This weeks reading on Vernallis piece ‘Telling and Not Telling’ explored and explained ways in which different music videos have been constructed using narrative and non narrative conventions.

Her analysis of several music videos constructions explored the different ways narrative can complement, undermine or overwhelm the song its accompanying, and also contained several of her thoughts on several topics and videos. Many of her interpretations were straight forward retellings of music videos structures, while describing their link to conventions found in television, films, trailers and advertisements.

One line stuck with me as of interest, while Vernallis was describing the way music videos were sometimes shot and edited like ads or movie trailers, that they were condensed into one shot instead of an ‘establishing, middle and close’. It made me think over movies I’ve seen and really try and pinpoint exactly how many shots go into establishing a scene, and comparing that to music videos. The lack of an establishing shot is often compensated for in music videos with markers such as signs and overemphasised props that Vernallis notes as ‘ham acting’, and which would be out of place in other mediums.

The comparison to silent films was of note because despite music videos being all about the sound and silent movies have none, they are incredibly similar. Silent movies would often have a pianist accompanying them to provide mood, and so they and music videos have a similar format. The difference lies in silent films having an emphasis on the pictures not the sound, and music videos for the most part having an emphasis on the sound and a secondary focus on the images. It makes me wonder what other conventions besides an abundant use of signs to establish place could be transposed from silent films to music video direction.