Genre Research

Genre Research Project

This video was made to clearly present the codes and conventions of the dance genre. In preparation for this research, I watched at least 15 music videos from my chosen genre and made notes on certain details:

• The extent to which the videos conform to Andrew Goodwin's features of music videos
• Common motifs and themes
• Common settings
• Common lighting
• Common props/iconography
• Common costumes
• Common narratives
• Common camera shots and transitions
• Common editing techniques

The codes and conventions of the dance genre were drawn from reoccurring features within the 15 music videos which were looked at. Below are the notes which were made from the different music videos:

1. Martin Solveig - Places

• Clubbing and dancing with florescent lights when beat drops

• Different scenery representing travel and name of song

• Shots travelling in car

• Revealing shots of women

• Drinking in the club

• Landscapes - sea, cliff, field, forest

• Diegetic sound

2. Calvin Harris & DIsciples - How Deep Is Your Love

• Distorted flashes to scenery - forest, ocean, beach, sea

• Distorted sound effect with transition

• Woman escaping conditions - following lyrics

• Dark with florescent lighting

• Enters club - dancing, florescent lights

• Shots flash between narrative and protagonist against black background and florescent lights - sped up

• Short shot duration, quick pace

• Transition on certain beat, white flash, on boat - reference to ocean

• Same transition to pool side

• Revealing shots of protagonist

• Transition to forest 

• Quicker transitions towards the end 

3. Calvin Harris ft Rihanna - This Is What You Came For 

• Distorted effects

• Clubbing background during pre-chorus

• Flashing lights when beat drops and chorus 

• Quicker transitions during chorus

• Scenic background during verses

• Range of shot sizes - long, mid, close

• Repetitive

• Single cover background

4. Route 94 ft Jess Glynne - My Love

• Tracking shot following character walking 

• Clubbing and dancing

• Thermal effect

• Drinking and drugs

• Romance

5. Philip George - Wish You Were Mine

• Town setting

• Protagonist turns on music

• Dancing on streets

• Long shots

• Low angle shots

• Dancing shown in different ways - tv, reflection, bus, shops

6. Starley - Call On Me (Ryan Riback Remix)

• Close up of tears

• Long shots singing in room 

• Playing piano in dark room with coloured lighting

• Shots of crowd

• Flickering lights

• Clubbing 

7. Shift K3Y - Touch

• Close up against black background

• Coloured effects in post-production

• Everything black and white apart from coloured paint

• Link between name of song and actions

• Close up of mouth lip syncing

• Female attraction and close up shots of female body

• Short shot duration

• Face pace

8. Shift K3Y - I Know

• Transitions of medium long shots of woman walking

• Transitions to different locations - Traveling

• Tracking shot following character walking 

• Short shot duration

• Face pace

• Flicker of shots before beat drop

• Continuity of shots

• Drinking

• Shots transitions to beat of song

• Landscape, city, clubbing

9. Gorgon City ft MNEK - Ready For Your Love

• Range of close up, medium close up, medium long shot against coloured background

• Clubbing scene, dark with with coloured lighting

• Flashing lights on low-key lighting shots

• Short shot duration

• Face pace

10. Disciples - On My Mind

• Dark room with blue fluorescent lighting

• Tracking shot following character walking 

• Range of low-key lighting shots with different colours

• Different close up shots of female character

• Distorted shots

• Flicker of shots

• Short shot duration

• Face pace

11. Diplo & Sleepy Tom - Be Right There

• Close up of black silhouette against edited background

• Fade transition

• Heavily post-production made

• Silhouette of female dancers

• Colourful background

• Colour of background changes to beat of song

• Artificial landscape background

• Faster pace during chorus of song

12. David Zowie - House Every Weekend

• Long shots of different people in different locations

• People dancing in different locations

• People dance during chorus

• Urban setting

• Clubbing setting

• Low-key lighting with flashing coloured lights

• Shorter shot duration towards end of the video

13. Sigala - Sweet Lovin’ 

• Coloured powder paint

• Urban setting

• Tracking shot to follow character around

• Dancing 

• Faster pace during chorus

14. Philip George & Anton Powers - Alone No More

• Short shot duration

• Face pace 

• Begins with beach setting 

• Shows couple traveling

• Ends with clubbing setting 

• Shoes couple dancing 

• Low-key lighting with coloured lighting

15. Tom Zanetti - You Want Me

• Close up of sports car

• Drinking and dancing