What is the purpose of a music video?

Readers,

Today I will be discussing the reasons for a music video, how they can be viewed and meanings and reasons for three terms.

What is the purpose of a music video?
The reason for a music video is to:

For the artist:
To promote the artist/band, to convey a visual style of the band so that the audience know and want to see the band perform and also to give the artist/band experience of performing dance/movement while performing.

For the crew:
To have experience in movie making before moving onto a larger feature film. Music videos can be more stylised by exploring abstract and surreal visual styles rather than being restricted by a script. This can also be good for a creative director to express his style in a short time frame.

How does a music video reach its audience?
Music videos are viewed on the internet through different social media sights like:
Facebook, Youtube, Twitter, Instagram and any other websites that is available to view these videos from. The most commonly used is Youtube. This website was specifically set up for viewing videos and all artists if they want to be successful "post" their music videos on there to get "views" and "comments" from watchers. This can be used as a major lift in the music industry for talented unknown artists. Examples of this are: Justin Bieber and Ebony Day.

What do these terms mean? 
Niche- Small target audience. Only that small group of people will like this, like:......
Mass- Large and very wide range audience. This will be enjoyed by everyone, like: Thriller

Genre: Why is genre important in a music video? Is it important?
The genre for a music video is very important because it relays to the audience the genre of the artist/band. Example: Kiss= Rock or One Direction= Pop

Phoebe 

Investigation of influential music videos 23rd June

Readers,

The music video we find influential on audiences of all ages is Not a Bad Thing by Justin Timberlake.
URL: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vjty080jy60

It shows the story of a group of documentors who hear of a man who proposed to his girlfriend through Justin Timberlake's song on the train. They find this random act of love inspirational and so try and track down this couple. The music video shows that love doesn't discriminate as they interview homosexual, mixed race and straight couples, these people tell the audience their story of how they found love in each other.

I find this video very influential as it shows how love can be found any where, any time and any place. This video has influenced many millions of people all over the world to try and find this couple to know the full story of their proposal. 

Phoebe

Investigating a pop video 23rd June

Readers,

I've chosen to investigate a music video and find out some information about it. I picked 5 Seconds Of Summer's video for 'Don't Stop'.

URL: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MKfzMOC19Fc

It was filmed and created in 2014. This video is directed by Issac Rentz who has also directed videos for Paramore and blink 182.

Capitol Records produced the video and the band are also signed to them although they have their own record label; Hi or Hey Records. Capitol is a division of Universal Music Group and was co-owned by EMI but now Universal who in- turn are owned by Vivendi who are a French multimedia corporation. The label's headquarters is located in Los Angeles.

The video's genre is 'Pop Punk' or 'Pop Rock', however there is mass debate on whether the band's music falls into that category or just 'pop'.

Although the precise location of video is not determined, we presume, because of the location of the record label, it is filmed in America.

The theme of the video is how the band want to be superheroes and save the day but when they each try and stop crime, they fail. They then come together as a team and save a girl who is tied up on a chair with explosives by fighting her kidnappers who are ninjas.

The overall feeling of the video is jokey and so it is aimed at audiences from about 7-18 year olds.

Beth

Back ground research into a music video 19th June

Readers,

I am going to find out as much as possible about my chosen music video by four different questions.

The music video I will be researching is: Bruno Mars- When I Was Your Man
URL: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ekzHIouo8Q4

Who made it? When? Where?
The directors of the music video were Bruno Mars and Cameron Duddy. It was released as a video on February 5th 2013 but was already a single on his Unorthodox Jukebox album and was produced at Larrabee Sound Studios in Hollywood by Manny Marroqin. Bruno played the piano, while the recording was done by Ari Levine. Charlez Moniz was responsible for engineering the song and David Kutch with mastering it.

Which music label produced it?
Warner Music Group produced this music video and therefore all the copyright rights belong to them.

Which label is the group/star signed to?
Bruno Mars is signed to three different music labels. These are Universal Motown Records, Atlantic and Elektra Records. Bruno started off with an unsuccessful episode with Universal Motown Records and then moved on to Atlantic in 2009 where he become recognised as a solo performer by singing the lead vocals of "Nothing on You" by B.O.B and "Billionaire" by Travie McCoy.

Which company owns the label? Is this in turn owned by anyone else?
Universal Motown Records was oned by Universal Music Group, which is owned by Vivendi (French multimedia coorporation). Atlantic and Elektra Records' parent company is Warner Music Group who are a side company to Warner Bros.

Phoebe

Analysing a music video 15th June

Readers,

The music video I've decided to analyse is 'The A Team' by Ed Sheeran: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UAWcs5H-qgQ
The video is shot in monochrome which reflects the dark subject it is addressing; addiction, prostitution and the endless loop the girl is stuck in.

The video begins with a girl looking over the body of another girl, who is dead. This is a shaky mid- shot to show the conscious girl's emotions through the camera work. The camera focuses on the dead girl's face, then zooms out whilst losing focus. This then cuts to black and flashes back to the previous to show how the girl died. It starts off with the girl waking up on a bench using an establishing shot. The next shot shows her walking up a hill with a quilt, the shaking camera represents her withdrawal from drugs as she gets to the top she spreads her arms wide. This is shown by a low angle mid-shot to show her longing for freedom.

The shot changes again to her walking through a street, it shows her feet and shoes, also her tights which are ripped. It changes to a worm's eyes shot of her looking up into the sky which represents her hatred for her life and how she wishes to be someone else. She begins to sell magazines on the streets with many ignoring her, except for the artist, Ed Sheeran who buys a magazine and sits and talks to her. This makes her her happier because she finds a friend in him, this is shown by a long shot of them sitting together.

The video is then sped up and the shot is of the girl sitting on the streets with people walking past and ignoring her. This long shot reflects how ignorant people are of the homeless or less fortunate. The girl begins to cry and the camera shows an eye level close up shot of her face which focuses the audience's attention on her tears. They represent how miserable she is in her current situation.

The video progresses to a close up shot of her applying makeup in a dirty mirror and tying her hair up, like she is getting ready for something. A car then pulls up outside in a deserted dark car park, beside her and she climbs in. It is now made clear to the audience and viewers that she is a prostitute. There's an eye line mid shot of her leaning in the car window, offering the driver her services. An extreme long shot from a long angle which is behind shows her and a male figure walking down a long hallway and entering a hotel room where she proceeds to seduce the man who picked her up. A close up shot shows the girl putting her hand in his pocket and taking money. This shows her desperation for the money as she can't wait until after they have slept together to be paid.

The shaky close up next shot shows her lying in bed awake, her makeup is smudged down her face and the scene changes to another close up shot of her hands offering a £20 note in exchange for white powder in a clear bag. This shows the violent loop this girl is stuck in, as soon as she earns money she spends it on drugs. The video conveys the message of addiction. It ends with a close up, bird's eye shot the girl smoking her drugs and falling asleep. The audience presumes that her death is due to a drug overdose.

Beth

Cunningham, Gondry and Bayer three contemporary directors 15th June

Readers,

Today I am going to give my opinions on three contemporary directors of music videos. The three that I am going to look at are Chris Cunningham, Michel Gondry and Samuel Bayer. I will be looking at one video from each of them and giving my personal opinion. 

Chris Cunningham: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zF7VwQNv9Kk&list=PL9EB279FC2939E94B

I did not like this music video because I found that it did not move on to anything else except flashing images with the same beat playing in the background. After the first 20 seconds I became bored and didn't want to watch anymore. I feel this would narrow down the audience and therefore have less views and not become a success for the artist.

Michel Gondry: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qkQjvjToefQ&list=PL5F67175A34FF9DD9&index=1

Again I didn't like this video. I found that the random story line has nothing to do with the song and the costumes used were unnerving to myself as the audience. Unlike the Cunningham I wanted to watch the full video to see what happened next to the artist singing and what other weird things could be in the video. Again I feel that this video would cut out a significant proportion of viewers as the video is so random and has no connection with the song.

Samuel Bayer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8bbTtPL1jRs&list=PL05B1CAC5271F26BC

I did like this video. I liked the used of darkness and busts of flames around the band. My Chemical Romance is known to be dark and Gothic so this video really captures the bands image to the public. All the camera movements, jumps and fire explosions were all on the beat of the song which gives a sense of synchronisation which in turn looks professional. My only criticism is that the song doesn't go anywhere and is just focuses on the band with no back story or change of scenery.

Phoebe

Deconstruction of a music video 15th June

Readers,

Today I am going to look at and deconstruct a music video of my choice to show the key elements within this music video.

The music video that I am going to look at is: Lolo- Hit and run
URL: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vyf69qOJdu4

The music video is a combination of a story line and the artist. The story starts off with the artist (female- Lolo) in a car looking at a picture of her and another female friend smiling. The artist looks determined and resolved on what she is going to do. 

The next scene is of a dark strip club with two ominous looking males standing by the bar surveying the scene before them. The artist goes up to them and asks one if he wants a drink with her. They both sit down at a small table smiling. The camera focuses in on a knife that she has hiding before the camera shot goes back to her cryptic smile. This is to show that she has an ulterior motive that is not clear to the audience watching the video. At this point she slams the knife into the man's hand, this is to pin him to the table because she wants him to be in pain. The other man who was with him draws out a gun and tries to shoot the artist but she shoots him straight in the chest. Finally the male with the knife in his hand pulls it free and moves to kill her but is to slow and is shot by her in the chest. The story at this point is punctuated by a shot of the artist mouth singing the song.

The story continues with an eye-line shot through a car windscreen of a couple fighting in an ally. The artist's eyes are the ones we are looking through so we see her get out of the car and goes over to break the fight up. The camera focuses again on her concealed weapon which is a baton this time. This is to show that she doesn't want her victims to see her weapons before she strikes. 

She strikes him just before a different man comes out because he has heard the commotion outside. He yells and pulls out a gun on the artist but she shoots him first. He falls back in slow motion. This whole scene is punctuated by extreme close ups of the artist's: face, lips and eyes.

The next scene is of the man who was being beaten, tied up in a remote place at night with only the artist and her car. The darkness shows his vulnerability and the fact that he can not get away. She douses him with petrol and stands over him with her cigarette and lighter. This represents that she has all the power and is dominant over him. The image at this point fades to white as she has a flash back of what happened to her friend. The images of her flash back are in black and white. This filter is normally used to represent a flash back. The flash back is of her friend being raped by the three men (the two in the bar and the one who was fighting with a girl in the ally). 

The camera goes back to the present where she drops the lighter which torches the man tied to the chair. The artist stands there watching with a please look on her face. This shows that she is enjoying the man's pain.

The final scene is of a police raid in an apartment. They burst in and find newspaper snippets and headlines of a 26 year old girl who had been raped and then murdered by three men who had walked free. These men where the same men the artist had killed. The camera shows us that the artist is driving away in her get away car with a pleased smile to suggest that her revenge for her friend is complete.

The main elements of this video are: 

1. Story line- Tells us that females can be very vindictive if someone harms their friends. "Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned"
2. Main focus point- Rape maybe something that is very important to the artist therefore she might want to express her feelings on this topic.

Phoebe

Music business 20th June

Readers,

The music business is all about money. The band/artist who are featuring in the video want to have their video shown and seen by as many people as possible to promote them and therefore this will increase their income.

The audience now-a-days is reached over the internet on a verity of different sites like YouTube. Anything technological that can connect to the internet can stream and download the videos. These technological items can be anything from phones and iPods to laptops and iPads. This enables “us” as the audience to watch the music videos any where any time with an internet connection.

Music videos can also be “shared” with other people through social media websites like Facebook or Twitter. Once one person likes a video and shares it with others who have the same taste the video can go viral and can be viewed by millions in a matter of minutes. Miley Cyrus’ Wreching Ball was the fastest viewed video of all time because of the singer’s outrageous actions in the video. The more well known the artist is, the more views their video is likely to get. Miley Cyrus is known for her behaviour and therefore the public are interested in what she has put in her new video that is more ridicules than the last one, while Ed Sheeran is known for making his own songs that have meaning behind them and has a nice personality towards others.

Phoebe

History of Music Videos 11th June

Readers,

I did some further research into music videos which included where they actually originated from. 

In 1894, George Thomas projected a series of still images onto a backdrop whilst Edward B. Marks and Joe Stern performed live. This become known as an illustrated song which would later develop into a lyric video.

Vitaphone's short music videos in 1926 featured many bands, dancers and vocalists. The animation artist Max Fleischer created a series of short sing- along cartoons called 'Screen Songs' which is now similar to a karaoke machine where the lyrics are shown on screen. 

Early animated films like Fantasia were built around the music in the film and were therefore classed as musical films.

'Soundies' were introduced in the 1940s, they were musical films that included dance routines which are similar to music videos now.

In 1964 The Beatles had their first feature film A Hard Day's Night, it was shot in black and white and shown as a mock documentary which showed both comic and musical elements. This was a model for the TV Series The Monkees which similarly included segments of video put to music by The Monkees.

Music videos now portray a very different message, however not all of them send out the right one. MTV banned Queen's first video Body Language, it was deemed unsuitable for television due to the lack of clothing. This would seem tame compared to the videos shown on TV now. For example, Rihanna's video for S&M shows her whipping tied-up men and taking hostages. The sexual undertones in the video resulted in it being banned in 11 different countries and viewers had to be 18+ to watch it.

Beth

Music distributer giants- "The Big Four" 9th June

Readers,

I have been looking into the main distributers of music videos and have found that there are four "giants" in the industry. These companies are:

1. Sony BMG
2. Warner Music Group
3. EMI
4. Universal Music Group

The reasons that artists and bands use music videos are to:

• Promote the band/artist- A music video is one of the best ways to publicise, as it will be passed on to other people through their similar views in music. Music videos are placed on the internet so therefore can be accessed by many people round the world.
• Experience- Performing in a music video gives the band/artist experience in performing complex moves while coordinating with their act. This is not live so the band/artist can gain feedback from their fans before performing live. The band/artist can repeat these moves on a live stage knowing that the audience will like their moves. 
• Entertainment for the audience
• Can deliver a message through the music video to the audience

Phoebe

Looking at the works of three contemporary directors 9th June

Readers,

We researched some specific directors to get a feel for their style.

Firstly we looked at Chris Cunningham's videos: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zF7VwQNv9Kk&list=PL9EB279FC2939E94B

Chris Cunningham's videos maybe alternative but they lack plot which is a key point in music videos in my opinion. 

Then we went on to research Samuel Bayer whose early works include Nirvana, Rolling Stones and Green Day. https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=samuel+bayer+music+videos

We realised that Bayer's video tended to reflect the star's music as opposed to his style of work.

I think that the video for Blink- 182's 'Stay Together for the Kids' was really interesting because the story behind the song was about divorce and the video featured a destructive wrecking ball which mirrored how devastating divorce can be on children.

Lastly we found Michel Gondry: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL5F67175A34FF9DD9

I looked at Gondry's video for Daft Punk's 'Around The World', I found that it was interesting to start off with, involving synchronised dancers and strobe lights but it lacked any difference and quickly became boring. However, the the video for 'Mad World' by Gary Jules and Michael Andrews showed creativity through it's use of people making shapes with their bodies on the pavement.

Beth

Initial research

Readers,

We have decided to create a music video for our A2 main task. We have done some initial research into music videos and what the key elements are within them.

The key elements are:

1. Lip syncing
2. Using song time signature (4/4)- dropping items to the beat, explosions etc.
3. Relevence- not always necessary eg. Imagine Dragons-Radioactive, Peppermint-Julio Bashmore ft. Jessie Ware
4. Mixture of story and star eg. The Scientist-Coldplay and Everything has Changed-Ed Sheeran ft. Taylor Swift
5. Promotional-Have artist or/and song
6. Entertainment-Storyline

URLs for star and story music videos:
Cody Simpson- Surfbord: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZH9jxBV6vJk
Ed Sheeran- Lego House: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c4BLVznuWnU
Demi Lovato- Skyscraper: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r_8ydghbGSg
Sia ft. David Guetta- Titanium: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JRfuAukYTKg

Key:
Phoebe's writing is in AQUA
Beth's writing is in GREEN