Pop Music Diegesis and the 360º Video

Abstract

One approach to studying music videos is through the framework of diegesis, which considers the relation of sounds to narrative structure in film. Unlike most visual media, music videos flip the diegetic picture as image functions to support music, allowing for new narrative interpretations. Narratological possibilities of several 360° pop music videos are examined to demonstrate pop music diegesis, which operates through navigational agency and diegetic immersion. The viewer of an immersive music video is a staged element of compositional design, implied by agency afforded through interaction and envelopment. Moreover, the essay expounds discourses on popular music in immersive media.