I've made a shortlist of three genres, these are; Reggae, Pop and Dance:
Reggae
- Locations tend to be set in the Caribbean (e.g. beach, Jamaica)
- Cheerful bright colours
- Laid back lifestyle is portrayed (Stereotype of Jamaican culture)
I enjoy listening to Reggae music because it is very relaxing, and always reminds me of a holiday, mainly the beach. I think that Reggae is very underrated, as people tend to mainly associate Reggae music with Bob Marley where as there are many more sub-genres and artists branched out from Reggae. Living in England makes it difficult to stick to the conventions and create the aspirational locations that you would be able to create if you lived in a tropical location.
Pop
- Special effects and bright colours (for the "feel good" vibe)
- Widest range of music video styles (Narrative, performance and concept)
- Not any particular conventions as it is all so varied, due to massive budgets and artist popularity
As there is such a wide range of music styles within this genre, it is hard to decide my final thoughts on pop as a genre, as there are not many strict conventions.
Dance
- Set in a crowded club environment
- Flashing lights
- DJ's + Equipment
- Predominantly performance based
- Fast paced cuts and editing to fit to the speed of the music
I am leaning towards this genre because the music is upbeat and the video can easily be edited to the beat. However it would be difficult because of my age as I am unable to enter clubs, you would also have to be in charge of a lot of people, which for a first time would be quite difficult. The video would also need a large budget.
After looking at various genres, I have come to the conclusion that I will choose the genre of Reggae. I really enjoy listening to Reggae music, it is upbeat and fun, also very summery! I understand that shooting the aspirational locations will be difficult because of budget and being based in the UK, however on the right day, with the right weather hopefully it can look somewhat aspirational! To gain further idea of the direction I wish to take, I need to explore different music videos within this genre and look for inspiration.
In the music video for 'Say Hey (I Love You)' by Michael Franti & Spearhead there is a lot of dancing going on, very stereo typical to the genre. Family orientated; there are people of all ages included within this video, all dancing and having fun. Scenes showing dancing along streets, playing the drums and lots of energy! To set the scene you see your typical caribbean fruit markets, graffitied streets, people dancing in the streets slightly slow motion to show a sense of peace and community. A lot of gestures and expressive dance is used to connect with the audience. Very basic editing is used to the pace of the music, stripped back with no special effects; more realistic and relatable. Dancers wearing casual clothes and big hair. The video has a sense of aspiration, however it isn't in the typical British materialistic sense, but in a way that its so peaceful and happy, with a sense of community.
The music video for 'Bruk it Down' by Mr.Vegas is very different to the previous one in a sense that it is sexualising woman more explictly, using them as the main focus, twerking in very bold bright tight lycra. Your typical music industry materialist is shown wearing nice suits with fancy jewelry, standing outside of a very large expensive house and having women dancing suggestively around him. However, there is still your typical reggae stereotyping in there, you can see the simplistic locations of petrol stations, gyms, markets, playgrounds etc. the weather is sunny and warm, making it aspirational. It looks less natural and more editing has been used, clearly strong choreography has been used and everyone looks coordinated and in time. The overall effect is energetic and colourful! Still your typical reggae overall feel.
'Paper Loving' by Christopher Martin is very un-stereotypical of the Reggae genre because it has very focused attention and not very much happening within the scene, only the main artist and the actor. The video is narrative and repetitive with a hidden meaning, using close up shots to show the characters' emotions. The video flows smoothly and slowly, the idea is simplistic with the casual attire in simple pastel colours. Your typical asprirational locations are shown; beaches, nice houses, palm trees, nice green gardens. He is also dressed with subtle jewelry as the video is money orientated, actual money is shown being held by the actor, the topic of materialism is often used in the music industry. Even though an emotional topic, he is still dancing in simple locations.
Although these music videos are very different, they also have a lot in common which is typical to the reggae genre. The main similarity is that they just love to party! They are all simplistic, not many special effects are used, it makes it more relatable and also easier to aspire to. Aspirational locations are mostly used, because the videos are mostly set in the Caribbean on the beaches, gardens and nice houses. Repetitive, smooth and slow editing is used to make it flow with the music, make it much more realistic, making dancing the focus. Without a doubt in some form there are Caribbean girls dancing seductively.
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