Categories of Music Vidoes

There are three main types of music videos:

- Concept based

- Performance based 

- Narrative based

Concept Based Music Videos:

Concept based music videos usually hone in on a certain idea about the world and society and such ideas are often portrayed metaphorically. Concept videos are usually quite unique and utilize various ambitious editing techniques to characterise thier work. An example of a conceptual video would be the Bring Me The Horizon 'Throne' music video:

Another example is Taylor Swift's 'Out Of The Woods' music video:



A even more obscure and cryptic example would be Wolftrons 'Sugar Skulls' video:

Performance Based Music Videos:

These types of videos usually focus solely on the music artists performing throughout all or almost all of the video. Direct address is frequently used in these types of videos and allows the artist to make a connection to the audience. Mise en scene in performance videos usually consists of either a stage or recording studio/garage. This type of music video style is low budget and may be popular with bands who are just starting out and building up a fanbase/franchise. Many different camera angles of the artists are used in performance videos, which is good as it makes the video more visually dynamic which is needed as videos set in one place can become tedious. Close-ups of the artists looking/singing into the camera and playing their instruments are often repeated to maintain the connection with the audience and convey the emotion of the song, these types of shots reinforce the artists star image. The use of live performance excerpts is a popular technique used in Rock music videos more than it is in Pop. An example of this is Black Veil Brides 'Fallen Angels' music video:

Another example is Demi Lovato's 'Get Back' music video:

Narrative Based Music Videos:

Narrative music videos usually follow a storyline/plot throughout and tell us a visual story. The artist may or may not appear in the video (in this case star image is less important) alongside actors who may portray other characters within story. If a narrative video style is being used then the visual content will usually go hand in hand with the lyrics so that the storyline makes more sense for the viewer though this isnt always the case. Narrative videos that completely stray away from the lyrical content of the song may have a more encryptic meaning which creates intrigue in the audience. An example of a music video that does this is The Artic Monkeys 'Flourescent Adolescent':

Another, less cryptic, video example is Adam Lambert's 'Never Close Our Eyes' music video:

Hybrid Music Videos:
Obviously not every music video fits into one category, a lot of the time artists take aspects of each of the categories and mold them into one music video. These types of music videos are known as hybrid videos. An example of a hybrid music video is Avril Lavigne's 'Complicated':

This music video is a blend of both performance and narrative styles.

Another example of a hybrid video is Demi Lovato's 'Here We Go Again' which is also a performance and narrative blend:

Animated Music Videos:
Animated music videos can either be entirely complied of animated scenes or animation can be featured less prominently with only a few short snippets being included. An example of this is The Killers 'Miss Atomic Bomb' which inlcudes both animate and unanimated scenes:

Another example is The Spice Girls 'Viva Forever' which brings animation into the real world:

Kanye West's 'Good Morning' also uses animation:

6 Features of Music Videos

Andrew Goodwin identified six different features of a music video that characterise the product:

Music videos demonstrate genre characteristics  - this theorises that there are repetitive patterns in the music video content of different genres (eg. aspects of stage performanc and excerpts of footage from live concerts in rock music videos)

There is a correlation between the music and the visuals (the tone and atmosphere of the visuals is reflective of the music) - an example of this may be the visuals in a music video becoming more chaotic as the music becomes faster or more upbeat.

The demands of the record label include the need for lots of close ups of the artist and the need/want for an artist to develop motifs and build thier own creative style to be associated with - This is a marketing technique where an artists music video has a definitive focus on them as the star in order to create a strong brand and popularity surrounding them. Music videos like this are usually very centered around the upkeep of the artists star image (eg. the 'bad boy' or 'girl next door')

There is a relationship between the lyrics and the visuals - this is where the is a visual connection between the content of the video and the lyrics of the song. This portrayal can be presented through disconjuncture, illustration or amplication. 

There is frequent reference to notion of  voyeuristic treatment toward  the female body - this type of reference is usually used more commonly by female artists and often involves the hpersexualisation of the female form.

Inclusion of intertextual references to other films, TV programmes, music videos, etc - music videos often make reference to other media in subtle ways; they may choose parody other media or take a more pastiche approach to the references.

Through comparing my current knowledge of music videos to these features I would say that there is definitley some truth in Goodwin's theory but the ideas are also slightly out-dated. This theory was published in Goodwin's book 'Dancing in the Distraction Factory' in 1992 and the massive steps in technological advances that have been made since then, in terms of media, has had a huge impact on how music videos are created and viewed and has allowed artists to take more creative risks with the content they put out. As a result of this there is no longer a cookie cutter mould that all music videos conform to.