Music video conventions

Music Video Conventions - 'November Rain' by Guns 'n' Roses

In the music video for the song November Rain by Guns 'n' Roses, the stereotypical conventions of the music genre, and music videos are largely met.

Performance

The main convention of rock music videos is the performance from the artist. In this music video, there are several performances by the band, as well as several individual shots of the band member, guitarist Slash. This is a convention of rock music as this genre is seen as more of a band related genre, therefore a performance in the video is necessary to see the variation of physical instruments used in the production of the song, and the skill needed to play said instruments.

Narrative

The conventional narrative of the rock genre as a whole usually revolves around the lyrics of the text. In this case, the lyrics relate to the video significantly. The lyrics 'Because nothing lasts forever, and we both know hearts can change' are met with the showcase of an expensive wedding, and as the bride enters the car after the ceremony, she has a look on her face as if to say she is not fully committed to the marriage. 

Mise-en-scene
The mise-en scene in this text meets the conventions of a rock video largely. The stereotypical codes and conventions of mise-en scene in rock music videos includes performance based settings such as stages or shows, as well as dark and 'rock & roll' clothing types. This is showcased in this piece, particularly where the guitarist, Slash, is performing a guitar solo (pictured above). This clothing choice is seen as different, original and somewhat rebellious. This is where the equilibrium of music videos and the genre lies, as the artists are showcasing these clothing choices in the video text here.

Summary
To summarise, this music video for November Rain by Guns 'n' Roses meets the stereotypical codes and conventions of rock music videos in terms of narrative, performance aspects as well as mise-en scene and props. This is common throughout rock music videos, and due to Guns 'n' Roses large and popular status as being seen as rock legends, this is likely to be the case for the majority of their videos.

Our genre for our music video is Indie Pop. The generic conventions in this sort of music video are difficult to settle on because of the mix of genres. Pop music usually features a lot performance shots which show the star to the audience. Our video will feature a lot of lip syncing clips which will deter from the narrative of our music video partially. The narrative will also be quite confusing, which is  convention for indie videos. Videos from SBTRKT himself, our artist, are very ambiguous and confusing, relating to the genre. The indie genre also has conventions of meaningful narratives. There could be a deeper meaning to a simple concept in an indie video which might be one of the conventions which is relevant to our video. We want to do this because a simple music video is of no interest to audiences, a good video makes an audience want to watch it again to fully understand the concept.

By Rhys Willett and Jack Jolly 

Music Video Target Audiences Questionnaire - Results and Analysis

1. What is your favourite music video and on what platform (TV, YouTube etc) did you first see it?

Responder 1: Still D.R.E by Dr Dre, YouTube
Responder 2: Renegade by Jay-Z and Eminem, TV
Responder 3: Dancing Queen by ABBA, TV
Responder 4: Blind Faith by Chase & Status, YouTube
Responder 5: When The Sun Goes Down by Arctic Monkeys, TV
Responder 6: Smells Like Teen Spirit by Nirvana, TV
Responder 7: Kyoto by Yung Lean, YouTube
Responder 8: N***as in Paris by Jay-Z and Kanye West, YouTube
Responder 9: Don't Kill My Vibe by Kendrick Lamar, YouTube
Responder 10: Kids by MGMT, TV

2. When watching a music video, which of these things are you most interested in seeing?

3. What is your opinion on music videos which contain a lot of lip syncing, either by the artist or by an actor?

Responder 1: I like them, although sometimes it can be overdone
Responder 2: Find it cringey, especially when they are staring at the camera
Responder 3: I think it's fine, because it adds more meaning to the song
Responder 4: It is usually alright although it depends on the artist
Responder 5: I like seeing the artist lip syncing, it is a bit off-putting seeing an actor doing it though
Responder 6: I'm not entirely sure
Responder 7: It's alright
Responder 8: Can be good if it's done properly
Responder 9: It helps me to engage further with the artist
Responder 10: I think it's horrible and it doesn't look right

4. Do you prefer music videos which are highly produced or videos which have lots of verisimilitude, as if they have been self produced? A: Highly produced B: Self produced

5. Are you likely to respond to product placement or advertisement within a music video? A: Yes, I will always respond to it B: Only if it is a product I already know of C: I usually ignore product placement within music videos

6. Which of these platforms do you watch music videos on the most? A: Dedicated TV channel (ie MTV music, Kerrang), B: YouTube/Vevo/Vimeo C: Non-dedicated TV channel

7. How often will you purchase music by an artist after being impressed by their music video? A: Never/very rarely B: Occasionally, although usually if I have heard other work by the artist as well C: Very often, as the aesthetic shown within a music video is often enough to make me like/dislike their music

8. Do you prefer music videos which show the artist as a star or as an ordinary person?

Responder 1: Ordinary person
Responder 2: Ordinary person
Responder 3: Star
Responder 4: Ordinary person
Responder 5: Star
Responder 6: Star
Responder 7: Neither, I prefer videos which don't contain the artist much
Responder 8: Ordinary person
Responder 9: Star
Responder 10: Ordinary person

9. Have you ever experienced an interactive music video, and if so, what was your opinion of it? 

Responder 1: I have seen the video for Carry Me by Bombay Bicycle Club, it's a really good idea although is difficult to watch/play if you don't have fast internet
Responder 2: Never experienced one
Responder 3: Not sure I've ever seen one, if I have I didn't realise
Responder 4: I'm sure I've seen a couple, I wasn't a huge fan because you have to basically create the content for yourself
Responder 5: I've seen the video for Manipulator by Ty Segall and I'm pretty sure that was interactive, it's a good concept but seems difficult to do
Responder 6: Never watched one
Responder 7: Don't think I've ever seen one
Responder 8: I hated the one I've seen because I prefer to sit back and watch stuff
Responder 9: Never seen one
Responder 10: No idea what one even is!

10. Are you likely to watch music videos by the same artist one after another?

Responder 1: Yes, especially as YouTube keeps suggesting them
Responder 2: No, I'm more likely to watch a single video, and then watch one by another similar artist depending on the mood I'm in
Responder 3: Yeah I will watch 5 or 6 in a row!
Responder 4: Most of the time, depends how much I like the artist
Responder 5: Nope, I usually only watch one video before doing something else
Responder 6: If there are videos which follow on from one another, then I am likely to watch them together but not usually otherwise
Responder 7: I will if I've got nothing better to do, but the same artist starts to bore me after a while!
Responder 8: I am likely too, although this is dependent on time
Responder 9: Only if the artist is one of my favourites
Responder 10: No, I am unlikely too

Analysis

Question 1: Equal numbers of people responded about whether they saw their favourite music video on YouTube or TV, which is surprising, as it would be expected that somebodies favourite music video is one of the first ones they saw. As YouTube has only be active for music videos since late 2008, it is surprising that most people have discovered their favourite music videos so recently.

Question 2: The response to this one wasn't surprising, as shots of the artist are what most people look for in a video, as otherwise it is likely that they would just listen to the song instead.

Question 3: The general consensus in the answers for this one is that lip syncing is alright in short bursts, but an entirely lip-synced video can become overbearing. This is good information to know for when we produce our video as it will stop us from relying on lip syncing to "fit up time".

Question 4: This one was surprising, as highly produced videos are much more popular with a mainstream audience than self produced videos are.

Question 5: This is surprising as 60% of people say that they respond to product placement in some way, as I assumed that almost everybody else just completely ignored it, as I do. This means that if we were making this music video professionally and needed sponsorship for it, perhaps product placement would be an effective way of generating funds.

Question 6: This one was hardly surprising, with Youtube's Vevo platform being the place where almost all record companies upload their artists videos too.

Question 7: I would have assumed there would have been a bigger trend for people to purchase music from the artist after seeing a video, in order to continue their liking of that artist. However, most people answered saying that they only do it occasionally.

Question 8: Personally I prefer videos which don't show the artist as a star, as I think they are more impressive when it is clear the artist can step out of their star persona. This is probably how we will design our video to be.

Question 9: Having only seen a couple of interactive videos myself I wasn't expecting many responders to have seen one, which they hadn't done. In addition to this, it would be extremely difficult to incorporate an interactive element into our video because it will require advanced knowledge of software such as Flash or Sony Vegas.

Question 10: I wasn't sure what the response would be to this one, although it seems that most people are happy to watch a few videos by an artist. This means that it is important that our video fits together stylistically with other videos by the same artist, as it is likely to deter people from watching it if it has a completely different stylistic idea to the artists other videos.

I believe that conducting this research into our potential target audience is going to prove hugely helpful, as it gives us first-hand information about aspects which we should (and shouldn't) incorporate into our own video. For example, question five has taught me about the pros and cons of including product placement within our video. If we were making the video properly, then it is likely that we would include some element of product placement, as it would give us a larger budget to work with. In addition to this, the research will help me in my own production because it will guide the elements we incorporate into the video. An example of this is question 8, as we have decided to present our artist as being an 'ordinary' person rather than as a star, as this will increase the verisimilitude which is necessary in order for the video to have its desired effect on the audience.

By George Martin

Music Video Target Audiences Questionnaire

Below are some questions which I have conceived in order to discover who music videos are typically aimed at. This will be very helpful when it comes to constructing the music video which we will be making later in the year, as not only will it help to narrow our target audience but will also show us what the feature(s) people enjoy the most in a music video is. I plan on 

1. What is your favorite music video, why is it your favorite, and on what platform (TV, YouTube etc) did you first see it?
2. When watching a music video, which of these things are you most interested in seeing? A: Narrative B: Style C: Shots of the artist outside of the norm (i.e. doing day to day activities) D: Performance shots
3. What is your opinion on music videos which contain a lot of lip syncing, either by the artist or by an actor?
4. Do you prefer music videos which are highly produced or videos which have lots of verisimilitude, as if they have been self produced? 
5. Are you likely to respond to product placement or advertisement within a music video? A: Yes, I will always respond to it B: Only if it is a product I already know of C: I usually ignore product placement within music videos
6. Which of these platforms do you watch music videos on the most? A: Dedicated TV channel (ie MTV music, Kerrang), B: YouTube/Vevo/Vimeo C: Non-dedicated TV channel
7. How often will you purchase music by an artist after being impressed by their music video? A: Never/very rarely B: Occasionally, although usually if I have heard other work by the artist as well C: Very often, as the aesthetic shown within a music video is often enough to make me like/dislike their music
8. Do you prefer music videos which show the artist as a star or as an ordinary person?
9. Have you ever experienced an interactive music video, and if so, what was your opinion of it? 
10. Are you likely to watch music videos by the same artist one after another?

By George Martin

Comparison of Music Videos Findings

The key conventions that can be seen in music videos can be identified to establish genre to audience members. This also shows artist as well as genre because some artists have certain iconography or themes which run throughout their music videos.

For example, Guns n Roses are accustom to using musical instruments in their videos, especially guitars.

 

 

However, some artists use music videos to convey serious messages of society and the issues within society to audiences. Both Beyoncé and Lady Gaga have videos which express both female empowerment and equality whilst Lady Gaga uses her videos to sound her views on how harsh press and publications can affect herself, and other people on weight and body image. 

 

Boy band videos are more likely to be light-hearted when it comes to Pop music. They usually sing about a girl which is of interest to them.



There may be shots used of the girl or girls which are being sung about but generally the music video will consist of the band singing in harmony, lip syncing the song together.

 

It is important to establish not only key conventions, but conventions associated with a particular artist, to create a video that is believable to watch. Our video is for SBTRKT, the usual videos are quite ambiguous and artistic but at the same time usually develop upon the realism seen in them to create a relatable piece. The issues raised in his videos are usually hyperbolic of social situations which are being addressed. Conventions for a video like this would be darkness, so the lightening as to be thought about carefully as well as the vague sense of dissolution.

 

By Jack Jolly

INFORMATION

Jack Jolly 8203
Rhys Willett 8294
Calum Tween 8282
George Martin 8220