Music Video Productions: Styles, Conventions & Techniques

In-concert & "As live" Footage

One of the most common forms of music videos consist of "as live" or "in concert" film. The band or artist are often shot playing their individual instruments as they would in a live performance. This style of music videos are simple and easy to make. "As live" music videos are also a very effective way of marketing the band or artist. It allows the musicians to show off their styles from music to dress sense. In the "as live" music video of Last Nite by The Strokes, we can clearly see the bands name on the drum head. You also get to see the rebellious, no care in the world attitude of Julian Casablancas (lead singer). Fans are not only able to get a look at their favorite band live but they can also copy their hairstyles and clothing style to match their trend.



Narrative and Interpretive
Narratives are commonly used in music videos. For many music videos the narrative is a literal expression of the songs lyrics. The content of the video is often connected to the songs lyrics; but this is not always the case. Narrative music videos can also be used to interpret the lyrics or meaning of the song. Other music videos ignore these styles and solely contradict the lyrics of the song. Some narrative music videos ignore the songs lyrics all together telling a story that has little to no reference to the lyrics. This is a very popular style as it allows artists to be creative and express not only the songs meaning but their own thoughts and emotions. Narrative music videos are very engaging for the audience are often preferred over performance based music videos as they are more interesting to watch. Music videos with strong narratives can have lasting impressions on the audience. Pink Floyd's album "the wall" is a story based upon the albums main protagonist "Pink" who in the song "Comfortably Numb" struggles to handle the world around him. The battling artist over doses on drugs. He is found unconscious in his hotel room by his manager who with the help from paramedics revives him using a drug and carries him to the limousine waiting to take him to a concert. Along the way to the car we see flashbacks of his troubled childhood. Pink then begins to hallucinate due to the drug and finds his body transforming into a large pink diseased boil like form. He begins to rip the diseased boil off of his skin leaving him sitting in the car wearing a Nazi uniform. The narrative of the music video is very powerful to watch and portrays Pink Floyd's progressive and psychedelic characteristics very well.


Surrealist/absurdest
Surrealist music videos like MGMT's "Kids" are bizarre to watch leaving the audience often surprised and confused. They often hold elements of normality and then mix the surreal factor in to creating the unusual effect. For example, in "Kids" we are shown what seems to be a normal mother and child. However the child begins to see deformed monsters, that seem to be tormenting him. They are constantly watching over  him and he is clearly scared of the "monsters". The odd looking monsters seem to portray the way we see bad people. The child is scared of these people, and the music video shows them as monsters so the audience understand his feelings and the way he sees others. I personally feel as though the video portrays the modern society that children are brought up in. The neglectful parent leaves her child and he is left in a massive scary place that he does not understand.  He longs to escape from the harshness of society and finds his happiness in the form of MGMT (dressed as angelic characters). However he is soon swept away by the monsters and is re-united with his neglectful mother. Surreal music videos often bear very little connection to the songs lyrics much like an interpretive music video. The surreal element of a music video can work alongside narratives and interpretive videos very well much like "kids".


Impressionist
Impressionist music videos focus on the emotional elements of the music rather than the literal narrative of the lyrics. The artist wants to focus on the way the song makes them feel rather than what the lyrics mean. Impressionist music video's often use soft lighting and focus's to create a minimalist effect. The music videos are often very creative and artistic. Josef Salvat's "Hustler" music video, he portrays his own personal opinion of a modern "hustler", an aggressive, sex driven person. The video includes a number of intimate moments as well artistic patterns. The video also includes soft lighting and shallow/soft focus's. These characteristics combine to create an impressionistic feel to the video.

Inter-textual: Synergy, Allusion, Pastiche, Parody and Homage
Artists are often influenced by other subjects when creating their music videos. They are usually influenced by other art forms in a positive way, and will therefore pay homage to their work. They can pay homage in a number of ways from subtly mentioning their work or they may try to re-create their work.

Homage
 A homage is often used to pay respect or dedication to someones work.

Stereophonics released their music video for "Pick a part that's new" in may 1999. The music video has a  strong reference to the original 1969 film "Italian Job". The music video re-enacts a number of famous scenes from the film such as the three minis driving though Turin after stealing the gold. The band are also shown playing their instruments inside the bus as it hangs over the edge of a cliff.

Pastiche
Music video's can also hold pastiche elements. Pastiche music videos imitate a style of work of someone or group of people. Unlike parodist music videos, Pastiche celebrates the style of wok rather simply mocking it.


The video for "Time is Running Out" by Muse is a pastiche  to the movie Dr Strangelove being set in a war room as part of a crisis meeting like in the film.

Parody
A parody is the use of a reference to other forms of earlier media intended as a mockery of that product. Often a parody will exaggerate certain parts of the mise en scene of the referenced product in order to make fun of it, or they will produce a similar narrative aspect to the imitated media with a, more often than not, comedic edge to it.



The video for "Sabotage" by the Beastie Boys is a tribute to cop shows from the 1970's and 1980's which had very distinctive elements of mise en scene such as the aviator sunglasses, moustaches, and American muscle cars, elements that are exaggerated in this video along with certain conventions like kicking down doors and sliding over bonnets.


Synergy
Synergy is the term used to describe the promotion and marketing of a product, and its multiple versions on a range of media formats. In music videos synergy refers to the promoting and marketing of another media format such as a film. A films official soundtrack will use promotional material (clips) from the film in its music video. Eminem released his music video for "lose yourself" alongside his film "8 mile". The soundtracks music video includes a number of clips from the film and helped promote the film very well.



References
Music video often reference other arts and subjects such literature and cinematography. Artists may refer to certain person, themselves or historical and cultural subjects. The soundtrack for the film "Ghostbusters" written and performed by Ray Parker Jr in 1984, refers to the film in a number of ways. The music video uses a mixture of visuals, some from the film itself and the others created for the sole use of the music video. The lyrics of the song also refer to the film. Ray Parker Jr, included a number of catchphrases from the film into the lyrics of the soundtrack. Famous phrases such as "Who you gonna call? Ghostbusters!" and "I ain't afraid of no ghost!".



Allusion
The use of allusions in music videos are often very powerful to watch. Music videos such as "If i were a boy" by Beyonce alludes the viewer into what they are seeing until the story changes and reveals that all is not as it once seemed. The role reversal in Beyonces music video portrays the typical role of a male man but in the form of a female. The reversal questions the audiences thoughts towards the behavior of both genders and whether they are equally as bad.


Popular Music videos
The simplest music videos will reflect the style or genre of music in the video. 50 cent , a rap artist often refers to wealth, sex and power. His music video for "P.I.M.P" includes all three of these characteristics portraying the genre of American Rap music.


Animation
Animation is popular style used in music videos as it allows the artist to invent creative worlds, characters and narratives. Animation allows you to express and explore explicit subjects, thoughts and feelings. The possibilities are endless when using animation. You can take the simplest of things and animate them into people with feelings and emotions.  The Killers use animation in their latest music video "Miss atomic bomb". The animated narrative tells the love story between a jealous young man and a female beauty contestant. The two characters fall in love, however the mans paranoid and jealous ways begin to torment him. He believes that she is having an affair with her dance partner. The man leaves town in despair later finding out that she was not having an affair and that his own paranoia pushed him away from the love of his life. The animation is very powerful to watch.


Techniques
Lip-Sync- Miming and Playback
Lip syncing is the term used to describe the miming of lyrics. In the production of music videos, the performer will often lip sync along to the song which is usually played aloud. In post production, the audio from the video footage is deleted and replaced with a high quality studio version. Music videos will often use a range of techniques to create slow motion visuals alongside normal paced audio. "Oceans", a music video by the band Coasts use the combination of slow motion videos and normal paced audio. Although there is no narrative in the video, the effect is rather pleasing to the eye and creates a peaceful effect.


Editing
All music videos go through some form of editing. Some music videos may consist of simple edits such as fades, cuts etc. However editing is very experimental, so in some music videos the editing is very apparent and creative. Red Hot Chili Peppers music video for "Californication" is a brilliant example of great editing. The music video uses a 3D animation video game style in which each band member fights their way to win the game. The fast paced action works effectively in its animated form.


Cutting to beat
A very basic but effective editing technique is cutting clips to the beat of the song. It's a common technique used in fast paced music videos. The technique can give different effects to the overall style of the video. Fast paced cutting for music genre such as rap and dub-step can create a strobe like effect.

The music video for "The hardest button to button" by The White Stripes uses cutting to the beat very effectively.

Post Production Effects
Modern day editing software allows editors to create stunning visual effects. These visuals effects often attract viewers regardless of the musical content. some of the greatest music videos ever made were so popular because of their cutting edge visual effects. Post production effects are therefore very popular nowadays


Katy Perrys music video for "Firework" uses stunning visual effects to create fireworks that seem to explode from the hearts of the videos characters. This effect creates a powerful sense of love and happiness.

Split Screen
Using split screens in music videos can be a very effective technique if used correctly. Split screening works especially well in narrative based music videos, as they allow you to show multiple time zones and characters. Showing two different time zones allows the director to show a change in time. Split screening characters allows you show comparisons/contrasts between the characters.


Mumford and Sons use split screening in an interesting way, showing each band members journey to a live show. Each member uses a different form of transport before they finally meet live on stage.

Chroma Key
Music videos often use chrome key to create an interesting, sometimes comedic element. Footage is shot in front of a green screen and the unwanted background is then chroma keyed. Background footage is then layered behind the original footage. Kanye West use chrome key in his latest video "Bound 2".


Camera Movements and Shot Types
Camera movements in music videos are very important. The quality and style of the shots can make or break the popularity of the video. Poorly framed and shot footage can be an eye sore for the audience. Creative and smooth shots such as tracking shots, tilts and crabs can very pleasing to the eye.


Coldplays "Yellow", uses one continuous tracking shot, giving the effect of a smooth, slow paced narrative. Your are instantly engaged and want to know where the character is going.


A$AP Rocky's music video for "Goldie" use multiple shot lengths and angles that helps create a past paced and personal tone to the music video. The variation of shots helps create the mis-en-scene for the multiple locations used in the music video. The variety of shots also allows the director to control certain aspects of the video.