Key features of a music video

Andrew Goodwin, in Dancing in the Distraction Factory (1992, Routledge), has identified the following features of music video:

1. Music video demonstrate genre characteristics (eg stage performance in metal video, dance routine for Boy/Girl band)

2. There is a relationship between lyrics and visuals (either illustrative, amplifying, contradicting).

3. There is a relationship between music visuals (either illustrative, amplifying, contradicting).

4. The demands of a record label will include the need for lots of close-up of the artist and the artist may develop motifs which recur across their work (a visual style)

5. There is frequently reference to the notion of looking (screens within screens, telescopes, etc) and particularly voyeuristic treatment of the female body.

6. There is often intertextual reference (to film, TV programmes, often music videos, etc).  

It is also worth considering:

Whether the video is primarily performance-based, narrative-based or concept-based and how elements of each are used in it.

You can use Goodwin's categories analyse music videos for yourself.

Synopsis / idea / storyline for my music video

My idea is that my music with mainly consist of performance, i.e: dance. My identity for my artist will be over the top and will wear expensive looking clothing. for example I have a fur coat at home that I will use as a costume idea, I will also use gold chains and diamond jewellery to fit my chosen genre of R&B as it shows wealth and money.  I am looking at setting the music video in the college theatre so I can use the different coloured lights and it will fit the idea of performance. I am also looking at setting parts of the video in a car park and the city of London. I would like to add in clips of fireworks and clips of birds flying, the song is called 'fly' and it fits with the narrative of the lyrics. The story/ narrative for my video is that the artists has come from a bad background set in London but is now a successful/ rich and wealthy R&B artist that is performing in front of a audience and someone that people look up to and aspire to be like.



I will be putting my A-level dance skills into choreographing a dance/ performance section for my music video as conventionally R&B music videos often use performance and dance, the dance style that is often used is street and hip-hop, so that is type of dance I will choreograph, because I am using dance in my video, that is the reason for using the theatre.





I am taking ideas from Nicki Minaj's music videos. I would like to create an artist like her and take ideas from the clothes, her hair and make up for my artist. As I think she is a inspirational R&B artists, she is fun, bright and eye-catching. Her over the top look sets her apart from anyone else and that's what I want for my artist.

Conevetions of Music Video

Camera shots:

music video tend to include many long shots, dose ups and mid shots. this is to create emphasis on the artist, locations and emotions. also, close ups are used not only to show emotions bit to reflect the words of the song with the movement of the lips of the artists (lip sync).

Camera Movement:

the movement of the camera is used to follow and trace the artist or band. camera movements include tilts, pans, tracking and crane shots,

Mise-en-scene:

This refers to the arrangements of performers and props on stage or in a scene for a production of a music video or any other media text. Mise-en-scene puts importance on the representation of something. An example is, 'Mad' by Neyo. The mise-en-scene involves him walking down a road alone, being in an isolated room. This reflects the isolation from his lover. Also, the props include hats and dark clothes which represent the down mood of the song. similarly, the lighting is kept very dark as it is black and white; this connotes the angry and depressed mood. This just one example of the mise en scene used to give an idea of how mise en scene works.

(Place video!!)

Editing:

Jump cuts is the predominant editing technique used in music videos. this is because this allows a sudden change from one scene to another. Similarly, transitions such as fade and dissolve are very common in music videos as they create a different effect to cuts.

Other main conventions consist of:

Lighting: some music videos are black and white which help emphasis a particular mood and some videos have artificial lighting which put the artist/s in an enhanced look.

Sound: sound is mainly the vocals or the song but is some cases such as Michael Jackson- thriller, the producers can male the music video into a short film.

Props: these are a vital in aiding to add to the scene and create significance on particular objects or people.

Costume: This goes with the scenes in the song and reflects the genre. costume is an important factor because it has a slight influence on how the viewers will dress because they use some of the celebrities as role models.

Colour: colours tend to set the mood of the song through creating an atmosphere. For example, dark colours are used more in rock songs such as Kings of Leon and bright colours are seen to be used more in hip hop and pop videos.

Music conventions in Hip Hop videos

• locations tends to be a party, or fancy club location
• use of alcohol
• recognised brands and clothing
• expensive cars and houses
• camera shots tend to be long and establishing to show the money involved. close ups to show the jewellery and assets of the artists.
• attractive women
• dose not follow a storyline, only follows the genre
• artist(s) tend to be involved

In lesson notes on Narrative

Narrative= Story + Plot


Story- what happens (fabula)
Plot- how we see what happens (syuznet)


Tim O'sullivan et al (1998) argues that all media text tell us some kind of story.


Trough careful mediation, media texts offer a way of telling stories about ourselves- not usually our own personal stories, but the story of us as a culture or set of cultures.


Narrative theory sets out to show that what we experience when we 'read' a story is to understand a particular set of construction, or conventions, and that it is important are put together.


Narrative - The structure of a story


Diegesis- The fictional space and time implied by the narrative-the word in which the story takes place.


verisimilitude: literally- the quality of appearing to be real or true.


rules of continuity- where people are in relation to each other.


The structure of the class narrative system.


Pam Cook (1985), the standard Hollywood narrative structure should have.


Linearity of cause and effect within a overall trajectory of enigma retaliation.


A-B-C-D
linearity- chorological order of events.


In short as O'sullivan  et al (1998) suggest narrative have a common structure, starting with the establishment of plot or theme.


This is then followed by the development of the problem, on enigma (Roland Borthes, 1977) on increase in tension.


Finally comes the resolution of the plot.


Such narrative can be unarming or liner.  

Tzvetan Todorov (1977)

Stage 1: A point of stable equilibrium, where everything is satisfied, calm and normal.

Stage 2: This stability is disrupted by some kind of force, which creates a state of disequilibrium.

Stage 3: Recognition that a disruption has taken place.

Stage 4: it is only possible to re-create equilibrium through action directed against the disruption.

Stage 5: Restoration of a new state of equilibruim. The consequences of the reaction is to change the world of the narrative and/or the characters so that the final state of equilibrium in not the same as the initial state.

Fashion and conventions that are shown through the genre of R&B

Conventions of R&B

Fashion: (male artists)  usually are shown to be  topless – For example Chris Brown is pictured in most of  his music videos with very minimal clothes on; this is because a lot of male R&B use the ides of the female gaze.

Jeans: If the artist is pictured topless they are usually wearing jeans, slightly hanging low so you can see their boxers. They will also have a (usually gold) designer belt on which a few close up shots will be done on as a form of advertising for that particular brand Ie: Versace.

Tattoos: A lot of R&B male artists have tattoos a majority of the time they are on their chest if not it will be on their arms. They also have multiple tattoos. Ie: a sleeve of tattoos on one or both of there arm.   

Jewellery: R&B stars wear jewellery like a watch, chains and earring.


Female Artists: