Music videos demonstrate genre characteristics, for example, stage performance and fast cuts in a metal video or a dance routine for a boy/girl band. A great example of a metal video is by a sheffield band, Bring me the Horizon. The video portrays a party scene with the band performing around a mosh. Fast cuts are used to emphasize the speed and intensity of the music.
There is a relationship between lyrics and visuals (either illustrative, amplifying, contradicting). Here is a video for the song Numb by Portishead, the video amplifies the lyrics by relating what is said to what is seen, for example, the line "I'm never so lost, I can't find my way" is complimented with shots of the lead singer wandering through a field, apparently lost. This video also illustrates the lyrics by showing Beth Gibbons (vocalist) singing along to the track.
It is also worth noting that when lyrics illustrate the visuals the video is usually story-based. In my opinion, the best example of a narrative music video that makes heavy use of the lyrics is the song Stan by Eminem.
There is a relationship between music and visuals (either illustrative, amplifying, contradicting). Here is a fan-made video for the song Rue the Whirl by the electronica duo Boards of Canada. This demonstrates how music can amplify the visuals, by timing the clips to change and shudder in time with the music. This involves the audience and doesn't aim to tell a story or show off the band, it just compliments the music for what it is. This is a similar idea to what i was considering for my music video of Pulk/Pull (Revolving Doors) by Radiohead.
I have also included in this post a music video for the electronica duo Autechre. I felt this was needed because this video was programmed specifically to the exact frequency of each sound present in the song and the visuals are representations of that data. It is an interesting concept to think about, being opposed to make a narrative or performance video, they instead take the viewer on a visual tour of their music.
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). A perfect example of the record label requiring lots of close-ups on the artist is with La Roux. The video below was released when she was trying to promote herself into the mainstream, so it makes sense to give the viewers a good look at the singer so that they can familiarize themselves with her. Also her hairstyle has become a visual motif that makes her instantly recognizable, even to someone like me who does not claim to be a fan of her music.
These videos show various key features and conventions commonly in music videos, having an understanding of these features enables me to create a convincng music video for our particular genre and gives me insight into others in order to incorporate different styles and techniques into my work and therefore increasing my target audience and showing i have the ability to create something original within the context of the genre.
