A music video is a short moving image product, shot to accompany a music track, usually to encourage sales of the music in download or disc form. It can also be part of the construction of a star/performer/band, a marketing tool for other media products like a film or simply an artistic artefact in itself to entertain the audience.
Goodwin's key features of a music video as a media text include,
- Relationship - between the lyrics and the
visuals, either illustrating or contradicting each other - between the
music and the visuals.
- Different music genres have a particular style
and iconography e.g. Rock music videos usually have live stage
performances.
- A close up of the main artist/vocalist and
they may develop a star iconography.
- Voyeurism, particularly in the treatment of
women e.g. the sexualisation of women in the use of fragmented body shots.
- Music videos may also include intertextuality,
references like film and TV texts or even other music videos.
John Stewart describes The Music Video as "Incorporating,
raiding and reconstructing", which is the essence of intertextuality
which involves using something the audience is familiar with to create
nostalgic associations. Stewart says a music video can also emphasise an
aspirational lifestyle to the audience.
The genres of music videos are Performance, Narrative and Conceptual.
Performance music videos include the artist as part of the video, some bands play their own music and the performance element will demonstrate their musical skill and help develop star persona.
Conventions of performance music videos include,
The genres of music videos are Performance, Narrative and Conceptual.
Performance music videos include the artist as part of the video, some bands play their own music and the performance element will demonstrate their musical skill and help develop star persona.
Conventions of performance music videos include,
- Clips from live stage performances, shots of
the artists, shots of the audience, giving a sense of atmosphere and
involvement.
- Shots of the artists in 'real-life'
situations, giving the audience access to a more personal view of the
performers, even if it still is constructed.
- Lots of close-ups of the main artist, maybe
with a direct mode of address in order to engage the audience, a spectacle
with direct interaction with the audience.
- Close-ups of the iconography suggesting the
musical genre or theme of the song, sometimes to reinforce a recognisable
motif.
- Artists may perform in unusual places which
will be lip-synched e.g. on rooftops or fields.
In a narrative music video the artist
aims to take the audience through a story of their music.
- The filming and editing will tell a story
featured or suggested in the lyrics though the narrative may give a
different interpretation from the one most obviously suggested by the
lyrics.
- The performer may play themselves or a
character they have created or the artist may not appear and the
characters in the story may all be actors.
- 'A mini film' the production values may be
high depending on the success of the band/artist
- It may have a linear structure or fragmented
with a series of seemingly unrelated narrative events.
- It may contain enigmas to maintain the
attention of the audience.
- The characters may be stereotypical
representations to communicate the story effectively.
- Elements of intertextuality e.g. the
Cinderella story in Taylor Swift's music video, 'You Belong to Me'.
Goodwin says narrative in songs is fragmented like in
poetry - non-linear, enigmatic.
Steve Archer says there can be cuts between the narrative and performance, choreography may be included creating repetition but fundamentality lip-synching and miming are the heart of music videos. The combination of narrative edited together with performance shots enhances the audience's experience and reminds them of the various facets of the performer.
Simon Frith's Typologies are,
Steve Archer says there can be cuts between the narrative and performance, choreography may be included creating repetition but fundamentality lip-synching and miming are the heart of music videos. The combination of narrative edited together with performance shots enhances the audience's experience and reminds them of the various facets of the performer.
Simon Frith's Typologies are,
- Performance - Conveys the 'concert experience'
and 'authenticity' in the Mise-en-scene.
- Narrative - Linear stories, love stories are
most popular.
- Conceptual - metaphor to create a mood or
offer multiple meaning.
The
editing techniques of music videos are usually visually stylish and at
times artistic. The editing is faster paced than film or television texts, so
there is only a short time to build up meaning. Young people have a short
attention span and need to have it grabbed and held with
producers making the videos exciting with fast editing. Music videos aimed
at older markets will be slower paced. The cutting and editing can often
link to the music, they can often break the rules of continuity editing to be
innovative and grab the attention of the audience.
Jasmine.
Jasmine.
