Why do we have music videos

and what are they used for ?

Intro

• The first music video buggles video killed the radio star this was aired on MTV on the 1st of august 1981.

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iwuy4hHO3YQ

• People might argue that its not the first music video but the only earlier possibilities were songs which were in a film or programme whereas the buggles song was the first to make their own music video specifically for the song.

• Wikipedia and other internet sources all confirm that technically video killed the radio star but other video’s could arguably contest this. But the technical truth is that this was the first music video.

Intro

• How have they changed well here is an example of one of the first music videos to a fairly new music video. Now that there is a lot more money in the music industry companies put more money into an artists song because of how available and easy to get a hold of music is for everyone to hear and with music videos the more people can see.

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W8r-tXRLazs

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F57P9C4SAW4

• I think the reason music videos are important is because it helps you to see what the artist is trying to illustrate with their lyrics. It can also help give that artist an image which they may not have been able to portray without.

• My information was mainly my personal opinion aswell as looking at this page https://docs.google.com/document/d/19zfkyXkKk3rWZxlA5ZOJlbKfRhuRqIuao_r6cNupuCA/edit?hl=en_US which thoroughly explains how it has changed but I simplified and summarised into my own version.

Purpose

• Promote – To promote the artists style or maybe a change in style a music video physically shows how the artist performs or has changed from previous performances.

• Psy – Gangnam style: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9bZkp7q19f0 his video helped to really promote his career fairly successfully with 2.25 billion views on youtube.

• Nicki minaj started off with songs like dirty money. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w56UQK7QpBw

• Now has moved onto songs like super bass https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4JipHEz53sUshe has completely changed her look and the way she wants to be seen. She used her music video’s and general appearance to do this.

• Personal opinion backed up by using this sideshow. http://www.slideshare.net/MsJMcLeod/the-purpose-of-music-videos

Purpose

• Change of image – where a artist has started off with a certain style but maybe by

changing their music style or just maturing with age. Two examples of an image change.

• Miley cyrus

• Justin Bieber

Filmed focus group

Purpose

• Outlets – imagine dragons have their own website this has all the information about the band themselves as well as any information about their either upcoming tours or previous performances. Also it has their songs and music videos on their website. The main thing about the website is how it looks and from all the album covers and pictures of imagine dragons I’ve seen so far it looks like something they themselves helped innovate rather than some random producer.

• Also they have their new album on YouTube with adverts on them also so they are making a lot of money through YouTube as well.

• Lastly they have their new album on iTunes so this is where their songs are being downloaded and getting their product as widely seen as possible.

• https://www.imaginedragonsmusic.com/ here is the link fr imagine dragons website, I used this, looked through it and found any information I needed and it backs up all my facts.

• http://www.slideshare.net/MsJMcLeod/the-purpose-of-music-videos

Purpose

• Extension of income – as well as selling their songs on iTunes plus the money from YouTube they go on tours all around the world with thousands of fans turning up to each of their events plus them headlining at different festivals.

• They also have their own merchandise to sell which includes posters of album covers and also shirts and hoodies.

• Synergy – imagine dragons created the song battle cry for transformers age of extinction. A huge box office hit all over the world pairing with a top band imagine dragons. This was definitely a good opportunity for both involved.

• https://www.imaginedragonsmusic.com/ here is the imagine dragons website to back up my info.

• http://www.slideshare.net/MsJMcLeod/the-purpose-of-music-videos

Purpose

• Synergy – this is when for example a new film needs a song for their film they find an artist or band to make a new song. This is good because the band make a new song and a top grossing movie has best music and the advertise each other in a way. People who like that band might watch the film and then people who watch the film may then go on to listen to that bands music because they liked the song in the film.

• My example is transformers age of extinction - battle cry by imagine dragons. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Dcpy5fbt_0

• As well as using Wikipedia to back up my information and how it was used for the transformers franchise. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_Cry_%28Imagine_Dragons_song%29

• http://www.slideshare.net/MsJMcLeod/the-purpose-of-music-videos

Producer strategies

• Major label

• For a mainstream artist

• Generally makes a song top of the charts, sells lots of records therefore lots of tours and merchandise.

• Large budgets fro promotional material such as music videos and promo’s.

• Predominantly mainstream music pop, rock, indie, drum and bass, rap and RnB.

• For example imagine dragons is signed to interscope records which in 2013 was named the number one charting record label.

• http://www.slideshare.net/MsJMcLeod/the-purpose-of-music-videos

• http://www.interscope.com/

Producer strategies

• Independent label

• Smaller budget

• Niche market for music genre – dance and more specific sub genres such as indie, folk etc.

• Target audience and music artist often credit music videos as an art form. Often experimental in terms of technique, equipment and narrative.

• Prepared (budget dependant) to use less experienced/ known music video directors with proven background.

• TDE Top Dawg Entertainment – big independent label representing black hippy – Kendrick Lamar, Jay Rock, schoolboy Q and Ab-soul.

• http://www.slideshare.net/MsJMcLeod/the-purpose-of-music-videos

• http://txdxe.com/newsite/

Producer strategies

• The artist

• Some artists decide to make their own music videos or record themselves.

• Often unsigned, it can be used as a promotional tool to gain fans/exposure and ultimately lead to signing with a label due to lack of knowledge of the industry as well as lack of connections.

• It may also be due to wanting to take artistic control over their image and visual content.

• Example – jonnie and brookie an American pop/rock duo who have never been signed.

• http://www.slideshare.net/MsJMcLeod/the-purpose-of-music-videos

• http://www.jonnieandbrookie.com/about.php

Styles

• In concert and as live

• Concert – This is where a band or artist/s perform live at a venue for the audience. Usually with concerts it’s a part of a tour where they perform at several or in some cases up to 50 concerts in a row.

• For example imagine dragons for their new album have starter their tour of 71 concerts for the new album smoke + mirrors.

• Concerts are a good way of giving the audience a chance to really see the band/artist to perform their new revelation and with the atmosphere it makes it more of an experience.

• http://www.slideshare.net/JwhiteheadUK/music-video-purpose-style-conventions-and-techniques

Style

• As live

• This is basically when an band/artist releases the song for listening or as a music video. So this could be a CD, iTunes, YouTube or any other music downloaders where you pay to listen to the music.

• Example – Eminem curtain call sold 3.7 million copies in the U.S.A alone this is a good example of a CD spread around the world.

• http://www.slideshare.net/JwhiteheadUK/music-video-purpose-style-conventions-and-techniques

Styles

• Animation – for example when a artist or band instead of including

themselves in the music video they make an animated video that tells the

story of the song.

• For example the band gorillaz song feel good Inc ft. de la soul the entire

video is animation apart from a screen in the video playing de la soul’s part

of the song. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pw8PpYBiDsc

• http://www.slideshare.net/JwhiteheadUK/music-video-purpose-style-

conventions-and-techniques

Styles

• Interpretive – this is when a artist/band makes a music video and the video

is slightly vague in meaning so it leads on for you to try and guess what the

actual meaning of the song is.

• My example is sia – chandelier.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=thgKGR14QYo

• http://www.slideshare.net/JwhiteheadUK/music-video-purpose-style-

conventions-and-techniques

Styles

• Narrative – this is when the music video acts out the lyrics and when you watch the music video it’s a lyrical story. Not a lot of artists/bands do this but sometimes with the mood and speed of the song it can be crucial to have a music video that does explain the lyrics.

• Shaggy – it wasn’t me

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2g5Hz17C4is&index=39&list=PLd9bvnjw9I8-lV0qkoks_Hk7pFb7tjaMB

• http://www.slideshare.net/JwhiteheadUK/music-video-purpose-style-conventions-and-techniques

Style

• Impressionist – this is when the artist/band really tries to get their music video for their song remembered.

• The gorillaz for example are very good at this as their videos also fall under animation and surrealist. Their videos are very strange and they really emphasise a songs meaning and so they leave a better image in your head. They really try to use colours and shapes in a different promiscuous way.

• Gorrilaz – feel good inc ft. de la soul

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pw8PpYBiDsc

• http://www.slideshare.net/JwhiteheadUK/music-video-purpose-style-conventions-and-techniques

Style

• Surrealist – when the music video is quite outrageous and unrealistic, and it really expands the meaning of the song and can really emphasise the lyrics as to how the artist is feeling.

• Imagine dragons are a bandf that always use quite surreal video’s to emphasise the meaning of a song for example

• Imagine dragons – its time .

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sENM2wA_FTg

• http://www.slideshare.net/JwhiteheadUK/music-video-purpose-style-conventions-and-techniques

Style

• Pastiche - this is when an artist adopts the style of another previous artist or current but has been performing previously aswell.

• For example lady gaga with Madonna. Lady gaga has adopted the same music, video and lifestyle as Madonna and made it her won but she got the idea from Madonna.

• Lady gaga - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=niqrrmev4mA

• Madonna - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=evxEOXkxRIA

• http://www.slideshare.net/JwhiteheadUK/music-video-purpose-style-conventions-and-techniques

Style

• Parody

• This is when someone takes a song from someone else and turns it into a joke and makes fun out of the artist and their video.

• For example pharrel Williams happy parody. Where they use a famous viner and youtuber to act out the song and sing the lyrics to make a joke of pharrel Williams.

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1tP-sJJHzDQ

• http://www.slideshare.net/JwhiteheadUK/music-video-purpose-style-conventions-and-techniques

Style

• Homage – this is more of a tribute to another singer or a band for a piece of music they sung.

• For example lady gaga performed at the Oscars singing a homage of the sound of music to Julie Andrews. As a look back on previous musical performances.

• Sound of music – lady gaga

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QHdkQ0XZHcQ

• http://www.slideshare.net/JwhiteheadUK/music-video-purpose-style-conventions-and-techniques

style

• Influence of commercials – this is when a artist uses a brand or product deliberately in their song. For example in the song glamorous by fergie she deliberately shows her phone as a new lg phone with the camera deliberately zooming and focusing on the phone

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q0SyUgw98tE

• Also it can be as simple as the fact that whatever popular song on youtube you want to watch you have to watch 30 seconds of advertisement at least. This is because the artists are paid money to have a advert on their music video.

• http://www.slideshare.net/JwhiteheadUK/music-video-purpose-style-conventions-and-techniques

Techniques

• Cutting to the beat – this is when the shots in the camera angle change with

the beat of the song so every time it changes note, pitch or volume the shot

would change to something else.

• For example – Adele rolling in the deep

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rYEDA3JcQqw

• http://www.slideshare.net/JwhiteheadUK/music-video-purpose-style-

conventions-and-techniques

Techniques

• Effects – these can be sound effects added into the video whether visual or

audio. This can involve partial visual effects or full green screen backgrounds

or scenes.

• http://www.slideshare.net/JwhiteheadUK/music-video-purpose-style-

conventions-and-techniques

Techniques

• Miming and lip-sync – this is a technique artists / ands use in their music video mainly but sometimes use at live performances just in case or due to incident. In music videos it is helpful for an artist just to be able to focus on their video and performance.

• For example George ezra – listen to the man.

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZS0WvzRVByg

• http://www.slideshare.net/JwhiteheadUK/music-video-purpose-style-conventions-and-techniques

Techniques

• Multi image – this is when the music video will split off into different portions of the screen and sometimes keeps splitting off further to reveal more or show more. Sometimes its quite a cool effect where for example the screen is split off into quarters and each quarter has that side of a face and all comibined different faces make one face and you see they are all singing the same song.

• My example is example kickstarts

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T9yGcKlYAiw

• http://www.slideshare.net/JwhiteheadUK/music-video-purpose-style-conventions-and-techniques

Techniques

• Camera movement – in a music video it might be a still set and have zero movement but this is when there is no acting out the song as such but you are being filmed singing the song and just doing something that can set the mood of the song. But you may use single camera technique and follow a character on their journey through the song.

• For example: david guetta – titanium ft sia

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JRfuAukYTKg

• http://www.slideshare.net/JwhiteheadUK/music-video-purpose-style-conventions-and-techniques

Technique

• Angles – varying the angles in a music video can really give a scene more depth as it can how off either more of the scene or shows it in the way that it needs to represent the song or singer as.

• Fore example lonely island – I just had sex ft. akon. This song uses a good variation of camera angles throughout the video.

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lQlIhraqL7o

• http://www.slideshare.net/JwhiteheadUK/music-video-purpose-style-conventions-and-techniques

Techniques

• I made a survey as my

research for these

certain subjects. I asked

my peers around me to

fill it out so I could use

the feedback combined

with secondary research

from the internet.

That’s my presentation