2. Purpose of Music Videos
The main purpose of any music video is
to promote, whether that being
promoting the artist or their messages.
Some purposes can be:
Promoting a single and or an album
Promoting the artist or band
The artist/band trying to create or adapt an image
Sets meaning to certain songs through images
Attempting to promote a message through the music video
3. Structure
In 3-4 minutes a typical music video combines a mix of live performance,
narrative, and other visual imagery including computer graphics and
animation.
It does this to advertise the band/artist and song
Music Videos often contain a number of elements: Performance,
Narrative, Thematic, Symbolic
4. Performance
A lot of music videos include artists performing within the music
video. Music videos were originally developed from clips of
performances.
5. Performance
• Often contain shots of the artists performing
• Can be a live stage performance, with shots of artists and audience
• Can be the artists in “real life” situations eg warming up, talking,
fooling around
• Often includes lots of close ups of the artist and there can be a
particular visual style that goes with the artist (a motif) eg particular
clothing, actions, props, type of images.
• Often the artist can appear to perform in an unusual place - all lip-
synched eg a field, a rooftop
6. Idea of Spectacle
Music Videos may be considered to be examples of
'spectacle'.
In this the performers are performing, often looking
directly at the viewer. This is called “direct address” -
where they are directly interacting with the viewer.
7. Idea of Spectacle
In the case of the two men here, it shows the artists
looking almost directly at the audience. This could
represent the artist singing to the audience or almost
trying to seduce the audience and ‘woo’ them. The
male is seen to be addressing the viewer directly.
8. Narrative
Often the video tells a story either that features in the lyrics or is
suggested in the lyrics eg 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 included telling a story
9. Narrative
Often the video tells a story either that features in the lyrics or is
suggested in the lyrics eg 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 included telling a story
10. Narrative
As a music video is only about 3-4 minutes long, it is very fast paced. That
involves lots of shots and cuts.
Uses intertextuality with other media forms such as TV and games.
Mimic other film/TV genre such as horror or sci fi.
Story can contradict what is seen for effect.
Sometimes the artist is a part of the story as an observer or something
completely different.
11. 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 for many female artist performances
12. 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
