You need to identify the conventional themes and iconography of the music genre you have chosen to work with for your own music video.
Remember, as with your film opening sequence, the examiner is NOT looking for something completely new which has never been done before. The examiner wants to see you stick to the conventions. It doesn’t mean you can’t be original, it just means that if you are producing, say, a heavy metal video, you shouldn’t include boy-band style synchronized dance moves…. In that case what you SHOULD include is lots of close-up shots of the band performing, head-banging, moshing etc – in fact, you should include whatever you identify in this research.
As usual, the best way to display your research is in a number of different formats. It has to utilize the blog format… images, clips, links, vox pops etc.
Ideas to get you started – using the example of Hip Hop/Rap:
Musical and lyrical conventions – Hip Hop and Rap music conventions include sampled beats and tracks, often with a repeated melody layered on top. The artist then speaks rather than sings the lyrics in time with the beat. The artist is always credited with writing their own lyrics, which can often be controversial due to their explicit nature.
Iconography – the ghetto or the ‘street’; expensive fashion often including sportswear such as trainers and baseball caps; jewellery and ‘bling’; fast or luxury cars; sexually provocative women who are often objectified; guns; primarily African-American ethnicity.
Themes – artists such as Jay-Z and Snoop Dogg emphasize the criminality of their origins in their lyrics and videos. Crime is represented both as a way of life and the means by which they have achieved their success. Eminem often focuses on the poverty of his roots. In both cases the idea of having come from a poor neighbourhood is important to the image of the artist.
Lastly - note how some of the words in this post are clickable links. For top marks you should try to do this with all your blog posts.
