How music videos have changed over the years
The trend of creating a music video to go along with your song began as artists became aware of their purpose as well as their various different benefits they had to their careers. For instance adding a music video allows the artist to show a story/narrative to go along with their song as well as an idea behind it. They may also be used as marketing tools, as they create a bigger hype around the music video making it more popular as well as making it more relatable for the audience as they are able to get an image in their head of the story or idea the artist is trying to tell. Within music videos artists are also able to create new trends which may boast the artists or the songs popularity as they become recognised as the person who started the trend.
One of the first things people will associate music videos with are music channels which display them. Music channels have become a very popular trend which many people find themselves watching either on their TV or a similar device in a variety of different situations for different reasons for instance just having it playing in the background as well as being able to see the videos whilst getting on with their day to day lives, often cafes etc have TV's which only show music videos to create a certain vibe within the shop. This trend all began with the launch of the very first music channel MTV (formerly known as Music Television). Which launched on August 1st 1981. An American based cable and satellite television channel owned via the viacom media Networks division of viacom. MTV is a subsidiary of Viacom inc. Headquartered in New York City. From February 2015 MTV has approximately 93,240,000 American households receiving their channel.
Another platform commonly associated with music videos is YouTube. YouTube is a video sharing website which involves things being uploaded of a wide variety including fan made videos dedicated to TV shows or films etc, clips from films and TV shows, home made footage, parodies etc. However the videos the website is most associated with people viewing on it is music videos. The site allows users to watch whatever music video they wish to, this has an advantage on people watching music channels as it means that users are able to select themselves what music video they watch as a pose to simply having to watch whatever the music channels are showing. YouTube also shows fewer adverts compared to music channels which is another advantage as Music channel viewers often complain about music channels having too many adverts. YouTube also enables a comments section that both fans and artists are able to use to read peoples comments, allowing fans to connect with each other and encouraging artists to read through them and find any comments which can help them to make positive changes to their work such as constructive feedback.
Another platform people often associate music videos with is the website YouTube. YouTube is a video sharing website which allows it's users to both upload and view others videos as well as commenting on them and interacting with others. A wide range of videos are uploaded to YouTube every few seconds including videos such as fan made tributes to TV shows or films, even fan made fiction following these TV shows or films, homemade footage, clips from films or TV shows, music videos, behind the scenes footage etc. However the most commonly associated is music videos. Often people find this a better platform to allow them to watch music videos as they are allowed to be more selective with the videos they choose to watch, compared with actual music channels which decide what they show and therefore what the audience watches. YouTube also has less adverts compared with music channels which is a big factor as many people complain about music channels showing too many adverts and not enough music videos. YouTube also gives their users the option to look at suggested videos which the website thinks they may like to watch based on what they have already been watching. YouTube can be a lot less restrictive than music channels however it can be none to 'buffer' which really can be very annoying as it disturbs the flow of the music and ruins the atmosphere.
Psy's 'Gangnam' style is the most watched video on YouTube since May 2015, with over two billion YouTube views. This shows the importance that creating a music video can have on an artists success as part of the attraction to Psy's song was the new dance trend which came with it. Hence the audience becomes more interested in the video along with the song as they hear more about this new trend and they want to see it done properly for themselves as well as perhaps seeing if they are able to do it effectively themselves. With the song playing with the music video it promotes it, makes the audience more familiar with it as well as getting the song stuck inside the audiences head meaning that they're then likely to sing it throughout the day promoting it to friends acting as word of the mouth as well as creating memories which they hear with the song which many people claim makes them enjoy a song more as they are able to relive these moments as they hear these songs.
The fifth most watched channel on YouTube is 'RihannaVevo' with 16 million subscribers. This also shows the importance of the internet and creating music videos. As Rihanna is an artist who is recognised for her controversial behaviour, which often lands her in the press keeping her relevant in the public eye, for instance the way she dresses, her behaviour dance routines, etc and often antics within her videos. Although this brings about negative publicity this does in turn have a positive effect on the success of Rihanna as it keeps people talking about her and keeping them interested. For instance if people are hearing about how inappropriate one of her videos are then they are more likely to watch as they want to see for themselves whether it really is as bad as people are saying. This will keep people far more interested than if people think that the video is perfectly fine and acceptable as this doesn't create an interest as this is nothing shocking to the audience hence they won't feel the urge to see it for themselves. For instance often within her videos Rihanna is criticised for her revealing clothing or for not wearing any clothing at all this will urge people to watch as they want to see for themselves if it really is as bad as it is being said to be. This helps the artists success as watching the video promotes the song as well as it becoming a popular trending topic of conversation which means that it is more likely to be played on the radio, music channels etc.
Throughout the years music has really changed and branched out. People no longer feel restricted to listening to chart music but that they are able to find their own chosen genre if they so wish and stick to listening to songs from that genre or even a list of different genres, perhaps even just finding artists which they feel comfortable with and remain focusing on listening to them.
As music has progressed through time many different genres of music have been formed with more predicted to come for instance pop covering artists such as Britney Spears, house, hip hop, rap, jazz, rock, grunge with artists/bands such as Nirvanna, R&B and many more. Having different genres enables artists to really work out and identify with who their target audience are. With having different genres within anything such as film the creators are able to focuse on making sure that they're fitting to the set codes and conventions of the genre making sure that they're audience feels comfortable in that what they are viewing/listening to is what they would expect of the genre. It also provides creators comfort in the knowledge that their target audience should be pleased with what they create as they have followed codes and conventions which they have recognised as liking in the past hence making artists feel more secure in their success.
Having different genres is also relevant to the making of the music video. As now not only are the audience able to identify the artists music with their chosen genre but they are also able to visualise these different codes and conventions. As well as possibly being able to follow a story/narrative that the artist is now telling throughout their video.
Through the development of smart phone and tablets etc. People now have more easily available access to music sites such as YouTube and apps such as musictube and spotify as well as being able to access iTunes from their phones. This means that not only are consumers able to access these things when they're out but they're also more easily able to access them when they're at home as often people find that turning on computers or iPads can take a while but with tablets/smart phones people don't feel they have to wait as long. Hence making people feel more motivated to find and listen to music and watch music videos.
Another platform people often associate music videos with is the website YouTube. YouTube is a video sharing website which allows it's users to both upload and view others videos as well as commenting on them and interacting with others. A wide range of videos are uploaded to YouTube every few seconds including videos such as fan made tributes to TV shows or films, even fan made fiction following these TV shows or films, homemade footage, clips from films or TV shows, music videos, behind the scenes footage etc. However the most commonly associated is music videos. Often people find this a better platform to allow them to watch music videos as they are allowed to be more selective with the videos they choose to watch, compared with actual music channels which decide what they show and therefore what the audience watches. YouTube also has less adverts compared with music channels which is a big factor as many people complain about music channels showing too many adverts and not enough music videos. YouTube also gives their users the option to look at suggested videos which the website thinks they may like to watch based on what they have already been watching. YouTube can be a lot less restrictive than music channels however it can be none to 'buffer' which really can be very annoying as it disturbs the flow of the music and ruins the atmosphere.
Psy's 'Gangnam' style is the most watched video on YouTube since May 2015, with over two billion YouTube views. This shows the importance that creating a music video can have on an artists success as part of the attraction to Psy's song was the new dance trend which came with it. Hence the audience becomes more interested in the video along with the song as they hear more about this new trend and they want to see it done properly for themselves as well as perhaps seeing if they are able to do it effectively themselves. With the song playing with the music video it promotes it, makes the audience more familiar with it as well as getting the song stuck inside the audiences head meaning that they're then likely to sing it throughout the day promoting it to friends acting as word of the mouth as well as creating memories which they hear with the song which many people claim makes them enjoy a song more as they are able to relive these moments as they hear these songs.
The fifth most watched channel on YouTube is 'RihannaVevo' with 16 million subscribers. This also shows the importance of the internet and creating music videos. As Rihanna is an artist who is recognised for her controversial behaviour, which often lands her in the press keeping her relevant in the public eye, for instance the way she dresses, her behaviour dance routines, etc and often antics within her videos. Although this brings about negative publicity this does in turn have a positive effect on the success of Rihanna as it keeps people talking about her and keeping them interested. For instance if people are hearing about how inappropriate one of her videos are then they are more likely to watch as they want to see for themselves whether it really is as bad as people are saying. This will keep people far more interested than if people think that the video is perfectly fine and acceptable as this doesn't create an interest as this is nothing shocking to the audience hence they won't feel the urge to see it for themselves. For instance often within her videos Rihanna is criticised for her revealing clothing or for not wearing any clothing at all this will urge people to watch as they want to see for themselves if it really is as bad as it is being said to be. This helps the artists success as watching the video promotes the song as well as it becoming a popular trending topic of conversation which means that it is more likely to be played on the radio, music channels etc.
Throughout the years music has really changed and branched out. People no longer feel restricted to listening to chart music but that they are able to find their own chosen genre if they so wish and stick to listening to songs from that genre or even a list of different genres, perhaps even just finding artists which they feel comfortable with and remain focusing on listening to them.
As music has progressed through time many different genres of music have been formed with more predicted to come for instance pop covering artists such as Britney Spears, house, hip hop, rap, jazz, rock, grunge with artists/bands such as Nirvanna, R&B and many more. Having different genres enables artists to really work out and identify with who their target audience are. With having different genres within anything such as film the creators are able to focuse on making sure that they're fitting to the set codes and conventions of the genre making sure that they're audience feels comfortable in that what they are viewing/listening to is what they would expect of the genre. It also provides creators comfort in the knowledge that their target audience should be pleased with what they create as they have followed codes and conventions which they have recognised as liking in the past hence making artists feel more secure in their success.
Having different genres is also relevant to the making of the music video. As now not only are the audience able to identify the artists music with their chosen genre but they are also able to visualise these different codes and conventions. As well as possibly being able to follow a story/narrative that the artist is now telling throughout their video.
Through the development of smart phone and tablets etc. People now have more easily available access to music sites such as YouTube and apps such as musictube and spotify as well as being able to access iTunes from their phones. This means that not only are consumers able to access these things when they're out but they're also more easily able to access them when they're at home as often people find that turning on computers or iPads can take a while but with tablets/smart phones people don't feel they have to wait as long. Hence making people feel more motivated to find and listen to music and watch music videos.
Music videos use to just be seen through a performance aspect as something to watch the artist performing their song possibly with a dance rountine whereas through the years it has become more common for music videos to have narratives behind them. This popularity began to grew with Michael Jackson's 'Thriller' video which saw the merging of music and film-making as one creative art form for the very first time lasting 13 minutes and 43 seconds. The crown for the longest ever music video is also held by Jackson for his music video 'Ghosts' which lasts 39 minutes, 31 seconds. The video was directed via special effects legend Stan Winston. This shows the importance that special effects has developed over time for music videos as without it it would have been hard for Jackson to produce a music video which lasted for so long and keep it interesting for the audience.
I myself remember being fond of Jackson's music videos as I use to watch a DVD dedicated to some of his videos. This in it self shows how music videos have become as well as how respected as people wouldn't want to buy a DVD dedicated to them if they found know interest in them. This also shows how much of a long way music videos have come as they are now seen as more than just something to have playing along with the song but they actually have whole storylines of their own sometimes even being completely different to how the artist intended the song to come across to the audience but choosing to do so anyway and it makes for an interesting video.
The usage of new technology platforms has many benefiting factors to the music industry when creating music videos. For instance it means that artists are able to do more with their music videos as well as keeping them more interesting for the audience and possibly even being able to help them cut costs for production. For instance with the use of green screens production companies are able to cut costs for music videos as they are able to use the green screens to make it appear as though the video is taking place somewhere it isn't or that things are happening which aren't. Say an artist wanted to shoot their video abroad this can cost a lot of money, not only to cover costs of getting everyone involved in the video to this new location but also all of the equipment etc which can be costly.
The tittle of most expensive music video ever produced is also held by Michael Jackson and his sister Janet Jackson for their music video scream (1995) which cost $7,000,000 and was directed by American film Mark Romanek, whose music videos have won 20 MTV video Music Awards as well as three Grammys for best short form music video. Scream was primarily targeted at the tabloid media and their coverage of the child sexual abusive allegations made against him in 1993. Hence the video itself shows both Michael and Janet retaliating negatively towards the media. Generally the video received good coverage from critics so much so that it still to this day one of Jackson's most critically acclaimed videos. Which went on to be nominated for a Grammy award which it won as well as various MTV Music Video Awards. Michaels sister Janet stated that she decided to be a part of the project to show her sibling support for her brother. Having Janet somebody else known to the public eye featuring on this project showing her support for him helps to build the publics faith back in him as someone with such a reputation would likely not want to damage it by associating herself with someone she believed to be guilty of such allegations. Due to Janet being her sister and spending so much time with Michael as well as the family having a reputation of being close to each other the general audience member would feel that if Michael was guilty of such accusations then surely Janet would know about it and not want to risk her good fortune.
Although a lot of special effects and technology which was new for the time the entire video was shot primarily in black and white. Although this may seem like an odd choice considering all of the money which went into special effects etc making the video appear as new and relevant to the time period as possible that it would be a strange decision for the video to then be filmed in black and white which is generally perceived as a rather out dated way of filming as it has connotations referring back to when filming could only take place using black and white film. However doing the one thing that the production team knew other artists wouldn't be doing with their videos made this an appealing factor as it meant that it would stand out against the rest. As well as having the colour scheme in black and white being able to highlight to the audience the importance and seriousness of the message that Jackson is aiming to present through both the lyrics to his song as well as the video itself. Although many of the choices for the video were not made by Jackson himself as he often had for his music videos but he left the concept to Romanek. The main idea between the video was that the siblings were on a space craft getting away from earth to have a break trying to relax whilst being able to hit back at the tabloid media and show the audience Michaels side as well as embarking his innocence on the audience.
As you can see having a large budget benefits an artist as they are able to do more with their video and therefore entertain their audience in fresh ways which gets the audience talking and creates word of mouth further promoting the artist and the music which is the orignal aim behind creating a music video.
The usage of new technology platforms has many benefiting factors to the music industry when creating music videos. For instance it means that artists are able to do more with their music videos as well as keeping them more interesting for the audience and possibly even being able to help them cut costs for production. For instance with the use of green screens production companies are able to cut costs for music videos as they are able to use the green screens to make it appear as though the video is taking place somewhere it isn't or that things are happening which aren't. Say an artist wanted to shoot their video abroad this can cost a lot of money, not only to cover costs of getting everyone involved in the video to this new location but also all of the equipment etc which can be costly.
The tittle of most expensive music video ever produced is also held by Michael Jackson and his sister Janet Jackson for their music video scream (1995) which cost $7,000,000 and was directed by American film Mark Romanek, whose music videos have won 20 MTV video Music Awards as well as three Grammys for best short form music video. Scream was primarily targeted at the tabloid media and their coverage of the child sexual abusive allegations made against him in 1993. Hence the video itself shows both Michael and Janet retaliating negatively towards the media. Generally the video received good coverage from critics so much so that it still to this day one of Jackson's most critically acclaimed videos. Which went on to be nominated for a Grammy award which it won as well as various MTV Music Video Awards. Michaels sister Janet stated that she decided to be a part of the project to show her sibling support for her brother. Having Janet somebody else known to the public eye featuring on this project showing her support for him helps to build the publics faith back in him as someone with such a reputation would likely not want to damage it by associating herself with someone she believed to be guilty of such allegations. Due to Janet being her sister and spending so much time with Michael as well as the family having a reputation of being close to each other the general audience member would feel that if Michael was guilty of such accusations then surely Janet would know about it and not want to risk her good fortune.
Although a lot of special effects and technology which was new for the time the entire video was shot primarily in black and white. Although this may seem like an odd choice considering all of the money which went into special effects etc making the video appear as new and relevant to the time period as possible that it would be a strange decision for the video to then be filmed in black and white which is generally perceived as a rather out dated way of filming as it has connotations referring back to when filming could only take place using black and white film. However doing the one thing that the production team knew other artists wouldn't be doing with their videos made this an appealing factor as it meant that it would stand out against the rest. As well as having the colour scheme in black and white being able to highlight to the audience the importance and seriousness of the message that Jackson is aiming to present through both the lyrics to his song as well as the video itself. Although many of the choices for the video were not made by Jackson himself as he often had for his music videos but he left the concept to Romanek. The main idea between the video was that the siblings were on a space craft getting away from earth to have a break trying to relax whilst being able to hit back at the tabloid media and show the audience Michaels side as well as embarking his innocence on the audience.
As you can see having a large budget benefits an artist as they are able to do more with their video and therefore entertain their audience in fresh ways which gets the audience talking and creates word of mouth further promoting the artist and the music which is the orignal aim behind creating a music video.
The second most expensive music video ever produced is awarded to Madonna for her music video 'Die Another Day' which was released on October 22nd 2002. The video lasts for a length of four minutes and thirty eight seconds which is considered a normal time span for a music video. The song was initially leaked on the internet prior to its official release in that same month. The leakage of the song lead to radio stations playing the track hence promoting the song further. The more hype surrounding the song due to it's early release then the more word of mouth the song will create as more people shall be talking about it. Hence if more people are talking about the song or are made aware of it then the more hype the music video shall face as more people will be aware and waiting for it. Once the video is out it is able to generate an even bigger hype. Hence all of these tactics in hand help to keep Madonna's song relevant in the eyes of the general audience for music, helping her to generate bigger sales. Music videos are often viewed by artist etc as simply tools to help promote themselves and their music hence they are willing to try out various different methods to do such things in order to help the music video achieve the success rate they want it to in order to boost their profit/career. As result of this artists are often criticised when their music or music videos are leaked as it is questioned whether they may have leaked it themselves as a part of a promotional stunt.
Die another day the single was produced as the song track for the James Bond film of the same tittle. However the music video for the song was developed as an independent video away from the film. The usage of Jewish texts and objects throughout the video lead to Madonna creating controversy with Judaism scholars deeming it to be sacrilegious. Again this is another way in which Madonna is able to create a hype around herself and her music as she gets people talking. This can encourage more people to sort out the video to watch as they want to see for themselves which side of the controversy they are on.
Throughout the years music videos have really changed and developed just as music has. For instance the technology which is being used within music videos is constantly progressing. As well as music videos themselves going from being seen as something new and exciting to something the audience expects and takes for granted as to the modern viewer it would appear strange for an artist not to create a music video for a single.
Timeline of music video history:
In 1975 band Queen released what is considered to be the first ever music video for their single 'Bohemian Rhapsdy'.
1st August 1981 the first ever music channel MTV broadcast for the first time. The first music video the channel broadcast was 'Video killed the radio star' by the Buggles.
14th February 2005 was the launched of social media site YouTube. With it's sole purpose being the sites use of uploading videos however it's main focus on this day remains on the concept that people are able to watch music videos on the site. This meant that people no longer had to watch music channels in order to watch music videos. It also meant that they had more freedom over the music videos that they were watching.
As you can see as the times have progressed as uses of the media have become easier and much more common the music industry has continued to grow with it and with the industry as has music videos. This demonstrates how popular and well loved music videos are as well as the various benefits to them as the music videos are still such a large part of our mass media today.
YouTube can be a great help to me when creating my own music video as I can use it so to compare different music videos together and decide what I feel works best (often this opinion will come from looking at comments/views etc.) As within the comments section fans and audience members alike are given the chance to have there say about the music video. This shall be more beneficial to me than reading music magazines or anything written by music critics as the comments sections represents is a much more informal area meaning that people feel they are able to comment more freely also the people commenting within this section are much more likely to be a strong representative of the audience as a whole compared with people who are paid to write about music. As these people have learnt to analyse music in certain ways and focus on specific elements. They have a more trained eye than the average audience member who is simply viewing the music video as a form of entertainment. It is likely that the two shall find themselves experiencing separate experiences of the music video however as there are fewer critics and nowadays less people focus on what actual critics have to say and more on what their peers do on platforms such as social media for instance Twitter of Facebook people often comments on topics involving the media hence I am focusing my music video more towards the aims and views of audience members comments.
Using the commenting section on YouTube is helpful in various different ways. For instance if I want to find views which are representative of the mass of music listeners then I could look at the comments section for mainstream artists for some of their most popular songs. By the same token if I wanted to hear from music fans with views which are slightly more subversive then I could look to the comments section from music which is slightly more subversive as this is more likely to attract those fans. If I wanted to research into a particular genre such as indie then I would be able to view music from indie bands/artists and really analyse the music videos. In doing so noting aspects which I liked and disliked as well as looking as those from audience members when reading the comments section. As well as noticing differences or similarities within the different music videos from the genres themselves and viewing the comments section to see if there are any common themes which shall be able to help me build upon positive codes and conventions towards my chosen genre which the audience like to see therefore creating a more positive experience for them. Which shall then apply positive connotations upon the artist and the song the music video is promoting meaning that the music video is successful in doing it's job.
Another way in which YouTube may be beneficial is that I will be able to upload elements of my music video before the production is finished so to receive feedback. This will help me to discover whether or not the audience are finding that they enjoy my music video and if I am heading in the right direction with it. I shall also be able to take on any constructive feedback and improve my music video ensuring that the video will be creating an experience so to suit and please the audience. Another concept to uploading unfinished shoot-age of my music video or even uploading a rough cut is that it is able to build up a hype until the release of the actual music video. It gets fans excited and encourages people to start talking about it building up suspense as people await the music video meaning that more people are likely to watch it when it releases as more people would have heard of it and would have been waiting with anticipation for it's release. YouTube has been used with this concept in mind before for instance director Christopher Nolan leaked the opening scene to his blockbuster 'The Dark Knight Rises' with this effect in mind, considering the blockbusters success and the hype which was built prior to the films release much of which relating to this as audience members spread news of the leak on social media platforms such as Twitter even creating a hashtag for the topic which trended suggests that the technique really does pay off. Due to which I am opting to use it.
This post demonstrates some good understanding of how music videos have changed over the years. This post also demonstrates some good research techniques, as you have considered a variety of videos, to show your understanding. However, you also need to include a timeline of effects that have occurred throughout the years, to demonstrate further understanding of this post.
ReplyDeleteAim to develop on the points that you have included within your conclusion, by considering what ideas you can take and include within your own production. For example, how will the role of youtube assist you in ensuring your product is successful?