An Introduction To Music Video

Music video's have become increasingly popular over the years and now the audience almost expects an artist to have created a video to go hand in hand with a newly released song. Perhaps the most vital reason music video's are so popular is because of media convergence and new technology which now makes it increasingly easy for media institutions, or even artists themselves, to distribute these video's to the target demographics. A music video allows an artist or band to establish themselves even more so than they would do through their music alone. They allow the viewer to understand the image and mentality of the star/s. Artist's/Band's can obtain power through the means of a music video, in the sense that they can voice their opinions and ideologies in this media.


Music Video's differ depending on the genre's of music that they are based on, however all follow certain, similar conventions. Since the very first music video by Michael Jackson,  creators have mainly sought to make music video's seem like miniature films, often with aspects such as narrative, diegetic sound, realistic mise en scene, possibly even credits etc. BUT the utmost intention of the producers is to remind the viewer  that what they are seeing is a music video and not a film, thus creating a genre all of its own. This is referred to as 'Post Modernism.'  


This is explained by media theorist Carol Vernallis "Music video editing bears a far greater responsibility for many elements than does classic Hollywood film editing."


 "... the editing in a music video works hard to ensure that no single element (the narrative, the setting, the performance, the star, the lyrics, the song) gains the upper hand."


Vernallis states that, for music video's to be effective in terms of the audience's consumption, these elements must remain at a consistent balance.


There are many factors which distinguish a music video from film, for example:

• Lip syncing/interaction from the artist as they address/perform into the camera.
• Editing to the beat of the music
• De-focusing of the camera
• Sound bridges within the song itself 
• Not chronological/does not demonstrate temporal continuity
• Perform live/part of the narrative
• Use of unusual camera edits/shots (tilting, panning, dolly shots - continuously moving)
• Lighting is usually more artificial
• Lyric/shot match
• Montage
• Jump cuts
• 180 degree rule broken
• People's bodies bisected/cut off by the camera at unusual angles

etc.

An example of ideologies voiced through music video

 Serj Tankian, the former lead vocalist of system of a down, uses ambiguity constantly throughout his video 'Empty Walls' to reflect todays society and its imperfections. For example, there are nine/eleven references to the twin towers through the use of a children's play mat that shows a cartoon city and some building blocks, with a toy plane hurtling towards it. This reflects Tankian's views on society, when a little girl who built up the building blocks looks very bitter and angry. 

There are three main ways the audience could read a piece of media like this. E.G:

The Preferred Reading

This is when the audience understands what the creator of the piece of media is trying to 'say' through certain codes that they have put into it, and agree's with these ideologies.

The Negotiated Reading

This is when the audience understands what the producer of the media piece means through the codes and conventions they have used within the music video, but have a choice as to whether they agree with the preferred reading. 

The Oppositional Reading

This is when the audience may completely disagree with what is being 'said' within the media piece or simply do not pick up on/or understand the dominant values of the text.

Music Video Media Terms 

Jump cuts: When the camera position remains static, but there is an edit in the filming (the camera moves less than 30 degrees)

The 30 degree rule: The camera moves more than 30 degrees so that the audience feel like they've changed position as well. When you break the 30 degree rule the result is a Jump cut.

Jump cuts in music video's: This is specifically used for effect - to jar the audience through the sharpness of it. This surprises them and makes them conscious of the fact that they are watching a music video as it is unrealistic and breaks up the narrative.

180 degree rule: This recognises that the audience has a certain position and orientates them. When this rule is broken the audience fell disorientated. This is also used for effect for the same reason as a jump cut, in music video's.

Graphic Match: This focuses on something of a similar shape/colour to the previous shot. This is frequently used in music video's to create fluency and links.

Match on action: This is a shot of two similar actions in consecutive edits which creates the feel of continuity.

Low angle shots: This occurs when the camera is placed beneath someone/something to make it seem larger or of more importance. This is often used, more so in music videos than in films, to depict the artist performing and consequently adds prestige.

Intertextuality: This is when a media text makes explicit reference to another media text. This is often used in music video's to remind the viewer conscious that they are watching a music video.




Conventional Film Editing
Continuity (runs smoothly)
Coherence (Make sense)
Chronological (in correct time order)


Films use long/mid shots and close-ups - in conventional films all shots have a sense of balance in terms of space

• In a long shot a subject is dwarfed by his surroundings
• In a mid shot the subject is equal in size to the space around them
• In a close up the subject dominates the space

In conventional films the subject is very rarely bisected or cut off at awkward points, by the camera.

Breaking conventions
Quick cuts
Montage
Lack of continuity
Temporal leaps
Use a series of images to create a sense/impression.
Bisecting the body unusually in a camera shot.


Important quotes and theories of Carol Vernallis


Graphic match
'Such an edit joins two shots through shared compositional elements such as colour and shape, irrespective of content... Music video can use graphic matches so freely because the genre has reason to draw attention to its materials and production methods. The viewer can revel in an interesting edit, in a nice shape shared by two images, and in the cleverness of directors and the editors words, any of which might draw us away from the narrative of a Hollywood Movie. The graphic match can highlight elements of a popular song.'


Dolly Shot
'Most music videos make such extensive us of a dolly shot that a static shot seems anomalous. The dolly shot keeps the video moving, it starts almost invariably, as soon as the video begins, and only ceases towards the end. It provides a simple way for a music video to catch and sustain a song's momentum.




All of this information will enable me to create an effective music video as I understand fully what to incorporate in terms of ideologies and content and aesthetics, down to the camera shots and edit. From this information we can also decide what music video conventions we wish to stick to or break, in relation to our artist/bands style and beliefs as well as their target audience.