The document discusses David Buckingham's genre theory that genre is constantly changing through negotiation over time rather than being static. It applies this theory to analyze how music videos have evolved within genres, with changing forms and functions leading to new hybrid genres. The document also discusses how studying existing music videos within the chosen genre of indie helped the author develop ideas for their own music video project by identifying conventions and seeing successful techniques used by other directors. Analyzing recent and older music videos provided inspiration while ensuring the planned video would fit the genre conventions.

1. GENRE THEORY
I decided to look at David Buckingham’s theory of genre: “genre is not simply
given by the culture, rather it is a constant process of negotiation and change.” I
take this to mean that genre is not consistent and that film, including music
videos, of a particular genre changes as time progresses rather than being set in
its ways. Though certain conventions continue throughout the genre, videos
change due to meaning and as the sound of music flourishes, proving its abstract
nature. Arguably, this is also why we’ve seen so many hybrid and sub-genres of
both music and film emerge in the past. This shows us how dynamic genre can
be as both the forms and functions change. To apply this to my own work, I
decided that looking at music videos in my chosen genre would help me develop
ideas. This allows me to see the genre in action and to view what other directors
are achieving within the genre in terms of music video ideas. Whilst this was
done as part of the research before the planning of my music video, I think it’s
important to consistently look at existing media texts throughout construction to
make sure we’re sticking – or straying, depending on the concept – to the
existing conventions of our chosen genre.
In terms of a constantly changing idea, five years is quite a long time. On the
other hand, looking at very recent music videos could be challenging because
they’ll tend to all be similar. Another student suggested the music video of Stars
by Warpaint to me after watching my rough cut. She had looked at it for her
research and she thought that it was similar to the idea I had, plus the artist falls
under a similar genre to my chosen artist, Halsey. Filmed and directed by Adam
Harding and Burke Roberts, the video is quite dark in colour with the boldness
coming in through sparklers, fireworks, and projections. Aside from the
fireworks, those are the same ideas I had for part of my music video. As this is a
successful product, this tells me that this will work for my own music video and
also that I’m sticking to my idea of relating my product with similar existing
ones.
Still Life by The Horrors (dir. Oliver Murray) too holds similar conventions to
what I’m aiming to produce. Projections and distortions are a big part of this
particular video, though more colourful than my idea – this is because of a
difference in the song sound.. Plus there’s performance – whilst mine won’t
feature actual instruments, my video uses lip sync. Tennis Court by Lorde also
holds some similar conventions: the entire video is continuous, as the singer
looks into the camera and lip syncs a segment of her song. The light flashes up on
certain parts of the song, which is similar to my shot with the storm background.
I think in terms of looking at similar products and the conventions of them, and
the genre as a whole, this has helped me to understand the changing elements of
the wide indie genre. Though the videos mentioned spill out over 5 years, this
doesn’t make them out-dated as genres tend to have a sort of lifecycle of
repeating certain connotations. Looking at existing videos has helped me to
realise that my plan for my music video fits within my chosen genre and that it
should be a successful media text in full production.