Music Video: Introduction

Music Video: Introduction

An introduction to Music Video: notes

Music videos typically feature movement – often fast paced either in terms of actors, camerawork or editing. Many contain a performance element or narrative. Music videos can also feature visual effects and intertextuality.

Music videos were originally designed as a promotional device to sell the band or artist’s music but have developed over time to become a recognised artform or product in their own right. Modern music videos no longer have the huge budgets of the 1980s and 1990s but digital media means they are now more accessible than ever. Videos such as Psy’s Gangnam Style have received over 3 billion views on YouTube.

Intertextuality

Intertextuality is when one media text references another media text – through genre, conventions, mise-en-scene or specific cultural references.

Music videos often use intertextual references – often to classic films but also to television, popular culture, news, videogames or even other music videos.

Music Video introduction blog task

This week's work requires Media Factsheet #69: Music Video. You'll need to log in to Google using your Greenford Google account to access this. Read the factsheet and answer the following 10 questions:

1) What is the purpose of a music video?

The purpose of a music video is to encourage viewers to purchase a copy of the song featured and other products associated with the artist.

2) How has the digital age changed the production and distribution of music videos?

The development of new media technologies meant that music videos, and the songs along with them, were more widely available, which music production companies found problematic as you were able to listen to the music video for free at any time and so listeners were less inclined to buy physical copies. At first they attempted to stop their music from being distributed on Youtube, but they figured it was too much effort. Because of this, most record companies now allow their artists’ music videos to be online but under controlled conditions.

3) Which three major record labels are behind VEVO? What is VEVO and why was it created?

Sony Music Entertainment, Universal Music Group and Abu Dhabi Media. It's a video hosting site specifically for music videos. The content of Vevo is syndicated to YouTube in the UK with YouTube and Google receiving a share of advertising revenue for directing users to the official versions of music videos rather than those uploaded by a third party.

4) What are the key conventions of a music video?

Movement, Narrative, Intertextuality

5) How can narrative be used in music video? Give an example of a music video that uses a narrative.

There can be a loose narrative which links to the song's lyrics, or more explicit narratives that more closely link to the lyrics. For example, I Was a Teenage Anarchist by Against Me! has a man running from the police.

6) What examples are provided in the factsheet for intertextuality in music videos?

Blink 182 video for All the Small Things makes references to videos by pop artists such as Back Street Boys (I Want it That Way) and Christina Aguilera (Genie in a Bottle) by directly copying scenes.

My Chemical Romance’s Teenagers features ‘alternative’ cheerleaders, which is reminiscent of the cheerleaders in the video for Smells Like Teen Spirit by Nirvana.

7) Why do audiences enjoy intertextual references in media products?

For more esoteric or obscure references, audiences will find pleasure in knowing what the music video is referencing if they are familiar with the source.

8) Read the music video example analysis on page 3 of the factsheet. Select a music video of your own choice and write your own analysis using the following headings:

• Conventions (movement/narrative/artist)
> The video follows a character played by Elfman who has an obsessive need to be validated by 'little girls'. He lives in a house of cartoon (child-like) proportions, complete with dwarves dressed in white dress shirts, and is visited by several little girls. Strangers witness his predatory acts yet do nothing but sing along with the music. There is lots of movement present in the video, from frequent scene changes, camera zooms, bizarre editing, and intense and sporadic movements from the actors themselves. It is overall a purposefully creepy and insane music video to match with the lyrics and themes of the song.

• Intertextuality
• > It's theorised that Elfman wrote this song in order to call out producers that got away with being pedophiles because of their position, so it could be an intertexutal reference to news stories depicting this. Elfman is stated to have written "Little Girls" after reading an article in a newspaper.
  Representation
> The video primarily focuses on Elfman's character, depicted as a deranged man wearing a wife beater. It could be argued that this character is a stereotype of a pedophile, (which is a taboo subject that is rarely depicted through music videos and in general), as pedophiles aren't always so outwardly deranged. The music video also has representations of people with dwarfism, where they're side characters wearing matching outfits and dancing with Elfman's chatacter. This supporting and comedic role for the dwarves is a common representation of people with dwarfism and can be seen as degrading and stereotypical. The onlookers who bare witness to the situation are all adult men, while the victims are young girls wearing typically girly outfits.

• Audience
> Elfman said when making the music video he "was out to offend everybody when [he] started out. Any subject matter [he] could find that would be offensive [he] was embracing.” He created the song to provoke the outraged left, and basically cause outrage. As the opening track to the band's debut album 'Only A Lad', the band was likely trying to capture an audience who were interested in the new wave, synth-pop and post-punk genre

• Institution
> The opening track of the band's debut album Only A Lad, produced by
Pete Solley and Oingo Boingo under the record companies I.R.S A&M.

9) Watch the video for Ice Cube's It Was A Good Day (1993). How did this video set the conventions for later hip-hop music videos?

This music video is set in South Central Los Angeles, features Low rider cars and 'the hood'. It also features basketball, baggy clothing and icons associated with gang culture, like money and sexualised women. The cool, low key lighting with strong backlight was also used in similar music videos.



Final question - your own opinion

10) How important do you think music videos are in the marketing and promotion of music artists in 2018? Are music videos essential to a band or artist's success?

In order to capture a mainstream audience, I think that music videos are practically essential in maintaining buzz around music artists. Music videos are really useful tools for artists to create deeper meaning and push messages with their platforms. Billions of people use Youtube to watch videos in the current modern era, and having a visual incentive to click on an artist's music will most likely draw in more listeners. Having music videos for your music also means that TV broadcasters can broadcast it, although that was much more essential before the internet came along. It just seems standard protocol that, if you're a popular mainstream artist, you'll have music videos accompany your popular music. However, it's important to note that music videos aren't the only way to promote music. For example, Lil Nas X's Old Town Road got insanely popular without a music video - through Tic Toc - and the audio of the Billy Ray Cyrus remix has around 100 million more views than the music video for it on Youtube. Indie artists also rarely put out music videos with their songs, and yet can gain reasonably large audiences. So music videos aren't essential, but they're a big factor in getting music out there and getting people to talk about it.