What is a Music Video?

‘What is a Music Video?’

A definition of a music video by Peter Fraser:

‘A short, moving image product, shot for the express purpose of accompanying a pre-existing music track and used to encourage sales of the music in another format’

 Key features of a music video by Andrew Goodwin:

·         There is a relationship between the lyrics and the visuals (illustrating, amplifying or contradicting lyrics).

·         There is a relationship between the music and the visuals (illustrating, amplifying or contradicting the music).

·         Particular music genres may have their own music video style and iconography (e.g.: live stage performance on heavy rock).

·         There is a demand on the part of the record company for lots of close ups of the main artist/vocalist.

·         There is likely to be reference to voyeurism, particularly in the treatment of women, but also in terms of systems of looking (screens within screens, binoculars, cameras etc.).

·         There are likely to be intertextual references, either to other music videos or to films and TV texts.

Lyrics

Lyrics tend to help establish a general feeling, mood or sense of subject matter rather than offering a coherent meaning. Key lines may play a part in the visuals associated with the song but very rarely will a music video simply illustrate the lyrics literally.

Music

A music video tends to make use of the tempo of the track to drive the editing and may emphasise particular sounds from the track by foregrounding instruments, for example a guitar, keyboard or dru

m solo.

Mise en scene/Genre

While some music videos transcend genres others can be more easily categorised. Most music channels focus on particular music genres. Watching these channels often will enable you to identify a range of distinct features which characterise the videos of different genres. These features may be reflected in types of mise en scene, themes and performance, camera and editing styles.

Camerawork

How the camera is used and how images are sequenced has a significant impact on meaning. Camera movement, angle and shot distance all need to be closely analysed. It should accompany movement of the performers but it may also be used to create a more dynamic feel to the stage performance, for example, circling the band as they perform on stage. Close ups are most commonly used because of the size of the screen and to create intimacy between the performers and the viewers.

Editing

The most common form of editing associated with music is a fast cut, also known as rapid editing, including a montage of images that are cut to the music’s rhythm, however some videos, for example slow ballads, use a slow pace and gentler shot transitions to establish a mood.

Intertextuality

The music video is often described as being ‘post-modern’. This is mainly the theory of how music videos daw upon existing texts in order to spark recognition from the audience. In the 1980’s Madonna’s video for ‘Material Girl’ drew inspiration from ‘Diamonds Are a Girl’s Best Friend’; a film from the 1950’s. The Beastie Boy’s video for ‘Sabotage’ is a direct homage to the 1970’s cops of ‘Starsky and Hutch’

Narrative/Performance

Narrative in songs, as in poetry is rarely complete and often fragmentary. The same is true of music promos, which tend to suggest storylines or offer complex fragments in a non-linear order, leaving the viewer with the desire to see them again.

- A definition by Steve Archer:

‘Often, music videos will cut between a narrative and a performance of the song by the band. Additionally, a carefully choreographed dance might be a part of the artist’s performance or an extra aspect of the video designed to aid visualisation and the repeatability factor. Sometimes the artist (in particular the singer) will be part of the story, acting as narrator and participant at the same time.  However, it is the close up of lip synch and mime of the instruments being played that remains at the heart of music videos.’

The video then allows the audience more variety of access to the performer than a stage performance can. The close up allows the viewer eye contact with their idol and the framework presents the artist in a number of ways which is not possible in a live concert.

Star Image

Music videos allow the record company to position 'their' property in a crowded marker place. The 'look' of the music video and the 'look' of the band allows the viewer to determinate if they like what they see. Fans will also have certain expectations of what they see in the music video so record companies have to be careful to give the fans what they want so they will appeal to the widest possible demographic.