Lesson 1 - Introduction to Music Video

1. Starter Activity
• Write down your definition of a ‘music video’
in 10 words or less

2. Definition
• A music video is a short film integrating a song
and imagery, produced for promotional or
artistic purposes. Modern music videos are
primarily made and used as a marketing
device intended to promote the sale of music
recordings.

3. Music Videos
Lesson 1: Introduction

4. Learning Questions
• What is the purpose of a music video?
• What are the different styles of music video?
• What are some of the visual conventions of
different genres of music?

5. Music Videos
• The music video is a classic example of a media
industry that flourished on the back of technological
advance.
• The spread of home VCR and satellite technology
created an environment in which music video
flourished, eating up the spare capacity in the
schedules. Indeed, when MTV was launched in 1981 it
only had access to a couple of hundred videos; by the
end of the Eighties the industry was producing many
thousands of music videos each year.

6. Music Videos
• It was The Beatles who can be credited – as with so many things to
do with pop music - as the real inventors of the music video as a
promotional tool.
• By 1965 The Beatles had achieved worldwide fame, and they could
not physically appear on all the television shows throughout the
world that wanted them.. They also found appearing on live TV and
live performances in general, to be repetitive and mundane.
• As far back as November, 1965, they made a series of promotional
films specifically designed for television companies throughout the
world. Promotional films were made of the singles We Can Work It
Out, Day Tripper, Help!, Ticket To Ride and I Feel Fine. Some of
these short films emerged in more sophisticated forms in The
Beatles’ film Help.

7. "Video Killed the Radio Star” – The
Buggles
• The music video for "Video Killed the Radio Star” was produced on
a budget of $50,000. It was filmed in only a day in South London,
and was edited in a couple of days.[
• The video was first released in 1979,when it originally aired on the
BBC's Top of the Pops for promotion of the single, rather than doing
live performances. Zimmer recalled in 2001 that the video drew
criticism from some viewers who watched it before it aired on MTV,
due to being "too violent because we blew up a television. The
video is best known as marking the debut of MTV, when the US
channel started broadcasting at 12:01 AM on 1 August 1981
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W8r-tXRLazs

8. Purpose of music videos
• They are an important promotional tool for marketing
performers and their music.
• Helps to create ‘star image’ for a new performer.(E.g. Lana Del
Ray)
• Adapts or develops image of a more established artist. (E.g.
Rihanna)
• Music video is used to interpret and anchor the meaning of a
song and to entertain the audience.
• Iconography indicates the genre of music and the style of the
performer. ( e.g urban setting in Stormzy videos)

9. Different styles
• Performance
• Narrative
• Conceptual; related to the song lyrics
• A combination of more than one of the above

10. The most expensive music video
ever…still!
• “Scream” (1995)
• Michael Jackson & Janet Jackson - HIStory:
Past, Present and Future, Book I
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0P4A1K4l
XDo

11. Activity
• How can you tell this is a rock music video?
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hTWKbfoikeg
• How can you tell this is a pop music video?
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bESGLojNYSo
• Is this is a conventional hip-hop music video?
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MYxAiK6VnXw
• If not, why not? What do you normally see?

12. Technical terms check list:
• Performance clips and band shots
• Fast-pace of editing
• Mainly straight cuts
• Bright lighting
• High angle/low angle
• Bright colours against black and white background
• Panning
• Editing to reflect pace of music
• Special lighting effects
• High lighting
• Equal division of shots upon band members
• Whole band shots
• No real sound effects
• Colour effects – often monochrome
• Dubbed sound
• Zooming out
• Shadows
• Mise-en-scène reflects atmosphere
• Animation
• Does the music video adhere to or subvert these?
Textual Analysis of Pop Music Video

13. Representations
• Short skirts
• Legs and low cut tops
• Voyeurism
• Glamour – lifestyle
• Seductive poses from female artists
• Urban locations
• Dancing
• Crowd shots
• Playing out ‘pop star’ lifestyle within video
• Fairly straight forward narrative
• Group singing whilst chaos takes place around
• Anti-establishment activity
• Destroyed environments
• Mean and moody men
• Deserted locations
• Singing whilst acting
• Trying to portray a certain image
• Self-appreciation
• All playing to the audience
• Does the music video adhere to or subvert these?
Textual Analysis of Pop Music Video

14. What style of music video are these?
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=otCpCn0l
4Wo
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B1zCN0Y
hW1s
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GXRVX1A
KAew