Music Video Production
Purposes of Music Videos
Music videos are a fairly new invention, relative to the amount of time we have had music and cinema. It is debatable when the first ever music video was created; many argue that it was for Bob Dylan's "Subterranean Homesick Blues", al though this may not count due to the actual video being the introduction to a documentary and not a stand alone video. The general consensus amongst most people is that the first ever video produced specifically to accompany a song was for Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody". Since this time however, it has become commonplace and in some cases a contractual obligation to produce an accompanying video when releasing a song.
There are many reasons why artists and their managers would want to produce a music video; some more obvious than others.
The first and perhaps most obvious reason is to promote/advertise a single. Music videos are a great way of promotion. With "live" shows such as "Top of the Pops" decreasing in popularity over the years, artists needed a platform through which to reach a wider audience, other than radio and live shows. With the conception of MTV in 1981, artists now had a dedicated channel to broadcast music videos on, although music videos had been around for a while. Music videos bridge the gap between the audience and the artist (rather than just being a voice on a record) and therefore sell a song better than just audio alone. Music videos which have interesting concepts and themes, or are funny, will help to sell records as people associate the song with the funny/interesting music video. One-upsmanship seems to be becoming prevalent within the music video production world; the more crazy and outlandish or expensive and extravagant the video, the more records an artist is going to sell. A perfect example of this is Lil Jon and DJ Snake's "Turn Down for What?" (below). The inexplicable and crazy video has become viral and is therefore a prime example of music videos being used as a tool for advertisement. A good explanation for this is perhaps music now has far more of an "active audience" that ever before. This means it is as easy as doing a quick YouTube search to have millions of songs at your fingertips, and therefore standing out is essential. Let's not also forget that like any other audio/visual medium, one of the main purposes is to entertain your audience. Videos such as this one certainly do just that.
Another reason an artist may wish to produce a music video is development of an image. An artist's image is an essential part of promotion and key to selling music and tickets to live shows. Music videos are a great way to promote an artists image because the money is there to go all out and accentuate stylistic traits that are already there. A perfect example of this is the enigma that is Lady GaGa. Her style is undeniably unique and over the top. She has, as a result, become associated with her ridiculous outfits and controversial meat-clad dresses. She always dresses in this provocative manner in her music videos, making them the perfect platform to showcase her image.
Conveying a message is an often overlooked purpose of music videos; perhaps because the demand for intellectual, thought provoking videos has vanished, being replaced by expensive and extravagant alternatives. Many music videos achieve this purpose by telling a story with an underlying message. A music video can be a short film in its own right, with the song almost becoming secondary rather than the main attraction of the piece as a whole. Messages can be politically charged or philosophically/socially charged, however the former is often more the case. Rage Against the Machine were famous for their politically aggressive music and accompanying videos, however, Radiohead made almost all their music videos short films with deep, meaningful messages. Below is one such example.
Synergy also plays a large part in some music videos. Synergy is defined as having two or more things "flow" so that the sum of the individual elements is greater than than each individual element. In the case of music videos, synergy is created often when a song is related in some way to another piece of work; for example if the song is featured in the soundtrack for a film. Synergy is important in this respect as it creates a win-win situation for those involved; the artist of the song gets promotion via the film and vice versa. It is not uncommon to find songs from current films in the charts because people will see the film, like the song and buy it. This is where synergy comes in. If the song has been created for the film, or is gathering particular attention due to a films release, a music video will often be produced using clips from said film; perhaps in montage form, or, less commonly, be shot exclusively for the video using the same actors.
A prime example of this is in the music video for "Another Way to Die" be Alicia Keys and Jack White, which was the theme song for the James Bond film "Quantum of Solace". The video does not use clips from the film, but instead uses very recognisable traits and imagery people will associate with James Bond films, such as having a silhouette pass through a circle and wearing tuxedos. Synergy has been created because the imagery and themes used carry connotations of Bond movies.
It's not just musicians and their managers that are keen to work on music videos. A huge part of creating music videos is to express artistic talent, be that of an individual or company. Music videos offer a unique opportunity for directors and writers (both well known and aspiring), as they are essentially short films that have the potential to be seen by a huge audience. If the song or artist is particularly popular, then the director has an audience which is perhaps millions larger than if they were to release a stand alone short film. There are even recognised music video award ceremonies which reward creativity and fresh ideas, such as the MTV VMA's. A perfect example of a director showcasing his talent via the medium of music videos is Steve Barron, for his contribution to the music video for A-Ha's 1985 single "Take on Me". The video remains famous to this day for its amazing concept, with the animators/artists also being praised.
Expanding outlets is essential to the growth of an artists fan base; and a larger fan base equals more money for artists, managers and labels. A great way to reach a wider audience is through music videos.
For example if someone is a fan of a particular actor or a director and they hear that this individual is working on a music video, they are likely to watch it, even if they have never heard of the musician/band before. Similarly, the addition of a music video to a song increases the number of ways it can reach a consumer; the song may be heard on a radio, but also could be seen on the internet while someone is browsing (often music videos are advertised before YouTube videos, or as "sponsored links"), on TV, or as part of the promotion of a film (as mentioned in synergy). Expansion of outlets is not just great for the artist and their team, but also for directors and other artistic talent which may work on a video. As an example, Spike Jonze began his career largely working on music videos, which was an outlet that allowed for his talent to be noticed. He has since gone on to win an Academy Award for best original screenplay. Below is some of his earliest work.
Some Styles of Music Video
In Concert or "As Live" Music Videos:
One of the most popular and simplistic styles of music video is the live performance video. This type of video is ideal for advertising a bands liver performance and energy as well as the artist image. This type of video is becoming decreasingly popular however, as the demand for extravagant videos becomes more prevalent. An example of this style of music video is AC/DC's "Back in Black" from 1981 (the year MTV went live). Some artists make this style of video more interesting by doing an as-live performance, but in an interesting place or with something happening in the background. A good example of when an artist has approached the as-live style from a different angle is in the video for "Redundant" by Green Day. The Green Day video has utilised a green screen for humour, with strange scenarios and repeated patterns happening in the background.
Animation:
Animation has been used in music videos for decades. It provides an exciting range of options creatively that otherwise would not be achievable. Animated music videos are often charming and funny, but some directors and artists choose to use this to their advantage and juxtapose the classic childish and light-hearted nature of animation with a strong or striking message, with the intent of emphasising a songs meaning. This has been achieved brilliantly in the video for "Handlebars" by Flobots. The animation style of this video is akin to something you would find in a comic book (typically associated with childhood). The song tells a politically and socially motivated message about how growing up changes people and how the things we want when we are a child are insignificant as we grow up, because we are always looking for the next thing. The innocent "I can ride my bike with no handlebars" becomes "I can end a planet in a holocaust", as the main character becomes involved in war. At the start of the video the colours are bright and vibrant, but by the end almost all colours have vanished and the video is in black and white. This would most likely not have been as hard hitting if it was live action, as that jarring juxtaposition is not there.
Comedy/Parody:
Everyone likes to be made to laugh, without exception. The comedy/parody style seems to be increasing in popularity, not just with comedic songs but with serious songs too. It seems counter intuitive to give a serious song a funny music video, but it may be this contrast that ironically works so well and even adds poignancy to a song, such as in cases where satire is used to portray a message. This style of music video is also important to an artists image, as showing that they have a sense of humour and comedic side is good for public perception. A stellar example of this style is "Everlong" by Foo Fighters. The video has been claimed by the band to be, in part, a parody of the film "Evil Dead". Comedy is derived for the most part from the surrealist nature of the situation and ridiculous costumes.
Techniques
Cutting to the Beat:
Cutting to the beat is a very common technique in music videos. Cutting to the beat makes for a more aesthetically pleasing flow, and also allows for the manipulation of pace. For example, if the pace of the video needs to be slower, the cuts may be every other beat, but if the pace picks up, this may drop to every half beat and so on. For a piece of college work myself and another student produced a stock footage music video and used the cut to the beat technique, so I have included this as an example below.
Lip sync:
Almost all music videos use this technique, as it is popular to have either the artist or an actor singing the song alongside the video. This often helps to add emotion and bridge the gap between song and video, because having someone sing the lyrics to a song where the key themes are loneliness and depression, for example, whilst the walk around in an empty house creates a poignant synergy between the audio and visual elements. Below is an example of this, which features the lead singer of the band Arctic Monkeys lip syncing their song "Cornerstone". The song is about missing someone and the loneliness which goes hand in hand with that, and the simplistic style of having just Alex Turner on his own, on a plain background lip syncing fits well with this.
Slow Motion/Time Lapse/Rewind Effects
Effects such as slow motion, time lapse and rewind are becoming more common recently, but the drive seems to be to be as creative as possible. Slow motion is often use to capture a sequence which at normal speed would lose impact, but when slowed down, creates a beautiful and often breathtaking visual experience, such as a car crash. A creatively used example is in Coldplay's "Yellow". The entire video is one shot and shot in slow motion, although Chris Martin is lip syncing the song perfectly, which creates a strange effect where the slow motion footage appears to be in real time. This can also be done the opposite way in time lapse videos. Playing footage in reverse (rewinding) is an interesting way to create a new narrative; a story viewed forwards can tell an entirely different one when played in reverse. This effect is mainly used for fresh story telling ideas and can be seen in the video for "Breezeblocks" by Alt-J. The video features a fight between a man and a woman which tells a different story depending on how the footage is viewed (forwards or back) and has sparked a lot of debate.
