Friday, 19 September 2014

Categories of Music Videos

Categories of Music Videos

Performance Based videos: show the artist or band performing their song, possibly at a gig or a studio setting. The Vamps- Last Night is an example of a performance based video.

The Vamps - Last Night


This video shows the band performing their song with their instruments. The video contains shot reverse shot, it shows the band performing their song and putting together a party for their friends. There are close ups and mid shots of individual band members performing with different backgrounds behind them.

Narrative Based Videos: have a storyline and tend to follow the storyline through out the video. Maroon 5- Maps is an example of a narrative based video.

Maroon 5 - Maps


Maroon 5 is a popular American band. Their single 'Maps' was released from their latest album 'v'. The video starts with Adam Levine (the singer of the band) in a lift and then we see him at a hospital looking for his girlfriend. The audience are instantly hooked as they wonder what happened to her. The video then shows us what happened before the accident and what happened to her. From the narrative we can tell that they went to a party, she was with her friends dancing, he got drunk and kissed someone else, she caught him and then ran outside, she got hit by a car and ended up in hospital. The video is entertaining. 

Concept Based Videos: tend to have no storyline and it usually doesn't tie in with the band or the theme of the song. The visuals doesn't match the lyrics.

Shawn Mendes - Life of the Party


Shawn Mendes is a new pop artist in the music industry. His song 'Life of the Party' is from his Shawn Mendes EP. This video is concept based as he sings about being the life of the party and he's singing about a girl but he's sitting in an empty diner. The lyrics doesn't match the visuals. 

1 comment:

  1. Taslima you have made some important reference to camera work and shot choices in your performances based music video analysis.

    Can you include screen grabs from the music video and explore the significance of these shot type choices, for example, in connection to audience?

    In your narrative music video example you reference the music video as being 'entertaining'. Does this relate to most narrative music videos and how can you connect it with the Uses and Gratifications Theory and again audience?

    You also demonstrate an emerging grasp on concept music videos. Can you challenge yourself and use further examples of more extreme forms of concept music videos either without story-line or lacking any shots of the artist/band and with no relation to the lyrics or meaning of the song?

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