Music video style, convention and techniques

Style, Convention and Techniques
https://olliedeeley.wordpress.com/2012/05/28/purpose-styles-and-conventions-of-music-videos/

https://prezi.com/praskvf_cz6o/music-video-production-styles-narrativeperformanceimpressionistconceptsurreal/

Style and Convention

Music have existed for a very long time,Only not long ago when digital equipment becomes greater and it's used to make what now call video. Music video  starts at the replacement of when the band is playing, however now it's one of the way to represent or promote artist/band in the visual version. There are many style of music video, as the developing open up for a very wide range and depending on the artist/band. Style of artist break up to  In-concert, 'as live footage, animation,narrative - interpretative, impressionist, surrealists, pastiche, parody,referencing, homage, influence of commercial and popular music(pop music).    

In-concert and 'as lives'footage 
In-concert and 'as lives'footage mean the record from the lives performance example of this is Don't stop me now by Queen. This is a very first start of how music video develop. However in these many band still making it to look like they are playing in concerts but change the location to more like dark room, streets or studio and making mixture of narrative story an example for this is Demons by Imagine monster. Some band used the mixture of real footage in concert with a narrative story e.g. one way or another by One direction.

This is a live footage of One Direction in concert in Japan which is existed "one way or another" official music video .

The video also have a mixture of fun story telling about themselves.

Animation

Music video in style of animation meant that the music video play animation in their song, whether it's a stop motion or computing, them both class as animation. An example of stop motion is "Not Your Fault" by Awolnation and an example of computing animation music video is Warriors by Imagine Dragons. It's surprising that stop motion animation still used in these day for a professional music video as it's quite an old techniques.

This song is an stop motion animation which include clay-motion and also live action in the scene.


This is song perform by imagine dragon, I believe this song was made for a games call "league of legend". This is a computing animation to commercial the game.


Intertextual 
Intertexual mean the relationship between different text, the way the similar text influence. or in another words , it's how different media plat form is reference in another. Intertexual also in the same group of synergy allusion pastiche  parody and homage.

Synergy is when 2 companies combine to make a video and used it as a form for the companies or success in perceptive areas. For example music video made to increase the audience for a film could also increase the reputation for themselves, one of the example for this is Skyfall  by Adele, this song is for James Bound movies (Skyfall 007). Such as famous successful film like James Bound will help the increase sale for the song, at the same time when the the song will help the movies to get notice by the song's fan. Adele are a very famous artist, well know for all over the world, In this factor people will believe that the movies will be great, other way Adele wont take on the deal to produce a song just for specific film.  Sometime if you see certain advertisement on YouTube before the video you try to watch starts

Sometime if you see certain advertisement on YouTube before the video you try to watch starts. it's meant that the company pay to advertise on certain video

This is an advertisement for Adidas's brand which is advertising on John Legend- All of me song. 

Allusion 

In music video subject allusion mean that to allude something to another existing media text or event in the historical or cultural referencing an example for this is one of there is an existence media text about people in different countries who are still suffer and hungry from both mentally and physically, "Do they know it's Christmas by Band Aid 1984".

Pastiche and Parody

Both pastiche and parody are very similar as both of these type of music video are made as a copy from original work and can be used to criticize in artist from the original video. However there is some differences which is that pastiche music video is a video that copies the original ideas, style, techniques, themes etc from the original music video and still make the video as good as original,an example for this is many Sci-Fi movies genre is a pastiche of "Star War" in another word pastiche is to mimic it. however parody taking it a step further, usually copy ideas to comment on it (usually to criticize the artist/song) by changing the text of the song such as lyric, or in another word parody is to mimic or critique.
Now a way pastiche/parody is very popular as it's allow people a chance to make their own production. Even though parody music video are criticizing the artist, it's still give the artist advantages as they are promoting the song.


Example of Parody

This is the original music video of backstreet boy "i want it that way".







Watch this video click here







This is a parody music video of blink 182 "All the small things"
blink 182 is a rock band and they are taking the mixed out of backstreet boy(boy band) by copying their ideas of music video, as you can see the shot and frame have large similarities.
The song also about different topic.



Watch this video click here

Homage

Homage is a music video that are made to show the respect and honor toward some artist/band by a person who is well know to the society there for representing and also promoting the song and show it to the public. Sometime in the end of the video it may also show the text say honor to an original artist/band, the video may also link their video to the very original video. Homage video is basically are a re-make of a song by other famous or artist/band, they may change some of the lyric, parody or music. example of this is The Wanted play homage to The Beatles by the song "I found you".

Original video

To video- click here

Narrative and Interpretative  

The convention of music video usually offers some type of interpretation of the lyric in the song, e.g. you see the artist/band lips syncs along to the song in the video (Army of Two by Olly Murse).

Interpretative

However it's can be done in a different way, which is consolidated of both Interpretative and narrative  together which is what majority of artist/band does, this type of Music video show both lips sync to the lyric and a narrative of the lyric, an example for this is "I'm not the only one by Sam Smith".

Consolidated

Some music video completely ignore all the lyric in the song and replace it with a story as almost of the song have their narrative, an example for this is when a song only show the story of video without any lips sync an example for this is Take me to church by Hozier.

Narrative

Surrealist/Absurdist

Surrealist or absurdist music video is a music video that are very unconventional and usually the narrative of the song will bear very little with the lyrics of the song. Special effect are often used in these type of music video as it's usually . Many times this styles of music video doesn't really make sense as anything could happen in it. These type of music video are not very popular and most of global famous artist doesn't make any of this type of music video, an example for this is "Good Day Today by David Lynch. 

Impressionist 
Impressionist music video is a music video that often used random action, object or location related to currant lyric. Music video are also very different to other style of music video, music video used to create certain mood or feel to the video. In another words the video focus on suggestion and atmosphere by the song. One of the example for this song is "Atmosphere by Joy Division".

Referencing 
Referencing music video, is a music video that reference something that happen in real life whether it's using the footage or mention it in the lyric.This style of music video can case more emotional feel as the footage or the story that isn't just a story that made up. The bigger the event is the better chance of having it recognize by the main market, it's could even become global. This technique usually are also impressionist. An example for this is  "Like toy soldiers by Eminem", this song is mainly to calm a violent attempt between 50 cent and Ja Rule.

(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Like_Toy_Soldiers)



Techniques 
In music industries, there is many music genre which have their own very unique style that particularly suit in the convention of  music video. This is because each different technique used in the music video will give the different feel and connection to the viewer. The main techniques used in music video includes;Cutting to beat, Effects, Miming and lip sync, Play back and lip sync, muti-mage, camera movement, camera angles, chroma key and most importantly mise-en-scene

Cutting to beat
Cutting to beat is the technique that used in music video which show the cut of the video at the same timing when the music's sound hit certain spot of the beat. You will usually see this at the beginning of the music video, when the music start to play and it keep repeating itself for a few time. This techniques is used to get the attention and create excitement for the audience. This is a great technique to bring the audience into the scene and quickly introduce it to them. An example for this is Sexy and I Know It by LMFAO,at the very beginning of the song the video cut at the end of the beat and when the music repeat itself it com it with a new shot.

Lip sync - miming and playback
Lip sync is a technique that is usually used on the shows, stand up comedy and music video.  Lip sync popularly used in music video. It's usually done by having the artist miming to the lyric in the video so it's look like they are singing and performing in the video is real.  An example for this is I'm Not A Vampire by Falling In Reverse . A lot of time the artist/band will play their song at the same time to miming it, this call playback.

Effect- Split screen and Chorma key
Effect are often used in the music video whether is to make the visual of the video look more effective or to make the color look different. However it's very interesting when split screen are used because it can give more excitement and bring audiences interest as it can make audience try to watch over what is going on at the same time in every section of screen (split screen  mean that multiple images of of different event are shown on the screen at the same time) an example for this is Smooth Criminal by Alien Ant Farm .

(From 2:30 to 2:43)

Chorma key is an editing technique which is also popularly used in sci-fi fantasy film. Chorma key is used when there is a footage in front of the green/blue screen, therefore to fade out the green/blue color or and replace it with another footage. This also mean if using green screen the artist won't be able to wear green color. One of the examples for music video that used this technique is "Shots by Imagine Dragons". 

This video is a mixture of a computer animating and some real action footage. Many part of this music video used Chroma key.











Camera moment
Camera movement for music video often using track, tilt or pan, there for keep the excitement for the audiences. More if important is the movement of the music video have to match certain style of music for example fast movement for slow music video are unlikely to be a great match.




One of the examples for music video that used many camera movement in the scene is "Love Me Again by John Newman" This music video used a lot of movement for many shot for example pan while the character is lips sync for example (1;11-1:12). Even simple mid shot scene like the dancing scene at (1;13-1;14).2 of these shots could of been done using still but to keep more interest form the audience; adding to movement into the shot.
The music for this video is quite fast so the pan are slightly faster.

Camera angle and shots type 
Shot type and camera angle are important to all moving images media text as it can create certain feel to the viewer. Whether it's close up for more emotional scene, medium short for action scene or long short for the view of location scene. Same with angle many angle are used for certain scene and the video will looks better if you strictly follow it.  Music video is the same with movies, shot type and and angle ware decided on the narrative of music video.




One of the example is Wake Me Up by Avicii this include the use of many shot in the music video.
At the beginning there are long shot to view the location (0;00-0;01)
(1:19) there are close up to see emotion on the action.
(2:230 there is a tracking shot.