Conventions of Music Videos

Camera work
Music videos tend to use a range of different camera angles such as long shots, medium shots and close ups this is to not only focus on the artist all the time but also show the enviroment around them. Long shots are used in music videos to establish the scene and show off the setting. mid shots are used so that the veiwers focus more on the artist but can still see the setting and what may be going on in the background. Close ups are used so that their viewers attention will be fully on the artist and we will be able to see facial expressions and emotion better also we can see the lyrics being sang by the artist due to the lip sync which gives the song more feeling. Camera movements are also used in music videos normally they are used when following the artist with a tracking and a panning shot, Crane shots are often used in music videos at the start of the video to establish the shot then slowly and smoothly go in to set the scene. Tilt shots may be used also to disorientate the viewer, give the effect of disorientation or just to change the camera angles to make the shot more interesting.

Mise-en-scene is the setting, the arrangement of the artist/s, and the props, all of these should exaggerate the mood and the theme of the song. For example in a indie/rock music video the colour sheme will most likely be dark colours such as black and grey, so the setting and the lighting will be dull, the clothing will probabley be influenced by this too and therefore be dark colours. aslo in this genre the lyrics are normally dark and sad this is what will influence the mise-en-scene of the video. On the other hand an up beat pop music video would involve bright colours and bright lighting and the lyrics would be happy and positive so the genre,theme and lyrics of the song will effect the mise-en-scene.

Editing is important part in creating music videos as the video needs to flow with the beat of the song and the lyrics. Jump cuts are frequently used in music videos as they allow sudden changes between scenes so you can fit more in to the short amount of time. also jump cuts are effective when they are used to cut shots with the beat of the song this is normally used in a upbeat song with a strong beat. Other transitons are used in music videos but not as common as they don't make the video flow as well as jump cuts do. The thing that is most improtant in the editing process is the timing as the audio needs to go with the part of video so that the miming of the lyrics are synced and it will look like the artist is actually singing.                                              

The Techniques of Music Video

Goodwin's Theory
Goodwin's theory explains the key elements that are usually included in a music video that make it a good music video.
In a music video the visuals will either exaggerate and go with the lyrics, which will most likely create a narrative based music video, or completely oppose the lyrics, which will be either a performance based or concept based video.

Different genres of music will have their own style of music video and normally genres will have similar iconography shown in the music videos. for example in an R&B/Hip-hop music videos will normally be set in a big city areas, in a night club or somewhere exotic, on a beach usually. if the artist is a male the video will normally include women being objectified as they wouldn't be dressed in many clothes and would be dancing provocatively the reason for this is to sell the songs using this sex appeal. Goodwin also thought that a female performer is often objectified purposely for the viewers pleasure as they are something good to look at and will make the music video more likable and entertaining. often the female performer will be shown a sexual way from the use of camera shots and editing which will show fragmented body shots this will emphasise the sexuality of the star. Also in R&B/Hip-hop music videos they will show a group of people having fun and drinking this is to show the lifestyle that they live by showing this people will buy the music as they think they might have a taste of this lifestyle if they listen to the music. other genre music videos will involve different iconography. however the artist of the song might what to create their own iconography for their music videos, for example lady gaga has created her image from the abstract videos she always creates to go with her songs and this is what she is now known for and people expect to see these different music videos by her. as she puts her own touch on her music videos she has created her star image.

Here is an example of a convention Hip-hop/R&B video:

In a good music video Goodwin thinks close ups should always be used this is to show the

emotion and facial expressions in the artists face or the actors faces in the music video this will also make the audience feel something and make the song more meaningful if real emotion is shown in the video.

This a good example of the use of close ups. Throughout this video the shot is focused on the singers face as its an emotional song and seeing facial expressions will make the veiwers see how meaningful the song is.

Intertextuality is also common in music videos and is often used even in small references. Intertextuality is when a reference from something else, for example a film, televison programme, video game or another music video, is taken and put into a music video, it wont be exactly the same but it will be similar and the viewers will be able to relate the two. this is a very effective technique as it is using something the audience may be familiar with which can give it new meaning or nostalgic effects.

This music video is an example of intertextuality as it takes the concept of the film Alice and Wonderland.

Voyeurism is also common in music videos. Voyeurism in a music video is when we can see, for example, in to someones window or out of a window and the viewers feel like they are in this position and are actually there watching the actor in the music video. Usually if this position the actor within the music video will be doing something they shouldn't or they will be doing something the viewer should not really be seeing, an insight in to the things that are happening in the music video to make the viewer feel involved.

Styles of Music Videos

Narrative Based
A narrative based music video is a music video that tells a story, normally it will relate to the lyrics of the song but it doesn't necessarily have to. the reasons for a narrative video is so the viewers can get a full understanding of the song and putting visuals with the song does so. Seeing the video with a visual can give it more meaning or a whole different meaning from just hearing the audio.
here is an example of a narrative based music video:



This Music Video (Lil Wayne - How to Love) is an example of a narrative based music video that links to the lyrics and tells the story behind the lyrics, this gives the song more meaning. This music video uses an emotional story to appeal to the viewers as this will help them relate to the song if they can. Listening to the songs audio you could interpret the song in a way it wasn't meant to be interpreted but by watching the music video you can see exactly what the song means. i chose this music video because i think it is a good example for the narrative based video as the video's story goes with lyrics very well and without the video the song wouldn't have as deeper meaning as it does.



Performance Based
a performance based music video is a music video that will show the artist/s performing, for example if the music video is for a bands song if would show them playing their instruments and singing in a location or if it is a solo artists song it would show this artist either just singing or if they can dance it will show them dancing to. performance based music videos could be a live video of the the artist/s performing on stage or just a set up video of them performing in a selected setting.

This video (Beyonce - Countdown) is an example of a performance based music video. it shows the artist performing by dancing and singing because this is what the artist is good at and known for. The reason for performance based music videos is to show off the artist/s. Camera shot in performance based videos as in this video are jumpy and quick paced to, this adds an upbeat feel to the song and video making the viewer feel this. In this paticurlar video it is perfromanced based because the artist is an attractive female and a performance based video can show this off.






Concept Based
A concept based music video is a video that is not either perfomance based or narrative based but normally a mix of the two. the video usually has abstract visuals and doesnt relate to the lyrics of the song.

This is an example of a concept based music video (Genesis - Land of Confusion) is has a very abstract idea, and uses puppet like faces on real people. The video doesnt really relate with the lyrics of the song however in some parts the visual does show what the lyrics are saying, its just a random concept and hasn't really got a storyline. The reason for doing a concept based music video i think is because it makes the song more interesting and the veiwers can make their own mind up as to what the song is trying to say and wat it means rather than the music video telling them. The genres that use concept based music videos is usually inde or rock type bands.

Purpose of Music Videos

A music video is a short film usually around 3-4 minutes long (the length of a song). Music videos are created for many reasons such as to integrate song with visual imagery which will help the viewers, maybe, understand the song more if it has a narrative that goes with the lyrics, also by putting a video with the song it is an easy way to relate and remember the song.


Another reason a music video is created is for the main purpose of promoting the artist and the song so it will get more recognised with the public therefore get popular and be shown on the music channels more frequently and online, on websites such as YouTube, YouTube is a video website and Music Artists can have their own channels with their music, music videos and other videos. usually if someone else uses music from an artist the audio will be taken off as if affects copyright issues. When an artists songs are being played a lot the artist will be getting more money as every time is it played a fee has to be payed to the Performing Rights Society for Music. The PRS for Music will then pay the money they have collected to the artists. Also if the video becomes popular the sales of the song and the artists other songs are likely to increase and the sales of other things such as DVDs,  Cd's and merchandise therefore the artists income will become greater and the idea of the promotional video is a success.


Music videos can also be made if a song is the theme for a movie or TV programme and therefore the music video will use part of the movie in their music video this is done to promote a film and relate the song with the film this will make the song memorable and the artist will get a sum of money for their song and promoting the movie.


Music Videos from major music labels will have a greater production value and be very proffesional and shown on music channels as the music label will set aside a reasonable amount of money to make a decent music video. A music video form an independent label or a music video that is self produced by the artist may not be at the same quality of a major label music video. A self produced independent music video is likely to just be shown online to promote the artist and if it gets a lot of views online the more popular it will be come and more people will watch it this can be just as effective as a major label production thats shown on TV music channels.

Introduction

For this unit we have been asked to create a blog so we can show our understanding and knowledge of music video theory. we will be looking at the styles, conventions and techniques of music videos. also we will be looking in detail at the three types of music video which are performance based, narrative based and concept based.