5 Purposes of a Music Video

A Music Video is mainly used for promotional purposes. It helps the artist to advertise their album/song and to show what type of genre. the lighting, Mise en scene and camera shots allows the audience to see their favourite artist as nowadays people like to visualize things as well as hearing them. For example, Jay-Z and Kanye West song 'N*ggas in Paris' Contains alot of special effects and fashing light with mirroring effect making it look more interesting to their fans. Kanye and Jay-Z are known for representing the hip hop and rap genre because of their past songs so therefore, the audience expects a catchy chorus and a phrase from a song.

Some Music Videos show a short film to tell a narrative story because the director wants to follow the lyrics and allow the audience to see it visually rather than hearing it and some videos like to make it thematic with costume and theatrical make-up with a dance sequence in it. Like Katy Perrys video ‘Extraterrestrial’ is a Sci-Fi, Alien video that the background looks out-of-space and cosmo-like with Katy looking like an extraterrestrial creature with animal legs showing that this video is based on the supernatural theme which suits the song as well.



When Artists or band wants to send an inspirational message to their fans they create a slow song/ballad that helps them relate to their audience they put on an emotional song that they like to express. For example, Michael Jackson 'I'll be there' is an emotional song  that sends off a message saying that he'll be there, trying to connect with his audience. Some music videos can make a narrative story to ballads and some just like to record the actual artist/band singing the song in a concert. Usually in a ballad song the cuts and edits of the music video are slow because it goes in time with the song and it matches the mood of it so the viewer knows that its a slow song, also it gives the artist a chance to show off their talents on screen, if their doing a narrative video, they might show off their acting skills and increases their chance of selling the album and helps to expand the artists profile. If the music video is successful as well as the song, loads of income will be made. it goes towards the artists, the music company it works for and for the director. Music videos have been a good way of a director and producer to allow their imagination come on screen and help them become recognised in the media industry if the video becomes successful. same goes to the artist and the company. the better the music video, the better the income.







Rihanna's song 'Russian Roulette' is an example of an interpretive music video. An interpretive video means to give or provide the meaning of something to interpret the hidden meaning of a parable. the audience doesn't know how she got there or why she's there all we know is that shes in a prison and seems like she's not being treated nicely. The lighting of the video is very dark and low key to show the atmosphere of the video and song, the video shots are close-ups, long shots and mid shots with fast cuts to show excitement of the song and video to keep the audience engaged in the music video.