Music Videos Flashcards
define music video
- music video = a video that integrates a song /album with imagery that is produced for promotional or artistic purposes
list the 5 types of music videos
- performance
- narrative
- concept
- lyric
- animated
outline performance MVs
- feature the artist / band whilst performing
- 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
outline narrative MVs
- the artists are trying to tell a story
- is a short film based on the song with a structure of beginning, middle and end
- may have actresses/ actors or feature the artists’ themselves
- strong examples of this typology are Katy Perry and Taylor Swift
- 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)
outline concept MVs
- 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
outline lyric MVs
- 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
outline animated MVs
- 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
define intertexuality
- references to other media products in which the audience is expected to recognise
- e.g. Madonna’s Material Girl (1984) featuring Marilyn Monroe’s Diamonds Are a Girls Best Friend (1953) mise en scene
outline the history of the first MV
- 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’
outline the history of Michael Jackson’s Thriller MV
- 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
outline the launch of YouTube and its impact on MVs
- 2005: launch of YT - made viewing of online videos much easier
- some musicians began to see success because of just their online viewership
outline the censorship of MVs
- 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
name an example of MV censorship each decade from 1990-2020
- 1980s: Olivia Newton-John’s Physical; homo erotic undertones
- 1990s: Madonna’s (a widely censored artist) Like a Virgin
- 2000s: Robbie William’s Rock DJ; graphic + violent imagery
- 2010s: Rihanna’s S&M; themes of BDSM, a lesbian kiss
- 2020s: Lil Nas X’s Montero (Call Me By Your Name); provocative scenes, ‘mocking of religion’ - gives Satan a lap dance
list Goodwin’s 6 music conventions in his MV theory
1) demonstrating the genre
2) association between the lyrics of the song + 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
outline Goodwins convention;
1) demonstrating the genre
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