Researching music videos

For our A2 coursework we decided that we wanted to create a music video rather than a film trailer as it allows us to explore another type of media and what types of things are used within different genres of music videos'.

We thought it would be best to begin with researching and watching various types of music videos to help us decide which genre of music we wanted to choose for our video, this would then help us to choose which song we wanted use throughout our video. Choosing the song for our video may also depend on what gender we would want to use, whether it be male singers or female singers, and this is something we would have to consider when filming if we need certain people to be in it.

ROCK GENRE VIDEO

FALL OUT BOY- MY SONGS KNOW WHAT YOU DID IN THE DARK

This rock genre video consists of a lot of dark colours and is set at night, which links with the typical stereotype of rock videos being quite spooky and mysterious. The people within the video are also all wearing dark clothing, mostly consisting of leather and spikes to blend in with the dark setting but also to go with the typical punk rock stereotype. The contrast of the bright colours of the fire presents danger in the video, and the characters are throwing instruments, sheet music and promotion posters onto the fire, almost rebelling against music, which again shows the conventions of a typical rock video showing danger and rebellion.

RnB GENRE VIDEO

USHER- GOOD KISSER

When looking at this RnB video we see that the artist is actually present within the video, compared to the previous rock one where the band wasn't in it. RnB videos are usually quite sexual, with groups of women wearing skimpy outfits and dancing quite provocatively, they also may involve alcohol or drugs. The artist in the video also may start dancing or be seen as the centre point of the video when surrounded by the women. This video also has low lighting and uses quick cuts between Usher and the various women on screen, the camera then closes in on the women's lips, even though they're not singing. Towards the end of the video there is a group of men and women hip hop dancing behind Usher to go along with the beat of the song, which is another typical convention of an RnB music video.

DANCE/ELECTRO VIDEO

AVICII- WAKE ME UP

This video portrays two actresses being trapped in the dull society of the 1930's, being isolated from it because they're portrayed as being more modern, which is not what you would expect from a dance music video. However as the video progresses we see the change in lighting as it becomes darker, almost like a nightclub setting which is where dance music is likely to be played the most. The artist is then shown on camera, partnered with the use of strobe lights and the whole of the crowd jumping up and down raving. Quick cuts are also used to show the dance atmosphere and the liveliness of the setting around the actress. The video then reverts back to the 1930's set as the actress goes back to her normal, which she still feels is a lot more dull than the liveliness that she had experienced from the Avicii show, which could imply that the dance genre is used to transport you into a more fun atmosphere with the fast beats.

COUNTRY GENRE VIDEO

RASCAL FLATTS- WHAT HURTS THE MOST

This video has a setting with the desert/countryside which links in with the country genre. This song is quite an emotional one and it tells a story with the actresses and actors throughout, but the camera also cuts to the members of Rascal Flatts walking through the outback, which shows a long shot of the entire setting.

POP GENRE VIDEO

LITTLE MIX- WINGS

This video is a typical pop girl band one, it involves a lot of bright colours and quirky costumes from the group. The camera cuts quite quickly from each group member and also adds a close up once in a while to highlight to make up look that they're wearing on their face as it is also quite bold and bright. The video also involves a lot of split screens to show each individual group member rather than just showing them all in one shot, they also change setting and outfits which a lot of girl groups do within their videos to portray their femininity, or maybe to show a change in mood throughout the song or a climax.