Types of Music Video

In this blog I am going to look at all the different types of music that there is, there is many types of music video genre ranging from and Homage music video to an as Live video

These are the types of music video

Genre is a category of artistic composition, as in music or literature, marked by distinctive style form or content.

Homage is based on something from the past. It is an acknowledgement to something from the past.

Animation is the use of drawings or CGI technology to illustrate lyrics and meaning.Daft Punk used Homage/Amimation of Manga Cartoons and a Japanese show battle of the planets. It’s an homage to Japanese Manga cartoons, conforms to the animated genre because it’s animated we know its animation because it uses images and not actors.

Sometimes there is an extended version of the music video in order to help develop characters or the plot and help the narrative e.g. Katy Perry 'Last Friday Night' and also the Eminem ft Rhiana song 'Burn' where the use of narrative gets the story across, aswell as the singers there are performers acting out scenes as a couple throughout as if it is a break up of a relationship and see aspects of domestic violence.

 

An as live video shows the song being sung live as live is usually in a concert venue, if not live then it is probably clips of a live show put together to form the music video. The Oasis video Let There be Love is an as live video because its clips from a live performance, might not even be singing the same song, its black and white, and also has the audience in it and the band.

Pastiche, in simple terms it's and imitation, the message promoted will usually be tongue in cheek (a bit of a joke) Like the Foo Fighters video 'Walk' is a pastiche to the film Walking Down, It’s a pastiche because it depends on another media product.  And it just takes the storyline and makes it funny.

 Parody, it is created to mock. Soul aim is to make fun of an original piece of work through either the subject matter, the author or style. Wierd Al Yankovic's Eat it is a parody of Michael Jacksons 'Beat It'. Its a parody because it takes the mick out of Michael Jacksons videos, the lyrics have been changed made to make people laugh and to make Michael Jackson look stupid.

Influence of Commercials, uses advertiesement strategies to carry the narrative. Kanye Wests' song Gold Digger influenced to by commercials because the magazine advertisement advertisements. In the Black Eyed Pees video they are branding things and public displays, advertising strategies.

Referencing, uses a media subject for inspiration. Thirty Seconds to Mars video 'the Kill' refrences the film the Shining, It’s like a pastiche but doesn’t try to take the mick out of anything, it referred to the shining without the book and film the music video would not have been made.

Abstract is something that the audience would find hard to belive happening in the real world. Effects can be added to create a 'dream sequence' meaning. Radio Heads 'Street Spirit' is artistic and stylish. There are things in this video that wouldn’t happen in the real world for example jumping out of a caravan in slow motion. There is no time and space everything is lost and unusual.

Interpretive, in this case it is a visual interpretation of the lyrics. The Lonley Island song 'I'm on a Boat' is  basically just telling us what they are doing. It’s a visual interpretation of the lyrics. They are telling the audience they are on a boat.

Impressionist it is an artist take or impression of a style/genre or theme. This is not a parody it is just individual angles a bit more genric. The Beastie Boys song Sabotage is an impressionist because It takes loads of snippets from different sources where as a pastiche is from one thing.

Katie Perry, Last Friday Night. This is an example of an extended music video, it has a whole prologue before the music starts and the whole video has a storyline to it of going to a party and trying to remember what happened the day after.

The Black Eyed Peas video of Where is the Love uses the power of commercials and advertisement, they basically go round with posters with question marks everywhere and then have them on food and drink as there brands.

In the Spice Girls video of Viva Forever it is basically a mixture of real people and animation with them appearing in the form of fairies, and interacting with real people.  

Music Video Conventions

Lyric Meaning - Using visual meanings to interpret the lyrics, basically what they are singing about effects the narrative of the whole video. Example in the Rhiana video we hear her sing about burning and we see a burning house behind her. 

Extensions or Consolidation of a song's meaning -  The video extends the songs meaning for example in the Beastie Boys video we can see the use of text to extend the meaning of the song, we know the song is called sabotage but they use words to extend it.

Allusion (Reference) - An allusion is simply a reference to something for example the Foo Fighters video Walk alludes to the film Falling Down and the 30 Seconds to Mars video the Kill alludes to the movie the Shining.

Links to other Artists - A reference to another artist is either a duet, for example Eminem in the Rhiana video, and sometimes they can be referenced in the lyrics.

Music Video Tecniques

Cutting to the Beat - Cutting to the beat is basically when a beat occurs the video cuts to something else. And the angle differs. For example Flo Rida 'Good Feeling' uses this method.

Efftects - Effects are used in music videos to add to the narrative, best used in the major record companies like Rhiana using flames in the background for Burn.

Miming and Lip Syncing - Everyone mimes in  music videos, because you can put the recorded song over anything and people could mime it.

Use of Multi-Camera Image - Multi-Camera, different types of shot. Shooting it in the studio cut around and get multiple images. For example the Arctic Monkeys song I bet you look good on the dance floor uses multi angle to get the band from different angles.

Camera Shots/Angles Movement - A tracking shot is the camera following the subject; a panning shot is where a camera stays still and finds the subject. They are used to cover movement. Close Up shot to catch emotion. Establishing shot to set the scene. High angle shot to show the innocence of someone, Low angle to show power and importance.

Green Screen - They project images in the background whilst there are real people in the foreground. Buddy Holly Weaser uses this by having them in a programme from the 70s. Projected on after in post production. For example the music video that springs to mind is spice girls 2 Become 1 in which the girls are imposed into a New York background.

Lighting – 2 kinds of lighting, high key lighting, there will hardly be any shadows the video will be very bright by using lots of lights. Low Key lighting to capture a moodier darker video, creates a moody and tempered image.