Introducing the music
video
Forms and Conventions
Pop Music Video: Forms and Conventions
A music video is a videotaped performance of a recorded
popular song. It is usually accompanied by dance or a
fragmentary story. Music videos often use concert footage.
Queen – Bohemian Rhapsody.
Pop Music Video: Forms and Conventions
Typically music videos are three to five minutes long, they
frequently include quick cuts, stylisations, fanciful and often
erotic imagery, and computer graphics.
Abba – Knowing Me Knowing You
Pop Music Video: Forms and Conventions
Music videos can accommodate all styles of filmmaking,
including animation, live action films, documentaries, and
non-narrative, abstract film.
Bob Dylan - Subterranean Homesick Blues.
Pop Music Video: Forms and Conventions
In the 1980s the music video became synonymous with the rock idiom
and for this reason they are often referred to as rock videos.
U2 - Where The Streets Have No Name
Foo Fighters - Pretender
Institutions
Pop Music Video: Institutions
Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device
intended to promote the sale of music recordings.
Kings of Leon – Sex on Fire
Dizzy Rascal – Dance Wiv Me
Pop Music Video: Institutions
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
Pop Music Video: Institutions
For this reason the success of the music video is synonymous with the
second British invasion of the American charts in the mid 1980s.
Duran Duran – Rio
Eurythmics – Sweet Dreams
Wham! – Club Tropicana!
Pop Music Video: Institutions
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
Pop Music Video: Institutions
By the end of the Sixties, when bands could not make it to a TV studio to
perform, record companies often provided TV producers with a short film
clip to promote their latest single.
The Beatles - Strawberry Fields Forever.
Pop Music Video: Institutions
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
Audiences
Pop Music Video: Audiences
A common misconception is that pop music videos are aimed
strictly at teen audiences. Kylie Minogue and Jason Donovan and
the music produced by Stock, Aitkin and Waterman are classic
examples of performers aimed at teenagers.
Pop Music Video: Audiences
Many videos of “soft rock” songs have traditionally been
directed at an older group of viewers.
Bon Jovi – In These Arms.
Stevie Nicks – Sometimes It’s A Bitch
Cher – Heart of Stone
How do these video appeal to an older audience?
Pop Music Video: Institutions
Since shortly after their inception, the style and content of music videos
have strongly influenced advertising, television, film, and popular
culture as a whole.
The Clash – Should I Stay or Should I Go (Levi’s Advert)?
Bryan Adams – Everything I Do I Do It For You (Robin Hood)
Whitney Houston – I Will Always Love You (The Bodyguard)
Pop Music Video: Audiences
Digital TV Channels means that music videos are targeted
at niche audiences.
Pop Music Video: Audiences
Beyonce - Irreplaceable
30 Seconds to Mars Attack – The Kill
Pop Music Video: Audiences
Coldplay - Yellow
Pop Music Video: Audiences
On the 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.
Pop Music Video: Audiences
You Tube is a forum for online bands to show DIY video footage.
The Foo Fighters – Live in Norway on Mobile Phone
Pop Music Video: Audiences
Fans can also post archive clips from TV shows…
Bucks Fizz – Making Your Mind Up.
Pop Music Video: Audiences
As well as professional music videos from established artists.
Madonna – Hung Up
Pop Music Video: Audiences
And spoof versions of famous videos.
Madonna – Hung Up On Crack
Representations
Pop Music Video: Representations
The popular music video certainly has its own clichés
Spinal Tap – Hell Hole
Pop Music Video: Representations
Many examples of the genre feature the macho rock stars.
The Cult – Sweet Soul Sister
Guns and Roses – Sweet Child of Mine
Pop Music Video: Representations
Scantily clad dancers have become cultural clichés…
Robert Palmer – Addicted to Love
Aerosmith – Love in an Elevator
Pop Music Video: Representations
Certain music videos, however, are notable for their cuttingedge techniques and artistic innovations. As time passes those
techniques can look dated.
Dire Straits – Money For Nothing
Peter Gabriel - Sledgehammer
Pop Music Video: Representations
Race: in the early days of MTV in America black artists were not
featured… until Michael Jackson’s high budget Thriller.
Michael Jackson - Thriller
Pop Music Video: Representations
Gender is another key issue. Successful female rock stars have both lived
up to and parodied male fantasies
Blondie – Detroit 442
Donna Summer – I Feel Love
Kate Bush – Wuthering Heights
Pop Music Video: Representations
Jonas Akerlund
smashing pumpkins, iggy pop, madonna, cardigans, metallica, blondie,
primal scream, jamiroquia, rammstein, blink 182, jan’es addiction.
Many directors now train to become music video makers and it is often
considered to be an ‘auteurs medium’ with particular directors having
specific styles of mise-en-scène, camerawork, editing etc.
The Cardigans – Favourite Game Blink 182 – I Miss You
Pop Music Video: Representations
Interestingly Jonas Akerlund is also in high demand as the
director of television advertisements for leading brands.
Jonas Akerlund
Pop Music Video: Representations
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
Moby and Deborah Harry – New York New York