Performance, Narrative & Concept Music Videos

Over the years, music videos have branched out and let new ideas come into play. As new technology has developed, as well as the expectations of the media industry and the audience, artists have been encouraged to go further with their videos in a fight to express themselves in more diverse and interesting ways.
There are three recognisable forms of music video, Performance, Narrative and Concept. Of course, there are some that cross over and combine different aspects of the conventions seen in these forms. There are also animated videos which don't usually fit into any of these categories but form one on their own.

Concept Videos

Concept videos are usually very unusual and involve surreal concept art in their shots. The purpose or objective of the video is often obscure and unknown, something that actually grabs the audiences attention even more so as there is always something unusual to look at. The fact that they are different and arty is what draws people in to these videos. However, they are often combined with another form of video (performance/narrative) so that they are relatable and more accessible to a wider audience. Concept videos haven't been accustomed to one specific genre, a range of artists have experimented with them.


Narrative Videos

These videos will attempt to tell a story or take you on a journey linked to the lyrics. This style relies on believable acting from either the artists themselves or others, as the lyrics will be acted out to form a story. Typical genres that follow a narrative are slow songs or songs about love or break-ups.





Performance Videos

The artists will be the main focus point in performance videos and the majority of the video will be footage of them performing the song either on a stage or singing whilst in a casual environment. Artists will often choose this method if they want to show their audience the passion they have for their song through their facial expressions and actions. They also might use a live show they did for a large audience as their video, to show the reaction and buzz they got from their fans. This will also encourage listeners to perhaps go and see them live also. The typical genre that will do perfomance based videos is rock and indie, however critics have pointed out that bands have to be fairly well-known and established to make it work and keep an engaging interest.


Animated Videos

Often created with computer graphics from scratch or the actors/artists will shoot scenes and they will be transformed into a mirrored animated version. Videos could also be created with highly talented artists moulding or drawing scenes and then linking them together to create movement. These videos create high interest within an audience as they are often fairly different, diverse and highly creative.