This document discusses different styles and techniques used in music videos. It defines narrative, conceptual, and performance styles and provides examples. It also outlines various editing techniques like cutting shots to the beat, lip syncing, using multiple images, montages, and special effects. The goal of the different styles and techniques is to interpret lyrics visually, tell a story, create illusions, or reference other artists' works.
2. TYPE DEFINITION EXAMPLE NARRATIVE/CONCEPT/
PERFORMANCE
STYLES Popular music
genres
Pop, Rock, Indie, Rap etc https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nfWlot6h
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Taylor Swift – Shake It Off
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QcIy9NiN
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Taylor Swift – Bad Blood
Hybrid: Concept/Performance
Hybrid: Narrative/Performance
In-concert ‘as live’
footage
Footage from a gig https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fJ9rUzIMc
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Queen – Bohemian Rhapsody
Performance
Animation Animation is the rapid display of a sequence of
images to create an illusion of movement.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=djV11Xbc
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A-ha – Take On Me
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xweiQukB
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Paula Abdul – Opposites Attract
Hybrid: Narrative/Performance
Hybrid: Narrative/Performance
Interpretive The audience to make their own interpretation
of what they think the music video is about
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KWZGAExj
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Sia – Elastic Heart:
Some audiences may perceive this
video with sexual connotations
Others may identify the relationship
(possibly a father-daughter
relationship) and the stripping of the
identity
Concept
Narrative Telling a story through a music video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A_af256m
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Ed Sheeran – Small Bump
Hybrid: Narrative/Performance
Surrealist Dreamlike and unreal elements https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qMxX-
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Jessie J – Price Tag
Hybrid: Concept/performance
Impressionist Similar to surrealism, taking you away from
reality.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H8Qp38q
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Gorillaz – Feel Good Inc.
Hybrid: Narrative/Performance
Pastiche Adaptations of existing videos https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P1o-
mhtrFT0
Please Don’t Say You Love Me – A Level
Adaptation
Hybrid: Narrative/Performance
Intertextual
References
References to other literal themes or films, or
music similar to pastiche
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8xg3vE8Ie
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Taylor Swift – Love Story
Hybrid: Narrative/Performance
Parody Taking the mick of existing music videos/films
etc
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lOfZLb33u
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Weird Al Yankovic – Amish Paradise
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Ht5RZpz
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Blink-182 - All The Small Things
Hybrid: Narrative/Performance
Homage Is a demonstration of respect or dedication to
someone or something.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hon_h3W
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Official Paul Walker Tribute Fast and Furious 7
Hybrid: Narrative/Performance
3. CONVENTIONS Lyric
Interpretation
Understanding what is meant by
the lyrics being used within the text
and using visual references to
define the lyrics in the video.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v
=kfVsfOSbJY0
Rebecca Black - Friday
Hybrid: Narrative/Performance
Extending or
consolidating
song’s
meaning
Changing a songs meaning to a
more suitable one for the listener.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v
=wmYT79tPvLg
Lily Allen - LDN
Hybrid: Narrative/Performance
Allusion An expression designed to call
something to mind without
mentioning it explicitly; an indirect
or passing reference. When the idea
is not what it first seemed.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v
=MviFdVHltEM
Take That - Babe
Hybrid: Narrative/Performance
Links to other
artists
Referencing another by visually
adding them in the video or lyrics.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v
=QcIy9NiNbmo
Taylor Swift – Bad Blood
Hybrid: Narrative/Performance
4. EDITING
TECHNIQUES
Cutting to beat When the shots in the video cut
to the next in time with the
beat.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v
=nzY2Qcu5i2A
The Offspring – Pretty Fly (For a
White Guy)
Hybrid: Narrative/Performance
Miming /Lip
Sync
Wording the lyrics on the
video to give the allusion of
singing the song
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v
=hblH_UWbHBQ
Tynisha Keli – I Wish You Loved
Me
Hybrid: Narrative/Performance
Multi-image The use of multiple shots on the
same screen.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v
=YVkUvmDQ3HY
Eminem – Without Me
Hybrid:
Concept/narrative/Performance
Montage The technique of selecting, editing,
and piecing together separate
sections of film to form a continuous
whole
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v
=rYEDA3JcQqw
Adele – Rolling in the Deep
Hybrid: Narrative/Performance
SPX Special
Effects
An illusion created by camera,
editing or graphics.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v
=t5Sd5c4o9UM
Katy Perry – E.T. ft. Kanye West
Hybrid: Concept/Performance