what is a music video - Miss Miller

A music video is a visual experience created for an audience to watch which goes along with a song. Creating a music video to go along with their song can be beneficial to an artist in various different ways. For instance it may be used as a marketing tool as they are able to help promote the song through it, especially if people find that they like the music video and it becomes popular. They can also help to get the audience to understand the story or ideology the artist is trying to tell behind the song. Hence increasing their understanding can mean that the audience finds they are able to relate to the song more easily and therefore become more interested in it. Often artists are able to create new trends within their music videos such as new  dances which can help boost awareness for both the song and the artist as the music video becomes recognised for starting the trend. They may also be useful for enabling the audience to see a different side to the artist which may increase their interest in them. Music views may be viewed on various different platforms such as YouTube, MusicTube or on a variety of different music channels.

There three different styles of music video: 

Performance
Narrative (telling the audience a story)
Concept (selling the audience an idea/theme or ideology)

A performance based music video revolves around the concept of the artist performing directly to the audience i.e. the artist is acting although they are aware of the audience watching rather than playing a role of a character such as in a film who is unaware of the audience. Hence they are often shown looking directly at the camera lenses whilst lip syncing and dancing whilst looking through the lenses. This may be used to help the audience feel more engaged with the artist as they feel they are looking directly at them and performing directly to them as well as having a feeling that this artist is trying harder to build a relationship with their fans as they are hiding away from the camera with a narrative based music video as they are believed to be just being themselves as they perform.

 Narrative  music videos revolve around the concept of the artist telling a story for the music video. In contrast to a performing based music video rather than the artist looking towards the camera lenses and perfuming directly towards it the artist is likely to be looking away from the camera lenses as they are acting as though they are unaware of the camera to help them fit to the narrative they are trying to create/tell within their music video. This is a technique which has often been used within music videos for instance at the start of Michael Jackson's Thriller music video a narrative is told between Jackson's character and the girl he is on a date with where the audience follows a narrative between the two characters whereby neither of the characters are looking at the camera lenses and behaving although they are unaware of it. This technique to filming a music video may be used to demonstrate to the audience that the artist is able to entertain in various different ways e.g.  being able to tell a story as well as being a good singer or dancer etc. It is also a good way to keep the audience entertained as often music videos are thought as simply visual experiences to be placed with a song and simply show the artist dancing or performing and having a good time this can help the artist to stand out against others in the industry and appear as though they are more original and putting more effort into their work.

Having a concept based music video allows the audience to follow a set theme, idea or ideology represented via the artist. These types of music videos are based around one idea or concept. They're usually either unusual or obscure they may even be described  as surreal for the audience often even shocking.  This kind of unusual content is put in place so to attract a wider audience for the music video. Often within the media it is heard of celebrities such as Marlyin Manson or Lady Gaga doing strange things this is a good way for artists to create publicity for themselves and gain public interested as people are often interested in things which are different to what they are use to seeing as well as wanting to be able to follow up with the hype which has surrounded these things. Also this technique demonstrates the artist to be more original compared with others in the industry which helps them to grow a greater and stronger relationship with the audience as they are respected for their originality and hard work.

Having different styles of music video within the industry enables the audience to focus on either a certain genre which they prefer and chose to look for in music videos, or to help them find the right type of music for their mood/situation. These different set out genres help the audience to identify with and have a greater understanding of what will be in the music video as well as the rules it will be following which means that they can be more selective with what they watch. Having different genres is also beneficial to the artist as it enables them to follow a set structure which helps/guides them to decide which route to take with their video as well as how to address their target audience as they become aware of the codes and conventions which they're expecting as well as what they want to see.

I am going to display how this works by analysing American artist Ashley Tisdale's music video for her song 'He Said She Said'.

Although there are three set different styles within the production for a music video that doesn't mean that artists always stick to just one. As you can see in this video Tisdale is following the style of performance as she is frequently seen lip syncing to the music as well as performing dance routines however a narrative is also being told behind Ashley's character and another male character. Hence the music video follows codes and conventions towards both a narrative based music video and a performance based music video.

Tisdale's video falls under the genre of pop due to both the sound/type of music as well as the style of the video. Although it is similar to hip pop as it has a much darker vibe than many pop videos, including the colours and costumes of the characters as they are a lot darker, also it is aimed more towards an older audience considering the sexual connotations throughout. This could be done in an attempt for Tisdale to come away from her Disney roots as she was at a time in her life where she was breaking away from her work with Disney and becoming recognised for her singing abilities on her own as well as becoming more focused on acting jobs outside of Disney. Artists are able to use music videos to send messages or hints throughout there videos even trying to show another side to them which hasn't been portrayed throughout the media coverage they receive. Tisdale showing herself in a more grown up state in her video is a way for her to indicate to audience members who still view her as a 'Disney star' that she is grown up and able to take on more grown up roles/work.

Following up with the idea of the music video having a narrative behind it, it appears that the music video is taking place within a club, this is conventional to the genre as often pop music videos take place within clubs, bars etc. as these places are usually associated with partying and dancing which enables artists to show off their dancing talents more naturally as it flows with the narrative. Tisdale's use of a dance routine also fits to the expectations from the pop genre as often pop artists are thought to be more well rounded performs who are really good at dancing and enjoy giving full performances. This gains the audiences attention more towards Tisdale as they are able to see another of her talents. The general audience will already be aware of her acting ability's due to her high profile work for Disney, showing that she is also able to dance well as an actual artist rather than just routines she had to do in 'High School Musical' which indicates to the audience how extremely talented Tisdale is which gains further interest and attention as the audience become more impressed by how much she really can do. As it is so rare to be so talented through such a wide variety Tisdale finds herself being seen as a role model hence making more sales and creating more respect for herself as more people are becoming impressed by her capabilities and looking up to her. This can enable artists such as Tisdale to create new dancing trends through this way which the audience are able to then copy, maintaining a hype around the song as people are interested in the video.

One way in which Tisdale has fit her video to the codes and conventions of the pop genre is by dressing herself up, trying to make herself look attractive wearing clothing which shows skin but doesn't reveal too much which is good as it shows to the audience that she is physically fit and has a nice body without people accusing her of dressing inappropriately which could lead to the audience disliking her and therefore ruining her chances of success and the chances of her being branded a good role model. It is also important for Tisdale not to dress inappropriately due to her Disney background as she will still obtain young fans whom she won't want to provide unsuitable content for not only because it can be perceived as damaging for them but also as it is likely to result in up roar from parents banging their children from looking at things relating to the artist and preventing them from buying her merchandise effecting her sales and credibility. Tisdale's costume also has connotations of her having a lot of money as she is well put together and looks nice this is a convention of the pop genre as it displays that Tisdale or at least her character in the video which the general audience would just perceive to be her is successful due to this money. This keeps the audience interested in her as they believe that she must be good at what she does to obtain this level of success. Another way in which Tisdale is shown to have money is by her dancing and flashing around a phone which at the time the music video was released (2007) would have appeared to be have been popular and expensive. This technique is used again through Tisdale spraying herself with a Lacoste perfume. This may also be seen as an advertisement for the company meaning that they would pay Tisdale a large sum to have her advertise their perfume within her video. Although this boosts the perfumes awareness it also benefits Tisdale not only through the money that she shall be earning off of it but through the fact that the audience shall recognise Lacoste as a well known brand and consider that Tisdale must be doing well if such a brand would want to have themselves associated with her. As well as girls who care about their appearance etc. seeing them and feeling more able to relate to Ashley as this suggests she cares about her appearance as well, possibly even having audience members think that she is allowing them the knowledge of which perfume she uses herself. This makes fans grow to her more so as they feel that Tisdale is opening up to them and encouraging a strong relationship between her and her fans. This is also a convention towards the pop genre as this may be seen as Tisdale providing the audience within more information about her which pop artists are often thought to do more so than artists of other genres such as rock as they are thought to enjoy the whole element of fame and performing more and are thought to often be very happy and bubbly which Tisdale appears to be when she shows these items as well as  throughout the video. Again the idea that these items make Tisdale happy is yet another convention towards the pop genre as often these artists are thought to be a lot more superficial which links back to the whole concept of their love to perform.

Tisdale follows the performance based music video concept as the camera displays a a close up of her lips as she lip syncs to the lyrics. This highlights that this is Tisdale's song and that she sings it all herself it also signifies how Tisdale is about to provide her audience with this big performance and this is just easing them into it. Whilst the camera is demonstrating a close up of her lips Tisdale is wearing a pink lip gloss this piece of Mise en scene highlights to the audience that Tisdale is very into her costume, hair and make up and gets them ready to look towards good outfits, hair and make up within the music video which is conventional towards the pop genre as pop artists are generally all round performers meaning that they are also able to perform dance routines to a good enough standard to do it on stage so much so that they can afford to lip sync instead of actually perfuming the song live as they are so into the dance routine they will be performing. Many pop artists have been noted for doing this such as Cheryl Cole and Britney Spears.

 

The usage of the various different close ups demonstrated throughout the music video is also conventional towards the genre of pop. As this urges the audience to view the artist through a more voyeuristic approach as the camera is highlighting their facial features really emphasising upon their appearance, displaying the artists appearance as a main theme. This conventional towards the genre as artists of the genre are viewed more as a whole package via than simply a singer, they often act more as an entertainer like Spears and Cole branching out into different areas as Spears did breaking into acting with her role in 2002 Hollywood film 'Crossroads'. Within pop the audiences focuses are aimed more towards the artist as an entertainer than anything else. This is done because pop artists are thought to be more about having fun and embracing their fame rather than trying to help the audience relate to issues of their own through their music on some level. Hence viewing the artist as an attractive person helps to expand on this sort of bond which works more of an admiration for the artist on the audiences part. As the audience find themselves more attracted to the artist they find that they have stronger/more positive feelings towards them.

 Tisdale isn't the only attractive character in the video but the male playing her love interest could also been seen as attractive to viewers particularly heterosexual female members of the audience. This has been aimed for by dressing him in clothing which is seen as fashionable for the time period. This is conventional as it is stereotyped that good looking people only go out to the best places showing that the artist really is having a good time and enjoying themselves as they have a good life style enjoying their success. Having an attractive male character appear interested in Tisdale could also make her more appealing to audience members as they see someone else showing an interest in her which urges the audience themselves to also view this quality in her. Following codes and conventions of the pop genre as artists of said genre are perceived to be very happy, buddy people hence viewing Tisdale socialising with a large group of people at a location which is stereotyped as being fun for people who enjoy music portrays Tisdale as a typical artist of the genre.

Another convention to the pop genre displayed throughout the video is the use of all of the extras. Extras are often used throughout the genre to make a scene or area appear more popular and make it appear as though people are having a better time. As often when there are large groups of people this is associated with something being good as it so largely populated. This is beneficial to the artist as it conveys that Tisdale is popular amongst as is she able to go out in large groups and have fun with everyone enjoying everyone's company hence illustrating that Tisdale is a nice fun person to be around as she has all this company. Which is stereotypical towards the pop genre as these kind of artists are thought be more warming and friendly compared to artists of other genres such as rock as they are thought of as being more stand offish and appreciating their personal space more. It also follows the concept that a pop artist likes to dance and sing and show off their talents to large groups of people choosing to do so in a social situation is beneficial to Tisdale as it makes her appear more naturally talented as though she doesn't need help to be good at what she does and simply does it because she enjoys the element of performing rather than just seeing it as a money making scheme. Hence the audience are more likely to become fans of Tisdale as they view her passion for her work and appreciate how much she really does care for her career making her more likeable.

Tisdale is also shown on her own through different shots outside of the club dancing in a different outfit to the one which was previously shown wearing heavy jewellery and having changed her hairstyle again this adds to the concept of her being successful due to have large sums of money as well as girls finding themselves being able to relate to her as this like her fashion/dress sense some girls may even idolise her and decide that they want to be like her looking up to her as a role model figure. Showing Tisdale at different locations also suggests that the situation is more real to her and she isn't just thinking about it in the club and it would also appear that this is a different day due to all the changes which have been made to her appearance.  Showing Tisdale having different looks etc. and making sure that she looks attractive in both ways benefits her as she is showing the audience that she looks attractive in different ways hence showing off how attractive she is in different ways so that the audience finds her more attractive. This often leads to heterosexual males becoming more interested in a female artist and other females usually younger, particularly vulnerable and impressionable teenagers looking up to the artist for guidance.

Often within the pop genre in music videos artists are shown as getting along with friends and having a fun time. This is done in an attempt to get the audience to feel as though they are more able to relate to the artist and view them more as a general person rather than seeing them as this mega star which they cannot relate to as they are living the life of someone who is really famous with loads of money. Hence doing this adds to the artists like ability factor as they see them as a more 'normal person' doing every day things which they themselves would do. This can also add onto the artists likeability factor as fans see the celebrity as acting and behaving as they believe everyday 'normal people' should hence this suggests that the artist doesn't take themselves too seriously and doesn't believe that they are above everyone else due to their success.

The narrative itself within the video is a convention towards the pop genre as often the genre covers love stories. As they are light and easy to follow by all different ranges of the audience as it is something which is expected to be experienced by everyone within their lives. As well as often people finding that they enjoy watching love stories progress as it is something that they can relate to and can make them feel happy throughout. Whether there is a happy ending or not as it shows two people showing affection towards each other which can often provide people with hope.

Various different editing techniques are demonstrated throughout the music video, ranging from big flashy lights to the less noticeable and also the less difficult to shoot yet some of the most effective. For instance the wind machine seen blowing Tisdale's hair around various scenes through out the music video provides various different benefits and is added in such a low key way that the audience simply take this as a part of the artists natural appeal without over thinking the effects which can gone into making the music video which would then take away from the effect of the music video. Hence these small extras as most beneficial to the artist. Again this another conventional technique towards the pop genre as artists are viewed as a package rather than a single artist belonging to a single genre a lot more focus is put onto aspects such as their appearance. Thus this is a beneficial effect as it helps the audience to see the artist through a more naturally aesthetic portrayal as she is able to look so attractive without all of the big effects expected to have been put in use within a music videos production.

A lot of jump cuts are used throughout the music video so to transition between the different scenes occurring within the music video. This was a good choice of editing technique as it helps the audience to understand what is happening. As with the use of jump cuts it is made clear to the audience that the music video is jumping back and forth between different scenes. It was a better choice to use this editing style for this particular music video rather than others as it suits the flow of the music video. Being that the music video is rather fast and up beat as if the song it would ruin that effect if different editing styles were to be used which were slightly slower and less in tune with the style of the music video/song then this would create a contrast which would likely confuse the audience. Such confusion would be likely to occur as the concept of something being quite up-beat suggests a fairly happy mood where as a slower tone suggests a fairly sadder less optimistic tone hence this two ideas mixed together and leave the audience unsure of how they should be feeling or how they should be perceiving the artists work. For the average audience member this is likely to course them to loose interest in the music video and may also provide the artist with negative connotations for the future as the audience embank upon this experience with the artist whenever they hear of them throughout their career. Most audience member's want to relax and enjoy the experience that the artist is providing them with if they find that this is becoming more hard work than it is worth and certainly not relaxing then they will no longer bother with it. Thus the music video would be unable to do it's job of promoting the song behind the music video or the artist.

At the beginning of the music video the shot reverse shot technique is used so to demonstrate the  relationship between Tisdale and the leading male. This is important as it helps the audience to understand the narrative of the music video. Again without this technique having been used it is likely that audience members would be confusion via the music video and therefore be put off from it. It may also be that the audience don't understand the point behind the music video which shall be a negative outcome as it means that audience members are missing out on the effects of the music video created for them meaning that they shall miss out on the full experience the artist has provided with them and therefore they shall also be less likely to build a relationship with the artist. It is essential for audience member's to feel a bond with the artist as often it is this bond which drives them to purchase the artists music.

A lot of mid shots are shown particularly of the artist throughout the music video. These are a beneficial element to the music video as they enable the audience to feel as though the artist is reaching out to them and attempting to create a bond with them as they are demonstrating more of themselves with them. This occurs as the audience are still able to see the artist from a close enough view that they feel as though they aren't far away from them as the camera physically is still fairly close to the artist representing how close the artist is trying to become to her audience. Thus encouraging the audience to embrace this as they begin to feel that the artist is a good role model/person as they appear to really care about pleasing their fans instead of focusing on critics etc. hence boosting their likeability factor earning them more sales. Mid shots are also good shows to use so to demonstrate the artist as a package as the audience are still able to get a clear view of the artists face whilst also clearly being able to picture what the artist is wearing. This is a conventional theme towards the genre of pop as it allows artists to display more of themselves to their audience hence building upon the concept of them working as a package. With this shot they are able to show the audience their fashion sense which can be beneficial as audience members may find that they like the artists fashion sense and may choose to start dressing like them; if the artist has a particular sense of style and fans begin to pick it up then it becomes noticeable and a hype begins to build around the artist helping to promote them further. It also enables the artist to perform dance routines to their audience which they may pick up on and try to perform themselves or the artist may even be able to create new dancing trends for instance new dance moves which the audience shall then be able to relate back to the artist thus also promoting them further.

For scenes where the artist is seen performing dancing routines the camera transitions between long shots, mid shots and close ups. This is important as with long shots the audience are fully able to see what the artist is doing and therefore are able to pick up on the dance routine meaning that they are then able to perform it on their own when out partying wit friends etc. further building a hype around the artist and the song. However long shots can become quite boring as often there isn't anything that  is really highlighted meaning that the audience don't have anything to really focus their attentions towards. Thus it is beneficial for the camera to mix it up with mid shots and close ups also. Mid shots are important as they allow the audience to view the artist up closer up than long shots meaning that they are able to really focus upon them which many audience members find to be more interesting. Although not all of artists body is shown the audience are still able to see a good enough picture to understand what the artist is doing and how they are moving. Also as this is a part of a routine the audience is able to piece it all together from the long shots easily so that they aren't left feeling as though they are having to think too much so the experience is still fun without having bored them by using too much of the same shot. The close ups in the instance are beneficial as they are able to really highlight the artists facial expressions to the audience. As the artist is shown smiling and looking rather happy it encourages the audience to want to try out the artists routine as it appears to be fun via the way in which the artist is portraying it. This is also a rather positive and conventional portrayal of the artist as an artist belonging to the genre of pop. As pop artists are also known for being happy a lot of the time. Much more so than other artists from genres such as indie, rock and alternative. This goes in hand with the conventional concept that pop artists are happy to perform as it is something that they are known for being good at and often do thus it is suggested that this is something they adore to do along with the positive vibes they display when doing so. This is a strong representation of the artist which the audience are set to like as the audience like the concept that the artist is a happy person; this makes her appear more grateful for the opportunity to become an artist, making her more likeable as gratitude is commonly thought to be a good trait which is a sign of a good person. When the audience feel more inclined to the artist as a human being they are more likely to purchase their music. This works because the audience feel happier and more comfortable watching someone who they want to succeed. Whereas when watching someone they don't particularly like this makes for a lesser experience as they feel as though they cannot enjoy themselves properly because of their dislike for this person they aren't as open to liking their work.

Lighting is an important part of the music video. A strong example of this would be for the scenes where the artist is seen performing on her own as she lip syncs whilst dancing in front of a brick wall with a spot light shining directly on the spot she is. This is beneficial as it provides codes and conventions towards the genre of pop as it is able to remind the audience that the artist is someone to enjoys to perform and is able to do so well. Providing these kinds of codes and conventions towards the genre through the music video is essential in ensuring that the audience are fully aware and comfortable in their knowledge of what genre the artist belongs to. Not only does this ensure that the audience of the pop genre is aware that they are watching a music video which is aimed towards them but it also means that the audience are viewing things within the music video which they are set to like as these are elements which have purposefully been added to the music video as they suit the genre and are elements which make it up therefore being the aspects to the genre which is audience are set to adore. Adding these elements within the music video is important as it means that the audiences wishes are being met. Codes and conventions of a genre provide the artist and the production team with a good guideline of ideas and concepts to follow so to make their music video conventional towards the chosen genre so to please it's audience. The concept of the spotlight is also beneficial as it paints the artist to be someone important, someone who deserves to have the light shine on them to highlight their significance. Thus painting the artist is such a way draws the audience attention towards her as the positive connotations suggests that she is both someone whom is talented and someone successful.

The target audience for Tisdale's music video would be young children to older teenagers as these are the main viewers of the pop genre. Tisdale's target audience focuses more towards the girls of this audience as they are likely to find her more relatable as she focuses her video much more around aspects which girls would be interested in such as following a love narrative between Tisdale and another boy in the club, as well as wearing a range of different girlie outfits and showcasing different hairstyles. Tisdale portrays a side to herself which is much more about things such as make up as she flashes about perform which is 'touch of pink' by Lacoste also she has a pink mobile phone a very girlie colour which has connotations of someone liking the colour and using it a lot being very girlie and in front all kinds of typical items for girlies whom care about their appearance.

Music videos have many positive effects upon the success of an artist, not only do they help to raise awareness for the song the video is fitting to but they also raise awareness for the artist themselves, as well as possibly being able to make them more likeable. As you can see artists are able to express themselves in many different ways throughout their music videos using anyone of the three types of music videos and even once they've selected their chosen style their are still so many different ways they can keep their music videos appearing new and fresh in comparison to other music videos of the same style as their are so many different elements they can apply to their music video in a range of different ways. Tisdale used a variety of different techniques within her music video which many artists of both performance based and narrative based music videos had used in their works before yet she managed to use them differently which help her to express herself and her work. An artist from a different genre to Tisdale could follow the same styles as Tisdale and still have a completely different music video as they would be following different codes and conventions towards their chosen genre.

Overall as you can see Tisdale has created a music video which is of a good enough standard to follow and represent codes and conventions towards the pop genre as well as following two different styles of music video showcasing Tisdale ability to perform on a wider range. It is essential to establish a style for a genre as without it there would be no genre; it is this style which creates the genre hence it is made up of all of it's codes and conventions. Without there being a style to a genre there would be no genre as there would be no determiners to take certain aspects of something and state that they belong to one category and not another. It is this concept of style that the audience are able to view and instantly recognise a genre or even possible genres for that piece of work to belong to. If the audience see a lot of happy people, appearing to be having a good time, dancing and all looking fairly attractive then pop is likely to be one of the main genres the audience straight away guesses this piece of what belongs to. It is those added extras which really help the audience to lock down the artists genre for instance Tisdale's uses of a spotlight really helps the audience to place the artist to her chosen genre.