Narrative structure: music videos a music video can be a narrative or non-narrative genre as well as music genres

this means the clip either follows a story line or simply a visual representation of the song

Non-narrative music videos are the most common because what it looks like is more memorable than what happens

Many music videos are hybrids/multigeneric texts (meaning they follow more than one genre)

Narrative music videos

A simple or complex narrative can determine whether a music video becomes a short-film

Simple narratives have a basic situation for a fantasy with a collage of imagery in between- these spaces make room for the audience to create their own fantasy.

Complex narratives often demonstrate genre divisions of full-length films. There can be horror clips, melodrama, film noir etc. These videos move the song towards the ballad

Non narrative videos

A fantasy can also be created by images and music combined without a narrative and produces an emotional effect.

Cuts are quick and we see lots of different images/shots in just about 3 minutes- constant shifting of topic/subject resembles a dreamlike structure.

Follow a loose theme rather than a story- like dreams

Use of images with powerful mental associations to create similarity to dreaming- work like symbols that call thoughts to mind instead of having to express them

Examples
Enrique Eglasias - Hero
This is classed as a simple narrative music video. Used to promote the artist but also Enrique Iglesias (Hero) is sent on a quest to overcome the evil gang of thugs (Villain) with the aid of Jennifer Love Hewitt (Helper) for the gift of Jennifer (Reward) Villain Hero Helper/Reward.
During the first stage of equilibrium the camera uses close ups of both Iglesias and of Jennifer. The settings are open, sunny and peaceful looking. This connotes that everything is ok between the two of them and undisturbed. However this quickly changes during the disequilibrium stage. Suddenly the two of them seem trapped and especially Iglesias when he is shot in a frame within a frame. The lighting is darker and more foreboding whilst the two heroes are also shot from further away and the camera chooses to frame the lower half of their bodies rather than their faces connoting that something bad will happen to them as it draws the audience to feel less emotionally connected with them. The shots of the lower half of their bodies could also connote sexuality and masculinity. The necklace that is frequently shown a close up of (which symbolises its importance) is also a dangling cause. Suddenly the villains are shown. They are shot in narrow focus and with MLS. This allows the audience to feel less empathy for them whilst the fact that they are wearing black could also connote their evilness. The recognition stage is shown with the return to close ups of both the heroes and villains which allows the audience to see the full extent of the conversation and Iglesias discovery. The change from recognition to reparation is also seen in the media language. In this stage the camera zooms in to Iglesias’ face and of Jennifer’s reaction. It also zooms out from the close ups of the villains face which connotes their evilness and with the heroes wearing white connotes their purity and innocence. Finally the new equilibrium is signified by the dark surroundings and rain which symbolises that a new equilibrium has not been reached as the hero dies. Also we are shown more close ups of Jennifer’s face and of her distress a further symbol of the loss of the new equilibrium.

Enrique Iglesias is clearly shown as the Hero in this music video. He is usually shot from either straight ahead or slightly below, giving the audience something to identify with as the media language constructs the image of Iglesias being one of them and a person who they can relate to. He is also shot using close ups of his face or