Wednesday 9 November 2011

The Format of Music Video

Nine Inch Nails - The Perfect Drug (1997) (Budget: £1m) (Directed by Mark Romanek)
  • range of age of audiences - tweens (8-13), youths (15-24), adults (25-34)
  • may be direct links of intertextuality to existing film/tv - in this case it is David Lynch's 'Lost Highway'
  • could be inspired by existing texts - in this case it is the painting by Gustaf Kilmet called The Kiss
  • Not only one of Goodwins 3 types - here it is both performance and concept based as some lines in the song are represented in the video


Prodigy - Firestarter (1996) (Directed by Walter Stern) (Dance/Big Beat)
  • May attract controversy due to some of the content in the video. In this case it was a fairly scary video which would not be suitable for some of the ages actually viewing it (see above). It should be shown after watershed. Views change as time goes on for example that would have been the view of many people when the video was originally released however now violence and horror is a lot more acceptable due to more gory video games etc.
  • Fast paced editing
  • Use of strobe lights


Martin Solveig - Hello (Dance)
  • Concept video which doesn't really link to the lyrics
  • Upbeat
  • The Pop and dance genres can emphasise glamour, focusing on the performers body and looks
  • Titles at the begining (NOT A COMMON CONVENTION)
  • Post Modern - presented in the style of a film opening using a mix of formats and influences
  • Diagetic intro/enterludes/outro
  • continuity editing
  • Some sections the format is expected to reflect the beat eg repeating certain shots as the beat increases
  • skimpy clothing, young slim, blonde, revealing clothes - gender representation, stereotypes
  • editing being cut to the beat
  • shot variation


Avenged Sevenfold - Afterlife (Hard Rock Metal)
  • Heavily performance based - close up of the vocalist, low angles, CU of instruments/being played
  • Dark setting, clothing and colour of the instruments
  • More use of shadow and low key lighting
  • More simple locations than those in other genres
  • Medium budget
  • Simple - Black and white
  • sense of energy  - given by the moving camera
  • Narrative enigma - no anchorage - can be open so suitable for repeat viewings


Muse - Knights of Cydonia (Directed by Joseph Khan)
  • Special effects
  • Intertextuality to other formats eg film
  • male/female gaze
  • performance footage
  • high budget - crane shots
  • use of multiple layering


Yonkers - Tyler the Creator
  • performance
  • low budget
  • Black and white
  • lip syncing
  • one long take - lack of variation (NOT A COMMON CONVENTION)


Snow Patrol - Take Back the City
  • single shots, not a video (UNUSUAL)
  • performance based
  • focus on lead singer
  • lipsyncing
  • club scenes
  • no homosexuality represented


Beyonce - Single Ladies
  • video doesnt represent lyrics but certain buts do eg ring - points to finger
  • one continuous shot broken up with few CU
  • usually long shots
  • black and white
  • male gaze
  • post feminism - strong independant female, expressing sexuality
  • uses of gratification theory
  • Normative to have hetrosexuality

 
I also looked at Andy Rehfeidt who is known for making death metal music edits of popular, current songs such as Friday by Rebecca Black and some of Britney Spears' tracks.






1 comment:

  1. good range of examples + detail BUT the post title basically promises an overview which you don't provide. really does need basic multimedia here: links, vids, pics
    looking over all of these (and earlier general egs), how would you summarise key conventions of this format (tackle genre conventions sep'ly): list, with specific e.g. beside each point (ideally with clip/pic, which you can then use for Eval Qs)

    ReplyDelete

All comments are moderated so please make sure they are appropriate.