History of a music video - Miss Georgiou

A music video is a promotional film which partners the music and can be seen as a short film or video. It usually promotes the artist and increase there fan base by entertaining and engaging the listeners of their music. The use of videos make the songs a lot more attractive for an audience, and encourages people to listen to an artists music. Over the years the music videos have developed, as more importance was placed on them in attracting an audience. This was due to numerous reasons such as the internet, and advancements in the technology used to make the videos themselves.

 Music Television was the first music channel created in 1981 on August the 1st. This gave people the opportunity to see music videos, which now partnered their favourite music. This made the prospect of music videos much more appealing for artists as it raised there popularity and publicity.  The first music video to be shown on MTV was "video killed the radio star" by "the buggles." Videos first aired on MTV varied in genre whereas now we see a more consistent type of song, usually current dance anthems or rap. Again this is due to the growth of music channels, meaning each different target audience is targeted through different channels, which specialise in different genres of music.  

In February 2005 the creation of Youtube meant music videos were easily accessible and free which also increased the popularity and viewing numbers. Because of this artists put more effort into their music videos as it was no targeted at a much larger audience. The average budget of music videos soared and now lies between £200,000-£500,000. The most expensive music video, scream by Michael Jackson, cost $7,000,000 to make. The  music video remains one of his most critically acclaimed pieces; it won numerous MTV Video Music Awards and a Grammy. As mentioned at a cost of $7 million, it was listed in the Guinness World Records as the most expensive music video ever made. He wanted the spaceship shown in the video to be made from scratch. 

The advancements in technology also played a role in the increased popularity and investment in music videos. Videos like Californication by the Red Hot Chilli Peppers which is completely animated is an example of this. This would not have been able to have been achieved without advancements in technology and unique videos like this promoted artists and also engaged the audience more when watching videos.

The highest viewed music video "Gangnam Style" by Psy was viewed 2,028,554,518 times becoming the most viewed music video in the world. The increased views came about as a result of the easier accessibility to videos, with Facebook also becoming a source to watch them on. This is an example of a performance video with the video going viral due to the catchy dance and rhythm of the song. 

One of the most important things however was not necessarily the music videos themselves, but the way in which they are consumed. The advancements in smart phones, laptops, tablets, TV's and other gadgets means these videos are much more accessible. The viewing numbers are rising and because of this artists are getting more exposure, which in turn encourages them to create a higher standard of music video to attract and entertain this growing audience.

Top videos

Rank	Video name	Artist	Views (as of July 1, 2014)	Upload date	Notes
1.	"Gangnam Style"	Psy	2,028,554,518	July 15, 2012	[A]
2.	"Baby"	Justin Bieber featuring Ludacris	1,054,662,454	February 19, 2010	[B]
3.	"On the Floor"	Jennifer Lopez featuring Pitbull	764,298,494	March 3, 2011
4.	"Charlie Bit My Finger – Again!"	Harry and Charlie Davies-Carr	732,729,160	May 22, 2007	[C]
5.	"Love the Way You Lie"	Eminem featuring Rihanna	711,211,861	August 5, 2010
6.	"Party Rock Anthem"	LMFAO featuring Lauren Bennett & GoonRock	706,220,814	March 8, 2011
7.	"Gentleman"	Psy	704,372,356	April 13, 2013	[D]
8.	"Waka Waka (This Time for Africa)"	Shakira featuring Freshlyground	696,991,022	June 4, 2010	[E]
9.	"Wrecking Ball"	Miley Cyrus	679,818,283	September 9, 2013
10.	"Bad Romance"	Lady Gaga	591,980,526	November 23, 2009	[F]
11.	"Ai Se Eu Te Pego"	Michel Teló	576,182,699	July 25, 2011
12.	"Danza Kuduro"	Don Omar featuring Lucenzo	560,199,830	August 25, 2010	[G]
13.	"Call Me Maybe"	Carly Rae Jepsen	557,436,040	March 1, 2012
14.	"Roar"	Katy Perry	550,507 981	September 5, 2013
15.	"Thrift Shop"	Macklemore & Ryan Lewis featuring Wanz	548,878,473	August 27, 2012
16.	"What Makes You Beautiful"	One Direction	531,673,574	August 19, 2011
17.	"Not Afraid"	Eminem	522,142,208	June 4, 2010
18.	"Somebody That I Used to Know"	Gotye featuring Kimbra	521,928,256	July 22, 2011
19.	"Rolling in the Deep"	Adele	514,210,760	November 30, 2010
20.	"The Lazy Song"	Bruno Mars	511,904,052	April 15, 2011
21.	"Rain Over Me"	Pitbull featuring Marc Anthony	491,835,320	July 22, 2011
22.	"Oppa Is Just My Style"	Psy featuring Hyuna	491,611,524	August 14, 2012
23.	"Firework"	Katy Perry	458,222,178	October 28, 2010
24.	"Diamonds"	Rihanna	448,416,555	November 8, 2012
25.	"The Gummy Bear Song"	Gummibär	442,368,976	October 9, 2007	[H]
26.	"Dark Horse"	Katy Perry featuring Juicy J	436,688,390	February 20, 2014
27.	"Never Say Never"	Justin Bieber featuring Jaden Smith	429,629,107	May 27, 2010
28.	"The Fox (What Does the Fox Say?)"	Ylvis	426,631,405	September 3, 2013
29.	"We Can't Stop"	Miley Cyrus	418,446,149	June 19, 2013
30.	"Just the Way You Are"	Bruno Mars	417,601,708	September 08, 2010

Research into Goodwin's theory - Miss Georgiou

Andrew Goodwin's music video theory consisted of 7 elements that are evident in music videos

1. Music  videos demonstrate genre characteristics 
2. There is a relationship between the lyrics and the visuals 
3. There is a link between the music and the visuals 
4. The demands of the record label will include the need of lots of close ups of the artist and the artist may develop motifs which recur across their work. 
5. There is frequently reference to the notion of looking and particularly voyeuristic treatment of the female body
6. There is often inter textual reference 
7. The video will either be narrative, performance or concept based. 

When applying these to a music video, it is clear to see that these features of Goodwin's theory are vital in attracting the audience to watch the video, and also to strengthen the link between the audience and the artist or group. The song I will be analysing is the man who can't be moved by the script. The song includes all 7 of Goodwin's elements and it is the combination of these which makes up this successful music video.

Music videos demonstrate genre characteristics 

The script are from the pop rock genre. This means that certain conventional elements of this genre will be evident in the music video. The characteristics of the pop rock genre are as follows. Pop rock is a genre that mixes catchy pop lyrics with rock based instrumentation. The characteristics are: They appeal to a general audience, rather than to a sub-culture. They emphasise craftsmanship, recording, production, technology and live performances. They reflect existing trends rather than develop. It is based on dancing and uses dance-orientated beats and rhythms. Pop rock songs usually have a noticeable rhythmic element and the structure is very traditional. The appearance of the artist is one that comes across as quite neutral, with the dark jacket and jeans and a plain t shirt. The effect of all of this is that it puts the artist across as a very ordinary person, and demonstrates the genre characteristics of pop rock by not directly appealing to a specific target audience, as he instead is able to attract a much wider less specific audience. The frequent shots of the group performing, conventionally puts the emphasis on performance, whilst the noticeable catchiness and easy to remember lyrics attract the audience further. Although the song may not be overly dance orientated, it portrays enough genre characteristics to say that it is a largely conventional song, and one that successful submerges the audience into the video and attracts them towards the songs.

There is a relationship between the lyrics and the visuals 

From the outset and throughout it is clear that there is a distinct relationship between the lyrics and the visuals. The first lyrics heard are "going back to the corner where I first saw you," which is partnered with images of the artist walking along a street to the corner of the road. This is successful in further engaging the audience by bringing the lyrics to life, through their partnership with the actual video itself. Throughout the song, the narrative of the man who has lost a girlfriend or wife, is constantly referred to by the content of the video, repeatedly showing the artist on streets and road corners. Also when the artist says "policeman says, son you can't stay here" there is a clip of a police woman shown driving past and stopping in her car. This again makes the lyrics more life like and provides a greater deal of escapism, whilst also giving the words more meaning.

There is a link between the music and the visuals 

The link between the music and the visuals is something evident throughout the video also. I feel like this was primarily achieved through the timing of shots used. The plucky, reasonably fast paced instrumental at the beginning of the song is partnered with a quick timing of shots showing a variety of different angles, whilst tracking the artist walking. The effect of this is that the timing of the music matches the changing shots and links them together. Similarly to the lyrics and the visuals matching, the matching music and visuals provides a greater sense of engagement for the audience and again builds on that feel of escapism. It makes the video more entertaining and conventionally to rock pop this puts an emphasis on the production of the video.

The demands of the record label will include the need of lots of close ups of the artist and the artist may develop motifs which recur across their work. 

The script are a male orientated band, and therefore there is demand from a female audience who may find the group attractive. Due to this the record label need to include numerous close ups to satisfy this audience. In many Script songs this motif of them being an attractive band is aided through these camera shots. In the video above there is further evidence to support this, as in the performance parts of the video which show the band playing their instruments, there are numerous close ups on each member of the band. This can familiarise the audience with the artists and encourage them to listen to more songs, but can also personalise the feel of the video by making the audience closer with the group members. The other effect of this, particularly in the acting scenes, can be to show emotion, particularly in this narrative. This can also exhibit the artists other talent of acting, therefore again increasing his popularity. In the performance scenes the close ups can show them to be passionate about their music through their facial expressions and give them a professional image.

There is frequently reference to the notion of looking and particularly voyeuristic treatment of the female body.

This element of Goodwin's theory can not be seen in this video. The narrative of the video does not really offer the opportunity for the camera angles to portray the female body voyeuristically and therefore there are no examples of it. However, in many other videos I analysed, particularly from the rap genre, there are numerous examples. Rappers like Pit bull and Kanye West, use this technique in order to satisfy a largely male audience. The use of portraying woman like this can also be seen as the artist trying to provide an insight into their own life, showing their fans that they are able to have these woman and that lifestyle.

There is often inter textual reference 

The inter textual references in the video were subtle but there are some evident. The relationship between the character and the texts around him was an interesting one. The posters and billboards surrounding the artist say things like "Happy Birthday!" and send messages and advertisements to the people in the street. The billboards all seemingly use positive language and are portraying a positive message. The effect of this is that the advertisements and texts surrounded the artist provide a contrast to his mood and situation in the narrative. This can create a sense of empathy between the audience and the artist and further their relationship.

The video will either be narrative, performance or concept based.

This video is in fact one that goes against this element of Goodwin's theory, as there are elements of narrative and performance in the video. The frequent shots of the band playing show the performance, whilst the remainder follows the narrative of the man after his break up. The effect of both of these being used together means that it can be seen as more engaging than a regular video which may only include one of the three elements listed.

 

What is a music video - Miss Miller

A music video is something created by an artist to accompany a piece of music. There are many reasons why artists do this and the music videos have numerous purposes. These may include;

 

• A market tool to promote an artist/song
• A short narrative or representation of the artist
• To attract a particular target audience
• To identify an artist/group
• To buy into the artist's lifestyle
• To show the different generic conventions of a genre/music video.
• To make a song available to a wide audience.
• To show more about the artist.
• The audience request music videos.
• To build a relationship with the artist.
• For the audience to understand more about a song.

The style of a music video can be categorised into three different areas, which include performance, narrative and concept. Each category of music video has its pro's and cons. Concept music videos focus on themes like image or love, whereas narrative has a story to it, almost like a short film. Performance is quite simply a performance, where the artists or group can be seen playing the song that the video is for.

One example of a performance based song is Beyoncé's single ladies. This is entirely performance based and features Beyoncé and her dancers performing the routine to the song.
This showcases her talent to the audience and also, as in many performance based music videos, can be engaging for an audience as they can learn dance moves or routines, which then makes the songs even more entertaining and interesting for people by adding that other element to it. By showcasing the talent of the performer it can encourage people to find more of their work, which ties in with the purpose of the music video in promoting the artist.

Narrative videos can be things like Take on me by A-ha. These videos follow a story and usually have a relationship with the lyrics as they go along. Other examples are Californication by the Red Hot Chilli Peppers and The Man Who Can't Be Moved by the Script. These are also successful in engaging and attracting the audience to a song as it provides something more for the audience, rather than just watching there favourite group or artist perform. It can also provide escapism as they can watch the narrative and forget about there own lives and problems while the song is on. They almost act as a small film partnering the music. The audience are enticed and want to follow the storyline. In many cases the artist is actually the actor in the narrative of the video, which showcasing more than just their musical talent and further increases popularity.

 Concept based music videos are things like you are beautiful by Christina Aguilera. The concept based music videos tend to focus more on issues that are often featured in society like Christina Aguilera's song dealing with the image of women and their appearance. These connect the audience by giving them confidence on issues or by expressing issues through the song that can influence the thoughts of the viewers.

The music video that I decided to look at was 'My Love- By Route 94 and Jess Glyne. The song is from the deep house genre and includes many of the conventions expected from this sort of song.

The target audience is attracted to the song through the conventions used in a music video, as these are the things they expect to see. A target audience is important as it gives the artist something to aim for when creating the music video. Certain elements of the video can be altered to suit the needs of that audience which can then in turn maximise the popularity of the music video and increase the profits for the artist. In this song for example, the reference to alcohol and drugs possibly aims at 18-20 year olds who are discovering night life and coming across substances like the ones included. This makes the video relatable to those watching and increases the link between the audience and the main character within the musical video.

There are lots of common techniques used, especially in the timing of shots. The slow pace of shots at the begging of the video, almost makes it suspenseful as the man enters the club. As the song progressing so does the timing of shots, showing a clear link between the music and the visuals. By combining these it makes the video easier to engage with for the audience and this partnered with the unique colouring animation, makes it an overly entertaining video.