Music Video Genre

The conventions of a music video is dependent on the genre that it is and I have looked through different types, to see what is expected from the videos.

Pop: - The main aspect of this type is performance where the singer or band members are lip syncing throughout the song. The performance is usually based on a dance or a narrative story both of which explain the meaning of the lyrics. I found that the overall tone is bright and the artist will also wear clothing to match this. The main artists usually are seen in the music video to make their presence aware. The videos are mostly entertaining so that they are more appealing to a younger audience.

Indie: - There are many different conventions which can be found in this genre of music videos. The tone of the lyrics is important when determining the brightness, hue and greyscale of the video. There is usually a split between how the video is shown, be it a performance or a narrative and in most cases, the artist does not feature within the video. Indie music videos are representative and directly explain what the lyrics say.

R‘n’B: - The tone of this type is very light and bright, which is similar to that of a Pop Video. The artist is usually involved in a performance in a simple setting or in a narrative according to the lyrics. The artists are mostly shown with wealth displayed by jewellery and other properties and women are usually dressed in revealing clothing. R‘n’B music videos are very positive and also include artists with lip sync.

Rock/ Metal: - I have found that these videos are similar to that of an Indie genre video and the overall feel to the video is dark. The lyrics, story lines, narrative and clothing are all dark providing a solid link. The main convention is a performance where all of the shots cover the band playing their song. The editing is fast cut so that it fits in time with the beat of the song. Even the way the band is dressed is dark, with black clothing and they are portrayed as a stereotypical rock/ metal performer with multiple earrings and excessive make up.