Music Video Genres

The main music video genres are:

• Narrative: A music video that tells a story.
• Image: A music video that portrays a certain image of the given artist e.g Lady Gaga is usually portrayed as eccentric and unique in her music videos
• Performance: A music video which includes a live performance 
• Spectacle: A music video that shows surrealism and uses interesting editing to create a 'spectacle'.
• Personal 

Linking music video genres to genres of music:

Rock: performance
Metal: performance/spectacle

pop: Image/ spectacle 

indie: personal/ narrative/ performance

techno/dubstep: spectacle 

Genres are hard to define according to Reid and Bordwell. David Broadwell says that genres are defined by the audience instead of the director. Mark Reid on the other hand believes that genres are defined according to where they are placed e.g. if a rock song is placed in the pop isle, would it still be rock? This is also know as the tomato pureé theory. 

My examples of the music video genres:

 Semiotics of the spectacle genre:

* Overlapping of two images
* the characters have interesting positions and all overlap suggesting some relationship between them 
* Wild expressions
* Lights are duplicated creating a surreal effect.

 When comparing it to an existing music video that uses the same editing technique of overlap, I can see that they have also played with the lighting and contrast to create a more interesting result. The use of the close up of the spider also gives it a more surreal style and is quite effective. My example does not use interesting cinematography unlike this example that uses a high angle and a medium close up. 

Semiotics of the image genre:

* The use of split screen shows that the artist is in control as she takes over the screen.
* Her position connotes confidence and independence.
* The use of a window suggests that the artist is 'deep' and likes to explore her thoughts while looking outside.
* The low angle shot shows her as superior and a strong character. 

When looking at an existing music video that uses split screen, I can see that they have used it to represent two different lives. It has been used more as a comparison and suggests that the artist has dual personality or is unsure about her identity. My example, however, is just a repeat image to show the exact opposite; that she is sure of herself.

  Semiotics of the narrative genre:

* The editing technique of a sketch, suggests that it is a story because it represents a book or a cartoon
*  The use of a medium close up with the tree taking up most of the screen, suggests that the artist is not the main focus; the story is.
* The casual clothing depicts realism 

  When comparing to an existing music video that has used sketching, I can see that the characters are also wearing casual clothing but however have not used a background to make it look like a rougher sketch. This example uses a secondary character to show a love story and therefore establishes the narrative genre. 




                                                                                                                                                                     

Semiotics of the performance genre:

* The artist is playing the guitar suggesting that it is a live performance
* There are musical props such as amps around reinforcing the idea that it is live
* she is wearing a floral top to match the indie genre of music and to serve as costume for the show. 
* Black and white editing creates the effect of stage lights contrasting the low key lighting. 




When comparing to an existing music video, I can see that they have used the low key lighting with stage lights to contrast this. There is also clear evidence that the artist is singing at an audience as he is holding a microphone and is making performance gestures. The camera, however is not from the audience perspective like my example; it is a side view so that we can see the spotlight hitting him.