Brief history of music vidieos.
A music video is a video/short film that coincides a full music piece, usually a song. Today they are usually used as a marketing device to advertise the sale of music recordings. Due to this they are often called promos, another term for them is "short-form music video" to tell apart from full length movies applying to music.
Rock video was a term used in the 1980's to class this form of entertainment.
Key moments in music video history:
Rock video was a term used in the 1980's to class this form of entertainment.
Key moments in music video history:
1950's-1960'sIn the 1950's is when the primary music videos were being shot. An example of one is ‘Stranger in Paradise’, Tony Bennett was filmed walking along The Serpentine in Hyde Park for his music, it was shared out to TV stations in the UK and US.-In 1956.
‘A hard Day’s Night’ in 1964 was The Beatle’s first major music video, you could argue that it set out the basic visual framework of today’s music videos. Music videos also took technique’s from films, such as in 1967 Penny Lane got inspiration from underground and avant garde film, and used techniques in there to illustrate the song in an designful style. |
1980's
Top of the Pops in the UK had a massive effect on the music video industry, as producers fixed firm limits on the number of videos it would use, so the better the video, the sales of the song would have increased. This shaped a new environment of innovation and competition within the industry. Queen’s Bohemian Rhapsody began a whole new era for using music videos as promos. In 1981 MTV launched The first video to be aired was ‘Video Killed the Radio Star. David Bowie got his first UK number one thanks to his promo for ‘Ashes to Ashes’ Artists began to use more refined effects and techniques in their videos and added a story-line or concept to the video also. For example Michael Jackson was the first to create the idea of a short film – a music video with a beginning, middle and end. Mid-1980s Music videos came to play a predominant role in the marketing of an act or artist. They used music videos to represent their image and star power. For example Madonna a great part of her success is due to the well-made and seductive appeal of her videos Music Videos Today: Music videos today have become mainstream in the music industry so every song that makes it into the charts has a music video made. Sometimes the popularity of the video is enough to propel the song into the top 10. |
( information source 1 & 2 )
Purpose of music videos.
Promotional Device:
1) Sell the song, and implement a response so that the audience recall the song.
2) To help the audience understand the song.
3) To entertain and display the artists talents.
4) To sell CDs, DVDs and downloads by creating visuals that will stick in the audiences mind.
5) Marketing for publicity and growth of the artist’s profile.
Selling an Image:
Artists will set a certain mood/tone in their video by attaching the song to specific experiences. The idea of selling artists through image is carried by the record companies.
Promoting an Artist.
Social networking held responsible for making the videos popular/giving artists chances to work with bigger artists/win music awards.
Extension of income:
Music videos can help to promote a band or artist long after the single or album has been released. Occasionally artists are remembered years later purely because of a memorable music video.
Active Audience:
audiences can search and look for the music videos that they want to watch, getting big on social media is important, controversy in music videos aid it being mainstream media, leading to more exposure for the artist.
( Information source 3
1) Sell the song, and implement a response so that the audience recall the song.
2) To help the audience understand the song.
3) To entertain and display the artists talents.
4) To sell CDs, DVDs and downloads by creating visuals that will stick in the audiences mind.
5) Marketing for publicity and growth of the artist’s profile.
Selling an Image:
Artists will set a certain mood/tone in their video by attaching the song to specific experiences. The idea of selling artists through image is carried by the record companies.
Promoting an Artist.
Social networking held responsible for making the videos popular/giving artists chances to work with bigger artists/win music awards.
Extension of income:
Music videos can help to promote a band or artist long after the single or album has been released. Occasionally artists are remembered years later purely because of a memorable music video.
Active Audience:
audiences can search and look for the music videos that they want to watch, getting big on social media is important, controversy in music videos aid it being mainstream media, leading to more exposure for the artist.
( Information source 3
Analysis of 2 music videos:
Sia- ‘Elastic Heart’
Sia's genre of music is alternative pop and her music uses common instruments as well as synthesizers and other electrical sounds.
The video displayed actor Shia LaBeouf and child dancer Maddie Ziegler acting an powerful interpretive dance routine within the bounds of a cage.
I don't think the performance in the video fully echo what the artist is singing about, so this allows the audience to watch and decide what they think the song is about.
The video is shot and edited well, all of the camera movement is controlled smoothly and helps to show the audience exactly what is happening.
The editing works with the music enabling the two materials to link with one another. The video shows the audience a range of different shot types this is a technique used to keep the audience captivated at full length of the music video.
The song itself is about someone coping with emotional issues and how it shadows them into a dark zone.
The video on the other hand I think shows something a bit different, lots of people who have watched this have their own opinion as it is a very controversial piece some people see it as art whilst others see it as offensive, the clip was criticised for its "sexual undertones" and the physical contact between the two performers due to age was "edged on paedophilia".
Personally I believe that this video is art and has a deeper meaning. The whole purpose of this video was to trigger an emotional response which this video was successful in doing.
The video starts with an establishing shot of the cage with two characters at polar ends that could be seen as the older character’s self-state or inner child maybe even its demon representing his self-states. The shot shows the audience where this event is taking place. The mise en scene of this video constructs a blanket expression of dysphoria and depression. The colour palate is depleted and washed out this could perhaps exhibit the characters feelings of sadness.
The camera cuts to a handful of medium shots tracking forward between the two characters, as Sia begins to sing the actors start to manoeuvre in an illustrative dance. They both move in a fluid way in time with the song. Their appearance I think has a hidden meaning- they have limited left of themselves, they are both exposed to the basics.
The dance itself can be seen in many different ways due to its curious ways. In the frame we see the female actor crawl across the floor reaching her left leg over the top of her head. As she moves forward the male actor begins to crawl across the floor towards her.
When this happens the music starts building towards the chorus, as well as build up the flux of emotions. The video cuts between the shots of the two characters at a faster pace. This use of editing is on the same wavelength as the pace and structure of the song.
The music begins to become slow down and calm in pace when it cuts to a wide shot of the cage and see that the male actor has moved to the top of the cage.
This shot could be seen as the male actor trying to escape from his problems and leave the self-sate/inner child behind. The fact that the that music slows down and becomes quieter shows this is an important part of the video, this enables the audience to ponder on what is happening.
The music begins to build up again as, the male actor jumps down from the cage and lies down next to his inner-self and reaches out to her. This helps make a needed tension between these two characters.
The camera begins to track into both characters, then as the second chorus begins it cuts to another alternate angle of the characters, this was done to create a shift in mood as the female actor ( inner-self) becomes aware that the male actor is reaching out to her, which she rejects.
The inner-self manages to breakout the cage leaving the other actor behind. This maybe showing that the inner-self is able to leave the other character and his problems behind whenever she wants whilst he is contained and trapped in what he has done and has to face them alone.
The inner-self moves back into the cage and climbs onto the male actor's back when the song moves into the final chorus. This is the ark in the story in which the inner-self appears to accept his mistakes and makes the choice to stay with him.
More is added to the sound in the way of harmony, bass and vocals in the last chorus. This build in music is shown through the actors in the video as they act out the change in attitude between the two characters.
We end with the inner-self leading the male actor out of the cage, but can't to pull him through and he remains stuck.
This is done with low angle shots and multiple shot types.
After the music has finished the video continues to show the inner-self still attempting to pull the male actor through the cage. By freeing the video to go on after the song it could show that there is no escape.
The music video could be put into the category of "Televised Bard" in which the artist (Sia) uses the imagery in the video to tell a story which reflects that of the song, if that is what you believe.
(Information Source 4)
The camera cuts to a handful of medium shots tracking forward between the two characters, as Sia begins to sing the actors start to manoeuvre in an illustrative dance. They both move in a fluid way in time with the song. Their appearance I think has a hidden meaning- they have limited left of themselves, they are both exposed to the basics.
The dance itself can be seen in many different ways due to its curious ways. In the frame we see the female actor crawl across the floor reaching her left leg over the top of her head. As she moves forward the male actor begins to crawl across the floor towards her.
When this happens the music starts building towards the chorus, as well as build up the flux of emotions. The video cuts between the shots of the two characters at a faster pace. This use of editing is on the same wavelength as the pace and structure of the song.
The music begins to become slow down and calm in pace when it cuts to a wide shot of the cage and see that the male actor has moved to the top of the cage.
This shot could be seen as the male actor trying to escape from his problems and leave the self-sate/inner child behind. The fact that the that music slows down and becomes quieter shows this is an important part of the video, this enables the audience to ponder on what is happening.
The music begins to build up again as, the male actor jumps down from the cage and lies down next to his inner-self and reaches out to her. This helps make a needed tension between these two characters.
The camera begins to track into both characters, then as the second chorus begins it cuts to another alternate angle of the characters, this was done to create a shift in mood as the female actor ( inner-self) becomes aware that the male actor is reaching out to her, which she rejects.
The inner-self manages to breakout the cage leaving the other actor behind. This maybe showing that the inner-self is able to leave the other character and his problems behind whenever she wants whilst he is contained and trapped in what he has done and has to face them alone.
The inner-self moves back into the cage and climbs onto the male actor's back when the song moves into the final chorus. This is the ark in the story in which the inner-self appears to accept his mistakes and makes the choice to stay with him.
More is added to the sound in the way of harmony, bass and vocals in the last chorus. This build in music is shown through the actors in the video as they act out the change in attitude between the two characters.
We end with the inner-self leading the male actor out of the cage, but can't to pull him through and he remains stuck.
This is done with low angle shots and multiple shot types.
After the music has finished the video continues to show the inner-self still attempting to pull the male actor through the cage. By freeing the video to go on after the song it could show that there is no escape.
The music video could be put into the category of "Televised Bard" in which the artist (Sia) uses the imagery in the video to tell a story which reflects that of the song, if that is what you believe.
(Information Source 4)
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Telephone & Paparazzi - Lady Gaga
In pop culture the name Lady Gaga comes to mind, she is seen as one of the most inspirational of this genre. Lady Gaga typically has narrative based music videos and tends to incorporate inspiration from very famous and iconic scenes in films and music videos. Paparazzi and Telephone were directed by Jonas Akerlund; he is an auteur as he has his own distinctive visual style which can be clearly seen in both videos.
In the Paparazzi video you can see Akerlund's style come through, in the video it makes reference a number of times to the general conventions and formality of Hollywood films. An example is the use of classical titles (this is used in both videos), this is not usually used in music videos or in the music industry itself, I think the director uses this as either a pastiche or homage to this iconic period in the film industry, it is clear the director was inspired or had a love for Holly wood films hence why they have incorporated it in his own work.
The video and picture above you can see intertextual (a literary device that creates an 'interrelationship between texts' and generates related understanding in separate works) references to Sunset Boulevard, both in narrative and in style, the story is basically about an evanescent star desperate to be back in the limelight and after killing her "lover" is thrown back in to the newspapers.
The narrative in Paparazzi is partly based on the film Chicago, the stylistic choice references the scene where Roxie Hart is taken to jail after murdering her lover, which causes her fame to amplify. This is displayed through camera shots, the artist and Roxie Hart both stand in parallel posture.
Lady Gaga's video makes homage to Hitchcock and his film "Vertigo", this is because of use of the "icy blonde female" lead used repeatedly in Hitchcock's films, also known as the"Femme Fatale" who messes up the heroes’ strategies.
Another thing is that, there is a camera shot that looks as if photos are being taken of the two characters. So the music video blurs fiction and reality.
Lady Gaga's Telephone music video imitates the stylistic features off Quentin Tarantino, there are references from both Pulp Fiction and Kill Bill this is because the music video makes homage to these films, which means she is showing respect publicly for his work.
For example, the use of similar fonts, they both embrace a retro sort of style, the text is both bold and the colours are also the same with the red and yellow.
There are references to characters also, in the music video Beyoncé is referred to as "Honeybee” very alike to the character in Pulp Fiction "Honey Bunny".
The framing with both are also similar as well as story plots, references to the character of Ele Driver in Kill Bill, as Lady Gaga takes on her role, in the scene where Ele Driver dresses in a Nurse outfit in order to kill the Bride. Gaga also takes on a similar role, by poisoning the cafe customers.
As well as making reference to iconic films, Gaga references Disney's Mickey Mouse when Lady Gaga wears a pair of glasses, we then see the same glasses again by Beyoncé in Telephone. Gaga successfully branded herself so her own work can be seen in others.
(Information source link 1)
Conclusion
To conclude the music industry has grown rapidly and is contuning to evolve especially with the advances in technology, I have compared two music videos to show the many technuiques that can be used and how different or similar they can be.
I belive that music videos will always play an important role as fans of the artist will want to connect with the artist or song more, also I think it is safe to say that music videos have become mainstream and people expect them to be made.
Ways it has changed is via things such as social media they can be seen by larger audiences all overthe world.
I belive that music videos will always play an important role as fans of the artist will want to connect with the artist or song more, also I think it is safe to say that music videos have become mainstream and people expect them to be made.
Ways it has changed is via things such as social media they can be seen by larger audiences all overthe world.
References:
http://www.slideshare.net/itsamuslimname/lady-gaga-telephone-paparazzi ............... (1)
http://www.slideshare.net/crosswaysfederation/music-video-a-brief-history................. (2)
http://www.slideshare.net/MsJMcLeod/the-purpose-of-music-videos............................ (3)
http://www.slideshare.net/jameshmedia/music-video-analysis-sia-elastic-hearts ............ (4)
http://www.popdust.com/sia-explains-meaning-behind-controversial-elastic-heart-videowatch-now-1890390236.html ........... (5)
http://www.slideshare.net/crosswaysfederation/music-video-a-brief-history................. (2)
http://www.slideshare.net/MsJMcLeod/the-purpose-of-music-videos............................ (3)
http://www.slideshare.net/jameshmedia/music-video-analysis-sia-elastic-hearts ............ (4)
http://www.popdust.com/sia-explains-meaning-behind-controversial-elastic-heart-videowatch-now-1890390236.html ........... (5)