Unit 29: Music Video Production Task 2 - “You’re Beautiful”

A music video is a short film that combines a song with imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Music videos use a wide range of styles, conventions and techniques to make them original and interesting. 

The main purposes of music videos are to:

Promote the artist

Increase a songs popularity and income 

Use the extension of outlets to appeal to a larger audience; through social media, YouTube and music channels.  

Synergy is when a video is used alongside another product. An example of this is in Kick Ass 2 when Union J's music video is actually played in a memorable scene in the film. 

Producers use strategies to change a music videos image in an effective way. 

Styles

Popular music genres pop, rock and rap will all have certain styles of music videos relating to that type of music. A generic rap video will normally consist of the rapper himself and his 'entourage', this can be seen in Dr.Dre's "Still D.R.E.".

This music video contains many of the common traits found in rap videos such as; drugs, cars, women, alcohol, money and blatant expressions of machismo.

A dance/techno music video will at least have one shot in a club/party setting; reflecting the style of the audience. They are set in an exotic location, giving the feeling of a party and summer. This is how they want the audience to feel when listening/watching the track. Basshunter "All I Ever Wanted".

In-concert and ‘as live’ footage is a popular style of music video with bands.  It's obvious Korn's "Right Now" is a live footage music video as we see continuous shots of the members of the band and also the audience.

 It portrays the vibrant atmosphere and really makes the viewer feel as if they are present; showing how much of a great time they have witnessing the band live.

Animation is the use of drawings to illustrate lyrics and meanings. This style is continuously used in music videos; Steven Wilson’s “The Raven That Refused to Sing” is a great example.

This style of music video creates an intense atmosphere with it's imaginative and thought provoking short. It brings the haunting story of the song to life, linking with the lyrics. The simple animation style, based largely on the gentle movements of hand-cut paper models, fits the mood perfectly. Interpretative music videos encourage the audience to create their own interpretation of the meaning behind the song, this music video also does just that. Along with the lyrics,

"(the raven sings in a dream)
Sister I lost you
When you were still a child
But I need you now
And I need our former life
I'm afraid to wake
I'm afraid to love".

I think that the meaning behind the video is about loneliness and loss. The old man is at the end of his life and is waiting to die. The raven who visits him is a image of his older sister, who he lost when he was young. It seems that since then he has isolated himself in the woods and is now ready to be with her again.

Narrative music videos are often fragmented cutting between story and performance. Close up's on screen allows more intimacy than seeing a stage performance, allowing for observation of facial features, singing or simply allowing the audience to see the artist living 'their life'. Madonna's "Papa Don't Preach" is a storyline about teenage pregnancy and a girl who wants advice from her Father.

The music video follows a story's 3 act structure. The beginning, shows a time lapse of the main character 'Madonna' growing up with her father as the only parent figure. When she is older she meets a boy and they become lovers. The middle, she finds out she is pregnant and is shunned by her friends, she now faces the issue of telling her father and asking his advice. The end, she reaches a new resolution  as her father doesn't preach and comforts her.

Impressionist music videos focus on the more artistic images and the use of colour. Red Hot Chilli Peppers "Can't Stop" video was inspired by the One-Minute Sculptures of Erwin Wurm.

Surrealism: "a 20th-century avant-garde movement in art and literature which sought to release the creative potential of the unconscious mind, for example by the irrational juxtaposition of images." Music videos of this style tend to be unconventional and different. 30 Seconds To Mars's "Hurricane" (censored) is a music video that is very unorthodox.

The band have put together a set of different images with some intertwined storylines to create a music video showing the darker corners of their artistic creativity.

Parody music videos imitate the style of a particular genre with deliberate exaggeration for comic effect. This "Bad Blood" parody by Bart Baker is for entertainment.

This music video is for the simple reason to entertain and make people laugh by imitating Taylor Swift's version. They change the lyrics to add to the comedy. This will result in more views and recognition for them, especially people who dislike Taylor's song version.

Referencing/Homage is a style of music video that can refer to a famous film, character or anything well known for either a short period of the video or the full duration. "Last Cup Of Sorrow" by Faith No More is a perfect example.

 The video references to Alfred Hitchcock's film, Vertigo; from the costume, to some of the most memorable scenes. The opening rooftop scene, the plunge into San Francisco bay and the belltower sequence complete with the famous Hitchcock zoom.

A pastiche music video is a style that imitates that of another work, artist, or period. An example is, Robert Palmer's "Addicted To Love" imitated by Shania Twain's "Man! I Feel Like A Woman". 

The same setting and background, the same makeup and even most of the same shots. I range of master shots and close up's.

Styles of some music videos are influenced by the outside world, such as commercials/advertising. Some may advertise a way of life, for example Fergie's "Glamorous". 

This music video promotes the working-class lifestyle, compared to that of the wealthy.