Music Video Research

I have so far tried to research a wide range of genres and styles of music videos before I narrow down my own idea.

Guns N Roses - Paradise City

• Performance video - from concert where they were supporting Aerosmith.
• Black & white allows the video to be "timeless" and doesn't appear dated.
• Emphasis on Axl and Slash (two main icons of the band and rock music in general)
• No special effects - it's just the band being a band.
• Build up to concert shown as well as the actual performance
• Classic style video for rock genre.

Radiohead - Just


(Sorry for the poor quality. EMI blocked embedding on the official version)

• Concept video, very smart
• Band performance is secondary
• Subtitles for dialogue
• Strange/intelligent feel - similar to genre's attributes
• Directed by art film director
• Original (like the band)
• Older audience? as older character's are generally seen

Depeche Mode - Enjoy The Silence

• Concept video
• Strange tone (similar to step into darker music that was taken by Depeche Mode)
• No band performance - band are seen in a photoshoot style scene.

Thirty Seconds To Mars - Kings And Queens

• Artistic qualities (singer Jared Leto is an actor having appeared in films such as Requiem for a Dream, Fight Club, Panic Room, American Psycho)
• Perfomance/concept video
• Includes many fans shown in positive eco-friendly stance. Fans are key to the sound of this album, with backing singing throughout many songs.
• Sophisticated style - silhouettes
• Big budget?
• Older audience
  

Joy Division - Love Will Tear Us Apart

• Low budget 
• Performance essentially (strange elements are included though)
• Very basic - similar to original indie sound
• Setting is plain - working class appeal?

 Rusted Root - Send Me On My Way

• Hippie style music video
• Performance essentially
• Very rural setting - links to hippie movement (in touch with nature)
• Eccentric colours - again links to style and positivity
• Nostalgia for those of us who watched Matilda as a child (or more recently Ice Age)

Guns N Roses - November Rain

• Huge budget compared to earlier videos
• Very OTT - can see how band has changed style
• Narrative/performance
• Very long song and video
• Emphasis is still on Axl (and Slash) 
• Stage performance - sound band were going for
• Epic feel
• Infamous Slash guitar solo outside chapel
• Lighting of stage - dramatic

Michael Jackson - Thriller

• Performance/narrative
• Emphasis on Michael - looks directly into camera
• Heavily themed - stage show esque
• Big budget
• Extended versions of video - cinematic style
• Large use of costumes
• Lighting and stage create this almost show link feel the video

I will continue to add to this research before specifically looking further into one genre.