Research
What is a music video
A music video is a short film that integrates a song with imagery, and is produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings. There are also cases where songs are used in tie-in marketing campaigns that allow them to become more than just a song. Tie-ins and merchandising can be used for toys or for food or other products.
Music videos use a wide range of styles and contemporary video-making techniques, including animation, live action, documentary, and non-narrative approaches such as abstract film. Some music videos combine different styles with the music, such as animation and live action.
History
In 1894, sheet music publishers Edward B. Marks and Joe Stern hired electrician George Thomas and various performers to promote sales of their song "The Little Lost Child", Using a magic lantern, Thomas projected a series of still images on a screen simultaneous to live performances. This would become a popular form of entertainment known as the illustrated song, the first step toward music video.
Music video, promotional film for popular music, especially a rock song. Music videos began to be widely broadcast on television in the early 1980s. Like the commercials they essentially are, music videos may qualify as the quintessential postmodern art form: hybrid, parasitic, appropriative, often compromised by commerce or undermined by aesthetic pretension, ideally compact, and assimilable.
Bands with the clout to swing it—the Beatles, first and foremost—had begun substituting filmed clips for in-person TV appearances in the late 1960s, and bands marginalized by conventional commercial outlets—punks, first and foremost—were among the first to recognize the form’s usefulness as both sales pitch and agitprop a decade later. But music videos did not become ubiquitous until the advent of MTV (Music TeleVision) in 1981 made them an all but indispensable adjunct to marketing a song. Their stylistic foundation came from the Beatles, too, via A Hard Day’s Night and Help!—whose director, Richard Lester, freed song on film from even a vague subordination to plot or context, only to substitute silent-movie antics, the new function of which was to celebrate an attitude.
In 1975 the stir created by Queen’s clip for “Bohemian Rhapsody” showed how video could augment if not outright define a song’s qualities (whether they were virtues or vices was up to the listener-viewer). In the late 1970s key videos by Devo and other new wave artists crystallized the nature of the form—including an inherent irony that only the most earnest artists in their wake even tried to overcome, usually with hapless attempts to ignore it. By the MTV era, performance clips had been all but superseded by a conceptual approach whose characteristic surrealism was often more stipulated than invented and whose glib stylistic hallmarks quickly became clichés: associative editing, multiple dramatized situations chosen more for their visual impact than their appropriateness, an air of significance undeterred by lack of actual meaning, and a breathtaking readiness to refer to, pilfer, and rework the 20th century’s vast trove of talismanic imagery—drawn from movies, TV, painting, news photography, and so on.
One result was that in not many years virtually everything that could be tried had been. Aesthetically, music video broke so much ground early on that later would-be experimenters were often left straining for new effects. Significantly, the form’s two preeminent auteurs both peaked in the 1980s: Michael Jackson, whose groundbreaking “Beat It” and “Billie Jean” clips (both 1983), with their highly influential choreography and equally influential mood of paranoia, soon yielded to the self-indulgent braggadocio of “Thriller,” and Madonna, responsible in her prime for both one of the most acclaimed videos ever made (“Like a Prayer,” 1989) and the most deliberately salacious (“Justify My Love,” 1990). Yet in the right imaginative hands—including Madonna’s, though no longer Jackson’s—video remained a richly expressive means of establishing (Nirvana’s “Smells Like Teen Spirit,” 1991), decoding (R.E.M.’s “Losing My Religion,” 1991), or simply inventing (David Bowie’s “Let’s Dance,” 1983) a song’s essential meaning. Good songs still help, of course; while MTV exposure has helped sell many a mediocre tune, in the long run music still wins out often enough to seriously qualify if not disprove the gleeful prediction of the first clip the network ever aired—the Buggles’ “Video Killed the Radio Star.”
In the 21st century, as the importance of airplay on MTV diminished and as more and more people watched music videos on the Internet (e.g., on YouTube and MySpace) and on the smaller screens of mobile devices (e.g., MP3 players and cellular phones), the approach taken by many music video makers began to change. The visual imagery employed became less complicated and less dense, though not less arresting, and “centre framing,” which places images in the middle of the screen, became the norm. Still, bizarre or clever concepts remained front and centre, as in OK Go’s “Here It Goes Again” (2006), in which the choreographed cavorting of band members on treadmills becomes a fluid modern dance.
Unofficial Music Video
In some ways music videos have become just as or sometimes even more important than the artwork due to the way we now consume music. A video connects an artist and a listener, as well as connecting a listener to an audience. In many ways, they are an important medium for contemporary pop culture and technology.
Unofficial, fan-made music videos ("bootleg" tapes) are typically made by synchronizing existing footage from other sources, such as television series or movies, with the song. The first known fan video, or songvid, was created by Kandy Fong in 1975 using still images from Star Trek loaded into a slide carousel and played in conjunction with a song. Fan videos made using videocassette recorders soon followed.[89] With the advent of easy distribution over the internet and cheap video-editing software, fan-created videos began to gain wider notice in the late 1990s. Videos are sometimes known as OPV, Original Promotional Videos (or sometimes Other People's Videos). A well-known example of an unofficial video is one made for Danger Mouse's illegal mash-up from his The Grey Album, of the Jay-Z track Encore with music sampled from the Beatles' White Album, in which concert footage of the Beatles is remixed with footage of Jay-Z and rap dancers.[
Types of music videos
Not all music videos are made equal, and guess what? It isn’t a bad thing. There are different types of music videos that work best for different artists and different types of music. So what are they? Not to be confused with genre (which would basically be the same as film genres) this is the rundown of the different types of videos and where I’d say they’re placed best.
Performance Music Videos
This is the staple, it is the oldest type of music video and most videos consist of this. Performance music videos are exactly that, the artist(s) performing the song – but it doesn’t have to be that simple. Where are they performing? It could be in front of an audience which would make it a live stage performance, it could be at a location that matches the feel of a song like the grounds of a country house or how about in a recording studio with acoustic instruments making it a live lounge video. How it’s shot, where it’s shot and how it’s lit are important decisions to make because it will influence the outcome of the video.
The good thing about a performance video or even performance elements in a video is that it can fit anywhere and with any artist. How? Simple; you shoot in the style that suits the artist or song. It can be simple and dressed down focusing on really good lighting or it could be something huge and spectacular, it can focus on a massive dance routine or the artist’s sole performance. Take a look at these examples Beyoncé’s Single Ladies is a very stylish dance based performance video, The Pretender by Foo Fighters is a straight up band performance in a huge space and Sinead O’Connor’s Nothing Compares To You is mostly her face to the camera – okay that’s actually combined with other reflective shots but I couldn’t miss that one out.
Narrative Music Videos
Eventually people got tired of filming performances and putting them on TV like The Jackson 5’s Rockin’ Robin and realized they could use their music videos to tell stories… just like in films.In case you can’t tell from the incredibly accurate name; narrative music videos are music videos with a story; they have a beginning, middle and end. This allows directors to tell the stories they want, how they want and even in the genres they want. You can tell a story from start to finish like Drake’s Hold On, We’re Going Home, show parts of what seems like a bigger story like The 1975’s Robbers or even an alternative narrative like our very own Remedy by The New Citizen Kane where the audience makes up their own mind on the
story. This is where the film maker can really shine because they can tell a story in the genre and cinematography of their choosing, sometimes without adhering to the rules of storytelling.
Songs for the most part are already stories, even if the song doesn’t have lyrics, they all tell stories. The interesting thing here is that the story can be the song rolled out for you to see, sometimes the story is an alternative interpretation and other times the story seems to have nothing to do with the song at all but what works works like Alt-J’s Breezeblocks.
Concept Videos
Great name right? But what would be considered a concept? What is a concept music video? The best description I can give is that it is an artistic expression. There’s an idea behind it or theme that drives the visuals like Childish Gambino’s Sweatpants. Now these can be quite fun because where narrative videos can have less rules; concept videos have none. It’s a limitless playground where anything is possible. CGI? Sure. Stop motion fun? Of course. A series of shots depicting different people’s expressions? Absolutely! Interpreting a song and then bringing it to life in a way that only you (or the director) could like the hauntingly spectacular Feathers Falling by Amani.Now I’m not saying every type of video has a place, but most do. You wouldn’t imagine One Direction having an artistic concept video, this
is an approach more akin to non-mainstream or non-pop music. Due to concept music videos not necessarily telling a story (at least via conventional methods), it’s important that the video captures the feel and tone of the song and this approach doesn’t marry well with pop music and their audiences unless it’s a cross-genre like Darwin Deez and his very cool and very quirky Radar Detector – he’s an indie pop artist and a character so it works.
A Concept music video is an alternative approach for alternative artists. It is the most open and freeing approaches that make way for amazing outcomes.
Lyric Videos
It does what it says on the tin. Or does it? Okay mostly it does but that doesn’t mean there isn’t space for innovation. For anyone who’s not 100% sure; a lyric video is a music video where the lyrics appear on screen. The first level of innovation came by making the font and visuals match the song – sweet font and vibrant colours for a bubble gum pop song, edgy font and more hard-core imagery for heavy metal. The next level of innovation was the style of animation for the visuals and text – slow and sexy or fast and impactful. Those are the basics and can be seen in Jodie Abacus’ video I’ll Be That Friend. Notice the vibrant images matching the tone of the song and the font design? It feels right. But lyric videos don’t stop there, it can even be fused with other video types to create something cool and new. Take
Ariana Grande’s Everyday which fuses lyric and performance videos or one of my personal favourites Suit & Tie from Justin Timberlake ft. Jay Z which combines lyric, narrative, concept AND animation! Now how cool is that?
In the music video industry lyric videos serve more of a practical purpose; usually as a place holder until the actual music video is made, a video for when the artist isn’t available for a shoot or a less expensive option. These aren’t bad things and I wouldn’t go as far as calling lyric videos a Plan C option or even Plan B, it just serves more as a function and simpler option. Lyric videos are relatively new and have been evolving fast.
Animated Music Videos
First things first; the term “animation” is an umbrella term. We sometimes get artists saying they’d like an animated music video, here’s the thing; that could mean anything between cell animation like old fashioned cartoons, CG like Monsters Inc, stop motion like Wallace and Gromit, filming against Green Screen then placing them into another environment and many other variations. They all require different skill sets and disciplines, each very respectable. Animation is basically giving movement to something. In the context of music videos animation can be applied to all types; it can be a narrative stop motion video, a performance video against green screen or a 3D CG concept video full of fun and weird shapes.
Animation is by definition – versatile. Animation should only be used
when it’s right, it should feel right and not used as a gimmick. I’m a huge fan of stop motion and the amount of skill, talent and discipline that goes into it and history has some fantastic examples (yes of course I’m going to show you): Nina Simone’s My Baby Just Cares For Me used Claymation stop motion, Peter Gabriel’s Sledgehammer used both stop motion (animating objects) and pixilation (animating people) and a personal favourite of mine Her Morning Elegance from Oren Lavie is particularly inventive. Animation opens new windows of opportunity. When you are limited by what you have; animation makes the options limitless.
Music Video Techniques
Cutting to the beat
Cutting to the beat is a way of editing a video so that each clip changes at the same time as the beat of the track. Most clips use a 'cut' transition, so you generally 'cut to the beat' of the music.
"Wings" is a single by Little Mix, which was released in 2012. The band has 4 members and the beat is in common time (time signature = 4/4) which works out really easy for the music video. Most of the time, the cuts are to the beat of the song and the cuts include all 4 girls every time. This is a good effect for dance related music videos; as shown there is a dance sequence in the video.
Effects
Visual effects are a way of adding more of a narrative and can normally create more excitement into a music video. Sometimes an audience will be so interested in the technology behind the effects but sometimes they just like the idea of adding more of a story and colour to the video. It keeps them entertained.
"We Made You" is a single by Eminem and was released in 2009. Throughout the video, there are many visual effects that are used with a green-screen e.g. Eminem singing through fire. There are also effects such as the car turning into a transformer, or the effects represented by the Star Trek reference Eminem was conveying. This is a good technique because it keeps the audience entertained and they want to watch the whole thing because they want to know if there are any more effects to look out for.
Miming and Lip-sync
Miming and lip-syncing is a way of linking the video with the song so it gives the allusion that the artist is singing. This technique is used on the majority of music videos.
"Rockstar" is a single by Nickelback and was released in 2006. The video features random people around the country, miming and lip-syncing along to the recorded version by Nickelback. This effect makes it look more fun and entertaining because we know that a lot of people will relate to the scenario of the song.
Playback and Lip-sync
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Playback and lip-sync is a technique that is used to create the allusion of a video being in slow motion, but the lip-syncing is still timed with the correct speed of the music. So when recording the footage, the music will be doubled in speed and recorded. And then when the video comes to being edited, it is slowed down by 50% so that the lip-syncing is timed right but it still looks slow.
"Burn" is a single by Ellie Goulding that was released in 2013. The song features a lot of lights and people running around having a good time, but almost all of the footage has been slowed down, however the lip-syncing to Ellie's music is timed to perfection. The technique creates a dreamy looking effect that makes Ellie come off as quite angelic and pretty. A fan of Ellie Goulding will know that most of her music videos use the playback and lip-sync technique regularly.
Multi-Mage
Multi-mage is a technique where multiple videos are on one screen. This generally shows more than one thing going on and the editing is critical with this technique.
Pentatonix is an acapella group, and they produced a medley of songs by Daft Punk. The creative part of this video was the use of multi-mage because there are 5 members of the band. The editing was done very well and also used the technique of cutting to the beat because each cut refers to a video changing position. The size, timing and position of each video was excellent and it was entertaining to watch.
Camera Movements
Just like in any other form of video media, there will always be certain camera movements that are used for different reasons; an establishing shot will generally set the scene at the beginning; a long shot will normally set out the location of a closer scene, so the audience have a better understanding of the atmosphere; mid shots and close ups will be used to see the artists face and see their emotions depending on the music style; extreme close ups would normally be used if the music video wanted to capture emotion, and so an extreme close up on a tear rolling down a cheek might be used. Whereas, different movements can also be chosen depending on a scenario; tracking is used to follow a band, which could be used if it is a continuous shot; a panning shot will normally be used to set another scene and show the audience the surroundings.
"Hollaback Girl" is a single by Gwen Stefani and was released in 2005. Throughout the music video, there are multiple shots of different tracking and panning shots which are slow and fast. It gives the music video a good sense of energy because they're always on the move and presents the artist in a lively way. There are also a lot of camera shots as well which makes the music video look a lot more productive and visual; we know exactly whats going on and where about they all are as well as knowing everyones expression.
Camera Angles
Just like movements, camera angles make a huge impact on the meaning and style of the music video. Wherever a camera is placed can show the power of the artist/characters. Or sometimes it can show an exact location from where we should be seeing it. By choosing different angles, the viewers have a different view of the action, which makes it more interesting and everybody will have their own way of watching it.
"Salute" is a single by Little Mix that was released in 2014. The song is about how women need to tackle equality in the world and stand up for themselves. The music video features a lot of different angles and movement, but particularly from a low angle view. This is because the music video needs to demonstrate the power that the girls need to have to overcome this problem. With the girls up high or, the camera down low, we are looking up at them as leaders, which is what they want viewers to feel like when watching this music video.
Chroma Key
Chroma Key effects are when music videos are shot in front of a green screen. This means that a block colour is put behind the artist and is replaced by another picture/video. Sometimes the quality doesn't always look as good if the background is of a specific location but they are sometimes used for upbeat dance songs. A lot of music videos use chroma key to add a comical sense to their music. It's a technique used to try and interest and entertain the viewers more. Chroma key is also a good technique when the budget for a music video isn't very big.
"Kiss You" is a single by One Direction that was released in 2013. The video is surrounded by chroma key effects. They have used this to create that comical side of their personalities. We even sometimes see the works behind the chroma key when they are being filmed. It makes them look fun and entertaining. It also makes them look friendly because they know they don't need a big budget to make their fans happy.
Music Video Conventions
Conventions of music videos are the style of rules that most people follow sub-consciously. Every music video tends to follow some sort of convention that every other music video does. Sometimes they can be really different but it is not obvious at times.
Lyric Interpretation
Lyric Interpretation is the way that someone watches a music video in relation to the lyrics of the song. This convention is popular because a lot of people like to have their own view of what they think it means.
"Just" is a single by Radiohead that was released in 1995. The music video features a man who lies down in the middle of the street, while people around him try to work out why he's there. Throughout the entire video, everybody's speech is muted and is replaced by subtitles. During the music video, the man refuses to tell them the reason for his behaviour in the whole video, however at the end of the music video he tells them but the subtitles cut out, before everyone who was interrogating him start lying on the ground with him. We (the audience) are automatically guessing what he had said that could have changed everybody's minds.
The good thing about it, is that people remember the video more than the music, which gets them recognised and people will just remember them for this video.
Extending or Consolidating Song's Meaning
To capture the viewer's attention and emotion, a director will produce a music video that generally expands the songs meaning and "tug at your heart strings". Sometimes they will normally have a different meaning to the lyrics. So it's almost like lyric interpretation but there is a clear meaning, even if it doesn't represent the lyrics.
"Beautiful" is a single by Christina Aguilera that was released in 2002. The music video features many people sitting/standing/lying around half naked, which depicts that they aren't very happy with their bodies and the way they look. This music video uses this convention a lot because it definitely gets people emotional when watching, especially because most people can relate to it. Even when she says "I am beautiful...", it doesn't just mean her appearance, but her personality as well which is how the song extends the meaning.
Allusion
Allusion in music videos is a convention that is related to the styles of referencing or pastiche. It makes a reference to something else; very similar to intertextual referencing.
"Right There" is a single by Ariana Grande featuring Big Sean, and was released in 2013. The music video uses the allusion convention to represent the movie Romeo and Juliet. This is effective because it gives a hint to the audience about the style of music or song meaning before it has even started. After the first 20 seconds, we already know that the song is about love and being happy in love.
Links to other Artist
This is a convention that is very similar to allusion in the way that it references other artists, but it generally features an artist in the music video.
"Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.)" is a single by Katy Perry that was released in 2011. This music video features another artist named Rebecca Black. I like this convention because it references another artist and promotes them as well as the main artist. It also shows a bond between the two artists and sometimes can lead to future productions together.
Popular Music Genre
There are many different genre's for different music videos. Certain music genre's have better or more popular music videos because they have a specific record label.
Pop
Comedy
Electronic
Hip-Hop
Rock
Country
Music Video Styles
Surrealist
Surrealist music videos are videos that contain a style that are so strange and unreal that it's almost impossible that the situation would ever happen. Surrealist videos sometimes contain a lot of animation. They are sometimes fun and exciting which does appeal to younger children. But some music artists take an impression of a certain artist or sculptor and use their style in the music video.
"Year 3000" is a single by Busted that was released in January 2003. The song describes how the band thinks the world will be like in almost 1000 years. As you could imagine before even listening to the song or watching the video, this idea has endless possibilities for imagination. So surrealism in this video is almost vital.
The story follows Busted getting into a "flux-capacitor" which travels into time to the Year 3000. To make the story more interesting they used animation as well. This video is full of colour and excitement which draws the viewers in.
I think this video will appeal to younger audiences because of the colour, animation and excitement. The scenarios are absolutely ludicrous which makes it more fun and entertaining to watch. The creators must have thought that it has to be totally out there because surrealism means that it isn't real or would never happen. So they can be as imaginative as they want to.
Animation
Animation is a growing new form of music videos. Some genres tend to use more animation in their music videos. It is more common in Indie Rock and sometimes Dance. There are three types of animation style music videos: traditional hand-drawn, stop motion and digital. Animation videos tend to be more quirky and unusual because they can be as impossible and outrageous as they can.
"Move Your Feet" is a single by Junior Senior, that was released in May 2003. The style of music generally fits into the pop/hip-hop genre of music. So to portray that same style in the music video, they had to create something original and upbeat.
This music video is the band's most notable video because of its Shynola Animation Art theme that involves a pixel art figure of Junior Senior and a squirrel. Throughout most of the video, we see the figures dancing as well as a lot of colours and lyrics.
This video appeals to younger audiences of 10 - 30 year olds because of the fun and animated content that will interest everybody.
I personally, really like this video because its something different, original and fun, but quite simple. Some might say it's ridiculous, but it grabs people's attention and they'll always remember it.
In concert
In Concert music videos have a sense of realism and they appeal to viewers who perhaps cannot go and see them in concert all the time, so they can see what it looks like for a change. It also might give viewers an incentive to go and see the band live. Sometimes they can be staged to look like they are live.
"Feel This Moment" is a song by Pitbull featuring Christina Aguilera that was released in January 2013. The song is about stopping to take a moment and appreciate life. Set to a thumping club beat, the rapper spits "Lets stop time and enjoy this moment."
So I would guess that he tried to think of something that would be a great 'moment' in his life; watching a crowd of people screaming his name to his music. Throughout the music video, we see some shots of him wearing casual clothes, rapping alone in a small room , before (in an expensive suit) he jumps/walks/elevates into a huge arena filled with thousands of screaming fans. It gives a kind of realism to the video and shows how he is living his dream right now.
The video has got a black and white effect throughout which I think is a good way of showing his life; its almost as if its a flashback. I think Pitbull was trying to show his viewers that he is really grateful for the opportunities he has had.
I really like this video because it uses a nice personal style into Pitbull's life. The crowd is immense and the song works really well with it. It almost gives the viewers a 'concert experience' so it will make them want to actually see them live.
Pastiche
Pastiche music videos represent a small imitation that is used respectfully from another form of media i.e. film or TV show. This idea is a good way to get a bigger audience because fans of the artist will know about the imitation and the fans of the other form of media will find out about the artist.
"Material Girl" is a single by Madonna that was released in November 1984. The song is about a girl who loves diamonds and jewellery and material gifts.
The music video shows Madonna wearing a rich expensive pink dress and showered in diamonds and jewellery. She is surrounded by a lot of men dancing with her.
The music video is referenced to the 1953 film, "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes" starring Marilyn Monroe, and mimicked the performance of "Diamond's are a Girl's Best Friend".
I like the idea of referencing films or other music videos into an artists video because it gives an opportunity for the fans of the artist to appreciate other work. So in this example, the fans of Madonna might want to watch "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes" because they know it is one of Madonna's inspirations. And also, fans of Marilyn Monroe or the film, (or the song), will be aware of Madonna's work.
Impressionist
Impressionist means "an artists take/impression on something". So music videos that have a particular theme or style that is portrayed in a unique way by the artist means that it is an impressionist music video.
"Get Away" is a single by Snoop Lion featuring Angela Hunte and was released in January 2014.
The music video fits into the style of both animation, homage and impressionist. It pays homage to the '90s themed Pokemon Games. Nostalgia will flow for fans of the classic Game Boy release as they watch an 8-bit version of Snoop Lion patrolling the reconstructed world reminiscent of the original games.
He even battles a trainer, Major Lazer, who co-produced the track.
I like this idea because it is almost a form of referencing and this video will appeal to Snoop Lion's fans as well as fans of the Pokemon games.
From this video, we can easily guess the target audience, which would be young teenage boys who love game consoles such as Game Boy, Nintendo DS, Playstation Vita etc.
Parody
Parody music videos are designed to mock or tease an original piece of work, normally in a bad way. It is very similar to pastiche, except it generally has a bad and funny way of representing it. Parodies have got a lot more popular in recent years and some Youtube Artists have become famous because of their parodies.
"22" Parody is a single by Bart Baker that was released in April 2013. It is a parody of the single "22" by Taylor Swift.
In the original music video by Swift, she goes through a day in life when she is 22 years old and shows how most people at her age are at the point in their lives when they can have so much fun.
But in this parody version, Baker uses the same tune but doesn't mock the original meaning of the song. In this video, we see Bart dressed as Taylor and talks about how she wants revenge on her boyfriends that dumped her.
Parodies normally mock certain songs and generally have a very obvious comedic theme to them. The purpose of parodies are to make people laugh and also promote the original music video.
Interpretation
Interpretation is a form of music video that means a literal style of video. This means that whatever you hear in the song, is exactly presented in the video. Sometimes it can be word for word in the lyrics, or sometimes it could be an overall story in the theme of the song.
"Get Lucky" is a song that is performed by Daft Punk, however it was covered by Skylar Grey. She re-creates her own version of the song and music video. Throughout the entire video she shows how she is literally very lucky. In the 4 minutes of this video, she wins a car in a game show, she passes every green light when she drives home, her single goes straight to number one in the charts, she scores hole in one in golf and wins a big cheque for $10,000, she wins 4 awards, she wins a giant fish at a carnival game, and she comes home to an attractive fireman who proposes to her. The entire video is entertaining to watch because of the amount of lucky things that happened to her. As anyone can imagine, the budget was probably quite huge.
I think this video appeals to kids and teenagers because of the comical sense in each scenario, as well as the amount of colour that is involved.
Homage
Homage style music videos mean that the video pays a tribute to a particular time or event. It is a way for artists to show their respect to others. These videos can influence viewers and make them remember or sympathize for a specific time or place.
"Hey Brother" is a song performed by Avicii. The music video was released in December 2013. This music video pays homage to the men and women of the armed forces in the US. The video contains clips from the Vietnam War and shows a young boy who imagines his father (who died in the Vietnam War) as the older brother he never had.
By paying a tribute in this video, viewers are made to empathize with the young boy and the other families of the world who are going through this.
It also makes you think about how lucky you are in regards to the life you have. Sometimes people think they have a hard life, but compare it to other's lives (the music video scenario for example) it's not actually bad. I don't think the intention was to make viewers feel guilty, but to appreciate the things they have in life more.
I think this video appeals to late teenagers and adults because the content is probably too serious for children to understand. And it may appeal to people who have siblings more as well, since they can understand what it's like to have a brother or sister that is there for you.
Referencing
Referencing in music videos is a way of portraying a certain other subject. Soundtrack videos sometimes have references to the film themselves. If a music video contains certain references from a film then it creates a bigger audience, a lot like pastiche films.
"Telephone" is a single by Lady Gaga featuring Beyonce. The music video has a lot of references to films by Quentin Tarantino. Lady Gaga herself says in an interview, "There certainly is a Tarantino-inspired quality in the video."
The most straightforward Tarantino reference comes from the "Pussy Wagon" that Lady Gaga and Beyonce drive; Uma Thurman steals and drives the same one in Kill Bill Vol. 1.
Beyonce's nickname "Honey Bee" in the video is a clear reference to "Honey Bunny" which was the nickname given to Yolanda, who was one of the two robbers in the famous diner scene of Pulp Fiction.
The "To Be Continued..." title card at the end of the video is a great similarity to John Travolta's line in Pulp Fiction.
The font, style and colours of the text in the video are very similar to the text in Jackie Brown.
When the two girls are having banter in the car, it is a very clear reference of the style in Death Proof.
Before the music video of "Telephone" was created, Lady Gaga had a meeting with Quentin Tarantino and discussed the plot and style of the music video, so there was a big reason that all these references were made.
Music Video Theorists
Andrew Goodwin
With music running through all of his life, Andrew Goodwin has developed many different features to what makes a music video so good, and so successful.
Seeing the music: Editing cuts so that it corresponds with the music, and the beats within it. In a music video Goodwin says that you should structure the song itself and link that to what you film for it. This means that there'll be different scenes for different verses and maybe repeated ones for the chorus.
Narrative & Performance: Sometimes songs don not specifically show what their lyrics mean, so you have to use video to do this. Narrative & performance of a song should keep the audience thrilled and wanting to watch the video over and over. Repeatability is also key, as well as the artist acting as not just a musician, but also an actor/performer to advertise the product being sold, the song.
Star image: The artist doesn't just have to be an actor, performer or musician, they have to be the 'Star'. The artist has to have a specific image, whether it be a style of hair, or clothes or even dance moves. For example, Elvis has the hair and the moves and likewise, MJ has his dress sense and his 'Moonwalk'. This gives the audience something to remember the artist for, and makes them stand out to the rest.
Relation of visuals to song: Specific lyrics, give specific images to each individual. It is the director and the band/artist's job to pick the objects to fit the mood of the song, and to corroborate with the genre also. Repeatability is also used to 'Amplify' certain meanings to certain placed objects in a video.
Technical aspects: One of the most important ones (to the director especially) is how the music video is made. There has to be a heavy focus on camerawork, movement, editing, mise-en-scène, lighting etc. etc
Arguably Andrew Goodwin's theory does relate to a lot of music videos in this modern day, but I would also argue that that is only the truth in the majority on one genre, Pop. In other genres such as Rock, Punk or Alternative this isn't necessarily the case.
Carol Vernallis
Likewise to Goodwin, Vernallis also has a number of theories or concepts that relate to the way a music video is produced, performed and seen.
These concepts are:
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Narrative: The visuals are the response to a piece of music, but there doesn't always need to be a narrative. There are many aspects to 'Narrative' that Vernallis explores, first of all she says that there must be a driving force for the music video but this may not necessarily be the Narrative of the song. The Narrative may appear to be incomplete or the music video will end with no clear conclusion and it will also be presented in a 'Montage-style' with no indication of its meaning but the song itself and the visuals presented. However the Narrative (if any) will often pose questions to the audience, and leave them thinking. These point all link to each other, and it enforces the point of a music video not only being an advert but a piece of Art for many. It's two creative cultures merging into one in order to provoke an intense amount of varied emotions.
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Editing: The editing for any video is key, but for a Music Video it's extremely important. Vernallis talks a lot about the relationship with the visuals and the music ( a lot like Goodwin), she specifically talks about the editing and its match with the musical phrase or beat. Another important aspect of this particular concept is the idea that in music videos the rules for continuity editing should be thoroughly broken. This could be done either through jump cuts, extreme changes in pace, breaks in the 180 degree rule etc.
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Camera Movement and Framing: Extremity in music videos seems to be a recurring theme within this theory of Vernallis', and this concept is no different. Extreme close ups, Fisheye shots, and jumps in shot changes is part of this extremity and will feature in many music videos. Each video may have a specific way of using the camera shots, movement and framing and this 'style' will be distinctive to that video. Seeing a music video as art form, this type of aspect works very well as it allows for creativeness and innovation in the filmmaking world.
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Diegesis (the world in which the music video is created): The themes of extremity, creativity, and curiosity are recurring so it's almost ironic that the next aspect is all about the repetition of shots, colours, performance etc. Repetition is key in a music video because it allows the musician to get their message across through the concept of quantity, and it also means that they can create a world for their song (via the video) that leaves certain objects in everyday life connotations for the audience to perceive and recognise. Vernallis also says though that the diegesis for a music video may be revealed to the audience slowly. Curiosity and the constant jumps of space or time is the same in this diegesis concept too. This does add to the 'Wacky-ness' of a video, but in many ways it makes it more interesting, and something visual appealing.
Vladimir Propps
Vladimir Propp focused on looking at narrative folk tales. He noticed that the folk tales were all very similar and they followed a structure. This is where he formed his theory about characters and actions as narrative functions. He formed the theory that characters all have a distinctive narrative function.
Vladimir Propp states that characters take up roles in their narratives. He identifies seven different characters necessary to make up a narrative.
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The Hero
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The Villain
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The Donor
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The Dispatcher
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The False Hero
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The Helper
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The Princess
Therefore, his theory being more suited to films rather than a music video due to the designated character choice. However, there are certain aspects of Propp’s theory in specific music videos. An example music video of where Vladimir Propp’s theory has been embedded is Demi Lovato – Confident. The protagonist/artist in the video is seen to be the Princess who is in danger and needs help, therefore outlining a clear villain role in the music video as the protagonist is captured.
Roland Barthes
Roland Barthes theory was based on the Idea that music videos can either be open or closed
if the music video is "open" it means that it is open to interpretation and the video can be seen in a variety of different ways where as "closed" music videos have a specific meaning in mind resulting in other interpretations of the music video being "incorrect." Barthes theorised that to gain an interpretation of a music video, one must reflect on their own personal life experiences to help relate to the video to gain an interpretation.
Barthes 5 narrative codes:
Barthes believed that these 5 narrative codes where the most important factor when trying to interpret media narratives and he believed that all media texts contain at least one of the following narrative codes:
-Enigma code: this describes the idea of a hook/mystery being introduced to the audience for them to solve.
-Action code: this is the action and suspense used traditionally used for escapism to entertain the audience and immerse them in the text.
-Semantic code: elements of the text which imply, suggest or refer to additional meanings in the media text.
-Symbolic code: this is about conveying meaning through symbolism as well as character development, contrast and tension.
-Referential code: this deals with references within a media text to an external body of knowledge.
Genre
A music genre is a conventional category that identifies pieces of music as belonging to a shared tradition or set of conventions. It is to be distinguished from musical form and musical style, although in practice these terms are sometimes used interchangeably. There are numerous genres in Western classical music and popular music, as well as musical theatre and the music of non-Western cultures. The term is now perhaps over-used to describe relatively small differences in musical style in modern rock music, that also may reflect sociological differences in their audiences. Timothy Laurie suggests that in the context of rock and pop music studies, the "appeal of genre criticism is that it makes narratives out of musical worlds that often seem to lack them".
Music can be divided into different genres in several ways. The artistic nature of music means that these classifications are often arbitrary and controversial, and some genres may overlap. There are several academic approaches to genres. In his book Form in Tonal Music, Douglass M. Green lists madrigal, motet, canzona, ricercar, and dance as examples of genres from the Renaissance period. According to Green, "Beethoven's Op. 61 and Mendelssohn's Op. 64 are identical in genre – both are violin concertos – but different in form. However, Mozart's Rondo for Piano, K. 511, and the Agnus Dei from his Mass, K. 317 are quite different in genre but happen to be similar in form." Some, like Peter van der Merwe, treat the terms genre and style as the same, saying that genre should be defined as pieces of music that share a certain style or "basic musical language".
Others, such as Allan F. Moore, state that genre and style are two separate terms, and that secondary characteristics such as subject matter can also differentiate between genres. A music genre or subgenre may be defined by the musical techniques, the styles, the context, and content and spirit of the themes. Geographical origin is sometimes used to identify a music genre, though a single geographical category will often include a wide variety of subgenres.
Several music scholars have criticised the priority accorded to genre-based communities and listening practices. For example, Laurie argues that "music genres do not belong to isolated, self-sufficient communities. People constantly move between environments where diverse forms of music are heard, advertised and accessorised with distinctive iconographies, narratives and celebrity identities that also touch on non-musical worlds."
Different Genres of Music Videos
Indie Pop
The music video for "Somebody That I Used to Know" was produced, directed and edited by Australian artist Natasha Pincus and filmed by Australian cinematographer Warwick Field. It shows Gotye and Kimbra naked throughout the clip, and as they sing, his skin is gradually painted into the backdrop via stop motion animation. In the director's cut, this went as far as to feature concealed nudity, though this version was never posted.[citation needed] The video's background is based on a 1980s artwork created by Gotye's father, Frank de Backer, who also designed the cover art for the related album, Making Mirrors. Emma Hack, an Australian artist and skin illustrator based in Adelaide, was hired by Pincus to work on the body paintings for Gotye and Kimbra. Melbourne Scenic Artist Howard Clark painted the backdrop. According to Hack, it took more than 23 hours to paint both Gotye and Kimbra to fit with Howard's background. Their painting symbolises their combined relationship.
Rock
Rock music is a broad genre of popular music that originated as "rock and roll" in the United States in the early 1950s, and developed into a range of different styles in the 1960s and later, particularly in the United States and the United Kingdom.
"Animals" is an instrumental by Dutch DJ and record producer Martin Garrix, released as a digital download on 17 June 2013 on iTunes. The song quickly became popular within the EDM culture, leading to Garrix becoming the youngest producer to ever have a song reach number one on the electronic music store Beatport.
Dance
Dance music is music composed specifically to facilitate or accompany dancing. It can be either a whole musical piece or part of a larger musical arrangement. In terms of performance, the major categories are live dance music and recorded dance music. "Lean On" is a song recorded by Jamaican-American electronic dance music group Major Lazer. Featuring French DJ and record producer DJ Snake with vocals from Danish singer MØ. It was released on March 2, 2015 as the lead single from Major Lazer's third studio album, Peace Is the Mission (2015).
Country
Country music, also known as country and western (or simply country), and hillbilly music, is a genre of popular music that takes its roots from genres such as blues, American folk music (especially Appalachian and Western music. Its popularized roots originate in the Southern United States of the early 1920s. "Good Vibes" is a song co-written and recorded by American country music singer Chris Janson. It is the lead single to his third studio album Real Friends. Janson co-wrote the song with Zach Crowell and Ashley Gorley, the former of whom also produced it.
Hip-Hop
Hip hop music, also called hip-hop or rap music, is a genre of popular music developed in the United States by inner-city African Americans and Latino Americans[8] in the Bronx borough of New York City in the 1970s. It consists of a stylized rhythmic music that commonly accompanies rapping, a rhythmic and rhyming speech that is chanted. "Get Low" is a song by American rapper Lil Jon & the East Side Boyz, featuring American hip hop duo Ying Yang Twins, released as a single in 2003. It first appeared on the 2002 album Kings of Crunk. The song reached number two on the US Billboard Hot 100 behind "Baby Boy" by Beyoncé featuring Sean Paul and number 20 on the US Hot Digital Songs.
Genre Theory
The genre theory bases it self on codes and conventions of the type of genre you choose, this means everything that should be included in that certain genre i.e. an R&B music video would be shot in an urban area or club, themes and setting etc.
The codes and conventions are the same every time for the same genre, the only thing that’s different is the style in which the director directs the music video, such as techniques, camera work styles etc. The genre theorist Professor Steve Neale is an analytic philosopher and specialist in the philosophy of language who have written extensively about meaning, information, interpretation and communication he declares that ‘’Genres are instances of repetition and difference’’ he states that difference is good as more repetition would be boring and would attract an audience.
Genre refers to the type of music and music video, each genre has it’s own characteristics, techniques, setting, themes etc. Which can be identified and recognised by an audience as that specific genre.
THEORISTS
• Knight argues that ‘’making sense of texts in genres is an active process of creating meaning.’’
• Duff is like many other theorists, he believes ‘’that genre is evolving over time and that conventions are a result of agreements between the author and reader.’’
• Sonia Livingston says that ‘’Different genres specify different contracts to be negotiated between the text and reader’’ again like Duff.
• Nicholas's Abercrombie says that ‘’Media producers should stick to using the typical conventions in a music video or film, as audiences are guaranteed to like them and identify with them easily.’’
• Andrew Goodwin says that – ‘’Music videos are often constructed by the link between the visuals and the song plus the artist. Relationships are built between these in the video, and the close-ups of the artists gives them the representation and publicity they require. Voyeurism is used to incr
Andrew Goodwin a music video theorist numbers a load of features which are identified in a music video these are:
A relationship between the lyrics and the visuals, with the visuals illustrating, amplifying or contradicting the lyrics.
A relationship between the music and the visuals, with the visuals illustrating, amplifying or contradicting the music.
Genre-related style and iconography present.
Multiple close-ups of the main artist or vocalist.
Voyeurism often plays a major part, especially in relation to females.
Intersexual references to other media texts may be present.
ease the video’s attractiveness, particularly to males, whilst inter sexuality is often employed in humorous videos.’’
ANDREW GOODWIN
Andrew Goodwin a music video theorist numbers a load of features which are identified in a music video these are:
A relationship between the lyrics and the visuals, with the visuals illustrating, amplifying or contradicting the lyrics.
A relationship between the music and the visuals, with the visuals illustrating, amplifying or contradicting the music.
Genre-related style and iconography present.
Multiple close-ups of the main artist or vocalist.
Voyeurism often plays a major part, especially in relation to females.
Intersexual references to other media texts may be present.
R&B Genre
R&B, rhythm and blues, is a well known and popular music genre originated in the 1940’s from African-America, this genre includes and links with other music genres such as Hip Hop, Rap and Grime. This genre will be classified with certain artists such as Biggie, Tu Pac, Nicki Minaj etc. Music videos will have certain representations and lyrics that can be identified by audience members of what the song/music videos genre is.
Final Music Video Questionnaire
Questions
Responses
Questionnaire Analysis
Question 1
From this question i analyzed that, i asked more females than males.
However, this could help represent what gender is more likely to watch my music video. There are more females than male and there are no people in "prefer not to say category.
Although the percentage is a bit similar between both genders (male and female) so it shows i have to produce a music video that is hopefully going to appeal both audiences.
Question 2
From this question, i can see that 15-22 yrs was the most popular.
This may be because majority of the people who filled the questionnaire were of this age or this represents that this age group are most likely to watch music videos.
The "21-30" and "Under 15" group were the least as shown and "31 above" is 0% Showing that these three groups are less likely to watch music videos.
Question 3
Question 4
This answer shows that most of the people i asked, watch music videos. This good as very less people said no because all the next question would be then irrelevant to them.
This shows that music videos are very popular today.
Now this question was very important to ask, and most of the people answered that they like performance based music video.
Also this shows that people have variety of other tastes as well like Classical etc.
Question 5
According to this question, most of the people suggested isolated locations, that is showing that mise en scene is the major part of any particular genre and narrative.
This also shows that people mostly notice the locations of the video and assume its mood.
Finalized Music Genre
After a long research of genre, my team mates and i decided to go for Indie-Pop as we already had decided our video's mood and without any doubt it totally fitted to indie-pop music. Indie pop (also typeset as indie-pop or indiepop) is a music genre and subculture that combines guitar pop with DIY ethic in opposition to the style and tone of mainstream pop music. It target mostly young adults which means the young audience will not get bored.
What is Indie Pop?
Indie pop is a genre of alternative rock which originated in the United Kingdom in the 1980s. Originally and often still a form of independent music, it is closely associated with indie rock, both genres are similar, yet there are differences between both. Indie rock tends to be edgier, rougher and harsher-sounding, contrasting the more melodious indie pop. Indie pop additionally takes influences from 1960s girl group music and power pop, often giving it retro elements, and makes usage of jangly guitars.
Indie rock's more melodic, less noisy, and relatively angst-free counterpart, Indie Pop reflects the underground's softer, sweeter side, with a greater emphasis on harmonies, arrangements, and songcraft. Encompassing everything from the lush orchestration of chamber pop to the primitive simplicity of twee pop, its focus is nevertheless more on the songs than on the sound, and although both indie pop and indie rock embrace the D.I.Y. spirit of punk, the former rejects punk's nihilistic attitude and abrasive sonic approach.
Indie Pop is genre characterized by pop conventions and structure, and a melodic, lighthearted sound. Artists generally use typical rock instrumentation (drums, guitar, bass, vocals), although some artists deviate from this, sometimes including electronics, piano, strings, or even eschewing guitar altogether.
Indie Pop artists tend to have a seemingly primitive and simplistic approach to music, taking many cues from punk's DIY ethos. The genre is inspired by the music of The Velvet Underground, 1960s pop music, Power Pop, and Post-Punk.
Indie pop was an unprecedented contrast from the gritty and serious tones of previous underground rock styles, as well as being a departure from the glamour of contemporary pop music.
Indie music artists present themselves to a wider audience, but increasingly this approach has been taken up by such major mainstream artists as R.E.M. and Tom Jones.
In the late 2010s, some artists began releasing alternative vertical videos tailored to mobile devices in addition to music videos; these vertical videos are generally platform-exclusive. These vertical videos are often shown on Snapchat's "Discover" section or within Spotify playlists. Early adopters of vertical video releases include the number-one hits "Havana" by Camila Cabello and "Girls Like You" by Maroon 5 and Cardi B. "Idontwannabeyouanymore" by Billie Eilish is the most watched vertical video on YouTube.
Here is the list of indie pop music artists.
Arcade Fire
Archers of Loaf
Blood Red Shoes
Death Cab for Cutie
Franz Ferdinand
Pavement
Modest Mouse
Sonic Youth
DaForce Dawg
Foals
The Maccabees
Chad Valley
Raquels
The Pierces
Wiz Khalifa
The Cults
Radiohead
Frank Ocean
Indie Pop
Codes and Conventions of Indie Pop Genre
From my previous posts I have shown my research into conventions and form; however I have also researched the indie pop genre because even with the form of a music video different genres contain different conventions that make them recognisable to a certain genre. Some examples of this are say for instance within rock/indie music videos thy rely heavily on performance, typical shots are usually of band performance and they give a high energy element within their performance to attract an audience to their live shows. For example Catfish and the Bottlemen’s ‘Kathleen’ video shows how these certain conventions are used in rock/indie music videos as completely the video is performance of the band. Here are some screen shots taken from the video; The majority of the shot types with rock/indie music videos are medium close ups, close ups and wide group shots of the band. If the video is not based solely on the performance element, narrative is usually key as they tend to be deep compared to pop music videos because of the meaning behind the lyrics.
Performance
Lip syncing is a key convention used within indie pop music videos here are some examples from existing artists associated with this genre. These screen shots are taken from Charli XCX ft Rita Ora’s – ‘Doing It’, there is clear use of lip syncing throughout the video, especially in the first screen shot they emphasise the use of lip syncing by singing into karaoke microphones.
Dance performance can be used within indie-pop music videos, here is an example of how dance performance is used in Ellie Goulding’s ‘Love me like you do’, the dance element in this video is towards the end of the video when the actual artist does a choreographed routine of a contemporary sequence. Here is another example of how dance performance is used in Ed Sheeran’s ‘Thinking out loud’.
Using actors instead of the real artists is often a key feature used in indie-pop music videos as it creates a real narrative that is linkable to the lyrics of the song. An example of this is used in Ed Sheerans ‘Give me love’ when the main protagonist is actually a female actress rather than Ed Sheeran himself. Here are some screen shots take from the video of the main protagonist;
Narrative
Predominately in indie-pop music there is often a storyline followed throughout the narrative, however some indie-pop artists have abstract videos. Here are some examples of different indie-pop artists and how they apply narrative to their music videos. In Hurts’ ‘Better than love’ there is a clear narrative to the video, the video is easy to follow through the use of the narrative. The video a dramatic affair set in an highly unglamorous dance studio that’s filled, with uber-glamorous people. There is a clear link between the narrative and the lyrics of the song. On the next slide are examples of abstract videos from indie- pop artists. This video is also example of a storyline narrative – Crystal Fighters ‘Love Natural’
Cinematography
For my music video I am using The 1975's song 'Somebody Else', so I have researched his existing music videos and looked at how cinematography has been used. Here are examples taken from The 1975's Songs; As shown above a variety of different shots are used throughout indie-pop music videos. More often close ups are used to show performance of the artists, emotion or emphasise specific features within the mise en scene. Also camera movement is important wihtin music videos, specific movements are used such as zooms, tilts, pans and use a variety of angles as shown in my screen shots.
Editing
Conventionally in indie pop music videos the editing is rhythmic and matches the pace of the song, especially if the narrative follows a specific storyline. However as mentioned before some artists within this genre like to create abstract videos, they use various editing techniques to create the abstract look for example, distortion editing, dissolves, pixilation and overlapping shots. Here are some examples of music videos that either have an abstract or story-telling narrative and how editing is used within these to get the genre across to the audience; Ed Sheeran – ‘The A Team’ – Storyline Lily Allen – ‘ URL Badman’ – Abstract
Mise en Scene
The mise en scene in indie pop music videos tends to be very simplistic however can be unique and individual. Locations are usually easily accessible as the videos are typically low budget, and other aspects within the mise en scene such as costume, props and lighting follow this simplistic theme. Here are some examples of existing music videos within the indie pop genre that have a simple and individual mise en scene; The 1975 – ‘Chocolate’ this video is a prime example of how mise en scene is used within indie pop music videos. The main location and setting is set in a moving car as this is easily accessible to the band, also in terms of costume, it is very simplistic and the main colour worn is black this makes the audience focus more on the music rather than the aesthetics of the video.
Demographics and Psycho graphics of Audience
The Indie Pop genre is mainly an audience aged 15 to 25 who consume the music through streaming apps such as Spotify and Apple Music, and discover it through social networking advertisements and the media e.g. TV adverts and adverts/promotion on music apps. Indie pop originates from indie rock and 1960's girl-group pop, however the gender is balanced between a male and female audience. The type of people are likely to be creative and stand out from the crowd. The audience are highly likely to listen to indie/pop songs for the music and not the artist, and so the video's are quite basic and low budget, however they can be interesting or quirky at times. 52% of people who watch pop music videos are females and the age group who use Youtube most is 25-34 year olds, I will bare this in mind when targeting my video to the audience.
It also showed that 66% of the people that listened to this music were male, and 34% of them were female - showing that the mean age of the audience will be 24. This ultimately shows that the target audience for indie pop music will be male of gender, and aged around 16-24.
The target audience for The 1975 is from 15 year old to young adults. The age of the band members attracts young audiences as they are young as well. The 1975 could attract older audiences if they were to play more romantic songs, this will enhance and increase their audiences.
Indie Pop Music Video Analysis
#1 The 1975 "Somebody Else"
The 1975 is a four-piece British alternative pop group that has held a special place in my heart since 2013. I became hooked on them after listening to their self-titled debut album, The 1975, at age sixteen. When I discovered they would be releasing a new album in February 2016, I could not have been more excited, or so I thought. I soon discovered this album would combine several different genres and sounds, the most prevalent one being that of 70’s and 80’s pop, and would usher in an entirely new era for the band. The 1975 is complex in that they have a sort of aesthetic surrounding their career. Their first album, released in 2013, was darker both musically and aesthetically. Full black outfits, leather jackets, red lipstick and chunky combat boots were not at all uncommon among the audience at their shows. Their newest album, I like it when you sleep, for you are so beautiful yet so unaware of it, brought in what many like to call the “pink era”- featuring bubblegum colors to match the newfound ironically bubblegum sound. One of the most impactful songs on this album, in my opinion, is called Somebody Else and has an incredibly symbolic/flat-out weird music video to accompany it. For these reasons, I chose to analyze the video for Somebody Else for this assignment.
This music video contains two entirely different settings. The first, from 0:00 to 3:00 is straight out of a 50’s sitcom, complete with black and white film and canned laughter. I have decided that this part of the video is very open to audience interpretation but may be spotlighting the new sound that this song creates for the band. The setting then switches to a modern-day urban setting at night in which lead singer Matty Healy goes through a series of unfortunate events. For analyzation purposes, I’ll give you a quick run-down: basically, Healy is alone in the city and seemingly upset over the loss of a significant other. He self-medicates with alcohol, begins seeing things, sees even more things, and eventually realizes he’s alone.
Somebody Else Video 0:00-3:00 6:40
Now that that’s out of the way, let’s get back to the analysis! This song is essentially about losing someone you love and eventually getting over it but not wanting that person to be with anyone but you. “I don’t want your body but I’d hate to think about you with somebody else,” this line says it all and puts the entire song in a nutshell. Throughout the video, the dark lighting plays along with the dark, somber nature of the song in order to create a more appropriate atmosphere.
Much like many music videos, the bridge of the song is where the action of the video truly begins to climax and Healy starts to see things. The bridge seems a little off from the rest of the song but adds a very The 1975 component: the element of surprise. The bridge goes, “Get something you love? Get something you need? Fuck that, get money. I can’t give you my soul because we’re never alone.” This bridge is a huge example of why I love this band so much. The uniqueness of each song on both of their albums is unmatched by any artist in any other genre. For example, track six of this album, titled If I Believe You, is a contemporary take on a gospel song about the practice of Atheism. The irony that weaves itself throughout the album is hard to find unless you have done extensive past research on the band which luckily, I have.
The 1975 used to be known for being the hipsters of the mainstream scene. They were big enough to be on alternative radio but not big enough to be on pop radio and would quietly make fun of the success of mainstream artists in interviews and otherwise, all in good fun of course. This album screams “pop music rocks but also fuck pop music” and that in itself is incredible.
In my opinion, this video creates a work of art that is pretty separate from the song itself. Though the video follows the storyline of the song to a certain extent, the first three minutes of the video and the last two minutes are a definite throw-off. In all honesty, the downward spiral at the end of the video is very fitting to the theme of the song whereas the short intro is very unnecessary and may not even have a real purpose.
Overall, this video creates a very realistic but ethereal environment for viewers. It was produced in 2016 by Dirty Hit Records, in which The 1975 is the biggest band on the label. I highly encourage everyone to watch The 1975’s other videos- my personal favorite is for the song Robbers from their self-titled album.
#2 Goyte "Somebody that i used to know
He starts out clean (naked, vulnerable), but as his anger and bitterness grows, the lines start to appear, first around him and then on him. The paint fills in to cover him up, and he wears his unhappiness like fitted clothing. The sharp angles and different colors blend him into the wall so that he himself becomes hard to distinguish from the world around him. He is losing himself to the break up.
Then she comes in. She starts already dissected by the paint, but as she acknowledges her pain, the paint disappears. For her, she lost herself during the course of the relationship (“Now and then I think of all the times you screwed me over/but had me believing it was always something that I’d done”). Her resolution to stop living in guilt for things that he had done releases her. She sheds a single, barely visible tear before the paint begins to go.
Both he and she appear naked in the video. For him, this nakedness symbolizes his lingering vulnerability to her. As he progresses through his emotions, he comes to the conclusion that she is just somebody that he used to know, and he becomes closed to her. In deciding this, he also rejects something that is essentially him. He lets himself be lost to his anger. He begins clean and ends broken and covered.
She begins covered and ends naked. When the paint starts to disappear from her body, her negative attachment to him also disappears. The way he treated her (“I told myself that you were right for me/but felt so lonely in your company”) caused her to lose her vulnerability, and without him, she has the chance to start again.
#3 The 1975 "Robbers"
Most of the camera shots in this video appear to have been filmed using a handheld camera. The shots have an unstable, wavering quality which makes the video appear more realistic, and increases elements of tension and chaos at certain points during the video. The realistic quality that using a handheld camera added to the video allows the audience to feel more involved in the narrative, as if they are watching the events unfold from the perspective of somebody who is actually in the video. Establishing shots haven't really been used in this music video, as it focuses mainly on the story involving the two main characters- setting is not a key element of this video. Close-up shots are used throughout this music video in order to emphasise the intensity of the narrative and to show the emotions of the characters through their facial expressions.
The editor has used simple jump cuts to change between clips/camera shots in this music video. This emphasises the realism of the video and doesn't distract attention from its plot. At the start of the video, the editing is fairly slow paced, reflecting the relaxed atmosphere of this part of the narrative. As the storyline dramatises, however, the editing becomes fast paced, the clips shorter and cuts more jumpy. This highlights the intense and chaotic mood that has developed within the video. The tones in this music video are quite subdued and muted, so a desaturation filter may have been added to the clips during the editing process to create this effect.
The colours shown in this music video are quite dull and desaturated (mentioned above)- an effect that was most likely added during the editing process. This type of colour scheme seems to be popular within music videos of the indie pop genre, so in this way the band have conformed to a stereotype of their genre. The lighting in this music video appears to be purely natural, which again emphasises the realism of the narrative. There are some scenes in the video where the lighting creates artistic effects, for example when the two lead characters can be seen together as silhouettes. Professional lighting may have been used here in addition to natural lighting in order to create this effect. These types of artistic shots are common among music videos within the indie pop genre, and add interesting conceptual elements to narrative videos.
I think that the clothing worn by the characters in this music video could be viewed as typical of the genre. The female protagonist of the video can be seen mostly wearing outfits including plain high waisted jeans or shorts with patterned cropped tops. The clothing she wears in the music video is unusual and unique, and therefore fits the indie aspect of this genre. The male protagonist dresses predominantly in black, ripped skinny jeans with various shirts worn throughout the video. His clothing is edgy and fairly distinctive, which also fits the indie aspect of this genre.
I don't think that setting plays a key part in this music video- the storyline is so captivating and focused on that the settings of each scene appear to be a minor background detail. The establishing shot shown below appears to be the only point in the video where the setting is the main focus of a shot. It creates an air of mystery, as commotion and gunshots can be heard from inside the building, yet the audience are unable to see what is actually happening. They are left to assume what happened from the events that occur before and after this particular shot.
In this music video, only the lead singer of the band features enough to show any real representation of character. The lead singer plays a seemingly dangerous character who appears to be quite romanticised. Throughout the video, he drinks, smokes, does drugs and plays with a gun whilst clearly intoxicated, all before robbing a supermarket and getting shot. These actions should in theory make him seem like an unappealing person, however, I think that the presence of a lover throughout the events of the video secure the artist with a desirable 'bad boy' type persona.
Similar Artists and Their Representation
Trip to City42 (Learning Experience)
After we got done with all the pre-planning of our preliminary music video, a trip to City42 was arranged for us by our school. City42 is basically a media company that is quite famous in Lahore. we got to learn many new tools about editing, that actually helped a lot. Before going to this trip, we already studied about video editing soft wares like Adobe Premiere but did not know how to apply effects and compile the clips. City42 trip taught us how to do simple editing in a simple way. We got to learn new things from the professionals who work there. It was a good learning experience. We did a soft compiling of our journey in order to see what we have learnt.