Task 2- Understand the styles and conventions of music videos

Andrew Goodwin's six key conventions

1. Music videos demonstrate genre characteristics.
   (e.g. stage performance in metal videos, dance routine for boy/girl band, aspiration in Hip Hop).
2. There is a relationship between lyrics and visuals. The lyrics are represented with images.(either illustrative, amplifying, contradicting).
3. There is a relationship between music and visuals. The tone and atmosphere of the visual reflects that of the music.
   (either illustrative, amplifying, contradicting).
4. The demands of the record label will include the need for lots of close ups of the artist and the artist may develop motifs which recur across their work (a visual style).
5. There is frequently reference to notion of looking (screens within screens, mirrors, stages, etc) and particularly voyeuristic treatment of the female body.
6. There are often inter-textual reference (to films, TV programmes, other music videos etc).

Andrew Goodwin presented these idea's on music videos and condensed them into 6 key features that could be addressed in music video's. These 6 ideas were then published into his book 'Dancing in the Distraction Factory'

Pastiche
Pastiche music videos are the type of videos that pick on the type of era so at the time it could be seen as a really good idea to have or do but in the future people would think what are they doing, this would have been done so that they could fit into the current culture and to also please their fan base.

Parody
Music videos that are parody's would generally be used to mock another artists music video or song but it can also trick people that it isn't for that purpose, some people may see this and think that they are just acting stupid because in today's society you wouldn't see a music video like that.

Animation
This type of music video uses a different series of animation to create a music video, it would generally consist of stop motion and computer animation along with others, this type of music video would try and use the latest things and try to stand out from everything else so that they do not look as though they are trying to copy other artists.

Narrative
A music video that is based on a narrative would have a story behind it, some artists would choose to have this type of music video so that they can spread awareness, for example, below is a video of a song called the earth song, this song was made to try and make people aware that their actions and that they are destroying the earth.

Performance
Music videos that are based on performance are only made and focused on the band playing and performing, this is not only a cheap way to keep your budget for the music video low, it is also an excellent way to make sure that all attention is placed and based on the artists that are singing/playing.

Inter-textual
Inter-textual music videos are music videos that have been made specifically for films, the music videos would have clips of the film in it so that it would be also advertising the film, this is called synergy, some artists would do this because they can sell the song to their fans and some people who like the song in the film may go to listen and buy it so they can earn even more money and it can work exactly the same way for the film.

As live/concert
As live/concert is where the video is put together from a real concert that the artist had played at, some artists may choose to do this because it allows the fans to share in the 'excitement' of the live show, sometimes when they do this type of music video they may not be on a tour doing a show, it could show them singing the song while they are in the studio.

Cinematic
Music videos that come under the cinematic category generally means that they have made the music video and it looks as though it is a movie production because it is that long and a lot of effort had gone into it, it could also be because the music video had a intro before the song started where there could have been acting out a scene that leads up to the song been sung.

Abstract/concept
A music video that has an abstract/concept music video is the type of music video that generally leave the public or who ever watches it confused because it can be that out of the ordinary that people do not understand it.