Analysis Of Music Videos

Drake - Started From The Bottom

Analysis of Started From the Bottom

Girls - The 1975

Problem- Ariana Grande

Music Video Styles 2

Generally in the Music Industry there are 3 main types of Music Video styles that the 

director will look to use in their creation for their artist. Below I have identified these 3 main 

types of styles with examples.

1. Performance Based Video

These are music videos that feature the artist/band/group performing the song through most

if not all of the video. They always tend to show the band or artists mostly performing  there

song, usually at one of their gigs or in a studio based setting. It’s probably the easiest to do

on a budget provided you can  get a suitable location for  filming.

  
Kiesza - Hideaway

 A good example of  this is would be Kiesza's song Hideaway, as you can tell the entire 

Music Video is actually  filmed using a long take the whole way out the video and actually 

never cuts at all. Apart  from the minor narrative detail with the dancing the entire music 

video features the artist as the main dancer the entire way through. The inclusion of the 

dancing throughout  makes the video bare able for the audience and also the constant 

change of camera movement and rotation of different dancers helps the music video to 

maintain a constant rhythm and theme throughout. However, i cannot help but feel the 

interaction of lyrics and the dancers tells an underlying story in itself with scene of love and 

passion being shown throughout, furthermore with the title of the song being Hideaway a 

word used to describe someone who hides or perks in the shadows this is subverted in the 

way that all of the dancers are in extremely bright clothing dancing in the middle of the day 

in an open place.

The 1975- Sex [EP Version]

Another video that underlines what a performance based music video is all about is The 1975 Sex [EP Version]. The music video itself appears to be set in an underground room surrounded with very low key lighting, and throughout the entirety of the song the band are seen to be performing to an imaginary audience or are in the process of recording one of their songs. The music video itself is a classic example of a performance based music video as shown by the camerawork, which is constantly using a long shot to encapsulate all of the band performing before switching the various extreme close ups of each individual member performing. By purpose the video is also made to look amateur underlining the fact that The 1975 as a band have really come from nowhere to be suddenly in the spotlight and so the video appears to be set in a time where they had no fame or power within the industry. Through the fast paced editing throughout the extract it is clear to see that the band are all extremely passionate about their music and it highlights the fact that they still perform music for the love of the job and not for the popularity and riches that rise from it. The title of the music video 'Sex' is also a very sensitive and passionate topic which has been expressed very well within the music video as shown by the raw emotion that each band member is seen to be doing with their selected instrument. Furthermore, The 1975 are seen to be a very edgy and classic depiction of young men, highlighted in their music video which is entirely black and white throughout showing that they perhaps aren't scared to be different. The last point that is also a noteworthy one shown in this music video is the fact that the filming isn't at all stable the camera is always moving as well as the artists in the video, this could suggest an underlying meaning of drugs in modern day raves or concerts that comes in to play with the feeling of being on a high and not plain and stable another classic depiction of todays youth.

2.Narrative Based Video

  A narrative based music video contains mostly footage that attempts to tell a story through the moving image. Usually involving actors, the story is sometimes linked to the lyrical content of the song, but this isn’t always the case. This type of music video tends to be popular for a song that’s featured in a movie and you will often see scenes cut into the music video. 

A$AP ROCKY - Phoenix

My first initial thoughts and feelings of the narrative towards this music video were that the story is about love and hate coming together in a music video and indeed song. The narrative works extremely well with the song as this is seen when the lyrics are said to read 'bloody ink on my pad spelt suicide' and the camera fades from a black ink to a normal tone to show that it is actually blood on the page. The lyrics are also seen to say 'Good and bad having wars man choose a side, this is also highlighted in the long shots used throughout the music videos storyline to show some sort of emotional fight going on between the pair. Another indication to me that the following music video is a Narrative Based Video is the fact that editing constantly cuts to a medium shot of the rapper singing in to a microphone to give the audience a clear clue between who is singing and who are the actors. Another impressive feature to this music video which further indicates that a fight is involved in the storyline is the constant incorporation of cuts that show the room how it was before the fight and how the aftermath looked, telling the audience the story of how everything changed throughout the song. Furthermore, the music video is set in an apartment allowing us to tell from the miss-en-scene that the video is not Performance Based.

Elvis Presley - Jailhouse Rock

The first reason that i know this particular music video is Narrative Based is the pure fact that the music video was taken from the film Jailhouse Rock before Elvis Presley released it as a song. The second reason that i can tell that this music video is Narrative Base is the fact that the lyrics of the song synchronise with the camerawork and miss-en-scene that takes place in the music video. The miss-en-scene of the supposed 'Jailhouse' setting matches both the songs title and lyrics which feature Elvis the artist as part of the music video throughout. Furthermore the props and costumes used depict an Jailhouse setting from the 1960's. In terms of the narrative itself the song doesn't really progress from everybody in the jail rocking around and dancing and this is exactly what the music video depicts. The editing used throughout also supports the fact that Jailhouse Rock is a Narrative Based music video with the main focus of the edit and cut to give the main artist Elvis Presley the most camera time as he is seen to be the lead singer throughout, with him actually singing the song on set. As already mentioned  the story is fully linked to the lyrical content of the song, and the song being performed on the music video was an extremely popular song that featured in the movie Jailhouse Rock hence why the entirety of the extract is from the movie itself.

3. Concept Based Video

This is a style of music video that is based around a single concept or idea. These 

types of videos tend to be fairly unusual or utilise a particular editing or filming technique. It’s 

not often you get a purely conceptual music video as the commercial world demands things 

to be a bit more accessible but a great example is ‘Monkey Drummer’ by Aphex Twin.

Ed Sheeran - You Need Me, I Don't Need You

This particular music video is probably one of my most favourite music videos purely for the 

fantastic creativity and flow it has. The obvious sign that this music video is a Concept 

Based Video is the fact that the centre of attention throughout the entirety of the music video 

remains the man who does Sign Language Interpretation throughout. Although the 

Camerawork used in the music video ranges from long shots to medium shots to close 

ups the main focus always remains to be the individual who is interpreting the Ed Sheeran 

lyrics for the music video. A particular editing technique that this Concept  Music Video 

utilises is of course the fast and hard cuts, and making sure the music video is edited on the 

beat every single time. The fact that this video has managed to incorporate the fantastic 

pace of the sign language individual, yet make him look  extremely entertaining and almost 

nostalgic with the amount of editing included in the piece. Although Sign Language 

Interpretation is seen to be the focus of the attention their are several elements including all 

of Camerawork, Editing and Mise-En-Scene to give the Concept Based Video a fantastic 

finish. The use of props was apparent in the video which were simply activated by Ed 

Sheeran pronouncing a certain lyric with either the visual aid of the Sing Language 

interpreter or a prop, this is seen when Ed sings the lyric 'Im still a choir boy in a Fenchurch 

Tee and we see a young man with angels wings on his back appear briefly in shot.

Vic Mensa - Down On My Luck

Another fantastic Concept Music Video which revolves around the idea of what happens when you have the opportunity to change a series of events, with the scenario reseting every time the individual makes a mistake. The first reason why I am able to tell that this particular music video is based around a concept is the fact that the Editing creates a seemingly identical scenario every time as the centre of attention (Vic Mensa) makes his way through the club facing different challenges and events the further he gets. I personally feel that the fast paced editing and camera positioning has made the take look extremely professional and has also allowed the concept to work more effectively in the eyes of the audience. The next reason as to why I am able to identify that Down On My Luck is a Concept Music Video is throughout Mise-En-Scene as the scenario resets itself no costumes, props nor actors change at any given time during the music video, everything remains in the original place it was, a factor that is extremely rare to find in any other type of music video.