Music Videos - Styles, Conventions and Techniques 2
Music Videos - Styles, Conventions and Techniques 2
Music Videos - Styles, Conventions and Techniques 2
By Christopher Tuck
STYLES - NARRATIVE
A Narrative Music Video has a story for the audience to follow whilst they are listening to the song. These differ to interpretive music videos in that the narrative does not need to be exactly following the lyrics of the song. Below are examples of two narrative videos:
Metallica The Day That Never Comes http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mlahvvymkxc
STYLES - SURREALIST
Surrealist music videos use unconventional images that the audience do not anticipate and they can often be described by audiences as absurd. The idea behind these videos is that the surprise factor will make the video more memorable to the audience. Below are two examples of surreal music videos:
Soft Cell Sex Dwarf http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=39NHW8V-WEk
STYLES - PASTICHE
A pastiche music video is when an artist imitates somebody elses style. This is usually light-hearted and done with respect for the person who is being imitated. Below are two examples of pastiche music videos:
Man Like Me Youll Always Find Me In The Kitchen At Parties 80s party http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Gm9rxNxyDU
STYLES - PARODY
A parody music video takes the mick out of the original subject matter of a song. Many artists found fame through parody music videos such as Weird Al Yankovic and The Midnight Beast. By using humour in your video, an audience member can get another type of enjoyment from it. Here are two examples of parody music videos:
Weird Al Yankovic White And Nerdy (Parody of Ridin Dirty by Chamillionaire) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N9qYF9DZPdw
STYLES - REFERENCING
Some music videos may reference other subjects where these be cultural/historical events or another person. Soundtrack videos may even make reference to the films that they are from in the music video. Two examples of referencing music videos are shown below:
Will Smith Men In Black (references the film of the same title) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KSRF3slguhI
Metallica One (References Johnny Got His Gun (Trumbo, 1971)) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EzgGTTtR0kc
STYLES - HOMAGE
Some artists use their music videos to pay respect to another text that has influenced them or just one that they like. This reference can be noticed by the audience or encourage them to engage with the original text as well. Two examples of homage music videos are shown below:
Michael Jackson Smooth Criminal (Homage to Fred Astaire in The Band Wagon) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GaAaFAnaZN4
The Scissor Sisters Lets Have A Kiki (Homage to Paris is Burning, a 1990 documentary film) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eGCD4xb-Tr8
STYLES - INTERPRETIVE
As mentioned previously in the narrative section, an interpretive music video is one where the directors interpret the lyrics of a song using them to perform a narrator function. Two examples of interpretive music videos are shown below:
Tenacious D Tribute http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_lK4cX5xGiQ
STYLES -IMPRESSIONIST
Impressionist music videos are more artistic, taking their name from the art movement of impressionism. These music videos are likely to include features such as soft light, soft edges and flowing and intermingling colours. These create a very aesthetically-pleasing video and increasing the amount of attention that is paid to it. Examples below:
The Fray How To Save A Life http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cjVQ36NhbMk
CONVENTIONS ALLUSION
Allusion is when a reference to a person, existing text, place or event is made within a music video. It could be fairly obvious or totally discreet but either way, many music videos feature conventions such as this. For example, in the music video for Metallicas All Nightmare Long which makes reference to the Tunguska event in 1908 as well as the speculative conjecture that circulated around it.
TECHNIQUES EFFECTS
As with any video, visual effects can be a good way of attracting audience members. Aesthetically gratifying effects will enchant audience members and technically impressive effects may also attract another audience who may be interested in the complexity of what you have done. The effects used should be appropriate to the genre of the song. Devildriver Pray For Villains http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z4G4FcPzeIw
TECHNIQUES MULTI-IMAGE
The multi-image technique means that multiple images are shown on the screen simultaneously. Whilst the old practice involved projecting multiple and repeatedly varying images onto a screen, innovations in non-linear editing make this process more efficient meaning that split screen is the contemporary equivalent. An example of this technique is: Eminem Without Me http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YVkUvmDQ3HY