Types of music videos

There are 3 types of music videos:

1. Performance'
2. Narrative
3. Concept:
• Thematic
• Symbolic
• Idea-based

Performance

The style of performance is when the artist/group/band are performing the song throughout the video. There are many ways of doing this. In 1980s rock music, music videos were primarily the band performing on a stage infront of a 'live' (but set up) audience. They may have used a few different clips within the video to make it more interesting but the main part of the video is close ups and long shots to show the band performing. In modern music, a lot of the backing track isn't instruments but artificially made music with maybe a few layers of actual instruments being played. This means that artists can't play instruments in music videos as there aren't any and if there is, they probably aren't the ones playing them. Music has changed a lot and primarily singing is the key to the music industry whereas it used to be in song/music and instruments being played. Although this is the case, some modern music videos do have artists performing in them. A lot of the time this is just the artists singing in a room or somewhere but occasionally artists do clasically sing into a microphone as a performance video.

Bon Jovi - Livin' On A Prayer

This video is clearly a performance music video. Other than a few clips in the introduction where the band are shown getting ready to perform, the rest is basically all performance based. Although, in this video, unlike some other Bon Jovi music videos, there is no live audience that they are performing to. In the Goodwin Seven, one of the rules to being a music video is that is has specific genre characteristic. This video certainly has rock features. The outfits and styles of the band members definitely show 1980s rock and the fact that it has lots of close ups of the band playing their instruments shows it is rock as not many other genres, only similar ones, would have a band playing instruments. The representation of men in the 1980s is that they had big hair and were very passionate. There are a lot of close ups of the musicians playing with such power that it showed that they were giving it all they got. Also within the Goodwin Seven, it says that the record label require you to have lots of close ups of the artist so the audience know who the artist is and this was occurred often. There were mainly close ups of the lead singer and then all the other musicians followed. This is a classic performance music video.

Adele - Rolling in the Deep

This is a modern example of a performance music video. Although it is not completely a performance video it has elements of it. The artist is clearly performing, even if she doesn't have a microphone, an audience, etc. Also there are a few shots of the drummer playing the drums which is common in performance music videos. These are common performance music videos.

Adele - Set Fire To The Rain

This is a rare example of a performance music video. Not only is it actually a live performance of the artist performing the song and it is being filmed but also in modern music, it is rare to have an actual performance music video that is actually them singing into a microphone to an audience with live music - like the Bon Jovi video. This shows clear performance characteristics as there are various different shots of the artists (Goowin Seven - the record label requirement) but there are also many shots of the musicians which is very typically performance style. There isn't any particular representation in this video as it is simply the artist performing her song. Although Adele is very different from modern day artists as she isn't worried about her image and is primarily focused on doing what she loves - singing/performing. 

Narrative

The style of narrative is when the music video tells a story and is almost like a mini film as it has a definite beginning, middle and end. Often narrative music videos mimic other genres of media - for example, films, tv shows or other types of videos. Artists can be part of the story or separate and just be in the video singing. One of the main reasons for a narrative music video is to tell a story and give across a message to the audience. The messages are very clear and in your face so that the audience clearly understand the message. It isn't subliminal.  

Megan and Liz - Are You Happy Now

This music video is a very classic narrative video. It clearly shows a story and gives across a meaning to the audience - which is what stories are made to do. There is a clear beginning (the showing of the bullying), a middle or twist (the bully being bullied) and then an end (where the girls see each other differently and become unlikely friends). The main reason for this video - as the artists fan base is young/teenage girls - is that whatever happens to you, you'll get through it, people get over it and that bullying is not cool. Also, a slightly more hidden message is that, when they're singing and taking off their clothes and rubbing off their makeup it is showing girls that whatever they are hiding under whether it is makeup, clothes, etc. Everyone amounts to the same, which is why they start off in completely contrasting outfits and end up looking almost exactly the same. The music video uses a lot of relevant ideas from Goodwin's Seven. There is a clear relationship between some of the lyrics and the visuals, it may not be exactly when they are singing them, but repeated through the song is 'are you happy now that they're on the ground' and a few times in the video, the victim's either fall or get to the ground. Also there are a lot of close ups which would be required by the record label to promote them. As for representation, there is lots. It shows that school girls are particularly bitchy, harsh and like making people feel bad even if they are getting exactly the same done to them. Although it also shows that people change, as represented by the bully ending up apologising and being forgiven. The bully changes her attitude and so does the victim. Also, the representation of schools is very negative as it shows innocent teenagers being harassed and traumatised and even though the school may not recognise this, it shows that is happens without them knowing and is a true event. 

Concept

There are 3 types of conceptual music videos. There is thematic, symbolic and idea-based.

Thematic - there are lots of common themes in the video, depending on the genre. 

Symbolic - uses symbols to build up meaning, use of montage to create meaning sometimes contradictory, lighting used to suggest mood, fast paced (only a few seconds per shot to build up meaning).

Idea-based - an explored idea that's usually visually stylish, artistic, experimental camera/editing, fast pace, conspicuous lighting and cinematography, often break the rules of continuity editing.

MGMT - Electric Feel

Conceptual music videos usually have no relation to the lyrics or song and are just an explored experimental idea. It usually has a deeper meaning behind it, which is not always apparent on first viewing but has a purpose. This video has clips of performance within it but the actual full video doesn't seem to make any sense and has barely any links to the song. The genre of the song fits well with the music video as they both are very chilled but the video is quite random. This is what a concept video is, a meaning behind a what seems to be pointless and irrelevant music video. There is a bit of representation of gender in this video as all the males seem to be clothed while the females are clothed but barely. Females are represented as objects of lust and some attractive to look at. This is one of Goodwin's Seven as part of the checklist of music videos, that there is attraction for men to want to watch the video. 

Pro's & Con's

1. Performance - a good thing about performance is that it clearly shows the audience who is in the band or who the artist is but on the other hand it isn't very entertaining for the audience to watch.
   
2. Narrative - a positive of narrative videos is that they are often interesting and so people tend to watch them but often the story line or plot is lost in the filming or editing and the original story doesn't come across to the audience.
   
3. Concept - this style is the most enjoyable to watch and gets people hyped up about it and therefore the song so is most successful but is also the most difficult to create without people finding the video distracting and too confusing. 

My personal favourite...

My favourite style is probably concept as the videos are definitely the most entertaining and fascinating and also the fact that you can give across a subliminal message to the audience is amazing. I think I would like to produce a concept music video but would have elements of all 3 to make it interesting and have different sections to it.