Michael Jackson: Thriller (1983)
Michael Jackson’s 1983 video Thriller is one of the most recognisable music videos made. It is a 14 minute video for the song of the same name. The video was directed by John Landis, who also directed An American Werewolf in London and another music video for Michael Jackson – Black or White. It was the most expensive video of its time costing US $500,000. In 2006, Guinness World records listed it as one of the most successful music videos of all time, selling over 9 million units.
Often credited as the greatest music video of all time, Thriller proved to have a profound effect on popular culture, and was named “a watershed moment for the music industry” for its unique merging of filmmaking and music.
With regards to codes and conventions, Thriller was less of a typical music video and more like a short film because of the length of the full version. It is a horror film homage featuring choreographed zombies performing with Michael Jackson. During the video, Jackson transforms into both a werewolf and a zombie, as well as performing the climatic dance sequence.
The video was also iconic because at the time, MTV didn’t really air black musicians. However, when Thriller aired, Michael Jackson became the first African American to be on MTV.
Another reason the video will appeal to horror film fans is the voiceover from Vincent Price, who has been in horror films such as the original House of Wax.
At the beginning of the video, it is evident from the clothing worn that it is the 1950’s. Jackson and his date, in typical horror film tradition, run out of petrol in the middle of the woods at night. They walk off into the forest and start talking. Whilst talking, Jackson and his date are shown in separate shots, isolating them from each other on the screen, as oppose to a two shot, which would show them united as a couple. This changes when he proposes to her and they are closer to each other. However, as he reveals his secret to her, they become separated once again. The close ups of her face reveal her shock as he transforms into a werewolf. The close-ups also show Jackson changing into the werewolf in more detail, for example, his ears and hands.
The scene cuts away to a modern day cinema where Michael and his date are watching the scene unfold in a film called Thriller starring Vincent Price. When the couple leave the cinema is the first time that the music starts to play. As the couple are walking home along a foggy street, he teases her with the opening verses of the song. He dances around her as she strolls along, at certain points, he imitates a zombie chasing her. They pass a graveyard, where corpses begin to rise from their graves. It is at this point that Vincent Price performs part of his voiceover as if he is one of the zombies. Michael and his date find themselves surrounded by zombies, with point of view shots and close ups showing their terror. All of a sudden, the camera pans around to the girls point of view, and Michael has turned into a zombie himself. They then perform the famous dance sequence together. All of the other zombies are behind Michael and he is wearing significantly brighter colours, which makes him stand out more. This is followed by the chorus, by which time Michael has changed back to human form.
The girl is chased by the zombies, which now include Michael, to an abandoned house. As the zombies approach, we see the girl’s eyes in an extreme close up to portray how scared she is. The camera then cuts to her point of view as Michael and the rest of the zombies approach. As he reaches for her throat, she screams, when the camera cuts back to Michael, we realise at the same time as the girl does, that it was just a dream. As they leave the room, Michael is the centre of the shot and turns around to reveal his werewolf-like eyes, accompanied by the haunting laugh of Vincent Price. The camera zooms into his eyes as the credits appear
Duffy: Mercy (2008)
The official music video for Mercy, directed by Daniel Wolfe, features Duffy standing in top of a platform performing the song. Choreographed by Natricia Bernard, the dancing involves elaborate moves, as well as the use of fire. The video opens with a close up of someone’s feet as they are dancing. At this point, it becomes clear that the song is going to be upbeat and catchy rather than a ballad. Duffy is shown in the centre of the room on a raised platform with the light shining on her, suggesting that she is the dominant figure in the video. There is a low angle shot of her that reinforces this. However, the lyrics of the song imply that “I’m under your spell; you got me begging you for mercy”. It appears that she can’t help but be mesmerised by their dancing. The lighting in the video is effective as she is shown as innocent in the light, and the male dancers are more mysterious in the darker areas of the room. There are various close ups of Duffy in the video to give her identity to the audience, also, when the camera is on her, there are slow tracking shots and zooms, giving us more chance to connect with her. However, when the men are shown, we don’t really see their faces, and the quick cuts don’t give the audience enough time to connect with them. The closest shots of the dancers are on their feet, showing that their feet are their ‘weapon’. The dancers are moving their feet in time with the music, and during the video, their feet catch fire. The element of fire makes the dancing seem more elaborate. Fire has connotations of the devil/evil, which could indicate that the dancers in the video are dark characters, compared to Duffy, who is made to look innocent. The last shots of the video are very similar to the first shots, which could show that the dancers are still ultimately in control of the situation.
When asked of the lyrical meaning of the song, Duffy said:
"The lyrics were about having a feeling towards someone, whether it’s a romantic feeling or just some chemistry that you don’t want, and you desperately want to be released from that feeling."
Destiny's Child: Girl (2005)
The music video for Girl by Destiny’s Child is a very clever narrative video. There are obvious references in the video to Sex and the City – a lot of the video is a direct copy of the introduction to the TV show. The video is split into two different worlds, the first being Destiny’s Child in Beyoncé’s apartment, and the same trio on a fictional TV show styled exactly the same as Sex and the City. The audience are able to distinguish between the two different worlds from the clothes that the characters are wearing and also the shots/editing. For the characters at home, the girls are dressed casually in jeans and t-shirts, whereas in the TV version of themselves, they could be considered to be power dressing and very stylish. Also, the shots for the opening of the TV shots look exactly like they do on the actual TV Show and are a lot more edited than the shots when the girls are just chilling out at home.
The video begins with Beyoncé, Michelle, and Kelly in Beyoncé's apartment and settling down with snacks and wine as they watch a fictional TV show. There is a medium shot to shot all of the girls on the sofa together as a unit. After the mock credits, Beyoncé and Michelle meet Kelly for lunch. Throughout the video, the women at home respond to the events of the program through gestures and actions, while, on the television, the dialogue of the song matches the conversation of the women in the restaurant. The reaction of all 3 of the girls is exactly the same each time, indicating that they are on the same wavelength as each other and understand one another. Throughout most of the video, all 3 of the girls will be in the same shot (unless in different scenarios) to show their bond with each other.
Beyoncé confronts Kelly about her sad demeanor and suspected boyfriend problems, but Kelly feigns shock and insists that nothing is wrong. Neither Michelle nor Beyoncé are convinced. The video intercuts between two different scenes and the viewers can see that, on one occasion, her boyfriend took hours to come home without explanation and, when he finally arrived, a hurt Kelly threw his food away before running upstairs to cry. Kelly admits to some problems, while making excuses for her boyfriend, such as his busy schedule and her own moodiness. Beyoncé, however, rolls her eyes at the thin excuses, and assures Kelly that she and Michelle love her and she need not suffer alone. At this, Kelly begins to cry and laugh at the same time. Michelle goes on to tell her of the day she confronted Kelly's boyfriend when she saw him browsing through jewellery with another woman.
Later on, Kelly can seen be seen looking cold and angry as her boyfriend comes home. He arrives apologetic, but Kelly perks up, dangling a pair of furry handcuffs. He smiles and begins to follow her upstairs. In the immediately following scene, he is naked except for a pair of boxers and handcuffed to the balcony. With her bags packed and the handcuff key in hand, she leaves—laughing happily. The girls are finally seen walking down the city street, holding hands, as an image of them passes by on a city bus.
Tuesday, 22 September 2009
Codes and Conventions of Music Videos
There are 3 main types of music video, each one of which will have their own typical codes and conventions. It can be broken down even further by suggesting that each genre of music will also have their specific codes and conventions.
The 3 types of music video that I will be looking at are:
-Performance
-Narrative
-Abstract
Music videos employ a wide range of film making techniques including animation and live action filming. It is not uncommon to see more than one of the techniques blending together to give a more unique edge to the video.
It is also possible to see two types of music video mixed together in one e.g. performance and narrative. However, there will be slightly more emphasis on one of the styles.
Performance
In a performance music video, the focus is based primarily on the singer (and band, if applicable) performing the song. There isn’t really much of a story behind the video, as the audience will be concentrating on the performance. It is also common in these types of videos for the performer to look into the camera and perform to the audience.
This style of music video has been used recently by Beyoncé. She is well known for her dancing ability, and has used performance music videos to showcase this to a wider audience. The Kings of Leon use performance music videos whilst incorporating some use of the narrative style.
In the video, which is choreographed by Frank Gatson and JaQuel Knight, Beyoncé performs as her alter ego Sasha Fierce. It shows her in an asymmetrical leotard and high heels, along with two look-alike back up dancers. The video features Beyoncé dancing against a plain background which alternates between black and white, thus placing focus on the complex choreography. The camera angles and lighting make the video more visually stimulating. The routine incorporates various styles including jazz, tap, hip hop etc. Towards the end of the video, Beyoncé flashes her $5 million wedding ring, which connects with the song lyrics “If you liked it, then you should have put a ring on it, don’t be mad once you see that he want it”. It is as if she is not only empowering women, but she is also sending a message to men as well, saying that they shouldn’t be jealous. This video is the perfect example to illustrate the effect that a music video can have worldwide.
The video for Sweet Dream is similar in some ways to Single Ladies in the way that Beyoncé is dancing with the 2 back up dancers. It is, however, different in the sense that their are more dimensions to the video than Single Ladies. There are different settings for the video that connect to the lyrics of the songs i.e. dreams/nightmares can take place anywhere at anytime. Also, at the very beginning of the video, the audience see Beyoncé tossing and turning in bed. The montage of clips that follow make us think that the music video is the dream that she is having. This allows for some slightly more abstract elements to the video.
The 3 types of music video that I will be looking at are:
-Performance
-Narrative
-Abstract
Music videos employ a wide range of film making techniques including animation and live action filming. It is not uncommon to see more than one of the techniques blending together to give a more unique edge to the video.
It is also possible to see two types of music video mixed together in one e.g. performance and narrative. However, there will be slightly more emphasis on one of the styles.
Performance
In a performance music video, the focus is based primarily on the singer (and band, if applicable) performing the song. There isn’t really much of a story behind the video, as the audience will be concentrating on the performance. It is also common in these types of videos for the performer to look into the camera and perform to the audience.
This style of music video has been used recently by Beyoncé. She is well known for her dancing ability, and has used performance music videos to showcase this to a wider audience. The Kings of Leon use performance music videos whilst incorporating some use of the narrative style.
In the video, which is choreographed by Frank Gatson and JaQuel Knight, Beyoncé performs as her alter ego Sasha Fierce. It shows her in an asymmetrical leotard and high heels, along with two look-alike back up dancers. The video features Beyoncé dancing against a plain background which alternates between black and white, thus placing focus on the complex choreography. The camera angles and lighting make the video more visually stimulating. The routine incorporates various styles including jazz, tap, hip hop etc. Towards the end of the video, Beyoncé flashes her $5 million wedding ring, which connects with the song lyrics “If you liked it, then you should have put a ring on it, don’t be mad once you see that he want it”. It is as if she is not only empowering women, but she is also sending a message to men as well, saying that they shouldn’t be jealous. This video is the perfect example to illustrate the effect that a music video can have worldwide.
The video for Sweet Dream is similar in some ways to Single Ladies in the way that Beyoncé is dancing with the 2 back up dancers. It is, however, different in the sense that their are more dimensions to the video than Single Ladies. There are different settings for the video that connect to the lyrics of the songs i.e. dreams/nightmares can take place anywhere at anytime. Also, at the very beginning of the video, the audience see Beyoncé tossing and turning in bed. The montage of clips that follow make us think that the music video is the dream that she is having. This allows for some slightly more abstract elements to the video.
The Kings of Leon video for Sex on Fire is a mixture of performance and narrative styles. It is almost like they are performing the song whilst having flashbacks, which provides the narrative aspect of the video. This could be perceived from the point of view shots used in the video, also the match on actions between the performance and narrative sections (56 seconds into the video above).
Narrative
A narrative music video will see the story of the song played out through the film. The ‘acting’ in these music videos is usually done by the musicians, although in some cases the video cuts away from the band to actors who act out a drama inspired by the lyrics. This is usually the case with songs used as soundtracks from films. In some cases outtakes or re-shot sequences from these films are used to create a narrative link to the filmed musicians.
There are lots of current artists that use narrative music videos as their songs are usually intended to tell a story, so the video gives them a chance to let the audience visualise the song.
Taylor Swift’s music video for You Belong with Me won the 2009 MTV VMA for Best Female Video. It is clearly a narrative music video, and there is no question what the story behind the video is. Even though the lyrics of the song assist in the telling of the story, if there was no music playing, it would still be an easily understandable narrative. It is a typical and recognisable scenario – the boy and the girl are friends, but neither of them knows how the other one really feels. The story is almost the basis for a romantic comedy film. In the video, there is a clear beginning, middle and end – she is singing as if she is narrating everything as it is happening.
The music video for I Will Always Love You begins with the performance of the song Whitney Houston gives at the end of The Bodyguard. The video then cuts to her sitting in an empty theatre, with the spotlight on her, singing the song. The video is intercut with scenes from The Bodyguard and gives the audience the chance to relive the moments with her, as she does also. At one point in the video (1 minute 7 seconds), she is sitting in the theatre and the image of Kevin Costner from the film is edited onto the screen so it appears that she is singing to him. This also occurs with some of the other scenes in the film and it looks like she is singing about them as she remembers them, in the sense that the lyrics fit with what she – and the audience are witnessing.
Abstract
Abstract music videos are less likely to include the performer as they are more random than the other two styles. Even though they may follow the story/lyrics of the song, it is more subtle than the narrative form of music video. It is not very common to find a music video that is 100% abstract, they are more likely to be a mixture with another style. A popular way of presenting abstract music is through animation.
The video for Don’t Give Hate a Chance is Jamiroquai’s first ever computer animated video. The title of the song is a reference to Give Peace a Chance by John Lennon.
The opening titles to films from the James Bond franchise are arguably music videos in their own right, even though they are not classed as official music videos. Nearly all of the openings could be classed as perfect examples of abstract music videos. The openings all give hints as to what will happen in the film. For the opening of Casino Royale, the primary focus centres on playing cards and the different suits of cards. The song lyrics go with the theme of the film. Casino Royale was a reboot of the franchise establishing a new timeline. However, everyone is still aware of the character, and the film is going back to the beginning (007 status confirmed). Something that appears in every Bond film, without fail, is a gun. They are used in both of the videos below as they are apparent in all the films. In the video for Tomorrow Never Dies, the audience are once again given an insight as to what will happen in the film. Technology appears to be the main theme in the opening of the film. Another object that is clear in the opening is the Rolex watch which is famously worn by James Bond. The figures in the video appear to look like robots underneath, but are shown as women on the outside. This implies that there will be a woman in the film who is two-faced and not as she appears.
History of Music Videos
A music video is a short film that accompanies a song or piece of music. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote and increase the sales of records.
People have been viewing different embodiments of music videos ever since the 1940’s, with the invention of the Panoram. The Panoram was a visual jukebox that would play films synced with music when money was inserted. The artists most associated with the Panoram include Duke Ellington, Count Basie and Cab Calloway, who are notable for their jazz music. The music videos made for the Panoram were one-song films called Promotional Clips. These were popular at social gatherings, but their popularity faded during World War II.
In the late 1950s, the Scopitone, a visual jukebox, was invented in France and short films were produced by many French artists, such as Serge Gainsbourg, Françoise Hardy and Jacques Dutronc to accompany their songs. Its use spread to other countries and similar machines such as the Cinebox in Italy and Color-Sonic in the USA were developed.
One of the earliest performance clips in 1960s pop was the promo film made by The Animals for their breakthrough 1964 hit House Of the Rising Sun.
This high-quality colour clip was filmed in a studio on a specially-built set, it features the group in a lip-synched performance, depicted through an edited sequence of tracking shots, close ups and long shots, as singer Eric Burdon, guitarist Hilton Valentine and bassist Chas Chandler walked around the set in a series of choreographed moves.
In 1964, The Beatles cemented their newfound international fame by starring in their first feature film A Hard Day's Night, directed by Richard Lester. The musical sequences provided the basic templates on which countless subsequent promo clips and music videos were modelled and it has exerted a huge influence on the style and visual vocabulary of the genre.
Film critic Roger Ebert credits Lester with constructing "a new grammar":
" ... he influenced many other films. Today when we watch TV and see quick cutting, hand-held cameras, interviews conducted on the run with moving targets, quickly intercut snatches of dialogue, music under documentary action and all the other trademarks of the modern style, we are looking at the children of A Hard Day's Night".
In 1965, The Beatles began making promotional clips, known as filmed inserts, for distribution and broadcast in other countries—primarily the USA—so they could promote their record releases without having to make personal appearances.
The colour promotional clips for Strawberry Fields Forever and Penny Lane, made in early 1967 and directed by Peter Goldman took the promotional film format to a new level.
They used techniques borrowed from underground and avant garde film, including reversed film and slow motion, dramatic lighting, unusual camera angles and color filtering added in post-production. Reflecting the fact that these studio masterpieces were impossible for the group to perform live, their psychedelic mini-films illustrated the songs in an artful, impressionistic manner rather than trying to simulate an idealized performance or depict a narrative or plot.
The monochrome 1966 clip for Bob Dylan's Subterranean Homesick Blues filmed by D. A. Pennebaker, which featured in Pennebaker's Dylan film documentary Don't Look Back.
Deliberately avoiding any attempt to simulate performance or present a narrative, the clip shows Dylan standing in a city back alley, silently shuffling a series of large cue cards (bearing key words from the song's lyrics) in time to the music, while his friends converse in the background. The cue-card device has been imitated in numerous other music videos.
Although the origins of music videos and their style go back much further, they came into their own in the 80’s, when MTV was launched- dedicating an entire channel’s programming to music videos. In 1981, Video Killed the Radio Star by The Buggles, became the first music video broadcast on MTV.
It could be argued that artists owe their careers to music videos, as it gives them more chance to showcase their talent to the public and critics. Thirty or so years ago, music video was less important than it is nowadays, because of the importance that MTV gave them.MTV has been highly controversial, some saw it as the beginning of a fresh era in music, others considered it to mark the end of true musical talent, as artists have been become more appreciated for their looks instead of their vocal abilities. Music videos are as important as the song itself, and are becoming a distinctive form of art in their own right.
Musical films were another important precursor to music video, and several well-known music videos have imitated the style of classic Hollywood musicals from the 1930s to the 1950s. One of the best-known examples is Madonna's 1985 video for Material Girl which was closely modelled on Jack Cole's staging of Diamonds Are A Girl's Best Friend from the film Gentlemen Prefer Blondes.
Several of Michael Jackson's videos show the unmistakable influence of the dance sequences in classic Hollywood musicals, including the landmark John Landis clip for Thriller, which was, at the time, the most expensive music video ever made, and the Martin Scorsese-directed Bad which was influenced by the stylised dance "fights" in the film version of West Side Story.
In December 1992, MTV began listing directors with the artist and song credits, reflecting the fact that music videos had increasingly become an auteur's medium. Directors such as Michel Gondry, Spike Jonze and Chris Cunningham all got their start around this time; all brought a unique vision and style to the videos they directed. Some of these directors, including, Gondry and Jonze, went on to direct feature films. This continued a trend that had begun earlier with directors such as David Fincher.
As the concept and medium of a music video is a form of artistic expression, artists have been on many occasions censored if their content is deemed offensive. What may be considered offensive will differ in countries due to censorship laws and local customs and ethics. In most cases, the record label will provide and distribute videos edited or provide both censored and uncensored videos for an artist. In some cases, it has been known for music videos to be banned in their entirety as they have been deemed far too offensive to be broadcast. Madonna is the artist most associated with music video censorship. The controversy surrounding her marketing of sexuality began with the video for Lucky Star, and amplified over time due to clips such as Like a Virgin. Outcry occurred over the subject matter discussed in Papa Don't Preach. Like a Prayer courted heavy criticism due to its religious, sexual, and racially-oriented imagery.
In 1990, Madonna's music video for the song Justify My Love was banned by MTV due to its depiction of sadomasochism, homosexuality, cross-dressing, and group sex which generated a media firestorm. Madonna's video for Erotica was aired only three times (each time after midnight) due to its sexual depictions of sadomasochism. More recently, Madonna's What It Feels Like for a Girl was banned in 2001 due to its graphic depiction of violence. She also pulled her American Life video because of its controversial military imagery that seemed inappropriate once the War in Iraq began, subsequently, a new video was made for the song. Some artists have used censorship as a publicity tool. In the 1980s, the show Top of the Pops was censorious in its approach to video content, so some acts made videos that they knew would be censored, using the resulting public controversy to promote their release. Examples of this tactic were Duran Duran's Girls on Film and Frankie Goes to Hollywood with Relax.
2005 saw the release of the website YouTube, which made the viewing of music videos online much easier and faster. The internet and websites such as YouTube gives lesser known artists and bands to showcase their music. The internet and such websites are an indicator of further developments for music videos and how they are made and presented in the future.
People have been viewing different embodiments of music videos ever since the 1940’s, with the invention of the Panoram. The Panoram was a visual jukebox that would play films synced with music when money was inserted. The artists most associated with the Panoram include Duke Ellington, Count Basie and Cab Calloway, who are notable for their jazz music. The music videos made for the Panoram were one-song films called Promotional Clips. These were popular at social gatherings, but their popularity faded during World War II.
In the late 1950s, the Scopitone, a visual jukebox, was invented in France and short films were produced by many French artists, such as Serge Gainsbourg, Françoise Hardy and Jacques Dutronc to accompany their songs. Its use spread to other countries and similar machines such as the Cinebox in Italy and Color-Sonic in the USA were developed.
One of the earliest performance clips in 1960s pop was the promo film made by The Animals for their breakthrough 1964 hit House Of the Rising Sun.
This high-quality colour clip was filmed in a studio on a specially-built set, it features the group in a lip-synched performance, depicted through an edited sequence of tracking shots, close ups and long shots, as singer Eric Burdon, guitarist Hilton Valentine and bassist Chas Chandler walked around the set in a series of choreographed moves.
In 1964, The Beatles cemented their newfound international fame by starring in their first feature film A Hard Day's Night, directed by Richard Lester. The musical sequences provided the basic templates on which countless subsequent promo clips and music videos were modelled and it has exerted a huge influence on the style and visual vocabulary of the genre.
Film critic Roger Ebert credits Lester with constructing "a new grammar":
" ... he influenced many other films. Today when we watch TV and see quick cutting, hand-held cameras, interviews conducted on the run with moving targets, quickly intercut snatches of dialogue, music under documentary action and all the other trademarks of the modern style, we are looking at the children of A Hard Day's Night".
In 1965, The Beatles began making promotional clips, known as filmed inserts, for distribution and broadcast in other countries—primarily the USA—so they could promote their record releases without having to make personal appearances.
The colour promotional clips for Strawberry Fields Forever and Penny Lane, made in early 1967 and directed by Peter Goldman took the promotional film format to a new level.
They used techniques borrowed from underground and avant garde film, including reversed film and slow motion, dramatic lighting, unusual camera angles and color filtering added in post-production. Reflecting the fact that these studio masterpieces were impossible for the group to perform live, their psychedelic mini-films illustrated the songs in an artful, impressionistic manner rather than trying to simulate an idealized performance or depict a narrative or plot.
The monochrome 1966 clip for Bob Dylan's Subterranean Homesick Blues filmed by D. A. Pennebaker, which featured in Pennebaker's Dylan film documentary Don't Look Back.
Deliberately avoiding any attempt to simulate performance or present a narrative, the clip shows Dylan standing in a city back alley, silently shuffling a series of large cue cards (bearing key words from the song's lyrics) in time to the music, while his friends converse in the background. The cue-card device has been imitated in numerous other music videos.
Although the origins of music videos and their style go back much further, they came into their own in the 80’s, when MTV was launched- dedicating an entire channel’s programming to music videos. In 1981, Video Killed the Radio Star by The Buggles, became the first music video broadcast on MTV.
It could be argued that artists owe their careers to music videos, as it gives them more chance to showcase their talent to the public and critics. Thirty or so years ago, music video was less important than it is nowadays, because of the importance that MTV gave them.MTV has been highly controversial, some saw it as the beginning of a fresh era in music, others considered it to mark the end of true musical talent, as artists have been become more appreciated for their looks instead of their vocal abilities. Music videos are as important as the song itself, and are becoming a distinctive form of art in their own right.
Musical films were another important precursor to music video, and several well-known music videos have imitated the style of classic Hollywood musicals from the 1930s to the 1950s. One of the best-known examples is Madonna's 1985 video for Material Girl which was closely modelled on Jack Cole's staging of Diamonds Are A Girl's Best Friend from the film Gentlemen Prefer Blondes.
Several of Michael Jackson's videos show the unmistakable influence of the dance sequences in classic Hollywood musicals, including the landmark John Landis clip for Thriller, which was, at the time, the most expensive music video ever made, and the Martin Scorsese-directed Bad which was influenced by the stylised dance "fights" in the film version of West Side Story.
In December 1992, MTV began listing directors with the artist and song credits, reflecting the fact that music videos had increasingly become an auteur's medium. Directors such as Michel Gondry, Spike Jonze and Chris Cunningham all got their start around this time; all brought a unique vision and style to the videos they directed. Some of these directors, including, Gondry and Jonze, went on to direct feature films. This continued a trend that had begun earlier with directors such as David Fincher.
As the concept and medium of a music video is a form of artistic expression, artists have been on many occasions censored if their content is deemed offensive. What may be considered offensive will differ in countries due to censorship laws and local customs and ethics. In most cases, the record label will provide and distribute videos edited or provide both censored and uncensored videos for an artist. In some cases, it has been known for music videos to be banned in their entirety as they have been deemed far too offensive to be broadcast. Madonna is the artist most associated with music video censorship. The controversy surrounding her marketing of sexuality began with the video for Lucky Star, and amplified over time due to clips such as Like a Virgin. Outcry occurred over the subject matter discussed in Papa Don't Preach. Like a Prayer courted heavy criticism due to its religious, sexual, and racially-oriented imagery.
In 1990, Madonna's music video for the song Justify My Love was banned by MTV due to its depiction of sadomasochism, homosexuality, cross-dressing, and group sex which generated a media firestorm. Madonna's video for Erotica was aired only three times (each time after midnight) due to its sexual depictions of sadomasochism. More recently, Madonna's What It Feels Like for a Girl was banned in 2001 due to its graphic depiction of violence. She also pulled her American Life video because of its controversial military imagery that seemed inappropriate once the War in Iraq began, subsequently, a new video was made for the song. Some artists have used censorship as a publicity tool. In the 1980s, the show Top of the Pops was censorious in its approach to video content, so some acts made videos that they knew would be censored, using the resulting public controversy to promote their release. Examples of this tactic were Duran Duran's Girls on Film and Frankie Goes to Hollywood with Relax.
2005 saw the release of the website YouTube, which made the viewing of music videos online much easier and faster. The internet and websites such as YouTube gives lesser known artists and bands to showcase their music. The internet and such websites are an indicator of further developments for music videos and how they are made and presented in the future.
Specification for Music Video
If I decide to do a music video for my final project, there will be a certain criteria that I will have to follow. The music video would have to be a maximum of 5 minutes long. As well as the music video, I will have to also complete an ancillary text. This will include two print artifacts:
-A cover for the music videos release
-A magazine advertisment for the music video
-A cover for the music videos release
-A magazine advertisment for the music video
Sunday, 13 September 2009
Introduction
This is my A2 Media Blog that I have set up in order to keep track of the work I will be completing leading up to and including the completion of my final project. This will include research into existing products, planning my final piece, and evaluating it. For my final project, I will have to create one of the following:
-A music video
-A film trailer
-A documentary extract
-A short film (5 minutes)
-A music video
-A film trailer
-A documentary extract
-A short film (5 minutes)
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