Music Videos Flashcards
1
Q
define music video
A
- music video = a video that integrates a song /album with imagery that is produced for promotional or artistic purposes
2
Q
list the 5 types of music videos
A
- performance
- narrative
- concept
- lyric
- animated
3
Q
outline performance MVs
A
- feature the artist / band whilst performing to the camera
- focus is on the artist(s); includes singing, dancing and playing instruments
- this typology is relevant for rock, alternative or indie and is used to showcase their talents
- is the oldest + most used + lowest budget
- mise-en-scene (make up, costume, sets) is used to mirror the meaning of the song
4
Q
outline narrative MVs + the 3 types
A
- the artists are trying to tell a story
- is a short film based on the song that constructs a diegesis (contained fictional world) with a beginning, middle and end
- may have actresses/ actors or feature the artists’ themselves
- strong examples of this typology are Katy Perry and Taylor Swift - You Belong With Me
- 3 distinct techniques for narrative: illustration (narrative based directly on lyrics), amplification (lyrics closely connected to MV) or disjuncture (narrative is detached from song meaning)
5
Q
outline concept MVs + 2 types
A
- MVs without a storyline + have no relevance to song lyrics
- based on the artist’s vision - a way to expand it
- MVs are based around one concept to open the audiences imagination to more philosophical ideas linked to the artist’s values
- may include narrative or performance but it lacks structure
there are thematic (based on a theme - setting, colour) and symbolic (different frames that build meaning with each other) types of concept MVs - e.g. Elastic Heart by Sia
6
Q
outline lyric MVs
A
- focus on the lyrics - main part of the video is text
- words may be animated in different ways
- were very popular in the early days of YT, but were usually uploaded by third party sources who didn’t have the rights
- the font + colour scheme can be matched to the theme/ genre of the song
- is more practical as its cheaper, easier to make
7
Q
outline animated MVs
A
- either are MVs with drawn animations, cartoon clips, or TV shows and movies
- dont require live action recording
- can be anthing from stop motion to CGI
- e.g. Gorillaz
8
Q
define intertextuality in MVs + an example
A
- references to other media products in which the audience is expected to recognise
- intertextuality allows MVs to; ‘borrow’ pre-established meanings from other texts, create humour, parody/ honour the referred text, create a shared experience
- e.g. Madonna’s Material Girl (1984) featuring Marilyn Monroe’s Diamonds Are a Girls Best Friend (1953) mise en scene
9
Q
outline the history of the first MV
A
- 1975, with Queen’s Bohemian Rhapsody
- Bruce Gowers was employed to make a promotional video for their song for the BBC music series ‘Top of the Pops’
- the MV is described as ‘its (the MV) influence cannot be overstated, practically inventing the music video 7 years before MTV went on air’
10
Q
outline the history of Michael Jackson’s Thriller MV
A
- 1983: one of the most successful, influential and iconic MVs of all time
- the nearly 14 minute MV, directed by John Landis set new production standards
- cost $800,000 to make
11
Q
outline the launch of YouTube and its impact on MVs
A
- 2005: launch of YT - made viewing of online videos much easier
- some musicians began to see success because of just their online viewership
12
Q
outline the censorship of MVs
A
- what may be considered offensive will differ between countries due to censorship laws + local customs/ ethics
- they can then be edited and released accordingly, but in some cases, the video may be completely banned
13
Q
name an example of MV censorship from 2020
A
- 2020s: Lil Nas X’s Montero (Call Me By Your Name); provocative scenes, ‘mocking of religion’ - gives Satan a lap dance
14
Q
list Goodwin’s 6 music conventions in his MV theory
A
1) demonstrating the genre
2) association between the song lyrics + the visuals
3) relationship between the music + the visuals
4) intertextual references
5) focus on the ‘star’ of the MV
6) voyeuristic images are featured
15
Q
outline Goodwins convention;
1) demonstrating the genre
A
1) demonstrating the genre:
- refers to the conventions associated with a music genre to give the MV its genre
- e.g. traditional conventions of rock music; dark, gothic colour and lighting
16
Q
outline Goodwins convention;
2) association between the lyrics of the song + the visuals
A
2) association between the lyrics of the song + the visuals:
- refers to the relationship between the lyrics of the song and the visual video whether its contradicting or direct
- e.g. Jessie J’s Price Tag; contradicts lyrics + visuals
17
Q
outline Goodwins convention;
3) relationship between the music + the visuals
A
3) relationship between the music + the visuals:
- if the pace of the editing and pictures that we see in the MV relate to the song’s pace
- an up-tempo song will have faster editing cuts than a ballad MV
- e.g. Arctic Monkey’s Do I Wanna Know amplifies the songs beats with the visuals
18
Q
outline Goodwins convention;
4) intertextual references + an example
A
4) intertextual references
- MVs can have intertextual references to other media texts like TV, video games, films etc
- e.g. in Iggy Azalea’s Fancy, she wears a yellow outfit infamously worn in the film Clueless
- this is done to convey who her target audience is and who her music is aimed at
19
Q
outline Goodwins convention;
5) focus on the ‘star’ of the MV
A
5) focus on the ‘star’ of the MV:
- music genres have their own style + iconography to make the ‘star’ of the MV recognisable due to their unique style
- they will be the main focus of the MV through close up shots
- e.g. Lady Gaga has created an identifiable brand for her wacky and wonderful fashion sense and hairstyles. her videos are instantly recognisable
20
Q
outline Goodwins convention;
6) voyeuristic images are featured
A
6) voyeuristic images are featured:
- there is likely to be voyeurism, particularly in the treatment of women and of the main artist
- this aims to display their attractive elements, such as their body
- e.g. Rihanna, Britney Spears, Miley Cyrus all use provocative angles and close ups of their bodies in a voyeuristic way to build heir brand image and promote sales
21
Q
outline context of Heaven by Emeli Sande
A
- the debut single from Sande
- released onto YT in July 2011
- video was filmed in Bethnal Green, London
- throughout the video, Sande is shown in several locations in London and there is repeated religious imagery
22
Q
how is Sande’s Heaven MV structured
A
- the narrative is structured by narrative disruptions caused by the wrong moves depicted in the song - shown visually in shots of people looking let down
- has an enigmatic ending that is unsatisfactory - Emeli walks away from man waiting for her at end of tunnel - reflects internally conflicted nature of song
- opens with a montage of ‘characters’ - some reoccurring
- throughout Sande is in a range of different locations shot in a range of camera angles - e.g. low, close up
- the video is centred in a gritty urban setting (imagery of buses, subway, streets)
23
Q
outline use of CGI in Heaven by Emeli Sande
A
- its use can be considered in relation to how developing tech affects media language
- the footage had been touched/ edited to look the certain way - with imperfections/ over-exposure/ washed out
- does this ‘vintage’ editing style have purpose - link with the lyrics “lasts too long”
24
Q
define iconography
A
- iconography = the pattern of signs we associate with a particular genre
25
outline the religious iconography + media language in Heaven by Emeli Sande
- Christian symbolism; e.g. imagery of shots of the cathedral, crucifix, Mary, angel, rosary, wings
- 'fear is your only god' written on a window
- celestial imagery; repeated shots of the sky, lens flare/ sunlight,
- repeated lyrics of "heaven"
- reoccurring low angle of Emeli on a rooftop that fills the frame, long shot of sky + clouds, shot of man dancing with arms outstretched - connotes joy + freedom in video
26
what are the genre codes + conventions of Heaven by Emeli Sande
- MV shows link between the video + the lyrics (e.g. Sande leaving the shot when she sings "then I'm gone")
- the video has elements of a conceptual, narrative and performance MV - e.g. shots of Sande singing, characters implying different stories
27
outline intertextuality in Heaven by Emeli Sande
- Sande's St Christopher's necklace + bright lights whilst dressed in black suggests an angelic representation/ being a 'fallen angel'
- the woman in the red dress is an archetype of sensuality
- the urban environment could be intertextual with film/ TV programmes
- the MV relies on the idea of 'the streets' established in film + TV to connote ideas of homelessness, struggle, poverty
28
outline the representation in Heaven by Emeli Sande
- rep of Bethnal Green; dangerous, poor, undesirable
- female characters; woman in red dress, W with angel wings, Sande herself
- male characters; man with headscarf, elderly M in extreme close up, M with tattooed wings
- isolation in public spheres; many characters appear alone even in the crowded urban environment
- consequences of temptation; the succession of sad faces, black + white, male + female - reflects inclusivity of video, women in red dress
- street life; montage of people, places, events shot in WC area, no dominant ethnicity, youth as norm (in predominantly young characters)
- class; celebrates urban WC life - Sande's unglamourised m-e-s is belonging to this world
29
what does the MV of Heaven by Emeli Sande represent
- Sande's aim to 'capture a real British vibe'
- the experience of ethnic minorities in 21st century Britain
- a journey
- the MV represents the negative consequences of giving in to temptation whilst celebrating street life
30
outline context of Burn the Witch by Radiohead
- released in 2016
- by the English rock band Radiohead
- uses stop motion in the style of a children TV programme (the Trumptonshire trilogy)
- follows the narrative of an inspector in an unfamiliar odd town where he witnesses sacrifices/ overall unsettling sights
- the MV can be interpreted as a criticism of authority and 'herd thinking'
31
outline the MV structure of Burn the Witch by Radiohead
- cyclical narrative structure; starts + ends with birds singing
- follows a flawed protagonist being shown a series of events that get increasingly disturbing - e.g. cross painted door, mini model village, and burning wicker man
- elliptical structure (omissions from the plot) with fades of black guiding the passage of time
- juxtaposition of the childish simplistic colourful design and the dark content themes
32
outline the ideological values presented in Burn the Witch by Radiohead
- distribution of jobs conform to essentialist gender roles
- tradition: band, maypole, festivities connote values of rural Britishness
- a critical viewpoint opposed to enforcing community and solidarity by exclusion + exploitation
33
how does the codes and conventions of BtW by Radiohead fit into its genre (animated + narrative)
- is an animated narrative MV, but visuals don't exactly match to the lyrics
- the narrative and lyrics are thematically linked
- the band is absent - no performance aspect
34
where does the animation of the Burn the Witch MV come from
- The Wicker Man; a stop motion animation
- the Trumptonshire + Camberwick Green series; a children's animation series
- the children's styled stop-motion animation BtW contrasts with the dark narrative + accentuates it
35
outline the representation of the society in Burn the Witch + its significance
- monocultural
- fundamentalist roles
- traditional hierarchal roles
- an early time period
- all of these contrast to the world in which this song was written in (liberal, anti-authority)
36
what are the 5 media language for music videos
- camerawork
- editing
- mise-en-scene
- performance
- soundtrack
37
outline the use of lyrics in Emeli Sande's Heaven MV
- this video is an amplification of the lyrics contrast
- the lyrics contrast the desire to be a better person ('Oh heaven!') with the lure of temptation - which leads to the character always letting people down
- the downbeat message of the lyrics contrasts the upbeat nature of the music - ML reflects this contrast in its gritty social realism (mirrors downbeat lyrics) + images of transcendence (reflects the title, Heaven + upbeat music)
38
outline the social realism in Emeli Sande's Heaven MV
- social realism is connoted through a range of ML techniques;
- camerawork is largely hand held + not always in focus (lens flares) which, combined with the real East London locations + natural - looking characters, connotes documentary realism
- Sande is the exception in this MV as she wears makeup, however her portrayal doesn't connote glamour (e.g. looking out of ordinary bedroom window)
- her performance doesn't include dancing + often doesn't directly address the camera
- editing style is jumpy between people, locations, time periods + moods creating a kaleidoscope of people + experiences
38
outline the theme of persecution in Burn the Witch by Radiohead
- this song is about persecution
- the MV initially appears to create a disjuncture between the song + video in representing a very sanitised animated world
- but the Postmodernist media language develops the theme of persecution within this 'normal' society
38
outline the use of media language to connote normality in Burn the Witch MV
- 'normality' is connoted by the use of simple stop-motion animation, with cheerful lighting and bright + saturated colours - reminiscent of children's TV
- media lang emphasises a traditional setting whose mythical connotations of warmth + safety strikingly contradict the paranoia + persecution depicted in the video
- the rural dress + settings are designed to connote stability/ tradition - e.g. town squares, white gates, folk costumes
38
what is generic slippage + an example of it
- generic slippage = where MVs play with genre in a way that the audience is surprised (e.g. by sudden changes in genre) or disorientated by uncertain or unreliable code + expectations
- e.g. Radiohead's Burn the Witch
39
outline music videos + technology
- the MV dates back as far as the 1960s
- it really took off in the 1980s with the arrival of music TV - e.g. MTV
- it was the development of cheap + accessible digital editing that facilitated the MV industry
- the arrival of light weight cameras, CGI + streaming platforms further advanced the use of MVs
39
outline the intertextuality in Burn the Witch
- the opening shot (bird on tree) is a pastiche of the opening shot of David Lynch's Blue Velvet + connotes the films narrative (a seemingly happy, stable, conformist world hiding disturbingly dangerous social + sexual elements)
- the narrative is a pastiche of the 1973 film The Wicker Man which, like BtW, starts in apparent normality, becomes increasingly disturbing + ends in human sacrifice in a burning wicker man - both the film + MV critique mob mentality/ conformity that can result in horrible scapegoating of outsiders
- the animation style of BtW is an intertextual reference to the 60s children's show Trumpton + Camberwick Green which were stop motion programmes that created a secure + rural social world
- the 'happy waving' workers in the greenhouse references news reports of immigrant farm workers being ordered to wave
39
outline the representation in Burn the Witch
- traditional British village: tight knit community, outsider represents urbanism through suit + clipboard, no women in charge - powerful women are witches
- this is a self-representation of Britain by British artists, but isn't a self-representation of village life by villagers
- exploitation of foreign workers: tunnels of tomato pickers who seem to be different + uninvolved in visit - they are forced to cheerily wave by man with stick
- social exclusion: the painting of red cross on door (traditional sign of plague victim) followed by a cheery wave from man inside, witch hunting reference, ominous gallows, final wicker man ceremony (community is united over brutal murder) - exclusion is normalised in this society - suggesting darkness lies underneath traditional notion of White Englishness
39
why may a music video be socially realistic
- musical artists often wish to make statements about the world they live in + wish to use social realist techniques to make a claim of realism for their representations
40
name social realist conventions in MVs
- exploration of social issues
- use of real locations
- use of non-actors
- 'authentic' performance style
- use of continuity editing, naturalistic mis-en-scene to not draw attention to the artificiality of the video
- use of documentary conventions - e.g. hand held camera, montage
- realist narrative with consistent + identifiable characters + a chain of cause and effect
41
what are the elements of social realism in Burn the Witch
- MV uses animation and horror conventions to express a social reality
41
name 3 contextual influences of Heaven
- celebrity culture
- multiculturalism
- feminism/ changing attitudes to sexuality
42
what is the specific social context reflected in Burn the Witch
- reflects liberal/ left wing concern about the growth of xenophobia + social exclusion in society - e.g. expressed in demands to reduce immigration
43
what are 3 focuses when analysing under or mis-representation in MVs
- use of stereotyping
- diversity of representations
- opportunities for self-representations
44
outline stereotyping in Heaven
- this MV positively represents ethnic + racial diversity through its authenticity of 'the street'
- in the montage of people + laces, neutral/ positive cliches + stereotypes are used; woman in red dress (sexuality), innocent children playing, mothers caring for children, ordinary street + tower block (urban WC)
45
outline stereotyping in Burn the Witch
- deliberately uses positive stereotypes, like The Wicker Man, to create a false sense of safety then counters these with negative stereotypes
- positive village: tight knit community, in consensus with patriarchal mayor, honours traditional Britishness (red post box, maypole, village band)
- alt village: pos representation of village is undermined by revelations: red cross on door, maypole as gallows, the wicker man - represented as a place of plague + xenophobia
- video avoids diversity in representing dangers of a cohesive monoculture built on xenophobia + social exclusion
- this is a self-representation of Britain by British artists, but isn't a self-representation of village life by villagers
46
how are music videos expressions of individualism + consumerism
- MVs project the identity of the individual artist(s) + offer images of identity to their audiences for consumption
- MVs encourage audiences to define themselves by music taste + the messages and values of the videos
46
outline the audience positioning of Heaven by Emeli Sande
- tries to position the audience as identifying with Emeli + her struggles to cope with the pain she thinks she inflicts on others
- this MV suggests a 'quasi-religious discourse' - the world is full of temptations that are harmful to others, but also of innocence and richness
- video carries a left-leaning ideology by suggesting sympathy from outsiders
- its diverse + multicultural
47
outline the audience positioning of Burn the Witch by Radiohead
- the positioning of this video isn't straight forward due to the ambiguity of this video
- it tries to position the audience as intrigued by the disjuncture between the song + initial visuals, and the parallels between the fictional world + modern society
- this invokes a left leaning ideology of concern about the social exclusion + exploitation of minorities and the powerless
