Basic research:
what is a music video?
A music video is a short film that combines a song with imagery and is produces for promotional or artistic purposes.
what is the purpose of a music video?
The purpose of a music video is toe entertain the audience, tell a story, to sell or promote the track or artist, show the band or create iconography and to build a global audience.
A music video is a short film that combines a song with imagery and is produces for promotional or artistic purposes.
what is the purpose of a music video?
The purpose of a music video is toe entertain the audience, tell a story, to sell or promote the track or artist, show the band or create iconography and to build a global audience.
Music Video History:
November 8th, 1887 Gramophone invented. Now people can listen to recorded music. Before this they had to attend a concert or be able to play music themselves (an instrument or sing) to entertain themselves. October 6th, 1927 The Jazz Singer- first “talkie” movie. Before this all movies were silent and a musician would sit in the theater and play the piano. This revolutionized movies and made them what they are today (real immersive entertainment) Bohemian Rhapsody First music video: this is contested! Lots of people have lots of different opinions about this. 1968 Apple Records founded by The Beatles. The Beatles were an English rock band in 1960 1971 Asylum Records founded. Taken over in 1972 by Warner Communications (now Warner Music Group- very famous record label). It then also merged with Elektra Records. It specializes in Alternative music. Ed Sheeran is one of their current signed artists. He is famous for tracks like "shape of you". November, 1975 Bohemian Rhapsody video released. This track was very famous as it was over 6 minutes long and many radio stations didn’t want to play it. However, they did and it became a huge hit. The video shows a new direction in video because it includes lots of effects like close up shots, performance and diegetic instrumentals 1987 Money for Nothing by Dire Straits. This video was different because it had unusual cartoon characters at the beginning which at the time no music videos had, also there was a weird mixture of colours all mixed together and unusually put on through the use of graphics and colours. Another thing factor that made the music video unique was that there was a weird switch from the scene of the band playing to the cartoon characters and then to a women putting on lingerie. 1986 Papa Don’t Preach video was released. This video is an example of a story/ narrative music video. It shows a common style of the 1980's in pop music because it includes a story line, so it tells a story. Music videos have changed since Bohemian Rhapsody. I have chosen 3 videos from the last 25 years I like below. I like them because they show a range of different cinematic skills or music video styles. say something- Justin Timberlake Video 1: I like this video because it is a nutritive music video. It uses effects such as 2 shots and angles such as over the shoulder angel to tell a story. They story is based on two people starting off as small musicians to big celebrities. Lovely- Billie Eilish, Khalid Video 2: I like this video because it is a blend music video. It uses effects such as 2 shots, close up shots and angles such as high angel and eye level to tell a story. They story is about two people inside a glass prison like cave trying to escape yet stay together. Loose you to love me- Selena Gomez Video 3: I like this video because it is a performance music video. It uses effects such as extreme close up shots and angles such as dutch angel to tell a story. They story is about the main character (in this case Selena) getting over her past and moving on. |
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Technical Research:
Editing in music videos:
when editing music videos, a collection of footage/material are combined and altered to change it's original form to a new form at which the message is conveyed or to add more suspense (keep the audience entertained). There is an artistic process where the producer/editor decides to either add, delete or combine different material for many purposes, the main purpose is to make the music video as professional as possible, meaning there should be no unwanted scenes or sounds unless added on purpose.
when editing a music video there is Linear editing which contains many different techniques such as in-camera editing where the shots are structured or ordered in correct length. Also this requires many different angels and shots which Ill talk about later. Next, there is assemble editing where videos are not structured but later are rearranged and unwanted shots get deleted. This process would require different editing apps and to be able to use them professionally. There are types of assemble editing, A roll which is editing from at least 2 sources, this needs a video mixer or an edit controller to get the smooth transitions between the 2 or more sources and also to have the video synchronized.
In editing a music video the audio is either diegetic or non-diegetic This means that the music could be added onto the video itself and any sounds from the actual footage is removed and this is called non diegetic. Where music is used from the actual footage and sounds are used and edited, it is called diegetic.
when editing music videos, a collection of footage/material are combined and altered to change it's original form to a new form at which the message is conveyed or to add more suspense (keep the audience entertained). There is an artistic process where the producer/editor decides to either add, delete or combine different material for many purposes, the main purpose is to make the music video as professional as possible, meaning there should be no unwanted scenes or sounds unless added on purpose.
when editing a music video there is Linear editing which contains many different techniques such as in-camera editing where the shots are structured or ordered in correct length. Also this requires many different angels and shots which Ill talk about later. Next, there is assemble editing where videos are not structured but later are rearranged and unwanted shots get deleted. This process would require different editing apps and to be able to use them professionally. There are types of assemble editing, A roll which is editing from at least 2 sources, this needs a video mixer or an edit controller to get the smooth transitions between the 2 or more sources and also to have the video synchronized.
In editing a music video the audio is either diegetic or non-diegetic This means that the music could be added onto the video itself and any sounds from the actual footage is removed and this is called non diegetic. Where music is used from the actual footage and sounds are used and edited, it is called diegetic.
Angles/shots commonly used in music video:
In music videos there are many different angles and shots used. The first type of angle is eye level and this is used commonly in music videos to focus mainly on the icon/main character. Next there is the low and high shots and these are mainly used in pop music/ modern music. There is also the birds eye level/ angle which is used to put the main focus on where the main character is going or maybe just them. The next most commonly used camera shot is the close ups where the camera zooms into the icons face. There are many other shots and angles used however these are the most commonly used in music videos. |
Distribution of music:
There are many ways we can buy music today such as:
Radio stations still exist today. An example is HI FM . They play music of the genre pop.
People also used to use file sharing software in the 1990s/2000s. This was not legal but allowed people (mainly young) to share music they liked with others on software such as My Mp3. The quality was often poor but this was a free way to listen to music (a bit like Pirate Radio). This has been largely replaced by streaming options such as uTorrent.
Music is also distributed through online means like social media. Artists use their own iconography and fame to build excitement about their tracks. They might release teasers or trailers on their social media. Many record labels have a website and Facebook page in the same way.
One artist I have found on social media is Ali Gaitie. They use their social media to promote their music and put their music out in the public. I think this allows them to gain more fans and popularity. Also this enables them to introduce their music to their fans.
- Purchase a physical CD/tape from a shop
- Purchase a physical record from an online shop
- Purchase online versions through apps such as iTunes, Anghami amazon music
- Stream online versions of the track by downloading or opening apps such as spotify.
Radio stations still exist today. An example is HI FM . They play music of the genre pop.
People also used to use file sharing software in the 1990s/2000s. This was not legal but allowed people (mainly young) to share music they liked with others on software such as My Mp3. The quality was often poor but this was a free way to listen to music (a bit like Pirate Radio). This has been largely replaced by streaming options such as uTorrent.
Music is also distributed through online means like social media. Artists use their own iconography and fame to build excitement about their tracks. They might release teasers or trailers on their social media. Many record labels have a website and Facebook page in the same way.
One artist I have found on social media is Ali Gaitie. They use their social media to promote their music and put their music out in the public. I think this allows them to gain more fans and popularity. Also this enables them to introduce their music to their fans.
Close Research:
What are 3 types of music videos?
The three types of music video are preformance, narritive and storyline. They all differ from each other. The preformance has a preformance of entertainment that makes the audience mainly focus on the artist/singer an example of this would be in the music video of Bohemien Raphsody. The narritive music videos are like short films conveyed within the music video alongside the music and audio. An example of a narritive music video would be: Gives you hell by the All-American. The last type of music video is the storyline where a message could be conveyed and sent. An example of this would be shown in: silent running on dangerous ground. |
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Codes and Conventions of a music video:
Close Research
Codes and Conventions of a Music Video
Music videos have certain conventions that allow them to do their job.
These include:
There are also certain practical elements that need to be included like
Close Research
Codes and Conventions of a Music Video
Music videos have certain conventions that allow them to do their job.
These include:
- The style: narrative/blend/preformance
- The camera: angles/shots/movement. An example of a common camera shot for performance videos would be a close up shot of the singer’s face.
- Editing techniques: fast or slow transitions, effects etc.
- Sound effects: diegetic/non-diegetic sound. Non-diegetic sound is added.
- Mise-en-scene: make up, costumes, lighting and props.
- Representation: this includes stereotypes about genders.
There are also certain practical elements that need to be included like
- Record label
- Artist name
- Track name/album name
- Release date
- Purchasing option
A music video that I really like and will use an an example is "Call out my name" by The weeknd. It is a performance music video that got released in 2018. In the video there are many different camera shots and angles. For example, a medium shot is used int the beginning to draw attention to the icon which in this case is the weeknd. This is called iconography and next when the scene changes to the stage the low angles are then used. I think this is to give the audience a sense that they are sharing the character's perspective. There are many editing techniques that are used such as the fast transitions when in the choras that gradually slows down and also when the scene changes to the stage the camera moves very quickly and we vividly are able to see the icon which I think is used to add more playfulness to the video, and also the effect of the added bats create a suspenseful atmosphere. Looking at the sound effects used I think the main audio of The Weekend is non- diegetic as it was recorded in a studio to make the music video seem more professional. Moving on, I think the mise-en-scene is filled with different themes and different lighting as when the scene changes from the street to the stage the lighting also change. Also there is no props being used and I think this is to draw full attention to the icon which is again iconography. Looking at the representation I think that there is not a main type of gender that the video is aimed at. Next, looking at the record label and the artist's name, I believe that they are very catchy titles that could be easily remembered and unique. When coming to listen to the music video or listen to it, it is easily found in all music apps such as iTunes and Spotify which makes it easier for the audience to find.
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Analysis:
TODOROV Narrative Theory:
Tzventan Todorov is a Bulgarian-French historian and geologist. He wrote many essays and books which have had significant influences on many people.He was born on the 1st of March in 1939. He was born and grew up in Sofia, Bulgaria. Todorov's narrative theory suggests that most stories or plot lines follow the same pattern or path (haha I know you're thinking of the song now:)). There are 5 steps in this pattern which are the following:
Equilibrium: The equilibrium is the first part of the story where the characters and setting is introduced and where everything is calm and everyone is happy. Disruption: The second part of the story is where a problem occurs or something that will disrupt the happy and calm atmosphere. Recognition: This is when everyone/all the characters realize that there is a problem or the chaos. Repair: Here is where the characters attempt to repair the damage or restore the problem Equilibrium: Lastly, the final part of the story is where all the problems are resolved and everything goes back to how it was or how it was meant to be and they all live happily ever after. |
Thriller Music video by Michael Jackson:
Representation:
stereotypes in music:
In stereotypical genres you have too types of music, Chick Music and Guy Music. With Chick music you will find that there are a lot of pop seen as their singing styles are more appealing to girls, a lot of the time what is really important in chick music is the lyrics and content and how the frame is put and ordered. There are many artists who work in this music industry such as 1 Direction and Taylor swift, On the other hand you have Guy Music which doesn't really have a flow and isn't melodic, lots of genres such as rap pop and R&B appeal more to males rather than females as they talk about "the struggle", the gang and has an important status.
In stereotypical music, female artists tend to have more soft music wear with male artists they tend to have more rough/tough music, for example: Taylor Swift uses more pastel colours and a light soft voice in her music and so her music gets bought and is mainly targeted at women and young girls. An example of male music is Eminem who creates music for older men and young males and mainly uses dark colours and fast rough music.
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The music video is conveyed as a horror movie where there is a structure to the music video and the video uses a TODOROV theory. Also the music video is quite unusual as the duration of the video is 13 minutes long and an average music video lasts between 2 to 4 minutes.
At the start of the video in the equilibrium there is a red tittle to symbolize the blood which non-diegetic sounds of heavy breathing to create an intense atmosphere. Then there is the background of a dark unclear road near to a graveyard with diegetic sounds of Michael and a girl talking after the car breaks down, here the director has a clever use of 2 shots when walking alongside each other showing the main character which is Michael. Later on, he proposes to her and asks her to be his girlfriend. He then mentions to her that he is unusual or different and the girl does not believe him. Then there is a sudden change of the scenes and the moon is shown to be full and back to Michael and this is where the disruption starts to happen. At this point the music changes to suspenseful music that foreshadows the scene to come as the music gets faster. We then see Michael turning into a werewolf, Here the music gets faster making the atmosphere more suspenseful to the audience. After he runs after her and soon traps her the scene changes to a cinema theater. As hey head outside of the movie theater there is a red sign to foreshadow the scenes to come and this is were the recognition is used. Also there are non diegetic sounds of music. Michael then starts singing and dancing.Soon we see zombies climbing out of their graveyards and all start dancing. This is contrasting since the music is bubbly and fun however the scene is conveying zombies and mystical creatures. Michael's face changes from a zombie when dancing to a human when he is singing, this is to draw all attention to the main character when he is singing it is noticeable where he is and what exactly he is doing and this is called iconography. After the girl finds a house she fails to hide from (where the repair part starts to happen) the zombies and Michael as they manage to climb in the house. Then Michael is shown as a zombie with yellow eyes touching the girl. Here there is a sudden change of scenes to the girl waking up on the sofa to Michael touching her in the same way as the 2 other scenes and then tells her he will take her home and here is where the final equilibrium takes place. Finally Michael looks back to the camera with the same yellow eyes as when he was a werewolf and a zombie indicating a never ending plot twist. Here there is a non diegetic sound of laughter and the music comes back to to signify the end of the video. An example of this is shown in the music video Extreme-more than words the band breaks the stereotypes of a rock band in many ways such as having really long soft hair that flows unlike the usual which is long shoulder length hair, also they have a lot of jewelry and items of clothing that are baggy and not really showing much skin as you would expect in a rock band music video. In a rock music band you would expect to see short spiky hair, hard vocals, more instruments such as drums and electric guitar.
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How male and female artists are presented different since 1950:
During the 1950's there were not many female artists and they weren't well known, now there are many female artists and they are known worldwide. Also there weren't as many female groups as now. For example, back in the 1950's there was a girl group like The Chordettes and there were only a few that could be listed however, now there are many female artists such as Little Mix, Fifth Harmony and many others. I think that this is the main difference for female artists now however, there are many other differences such as the genres that the female artists are producing now. For example back then there were not many female rap artists that were known (if any) however, now there are many female artists breaking the stereotypes such as Cardi B and Nicki Minaj. With male artists there aren't as many differences, however I could point out the fact that back in 1950 there were not many boy bands that made music to suit females like now, for example now there is One Direction that make music targeted at females.
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Cross media links:
Product placement in music video:
Product placement in music videos is where product are placed in certain scenes to promote for people to buy when they see the main artists using it or having it. Usually the company who wants the influencer or artists to use/include their product has to sign a contract and pay the artist. For example, Ariana Grande taking selfies with a Samsung phone, Samsung would be paying Ariana to include and promote their product which in this case the phone so that her fans would buy their product. However it does not have to or need to be the icon or artists themselves holding or using the product, it could be anywhere within the frame included in the Mise-en-scene An example of this would be in ‘Wake Me Up’ music video by Avicii who is seen playing a concert in front of thousands of fans within the video and at the point 2:56 one of the fans can be seen pulling a Sony Xperia out of her pocket and taking a photograph, with the glimmering Nokia logo clearly visible and purposely put there.
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Effects on society:
I do think that music videos have made some actions and behaviors more acceptable and also changed our habits or behaviors. I think it can all ages, from kids to adults could all be effected in different ways. I think mainly the use of explicit lyrics and imagery has the biggest impact on all children and teenagers considering that they may allow them to behave a certain way or even develop habits of using inappropriate language or behavior. I think also that it makes the reality seem unreal and not many people realise this so they think it may be okay to act or proceed acting a certain way.
Social media's role in music video:
I believe that social media plays a major role in music videos and producing the music videos. Without the advanced technology and social platforms I think that many music video's would've been completely different, lots of different artists and global music videos would have never been discovered or looked at.
Controversy:
What are problems with music videos?
In music videos there are plenty of cons. They evolve around culture, religion, politics . A music video can be seen as inappropriate to a culture and may even offend that culture in many ways and that could be a huge problem with music videos since the culture or religion of who was making the music video could be utterly different to other cultures and so they offend other cultures on accident, some may argue that the producers of the music videos should be careful and considerate however, if the producer thought about all the cultures and tried avoiding offending them using the music video will either not satisfy or entertain his own target audience and so no money will be made. Another big problem with music videos is that they could clash with many religions, religions may not support a certain idea or even may be offended from certain scenes or videos. Furthermore, music videos could clash with politics, meaning the message the music video is giving out could possibly be politically wrong.
What problems/issues/complaints have there been in the past to do with specific music videos?
Music videos could have many problems, issues or complaints. In the past there have been many videos that crested lots of drama as they were considered inappropriate since they had (or didn't) wrong or incorrect child ratings, clashed with religion/culture or politics. Some music videos were even banned and not allowed to be viewed. An example of this would be in the Sepultra's arise album's music videos that was released in 1991. “Arise” was banned by MTV because of its apocalypse oriented religious imagery and scenes. Some people may not (be considered) as non-religious however many people are and most religious people/fans dislike it when their religion is shown in a violent, abrasive or in a negative way. For example some images from this video include people crucified and so that really offended many christian religions.
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Music videos (Bands):
Background of the Arctic Monkeys
The Arctic Monkeys were a band that originated from Sheffield. They were one of few bands that had the fastest selling debut album in the UK chart history. They all grew up together and formed their band whilst still at school, contrasting with many manufactured bands (like One Direction who were made in shows like X-factor). Their first album that was released very early in a demo session were burned onto CD's and distributed free to fans at gigs since many fans were already turning up to their gigs before they officially released anything. Eventually fans uploaded early songs to fire-sharing and early social media platforms such as MySpace where they got lots of recognition and publicity. They later on released their first official song on their 'Bang Bang' record label but they eventually signed to the independent record label 'Domino'.
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Similarities between Arctic Monkeys and The Beatles
Point of music video:
It's a way of promoting and marketing musical performances is through music videos where they may have more than one purpose such as telling a story or raising awareness. A music video may aim to:
- Promote both album and singles through retail outlets
- Promote new/existing artists/bands to the audience
- Entertain the audience and encourage replays
- Create visual images that convey the meaning of the story
- To raise awareness to a certain issue or on a certain topic
Main two types of music videos:
- Performance - Footage of the band performing addressing the camera-audience response
- Narrative - tells a story
Sherlock Holmes editing techniques:
Transitions in LADY IN PINK
Superimposing or split screen
Regularly, the director would do a transition between the current scene in view and what a character is thinking of whether it is another scene that may have occurred with alters or what may have happened by superimposing one scene or image next to another. In this episode Sherlock is remembering seeing a taxi stopping and eventually leaving from in front of the café that he and John were sitting and so this allows the audience and viewers to see exactly what the character may be thinking or remembering and this is a more creative way to showcase rather than just leaving the audience to their imagination because audiences and viewers tend to react and respond better to actually visuals rather than dialogue between characters. |