Simon Frith’s music video concepts

There are three types of music video • Narrative • Conceptive• Performance

Narrative music videos • Narrative videos usually tell a story and generally involve the music artist or group in a scenario related to the lyrics of the

song. A theorist Todorov says a narrative has 5 structures

-> Equilibrium,

-> Disequilibrium,

-> Recognition,

-> Reparation,

-> New Equilibrium

Conceptual music videos• Conceptual videos create a mood or atmosphere similar to the song however they don’t tell a story as the narrative

structure follows.

An example of a conceptual music video is: Are we ready by Two Door Cinema Club.

The music video shows us all three members of the band seeming to almost be selling a products as old advertisements. It shows one of the band members losing the ability to connect with the advertisement world and sees it’s built on lies as the product would be shown by the other band members but then would be truly shown to the other band member. The use of costume is simple with black shirts and suits of a different colour for each band member which ties in with he old advertisement theme and to differentiate the difference between band members. The camera work is focused on having lots of mid shots and close ups of the band members and the products and the camera is even shown from the perspective of the products e.g. shown from the inside the fridge then cuts to looking what’s inside the fridge. The use of this is to make the audience aware to the little details of what the band member is representing and trying to say with the use of props, all of the props name’s are actually the songs lyrics that could possibly relate to the prop. The video doesn’t necessarily have a storyline but it does show aspects of it all fitting together. It Doesn’t have any of the band members playing instruments etc. and has some brief lip-syncing.

Performance music video • : A Performance based music video shows the artist or band performing. Although the artist or

band doesn't have to move and dance, if they are singing, or playing their instrument, than the music video is Performance based

• An example of this type of music video is SUN by Two door cinema club The music video shows the band at an almost seeming deserted beach resort with it only showing the band members lip-syncing to the song. Then slowly the video shows other people appearing from opaque sheets that blended into the background of the location while band is performing amongst them walking and dancing around the band. The people appear on and off screen as they disappear beneath the opaque sheets whilst people like dancers stay on for a majority along with the band. The use of costume is casual which shows that there isn’t a specific event etc. eccentric costume- that’s it’s just a simple/relaxed concept. The use of editing shows that during the verses the camerawork ad action is slowed but as soon as it gets to the chorus where everyone appearing again then the editing picks up in pace.