The document discusses different ways that the visual elements of a music video can relate to the song, including illustrating, amplifying, or contradicting the lyrics or musical elements like tempo, beat, speed, and pitch. It also discusses iconography, or visual symbols commonly associated with genres like R&B, and conventions like focusing camerawork on the artist and including voyeurism. Intertextuality is discussed as incorporating familiar elements from other works to generate new meanings.

2. Generally, the visuals of a music video will do one of three things,
illustrate, amplify or contradict the lyrics.
ILLUSTRATE:
Kanye West’s ‘Good Life’
Featuring T-Pain has a
number of the lyrics
illustrated on screen
through animation whilst
he raps them.
CONTRADICT:
Chris Brown’s ‘Don’t
Think They Know’
Featuring Aaliyah is not
about a girl, it is about
gang violence and
poverty.

3. The music itself can also be related to the visuals which once again either
illustrates, amplifies or contradicts them. The relationship is affected by
four main elements which are: tempo, beat, speed and pitch.
In Melanie Fiona’s ‘4am’ there
is a strong relationship
between the music and the
visuals. Throughout the video,
the visuals are in sync with
both the beat and tempo of the
song. Essentially, this tells us
that the visuals in a music
video do not always have to
relate to the lyrics in order to
be successful.

4. Essentially, Iconography means ’the visual images, symbols, or modes of
representation collectively associated with a person, cult, or movement .’In
terms of media, this can be described as visual features such as costumes,
jewellery and settings.
In an R&B music video we expect to
see:
• Money
• Jewellery
• Sexual References/Content
• Women (With minimal clothing)
• Expensive possessions (cars)
• Designer clothing
• Locations such as mansionsMigos - Versace

5. Usually, there is a demand on the part of the record company to provide
lots of close-ups of the main artist or vocalist (if in a band).

6. Ciara, is a prime example of
iconography. When people see
one of her music videos they
expect to see some
choreography for two reasons.
Firstly, because she is an R&B
artist, but secondly because
she is known to always have a
dance performance in her
videos.
A star’s image is all about how they are perceived by the audience. The
characteristics ascribed to them may be a combination of conscious
construction by the media industry for which they work and of extra
textual publicity in other media.
Star’s will always use their current videos to reinforce their existing
image as well as take it further.

7. The male gaze theory states that women are objectified through a
combination of camerawork and editing with fragmented body shots.
From this idea comes voyeurism, which suggests that the camera is male
and seeks to gain sexual pleasure.
In R&B music videos, it is a typical convention to see voyeurism because
of the lyrical content in which they contain.
Pusha T Ft Chris Brown – Sweet
Serenade:
As we can see, this body shot
consists of a female touching
her body in a very provocative
manner. She has been
objectified as we cannot see
her face, just an extreme close
up of her body.

8. Wiz Khalifa & 2 Chainz – We Own
It
This music video is a prime
example of Intertextuality.
Essentially, this song is the
soundtrack for Fast & Furious 6
so the entire music video consists
of multiple scenes from all six of
the movies merged together. The
scenes are in chronological order
which tells the story of the Fast &
Furious.
The idea of ‘Intertextuality’ was created by John Stewart which is the
process of ‘incorporating, raiding and reconstructing.’ Fundamentally, this
means using something which the audience may be familiar with to
generate nostalgic associations and new meanings. With an exception to
advertising, music videos have more intertextual references than any
other media form.