Concept music videos are based around a single idea, the concept. Concept music videos can be quite surreal and unusual, as they tend to be en expression of visual art. There is no set music genre associated to concept music videos, and a range of artists and genres have used them.
The first concept music video I have chosen is Genesis - Land of confusion, this is a pretty famous music video from the English rock band. It includes the puppets from Spitting Image instead of actual people which makes the video surreal as they are trying to be as lifelike as possible. This video focuses on a political concept as we see major figures, as puppets. The video is a good example of how concept videos can be combined with another type of music video, narrative or performance, to strengthen the video and make it more entertaining. This video does both as the see the puppet band playing as well as the slight narrative of the guys dream.
The next concept video is from the Red Hot Chilli Peppers, their video for Don't Stop was inspired by the artist Ewirn Wurm. Wurm used people and inanimate objects to create his sculptures. The Chilli Peppers copied his style and made a successful music video and help Wurm become more highlighted as an artist. This type of video is focusing on the arts side of concept music videos.
Narrative Music videos
Narrative music videos tell a narrative story that typically relates to the lyrics of the song. The video can include a range of actors but generally focuses on a main actor or pair, this can sometimes be the artist or lead singer of the band/group. Some narrative music videos are set out like a short film, with beginning, middle and end. Others may include clips from an actual film they are promoting as they are included in it.
Enrigue Iglesias Hero is a narrative music video that follows Todorov's narrative stages; equilibrium, disequilibrium, recognition, reparation and new equilibrium. As we see the couple go from being all happy together, through the money issues and gang trouble to the new equilibrium at the end of him coming back for the girl (or possibly dying). His narrative plays on the songs title and theme of being a 'Hero'. This video also includes Propp's characters; hero, dmasel, villain.
Taylor Swift - Love story has a slightly more litteral link between visual narrative and lyrics. As the actions of the character link to what is being sung. The characters are also meant to represent Romeo and Juliet so the costum and mise en scene of the video links the lyrics, building the narrative story.
Music Analysis
The music video for Rudemental's Not Giving In, is a narrative video as it shows the story of two boys struggle in a third world country. The narrative is of how different each boys method of coping is, one goes join a dance group, the other a violent gang.
The music video is set in the far east, in what appears to be a third world country. The buildings are unstable and supported by sheets of metal and scrap material. As the camera pull away near the begining of the music video we see that this is in fact a slum on the outside of a major city. The clothing that the people in the slum are wearing are very basic with no designer brands, some only wearing shorts. This tells the audience the they are unable to afford nice clothes, they get by with what they have. It also tells us that the area is hot.
As the music video goes on more high brand clothing is seen, mainly with accessories like a hat. This higher standard of clothing is link to the dance group.
There are a range of camera angles used in the music video, the majority of angles are eye line to create a link between the audience and the two boys. Yet high and low angles are also used to suggest power shifts between character. Like at the start where their father holds the power he is shown with a slight low angle.
The pace of the video as a whole is quite quick as it fits with the music, however there are periods of slower pace and at times slow motion is used. The fast pace editing keeps the audience engaged and entertained in the video. Where as the slower editing and use of slow motion is used to draw the audiences attention to a particular even or feature. Like when the boys pick pocket the man at the beginning or when the boy is shot at the end.
Lighting in the music video depends of whether they are inside or out, as scene inside tend to be dark and unsettling, such as at the beginning where the two boys are stuck at home. But when they are outside, the lighting and mood of the video is brighter. By using the binary opposites that video forces this idea of a certain place being bad and another being good on to the audience.
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