Research: Genres

A genre is a category that things with the same characteristics fit under. For example a similar type of music, film, literature, art etc. Within the music industry, genre refers to the style of music and its targeted audience. Music is produced dependent of different factors to give it success, for example, it considers who the artist is, who the song and the audience targets, but most importantly it takes encounter the popular themes and genres for successful marketing techniques. Music with the same genre are likely to fall under the same category video wise as well. There are Traditional genres such as POP, Rock, R&B, Blues, however, not all music videos can be categorized under the classic genres which is why there are sub genres such as alternative R&B or Indie Rock etc. This is due to the fact music is changing over time as audiences want something more original and different, and for the artist to market their product smartly, they need to conform to what the audiences like. Fresh interpretations and perspectives are being born each year, so artists need to alter their style - or entirely new artists need to come forth/ be discovered - to keep audiences interested and satisfied. Audience demand is the biggest impact on the creation of music and the artist, which is why there is a huge range of genres to choose from, as if there wasn't such a huge range of genres the product wouldn't sell at the same huge rate as it does today as not all audiences would be interested in the product.

Examples of Genres AND common conventions within them:

Hip-Hop & R&B: 

Key Conventions:

•  Low angle shots to imply the artist has power over the audience and is more superior. Close up shots to show their importance within the frame. 
• Women in the videos to show how desirable the hip-hop and R&B artists are. Also the fact that there is more than one female in most of the music videos shows how irrelevant they are as the camera hardly concentrates on them for more than a few seconds, showing this genre of music objectifies women.
• A crowd dancing showing the song is a hit and everyone's enjoying it which gives credibility to the song
• Mainly features Men as the artist. The men are also often from a black background (conventionally) 
• Glamourised lifestyle and expensive jeweler/clothing showing the wealth of the artist through the use of mise en scene. Wealth signifies status which is what Hip Hop artist supposudly have in the videos.
• The Men in the video are usually pictured with his 'clique or group' to again show their status and highlight that their not a social outcast.

POP:

Key Conventions:

• Often has high key lighting and an eye catching costume or object with vibrant colours to attract younger/youth audience which are the target audience.
• Costume used is generally up to date and fashionable, as fashion is important to teenagers and younger audiences as well as the artist it self to keep their look attractive and desirable.
• The videos can often include a love narrative as teenagers are obsessed with the thought of falling in love, however pop songs can be about anything as long as it attracts audiences. 
• The pop genre doesn't have a conventional gender as there is a range of female, male, and group pop artists
• The artists and other characters in the music video are commonly young and good looking as they can sell their music through their appearance which the audience is immediately attracted to
• Pop artists often choose an item of clothing, a symbol, or a dance move which makes them distinct and helps audiences recognize them through it.

Rock:

Key conventions: 

• Music is often produced by a band of 4 members, however could be a smaller or bigger group as well as solo rock artists.
• Artists in the music videos commonly wear similar costumes which is often black clothing, and they will wear black clothing in most occasions.
• Male/female Rock artists can be seen wearing dark makeup accompanied by their depressed and pissed off facial expressions, along with piercings and tattoos (conventionally not always)
• Often the music videos will have a low key lighting to represent the mood of the song, however if the song is upbeat, humorous, or energetic, it can be high key lighting.
• Setting for the video will usually be kept simple and it would include the band/artist performing in the video. This is so audiences concentrate more on the music and performance rather than whats going on in the background.
• Some Rock Music videos may be narrative based.
• While singing or performing artists in the music video commonly use their facial expressions effectively to portray their emotions in the song.
• Editing is used often depends on the pace of the song
• many closeups to the artist or characters faces are used to show their emotions aswell as long shots to show what going on around them and to show band performing.

Country:

Key conventions:

• Commonly country music videos follow a narrative to portray the story-line behind the lyrics.
• The story line usually runs through the lyrics.
• The Country artist conventionally features in the music video as the main character
• The videos are usually set in Western America including Cow-boys and Cow-girls, and some sort of nature involved whether in a farm or just including nature.
• Often has a romantic element to the narrative and may involve a love story
• Country artists usually have live performances within the video
• Medium shots are used to show the setting of the video as well as the narrative and the characters facial expressions.

Jazz:

Key conventions:

• Often live instuments played within video, i.e. drums, trumpets, or chello 
• Close up shots on the artists face to show them expressing their emotions within the song
• Editing could be more classic and slow, or black and white
• Setting is usually on stage in a bar or cafe, however may change to a more crowded setting like streets or rundown places, or even houses.
• Old Jazz artist Costumes are often sophisticated attire, so men mainly wear suits and women wear dresses, however modern jazz has changed so the clothing they wear is commonly comfortable attire depending on the song and setting.
• However due to Jazz being an old genre, famous and highly respected artist such as Frank Sinatra don't have videos, but the audience are still able to hear the different instruments played in the background and here the positive vibes in his voice.
• Target audience usually older generations

Latin/Spanish:

Key conventions:

• Salsa dancing/ Dancing
• An exotic holiday setting, or a club with a crowd of people, however may be in an isolated place, or a house depending on the mood of the song
• The narrative may include a love interest especially if it is a slow song
• It is a globally recognized genre with huge target audiences around the world, however its main audience is Spanish and Latino people,
• Includes classic Spanish music n the background
• Attracts both genders
• Can be classed as holiday music due to the positive vibes and fast pace beat
• Costumes are often revealing for the women, may even be a swim suit, however male characters usually wear a various stylish outfits.
• Camera is usually concentrated on the female characters in the video which objectifies them and attracts more audiences as the females are all good looking along with the males

It is important to follow generic conventions within the music industry and videos as it helps audiences recognise the genre faster and stick with it if they enjoy it. Moreover if the audience enjoy one type of song and video in a certain genre, they will be a demand for similar music types

This has helped me with my research as i now know what typical conventions to follow while filming the music video for my genre of music which will help audiences identify the genre immediately