Exploring music video

In this blog I will be commenting on four music videos. I will look at the genre, representation, narrative, audience and how the video communicates a meaning.
The four videos I have chosen are:


Bob Dylan- Subterranean homesick blues
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nNCmaX2ZCig
The genre of this video is a combination between folk rock and rock and roll. Folk rock combines elements of both folk and rock music. Typical instruments include vocals, electric, acoustic and bass guitars, and drums. However rock and roll is traditionally a combination of blues, country music and jazz. Typical instruments include bass guitar, electric guitar, strings, piano and drums. This means there is some overlap in the two genres meaning that they must complement each other.


This video was originally used as the beginning of a film about Bob Dylan, but then was later used as a music video. The representation of the video is typical England in 1965. The person holding the word cards is dressed in a smart suit which is what would have been worn in those times. The setting is very built up around, and scaffolding shows that the buildings are being further developed. 


The setting doesn't tell the story of the video. However the word cards highlight important elements of the song and help us follow what is going on in the song and does tell us the story.


I don't think this video is made for a particular audience. When it was released in 1965, rock and roll and folk rock were very popular so it would have been suitable to most people. However nowadays, this video would be more suitable for an older person, due to the traditional setting, and the genre of rock and roll/folk rock isn't as popular today.


Beyonce- Single ladies
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FyHVQT8aIBM
The genre of this video is pop/R+B. The pop genre is typically upbeat and had catchy melody's, and this video follows this stereotype. The R+B genre is a contemporary urban style. The choreography of the dance in this video can relate to the genre as its very jumpy and bouncy and fits the upbeat.


The video has been edited into black and white. This gives it a contemporary effect which fits in with the contemporary urban style of the R+B genre. Beyonce and the two dancers are all wearing leotards. This shows off their figure and also fits in with the lyrics of 'single ladies' as they are looking for love so trying to flaunt themselves.


I don't believe this video tells a story. I think the lyrics represent a set of instructions that are aimed at single females, and the dance includes gestures that imitate the lyrics.


The lyrics of the video imply that the audience of song is single ladies. However I think this video is mainly aimed at females, single or not, and typically young females, as this is main target audience of the pop genre. I found this out during my AS task of making a pop music magazine.


Michael Jackson-Thriller
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jQ_ExkfcBao
The genre of this video is dance/funk. Dance music is typically made to accompany dancing. Funk is a genre that Americans created that is a combination of soul, jazz and R+B.


This video follows the genre of dance with its unique and well-known dance routine. The soundtrack is related to the title of 'Thriller' as it includes noises such as howling. The costumes and makeup also look scary which fit in with the title of the song.


I believe that this video tells a story of two people that meet just before midnight, and then at midnight Michael Jackson turns into a werewolf and all the other ghouls come out and they come together to dance.


I don't think this video has a particular audience, however young children could be scared of the costumes. 


Outkast-Hey ya
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7LmWd-v7zrE
The genre of this video is alternative hip hop. Alternative hip hop (also known as alternative rap) is a sub-genre of hip hop music that is defined in greatly varying ways.


This video is represented as a top of the pops style, in a studio, with an audience. The beginning and end of the video blends in with Outkast's other track 'The way you move' so that both clips can be watched in either order. It used instruments as if it was a live performance to an audience.

There is not a particular narrative to the track but when lyrics such as 'shake it like a Polaroid picture' were sang, the girls danced as if they were having their picture taken.