Representation in Music VideosGENRE

Rock music videos are often a combination of narrative and performance, where there will be a narrative based story which is interrupted by a performance aspect. Within the videos the main singer at least is always featured, and the stories often have meaning to them, which sometimes relates back to the lyrics of the song.

Sometimes in rock music videos, it is common to have a break within the video for a short piece of dialogue. The footage is also edited to match the beat of the music, which means there are lots of cuts.

ROCK

The artists usually use lots of facial expressions which emphasises the lyrics of the songs and the meaning to the artist as well. Not only this, but there is often an instrumental section which features the main instruments that the band/artist plays, this may include an electric guitar, a bass guitar and a set of drums, etc.

The lighting in the majority of the videos is quite dark and low, which also creates a lot of shadows. Strobe lights are also frequently used to create quite an oppressive party scene. The setting is often dark and grungy and usually set in the nighttime. If props are used, these too are predominately dark, or maybe even a dominant red colour. The clothing is also dark and the splashes of red could be used to represent love or lust - a theme sometimes visited in the rock genre.

ROCK

EXAMPLE:EVANESCENCE – BRING ME

BACK TO LIFE

Pop music videos can be either narrative or performance, however they tend to be either a combination of the two or just performance. They are quite bright and colourful and have fun storylines as they are made to appeal to mass audiences. The videos also include lots of dancing (which is reflective of their target audience), the women wear skimpy clothing and 'stripper' heels, and there appear to be a lot of bum shots. This portrays women in a very provocative manner but is seen regularly in many pop videos.

POP

EXAMPLE:KATY PERRY - CALIFORNIA

GURLS

Usually narrative based videos which include instruments like guitars and keyboards. These videos are often quite low budget and have a simplistic style which makes them portray realism rather than the rich high-life you see in pop music videos.

An independent company usually works with the artist to make the music video which emphasises the unique style of the video and the unique style of the artist.

INDIE

EXAMPLE:BOMBAY BICYCLE CLUB - COME

TO

Hand-held camera work is often used for techno music videos and there are rarely any static shots. The variety of camera shots and angles is very high, however a lot of close ups of the lead singers are used. Techno videos are usually filmed in a nightclub with lots of flashing lights, people dancing, modern teenage stereotypes (alcohol, drugs and fashionable clothing), attractive men and women in skimpy clothing, high key lighting and a general fun atmosphere.

There are also lots of fast paced shots which match the tempo of the beat, and they change every couple of seconds. The shots are usually cut together to tell a narrative - a cliche example would be a romance between a man and a woman.

TECHNO

EXAMPLE:DAVID GUETTA FT. KELLY ROWLAND - WHEN LOVE

TAKES OVER

A music genre which mixes a catchy pop style and light lyrics with a guitar based rock song. This can range from a mellower form of rock music to a sub-genre of pop music. This hybrid genre is derived from 1960s UK and US and mainly consists of electric guitars, drums, vocals, keyboards, and synthesizers.

This genre is represented by artists such as Elton John, Paul McCartney, The Everly Brothers and Rod Stewart.

POP ROCK

The music videos are typically performance based; which sometimes include cuts to narrative - effectively making the video a combination. The storyline within the narrative usually links to the song.

The clothing within the video is often fashionable but not as revealing as some types of pop music videos, the lighting is quite natural and colours are rarely used to give the effect that the song is 'real', and the band can normally be seen performing in a studio or outside.

POP ROCK

EXAMPLE:ROOM 94 - CHASING SUMMER

Hip Hop is closely associated with rap and R'n'B and is stereotypically related with Latino Americans and African Americans. Few musical instruments are used within the genre as most of the sound is synthetic.

Some famous artists within this genre include Dr Dre and DJ Kool Herc.

There is frequent use of low angled close ups within the videos as these are used to imply power, and emphasise the status of the artist. The men tend to wear baggy trousers and shirts but can sometimes be seen topless and heavily clad in jewellery. Women on the other hand wear very little, which in turn makes their videos seem quite misogynistic as they are usually objectified by the men.

The videos are often a combination of performance and narrative.

HIP HOP

EXAMPLE:R KELLY - IGNITION

Hip hop is closely associated with rap and R'n'B and is stereotypically related with Latino Americans and African Americans. Few musical instruments are used within the genre as most of the sound is synthetic.

Some famous artists within this genre include Dr Dre and DJ Kool Herc.

There is frequent use of low angled close ups within the videos as these are used to imply power, and emphasise the status of the artist. The men tend to wear baggy trousers and shirts but can sometimes be seen topless and heavily clad in jewellery. Women on the other hand wear very little, which in turn makes their videos seem quite misogynistic as they are usually objectified by the men.

The videos are often a combination of performance and narrative.

R‘N’B

EXAMPLE:LADY GAGA FT. R KELLY - DO WHAT

U WANT

This kind of music is a sub genre of electronic dance music. The videos include messages of love, drugs and sexuality which often include repetitive arrangements of dancing and drinking in a dance club.

The DJ doesn't normally appear in the video and if, on a rare occasion, they do then they are barely included, and are just shown at the head of a club performing a set. It is normally the lead vocalist that instead takes the lead within the video and are usually seen performing.

The videos are often fast paced and performance based, the songs often don't have lyrics or use repetitive arrangements.

HOUSE

EXAMPLE: DISCLOSURE - LATCH

Disco videos are normally performance based which include lots of close ups and master shots. They are often set on a dance floor or show some sort of dance scene, which means that the artists (and the backing dancers) wear tight high waisted trousers and loose brightly coloured shirts. It is also apparent that they wear these items of clothing because the disco genre only really existed in the 70s apart from a few other recent anomalies.

Even though most of the videos are set on a dance floor, some are set in large expanses of land where the artists can walk or dance around. The clothing is not as scandalous as a pop music video due to the fact it is set in the 70s, which means everyone wears long garments of clothing.

DISCO

EXAMPLE:ABBA - DANCING QUEEN

Developed in the mid 70s UK and US, this hard edged, fast music combined themes from both the punk and rock genre to create this hybrid genre. The songs are typically short with stripped down instrumentation and often include political, anti-established lyrics.

Bands such as the Sex Pistols and The Clash were recognised as the new musical movement in 1976.

Punk rock was rejected to associate with the mainstream which led to a punk subculture creating characterised individuals, which was due to the distinctive clothing that they wore and their expressive youthful rebell ion.

PUNK ROCK

A variation of shot types are used for the videos and long shots in particular are opted for use to give the viewer a sense of the setting, which in turn gives them a better understanding of the song and the lyrics. Master shots are also used to show the whole body of the individuals in the band so that you know what the band is wearing and how they are performing. Close ups aren't used as heavily as the master shot or the long shot, but even stil l they are used in punk rock videos to show the emotion of the band members faces but also to show their unique make up choices, which was quite commonly seen in the punk rock era.

PUNK ROCK

EXAMPLE:THE CLASH - LONDON CALLING

Jazz music videos tend to contain quite upbeat emotions which match the quite rhythmic beat of the instruments. Bright l ights are used to create a quite a nice atmosphere for the audience, which is emphasised by the large open spaces which the artists use to increase the energy levels of the song.

The costumes are quite sophisticated and the men are usually dressed in suits and the women are in dresses, which can be quite reflective of the age of the genre. It cold also be argued that the location is 'old fashioned' too. A lot of jazz songs are set on the streets, in shops or just generally run down areas. This can be used to lighten the mood because these run down areas are almost 'built put' by the happier vibes of the song.

JAZZ

EXAMPLE:ELIZA DOOLITTLE - BIG WHEN I

WAS LITTLE

This style of music often consists of a simple melody which carries a deep meaning or message. This is usually based on a storyline of some sort, causing the music video to then act as a narrative which the artist is often featured in.

The video wil l include a variety of shots; whereas medium shots, close ups and long shots are most commonly used.

The lighting is often natural and ambient, the clothing is quite casual and instruments are rarely featured within the video.

COUNTRY

EXAMPLE:CARRIE UNDERWOOD - BLOW

AWAY

Rap music videos are often performance based, however there are some strong editing cuts between concept and narrative, which gives the audience the impression that the video is a combination of the two.

Within a rap music video, casual clothing is normally worn. This is typically loose and baggy and is often accompanied by large pieces of jewellery (chains, etc.).

RAP

There are sections of direct contact with the camera where the artist will look straight at the audience, which can sometimes be deemed as quite oppressive as they are forcefully trying to display their views to you, which is further emphasised through their strong gestures and facial expressions.

Today, a lot of rap artists have another artist featuring in their track (male rappers often use female singers to vocalise the chorus) and the female is usually scantily clad - to make them look more alluring and desirable to the mainly male dominated industry.

RAP

EXAMPLE:EMINEM - LOSE YOURSELF

These kind of music videos are often colourful and have a sense of diversity. They can be either performance or narrative based however they are most commonly narrative. They can be deemed as quite surreal as more artistic ideas are shown in the videos and lots of outdoor shots are also used to make the artists seem closer to nature, which could be deemed as odd given that music is the subject matter - not something you associate with nature.

The music videos also consist of quite a few medium close ups and long shots - the use of which is beneficial so that the audience can view the artists unique choice and style of clothing.

ALTERNATIVE

The videos can be quite l ight-hearted in comparison to the lyrics, they may involve the artists dancing happily even though the song may talk about a break up of a relationship - something quite upsetting to the artist if based on true events.

Even though the music video is usually narrative based, there are often shots of the band to break away from the narrative.

ALTERNATIVE

EXAMPLE:AWOLNATION - SAIL