Video Genres: Examples Of Each

Gag Video:
Relies on special effects on camera and not so much reliant on editing. These can be dolls which resemble the band/singer or giving the artist extremely long limbs. An example of this can be the following video. This video shows the singer playing different characters of a news crew, although the band remain as they are and are only shown with the performance. The video also shows a story about 'Neighbours Star shock split'. This is because the singer, Sam Clark is also an actor most known for his work as 'Ringo Brown' on Neighbours. This song was then also used in an episode of neighbours in a scene where the character 'Ringo' tries to (and successfully) rekindles his relationship with Donna (Margot Robbie).                  
  

Performance Video:
The visuals show the band or singer mainly performing, to make this further interesting the locations could vary or the time of day could vary. An example of a vary time could be the following video. Although shot entirely on a beach, the time of day varies which adds a spin to the video. A performance is something one would usually see for a rock band, and this is the case here. Valens are known as a hard rock band.


Concept Video:
Shows stories and images, never performances. The following video could be a concept video although it may not seem very obvious. The video follows the people telling their own personal story, however, not at any point can you see the singer singing the song or lip syncing for the music video. Although it can also be considered a narrative following the evening they had letting go of their past.


Narrative Video:
This narrative video shows Rupert Grint looking up to Ed Sheeran to essentially be Ed Sheeran, although this was done as a joke, to add humour to the concept of the song and music video. The video follows Rupert Grint around as a crazed fan who tries to become Ed Sheeran himself only to be pushed off stage by security.


Dance\choreographed Video:
At first glance this does not look like a dance video, however, it is very well choreographed and something very unique. This song was known famously for this music video and is genuinely known as 'The Treadmill Video'. The entire video consists of the band moving on and around the treadmills, although it is only in one shot, there's also only one type and it does not look too professional, the choreography keeps the viewer watching and interested.


Animated Video:
Year 3000 by Busted is a prime example of animation within a video. This combines both animation and performance. The video starts with video game animation then goes into the future (Year 3000) which shows an animated world of living under water, although the band and other people are in real life in 3 dimensional form.



Film/Theatre Video:
The first video seen here for 'Till I Hear You Sing' is not from a film but from a stage musical, it is from the sequel to 'Phantom Of The Opera', 'Love Nevre Dies'. This music video and song were both released as promotional material for the show even though it was the most anticipated show in the world of musical theatre for a number of years. With the world of musicals soundtracks are only released after the show is a success, but this was released before the show, alike how it would have happened if this was a film. The music video shows the the two lead actors; Ramin Karimloo as the Phantom and Sierra Boggess as Christine Daae. In the video, There are times when Ramin is dressed in 'Phantom' clothing such as the puffy long sleeved shirt which is what is worn on stage. Sierra is seen posted and projected around his room, this is because in the live stage show, there is a 'Christine doll' which 'The Phantom' has had made and keeps with him.



This next video was actually for a movie - Godzilla released in 1998. The music video starts off with showing an audience at the cinema to watch the movie, in which this song was used. The music video also consists of scenes reminiscent from the film 'Godzilla'


Club/Party video
This video shows a club scene with strobe colourful lights and people around dancing.

 

(Goodwin) Music Video Analysis: It's My Life

Lyrics and Visuals


The stills (1 - 4) to the right are shown in the music video above.
The first shows the main character (in the black) running among a bunch of marathon runner for what seems to be a charity marathon, The lyric coupled with this is 'I ain't gonna live forever'. The lyrics and visuals go well together and provide two meanings. One being the main character wanting to run to the concert because he may not get a chance to experience Bon Jovi in the tunnel - going by the quote/phrase 'life's too short, live it to the max'. Another meaning could be the obvious of running to raise money for a life saving charity.
The second shows the character 'Tommy' riding along by holding on to a rubbish collection truck going at high speed. This visual is coupled with the lyric 'I just want to live while i'm alive' - the idea behind this could be to show the essence of feeling very much alive and a rush of adrenaline by doing something fairly dangerous. This action could have ended with the character being seriously hurt but the notion was to show living life to the fullest.
The third still shows the character again in a life threatening position by nearly being hit by a car at high speed. Again this represents the notion of living to the max and living life the the way you want. This still is coupled with the lyric 'don't break baby, don't back down'. Considering the lyric, the visual supports the lyric with the car breaking to stop from hitting Tommy, but also shows Tommy not backing down from getting to the Tunnel to see Bon Jovi.
The fourth shows one of the last scenes seen. The visual accompanies the lyric 'It's my life'. The previous visuals with this lyric showed part of the narrative of Tommy reaching the tunnel, however, this visuals shows more about the life of Bon Jovi and how they live their life through gigs/concerts.

Music and Visuals

The music and visuals also compliment each other. (pictured 1 - 4).
The first still shows the main character, Tommy sliding down the railings on some stairs. This visual is coupled with a keyboard solo which gives the element of someone on a mission - the visual clearly supports this with a high action sound with Tommy re-creating scenes one would usually see in an action movie.
The second still shows the keyboard just after Tommy sliding down the hand railing. At the time, the music heard is of a keyboard, so yet again the visual clearly supports the backing music. The added blue tint to the keyboard further implements the idea of someone on a dangerous mission which sets the atmosphere for the rest of the music video.
The third still shows the drums at a time of no music from the actual song but diegetic sound from the video clip. The drums then bring the sound back to the song. At that small moment, the drums are the only sound you can hear, hence a focus shot on the drums and the drummer.
The fourth introduces the guitar just as the sound of the guitar can be heard with the other instruments. The angle used for the guitar shot further adds to the element of someone or something with the high action and high pace going on.

Genre
Alike most rock music video and especially music videos for hair bands in the 80's ,performance was an integral part of the music video, with most videos being based entirely in an arena. However, this video does not show an arena concert but more of an 'underground concert' with not many people making it look like an intimate gig, but towards the end, more and more people can be seen establishing the hair/rock band with the masses and masses of dedicated fans. As like most bands, each band member can be seen playing their individual instruments with close ups and panning shots. When this genre first came to light, most but not all video's had an element of 'rebellion' such as crowd surfing or smashing things up such as guitars, this video shows a fan crowd surfing and not the band themselves. Also there are no visuals which show the band smashing their guitars or amps, some may think this would take away the 'rebellion' phase, however, it comes across throughout the video with Tommy doing everything in his power to get to the concert on time even if his actions could risk his life. These actions account for the 'rebellious' actions in most rock videos.

Close Ups

The modern day music industry is run with money in mind, therefore, record label's tend to request more close up's of the lead singer (best selling point). With the stills on the left you can see the close ups of all band members. However, they were hard to spot, as some of the close ups were on screen for all of 2 seconds. Jon Bonjovi - being considered the main selling point is seen on screen the most followed by Richie Sambora who is the backing vocalist and guitarist.




The above is an older video from the same band dating back to 1986. The same can be said for this video, the main focus does seem to be on Jon Bon Jovi followed by Richie Sambora.

Voyurism

Voyurism is present in quite a few videos, although the voyurism is usually seen to represent something sexual. However, here it is merely seen as a live stream from a webcam to view the concert virtually for people who can't be at the concert.

References
There are also references within lyrics. not the actual video. The lyrics make reference to two people 'Tommy and Gina'. These two fictional people are also mentioned in their most well known song to date, 'Livin' On A Prayer'. The song was based around the two characters and their struggle to make ends meet. The characters are revived here, but are seen as much younger.

Collage of CD Covers

Below are some of the CD's I found around my house, and others are covers of albums/EPs of which I have a digital copy but not physical.

To the left, there are 8 examples of CD Covers across different ages and genres. 
The first two show Iron Maiden and Lily Allen. The Iron Maiden cover shows computerised cover showing a version of 'Beasts' referring to the name 'Best of the Beast'. The Lily Allen still shows her debut album 'Alright Still', as pictured, she too has some computerised effects and pictures in the background. From both of these, I like their similarities also considering their similarities despite their release being 10 years apart. 
The second two show Sam Clark and Kylie Minogue. This was Kylie's 10th album and can be referred to as 'electropop'; in terms of Sam Clark, 'My Own Way' can be described as acoustic pop, away from over-produced record label pop music. Both of these have their faces on their album covers, which are the main focal point. The difference between the release dates is around 5 years. 
The Third set of of covers show Ramin Karimloo with 'Road to find out' and Passenger with 'All the little lights'. Passenger can be described as rock'folk while Ramin can be described as Bluegrass - a combination of Broadway/theatre and blue grass. These two are not for comparison. Ramin's album cover reflects the name with the map, I really like the effect on his face, it's goes well with the ancient looking background. The cover also reflects his personal journey of being born in Tehran, then moved to Italy, grew up in Ontario and then started his career on a cruise and ended up in London. He has since then gone on to become one of the most recognisable faces and voice in the world of musical theatre. He is currently in New York, playing the role of 'Jean Val Jean' in Les Mis Broadway. Ramin is best known for portraying 'The Phantom' in Phantom Of The Opera and Love Never dies and being the youngest person ever to portray the Phantom., and Jean Val Jean in Les Mis. The cover for 'all the little lights' is very literal with the cover genuinely showing small bursts of light coming from the trees. I also like how there are different shades of light represented in different forms with the sun setting to the starts showing a reflection of light.
The fourth set of pictures shows two very different different genres and artists. 'x' by Ed Sheeran and '!Uno!' by Green Day. Ed Sheeran can be described as pop/folk/acoustic and Green Day are best known for punk/rock music. Both have different genres yet one can say there are similarities between the two covers. They are not just pictures, I like how they are near rough with a 'grunge' look even though they have very different music.

Work Of Previous Students

When watching this video, the 4 stills to the right stood out the most for me. The first one especially, because of the general outlook of the shot, it seems like there is an interesting story behind the reason for this shot. It reminds me of a slasher/gore movie due to the surroundings which seem to be either broken branched and leaves or something to resemble cracks in a mirror or glass. I also particularly like the effect the third still is giving off with the red nail polish with the grey and black surroundings. The last still with the girl seen as silhouette also catches my eye, I really like how it looks. It gives off quite a mystic feel.  

These still are from the above video. What I really admire about the first still is the use of a shadow, filming the shadow instead of the actual actress. The second still is around the time of a suspected suicide, with the sirens, next showing someone kneeling down yelling out 'HELP!'. The third still again is somewhat of a silhouette with the light shinning just under her face. The fourth still shows a mid-fade, between the actress lying on a bed without any make-up to the actress wearing make-up and standing in a field.

This is another video that really caught my attention. It seems to follow a story of a guy being brutally beaten up, then we see the same guy at this gym with the punching bag. The same people who attacked him previously are seen again trying to attack the same guy again, however this time, he is able to defend himself and stops himself from being attacked once again. Overall this music video seems to be pretty perfect all around - it's hard to believe this is not a professional music video.

(Goodwin) Music Video Analysis 2: Lolita

Lyrics and Visuals

(Pictured 1- 6 left to right)
The first still pictured shows Lisa walking with some masked men behind her. Prior to this Lisa can be seen walking but with only her in shot. The masked men can be seen with the lyric 'It burns you alive'. The masked men can be seen as representation of this lyric. 
The second picture shown here shows both Lisa and Jessica walking towards something. Both surrounded by mist and fog and both are also holding guns. With this, the masked men are still behind the girls but cannot be seen in shot. This may be because the lyric references one person at the time saying 'I'm taking your crown.' Due to the 'I' being in the lyrics, this may have been a reason to only show the girls and not the masked men behind them.
The third still shows a close up of both Lisa and Jessica. Here they have changed costume and the background is also different. The previous background seemed to be more dark in a way of fighting against something. Whereas this shows them with light behind them, although it still has an essence of something dark and powerful. The still shows the girls singing different lyrics as can be heard on the track. Lisa starts singing 'I'm your lolita' while Jessica is continuing to sing 'Baring your teeth'.
The fourth still taken from the video shows Jessica looking up to the camera with the mist behind her. This gives the effect of something quite devilish, especially her eyes with the way she looks up from the ground. Jessica's hair is also blowing which adds to the devilish effect. It seems like something you would see in a horror to indicate possession. The lyric coupled with the close up shot is actually 'You're my possession' 
The fifth picture above shows Jessica once again. Her action are similar to the fourth picture but the background is evidently different. The background for this still is much darker but at the same contains different colours. The fourth still only pictures white in the background whereas here in the fifth, there are greens and reds also present. Even though there is colour, it is quite misty and blurred. A shadow also falls on one side of her face and the lyric coupled with the still is 'always stay close to me' which continues to give a dark impression.
The sixth still appears 2 seconds after the fifth still and is coupled with the lyric 'don't think of leaving'. This visual further exemplifies the essence of darkness and something possessive that can take over a person. The background behind Lisa is dark but without the blurred colours that Jessica had 2 seconds prior this moment in the music video.

Music and Visuals

(Picture 1- 6 left to right)
The first picture seen here is layered on an instrumental part where there are no lyrics. The music at this point is very upbeat and electronic. The visuals agree with the music the Lisa's movements match the beat of the backing track. The visuals give the sense of something crazy about to happen.
The second picture is still from another instrumental part, the same backing track as the first picture but slightly further on in the song. Here Lisa and Jessica are seen shooting something off screen. This visual coupled with the backing track seems to be giving an atmosphere of the girls and the masked men behind them gearing up for something big that they've been aiming for. 
The Third is on a upbeat track which shows Jessica with motions of almost going crazy with fast movements from the head and hair. The water flying off her hair adds to the notion of something reckless and out of control. The music in the background at this time adds to this idea of being out of control. 
The fourth shows Lisa bathing in milk, however she is struggling in the bath tub. This further insinuates the notion of something taking over her and being out of control. Another inference could be, historically bathing in milk is linked to the Egyptian Pharaoh , Cleopatra who known to be very in control of the situation. Using this shot of Lisa could have have two meanings, one contradicting this point of showing Lisa not very in control of the situation at all, however, it could also be portraying Lisa taking control of the situation she is placed in further on in the video.
The fifth still shows Jessica going crazy once again like she has been taken over by something. However, if this had different background, per say, a nightclub, this movement can be seen playing on being a female to attract attention. Due to the situation with the background, it can be inferred as going crazy over possession of something or someone.
The sixth still shows the 'monster' they have been trying to find get rid themselves off finally shot down. The music at this point is very up beat with the elements of electronic sounds. The entire video has lead to Jessica and Lisa trying to find and take down monster who could be person seen as possessing them leading them to loose control of certain parts of their life.

Genre specific visuals 
The Veronicas are usually considered a pop/rock band, however this track can be considered more EDM/pop. This video uses more special effects than any of their previous videos. Having said that, their previous videos were released when Lisa and Jessica were  much younger, this video shows some essence of the duo now being older and more mature.

Close ups of the lead.
In this particular there are many close ups of Lisa and Jessica but at no point can guitarist, bassist and drummer be seen. One can argue this is because The Veronicas are only considered to be Lisa and Jessica, however in their previous music videos, the rest of the band can be seen. Below are two examples. The song 'Everything I'm Not' from their first album called 'The Secret Life Of...' The second song calles '4ever' is from their second album called 'Hook Me Up'. The song '4ever' was also on their first album, the version on their second album has a longer intro and more guitar parts can be heard. Jessica said this was 'show the band as we are now and to make it soundit how it does when we play it live'.

To the left we have stills from the music video for '4ever' showing the band. The first picture shows Vik Foxx, the drummer. The second shows 'Jungle George' the guitarist and the third shows the bassist, Mike Sherman. The final picture shows Jessica playing guitar with the band.

During the filming of this music video the line up of the band was slightly different. The first picture shows 'Jungle George' on guitar, Robbie G on guitar, Jessica on guitar, Vik Foxx on the drums and 'Baby Paulie' on bass. The second shows a solo shot of Vik Foxx. The third shows Lisa, George and Robbie. The last still shows Vik, George, Robbie and Paulie without the Lisa and Jessica. 

In Both of the videos, the main focus is Lisa and Jessica but there are also shots of the rest of the band giving them credit. Record lable's show the well known members of the band in order to sell more copies therefore earning more from revenue. During the time of Lolita, the line up had once again changed, although the line up currently unknown. The last known line up had Sebastian Gregory on Drums, Jungle George on Guitar and Michael Paynter on Bass. The Veronicas signed a 10 year deal with Warner in 2005, however at the end of 2013 they parted ways with Warner due to a major delay on releasing their third album. The last release they had was in 2009. Early 2014 they signed to Sony Music to release their third album which should be due soon. However, the reason for no inclusion of the rest of the band in Lolita is unknown.

Inter-textual references
Within Lolita, there are not many references that would further please the fans. However there is talk of the song referring to the book called 'Lolita' which has moments of sexual control over life.