2. InitialTask
Look carefully at your video at how the story is structured and how the audience is
positioned (i.e. who are we led to identify with?)
Consider the following:
How the narrative is organised and structured.
How the conflict is established and how it is resolved
The construction of the characters in the text and how we are led to relate to them
How heroes and villains are created within the text
The importance of sound, music, iconography, mise-en-scene, editing and other
technical features in telling the story.
How the themes and ideas are put forward in the story.
4. PERFORMANCE BASED
Many music videos include performance of the
artists as part of the video.
It was from clips of performances that music videos
developed.
5. What do PERFORMANCE videos contain?
Often contain shots of the artist performing
Can be a live stage performance, with shots of the artist/band
and audience
Can be the artists in ‘real life’ situations e.g. warming up, talking,
fooling around
Often includes lots of close ups of the artist
There can be a particular visual style that goes with the artist (a
motif) e.g. particular clothing, actions, props, type of images.
Often the artist can appear to perform in an unusual place – all
lip-synched e.g. a field, a rooftop.
6. NARRATIVE BASED
Often the video tells a story either that features in
the lyrics or is suggested in the lyrics e.g. girl dumps
boy
This narrative can be like a mini film, with a
beginning, middle and end.
Or it can suggest some links to a story.
It can promote a film with clips from the film
including telling a story.
7. What do NARRATIVE videos contain?
Because it’s only 3-4 mins it can be
Very fast paced, lots of shots and cuts
Use intertextualilty (references other films, videos or
TV)
Mimic other film and TV genres e.g. horror or sci-fi
Sometimes the story can contradict what is seen for
effect
Sometimes the artist is a part of the story, or an
observer or completely separate
8. CONCEPT
Concept videos are based around a single idea or
concept and are usually unusual or obscure, even
surreal for an audience. The unusual content is an
attraction to many consumers, which draws them
in.
A successful concept video will keep the audience
entertained and constantly looking at what or who
is on the screen.
9. CONCEPT:THEMATIC
There are lots of common themes in music videos
Depends on the genre of music
E.g. Heavy Metal bands go for performance
dominated clips, Rap has lots of street images,
Dance routines are common in pop videos.
10. CONCEPT: SYMBOLIC
Use of lots of symbols to build up meaning e.g.
graveyard…death
Lots of use of montage – lots of images to create
meaning sometimes often contradictory
Lighting often used to suggest mood
Fast paced – often only a few seconds per shot to
build up meanings
Pictures can support or contradict the lyrics.
11. What do CONCEPT videos contain?
metaphors to create a mood
Polysemic
13. YourVideo
Decide which category your video fits in.
You may find they are a hybrid of more than one.
What ingredients does yours contain to allow it to
fit into this category?
16. Nº2
There is a relationship between lyrics and visuals. The lyrics are represented
with images.
Is your narrative:
Illustrative? (images provide a literal representation)
Amplifying? (repetition of key meanings and effects to manipulate the
audience)
Contradicting? (images contrast with the music)
Disjuncture?: (When the meaning of the song is completely ignored)
17. Nº3
There is a relationship
between music and
visuals. The tone and
atmosphere of the visual
reflects that of the music.
18. Steve Archer
“videos tend to only suggest storylines and focus on
fragments of the lyrics”.
“Often, music videos will cut between a narrative
and a performance of the song by the band.
Additionally, a carefully choreographed dance might be
part of the artist’s performance or an extra aspect of the
video designed to aid visualisation and the
‘repeatability’ factor. Sometimes, the artist (especially
the singer) will be part of the story , acting as narrator
and participant at the same time. But it is the lip synch
close-up and the miming of playing instrument s that
remains at the heart of music videos, as if to assure us
that the band really can kick it.”
19. YourVideo
Can you apply Andrew Godwin and Steve Archer’s ideas
to your own music video? If so, how?
