Notes a music videos

Media notes on music videos.

What do we usually expect from a music video?
· The band/artist
· Instruments (the playing of)
· A story or some kind of narrative
· Dancing
· A performance
· Quick editing

The main idea of a music video is that it will sell the song. It is a marketing device used to increase record sales and create a big fan base.
In 1965 the Beetles created musical sequences for the songs ‘Strawberry fields forever’ and ‘Penny lane’. Both directed by Peter Goldman, these can be seen as the first notable music videos. These were seen as Avant-garde due to their experimental features such as slow motion and unusual camerawork. These sequences were much more sophisticated than previous musical sequences.
In the 1980’s music videos became a standard after the creation of MTV in 1981. The first song played on MTV was ‘Video killed the radio star’ by the Buggels. These videos were cheaply produced with what were then highly technical effects such as the Chrome key.
All music videos are subject to censorship to make sure no inappropriate images get aired i.e. Michael Jackson’s video for ‘Black or White’ was censored due to Michael ‘inappropriately touching himself’, ‘Smack my bitch up’ by the prodigy and ‘Rock DJ’ by Robbie Williams.
Some would argue that music videos have made pop superficially based on image due to the clothing/make-up worn in most pop videos. It begs the question ‘Are pop songs enough on their own to make meaning and pleasure for the audience?’

“A good music video is a clip that responds to the pleasure of music in which that music is made visual, either in new ways or in a way that accentuates existing visual association” –Andrew Goodwin 1992
Andrews’s rules for music videos are:
1: Music videos demonstrate genre characteristics such as dance routines are normally shown in a dance and pop videos.
2: The relationship between lyrics and visuals either contradict or illustrate the lyrics.
3: The relationship between music and visuals will illustrate, amplify or contradict what is happening on screen.
4: The demands of the record label will include lots of close ups of the artist(s). Artists may develop motifs that will reoccur across the style or videos.
5: Frequent references to the motion of looking voyeurism of the female body.
6: Intertextual references (referring to something else).