What is a music video?

By Ollie GreenAndrew Goodwin’s conventions of a music video

What is a music video?

It is a way if visually representing an artist/band

A visual guide to the music Sell the song – repeated

consumption of the music Provides a polysemic experiences for

viewers

The elements of music videos

Performance – a band or individual actually performing the song

Narrative – telling a story Thematic (genre specific) – themes

portrayed throughout Symbolic (genre specific)

Conventions of a music video

Visually stylish – ‘artistic’ mise-en-scene

Rhythmic montage – fragmented style /intercutting

Experimental use of camera/editing Conspicuous lighting and

cinematography Often breaks the rules of continuity

editing and the ‘4th wall’

Inter-textuality references

There are often intertextual reference to films, TV programmes, other music videos etc.

For example, Will Smith doing “Men in Black soundtrack” for the film ‘Men in Black’, or Beyoncé recording the song “Listen” for the film ‘Dreamgirls’.

Lady Gaga drives in the ‘pussy wagon’ in her music video ‘telephone’

Relationship between the lyrics and visuals

There is a relationship between lyrics and visuals. The lyrics are represented with images which can be either illustrative, amplifying, contradicting.

This relationship clarifies what the message that the singer or band is trying to convey. Examples of this include the singer or band member interacting (acting) with various people in the video in certain ways that are mentioned in the lyrics. Take ‘The Wanted’ for example, when the lyrics say “the sun goes down” it shows the sun going down or when the lyrics mention “Take her by the hand”, the video shows a band member joining hands with a woman.

Scopophillia and the notion of looking

• There are numerous references to the ‘notion of looking’ and the voyeuristic treatment of the female body. The notion of looking includes men or women being portrayed seductively or if there is eye contact with the camera. The notion of looking can also be referenced by the use of props. e.g. Mirrors, television screens, cameras, telescopes, binoculars and magnifying glasses are all references to, these are commonly used.

Voyeurism is widely used to sell the artist's music through sex appeal, a recent example being Miley Cyrus. Voyeurism today is only shown at one angle. You do not see a male doing that, only women.

Record label influences

Different record labels require different themes for different artists depending on their genre. They normally need a lot of close ups on the artist and the artist will have a visual style which recurs across their work ,for example lady gaga always wearing quirky clothes or il divo who wear smart suits..