Music Video Styles and Techniques

Styles

Type / Definition / Music Example
Popular Music genre / Pop, Rock, Indie, Drum, bass – usually popular for a short time. / Taylor Swift – I knew you were trouble
In concert and live “as” life footage / Not in a studio, used footage from concert or gig. / Robbie Williams
Animation / Animation is the rapid display of a sequence of images to create the illusion of movement. / Radiohead-paranoid Android
Interpretative / The audience makes their own interpretation of what they think the music video is about. / The Beatles – Blue Jay Way
Narrative / Telling a story through the music video / Michael Jackson - Thriller
Impressionist / Similar to surrealism, taking you away from reality. / Gorrilaz – Clint Eastwood
Surrealist / Dreamlike and unreal elements / Loose tapestries – Fantasy man
Parody / Mic take of existing music/video/ / Weird All Yankovic White & Nerdy
Referencing / Referencing a film in the video / Adele – Skyfall
Homage / Homage is a show or demonstration of respect or dedication to someone or something. / Luther Vandross – Dance with my father.
Cutting to the beat / When the shots in the video cut to the next time with the beat. / The offspring – Pretty Fly (for a white guy)
Miming and lip sync / Wording the lyrics on a video the give the allusion of singing. / Azelia Banks - 212
Multi image / The use of multiple shots on the same screen / Example - Kickstarts

Techniques