Rishi's initial research for music videos A2 Media Studies

1. Music Video Research

2. What is a music video for?
O To promote the song; By having a music video there is a greater chance
the song will be heard through music TV Channels, Youtube, Twitter,
Facebook...etc
O Appeal to a reaction from the audience; Leaves an impression on the
audience so they remember the song and may even buy the song.
O Entertainment purposes; At the end of the day singers are entertainers!
O Marketing strategy for more money; Music videos can be bought on
'iTunes' which means the artist will make more money.
O To anchor the song; the song may not be as good without the video e.g.
Nicki Minaj- Anaconda
Screenshots from Nicki Minaj - Anaconda

3. What is a music video for? Continued
O Integrates the song with imagery; gives music visuals.
O To give the audience a better understanding of the song
(narrative/lyrics) e.g. Eminem- Headlights
O To link a song with a film or TV show e.g. Boom Clap by Charli XCX
contains footage from 'The Fault in Our Stars' and was made to
promote the film.

4. O For the song to be heard within a global
scale e.g. Tulisa - (Young) currently has
20 million YouTube views worldwide; for a
British based artist the music video has
helped Tulisa to be heard and seen with
the mass market.

5. Goodwins Conventions of Music Videos
O 1) There is a relationship between the lyrics and the visuals
(with visuals either illustrating, amplifying or contradicting the
lyrics.)
O 2) The second convention is that there is a relationship
between the music and the visuals (Illustrating, Amplifying or
contradicting the music)
O 3) Particular music genres may have their own music video
style and iconography
O 4)There is a demand on the part of the record company for
lots of close- ups of the main artist/vocalist
O 5) The artist may develop their own star iconography
O 6) There is likely to be reference to voyeurism, particularly in
the treatment of women7) There is likely to be intersexual
references, either to other music videos or to films and TV
texts.
O 7) There is likely to be intersexual references, either to other
music videos or to films and TV texts.

6. 1) There is a relationship between the lyrics and the visuals (with visuals either illustrating, amplifying
or contradicting the lyrics.)
e.g. with illustrating
Example used :Tulisa - Young
The lyrics are about being young and living life on the edge, the music video shows this as
Tulisa is seen jumping around and having fun with her friends .
and she is seen going into a art gallery and
vandalising a piece of art, before being escorted out
this links back to the living on the edge of life.

7. 1) There is a relationship between the lyrics and the visuals (with visuals either illustrating, amplifying
or contradicting the lyrics.)
e.g. with amplifying
Example used : Sam Smith - I'm not the only one
The lyrics are about a relationship where one person is
cheating on the other. 'You say I'm Crazy...Cause you
don't think I know what you've done....But when you call
me baby I know I'm not the only one'
However in the video it is seen that the man is cheating on the woman this is striking at first as
a man (Sam Smith) is singing the song so you'd expect the woman to be cheating on the
man... In addition in the video the woman being cheated on is seen to cry, go crazy, get drunk,
burn the husbands clothes and then cry while sitting on the floor in her wedding dress; She
then opens the door for her husband and is all cleaned up in a white dress. The video adds
more layers to the meaning of the actual song. The video plays up to stereotype that women
are the weaker gender and will let men do whatever they like and still accept them at the end
of the day (literally, as seen in the video)

8. 1) There is a relationship between the lyrics and the visuals (with visuals either illustrating, amplifying
or contradicting the lyrics.)
e.g. with amplifying
Example used : Rihanna – What Now
The lyrics are about being in love, and Rihanna talks about how she’s playing all the
guys she talks to and therefore is lonely and has no one to love. She also talks
about past relationships as seen with this lyric - ‘And he just happened to come at
the right time I'm supposed to be in love’
The video however breaks itself from the lyrics and shows a demented
Rihanna, twisting her head and lip syncing the lyrics. There are flashing images
and quick cuts to give a sense of horror and a twisted nature.
The video however does have a connection with the ‘MUSIC’ when the chorus
plays the cuts get faster and Rihanna’s movements also change more quickly.

9. 2) The second convention is that there is a relationship between the music and the visuals
(Illustrating, Amplifying or contradicting the music)
e.g. with illustrating
Example used : Len Lye - A color box
O Upbeat fast faced music with distorted
lines, colours;
O Fast paced changing shapes and colours.
O The music correlated directly with the
visuals.

10. 3) Particular music genres may have their own music video style and iconography
e.g. Hip Hop Genre
Hip Hop videos have the convention that the videos contain the artist with or around
expensive/posh cars as if to put it in the face of the audience that they are rich.

11. 4)There is a demand on the part of the record company for lots of close- ups of the main artist/vocalist
e.g. Eminem - Not Afraid
This is so that the artist gains recognition especially if their new, it's all about them, the song is
theirs. To the record company the artist is a brand and therefore needs to be at the front of the
video in order to pursue brand awareness.

12. 5) The artist may develop their own star iconography
Over the years Nicki Minaj has created an iconography with her hair.
She is always expected to have crazy hair with neon colours. She is
now known for having bright hair, and it is associated with her brand
image.

13. 6) There is likely to be reference to voyeurism, particularly in the treatment of women.
AN EARLIER EXAMPLE: Scopitone 1960s -
copacabana scopitone
• Woman dancing – used as an aspiration (man with woman dancing
around him)
• Sex on the beach
• Camera focuses on Showing woman’s legs, tracking down on
woman’s body
• Taking 2 woman into the plane (aspirational)
• The woman are used as puppets to entertain people

14. 6) There is likely to be reference to voyeurism, particularly in the treatment of women.
MORE MODERN EXAMPLE
Fat Joe ft Lil Wayne - Make it Rain
Shows women dancing sexually in bikinis as money in cash is in the air. The
woman are shown on long shot and are the only thing in the frame and therefore
cannot be missed by the audience. The women acting sexually are particularly a
convention of hip hop music videos and therefore is shown for the target audience
e.g. 15 - 30 year old men.
Screenshots from Fat Joe ft Lil Wayne – Make it Rain

15. 7) There is likely to be intersexual references, either to other music videos or to films and TV texts.
This is when reference is made to other films or TV shows in music videos. It is usually reflected in
the style of the video.
e.g. Taylor Swift - Love Story
'That you were romeo, you were throwing pebbles and my daddy said 'Stay away from
Juilet'
In this lyric Taylor swift makes reference to Romeo and Juliet a famous play by
Shakespeare. The whole video is then a modernised Romeo and Juliet setting. Shown by
the costumes, (classic old, Shakespearean era clothes) Location (castle)...

16. Simon Frith's 3 Typologies:
Performance: to convey a sense of in-concert
experience, 'authenticity'
Narrative: Linear Stories- love stories are the
most popular
Conceptual: Metaphors to create mood, offer
multiple meanings
.

17. Performance is where the artist will be performing to the camera or to a live
audience. It gives the illusion of a concert and makes the artist seem more
authentic/real/musical.
Example of Performance: Arctic Monkeys -
'Teddy Picker'
- Classic rehearsal room video
- Guitars/drums give a real sense
of seeing them perform
-Handheld camera gives a feel of
authentic and real (not planned out
or staged)
- Close up on the band members
e.g. singers and drummer showing
their importance
- Shows the day in the life of the
band which gives the
audience/fans an insight to behind
the scene footage

18. Example of Performance: Arctic Monkeys - 'Teddy
Picker‘ Continued
-Them performing shows their music
virtuosity
- Backstage/Studio shots where the
band members are playing
instruments and singing.. Authenticity
of the bad that they
-Mise en Scene: Music instruments/
Unique style of clothing (Shirt)...
Guitarist is wearing a leather jacket
Conclusion: The music video gives a
real authentic feel to the band, and
shows off their skills ( e.g. playing the
drums). It feels like a backstage pass
to a recording session for the band.
This illusion is made through the
handheld camera technique and
simple editing techniques (cuts).

19. Simon Frith's 3 Typologies:
Narrative: Linear Stories
Example of Narrative: Tulisa – ‘Sight Of You’
Storyline: Tulisa plays the role
of a woman in love with a man
who doesn't treat her right, he
steals money from her and
cheats on her, but after she
leaves him he realises that he
still loves her (pushing away the
woman he cheated with). Tulisa
is then seen with another man,
her ex boyfreind becomes
jealous and starts a fight with
Tulisa's new love interest. She
is then seen going back to him
by hugging him.

20. The video links with the lyrics of the song 'After all you've
done, I'm not over you yet'. It gives the song a visual meaning
and therefore anchors the song as a more entertaining type of
media. The narrative helps to explain the song and make it
more powerful by evoking emotion out of the audience. The
song along with the video is more emotional and powerful.

21. Camerawork
-Close ups on Tulisa and her
boyfriend
-Extreme close up on their
matching tattoo
-Close up of Tulisa crying
Mise en Scene
-Tulisa on the floor outside crying with a bin
toppled over and paper and cloth tipping out.
-Casual clothes worn by all in the video making
the audience able to relate to the video more as
there are no designer clothing's wore (which
majority of people can't afford to wear)
-Photo of the two with glass shattered on it ( the
photo frame has been thrown on the floor)

22. Simon Frith's 3 Typologies:
Conceptual: Metaphors to create mood, offer multiple meanings
Conceptual music videos rely on poetic forms, they aim to
evoke emotion from the audience without a narrative. These
videos tend to have more than one meanings, therefore it
allows audiences to interpret the video how they want.
Adele – ‘Someone Like You’

23. -Visuals link with music
- Black and white/ slow walking looking miserable linking to
the lyrics of the song (breaking up with someone)
-Handheld Camera used making it more personal
-Body language - Adele has given up
- Camera tracks around her so we can see her face
- Suddenly at the end there is narrative where a man is
walking away. I believe the reason it was kept till the very end
was because Adele's trying to show that at the end everyone
leaves.

24. Different Genres of Music
Videos

25. Rock/Metal:
O Dark colours/themes contrasting with bright
colours/lights to emphasise symbolism with colours.
O Live performance/concert to give a more authentic feel
to band and it is much more energetic and engages
audiences better
O Long Shots of crowd and band all seen in one shot
O Narrative videos, however clips of performance of the
band in the middle

26. Rock/Metal Continued
O Depending on the music tempo the video can be
aggressive/dark/loud/flashing lights/performance or a
slow rock song where it is dark/depressing/emotional
O The band/artists tend to wear black clothes (usually
leather)
O They tend to have face piercings/ black eye make up
O The conventions together create an atmosphere of
aggression, energy and passion

27. Indie:
O Codes and conventions vary depending on artist
O Live performances - keeps attention of the audience on
the music and gives a more authentic feel.
O The reason for live performances in indie videos is due
to the origin of the genre - it was about the passion and
love for music rather than money and success. Using
live performances in videos also helps to promote live
gigs as audiences will want to see them live after seeing
the how lively it is in the music video.
O Black and white camera effects used.
O Reality Settings
O Vintage clothing

28. Indie Continued:
O There may be a narrative in between where we see
clips of performance and then narrative.
O Retro look
O Diegetic sounds used at beginning or end to set the
scene
O Close ups on main singer and other band members
O Long shots so audience can see the costumes worn

29. RnB:
O Generally set in Night
Clubs/Mansions/Beaches/House Parties
O Men are usually topless (targeted to teenage girls)
O Women wear minimal clothing (targeted to teenage
boys)
O Bold defined make up for women/usually wear
high heels to show of their legs
O Men usually have tattoos and keep jewellery to a
minimum
O Tone of the music is usually light

30. RnB Continued:
O Normally background dancers (mostly
women) synchronised through rhythm of
music
O Cars, Swimming pools, designer clothing, big
houses - shows wealth
O Narrative usually follows lyrics e.g. love songs
O Extreme close ups on artists
O Long shots to see clothing
O Lip syncing

31. POP: O Performance based with lip syncing
O Dancing
O Usually a narrative reflecting the lyrics however the
artist will always be seen singing to the audience too.
O Bright Colours e.g. yellow/pink
O Modern fashion/designer clothing
O Fun filled video
O Makes audience want to dance
O close up on artist
O Normally about love/friends
/having a good time

32. Hip Hop/Rap
O Usually low angled close up shots to establish that the
artist has power and authority.(looking down on
audience)
O Crowd usually shown dancing or bouncing arms to the
beat of the song.
O Cars/jewellery/hats/designer clothes/brands e.g. Beats
Headphones establishing that they are rich

33. Hip Hop/Rap Continued:
O Close up of artist to establish who they are
O Normally the artist is lip syncing directly to the
camera/audience
O The artist's crew or childhood friends are normally
around them
O Women dancing or sexually moving (voyeurism)