This document analyzes and summarizes conventions used in three heavy metal music videos: "End of Time" by Lacuna Coil, "Call Me When You're Sober" by Evanescence, and "Tears Don't Fall" by Bullet for My Valentine. Some common conventions discussed include Gothic or dark costumes, dark settings, stage performances showing the band playing their instruments, close-ups of instruments, and tattoos and piercings on band members. The document also notes how two of the videos analyzed conform closely to heavy metal conventions while one subverts some expectations of the genre. Insights from analyzing the videos will influence the conventions and style used in the author's own planned heavy metal music video.

1. GENRE ANALYSIS.
Gemma-Rose Allen

2. END OF TIME-LACUNA
COIL The scenery and costume is extremely influenced by the Victorian Gothic style, which creates an immediate relationship with the music.
However, the setting behind the table and the actors is completely plain which signifies to me that they’re the last people on earth and there’s
nothing left in the world because it’s “the end of time”. The shots that they used, especially in the beginning when they were sat, dining at a table
enjoying their last meal together, they used a rage of extreme long shots and close-ups to present the emotion of relaxation with the very light
emotion and lack of movement as well as emotionless eyes with no fear in them. As soon as that happens, they cut to a over the shoulder then
point of view shot very cleanly and nicely to show how the “Couple” are staring at each other. Throughout the video, they have “creepy crawlies”
or a signifier, crawling all over the set which in my opinion signifies death, and how it is gradually getting thrown upon them; towards the end they
start playing with it as if they’re not fussed with it, but controlling it themselves. On the contrary, it is an extreme subversion of a music video form
this particular genre. The most common conventions of a Heavy Metal Music Video normally involve some form of on stage performance; I have
no evidence of this happening in this video;. In addition, they normally show off their instruments because it’s a key element in heavy metal videos.
They show of their instruments and their quality to the public, who aspire to have that item for their own. However, they do show what genre they
are by the clothing they have on during the piece, Victorian Goth, which is highly associated with the heavy metal industry, which are shown by
slow moving camera angles, which again isn’t a generic convention of this genre. They usually have quick cutting and chopping movements to
keep upbeat with the song and to create a more dangerous and uneasy atmosphere. I love the way that they haven’t conformed to the usual codes
and conventions, and created their own piece away from the stereotypes, proving that you can be elegant and “well dressed” as well as unique in
this genre. I will definitely include some of the techniques I have seen today in my music video, mainly because I don’t want to make it the same
and repetitive, like other Music Videos. However, I will need to keep it minimal as I need to have the most common conventions involved in mine.

3. CALL ME WHEN YOU’RE
SOBER-EVANESCENCE Call me when you’re sober is the song that I will be doing for my task this year., and therefore I thought it would be a good idea to analyse the
video, and understand what shots they chose to make extremely effective. The first shot is a, extreme close up on her face, whilst she is singing along to
the lyrics, this shows her pale complexion, dark hair and dark makeup; which suggests to me that she is part of this heavy metal or heavier music genre.
The Camera then slowly zooms outward and reveals her outfit, which is a little red riding hood mock up, which suggests that she is an innocent victim
who only helps people and never thinks about herself, and is constantly getting hurt and betrayed. As the camera zooms out even more, it pans to the left
to show a male character who I’m guessing is her lover or partner, who evidently is dressed as the wolf from the old tale. The setting seems to be in an
old hall or dining room of a large house, with the wilderness and nature overtaking the house like a forest. There’s a large table as the centre, with the
man at one end and the woman at the other, with mountains of space between them, portraying the distant relationship and lack of trust due to the fact
they’re no where near each other. They do have a few conventions of a heavy metal music video. The key one is a stage performance and close up of the
other band members. The camera panned above the drum kit, showing the drummer playing the beat of the song, and getting into the swing of things.
As well as that, they zoomed into the guitars fret board and had a slight slow motion effect when the guitarist was banging his head through the air, this
signifies the genre of Heavy Metal, due to the fact it is a very common thing for the band members to do during their performance. However, they never
got to show their faces during the video, which is showing to me that they’re not as important and the lead singer, due to the fact that the camera most of
the time is constantly on her. On almost every other line, they show a stage performance, whether it’s her playing the piano; the guitarist or the drummer
having a panned movement over the top of the drums. Most of the shots in this video are either Close-Ups, Medium Close-Ups or Full Body Shots.
Throughout my analysis of this music video, it has given me so many ideas for what I want to use during my interpretation of their song. I definitely want
to include some sort of costume like “Alice In Wonderland” or something along those lines, to follow with the style that they have in their videos. As
well as that, I will want to have a stage performance which means I will need to find an audience to star in my music video.

4. BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE-
TEARS DON’T FALL
 This music video conforms to all of the conventions that a heavy metal music video should have so people can relate to the genre. The first one that I
noticed was the usage of extreme close up shots on the instruments that the musicians are playing to create this piece of music. One of the first shots in this video
was an extreme close up on the fret bar of the lead singer/guitarists guitar, showing off it’s wealth and the fact that it’s an electric guitar, a key aspect needed when
in the heavy metal music industry, they are synonymous with heavy metal because of the tone in which they create; associated with heavy metal. A metal band will
get a lot of recognition for a good guitarist, so this makes it a prime convention in a heavy metal music video. As well as that, the various shots including a long,
worms eye view, shows off to the audience the look and dressage of the band. Typically, the band members would be dressed in dark, or sometimes black colours,
or band shirts which connect directly to the fans of the bands, due to the fact that they all normally dress in band shirts to show that they follow that particular
band and therefore the members of the band also do the same. As well as that, they normally have piercings and tattoos as well,. which are all shown in this music
video, shown by the specifically chosen shots. That, in my opinion demonstrates or signifies rebellion, due to the fact that it’s subverting from the usual
mainstream (POP, R&B, HOUSE) music, so they need to have the perfect look to go with it as well. The setting is quite dark, and dangerous which is a typical
setting for a heavy metal music video, die to the fact that they want to look “hard” and stronger than the normal man, and they’re not scared of anything. Heavy
metal music videos have a convention of dark, and mysterious places, and this video conforms to it 100%, as well as having a stage performance! They have got
almost all of the conventions that are needed to make a heavy metal music video, well, a heavy metal music video. In addition, they produced a narrative story line,
in my dominant reading, represents pain and mis-happening which fits the lyrical base very well, with the lyrics signifying a distraught couple who just keep on
falling into bad situations, quite like the lyrics in “call me when you’re sober” the music video that I’m going to be creating! Due to that, I have a few ideas of what
costume and conventions I want to involve in this music video now. However, it isn’t going to be as confirmative as this video, due to the fact that the song I have
chosen is sung by a female artist and stereotypically females prefer a lighter music taste. But, I will be involving a dark setting and dark outfits to add to the heavy
metal look!