Compare conventions of different music videos through different decades (1970’s-2010’s)

Sister Sledge “We are Family!” (1979)

Genre: Disco 

Music Video Type: Performance Based

Camerawork 

In the sister sledge music video, "We are Family" it provides basic camera work throughout the wholes video. Even though the camera is mostly stationary in this video, it's placed in many different position in order to vary the shot types.
(screen shot of several positions)
Several times the audience see the camera  using the zoom out technique An example of this is around 3.03; the camera starts to zoom out enabling the audience to see the skyline behind them.

Editing

Basic editing techniques have been used in this video, from the very start of the video we see a flashing effect being used. This is done in time with the music on the beat of the drum.

Sound
Throughout the music video the soundtrack is being played. This is suppose to be diegetic, because the singers are suppose to hear the music, however the music is placed over the video in editing. 

 

Mise en Scene

Costume
The costumes used in this video are very simplistic. They don't change their clothes but each person in the video has the same outfit on but in different colours. In this video it is easy to identify the main protagonist because she is placed in the middle and stood in front of the others.
Dancing
The people in the music video are simultaneously dancing the same moves which connotes that they are family together as one.

 

Michael Jackson 'Thriller '(1983)



Genre:Funk

Music Video Type: Narrative and Perfomance based

CameraWork

In Michael Jackson's thriller music video, it starts off with a 5 minute short film. The camera uses lots of techniques in this bit alone. At the start of the clip you can tell that a crane is used to track the movement of the car driving along the road. (screen shot of the tracking car)

The is alot of tracking movements like when they are walking in the woods. The camera pans upwards to the top half of their body whilst they are walking. Throughout the short film their is many different shots varying from close to long shots. However the camera is mostly stationary in these shots allowing a clear view of what's around. Their is aspects of titled shots ( when Michael is transformed into a werewolf.) When the actual music starts playing, their is a lot of tracking movements

 

Editing 

The Editing in Thriller is more advanced than the editing in 'We are Family!' We see a lot of special effects (especially when Michael is transforming into a werewolf)

Sound

In this music video there is ambient sound unlike in the Sister Sledge's video and so you find variance in the video. You also get scripted speech involved into the music video which conjoins two pieces of media into one. This also supports the narrative side to things.

Mise en Scene

Unlike the Sister Sledge's music video, in Thriller we get different location changes, which helps keeps the music video interesting. There is still the sense of choreograph dance routines as in thriller Michael dances with the zombies and in Sister Sledge they have each other.

Hanson 'MMMBop'(1997)

Camerawork

In the hanson video 'MMMBop' the camerawork has many variations. There is a lot of panning and tracking closeups and more experimental shots. There is alot more combination in this video than in the thriller and sister sledge video. This keeps the audience interested especially as this is a performance based video. It gives the audience more variation. 

Editing

In this video there is alot of editing techniques from green screens to slow motion. There is a use of stop motion at one point when they are playing their instruments. In comparisons to other music videos the green screen used in this video is used a lot. There is even a ascept of black and white, which hits back at the convention of the era. 

Sound

There is just the soundtrack in this music video which is used just like the others. There is no ambient sound in this one though unlike the video in thriller

Mise en Scene

In the music video Hanson visits loads of locations. Unlike in the others their is alot more locations. You see them in a beach, their house, a taxi and using a green screen allows them to visit other locations. Unlike in the other music videos 

 

Beyoncé 'Single Ladies(Put a Ring on it)'(2008)

genre: R&B

Music Type: Performance Based

Camerawork

The camerawork is very basic in this music video as the audience are restricted to the one room. So we see the normal panning and tracking shots but we also see some low angle

Editing

Immediately at the start of the music video you see a piece of editing. There is a blackout which fades out. The editing in this music video is very basic with mostly zoom. We rarely see cuts in the video as most of the shots are long shots; the lighting helps with the transitions.

Sound 

The sound you hear in this music video is the soundtrack of single ladies just like the other videos.

Mise en Scene

The The location in this music video is restricted to a studio which doesn't change. Just like in sister sledge music video the people are wearing the same matching outfits and doing choreography. You see aspects when the background goes from black to white. The protagonist is recognised as she is wearing a glove which shows the audience that she is the protagonist in the video. The lighting is a big contribution to this video enabling the music video to look interesting. Through contrasting from black to white lighting.

 

 

Rizzle Kicks 'Lost Generation'(2013)

genre: alternative Hip Hop

Music Type: Narrative Based

Camerawork

The Camerawork in this music video has been well thought out through the 

Editing

The editing in this video contains a lot of effective editing techniques. At around 00:37 you see the effect of slow motion and fast forward take place. In other videos we didn't see that in effect. You also see the a black and white effect through the lens of a camera. There is a lot of cuts used as transitions, not essential cuts on the beat but they are mainly used to cut to a different location.

Sound 

In this music video you get a sense of diegetic and non-diegetic music through the ambient sound and sound effects. 

Mise en Scene

in this music video you see narrative at the beginning. This music video conveys a message to the audience one that the other music videos didn't do quite as much. You also see intertextual references of other media texts like Big brother, X Factor and Jeremy Kyle and Youtube. You also see many locations in this video, just like the hanson one and so it helps keeps the music video interesting.

Conclusion

Over all by looking at many music videos over the different decades i have concluded that the duration has been increased mainly due to the music video adding short films which extend the duration. I have also noticed many experimental shots in the camerawork and editing which helps bring in a whole original music video which hasn't been seen before; this helps introduce new ideas. What i have also noticed that film directors have been slowly introduce to make music videos. 

I have started to see that a lot of music videos are starting to use a lot more non-diegetic music into their videos. It is also easy to identify the genre of the music through the music video as the genres have produced their own conventions for example, Hip hop is known to have fast cars, women, money and occasionally drug use. 

Back in the day most music videos were performance based, but now narrative based videos are common now.