Quantitative Analysis – Music Videos

Through my quantitative analysis research I have been able to identify what is common in different genres of music videos. Researching a range of genres has also allowed me to think more about what sort of genre of music I would like to do for my own music video, allowing me to look at settings, shots and video content.

Hip-hopHip-hop music is very often focusing on the artist, as the target population who listen to that genre of music are often not only listening to the song, but also looking out for the performer. Beyonce is a classic example of this as in almost all of her music videos she dancing either alone or with backup dancers. In her video for Love on Top the majority of camera shots are long shots, followed closely by mid shots. This is so the viewer is able to watch the choreography and focus on Beyonce’s performance, possibly more than focusing on the lyrics themselves. Also, there is no story in this particular music video, again meaning the attention of the viewer is drawn towards the dancers rather than the lyrics and their meaning. The colours in hip-hop videos are also very vivid and eye catching. Combining this with the constant movement of the dancers makes the video quick and fun, appealing to the possible target population; mainly girls aged between 10 and 16.

Alternative RockOn the opposite end of the scale, Alternative Rock music videos are almost always focusing on the band and their performance with their instruments. Close up shots are the most common in these videos, often focusing on the face or a particular facial feature of the lead singer. This can been seen in both the Foo Fighter’s music video Pretender and Green Day’s Wake me up when September Ends. Although, only one of these videos has a strong story to go along with the performance, unlike the other which focuses mainly on the band. Pretender uses fast camera changes and hectic on goings to keep the excitement of the music and video going, whereas Wake Me Up When September Ends has a much more engaging story line running through the video, making people want to watch it more. Fast pace camera work is only used towards the end of the video when it also works in sync with the story.

Rap

Lose Yourself by Eminem not only has lots ofperformance but also an engaging story through the music video. This is about the life of a rapper; who we are to believe is Eminem. This fits well with the genre of Rap music as it not only combines the stereotypical, tough life of “gangsters” and rap artists but also shows the artist himself performing, making it look like he is directly addressing the viewers. It could also be seen as though it is all advice aimed at them. It mainly consists of mid shots, just showing Eminem rapping and aiming his lyrics at the audience. This gives the video a more personal feel, and may be used to connect with the viewer. The stereotypical viewer would be a teenage male, who would probably dress as though he was associated with a gang. Eminem’s outfit choice would fit with theirs perfectly, and since he is so influential, any branded clothing he was wearing would be bought and worn by these fans.

DanceDanceDance music videos mainly focus on some sort of “story” rather than watching the artist perform themselves. Although, you see both video and some performance in Avicii’s Wake Me Up. The camera mainly uses close up and mid shots to tell the story in this video, and continues to when the story arrives at a club. However here we also see a Avicii performing the song, but rather than showing a genuine live performance separating the story line from it, we see him from the point of view of the “heroine” in the video. The colours used throughout are very bright and vivid, especially in the club scene. Here there is a lot ofstrobe lighting used and although it is dark, the colours still stand out(eg. The luminous pink lights).

Alternative/danceMuse are a band generally associated with rock/alternative music, howevertheir latest album could come under the genre of dace music. Their new song Madness, mainly uses close up and mid shots to tell a story throughout the video, however we do also see the band performing throughout. The video uses bight colours during key points in the video, although use bland colours through the majority of the story. There is also some use of special effects, (slow motion) making the viewer feel slightly groggy and almost drugged whilst watching the video.

(Acoustic) PopPop(ular) videos have a number of different possible codes and conventions as “popular” music covers such a variety of genres. Ed Sheeran’s The A Team is an example of acoustic pop. In the video, we see no performance but a whole story. Like in Eminem’s music video, Ed Sheeran features in it for a small time, although this is not performance, it is just acting. Throughout the video the main colours used are black, white and grey. This is used to fit with the storyline, and make the story more heartfelt and powerful. To dramatize the video and make it more gripping for the viewer, there are special effects used. For example, there is a scene when the camera is at a fixed point and everything speeds up around the girl in the centre of the story. The video is mainly made up of mid shots and long shots, although also uses a similar amount of close ups. This makes the video more like a film production.

FolkFolk music videos are often very stereotypical, involving things such a acoustic guitars, calm landscapes and live performances. In Passengers music video for Let Her Go, all of these things are included, making it recognisable as a folk song. Most of the video is either of the band performing or the band backstage and has absolutely no story. The colours and lighting used throughout are all very calming and relaxed. At points it looks very dark except for the fairy lights around the stage. The majority of camera shots are close ups throughout the performance. This is very similar to the conventions of a rock/alternative music video.

Rock and RollThe codes and conventions for the genre of Rock and Roll have changed a lot over the years. This has caused it to branch off and have its own little section of genres. The music video for High Horse by The Jim Jones Revue come under the genre of “garage rock and roll”. The video contains both story and performance, very much like Green Day’s Wake Me Up When September Ends. The performance half of the video is set in small room, with the whole band, whereas the story shown travels around a location. The camera throughout uses long shots, mid shots and close ups all to a similar degree. Although, the camera changes and movements are very quick, causing a sense of havoc in the video, relating it to the codes and conventions of the rock and roll genre.

Drum and BassCentipede by Knife Party has a storyline fitting with the (few) lyrics in the song. There is no performance from the artist. Drum and bass music videos are often filled with special effects to fit the bass in the music and also to give a disjointed, remix feel that goes along with it. The key part in this video with special effects is a scene where a character is having hallucinations. This is key to the song title and lyrics (Centipede). The camera shots used throughout are mainly close ups. This allows you to focus on key parts of the story and the characters involved. Furthermore, many of the close up shots have quick changes, again giving the video a hectic and disjointed feel.