Style, Conventions and Techniques of Music Videos

As music videos are now the main way music artist project their music into the public and a good music video can really help the artist as it will be something that audience will remember and come back to and watch it again. But every music video is although different often do follow the same conventions or style for that type of genre of music. An example is "In-Concert footage", which is when the artist use footage from a live performance and use that footage in order to create a music video around that.

The reason why this is song for this example is because it's not directly a live performance recording instead it is played out like that to give it that impression. This gives style of music videos a new element by making it seem like a live performance and then actual providing other styles of music videos within it, especially when zooming in on people's "demons" and then coming back to the "live performance".

Narrative and Interpretive:

This is one of the most used conventions in music videos as they give some sort of visual representations of the lyrics that the artist has created. The basic premise of it is that the audience have something to follow when watching it, even if the music videos doesn't actually follow the lyrics fully. So narrative music videos can either follow the lyrics fully or take the premise of it and develop it from there.

 

The reason for me choosing these two music videos is because one of them is narrative structure and the other is the interpretive. For the narrative music video I chose "Kindest Regards" by Witt Lowry, the reason why it is a narrative music video is because when listening to lyrics of the song throughout the video , the visual elements on screen will more or less be the same as the lyrics or close enough to it. For the reason why the other is my chosen video for the interpretive music video is because the song "Black Spiderman" by Logic although the music video doesn't follow the lyrics throughout or show images related to the lyrics, but instead takes the theme of the music videos lyrics which in this case is racism and how we should live in harmony and the music video projects images about that instead.

Surrealist/Absurdist:

Surrealist music videos are the weird or strange ones, which don't have sort of connection to the original lyrics, the strangeness of it makes them very unconventional to most music videos, which causes viewers to be more surprised and intrigued by it.

 

The reason for me choosing "Disturbia" by Rihanna is because throughtout the music video you can see the visual are disturbing and strange compared to the artist other music videos and the visual don't also match the lyrics of the song.

This is a good example of the strange things in this music video, for instance the hair and make up of the artist, Rihanna, make it look unrealistic and strange, which also suits the same term of the outfits in this shot, both being the artist clothing and also the extra's clothing in the background, which seems to be a prison outfit of sorts.

Impressionist:

The difference between a impressionist and a narrative is that a narrative will focus on making the visual of the lyrics themselves where as an impressionist music video try to focus on capturing the emotions that go with the song and try to visual that instead.

The song I chose for this section was "Sick Boy" by The Chainsmokers. The reason behind it is emotion that it projects on the audience when they watch this music video, as it makes the audience think about how parts of a country treat people in different ways and the effects it causes people. the way it is shown in the music video shows off the effects by making it so the singer and musicians are these effected people and making themselves look like monsters.

Intertextual:

An intertextual music video uses it visual in order to show off another product that has little to no relation to the song or lyrics.

The reason for me choosing this music video by Machine Gun Kelly, X Ambassadors and Bebe Rexha called "Home" is because it ties in with this section very well as the music video shows off the visual and the character of the Netflix movie "Bright" in which this song was made for.

Animation:

These music videos that are used have either the whole project be animated or in have some part of it animated whether it be stop motion animation of CGI rendered effects.

The animation that is used in this music video is used creatively as the the animation projects what the lyrics are saying in the song and gives the music a different dynamic other than just a guy confessing his feelings for a girl and the animation also allows the interaction of both of the characters in the music video. This type of animation is good balance between not enough animation to too much animation and really makes the music video unique to the genre.

Lip-Synch:

Some music videos performances might require the artist to mime the lyrics instead of actually singing them and make sure they look like the work with the actual vocals of the song.

 

The reason for me choosing these to different music videos if because it shows off the difference between a professional and amateur music video, as Rag N Bone man is a well known artist so his music video was given a large budget and allows time to get the lip sync in the video to be exactly right, but with the amateur, although they are known and have got a large fan base, but they had to pay for the music video by themselves and in order to get more creative and be able to standout in the music industry, they did the music video backwards to allow the music video have a different element, but this also add to the difficulties to the lip syncing as they had to sing the words backwards in order to make it look right, which causes some mistakes in it.

Editing:

Cutting to beat:

This is when in post production the editor cuts the video to the music in order to help establish a rhythm with the music.


This is a great example of a music video cutting to the beat as throughout the video when a beat hit happens in the song the music video will change to a new locations or footage or something will happen in the music video which corresponded with the music video's beat.

Post Production Effects:

Some music videos can be edited in some unconventional ways and sometimes challenges the classic way of editing music videos. The main reason why it's used is to attract the audience with the editing, by trying to impress the viewers or a different audience might be interested by the effects and might enjoy the complex nature about them.

 

Like for cutting to the beat this is also a great example for the post-production effects as the whole music video is covered in different and unique effects that would take a long time to actually edit in and gives the whole music video a different feel, than the just the regular footage put together would. But trying to pick a specific spot that really shows off the post productions effects would be very hard as throughout the entire music video the visual effects are amazing and give the rap song a whole different feeling like I said before.

Split screen:

This editing technique that isn't use as much as the others are but it shows off different events on the screen at the same time. This effect is used to show of the multiply different meaning of the lyrics in one video, so the user can easily discover whats it's about.


This is the perfect example for split screen because almost all of the music video is using the split screen effect. The music video also uses the effect in a creative way of making it seem like the two split screen video strangely fit together. This shown let alone by the music video's thumbnail as the rockets strangely look to be connected to the statue at the top and it's things like that through the entire music video being its main theme of it.

Chroma Key:

This effect is basically the green screen effect or blue screen effect and the block colour is then replaced by a wanted image or video, making the characters seem to be in a different locations to where it's being filmed. This is used for music videos to save money on not having to travel to locations and instead they go to a green screen studio and make it seem like it the proper location. Another reason is the ability to make the background look different and fit in with the rest of the theme of the music video.

Although the green screen or the chroma key effect isn't used that much in this music video but when it is used it is used in the best way to make the the music video look to match the song's lyrics and the artist, Tyler the Creator's style, which comedic and unrealistic at times especially like shots with the cat, where Tyler the Creator is supposedly riding it, which is impossible without the use of chroma key editing.

This is the shot which really shows off Tyler the Creator's style for music video, which as I said before is comedic and involve unrealistic scenarios like the one above, as this scenes doesn't provide any visual aid to the lyrics of the song but just towards the artist's style.

Camera Movements:

Using certain camera movements, like pans tracking shots, tilts and crabs shots in order to create a different feeling to the music video which isn't created by having a static camera for the entire music video and this can also create a nice flow for the music video as well as creating a sort of excitement for the audience as well.


The reason for me choosing this song by Logic, called "1-800-273-8255", is because the different ways that the camera movement is used really add to impact of this music video and the message it tries to get forward towards the audience. This again is shown in the opening shot of the music video when the main character in the narrative story is running away the camera and the camera is seemingly chases, which symbolizes the music video theme of being suicidal and the opening scene shows the main character running from his problems or towards the light or "heaven" which is shown by the street light, which gets brighter and brighter as the main character gets nearer towards it.

Camera Angles and Shot types:

The reason apply for this as well from camera movements, as they use the angles in order to add some dynamic features in the music video, with angles like canted, low and high angle, mid shot, etc. The use of the angles can also give music videos meaning and a tone as well and the different shot type can also show different elements of the mise-en-scene.

 

This music video called "rockstar" by Post Malone, uses the camera angles and the different shot types in creative way, which really shown in the fight scene that takes place in the music video, it uses them in a way which intrigues the audience about the fighting in the music but not too much to distract the audience from listening to the actual song.

But the image to the right is a good example of the shot type and the camera angles that are used in this music video, as its not an overly complicated shot but it still draws in the audience's attention to the music video and makes them want to watch till the end. This part shown at the start of the music video.

Mise-en-scene:

This convention is everything that in the scene of the music video, from things like lighting, objects, the setting, etc. The mise-en-scene also helps with the mood of the song and help to create what atmosphere the director of the music video wants, whether it be desire, glamour, passion, anger.

The reason for choosing this as my Mise en Scene example is because although it doesn't have much in the scene but what it has is used very creatively to show off the lyric's meaning. For example with the blank paintings, that surround the location are blank, which tries to show off that people will buy pointless stuff to try and ignore whats happening around them or that the artist feels that record labels will rather look at rubbish artists rather than him and that they only care when something happens to him and that's only when they want to get money out of him and won't actual do anything to help him with his problems and they don't care what happens to him as long as him earns them money. The box also shows off that he being used like a exhibit like in a museum and no one really cares for him. The shot is also really creative as the lighting is only on the main aspect of the music video, which is the artist in the box.

Research and Planning of a Music Video

The song I have chosen to use to make my music video is one called "Suicidal Thoughts by Jake Hill and Josh A. The reason for me choosing this was because when I listen to the song it is quite impact and it will give a challenge to try and make the music video have more impact than the song does and even add to it by the visual effects that will be added to it and because the artist doesn't usually do music videos, then it gives me the creative freedom to create something new for it.

• The whole song's meaning is that people who have suicidal thoughts, are always trying to make their lives better and get rid of them thoughts but only for something to go wrong again and make the fall back into those thoughts and never really getting better and eventually end up giving up on trying to make themselves better. It also shows that people with these thoughts have to try and act normal in their everyday lives to try and fit in with society and when they're alone is when their true selves come out.
• The pace of the music video is slow mostly throughout the song, these is mostly at the chorus, which gradually increases in tempo with the music, but the versus done by Josh A are mostly quite slow and the song really picks up the pace when Jake Hill verse comes in and goes back to the steady pace at the end of the song.
• The duration of the song is only three minutes long, making an average sized song and fits in with the brief given to us, in which are song has to be between 2 and 4 minutes long and mine selection is right in the middle, its long enough for creative potential and this is different from both artists as they mostly do songs around the 2 minutes long but with their collaboration the time has increased.
• The style of the song is rap or more specific realistic rap
• There is a narrative in the song although it has no music video that goes with it, but the narrative is like the meaning that I discussed before and its about how they have suicidal thoughts and don't want to commit suicide but the even though they try to get rid of the thoughts and in the end something happens that resets the suicidal thoughts and make them worse.
• imagery

Step 3
Both Jake Hill and Josh A are both small time artists with quite a lot of views on their music but not loads compared to a mainstream artist. Both Artist don't really do music videos and usually upload the song by itself, but Jake Hill has done some music videos which are mostly just him in a certain locations and just rapping the song to the camera and it shows the key aspects of an amateur music video.

• The clothing in all of the music videos of Jake Hill are him wearing his everyday clothing and nothing that is out of the ordinary or spectacular, this is mostly because of his very low budget he has for them and also to show some sort of relation with the listener by wearing the same clothes they do in his music videos in order to show that the lyrics are more relatable. 
• No makeup is used in Jake Hill's music video or their is some used by applied by either himself or a close relation and no one he's hired to do it professional due to budget he has.
• The tone of his existing music videos are very similar as they are quite amateur filming and shows quite obviously that's low budget. 
• The locations used in the music videos aren't at all mainstreams as its either a location like his home or a public place which is mostly likely abandon and contains hardly any people like a parking lot or on top of a hill during the winter season.
• The narratives of the most of the Jake Hill's music videos are the same concept in each one with a few difference like the clothing or the location and obviously the song. 

Because both Jake Hill and Josh A haven't got many music videos I have the ability to try and invent a new music video concept for them as well keeping to some of the ones they have like using my everyday locations like my house and wearing causally normal clothes that aren't flashy or extravagant.

Step 4:

Synopsis:
My music video will consist of multi things that are to do with "suicidal thoughts", things such as self harm, confusion, frustration, etc. It will also consist of having the main character in the music video trying to do stuff in order to overcome the thoughts like boxing and it all being reset when something bad happens in this case would be him being bullied

The Purpose of Music Videos

Music videos now are everywhere in the world on TV or the internet, music videos started to become more and more popular around the 1980s with the most recognised one to start the genre off was the Bohemian Rhapsody by Queen, with more and more music videos coming out from either big artist or small time independent ones after. The purpose of this essay is to explore the genre of music videos and the difference between main streams music videos compared to small time independent artists and the meaning behind the video or the artist in them.

Music videos are mostly a way in order to promote the artist or band that feature in them, the way they do that is by with having their band or name in the music video or a distinct icon in it. An example is a music video called “Oh Yeah – The Subways”,

A form of identification they use to promote themselves is, that they have their band’s name on the drum kit, as it will be shown a lot throughout the music video and is always central on the wide shots. Another way they use in order to identify themselves is by their colour scheme they use in their music videos, as it keep with the black, red and white theme, either the white or black taking becoming the primary colour in it.

Music videos aren’t just about promoting the band, but also the director behind them. An example is from director called Spike Jonze, who has directed music videos for artist like Arcade Fire, Kanye West and also the Music Video,  I will be discussing called “It’s Oh So Quiet – Bjork”. This music video showed off his creative side of his directing and allowed to create complex scenes filled with effects and choreography; this helps to show his out of the box thinking making his technique unique for his music videos.

When it comes to promoting different types artists, producers will vary time and resources given to either a big time artist or independent artists. The main difference is the budget between the two, if we were to compare Post Malone’s rockstar to Tyler the creator’s Yonkers, you can see a difference in the sets as rockstar has much more creative and elaborate sets and clothing and extras, whereas Yonkers, just as Tyler the creator on a stool with a cockroach and wearing his normal clothing on. Also the difference of distribution of the music videos will be different as rockstar will be put on different radio shows, Music TV shows and different websites like vimeo or YouTube with it either being on a dedicated channel like Vevo or a personal channel, whereas Yonkers goes on less popular things and most likely the artist’s own personal channel or website.

But not all artists rely on a producer to help, there are artist who self-produce themselves, an example is an artist called “Bugzy Malone”, he has made, budgeted and released his music videos, in order to get himself more known in the industry. The advantages and disadvantages of being self-produced especially when making music videos can be things like have no creative limit and being allowed to create what you want and also there would be no budget limit on it, but the disadvantage is that the budget is coming from your own pocket and any sort of copy right or legal issue will have to done by themselves and have to help from no one else, unlike people who are part of a label who will get help from them and like low budget artist, their music videos will most likely only end up on their personal channels or website.

Some artists only create music videos to be remembered for and also make a statement from it as well. For instance with “1-800-273-8255 – Logic”, which is very different from the artist usually music videos and makes the statement of the problem about suicide and the help that is there to help and he does this by even making the name of the song after a suicide helpline and depending on the artist, the music video could get good distribution, like Logic who got it on multiply different platform allowing more people to see his music video and more to be able to remember it.

One of the main reasons for music video to still exist is the income that they create, both for the artist’s and their label as well. Most of the time the main income for the artist is the money that comes from royalties, the royalties that the artist is paid is estimated based on the number of views it has on all of the media outlets it had been shared on and then it is paid the artist. But if the artist or band is non main steam then it can be difficult to get much of the way of royalties, because they wouldn’t be able to get on popular TV shows or trending on YouTube to the lack of the views they will get, compared to a main stream artist, but YouTube is one of the best places to get noticed due to large amount of viewers it has. Another way is the form of competition, as if your music video wins, then that will increase its publicity.

In the present there are tons of different media outlets that artist can use to increase their publicity. The increasing amount of media outlets is good, because it allows more places to be able to distribute an artist’s music video and therefore easier to be seen by people, but the more the media outlets the more other videos will flush out your video from getting viewed more. There are many different media outlets for this; this can be from ones of the internet like YouTube, Vimeo, Facebook, ITunes and Spotify. It can also be on Television with Music Channels like Kiss, MTV, Top 40s; it can even be through advertisements like billboard.

Another way that companies and artists make money for their product, which is music videos, is a way through something called “Synergy”, which was first pioneered by Walt Disney, which is when companies would pay Disney to be able to make products from their films, ultimately giving Disney free advertisement and being paid for it as well. This is the same for things like football teams and the companies that sponsor certain teams or product placement in films and television shows and also Music videos, as they also help with synergy with the props they use in their music videos, like cars, clothing or jewellery and also advertise other artist as well. The synergy in music videos benefits all parties involved, them being the artist, the label and the companies the product is from as they all making money from it, whether it be from the actual music video or the free advertisement that the music video created.

The main reason why I think music videos are popular is because music videos make it so that the audience don’t have to perceive the song in their own way and the music video helps them imagine the music better, allowing them to enjoy it more than just listening to song as when they are listening to the song, they will imagine the music video in their head. It also allow the artist to have more of wide audience range because the music video is on many different media outlets as it doesn’t limit it to just one type of audience and creates more publicity for them.

The History of Music Videos

Music videos are some of the most viewed videos on the internet, but of course they didn't initially start like that, in fact the first proper form of music videos was in 1941 when a machine was invented in America called "The Panoram Soundie", which was a jukebox that could play short videos along with the music. This is was then integrated into the rising genre of films, as films that were centered around music were created like "Around the Clock". It wasn't until 1962, when Britain created a new television channel which primarily focused on music, these were called "Top of the Pops", "Ready! Steady! Go!". Eventually America did the same thing in 1964 as they adapt the format in order to make it their own, as "Hullabaloo" was first of its kind in America. When the 1970's hit, the music video genre started to grow even more as record company discovered that the music tv shows were the best place to promote their artists, So the companies would make their artists "Promo" videos, which were seen as early music videos soon started to replace the live performance of the artist on a stage, which is what was being shown before. In 1975 however came out the first proper major music video that wasn't just a live performance, the video was called "Bohemian Rhapsody", the reason why it considered to ground breaking as it was one of the first to use advanced editing effects for a music video as it used effects lie cross dissolves and fades and used lighting tricks in order to make it not look like just a live performance and from the music video came the mark of the music video era fully beginning.

As more and more music videos came out, more and more try to make themselves unique and one managed this as it was the first music to have computer animation within the video, as well as having the normal stop motion animation, this video was called "The Day My Baby Gave Me a Surprise" by Devo and was also released in 1979. One of the most famous artist in history, David Bowie, kick off the 1980s with the release his ground breaking music video called "Ashes to Ashes", the reason for being considered to be groundbreaking is the fact that it used even more advanced editing effects and techniques than "Bohemian Rhapsody" by Queen. The music video used things like a green screen in order to make them seems to be in a different location without having to actually go there or go to a place where you normally can't , like outer space. They also change the colouring of the music video or putting in a colour correction.