they are on a party boat.

4.    Surrealist (weird imagery, seems unconnected with the song, often used in videos for instrumental songs and dance tracks) 

This is associated with strange videos that are not trying to get a message across, an example would be My Chemical Romance's video for I don't love you. They have them playing their instruments and then they have a couple and one of them is painted. The whole video is also in black and white and it doesn't connect with the song. 

5.    Pastiche/homage (an affectionate or positive copy of or tribute to another artists work, a media genre or product like a TV programme, film etc.)

 This is when a media idea is incorporated within a music video. An example would be Mcfly's video for I've Got You because it has clips from the film just my luck.

6.    parody (a mocking or critical copy of another artists work, or another media genre)

This is when an artist makes a joke of another celebrities work, an example would be Bart Bakers parody for Miley Cyrus' video We Can't Stop.