The different styles and conventions that are used in music videos to make them more appealing.

1. Different Styles and Conventions of music videos
In Concert and ‘as live’ Footage:
This is when the musicvideo presents the band performing live. An exampleof this is the music
video for Kaiser Chief’s song I Predict a Riot.
This is a good example because it is a clear representation of a band performing their song
live, and people gathering to watch. Music videos like this are made, because not everyone
can see them perform live and so it gives an idea of what they’d be like live.
https://youtu.be/hamKl-su8PE
Narrativeand Interpretive:
A narrative music video, is when there is a story behind the music but doesn’t necessarily have
to fit with the lyrics of the song. Whereas an interpretive music video is when the video
matches with the lyrics of the song. An example of a narrative music video, is Hozier’s Take
Me to Church, and an example of an interpretive music video is Mac Demarco’s My Kind of
Woman.
Take Me to Church is a good example, because it is a music video with a story but the story
doesn’t have much relevance to the lyrics of the song, however it is quite a powerful video,
similar to how powerful the song is. My Kind of Woman is a good example, because the video
is focused on one woman, and has different shots of her face and what she’s doing and fits
with the lyrics of the song.
https://youtu.be/PVjiKRfKpPI
https://youtu.be/EwZnSXwGsS4
Surrealist/Absurdist:
These types of music videos have little to do with the lyrics of the song, and are quite strange
and surprising. Examplesof this are Muse’s video for their song Panic Station and MGMTTime
to Pretend.
These are good examples, because in the videos you have no idea what is going on and
everything is rather random and has no real storyline. They put whatever they want into the
videos to make it as weird and wonderful as they can.
https://youtu.be/6uBK5kvakD8
https://youtu.be/B9dSYgd5Elk
Impressionist:
This style of music video works on the emotional tone of the music rather than the literal
meaning in the lyrics. They focus on the video being in sync with the song, so if the song is very
slow and gentle they will try to make the video the same, or the colours match the tone. If the

2. song is very heavy then bolder brighter colours willbe used. Examplesof this are BenHoward’s
Keep Your Head Up and Rationale’s Fuel to the Fire.
Theseare good examples,because they match well with the tone of the music. Keep Your Head
Up isn’t a really slow song, however it is really gentle and so the video is perfect because it
flows at the right pace and is very cheerful, like the song. Fuel to the Fire is black and white at
the start because the song starts off quite slow, however when the beat picks up faster shots
and colours are then added, however it is still quite toned down.
https://youtu.be/ADP65wbBUpc
https://youtu.be/SHs6O6jC7Y8
Intertextual:Synergy, Allusion, Pastiche, Parody and Homage:
These could be soundtrack videos with reference to films, the use of real footage from a video,
which is synergy, a light hearted imitation, pastiche, or using other artist’s videos as a way of
paying respect, homage. Examples for this are Alice Cooper’s Feed My Frankenstein and
Brockhampton’s Star.
These are good examples, because Feed my Frankenstein is a parody video, and Star is based
on the soundtrack, and uses references to many different films throughout the song.
https://youtu.be/NO2cHJmDkBg
https://youtu.be/PMZZUyos1kI
Animation (Stop Motion, Digital):
These are videos which are either fully animated or partially animated. An example of an
animated video which is also stop motion is Tame Impala’s Feels like We Only Go Backwards.
This is a good example, because the whole video is animated and uses stop motion, and it also
flows very well throughout the song. Animated music videos are also made not to be boring
and to make the person watching more interested. This video is good for keeping the viewer
interested because there is something different all the time.
https://youtu.be/wycjnCCgUes
Exampleof Particular Effect:Split Screen:
This is a different technique used in some music videos, where multiple images are put onto
one screen, and is a non-linear editing technique. An example of a split screen music video, is
Alors on Danse by Stromae.
This is a good example,becausethe whole video is a split screen of two different camera shots,
this gives a range of views of the video.
https://youtu.be/VHoT4N43jK8

3. Exampleof Particular Effect:Chroma Key:
This is footage in a music video that has been filmed in front of a green screen, and unwanted
block colour that is unwanted behind it, is removed so the second imagethat is layered behind
is visible, which is called chroma key. Examples of this are Neon Waltz Heavy Heartless and Of
Monsters and Men Little Talks.
These are good examples, because Heavy Heartless uses a green screen to put different
images on top of the main video that is produced, and Little Talks uses green screening to
create something that is impossible to do in real life.
https://youtu.be/UZkP3X7Mkc8
https://youtu.be/ghb6eDopW8I
Camera Movements:
Camera movements are, tracking shots, pans, crab shots and tilts, etc. which shows shots of
movements. This can create a nice gentle flow throughout the video. Example music videos
of this, are Milky Chance Bad Things and Eagle Eye Cherry Save Tonight.
These are good examples, because they both give a clear example of tracking shots and pans.
For example, Bad Things is a tracking shots of the people walking along throughout the whole
video. Whereas Save tonight is pan shots, however it is specially done, because although it is
pan shots of different scenes, the same character plays roles of different people.
https://youtu.be/tM0IkTy0B9E
https://youtu.be/zHxnm1-gVS4
Camera Angles and Shot Types:
Meaning and tone is created within a media text, by using different camera angles and shot
lengths. Examples of this are, Nothing but Thieves Amsterdam and King Nun Hung Around.
These are good examples, because the different camera angles and shot lengths in the video
give a good interpretation of the tone of the video. For example in the music video for
Amsterdam, the shot lengths are very short, but the longer shots are mainly on the band itself,
and it is filmed from higher angles. In Hung Around, the camera angles are facing down at the
band similar to Amsterdam and the camera moves around them. However the shot lengths
are a lot longer.
https://youtu.be/vVDosd3Ue-U
https://youtu.be/X2zcG3bcuMI
Lip-Sync-Miming and Playback:
This is where either the artist or the people in the music video lip-sync to the lyrics of the song.
Playback is when the video is filmed in slow motion or backwards. Examples of this are Jamie
T Sheila, and Alt J Breezeblocks.

4. These are good examples, because Sheila is a lip sync video, where there is a man lip-syncing
to the whole song, and Breezeblocks is filmed backwards, and gives an exciting effect to the
video.
https://youtu.be/4-L7Cadb-c0
https://youtu.be/rVeMiVU77wo
Cutting to theBeat:
This is when the stops of the music video match the beat of the song, which establishes the
rhythm of the song. An example of this, is Mike Stud Brightside.
This is a good example, because the different cuts of the video and steps match the rhythm
and beat of the song well.
https://youtu.be/SUwiwOiPF4Q
Post-Production Effects:
These are video effects which are done to impress the audience, and attract different
audiences. They should suit the genre of music in the video. An example of this, is Slaves
Hunter.
This is a good example, because there are multiple colours, effects such as giving a sort of 3D
effect by using blue, red and yellow on the band members.
https://youtu.be/VmtU-bLyReU