Task 2.1 Research into existing products (moving image) Metz

Metz

Christian Metz, the writer of language and cinema said that any genre passes through four phases:
1- The experimental
2- The classic
3- The parody
4- The deconstruction

With the example of the horror genre you can see how these four phases are seen in every genre. For example:

Experimental- the phase of early films which explored and experimented with the horror genre in it's narratives.

For example: The cabinet of Dr Caligari (1920) and Nosferatu (1922)

These types of film  helped formalize the narrative conventions of the horror film in it's earliest phase.

Classic- The phase of films which established the narrative conventions of the horror genre in it's most successful and defining period.

For example: Dracula (1931) and Frankenstein (1931)

These conventions are sill used now.

Parody- Films that have mimicked the horror genre in some way. 

For example: Carry on screaming (1966) and Scary Movie (2000)

These types of films have allowed the horror genre to continue for many years and appeal to a wider range of audiences.

Deconstruction- Films which have taken the generic elements of the horror genre. From this sub genres are created. 

For example: Signs (2002) 

Many examples for horror films are thriller/horror or sci-fi/horror.

Music videos   

Every music video is either Narrative based, Performance  based or Abstract/Artistic. However, they can be a mixture of two. 

Examples of these types of videos are: 

Performance based- Clean Bandit & Jess Glynne 'Real Love'

Usually a performance based video is either performed in a record studio or at a concert. This type of video usually allows the audience to focus on the lyrics and the music behind the song rather than the story it tells like a narrative does.

Narrative based- Ed Sheeran 'A team'

The narrative based music video gives the artist chance to let the story behind their song to be viewed by an audience. Most of the time the actual narrative follows the lyrics in a way and small connections are made throughout the video to a specific lyric or the chorus.

Abstract/Artistic- Gotye 'Somebody That I Used To Know'

Abstract/Artistic music video's have no narrative to them, they can be used as a way of the artist expressing themselves rather than telling the audience what the song is about. 
Performance and Narrative- Maroon 5 'Sugar'

Performance and Narrative videos are probably the most common type of music video in the modern era, they allow the song to be expressed both through the story behind the lyrics and gives the audience a chance to connect with the artist more. 

Metz and Music Videos

Music has also gone through the four stages that Metz described. The Beatles performed the first  performance based music video in 1964 with 'A Hard Day's Night' which had a captured film released with it - every song had a performance filmed for it. Many of the conventions from these videos are still used today such as the wide shot of the whole band and close up of the lead singer. 

In the 1981 MTV was founded and with it came the classic stage of music. The first ever video played was 'Video Killed The Radio Star' by The Buggles, after this 24 hour music videos were showcased with artists from every genre being included. MTV allowed every type of music video to be shown from Michael Jackson's performance and narrative based video 'Beat It' to Queen's abstract and performance based 'Bohemian Rhapsody'. 

Many music videos have been turned into a parody at some point. One of the most famous of these being Michael Jackson's 'Beat It' being changed to the parody 'Eat it'. In addition to this some videos can have two completely different artists and songs yet the one music video can more or less mirror the other in a parody fashion. This can be seen in Shania Twain's 'Man! I Feel Like A Woman' which is filmed in the style of Robert Palmer's 'Addicted To Love'  video. 

Deconstruction is also shown in music. Like with Horror and Thriller music such as Rock and Roll has been deconstructed throughout time into sub genres like Metal. These new genres have a direct effect on the way music videos are filmed and interpreted because as time has gone on artists have been able to put their own spin on the music they produce  and in turn the videos that they film become unique  to them and are often in the Abstract/Artistic category.