Types and conventions of music videos

1. Types and conventions
of music videos

2. Performance based
- feature the band/ artist performing to audience at a concert
 Feature the band/ artist performing to audience at a concert
 Popular within rock bands, they use footage from concert, high energy and
more interesting for the viewer
 Cheap to produce
 Self-promote

3. Narrative based
- has a storyline, relating to lyrics and genre, which engages the audience
 Has a storyline which relates to the lyrics and genre, which engages the
audience
 Used for songs in feature films, cut from films sometimes included within the
video
 Illustration, where the narrative in the music video reflects the lyrical
content
 Amplification, narrative may be slightly influences by the lyrical content
however uses different themes to compliment the songs feelings
 Disjucture, narrative holds very little relationship to the song and is quite
arbitrary songs in feature films, cut from films sometimes included
- illustration, where the narrative in the music video reflects the lyrical content
- amplification, narrative may be slightly influences by the lyrical content however uses different themes to compliment the songs feeling
- disjuncture, narrative holds very little relationship to the song and is quite arbitrary

4. Concept based
 Based around one idea
 Concentrate specific editing technique
 Footage does not always make sense
 These are interpretive and leave the audience to decide and take from it
what they want
 Thematic, based on a theme, normally depends on the genre
 Symbolic, often lots of symbols to build up to the meaning

5. Other music videos
 Surrealictic – these are very abstract, may or may not relate to music.
 Interpretive/ Impressionist – these are similar to surrealistic but do not
contain distorted or un-real imagery. They are about having a creative visual
experience
 Animation – these are partially or entirely animated, can be cheap to produce
as they are entirely digital.
 Parody/ Homages – fan made videos that are comedic version of well know
songs. Lyrics may be changed. Homages are tributes and do not change the
style or lyrics but are inspried from the real video.

6. Andrew Goodwin theory
 Relationship between the lyrics and the visuals, illustrating, amplifying or
contradicting lyric
 Thought beats, seeing sounds, edited in time with the video
 Genre related style and iconography
 Multiple close-ups of the main artist or vocalist, star image to promote the
'brand'
 Voyeurism can play a major part, especially in relation to females
 Intertexual references to other media texts may be included