There are several purposes and structures of music videos. Music videos primarily promote a single and album, as well as the artist. They typically run 3-4 minutes and combine live performance, narrative elements, and visual imagery. Common structures include performance videos, narrative videos, thematic videos, and symbolic videos. Performance videos focus on shots of the artist singing and include close-ups and unique visual styles. Narrative videos tell a story, either related to or suggested by the song's lyrics. Thematic and symbolic videos use recurring themes and symbols to build meaning.

1. Music Videos

2. Why have music videos? Draw a star diagram to show a number of different purposes of a music video……

3. The purpose of the Music Video Promotes a single and, normally, an album Promotes the artist or band Creates, adapts or feeds into a ‘star image’ Entertains the audience Sets the ‘meanings’ of a song by the use of images

4. Basic structures In 3-4 minutes a typical music video combines a mix of live performance, narrative, and other visual imagery including computer graphics and animation. It does this to advertise the band/artist and song

5. Music Videos Often contains a number of different elements: Performance Narrative Concept: Thematic Symbolic

6. Performance Many music videos include performance of the artists as part of the video It was from clips of performances that music videos developed

7. What do performance videos contain? Brainstorm all the things that you would expect to see in a music video that was based around a band or artist’s perfomance: Does this vary depending on the genre of music?

8. Often contain shots of the artists performing Can be a live stage performance, with shots of artists and audience Can be the artists in “real life” situations eg warming up, talking, fooling around Often includes lots of close ups of the artist There can be a particular visual style that goes with the artist (a motif) eg particular clothing, actions, props, type of images. Often the artist can appear to perform in an unusual place - all lip-synched eg a field, a rooftop

9. Examples of Performance Music Videos Discuss in a group any memorable music videos you know of that are of this type. Select one that you think is a particularly memorable example. Be prepared to tell the class: Name of performer(s), track, brief description of video and the features that you think are memorable.

10. Narrative Often the video tells a story either that features in the lyrics or is suggested in the lyrics eg girl dumps boy This narrative can be like a Mini film, with a beginning, middle and end Or it can suggest some links to a story It can promote a film with clips form the film included telling a story

11. Narrative videos Brainstorm what you would expect to see in “narrative” type videos…what are some common storylines in these?

12. Narrative Because it is only 3-4 minutes it can be very fast paced, lots of shots and cuts use inter-textuality with films, tv and other videos mimic other film and tv genre eg horror or sci fi sometimes the story can contradict what is seen for effect sometimes the artist is a part of the story, or an observer or completely separate

13. Narrative Music Videos Discuss in a group any memorable music videos you know of that are of this type. Select one that you think is a particularly memorable example. Be prepared to tell the class: Name of performer(s), track, brief description of video and the features that you think are memorable

14. Thematic There are lots of common themes in music videos Depends on the genre of music Eg Heavy metal bands go for perfomance dominated clips Rap has lots of “street” images dance routines are common for many female artist performances

15. Symbolic Use of lots of symbols to build up meaning eg graveyard…death Lots of use of montage -lots of images to create meaning sometimes often contradictory Lighting often used to suggest mood Fast paced - often only a few seconds per shot to build up meanings Pictures can support or contradict the lyrics

16. Thematic or Symbolic Music videos Discuss in a group any memorable music videos you know of that are of this type. Select one that you think is a particularly memorable example. Be prepared to tell the class: Name of performer(s), track, brief description of video and the features that you think are memorable

17. Some Other Codes and Conventions Visually stylish – ‘artistic’ mise-en-scene Cutting related to the rhythm of the music Intercutting between performance and images or story Experimental use of camera/editing (hand held camera, distortion of colours) Often break the rules of continuity editing. Can use lots of jump cuts Lots of use of digital effects

18. Idea of Spectacle Music Videos may be considered to be examples of ' spectacle '. In this the performers are performing, often looking directly at the viewer. This is called “direct address” -where they are directly interacting with the viewer.

19. In the case of men , this involves the look of the character towards the viewer. The male is seen to be addressing the viewer directly. He is supposed to be singing directly for you. The female figure is often an object of an erotic gaze, object of male desire which is a voyeuristic gaze. A Voyeur is someone who looks at someone. This means females in music vids are often dressed and posed in very sexual ways

20. The Male (and Female) Gaze In a group decide on your vote for the videos that you think are the prizewinners for A) the most sexually provocative female performance B) the most sexually “I want you” male performance

21. Types of Music Videos Performance Narrative Concept http://emmamusicvideo.blogspot.com/2010/07/narrative-performance-based-and-concept.html Take on Me: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=djV11Xbc914

22. To make your Music Video What is the theme or aim of my music video? Who will this appeal to? How can I make it appeal to this group? What are the lyrics saying? What do the music/rhythms/genre suggest? How can I link music/lyrics/images? What type of video will it be?