Research.

To fully grasp a good understanding of what it would for me to plan and create a music video of high quality and identify the demographic, I must firstly briefly do some research into the genre of the music that I am going to do my music video to. However as this is as yet undecided, I will do some basic research into the two most popular music genres around at the moment, these are the R’n’B genre and the Rock genre. I will also take into consider that there are many sub-genres within these genres although this particular research is just to get a broad understanding of music video’s in general and furthermore help me to decide the chosen genre that I will plan and create my music video to. In doing this brief research I hope to identify and understand some basic characteristics, conventions and stereotypes that will help me when planning to create the music video from that particular music genre.

I have therefore decided to look at 6 random music videos from both genres and come to an over all conclusion and begin my main research. Here are the 6 R’n’B music videos researched from an internet video sharing site:

6 R’n’B Music Videos

1. 50 Cent – Candy Shop:
This music video starts off attempting to showcase the lifestyle and iconography of the artist ’50 Cent’ it does this by showing flash cars and a mansion . Once in side the mansion we see a lot of voyeurism on girls dancing in a very sexual way which is a reflection of the lyrics of the song. The switch between performance and narrative in the video is intertwined between the artist and dancing girls around him. The music video has been censored to the extent where offensive language is ‘cut out’. Shots are close and are quick correlating to the beat of the music. The video ends with a twist with the artist waking up outside a fast food drive through giving the video that that’s what men dream about ‘living the dream’ ect. Playing on male stereotypes.

2. Kanye West – Stronger:
The use of CGI and chromakey/green screen is very dominant in this music video it gives the mood of a futuristic world which is the theme throughout. There are neo lights used in almost every scene, and a road montage of a motorbike with blurred lights, again with the theme of going forward – future. There are VT cuts of political propaganda ect which shows intertextual references to Japanese lifestyles. And therefore gives the underlining theme of politics. Again there are dancing girls but the performance and narrative are more separate. Towards the end the word ‘Never’ is shown on screen in neon lights.

3. Eminem – Like Toy Soldiers:
Starts of with the use of children looking at a picture book, children are seen as ‘pure’ and therefore shows the theme of the video as redemption/forgiveness which correlates to the lyrics. CGI is used in the editing between shots which are fast and frequent when on the narrative side of the video. Whereas the performance is separate with the artist ‘Eminem’ projecting his persona. There is a use of newspaper articles to flow into different scenes showing the importance and use of media in today’s world. There is also a scene of guns being used, which is censored so you don’t see the gun.

4. The Streets – Blinded By The Lights:
The main theme in this song is the portrayal of drugs and its uses and effects and therefore is heavily censored. Camera shots change from close ups and P.O.V (point of view) and as the video goes on they become shaky and off focus. There is also use of voyeurism and use o mobile phones which is use of using advertisement.

5. Justin Timberlake – What Goes Around:
This video is very ‘cinematic’ and uses an ‘inner’ narrative over the audio of the music track. However it to has some performance with the artist using a 50’s microphone giving a very old and theatrical theme to it. The narrative correlates to the lyrics ‘what goes around’ showing the story of a cheating girlfriend and her accidental death. Camera shots are mixed from close ups, medium and tracking, along with slow edits it retains it theatrical mood. There is use of CGI found in the car chase scene between the artist and the cheating girlfriend. Here the beat of the music changes and therefore the mood, to a more slower and disturbing pace giving an eerie end to the video.

6. Dr.Dre – Forgot About Dre:
Here we see a collaboration between artists Dr. Dre and Eminem. The visuals correlate with the lyrics and we see Dr. Dre portraying his persona as an R’n’B artist ‘bragging’ about his awards. We also see intertextuality through the use of news reports and another artist ‘Will Smith’ used for comedic values. CGI is also used in the form of flames surrounding the 2 artists again correlating to the lyrics of the song.



6 Rock Music Videos

To complete my brief research I shall now look at 6 random Rock music videos from an internet video sharing site these are:

The Exies – My Goddess:
1. This video is almost completely performance based; it also makes use of CGI to surround the band in what appears to be a motorway with cars driving past them. Camera shots include close ups, medium shots and occasional long shots. The music gives an upbeat and almost ‘euphoric’ mood which is portrayed in the visuals of the video.

Snow Patrol – Open Your Eyes:
2. This music video is completely narrative, it follows someone’s journey in a car, driving around and ultimately concluding when arriving at its destination. The camera shots used are P.O.V, which is used throughout on the car, and tracking, following the car around until it stops. There is no relation to the visuals and lyrics which, with the camera shots gives it a very simplistic feel but proves to be very effective as a music video.

3. Coldplay – The Scientist:
This is a very impressive music video and defiantly took a long time to complete. It uses a very unique cinematic technique showing the whole video in reverse, but with the lead singer of the band singing the lyrics forward. There is use of CGI in the shot of the car’s windshield being broken in reverse. Camera shots vary from long to panning and tracking but are predominately close ups focusing on the singing/performance of the lead singer. This therefore means that this style of music video would be very unrealistic to think about.

4. Wheatus – A Little Respect: This music video uses comedic elements in its video, which correlates to the beat and mood that the music gives. It is both performance and narrative, following the story of a troublesome relationship where the guy is ‘in the wrong place at the wrong time’ and that’s where the comedic elements come in to play. There is use of voyeurism where it shows back stage of the bands performance. The colours used are very bright and colourful again correlating to the ‘feel good’ mood of the song.

5. Feeder – Shatter: There is a high amount of CGI usage throughout the entire music video, from stunts to bat like creatures in a dark and lightning filled sky it gives the music video a more darker and apocalyptic feel to it. This furthermore shows how most rock videos do and can show the darker side of emotions with reinforces its genres stereotype

6. Devil Driver - End Of The Line: with this music video, the narrative lies within the performance. The whole entire video shows a ‘band dairy’ of various different live shows and their journey to and from them. It is a good video with various shots including P.O.V, close up, medium and landscape. There isn’t much correlation between lyrics and visuals although the video gives a clear insight into the rock genres lifestyles.


After looking into both the R’n’B and rock genres of music I have found that in some cases they can be similar in cases of love and passion. However, that’s how far the similarities go; often both of these genres use intertextuality and disregard the other genres lifestyle.

I believe that it would be best for me to choose to make a music video using a song from the rock genre. This is because I generally know more about it, and I would feel more comfortable creating a music video from a genre that I knew more from, than a genre I didn’t, as I believe it will give me more creative options. For example it will be more for me to come up with a meaningful narrative and good performance side. Also I believe that it will be a good challenge to be able to convey a form of emotional response on the selected audience.