What is a Music Video?

What is a Music Video?• A Short film integrating a song and imagery produced for promotional

and artistic purposes. • Music Videos mainly came into focus in the 1980’s as MTV based their

format around the medium.• The origins of a Music Video came from 1849 when sheet music

publishers Edward B. Marks and Joe Stern wanted to promote their song “The Little Lost Child” through using a magic lantern to project images onto a screen simultaneous to live performances. This became a popular form of entertainment known as the illustrated song – the inspiration for the first music video.

How Can We Analyse Music Videos?The 8 conventions of a music video include:• Lyrics – establish general mood of the song• Genre – reflected in colours, themes, mes en scene• Music – tempo of music drives the editing• Camerawork – moving/tracking shots, close ups to gain connection with artist• Editing – fast cut montage • Intertextuality – a reference within the video with makes a connection with

viewer• Movies – Inspiration for music videos often comes from movies• Exhibitionism – how people are portrayed in a provocative way

Media Theorist: Andrew Goodwin• Wrote book called ‘Dancing in the Distraction Factory’ – 1992• A meta-analysis – bought together secondary research • Critiques effect on music videos on culture• Proposes an analysis for how music videos should be analysed• He references that music videos – On MTV – are a form of advertisement for an artist

and the production companiesTheorists Goodwin Looked at Include:• Mercer – all music videos fall under the cinematic genre.• Fry + Fry – they are an advertisement for artists and their media products• Fiske – they are a form of Post Modernism Television – emphasis on style of shooting

rather than content• Marcus – hip hop/rap, semiotic pornography – include a lot of exhibitionism

Andrew Goodwin: Analysing a Music Video1. Music Videos demonstrate characteristics of the genre2. Relationships between Lyrics and Visuals – visuals illustrate, amplify

or contradict the lyrics3. Demands of record company are displayed in music video –

promote artist 4. Often themes of voyeurism are present – acts of looking

Andrew Goodwin: Narrative

1. Exposition – characters introduced, atmosphere and plot revealed

2. Rising Action – event/change, conflict arises

3. Climax – main action happens/ Turning point in narrative

4. Falling Action – sense of stability is regained

5. Resolution

In Music Videos the artist is responsible for telling the narrative/story. Goodwin explains that a music video is a mix of performance and narrative enabling a blend as it is a form of advertising, essentially the narrative is normally ignored and the mix makes the medium easier to consume. A Narrative can be analysed using this method:

Music Video 1: Ed Sheeran – The A Team• This Video uses the convention of there being a relationship between the lyrics

and the visuals – as Goodwin states.• Additionally during the video we see advertisement of the artist as he talks to the

girl in the video and sits with her on the street – this scene is used to make the audience see Ed Sheeran as a gentleman and make us like the artist further.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UAWcs5H-qgQ

During this snapshot the lyrics that are sung are ‘and we’re all under the upper hand, go mad for a couple grams’ indicating a drug addition and the visual reflects this in a transaction of money and drugs. Additionally the snapshot to the right shows the artist interacting with the call girl.

2: The Script – The Man Who Cant Be Moved• This music video contains a blend of performance and narrative as Danny (lead singer) lip syncs the lyrics

throughout and we also get scenes of the band performing as a montage alongside the narrative story of him waiting for a girl at a place they always went. Additionally the music video contains themes of voyeurism as we are watching the music video and the artist is looking at a photo of the girl and also he is on the news so we are watching him on the new through the medium of the music video. The relationship between lyrics and visuals is also present through the snapshot of him on the news and talking to a man on the street and additionally when he is talking to the police officer. Additonally if we look at Goodwins use of narrative and how he uses the 5 points to plot the storyline, this music video follows as: 1. exposition – artist is established and plot of him walking down street, 2. rising action – people start to notice him and talk to him, 3. climax - he waits in wind and rain for girl and gets on the news, 4. falling action – the publicity dies down he is still waiting for the girl, 5. resolution – although it follows the previous 4 the resolution is not quite there as he hasn’t found the girl.

‘If you see this girl can you tell her where I am?’

Performance element of the video mixed with the narrative to create a blend

‘policeman said “son you can’t stay here”’

‘maybe you would mean to, but you’ll see me on the news’ – also theme of voyeurism.

3. Katy Perry ft. Snoop Dog – California Gurls• This music video features the genres of pop and rap as it features snoop dog. Marcus – a media theorist

in Goodwin's book – highlights that the genre of rap often is seen as semiotic pornography and involves scenes of exhibitionism. In this video Katy Perry is made out to be a sex symbol in short outfits and near nudity in one scene. Additionally the shot of Katy eating an ice-cream is highly sexualises.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F57P9C4SAW4

Examples of Exhibitionism used in this music video.

4. Iggy Azalea ft. Charlie XCX – Fancy • One convention of a music video is Movies – music videos are often inspired by films

that are out at that time or in the past, sometimes this can be the soundtrack for the film. In this case Iggy Azaleas video for Fancy takes inspiration from the film Clueless.

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