Codes and Conventions of Music Videos

There are three main types of music videos:

• Narrative
• Performance
• Concept

Narrative: Narrative based music videos tell a story using the lyrics of the song and the visuals. Sometimes, the main character of the video is the artists, which allows them to lip-sync the song as well as tell the story, but this is not always the case. For example, Katy Perry does this in her music video for her song 'Roar'.
Camera shots tend to vary with narrative based music videos as it depends on the situation the characters are in. If a location needs to be shown, establishing shots will be used, or if a couple are having an argument a medium close up might be used to show their body language and facial expressions etc...


The genres that typically use narrative based videos are pop and country music. Artists that tend to use this type of video are Taylor Swift, Katy Perry, Lana Del Ray and John Newman. There can be exceptions as sometimes genres such as rock, R&B and electronic use narrative based music videos.
Normally, these types of music videos are quite big budget, so artists that are more established can afford videos such as these.




Performance: Performance based music videos show the artist performing the song in a concert or just to the camera. The artist will be lip-syncing the lyrics and, in the case of a band, they will be playing their instruments. The artist will mostly look directly into the camera and peform the song. The setting of these types of music videos can vary, such as on a stage or in a studio setting. An example of a performance based music video is You Me At Six's video for their song 'Lived A Lie'. These types of music videos tend to consist of close up and medium close up shots of the artist/s to show them lip-syncing and maybe close ups of an instrument if they are playing one. Long shots might be used to show all of the artist, or if it is a band, to show all members of the band.

The genres that typically use performance based videos are rock and sometimes pop. Artists that tend to use this type of video are You Me At Six, Foo Fighters, Thirty Seconds To Mars and Green Day. But, again, there can be exceptions. Performance based music videos can be low budget, so independent artists and less established artists can afford to make these types of music videos.











Concept: Concept based music videos are usually simple ideas that have been developed and will have no relation to the music or lyrics or the song. This may mean that the artist does not feature in the video at all, but this is not always the case. If the artist does feature in the video, there may be lip-syncing. An example of a concept based music video is OK Go's video to their song 'Here It Goes Again'. Camera shots that tend to be used are long shots, and sometimes wide shots, to show the whole picture. These types of music videos make audiences want to watch the video as well as listen to the song.

Genres such as alternative rock, indie and pop tend to use concept based videos, but, again, there can be exceptions to this. OK Go are known for often using concept based music videos, and fans of the band will know this and look out for this. Gotye's music video for his song 'Somebody That I Used To Know' is another good example of a concept based video.













Motifs:
In general, some music videos include a motif or reoccurring theme that associates with the band or artist. This attracts the audience to look out for this in their other videos. For example, the motif of OK Go is that their music videos are choreographed in one shot, which is what the audience will look out for and will be what the band are associated with and recognised by. Another example of a band/artist using a motif is Thirty Seconds To Mars. They use this 'triad' in their music videos as a motif. Motifs like these are used for artist's merchandising as well to promote their image and how they are recognised.

Textual Analysis of This Too Shall Pass by OK Go

The music video I am analysing in this post is This Too Shall Pass by OK Go. It is directed by James Frost, OK Go and Syyn Labs . The genre of the band is alternative rock and the music video shows some characteristics of this genre. There is lip-syncing in some of the video, showing some performance and the whole band are shown which is normally what happens in a rock video. However, the video is abstract based and doesn't relate to the song and lyrics, showing no narrative. Usually a rock video would mostly be performance based, but OK Go go against this to create an abstract and exciting music video.

The visuals have nothing to do with the lyrics as the video is abstract based. But the visuals sometimes match up with the music. For example, there is a point where the music cuts out and a guitar with spoons attached taps some glasses with water in to fill the silence and fit with the music.

Also, when the silver ball enters the little tunnel, the pictures are lifted to the beat of the music to let the ball through.




It could be said that the video builds up momentum with the music. Such as when the middle eight is playing, the things that are happening in the video calm down a bit, for example with the water pouring into the jug to open the curtains to the little tunnel. As the music builds up to the last chorus, there is more happening with the various objects ad a lot more is going on to signify the song coming towards the end.

There is a lot of reference to the band in the music video. In certain points in the video, the band's name appears in different places and this happens throughout the music video. This could be a motif for the band. Another motif of the band OK Go is that their videos are all done in one shot. The video itself is very creative and makes the audience watch intently to see what is happening. This could be a way they want to sell the track as it stays in your mind. All the band members are in the video to show them as a band and present their image. This video showcases their creativity and originality, and this may be the image they want to create and how they want to achieve sales. The amount of effort spent on this music video shows how the band and record company want to sell this track, through the video itself as well as the song.

There are intertextual references in the video to a previous video by OK Go. For example, when the hammer smashes the screen of the television, the music video of their song 'Here It Goes Again' is playing on the screen. The screen within a screen shot could be seen as voyeurism, although it is not in a sexual way. This could be to promote the music video for 'Here It Goes Again', and people who are their fans will get the reference and people who do not understand the reference will look for it, therefore increasing their views and fan base.


In conclusion, the band have created a very eye-catching and compelling to not only make their audience listen to their music but also to take notice of the video and remember it. The idea of doing an abstract based video is innovative. It also subverts all codes and conventions of a music, this keeps their audience interested - however this is what the audience have come to expect of OK Go. It also employs the technique of promotion by the video becoming viral as many people will find it interesting and through 'word of mouth' by people telling others of this video.

Textual Analysis of Her Morning Elegance by Oren Lavie

The music video I am analysing is Her Morning Elegance by Oren Lavie. The video is directed by Oren Lavie, Yuval and Merav Nathan. The music belongs to the singer/songwriter genre and the music video displays characteristics of this genre. Such as that it follows a narrative throughout the video and is minimalist but in an effective way. The video uses the technique of stop motion, which makes it look quite simple even though this technique is quite complex. It follows a woman in her bed who doesn't actually move from it but illustrates she goes on a journey in her bed.




In some parts of the video, the lyrics match the visuals. For example, when the line 'And she fights for her life on the train' is playing, the woman in the video is 'on a train' in her bed. Another example of this is when the line 'A cello lying in its case' is played, a cello slides across above her head. The visuals that sometimes reflect the lyrics are effective as they help the audience to understand the narrative and get a better idea of what the song and the music video are displaying.





The visuals also reflect the music at some points in the video. For example, when a cello is played in the song on its own, a cello slides across the bed above the woman's head to indicate the few second solo of the cello. Furthermore, as soon as verse two starts, the singer appears on the first word of the verse as soon as it is said, it shows cutting to the song and also shows the words being lip-synced.




The visuals very much fit in with the music and show a form of musicality. Because the video uses the technique of stop motion, the cuts are not really on the beats as stop motion is lots of individual pictures, but it does work well with the music. However, there are certain areas in the video where the visuals do match the xylophone part towards the end of the video. Such as when the artist and the woman create a circle, they move round the bed to the tap of the xylophone.



The image this music video presents the artist as is that it is not so much about him as he doesn't feature in it as much as the woman does, she seems to be the main focus as the song is about this character. The fact that he does feature in it at all shows that he still wants to be known as the artist. It gives the image of the artist being more about the narrative and the song than about himself. The video is very clever and showcases his creativity as an artist and as a director, as he helped direct the music video.


Overall, this music video is done very well and shows originality and creativity which matches with the song itself. The idea of using stop motion works in its favour, and is something I would love to corporate into my music video. Although the visuals do not always match with the lyrics, the concept and execution of the shots and editing have come together perfectly to create a very effective and successful music video.

Textual Analysis of Smells Like Teen Spirit by Nirvana

The music video I am analysing is Smells Like Teen Spirit by Nirvana. The genre of the band Nirvana was recognised as rock and/or grunge. The music video very much reflects the characteristics associated with the rock/grunge genre. The grunge genre was very popular at the time this music video was released, 1991, and it appealed to many teenagers and confirmed the stereotype of 'teen angst' because of the genre's angst-filled lyrics which teenagers could relate to.


The title, Smells Like Teen Spirit, shows that it is directed at adolescents and the contents of the music video reflect the title as it is set in a high school gym, with teenagers on the benches and cheerleaders, enforcing the words 'teen' and 'spirit'. Also, there is smoke surrounding them in the gym which could relate to 'smells' in the title.

The lyrics and visuals sometimes correspond with each other. The visuals amplify and emphasise the lyrics of the song. For example, the line 'Here we are now, entertain us' the camera is focused on the bands audience on the benches, maybe reflecting what the audience might be saying in the video.

Also,when the line 'Oh well, whatever, never mind' is sung, the lead singer looks disinterested which mirrors the lyrics.

Furthermore, it could be said that when this line is lip-synced, 'With the lights out, it's less dangerous', the visuals contradict the lyrics as, though there is light in the video, it is very dim and the teenagers on the benches have got up and surrounded the band in the centre of the gym and have formed what seems to be a 'mosh pit', which isn't very safe and quite dangerous.






The pace of editing from the very start varies. There are some shots which are longer than others. For example, as soon as the video starts, there is just one guitar playing and the visuals are slow paced, the camera is zoomed in and then zooms out while panning to see the audience first, the cheerleaders and then finally the band. As the songs picks up, the pace starts to quicken but not the shots still vary in length, maybe reflecting there is no order and relating the lyrics of teen-angst and letting loose. The shots do not really cut to the beat of the song and it feels like the editing and the camera movement is all over the place, this could also support the idea of no order and letting loose.

The verses of the song are quite quiet and the visuals reflect them as the crowd are still in their seats and listening to the song in a polite manner. As the song builds up in the chorus', the crowd become more lively and get out of their seats to dance to the music, becoming more rebellious throughout the music video.
There is a brief shot during the solo which focuses on the soloist, but it only lasts a couple of seconds. There is no indication of the solo when it starts, or when it finishes. This shows how there may be no real focus on a narrative or particular band member but on the event as a whole.


There are close-ups and medium close-ups of each of the band members in the video to show the whole band and promote them as equals. The band are casually dressed and look like they have made no effort to dress up. This relates to the grunge genre as it is typical of the genre that the artists do not make such an effort with fashion or appearance and care more about the music. Also, the fact that the video is based very much around the idea of partying and letting loose appeals to teenagers, which may be the image the record company want to promote through this band to make money.
Other music videos from this band are very much performance based, which, in a way, could be their motif as a band as it is a theme that kept reoccurring in their music videos and maybe what they became associated with and known for in their music videos.
Furthermore, the letter A inside the circle on the cheerleaders vest tops could relate to Anarchism, which maybe the band are trying to reinforce and create as their image.


















 In conclusion, the music video is very much performance based and enforces the typical conventions of the grunge/rock genre. It gives the message of not really caring, rebellion and just letting loose. I think the video, even though it is not narrative based, still shows the message of being a teenager and the feel of the grunge genre. The idea of the editing not really matching the song and not cutting to the beat works well with the music video and the message of not caring. Although, it could be said it is quite a boring video and is a lazy idea and more could have been done to make it more interesting.

Star Image -- will.i.am

Star Image: will.i.am 

 William James Adams, better known as will.i.am, is an American recording artist, songwriter, entrepreneur, voice actor, DJ, record producer, and philanthropist, best known as one of the founding members of the hip hop/pop band, The Black Eyed Peas. He is the recipient of seven Grammy Awards, eight American Music Awards, a Billboard Music Award, a Teen Choice Award, two MTV Video Music Awards, and three World Music Awards all won with the Black Eyed Peas.

 Acting: Will.i.am has also ventured into acting. Will.i.am first started acting alongside the rest of the members of The Black Eyed Peas in the commercial series "Instant Def" to advertise Snickers. He starred in Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa as the voice of the character Moto Moto. He contributed a number of tracks to the movie's motion picture soundtrack in collaboration with industry heavyweight Hans Zimmer. will.i.am played John Wraith in his major film debut, X-Men Origins: Wolverine, a prequel to the X-Men film series. He also guest starred on the CBS drama Joan of Arcadia as God, one of several actors who played this role during the series. He also starred in the 2011, animated film Rio, as a rapping red-crested Cardinal named Pedro, and like Madagascar: Escape to Africa, he contributed his singing voice to the film's soundtrack, along with his fellow co-stars. will.i.am played a fathering role in The Urbz: Sims In The City, which uses The Black Eyed Peas' songs as its soundtrack. He briefly played himself in the Tina Fey and Steve Carell Comedy Date Night.

 The Voice UK: Will.i.am has been a coach on The Voice UK and will continue to be for the next series. This promotes his image and shows who he is as a person to the audience. He explained why he joined The Voice UK rather than the X Factor: "I won’t be a judge on X Factor. The Voice is different. You can’t even compare the two. One, you have people in the music industry, current and legends, coaching the next generation. The other format you have judges critiquing, giving their opinions on things when they don’t really know, other than Randy Jackson on Idol”. 

 Fashion: Before joining The Black Eyed Peas, will.i.am attended the Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising in Los Angeles. In 2001, he began designing his own signature clothing line, i.am, which made its official debut in 2005 at the Magic Apparel Trade Show in Las Vegas. In 2007, will.i.am teamed up with Blue Holdings to design a premium denim collection, i.am Antik, that was scheduled to debut in August 2007 at the Project Show in Las Vegas. will.i.am instead had new partners and was launching i.am. will.i.am is currently being sued for $2 million for abandoning the project for which, the label states, he was obligated until 2016, but will.i.am insists is already over.

Other Activities: Will.i.am appeared at the kickoff event for the 2011 FIRST Robotics Competition, Logo Motion held at Southern New Hampshire University. He stated that he is "a big fan", and that the newly unveiled game was "dope". During his interview, he said that "his mama will work with yo mama". He also performed a concert for FIRST at the 2011 FIRST World Championship at the Edward Jones Dome. will.i.am appeared in concert with the Black Eyed Peas as a part of a special concert for 2011 FIRST Robotics Championships. It was recorded for a special aired by ABC on August 14, 2011 at 7 pm. will.i.am continues to support FIRST, and at the 2013 FIRST World Championship he became the first recipient of the Make It Loud award, which is given to the person who has contributed the most in increasing the awareness of FIRST to the general public. In January 2011, Intel Corp. named will.i.am as Director of creative innovation, with input in developing smartphones, tablets and laptops. In January 2012, he appeared on the BBC TV series Top Gear, as the Star in a Reasonably Priced Car, where he revealed he will be starting his own car company called IAMAUTO. Will.i.am is the founder of i.am angel, a non-profit dedicated to "transforming lives through education, opportunity and inspiration." In an interview, the performer said "I hope none of the kids I send to school only want to do music. The world doesn't need another musician. They need another Bill Gates." Will.i.am has made history by being the first artist to stream a song from the surface of Mars on August 28, 2012. The event took place at 1 p.m. PDT (4 p.m. EDT) Tuesday, Aug. 28, at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Pasadena, Calif. Song title: Reaching for the Stars. Expanding his forays into iPhone accessory development, will.i.am has announced plans to release a camera enhancer that will "dramatically enhance the clarity and definition of iPhone photographs," by making the 8-megapixel sensor into an effectively 14-megapixel one. Termed the i.am+, the device is said to be the first in a series of "digital real estate" for the singer.


 Will.i.am is known for his fascinating range of glasses and his hair. His clothing also stands out, such as this blue jacket with his logo on the front. It gives a sense of individuality and originality, which encourages young people to be unique and creative.