Carol Vernallis - Theories for Music Videos

Narrative is a free thing in music videos, it is not controlled or tame. In a music video there can be a story or there cannot be - but there is still a narrative being portrayed. The story can be fragmented, the whole story is not needed; it can be the beginning, the middle or the end. Just a snapshot provides a narrative.

This narrative theorie can be seen in David Bowies Video for Lazarus - it is unknown where it stems from but there is story there and it is a free thing :::




Editing, unlike in a film, continuity editing does not matter, the rules of editing in a film do not stand in a music video. E.g you can break the 180 degree rule.

The breaking of the continuity editing 180 degree rule is seen in Sia's video for the song Elastic Heart :::



Camera Movements and framing are key features to a music video. There are certain shots that just have to happen, an establishing shot, master shots, close ups. Camera can be used to change the pace.

Classic camera movements and framing that "just have to happen" can be seen in the video for Tom Odell's Wrong Crowd.




Diegesis - creating a world within the music video. That world can be realistic (like the one we live in) or unrealistic (a fantasy place).

A fantasy world is most definitely created and exemplifies the Diegesis theory in the music video for Radioactive by Imagine Dragons.