Rock – AC/DC ‘Back in Black’

‘Black in Black’ is a song by AC/DC, for their 1980 album of the same name.

This is a good example of a rock music video and contains many of the genre conventions seen in many other rock music videos. This includes the band performing their song on stage, with their instruments, which are the only props in the video, they include, the guitars, the drums and the microphones. By having the band perform on stage in the video, it allows the audience and fan to experience and understand what it would be like to see them perform live at a concert and it could help adverse and sell concert tour tickets, as the audience know what to expect. Therefore this video is a performance based music video and doesn’t involve a narrative. Other genre conventions of a rock video, which are evident in this includes  include the use of dark deep colours and no use of advanced special effects.

The Mise-en-scène of the production, includes quite dark lighting, as it only uses artificial stage lightening, spotlighting on the band on stage. The different strobe and colours change to the rhythm and beat of the music. Each band has their own individual costumes, which is unique to each  members image and together helps to establish to overall image of the band.

The technique codes of the music video links with the rock genre conventions, by using the hand held technique and having close ups of each member of the band, focusing closely of their faces while also showing them perfuming their instruments. Many low angles are used in the music video, showing the band from below like it is through the concert audiences vision, which links with promoting the band live events as the video is evidence of the experience that they will encounter.

Dance – Fedde Le Grand ‘Put Your Hands Up For Detroit’

This electronic dance video is produced by Dutch DJ Fedde Le Grand at was released on 26th June 2006.

This is an electronic upbeat music video. The narrative of the video features a Kubrick-type of science lab where gynoid technicians create multiple androids.

The video includes many genre conventions such as woman dancers half naked, in this video they are all wearing sexy doctors lab coats that are too small, showing to underneath pink bright undergarments, and later on in the video one go the androids take off the coat and give the android a lap dance. Other conventions include dance routines and bright lightening and colours.

The mis en sene of the music video link with the narrative and includes electronic props such as computers and a hospital location with hospital equipment and furniture. All the women in the video have the same doctors costumes and undergarments, which are bright pink allowing them to stand out, and all the makeup in the same to give the illusion that they are identical androids.

There are many low angle shots in the video to capture and focus on the undergarments of the women of the video. The whole music video features around the music’s electronic theme and sound. The lyrics are really represented within the music video but, the way the androids move and the dance routines are all to the beat of the music, and the editing jump cut are done performed to the beats and rhythm of the music.

R’n’B/Rap – Snoop Dogg ‘Drop It Like It’s Hot’

This video features Snoop Dogg perfoming ‘Drop It Like It’s Hot’ with Pharrell.

The music video is a performance R’n’B video, and contains many genre conventions by including props like spray paint, expensive cars, boats and alcohol. The video also contains conventional clothing with the artist wearing baggy cloths, trainers, caps and various jewellery such as rings, necklaces, earrings and diamond belts. The video also included women wearing revealing clothing dancing to the music.

The video was shot in monochrome and is very simplistic, unlike pop videos, rap video tend to just contain the artist performing the song and focus less on a narrative. The video has many close up shots focused closely into the artists, which is sometimes used to see the artist holding something or to view the jewellery such as the rings on his hands, it also has many low angles shots, this makes it able to see the artist’s whole outfit and gives the impression of the artist being more powerful or dominant.

The lyrics matched the visuals on screen, as the video was performance based therefore the artist was mining along with lyrics. The visuals also linked with the music as all the characters on screen were dancing to the rhythm and the beat of the music. At the beginning of the video Snoop Dogg sprays some spray paint on the wall at the same as the music, which had a similar noise, also throughout the music has a clicking sound and the characters in the video moved their mouth in a certain way that created the illusion that they were making the sound on screen. The video has jump cuts edits, which is also done to the beat and the rhythm of the song.

Pop – Madonna ‘Music’

The music video for Madonna’s 2000 record ‘Music’ features the artist with a bunch of friends having a party in a limousine and visiting different clubs.

This is an example of a narrative and performance pop music video, therefore it has genre conventions such as, bright lightening and colourful and the video included people dancing and parting. It also had many woman and models wearing minimal clothing, which helps to attract the young audience.

Madonna stares in this music video as the lead in a group of girls that go out partying. Being the lead in the video helps the audience to connect the artist to the music and will help the video and the song become more successful, it also connects with Madonna’s dominate, strong persona. This video also links with the fact that Madonna is seen as a sex icon all around the world, this showcases that by having the artists, parting and visiting strip clubs, this is showcased right from the beginning of the music video when the character of Ali G started that Madonna’s ‘Babylon’s look less big than they do on the telly, but i’d still defiantly would.’

Ali G stares at a cameo character in the music video. Played by Sacha Baron Cohen Ali G is a satirical fictional character, who has appeared on his own chat show in Britain. He features as Madonna’s limo driver in the video. By having Ali G in the music video it attracts many young British fans that wouldn’t normally associate with the artist, will we help make the video and the record successful. Furthermore it’s mutual beneficial as the actor and his characters at the time were not well known around the world and this music video would have gain some global fans.

The lyrics explaining the effects that music can have of people, links with the visuals on screen as the artist sings along to the lyrics throughout the video, it also links with the narrative and the visuals of Madonna and friends partying and dancing to music. The music itself links with the visuals, a good example of this is at the beginning of the music video, and the music starts when the Ali G character has out the tape into the car and pressed play.

Codes and Conventions

Codes and conventions of a music video are different techniques used to make the video. Theses techniques can be divided into, Technical codes which includes the used of different camera angles and editing. Audio codes, which can be split into diegetic and non-diegtic.  Visual codes, which includes costumes and makeup and different locations.

Genre conventions, which are different technical codes needed to fit the genre of true music video. For example a pop music video will be bright and colourful and will try and appeal to the young demographic. An R’n’B music video may have party scenes with alcohol and usually have young woman dressed in revealing clothing.