Narrative Structure Notes

What is a music video?

A film clip which is produced to go with a song

Most music videos are made under the pop/rock genre
They ae made as short promotional films. This is so CDs can be sold and the songs will be downloaded.
Most music videos are 3 to 5 minutes long. This can come with exceptions such as Michael Jacksons song Thriller.
Music videos do not follow a simple narrative structure. Instead, they tend to mirror the structure of the music. To do this, they have to
rely on rhythm, pace and lyrical imagery.
The video can belong to either a narrative or non-narrative genre. Most are non-narrative.

Most rock videos do not aspire to tell stories with beginnings, middles and ends, but instead imparts meaning through visual collage. What makes a
video memorable is not what happens but what it looks like. No attempt is made to convey a reality. Instead, videos are liberated into a timeless
dream world.

Douglas Rushkoff, Media Analyst

It can be seen that music videos are purely a form of advertising, for both the artist and the record label.
For the artist and the record label, music videos can be seen as short films. This idea is heavily thought of through the indie music genre.
In America, it has found that 60% of pop CD sales came as a result from initially viewing its music video.

- Music videos are aimed at people aged 14 and 34 because this is the biggest age range for CD sales.

Types of Music Videos

The music industry divides clips into two main types conceptual and performance

Conceptual Clips

Based on a central theme

They have a plot and tell a story but sometimes are made up of mixed up images that work in relation to the music
Further divided into two types

Narrative music videos a simple or complex narrative can turn music videos into short film. Simple narrative
videos provide a basic situation for a fantasy, but form into mixed up imagery in between. Complex narrative
videos shown genre divisions. Complex narrative video clips move the song towards the ballad.

Non-narrative music videos Music and videos are combined to create an emotional effect. Hundreds of clips
are put into a three minute video to resemble the structure of dreams. They follow an unstructured, loose theme
rather than a story.

Performance Clips

Concentrate on stage appearance of the musician.

Looks old fashioned to modern audiences as this approach was commonly used in the 1960s and 1970s.
Used as an anti-commercial statement.
Always in the clip often looking directly into the camera direct appeal to the imagined audience and follows
the conventions of musical performance on stage.

Features of Music Videos

They use poetic imagery, high number of symbolic images and they have rapid shot changes.

Poetic images

Used to build ideas and emotion into the minds of the audience.
Grabs and holds attention to the artist.
This is why bizarre and shocking images are normally used.

Symbolic images

Use of images that are easily understood

Highly symbolic images
Many shots are used within the video and none of them can be allowed to confuse the audience.
g. references to well-known art or movies
Music videos rely on the flashes of understanding to keep up on the rate of ideas per minute

Rapid shot changes

To keep interest, rapid fire shot changes are used

These shots are often cut to the beat of the music

Increased shot speed corresponds to an increase in the amount of visual information the audience receives.

How the Video Works With the Music

Andrew Goodwin believes there are three ways that music can be visualized within a music video:

Illustration The imagery tells the story of the lyrics

Amplification The video is amplifying if it adds new layers of meaning to the music or the lyrics.

o Disjuncture A video can stand in contrast to the music and lyrics, and disjointed feeling this makes adds extra meaning

Audience

Young people watch music videos up to 70% more intently than ordinary television programs.
Music videos are really popular within young audiences, showing that their entertainment value comes first.

Giving youth an identity

Studies have highlighted how young people often use music videos in developing their own personalities. This means
that they look at the artist in the music video as a role model.
Music videos can work as a way of self-expression for young people and help them create their own little world
The taste and type of music allows entry into peer groups
Music can also express separateness from school or reality. This is thought to be a common use for music.
It gives the impression of communicating on a one-to-one basis. The message of the song can become very personal for
the viewer.
Allows young people to feel an alternative way of feeling knowledgeable and successful.

Commercials have always sold the sizzle, not the steak that is, depended on atmosphere. Usually, however, they have promised consumers that the
produce will permit an experience or enhance it. But music videos are themselves primary experiences. Music videos give the product a new location
on the consumers landscape, not as messengers of a potential purchase or experience but as an experience on themselves, a part of living. For young
people struggling to find a place in communities dotted with shopping malls but with few community centers, in an economy whose major product is
information, music videos play to the search for identity and an improved community

Pat Aufdeheide, American University,

Washington DC

Representations and Discourses

Representations

Natural landscape images are extreme hot, red deserts, stormy oceans. Colours and mood are important.
Male images represent extreme examples of traditional sex roles.
Female images restricted to goddess, temptress or whores.
Androgyny unisex image is promoted.
Authority figures portrayed as party poopers/cruel opposition
Nostalgia normally back to the history of rock music (the good old days)
Hollywood fairytale storylines

Discourses

Consumerism the purchase of the song will improve the viewers life.
Gender aimed at young people. Often the only role of the women is to support the hyper masculinity image of the male
characters.

o Sex and violence a short cut to attention grabbing in videos use sex or violence or both.

Music Video Analysis

Aerosmith Janies Got A Gun

The music video for this song was made to promote the artists view on child abuse, thus meaning that the artist had created a positive image for
himself. This idea is backed up by the fact that proceeds from this music video were given to a charity which helps children in similar situations. This
is a song about a young girl who shoots her father because he sexually abuses her. This music video starts off with a close up shot of police tape. It
then follows with a shot of Aerosmith on stage beginning to sing the song. In this opening clip, there are many close up shots of the band and Steven

Tyler singing/playing the song. By doing this, the producer can promote the artist, especially if he seems moved by the lyrics. We are then shown
clips of a daughter in her bikini sunbathing and, as the camera pans, her father is revealed. This scene seems idealistic, due to the bright colours used
within the mise-en-scene. The family looks quite wealthy and through this, we can see that through the use of the white clothing against the bright
green, obviously well kept, grass. The following shots switch from the father looking at his daughter and him sitting in a dark room, deep in thought
as well as shots of a disapproving mother, who seems to be jealous. The fact that the colours in the background are mainly dull, gives the idea that the
family isnt actually focused on an ideology, but instead it is hiding a dark twisted secret. The use of the video flicking between Aerosmith and the
crime scenes, which are both formed of dark clothing and dull lighting, shows that something terrible has happened, although at this point, the
audience is convinced into thinking that the father is the antagonist. Also, the use of mid and long shots when showing the characters help the
audience to establish the main idea of the plot by revealing the distinction of the characters. This idea is continued by the fact that the murder victim
is not revealed, showing only a photo of Janie. The use of the harsh lyrics along with the melody behind it relates the narrative to the song to help it
flow. This then adds to the drama of the video. The use of dramatic irony in the name of the song, Janies Got a Gun, allows us to view her as an
antagonist, although this idea is erased soon after, yet what the audience does not know is which character has died. The cuts on this video begin to
get faster to follow the pace of the music. This then leads to shots of a young girl running away, as well as shots at the crime scene. It is not until the
end of the video when it is revealed that it was Janie who killed her father. The use of the gun prop allows us to understand how the victim died
before revealing who the killer was, as well as showing the murder through shadows. It is not until a reversed tracking shot of the direction of the
bullet is used to reveal the father lying dead on the floor. This music video is used to help other children who are going through similar problems. The
fact that we can see Steven Tyler getting angry during this music video depicts him as being a good person for fighting against such a horrid crime.
Eminem Not Afraid
Eminem is a well-known rap artist. He is well known for trying to break stereotypes and conventions within his music videos. Not Afraid is known
as one of the best music videos that contains a narrative structure. He creates this narrative structure to try to make his videos different from other rap
artists to portray a much cleaner image. He does this by breaking the idea that the genre must contain some sort of sexual reference, nudity or
violence. Eminem does the complete opposite to this. This is because his music is usually about the troubles he has had to go through, his lifes
problems, or how much he is enjoying life at the current moment. Even though there is no directly flowing narrative story line in his video, he tries to
portray a metaphorical representation of the lyrics, e.g. at the beginning he is standing on top of a high rise building, right at the edge. A fear of
heights is a common fear, so the fact that he is there emphasizes the title Not Afraid. He also does this by including clips of himself facing the
worlds problems to give the audience an idea of what he has gone through in his life, to make the audience feel a sense of pity for him. Because of
this, he leaves the narrative side of the music video slightly open to allow the audience to add their own interpretation of the song. This entire music
video proves the point that Eminems main aim in this particular music video is try and break the stereotypes, conventions and representations faced
up by the other usual rappers. Right from the beginning of the music video, the audience is made aware that the song falls under the rap genre. This
idea is created through the camera work. For instance, the beginning starts with the artist making eye contact with the camera as it begins to create a
tracking shot. This may connote to many different suggestions for example, this may be slightly be ironic, as Eminem is shown standing on a
building. By looking directly into the camera, the audience feels as if the artist is directly talking to them and, by listening to the lyrics, the idea that
he is offering his support and telling the audience that they shouldnt be afraid of doing what they want to do. This promotes the artist to be powerful,
as it shows us that he is talking to the audience as if he has the control, and also shows a more personal relationship between the rapper and his fans.
His dress code abides by the typical conventions of a rap music video. He does this to identify himself as someone within the rap industry, even
though the industry contains predominantly black males, as well as the fact that his music video breaks the general conventions. Also, the fact that
Eminem is seen wearing a vest top in some of the scenes in the music video is done to also show another convention shown in typical rap videos.
Because he is wearing a vest top, his tattoos on his arms are clearly shown, and this gives him an intimidating and scary portrayal, an image that is
shared quite often by other rappers in other rap music videos. The camera and editing techniques of this video also help to portray a narrative. To
begin with, the establishing shot is used to show New York, which allows the audience to know where he is. This is then followed by the fact that he
is standing at the top of one of the tallest buildings in the city, connoting the idea of power and dominance, due to the fact that he is seen to be looking
down at the world. This is mirrored by his position within the industry. There is also a close-up of Eminems shoes shown as he is standing tall on the
building. This adds extra tension and adds to the atmosphere, as his shoes are shown right next to the edge, and because of this, the audience will be
excited and scared at the same time. This again emphasis the point and the title of the song not afraid and this may also suggest to the fans and
listeners that he lives life on the edge, and because of this, he lives every day like it is going to be the last.
Aha Take On Me

The beginning of this music video shows still images of drawings which, sometimes, turn into stop-motion images. We can see that these images are
in the newspaper that a woman is reading in a caf. This sets a foundation for the narrative of the music video. The following close up of the drawing
of the man in the newspaper allows the audience to understand that he is the main focus of the music video, otherwise known as the artist. This
immediately creates a link between the real-life and the cartoon world. The man in the drawing then begins to communicate with the woman. To do
so, stop-motion images are used to make him wink. This is then followed by him offering his hand to her to bring her into the carton world. When a
window is found within the carton world that allows the characters to be turned into humans, the 180 degree panning shot is used to promote what the
artist really looks like. The idea behind this music video suggests that the audience can be brought into a dream world by listening to his music, thus
portraying him to be someone special. This idea is used to keep the link between the two worlds, thus making the audience feel connected to the
piece. The video itself has no obvious link to the song, but the effect of the video have shown to have left a very memorable trace. The use of CGI
also helped to create such an impressive name for the video. The video then follows by the police chasing the man and woman through the cartoon
world until, eventually, the man helps her escape. Following on from this, we then see a shot of the woman standing dazed by the bin where the
waitress threw the newspaper. Eventually, after trying to find out the fate of the man, she finds him alive in cartoon form in her bedroom. This then
follows by him changing between cartoon form and human form. By doing so, the producer is able to create a gentlemanly image of the artist, by
showing that he returned to his love.