Music Videos - Styles, Conventions and Techniques

Music Videos Styles, Conventions and Techniques
By Aidan Halling
Please ensure that song titles are capitalised and italicised throughout.
Styles: Popular music genres
There are always trends and fashions that circulate even with music videos and to say something is popular is a very broad scope. A few example of popular videos would be Justin Bibbers Baby and Ok Gos here it goes again. These two videos are popular for different reasons, Justin Bieber because his music is mainstream and Ok Go because of their different, fun videos.
Justin Bieber Baby: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kffa cxfA7G4
Ok Go Here it goes again: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dTA AsCNK7RA
In concert and as live footage
As live footage is footage that is used in a video that has been filmed when the band or artist has been performing live on stage, usually on tour. These music videos usually include shots of the crowd and rely on the sound to be synced up with the footage as to seem like the artist is lip syncing. This can be seen in ACDC Thunderstruck: ACDCS Thunderstruck http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v2A
C41dglnM
Animation
Animated music videos are usually rather popular because they are different from the normal conventional type of music video. Weather it be for the entirety of the music video or just a small snippet of it, animation seems to work as it gives the audience something different to look at. A good example of this would be The Housemartins Happy hour, this video contains normal footage with Claymation.
The Housemartins Happy hour : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7_T MUJIWwyI
Narrative
A narrative music video is a video that links with a song that tells a story. The reason for this is to keep the audience engaged with the song and what's happening on screen. It gives a sense of characters as opposed to just band members on screen. A good example of this would be Bon Jovi Living in Sin why and how? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VI2ASiNCac
Surrealist
A surrealist music video is a music video that usually follows a surrealist story, or sometimes is just a bunch of random clips, but it often confuses the audience as to what is happening but captivates them to watch on. An example of a surrealist music video would be Basement Jaxx wheres your head at?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a4hFwJm 41h4
Pastiche
A pastiche music video is a song and video produced by the artists that somehow mimics or imitates someone else's style for example they may write music in the same sort of way/ genre. Good example of this would be Weird Al's smells like nirvana. Although Weird Al http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FklUAo usually does parodies, in this video he Z6KxY imitates Nirvanas style, genre and even films his video on the same set they did.
Parody
A parody is usually a song that takes the lyrics of anther song and replaces them to make fun of the band or a situation that the artist seems fit. Generally a song that is popular at the time is the main target for many people to attempt to make parodies. An example of a group that focuses on parodies are The Key of http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JnaZ Awesome . They make many parodies of W5Hf9_0 the most popular music videos as they come and upload them to YouTube regularly. An example of one of their songs would be a parody of Taylor Swifts I knew you were trouble
Referencing
In some songs or videos, other bands or situations are referenced. For example, in the famous music video of blink 182s all the small things they reference all the recent boy bands and their styles by slightly parodying the style.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Ht5RZpz Pqw
Homage
When bands pay homage to another band they do so out of respect for that bands style and music as it means they create a video in the style of a chosen band or artist. Homage is usually very close to becoming a parody but usually the band paying homage is very careful to take tings seriously. A rather recent example is The Wanted I Found You (fan version) where they mimic the style of the beetles.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2s6KI1HW L1s
Interpretive
An interpretive music video is created by the artist to make an audience have different opinions on it. Usually when an audience watch the video they will take different ideas and suggestions from it than another person. A good example of this would be Katy Perrys Firework as it shows may different situations of many people the audience will relate to it in a different way.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QGJuMB daqIw
Impressionist
An impressionist music video is when a band impersonates another famous person or band for example people who make a living out of impersonating Elvis. The Red Hot Chilli Peppers impersonate many different famous people throughout the history of music in their music video Dani California.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sb5aq5Hc S1A
Conventions: Lyric interpretation

Lyric interpretation effectively takes what is happening in the lyrics of the song and the meaning behind it and turns it into visuals. A good example of this would be Eminem - Love The Way You Lie ft. Rihanna because the lyrics say just gonna stand their and watch me burn and behind them the house is on fire.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uelHwf8o 7_U
Extending songs meaning and consolidating songs meaning

In a music video the song can be given an extended meaning beyond the original surface level or of the real intention of the artist. An example of this would be The All-American Rejects - Dirty Little Secret. The band use text in the song to further the meaning.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gPDcwjJ8 pLg
Allusion
Allusion in a song is simply a reference to something else. For example a film or another song. An example of this would be Thirty Seconds To Mars - The Kill (Bury Me) which alludes to the shining.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8yvGCAv OAfM
Links to other artists
Links to other artists is effectively an artist performing or mentioning another artist or band within their song. An example of this would again be Eminem Love The Way You Lie ft. Rihanna as Eminem features and links to Rihanna.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uelHwf8o 7_U
Techniques: Cutting to beat

Cutting to the beat is just a music video that cuts to a different shot to keep up with the beat of the song. A good example of this would be a-ha - Take On Me.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=djV11Xbc9 14
Effects
Effects are used in a lot of high end music videos usually produced by big record labels. In Maroon 5 Payphone when he is running from police cars and helicopters as well as them crashing behind him and exploding.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KRaWnd3 LJfs
Miming, playback and lip sync
In nearly every music video the band or artist will lip sync to their song to give the illusion that they are singing. A good example of this would be Nickelback Rockstar where members of the public mime along to the music instead of the artist.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DmeUuo xyt_E
Multi-image
Multi- image is just the use of multiple different images throughout the music video. An example of this would be Arctic Monkeys - I Bet You Look Good On The Dance Floor.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pK7egZaT 3hs
Camera movements
By moving the camera in certain ways for example pans, swish pans, zooms and racking shots you can make the music video more interesting and captivating. An example of this would be Beyonce feat Jay Z Bonnie & Clyde.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=copiznIfV 3E
Camera angles
Camera angles are a big feature within music videos. By using angles such as birds eye view, high angle and low angle you can achieve different impressions and give the video different tones. An example of this would be Beyonc Single Ladies.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4m1EFMo RFvY
Chroma key
A Chroma key is used when a music video is filmed in front of a blue or green screen. A Chroma key is used later on in editing when all of the blue or all of the green is taken out of the shot which allows backgrounds to be put in place of the green in the shot allowing the subject to seem as if they are in a different location. A good example of this would be Weezer - Buddy Holly.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kemivUK b4f4
AIDAN
Well done for covering most of the terms. You are however, missing: influence of commercials; consolidating meaning and playback and lip sync. You must include these to meet grading criteria.
You also need to use more of your own examples. I dont mind one of mine used, but towards the end specially, you use far too many. Please also amend the few terms you have not defined correctly.
Make the suggested changes to meet grading criteria. Good start.

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Music Videos - Styles, Conventions and Techniques

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Music Videos Styles, Conventions and Techniques

Styles: Popular music genres

Justin Bieber Baby: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kffa cxfA7G4

Ok Go Here it goes again: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dTA AsCNK7RA

In concert and as live footage

Conventions: Lyric interpretation

Extending songs meaning and consolidating songs meaning

Links to other artists

Techniques: Cutting to beat

Miming, playback and lip sync

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