# Narrative Music Video — Format

> Story-driven music video. Plot unfolds throughout song. Artist may or may not appear in story.

## Format basics

- Length: 3-5 min (song length)
- Aspect: 16:9 (mostly), now also 9:16 versions
- Story-driven structure
- Visual narrative
- Artist often appears
- Music + story integration

## Structure

```
0-15s    OPENING / HOOK
         Visual establishes mood
         Story setup begins
         Music intro

15s-1min ACT 1 (verse 1)
         Character / situation introduced
         Inciting incident hinted

1-2min   ACT 2A (chorus + verse 2)
         Tension builds
         Subplot or complication

2-3min   ACT 2B (chorus + bridge)
         Climax / turning point
         Big emotional beat

3-4min   ACT 3 (final chorus)
         Resolution
         Final image
         Often visual climax matches musical peak

4-5min   OUTRO
         Lingering image
         Song fades
         Title card / credits
```

## Sample narrative MV concept

```
TITLE: "Karavan" — Music Video for Song "Yağışlı Axşam"

GENRE: Indie folk
LENGTH: 4 minutes
SETTING: Modern Baku, rainy night

STORY:
A young woman walks through Baku in the rain. She is going somewhere
specific. We don't know where.

VERSE 1 (0:15-1:00):
She walks through neon-lit streets. Pauses at coffee shops. Looks
inside. Continues.

CHORUS 1 (1:00-1:30):
Quick cuts of her walk + flashbacks to a man (her ex). They at a
cafe. Smiling. Then arguing. Then her walking away.

VERSE 2 (1:30-2:15):
She approaches a specific cafe. Karavan Coffee. Looks inside the
window.

CHORUS 2 (2:15-2:45):
Inside the cafe: he is there. The man. He doesn't see her yet.
She watches him through the rain-streaked window.

BRIDGE (2:45-3:15):
She decides. Walks in. He looks up. Surprised.

CHORUS 3 (3:15-3:45):
She sits across from him. They look at each other. No words. Music
swells.

OUTRO (3:45-4:00):
He pours her a coffee. She accepts. Final image: two cups on a small
table, rain visible through window, song fades.

(Artist may appear as singer in cafe corner, observing — meta touch.)
```

## Key principles

### Story arc within song
- Setup → conflict → resolution
- Compressed to song length
- Music shapes pacing

### Music = pacing
- Verse = building, exploring
- Chorus = climax/payoff moments
- Bridge = transformation
- Match cuts to musical beats

### Artist integration
- Singing in scene
- Or as character
- Or watching/observing
- Or absent (rare)

### Visual emotional arc
- Mood shifts
- Color palette evolves
- Lighting changes

### Lyrical resonance
- Story aligns with lyrics (loose)
- Doesn't have to be literal
- Emotional truth matches

## When to use

- Story-driven song
- Artist comfortable with acting (or absent)
- Cinematic ambition
- Festival / awards (MV directors track)
- Brand-elevating for artist

## Common mistakes

- Too literal lyric interpretation
- Story disconnected from song mood
- Forgetting artist
- Cuts not on beat
- Story too complex for 4 min
