MUSIC VIDEO ICONOGRAPHY AND

GENRE

MUSIC VIDEO GENRES

POP

R&B

ROCK

INDIE

COUNTRY

RAP

POP Typical conventions of a pop music video would be something like a dance routine or interesting choice in clothing, vibrant colours and is normally associated with a positive vibe, all the attention if on the lead singer, the singer is portrayed as happy enjoying and content with life. The lyrics are normally based around love or relationships, for this genre of music teens seem to be the main target audience, the music genre is normally conveyed through the video dressing and setting. The song Is usually 3-5 minutes long with a set structure and consistent beat. It tends to follow current trends rather then being independent and making something new, unique and different to hear. The structure normally follows a verse, chorus, verse form and uses hook lines which are catchy and therefore stays in the audience mind. Hair and make up for the women tend to be very heavy and is used to communicate the artists feelings, views and expresses a message to the audience, it plays a major role in music pop videos. The songs usually include beats which are very dance orientated. They are stereotypically associated with people who enjoy clubbing and partying.

R&B The most continuous iconography that is frequently used in most music video’s is voyeurism, often of women. The woman in these music video’s are shown wearing little to no clothes. Women are often shown to be wearing minimal clothing with their slim stomachs on show the majority of the time, this is for the male gaze. Their hair is always styled in a very dramatic and eye catching manner, their make up is also very bold and defined especially their eyes. To show power some females wear red lipsticks.

The men in these music videos are usually pictured topless with their packs hanging out for the female gaze, they usually have multiple tattoos around their bods.

ROCK

Most rock videos tend to be the opposite of pop videos, in that the colour and the mis en scene differ a great deals. Rock video are more darker and more heavier. Music videos of this genre tend to be more performance based rather than narrative, they are normally playing in concert or studio recording. The lighting in rock videos are darker and more sinister, going well with the screen

INDIE With regard to indie music videos, they are more of a mixture of rock and pop. Indie music in mainly based on narrative based of any genre, the music and the visuals are usually low key and calm. The colouring for this genre is more low key as well, they tend to use more dark colours and the whole layout for this genre is just generally more slow and calm. Indie bands usually use natural tones as they connote something “average”. This means that the audience can identify the music being indie pop. Typical colours used in indie music videos are often black, brown, green and orange. With indie music the locations tends to be a simple location, liken a beach or a street. These locations create a mystery, which makes the audience focus on the performance. By having locations that the audience can identify means they are able to relate to the artist because the videos and songs are usually at a personal level.