1. MUSIC VIDEO
ICONOGRAPHY AND
GENRE

2. MUSIC VIDEO GENRES
POP
R&B
ROC
K
INDIE
COUNTR
Y
RA
P

3. POP
Typical conventions of a pop music video would be something like a
dance routine or interesting choice in clothing, vibrant colours and is
normally associated with a positive vibe, all the attention if on the
lead singer, the singer is portrayed as happy enjoying and content
with life. The lyrics are normally based around love or relationships,
for this genre of music teens seem to be the main target audience,
the music genre is normally conveyed through the video dressing and
setting. The song Is usually 3-5 minutes long with a set structure and
consistent beat. It tends to follow current trends rather then being
independent and making something new, unique and different to
hear. The structure normally follows a verse, chorus, verse form and
uses hook lines which are catchy and therefore stays in the audience
mind. Hair and make up for the women tend to be very heavy and is
used to communicate the artists feelings, views and expresses a
message to the audience, it plays a major role in music pop videos.
The songs usually include beats which are very dance orientated.
They are stereotypically associated with people who enjoy clubbing
and partying.

4. R&B
The most continuous iconography that is frequently used in most
music video’s is voyeurism, often of women. The woman in these
music video’s are shown wearing little to no clothes. Women are often
shown to be wearing minimal clothing with their slim stomachs on
show the majority of the time, this is for the male gaze. Their hair is
always styled in a very dramatic and eye catching manner, their make
up is also very bold and defined especially their eyes. To show power
some females wear red lipsticks.
The men in these music videos are usually pictured topless with their
packs hanging out for the female gaze, they usually have multiple
tattoos around their bods.

5. ROCK
Most rock videos tend to be the opposite of pop videos, in that the
colour and the mis en scene differ a great deals. Rock video are more
darker and more heavier. Music videos of this genre tend to be more
performance based rather than narrative, they are normally playing in
concert or studio recording. The lighting in rock videos are darker and
more sinister, going well with the screen

6. INDIEWith regard to indie music videos, they are more of a mixture of rock
and pop. Indie music in mainly based on narrative based of any genre,
the music and the visuals are usually low key and calm. The colouring
for this genre is more low key as well, they tend to use more dark
colours and the whole layout for this genre is just generally more slow
and calm. Indie bands usually use natural tones as they connote
something “average”. This means that the audience can identify the
music being indie pop. Typical colours used in indie music videos are
often black, brown, green and orange. With indie music the locations
tends to be a simple location, liken a beach or a street. These locations
create a mystery, which makes the audience focus on the performance.
By having locations that the audience can identify means they are able
to relate to the artist because the videos and songs are usually at a
personal level.