Codes and Conventions of Music Videos

There are 3 main types of music video, each one of which will have their own typical codes and conventions. It can be broken down even further by suggesting that each genre of music will also have their specific codes and conventions.
The 3 types of music video that I will be looking at are:
-Performance
-Narrative
-Abstract

Music videos employ a wide range of film making techniques including animation and live action filming. It is not uncommon to see more than one of the techniques blending together to give a more unique edge to the video.
It is also possible to see two types of music video mixed together in one e.g. performance and narrative. However, there will be slightly more emphasis on one of the styles.

Performance
In a performance music video, the focus is based primarily on the singer (and band, if applicable) performing the song. There isn’t really much of a story behind the video, as the audience will be concentrating on the performance. It is also common in these types of videos for the performer to look into the camera and perform to the audience.
This style of music video has been used recently by Beyoncé. She is well known for her dancing ability, and has used performance music videos to showcase this to a wider audience. The Kings of Leon use performance music videos whilst incorporating some use of the narrative style.



In the video, which is choreographed by Frank Gatson and JaQuel Knight, Beyoncé performs as her alter ego Sasha Fierce. It shows her in an asymmetrical leotard and high heels, along with two look-alike back up dancers. The video features Beyoncé dancing against a plain background which alternates between black and white, thus placing focus on the complex choreography. The camera angles and lighting make the video more visually stimulating. The routine incorporates various styles including jazz, tap, hip hop etc. Towards the end of the video, Beyoncé flashes her $5 million wedding ring, which connects with the song lyrics “If you liked it, then you should have put a ring on it, don’t be mad once you see that he want it”. It is as if she is not only empowering women, but she is also sending a message to men as well, saying that they shouldn’t be jealous. This video is the perfect example to illustrate the effect that a music video can have worldwide.
The video for Sweet Dream is similar in some ways to Single Ladies in the way that Beyoncé is dancing with the 2 back up dancers. It is, however, different in the sense that their are more dimensions to the video than Single Ladies. There are different settings for the video that connect to the lyrics of the songs i.e. dreams/nightmares can take place anywhere at anytime. Also, at the very beginning of the video, the audience see Beyoncé tossing and turning in bed. The montage of clips that follow make us think that the music video is the dream that she is having. This allows for some slightly more abstract elements to the video.

The Kings of Leon video for Sex on Fire is a mixture of performance and narrative styles. It is almost like they are performing the song whilst having flashbacks, which provides the narrative aspect of the video. This could be perceived from the point of view shots used in the video, also the match on actions between the performance and narrative sections (56 seconds into the video above).

Narrative
A narrative music video will see the story of the song played out through the film. The ‘acting’ in these music videos is usually done by the musicians, although in some cases the video cuts away from the band to actors who act out a drama inspired by the lyrics. This is usually the case with songs used as soundtracks from films. In some cases outtakes or re-shot sequences from these films are used to create a narrative link to the filmed musicians.
There are lots of current artists that use narrative music videos as their songs are usually intended to tell a story, so the video gives them a chance to let the audience visualise the song.

Taylor Swift’s music video for You Belong with Me won the 2009 MTV VMA for Best Female Video. It is clearly a narrative music video, and there is no question what the story behind the video is. Even though the lyrics of the song assist in the telling of the story, if there was no music playing, it would still be an easily understandable narrative. It is a typical and recognisable scenario – the boy and the girl are friends, but neither of them knows how the other one really feels. The story is almost the basis for a romantic comedy film. In the video, there is a clear beginning, middle and end – she is singing as if she is narrating everything as it is happening.

The music video for I Will Always Love You begins with the performance of the song Whitney Houston gives at the end of The Bodyguard. The video then cuts to her sitting in an empty theatre, with the spotlight on her, singing the song. The video is intercut with scenes from The Bodyguard and gives the audience the chance to relive the moments with her, as she does also. At one point in the video (1 minute 7 seconds), she is sitting in the theatre and the image of Kevin Costner from the film is edited onto the screen so it appears that she is singing to him. This also occurs with some of the other scenes in the film and it looks like she is singing about them as she remembers them, in the sense that the lyrics fit with what she – and the audience are witnessing.

Abstract
Abstract music videos are less likely to include the performer as they are more random than the other two styles. Even though they may follow the story/lyrics of the song, it is more subtle than the narrative form of music video. It is not very common to find a music video that is 100% abstract, they are more likely to be a mixture with another style. A popular way of presenting abstract music is through animation.

The video for Don’t Give Hate a Chance is Jamiroquai’s first ever computer animated video. The title of the song is a reference to Give Peace a Chance by John Lennon.

The opening titles to films from the James Bond franchise are arguably music videos in their own right, even though they are not classed as official music videos. Nearly all of the openings could be classed as perfect examples of abstract music videos. The openings all give hints as to what will happen in the film. For the opening of Casino Royale, the primary focus centres on playing cards and the different suits of cards. The song lyrics go with the theme of the film. Casino Royale was a reboot of the franchise establishing a new timeline. However, everyone is still aware of the character, and the film is going back to the beginning (007 status confirmed). Something that appears in every Bond film, without fail, is a gun. They are used in both of the videos below as they are apparent in all the films. In the video for Tomorrow Never Dies, the audience are once again given an insight as to what will happen in the film. Technology appears to be the main theme in the opening of the film. Another object that is clear in the opening is the Rolex watch which is famously worn by James Bond. The figures in the video appear to look like robots underneath, but are shown as women on the outside. This implies that there will be a woman in the film who is two-faced and not as she appears.