Music VideosIntroduction to TV Production

1960’s1964;The Beatles created the first Motion Picture music video ‘A Hard Days Night’ which then lead the way to many music videos years later.

1965:The Beatles taped 10 black and white films which are used to promote their album releases. This is the beginning of artists using video to promote their new songs using video.

The proliferation of music video came in the 1980s, when MTV (Music Television)'s format was based around them.

The first video show in 1981 was…

Buggles - Video Killed The Radio Star

1980’s

1980’s1981; The Music Video ‘Video Killed The Radio Star’ by The Buggles aired on MTV and was the first music video to be shown on television. 24 hour broadcasting also meant that music videos played a central role in music marketing.

1983;The most successful and influential music video, ‘Thriller’ by Michael Jackson was released.

1984; This was the first year of the ‘Video Music Awards’ and popular bands, musicians and artists gathered together as the awards were presented by MTV. It was here that Madonna performed her famous hit, ‘Like a Virgin’.

1985;MTV launches VH1, which was designed for older viewers who listen to softer music.

Although the origins go back much further to music television programs like Top of the Pops (UK), Ready Steady Go (UK), American

Bandstand (US) and Musikladen (D).

The Beatles – All You Need is Love TOTP

Dusty Springfield – You Don’t Have To Say You Love Me TOTP

1960’s-1970’s

By the 1990s many hundreds of videos, representing a cross-section of musical forms were being produced yearly. Genres include traditional to Country and Western, Hard Rock, Heavy Metal, Hip Hop, r+b, Adult Orientated Rock, Teen Pop etc.

Guns n Roses - November Rain Kris Kross - Jump

1990’s

1990’s

1995;Stars Michael & Janet Jackson’s song ‘Scream’ is listed as the most expensive music video of all time as it cost $7 million to produce.

2000’s2002;Music Video producers introduce creating the music videos into a DVD to sell their music on, which raises Music Video viewings by 33%

2005;iTunes is created and the doors for listening, viewing and downloading music videos are opened. It was only 20 days after iTunes had been selling music videos that over 1 million songs were downloaded. YouTube was also created and new artists could see a rise in popularity through the use of YouTube on the internet.

2010;Lady Gaga is the first to reach 1 billion views on a music video as her popularity grows.

Internet sites like www.myspace.com have enabled unsigned bands like the Arctic Monkeys to find

mainstream success in part by providing an outlet for new music videos.

Today

You Tube is a forum for online bands to show DIY video footage.

The Foo Fighters – Live in Norway on Mobile Phone

Today

From an institutional perspective audience/user generated content has transformed the forms and conventions of music video introducing a more

DIY aesthetic. Has the music video come full circle?

OK Go – Here It Goes Again

Arcade Fire – We Used to Wait

Today

Music videos can be characterized by three broad typologies:

Performance, Narrative, and Conceptual

(Firth, 1988)

These types describe the form and content selected by

the director or artist to attract viewers and to convey a direct or indirect message.

They can act as extended advertisements, as popular art forms or as self-referential filmic texts (e.g

Madonna videos)

Music videos can be characterized by three broad typologies:

Performance, Narrative, and Conceptual

These types describe the form and content selected by

the director or artist to attract viewers and to convey

a direct or indirect message.

They can act as extended advertisements, as popular

art forms or as small films.

1.Performance videos1.Performance videos

The most common type feature the star or The most common type feature the star or group singing in concert to wildly group singing in concert to wildly enthusiastic fans. The goal is to convey a enthusiastic fans. The goal is to convey a sense of the in-concert experience. sense of the in-concert experience.

The predominance of performance indicates The predominance of performance indicates that music video defines itself chiefly by that music video defines itself chiefly by images of artists singing and playing images of artists singing and playing songs..

Alicia Keys “Empire State of Mind Part II”Alicia Keys “Empire State of Mind Part II”

Performance videosPerformance videos, especially those that display Performance videos, especially those that display

the star or group in the studiothe star or group in the studio, remind , remind the the

viewer that the soundtrack is still viewer that the soundtrack is still

importantimportant..

"Performance oriented visuals cue viewers "Performance oriented visuals cue viewers

that the recording of the music is the that the recording of the music is the

most significant element."most significant element."

2. Narrative videos2. Narrative videosPresents a sequence of events. A video may tell Presents a sequence of events. A video may tell

any kind of story in linear, cause-effect any kind of story in linear, cause-effect

sequencing. sequencing.

Love stories, however, are the most common Love stories, however, are the most common

narrative mode in music video. The narrative narrative mode in music video. The narrative

pattern is one of boy meets girl, boy loses girl, pattern is one of boy meets girl, boy loses girl,

boy gets girl back. boy gets girl back.

Action in the story is dominated by males Action in the story is dominated by males

who do things and females who passively who do things and females who passively

react or wait for something to happen.react or wait for something to happen.

Lady Gaga – “Paparazzi”Lady Gaga – “Paparazzi”

3. Conceptual videos3. Conceptual videos

Rely on poetic form, primarily Rely on poetic form, primarily metaphormetaphor. .

Conceptual videos do not tell a story in Conceptual videos do not tell a story in

linear fashion, but rather create a mood, a linear fashion, but rather create a mood, a

feeling to be evoked in the experience of feeling to be evoked in the experience of

viewing.viewing.

Conceptual videos contain the possibility for Conceptual videos contain the possibility for

multiple meanings as the metaphor is interpreted multiple meanings as the metaphor is interpreted

by the viewer. by the viewer.

Madonna – “Bedtime Story”Madonna – “Bedtime Story”

Editing TechniquesEditing Techniques

• Cutting to the BeatCutting to the Beat

• Visual Effects (Madonna “Frozen”)Visual Effects (Madonna “Frozen”)

• Lip SyncingLip Syncing

• Camera Movements match the mood and Camera Movements match the mood and

pace of the musicpace of the music

• Shots change often, repeatShots change often, repeat