This document discusses different types of music videos, including performance, conceptual, and narrative videos. It provides examples and analysis of specific music videos to illustrate each type. A performance video features the artist singing and/or playing their song, such as One Direction's "That's What Makes You Beautiful" which shows the band singing in different beachside locations while wearing the same costumes. Conceptual videos are built around an idea rather than featuring a narrative story, such as REM's "Everybody Hurts" which depicts various people in cars on a highway dealing with problems. Narrative videos tell a story with a beginning, middle, and end that may or may not relate to the song's lyrics, like Sia's "Titanium

2. Types of music videos
There are various types of music videos, such as dance or animation,
however the dominant three types of music videos are
Conceptual
Narrative
Performance

4. What is a performance music video?
This is a type of music video that dominantly features the artist ..
performing. This can be from a band playing their instruments to a
singer mouthing the words to a song. In some performance music
videos, the artist is located on a stage, performing to a crowd.
Mise-en-scene varies within all music videos, however in the majority
of performance videos there is usually a link – for example – same
costumes but different location or vice versa.

6. One Direction – ‘That’s what makes you
beautiful’
This video is a very conventional performance music video,
as there are no elements of any concept and no
straightforward narrative with a beginning, middle and end.
Every shot in the video contains at least one of the group
members singing/mouthing the words to the song – which is
always present in performance videos.
This video takes place in different locations among the same
setting (beach, seaside). These different locations include
the beach, the road and the beach house. Moreover, their
costumes remain the same throughout which is showing a
link between the locations within the video, however
performance videos usually have costume changes.The reason that the label could’ve chosen to create a
performance music video at this time as it is the most
common type of music video and as the band was
relatively new and the singers were young at the time –
they did not want to come under fire for any reason.

7. Contrasting the music video ‘That’s what
makes you beautiful’ , Lady Gaga’s
‘Applause’ is a less conventional
performance music video, yet still holds
lots of stereotypical attributes of one.
This is perhaps as she is a world-
renowned artist and was at the time of
this video and would be much less
susceptible to being judged in a bad light
for doing something unconventional
Firstly, we know this is a performance
video simply because there is no
narrative and we see Lady Gaga
singing throughout the entire video –
as every single shot in the video
contains her in it. However this video
is mixed with that of a concept, so is
not entirely performance based.
In the video, the mise-en-scene is forever
changing, Gaga’s clothing changes (as seen in
the screenshots) as well as her hairstyle. I
have chosen these screenshots as they show
the two costumes which contrast each other
the most. On the left her body is very covered
and her hair is covered by a headpiece,
whereas on the right her hair is blonde and
free flowing, with very little clothing at all,
representing a much more bright and
‘happier’ feel.

9. Conceptual music videos
Conceptual music videos are build around an idea or a theme for
example the music video of ‘Human’ by Rag ‘N’ Bone Man is based on
the idea that everyone is human and has their limits.
Artists do not usually appear in conceptual music videos however they
can sometimes appear in a performance style in which they are seen in
alternating shots.

11. The music video for ‘Here it goes
again’ is one of the most famous
every made. This is mainly
because it was all filmed in one
take and completely
choreographed by the group
themselves.
This is clearly a conceptual music video as there is no
narrative, however there is a slight performance
element as one of the group members mouths some
of the words, however is not actually ‘performing’.
From my personal perspective, the idea of the music
video is to get someone motivated, however this
dosen’t link to the lyrics of the song, which is about
the morning after a ‘one-night-stand’ and realizing
you're falling in love with that person
The video has actually been parodied due to it’s
fame – such as an appearance in the Simpsons.

12. Unlike most concept music videos,
this music video features the artist
(band in this case). However it does
not feature them performing, but
as part of the concept video which
has elements of a narrative,
however is based around an idea
rather than a story.
The video is based around the idea that the
lyrics present too – that ‘everybody hurts’
and has their own problems. We see this
when there are different shots of people in
their cars on a highway with captions that
describe their thoughts (as seen above)
The elements of narrative appear as there is
a very clear ending – when all the people get
out of their cars and start walking – as well as
scenes where people who are watching the
traffic on television and screens are talking
and reacting to the people, however there is
no real beginning to the story.

14. Narrative music videos
Narrative music videos contain a clear story – a beginning, middle and
end, for example Logic’s ‘1-800-273-8255’ which follows the story
about a young man who is homosexual battling his thoughts of suicide.
However narrative music videos do not have to relate to the lyrics or
message of the song at all and are often intercut with scenes of the
artist.

15. EXAMPLES

16. One of the biggest song of the decade,
‘Titanium’ was bound to have a
memorable music video and it delivered.
This is a clear narrative with a beginning,
middle and end, not featuring the two
artists throughout and sticks to
convention.
This video follows the story of a boy who
discovers he has super powers (beginning)
and runs away – being pursued (middle) by
what would seem government police and
ends with the boy bowing up a van (end).
The video does link slightly with the
message of the song – ‘if you push me
down I’ll get back up stronger’ – as he is
chased because he is different and
because he has these abilities, but it
only makes him stronger and he defeats
them.