Baby, baby, baby can't you see I'm not alright and if I wanted you to help me I'd have gone to you myself and if I led you on I''m sorry but you need to let it go because I'm begging for a thread that you had severed long ago
Honey, honey, honey don't you pull me back again I swear I'd barely broken free when you turned me around again and I was bleeding when you left me and I never fully healed ain't it funny when bandaids aren't the only thing you need
Promise when you tell me it will all be alright when my head stops hurting the lights will go out
Bleeding when you left me and I never fully healed ain't it funny when bandaids aren't the only thing you need
I chose this song as its beat was very clear, which i feel would be very good to cut to the beat during editing. I felt that the lyrics really allowed for such a range of possibilities with adding a narrative to the music video, the lyrics aren't particularly fast either, so my actor can easily learn them, and lip-syncing shouldn't be a major problem. In terms of other techniques, i felt this song had the potential to do many things, so the types of camera language i wish to incorporate should be very interesting in how it fits the song, as well as having many fast paced cuts could be another option to explore.
Goodwin expressed his theory with identifying a relationship between the visuals and the lyrics, through certain subdivisions such as illustration. Illustrative music videos are very similar to interpretive music videos which explain how, music videos are very literal and will explicitly match the visuals to what the lyrics are talking about. These types of music videos are generally easy to make as their is not that much thought or creativity that goes in to the video, its rather the case of how they will exhibit the matching lyrics and visuals.
Thrift shop by Macklemore & Ryan Lewis at 1:02 connotes this style as their whole music video denotes how when certain lyrics are said, the visual is instantly shown. The fact that they was able to bring in RKelly to play a cameo role in the music video was one of many examples that exhibits the illustrative style style within this music video.
Amplifying
The next subdivision would be Amplifying, this is an idea that the visuals change, the music video will use certain colours to enhance the style and to create this special atmosphere, which would try to evoke different emotions within the audience. Amplifying is closely connected to an impressionist video which are music videos generally wont have a specific narrative to them, but they do try and attach themselves to the audience, in the sense that they wish to try and make the audience feel certain emotions.
Hello' from Adele at 1:15 would be an example of an impressionist video as the colours are almost lifeless, they arent sharp and bright, which relate to the feel of the song. By creating an amplifying music video Adele has been able to really engage the audience as we want to continue watching this narrative story play on.
Contradicting
This is where the music video will deliberatly go against the genre conventions, a contradicting music video is much like a genre-subverting video. An example of this would be Lil Dicky 'Save Dat Money' at 2:21 as he produces a hip hop music video but then makes it comical by the use of his lack of stereotypical props, and how he portrays himself in the music video as quite an awkward person that seems very out of place.
For the Lil Dicky by using this style, his music video he has been able to connote his personal style and how he wants to be represented by the public. The style of 'Save Dat Money' has been able to brand himself among his other music videos as a new fresh artist in such a saturated genre of music.
Iconography & Genre Conventions
Iconography is shown through the visual signifiers of a music video, they are the typical conventions that the audience can see in every music video in the same genre. For instance in a hip-hop video there would usually be young women, nice cars, a lot of bright jewellery etc.
For example David Cash's 'chevy' at 1:20 denotes a nice car, attractive young women and wearing lots of jewellery, which clearly connotes that his music video is in the hip-hop genre.
By David Cash doing a more typical genre video he is almost connoting to the audience that he is serious about his work. As he is not very well known like other rappers ( J.Cole etc.) he cant really afford to take risks with his music videos, so by producing Chevy he can show his audience that hes a serious rapper.
Star Persona & Close-ups
Goodwins idea of a star persona music video, consists of the whole music video revolving the artist, most of the video will show them with different movement and angles of the camera moving all around the artist. This can be seen in Hotline Bling by Drake at 1:18 as the whole music video denotes him in a studio set either dancing alone, or in a few cases sitting down on some stairs. A small segment of the music video will cut to some women also dancing but thats not particularly the main focus of the music video, its rather all about Drake poorly dancing.
This idea of a star persona and the use of many cuts can have quite a negative impact on the artist we think that the artist is quite self involved aside from the fact that the actual music video of Hotling Bling is ridiculous and boring.
Voyeurism
Voyeurism is shown through the treatment of the female body, it is where a women is explicit presented much like a materialistic possession. Generally in a music video someone or a group of people will watch the women, which almost allows the audience to watch her as well with out consciously feeling guilty as it becomes socially acceptable to look. An example of this would be in 'Anconda' by Nicki Minaj at 4:24 she will dance around drake in a very sexual way, as his eyes follow her as an audience we can look at her and feel very normal about the situation.
Voyeurism is an idea that is very explicit, the artist will have specific intentions and in some cases a specific message they wish to get across. However in this instance Nicki doesnt seem to have any underlying message, the whole music video is rather saying 'stare at me' which is something that no one respects particularly.
Intertextuality
When a music video uses references mainly from a film, because there has been a synergy created, where the film and artist have worked together. The music video will explicitly use visual references in the music video to show the synergy, the references will not be made up either instead they are actual scenes/shots from the media text being added into the music video.
An example of synergy would be Justin Bieber's never say never at 0:46. Here we are able to see a segment of the film being used in the music video which connotes the synergy that Justin Bieber and the film have.
Using Intertextuality allows the artist to work with a TV/ film institution, which in turn allows for the artist to perhaps enter a different area of media. Justin bieber has been able to feature more cameo roles in some TV programs and star in some episodes. For the artist and the institution it allows them to simultaneously get some exposure in the two different sectors of media. As in this example Justin Bieber has been able to get more exposure and perhaps a bigger audience, whereas for Columbia Pictures they are also able to gain more awareness for their film from Bieber's audience by working with him. Ultimately leading to a greater income as more people are aware.
99 dollar music is an institution specifically designed to allow new, upcoming artist and filmmakers that dont have much money to collaborate with each other and showcase their work. They really have to be creative and experiment with what is possible as they virtually have no budget, thus making the filmmakers/ artist to explore way in to making a fun, exciting music video that can exhibit elements that look professional.
'Strange Machines' by Redding Hunter showed some great use of camera language which almost made the narrative very interesting. The camera made the music video engaging, and although the song was slow which doesn't excite the audience, the fast paced editing of cuts (at 0:27) and the sheer number of them defiantly keeps the audience watching.
What is their ethos?
Their main ethos is producing a music video for 99 dollars or less, but they have other policies in which they wish their artists would keep to. They pride themselves on creating music videos in which are very creative and show great innovation yet there has to be some elements of clear conventions for the specific type of genre. They also want to continuously aim to have music videos that are close to having a professional look and trying to put them on a global platform.
Aaron Kings 'You dont know what it is' would certainly fit this criteria. Their conventional use of having segments of a performance video as well as cutting to a part narrative, certainly its under 99 dollars but it looks professional as the editing effects on the colours of the music video adds more of an interesting aspect to the video. Much like 'Strange Machines' the music video is interesting to the audience we want to really see how and what they have produced, its almost as if we want to really to see if we believe the video is under 99 dollars or not.
What types, labels and genres of music appear on their YouTube channel?
Their is a variety of music on the channel, 'Strange Machines' was very energetic and fast paced in comparison to 'You don't know what it is' which was significantly slower. As a genre it is more o an indie rock feel to it, which can be seen in 'Barbie eat a sandwich' by Care Bears on fire. Of course it is an independent record label as the budget is very small, this is because the music videos are very creative and unusual. The music videos on this channel wouldn't typically be seen from a major record label as they couldn't take the risk in losing money. Perhaps that's a good thing to 99 dollars music videos as they are so creative and unusual that the audience enjoy something so new and different compared to what the majors constantly produce.
What is the relationship between 99dollarmusicvideos.com their film-makers and music acts?
The relationship is almost a learning curve for both filmmaker and artist/band. Both express ideas that can be done and from there it very much develops into a music video. Erik Beck a filmmaker used a Snory Cam strapping to the chest of a person with the camera pointing straight at the persons face this was used in the music video keelay, costing only $30-$40. So the relationship is very much about how they can produced a video that's both creative and professional but for the least amount of money. Both learn more about each others sector, and i think both artist/band and filmmaker become more appreciative of what isnt possible, to how far we can make this video so unique and innovative.
How does 99dollarmusicvideos.com encourage audience participation?
The label its self seem certainly more open and welcoming to new people reaching out and contacting them to create something. Its more the case that if you feel you've got a great idea and you are talented then contacting them and getting involved would certainly be a positive route. In terms of engaging the audience in the music videos, this is created in the uniqueness of the music video and also by the fact that the people that have produced the video are normal, average people that are just trying to do what they love and 'make it' in becoming a bigger artist or becoming a better filmmaker. thats what is the most interesting thing is how we dont look at them as big idols or extraordinary people but rather its how they are like any other person. this can be seen in 'Merp' by savior Adore the fact that she is just a normal person having fun, the audience feel like we could be that person which makes it very interesting and makes us want to watch.
Is it possible to make a professional quality music video for $99?
Yes, it is possible i think that there are many ways that can be explored to create something for 99 dollars or perhaps less. the types of camera language that was shown in 'Strange Machines' or the different editing techniques used in 'Barbie eat a sandwich' defiantly have proven that a lot can be done. i think that there has to be a certain equality between how professional the music video looks, how creative and unique it looks and the general idea behind it. i felt that when watching some of the music videos that some lacked that professionalism but did have a lot of creativity which let it down. Theres no reason why a music video cant be made for 99 dollars but there is an argument that if the conventions arent there and there is that unbalance then the audience wont watch it and it generally just doesnt seem that good.
This style is used to connote the different types of music, also the artist will use different types of mise-en-scene to show the specific genre of music as well as, the music videos visuals enhance the genre as visual signifiers. For example David Cash's 'chevy' at 1:20 denotes a nice car, attractive young women and wearing lots of jewllery, which connotes that his music video is in the hip-hop genre.
By David Cash doing a more typical genre video he is almost connoting to the audience that he is serious about his work. As he is not very well known like other rappers ( J.Cole etc.) he cant really afford to take risks with his music videos, so by producing Chevy he can show his audience that hes a serious rapper.
This translates to the audience as they can see that he is serious about his work. Perhaps the music video almost makes us respect him more, because he is'nt trying to do anything of risk but rather we can just watch a normal video and be appreciative that he's trying to 'make it' in the genre.
Genre Subverting video
Genre subverting videos are used to deliberately be different from the genre they are in, and they go against what the stereotypical music video should be for the specific genre. An example of this would be Lil Dicky 'Save Dat Money' at 2:21 as he produces a hip hop music video but then makes it comical by the use of his lack of stereotypical props, and how he portrays himself in the music video as quite an awkward person that seems very out of place.
For the Lil Dicky by using this style, his music video he has been able to connote his personal style and how he wants to be represented by the public. The style of 'Save Dat Money' has been able to brand himself among his other music videos as a new fresh artist in such a saturated genre of music. His record label vevo are also able to see if this new style will work in the hip hop genre, they are able to use him to experiment and see what the public think of this new style.
The effect genre subverting videos have on the audience is how they can either be used to create a humour for the audience and to be funny, but also the audience can gauge a certain meaning from the video. Perhaps the audience can see more of a bigger picture, as this style of music videos can portray a much bigger scaled change the artist, (Lil Dicky) wants to get across.
Performance
A performance video is to explicitly exhibit the band/artist performing the song either live to an audience, or on a set but still singing directly to he camera. when the performance video is on a set, it will include many different locations with the band continuing to sing to the camera. However when using a live performance as a music video it will denote the camera constantly moving and never staying still to continue to make it engaging to the audience, as well as the editing of the performance videos are usually very quick again to create more excitement for the audience. An example of a performance video would be One Directions 'Drag Me Down' at 0:12 as the music video denotes the switch from a partial narrative to the band singing and performing in an air hanger.
By doing a performance video certainly for the record label (columbia) its a benefit on maximizing their profits because they know the music video will be watched and will sell and they haven't spent much money on it as the majority of Drag Me Down is the band performing in a air hanger. Perhaps for the band also they are able to put less effort in making a 'perfect' music video to fit the song, and instead they can just enjoy signing it and performing their new single.
The audience perhaps enjoy a performance video sometimes as it is a chance for them to see One Direction enjoy what they have created and see the passion the band have during the music video, as this can be lost sometimes when other styles are constantly used like narrative music videos.
Narrative
This type of music video is meant to portray a clear story line, whether that's a true story from the artists past or an issue that the artist feels strong about. The main point of a narrative is to get across a message to the audience and to make them feel certain emotions towards the topic. Eminem's 'Cleanin' Out My Closet' at 0:56 would be a good example of a narrative music video as he has used a previous life experience to make the music video.
By creating this narrative Eminem has been very honest in showing the whole public what his life was like growing up. Eminem has done this to show who he was and where he's come from, its more a case of allowing the audience to see who he truly is and what he has been through rather then to cover it all up and allow the whole world to see him in a very negative light. Eminem has been able to create a transparency between him and the public which was his intentions rather then to create sympathy and pity.
From an audience perspective Eminem has really evoked quite powerful emotions within this music video, the audience are moved by what he has shown us and generally feel more respect for him.
Animation
Animation videos are used to purposefully be unique, and create something that perhaps cant be done in a real life video. Animation videos are usually done to create humour in the music video, and can be seen through things like stop motion animation. These types of music videos are used to add energy and look authentic whilst also being low budget, they enable the artist to be more free with what they want to make as the video. Kanye West's 'Good Morning' at 0:32 would be an example of an animation music video as the whole music video denotes an animation of a day in the life of this bear.
As this style of music video allows the artist ( Kanye West) to have more freedom in what he creates, it could become an opportunity for him to add more of a subliminal message to the music video maybe about his life. However it could be as as simple as Kanye trying to be more different and experiment with different styles, rather then stick to the typical genre videos that have become more saturated.
This style allows the audience to see Kanye differently, instead of negatively seeing him as just another rapper, this music video Good Morning has enabled us to see him perhaps better. Whether or not the song is any good perhaps is irrelevant as we are able to take away the fact that he has tried to be different and to stand out.
Interpretive
Interpretive music videos are very literal and will explicitly match the visuals to what the lyrics are talking about. These types of music videos are generally easy to make as their is not that much thought or creativity that goes in to the video, its rather the case of how they will exhibit the matching lyrics and visuals. Thrift shop by Macklemore & Ryan Lewis at 1:02 connotes this style as their whole music video denotes how when certain lyrics are said, the visual is instantly shown. The fact that they was able to bring in RKelly to play a cameo role in the music video was one of many examples that exhibits the interpretive style within this music video.
Macklemore and Ryan Lewis have been able to produce a music video that was easy and low budget considering Macklemore record label is only an independent. It also allowed the artist to create a music video that was fun. This style allows for not what they are going to film, but rather how they are going to film the music video, they are able to make it as fun as possible which the audience does recognise.
As an audience, its more split with this style, if the music video has been done correctly in such a way that its exciting its engaging to the audience then that makes the audience more happier, and the music video becomes fun, which is what Thrift shop was able to capture. However the audience can notice when no time or effort has been made to produce a music video in this style, and no matter how good the song may be it wont ever have the same effect on the audience. So its really finding the right balance with this style to create a happier audience.
Impressionist
Impressionistic videos are used with a many different effects and different colours, in which they match what the true meaning of the song should connote. Impressionist music videos generally wont have a specific narrative to them, but they do try and attach themselves to the audience, in the sense that they wish to evoke certain emotions from the audience. 'Hello' from Adele at 1:15 would be an example of an impressionist video as the colours are almost lifeless, they arent sharp and bright, which relate to the feel of the song.
By creating an impressionist music video Adele has been able to really engage the audience as we want to continue watching this narrative story play on. The music video isn't necessarily different from other soul/ R&B music videos. But she has produced something that her and Columbia know will sell and really become a 'hit' with the audience.
Moreover, the audience do feel this energy and power from the music video (Hello.) Its more then just an engaging video because as the audience we dont just want to keep watching but we are really munipulated in to feeling such a power that perhaps we haven't felt before from a music video.
Surreal/Abstract
An abstract music video is intended to look almost weird and eccentric to the audience. Moreover, the music video won't particularly have a linear structure and purposefully done to be unique. An example of an abstract music video would be by Naughty Boy 'Runnin' at 0:19 this is because of the location of the music video, and what the audience see happening to the two characters.
This style allows for such a range of creativity and freedom to do things that may have seemed impossible in a music video. 'Runnin' did allow for the Naughty Boy to gaim lots of media attention as the music video was so surreal that people were constantly spreading it, which of course is a great thing for him.
By using this style as Naughty Boy's music video the audience really recognise how creative he has been, and how much time and effort must have gone in to producing it. The music video though is almost questionable to the audience, perhaps we are asking why he chose to do such an abstract video and what reasons were there for creating it.
Pastiche/Homage
A pastiche music video is something that copies certain elements of an original media text. Copying elements can range from costume choice to the certain shot types and camera language that is shown in the music video. An example of a pastiche would be Walk by the Foo Fighters at 2:04, as they have used many elements from the film Falling Down, many of the actual scenes in the music video are heavily emulating scenes from the film. For the institution a pastiche music video is much like referencing in the sense that they gain more exposure for the film. But more for the Foo fighters as they were a smaller rock band, it also meant that thye started to grow more rapidly and gain a bigger audience, and now today they are a very well known rock band. From an audience perspective this style does create some humor as the music video has exaggerated and added some comical scenes to make the whole music video engaging. Perhaps there is a very fine line with this style of music video, 'walk' very done in how it copied certain elements and how they added in certain comical moments. But it seems that this style could easily go wrong and the audience feel disconnected with the music video and left feeling confused on why an artist has chose this style.
Parody
A parody music video is a re-creation of an existing media text. They are made to create a humorous version of the original music video as well as to perhaps mock the artist and what they have produced. A parody music video is designed to deliberately be bad and make the audience laugh. An example of a parody would be Bart Bakers 'What Do You Mean' at 0:27, he has chosen to use Justin Biebers music video and re-create this using various actors & new lyrics but still has tried to mimic many aspects of the original to make it look very obvious what music video he is copying.
Bart Baker has been able to rapidly expand by doing this style. His parody's have hit many people and as a result his audience is constantly getting bigger, Bart Baker has also been able to create a voice for many people through his parody's and show much of the corporate world what people really think of some of these artist and songs.
The audience are able to just enjoy and watch a funny copy of the original text, the audience also can heavily relate to the videos because now they feel like their opinions are finally being heard. In some cases the audience feel grateful because they know they have been heard, however perhaps in this case 'What Do You Mean' the audience have been able to just watch a comical version of the real text.
Referencing
When a music video uses references mainly from a film, because there has been a synergy created, where the film and artist have worked together. The music video will explicitly use visual references in the music video to show the synergy, the references will not be made up either instead they are actual scenes/shots from the media text being added into the music video. Justin Bieber's 'never say never' at 0:45 would be an example of referencing as he has used parts of Karate kid in his music video.
Certainly for universal, they will get more exposure for their new film because Biebers fans will now know about it, and is generally extra advertisement for the film. Its almost the same for Bieber as well because he will now get more exposure from the film upon release, which is a good strategy for him to gain a bigger audience.
For the audience it allows them to see Justin constantly growing and expanding. But this style of music video allows the audience to be more excited in whats next to come from Bieber, perhaps this style doesn't really get the audience to feel certain, powerful emotions that a narrative music video can do. But this style is more of a chance for the audience to see Justin Biber grow and get bigger and better in what he does next.
The number of cuts is dependent on the pace of the music, if the song is fast paced then the edit of the cuts perhaps will be faster as well. In general having more cuts in a music video keeps it entertaining as well as the cuts keeping the audience engaged, even if the song is slow it still should contain some cuts even if they are slow but still keep in keeping with the music.
A good example of this would be Cool Kids by Echosmith at 0:45, because effectively it was a performance video, however the different cuts that were added in, kept it interesting. If there were less cuts then camera language becomes boring and the music video becomes tedious as it is just the band performing on a white background for the majority of the video. This music video connoted how Echosmith wanted to be seen creating good music rather then spending a lot on the actual video. The video connoted how they wanted to show their talent rather then production skills which could be why it was a simple video.
In comparison to a bad example which would be Hotline Bling by Drake at 1:06, this music video was not good when looking at this technique. The cuts seemed irregular and have no structure, which didn't keep the audience hooked. The song was very slow and whilst there was some cuts they didn't seem particularly relevant to the lyrics or what we was actually supposed to be watching.
This technique impacts the audience by keeping them engaged with the music video, weather the music video intends to create a certain emotion for the audience to feel can relate to where the video is cut. But can also add enjoyment for the audience whilst watching it. With Cool Kids it was a simple video yet the cuts kept it fun for the audience, in retrospect it wasn't a particularly great music video but they did the technique well which was noticeable. Which is a major contrast to Hotling bling because the cuts were so irregular as an audience we almost wanted to mock the music video as we almost saw it as rather ridiculous and not fully understanding why a cut had been made. It didn't seem to have a purpose.
Cutting to the beat
Cutting to the beat is when there is a cut in the music video that is in time with the tempo of the song and on the beat. However the cuts are not on every beat as then it would become overused and perhaps disorientating for the audience. When using this technique it is important that the cuts match up with a specific element of the song such as cutting to the drum or the bass. Cutting to the beat allows for even the simplest music video to become more interesting.
Beverly hills by Weezer at 1:46 would be a good example of this technique as they effectively cut frequently to the beat, not on every beat because that would have been too much but did it sufficiently. The music video connoted how they wanted to be represented as a good rock band, this music video was done some time ago so whilst they wasn't very well known, this music video was a good way to show case their skills.
Whereas 30h3 Starstruck at 0:46 would be a bad example of the technique because whilst the music video tries to cut frequently it seems like the cuts have a very loose structure and when it seems like it cuts to the beat it doesn't have a specific scheme to follow.
For the audience cutting to the beat, much like number of cuts keeps the audience enticed in the video. However perhaps the fact, its on the beat can make the song more enjoyable and get the audience really excited about the music video. With 'Starstrukk' the audience seemed lost in what was actually happening, as there was a lot happening in the video which wasn't help by the fact that the technique was edited badly. However, with 'Beverly hills' it almost made the audience feel apart of the video, it was easy to follow what was happening. Perhaps when a technique like this is used as it is does increase the tempo of the song, its easy to notice when its good or bad, when cutting to the beat is irregular or just not pin point accurate instantly the audience will turn on the song. So perhaps if this technique is used, it has to be done right or not at all.
Camera Language: Shot Variety
Having variety in the camera language for the music video is key as much like the editing of the cuts it keeps the audience engaged and makes the video entertaining. Different shot types, camera movement, as well as using different locations in the music video can all add variety to the music video.
A good example of this technique can be seen in Shutdown by Skepta at 0:19 as their was a variety of shot types. the Location was very static but because the camera was constantly moving it made the music video more exciting to watch. Skepta connotes in this music video how he can create good music with quite a limited budget, and how you don't need a big production with loads of locations and special effects.
Although a bad use of this technique is exhibited in Ed Sheeran's thinking out loud at 1:20, as this is mainly a dance routine for the music video it becomes boring because its a slow song and not much is happening for the audience to watch either.
Having variety in the camera language impacts the audience by either showing a good narrative story with many different locations or by showing the audience that the music video can be interesting by using just different shot types which is what Skepta tried to create. 'Shutdown' was a great example to the audience that a music video doesn't have to always be a big production but rather if the camera is used right then even the simplest music video can look very interesting. That's what 'Thinking out loud' failed to do it was boring for the audience, as and audience we aren't bothered by how much the production of the video was, we just want to be excited and feel like the video is going somewhere.
Special effects
Special effects can include a number of things such as, stop motion animation, set alterations, editing effects etc. Special effects on a music video may look good but they have to be in moderation and make sure they are professionally done, otherwise the music video will look messy
Where are u now by Justin Bieber and Skrillex at 1:10 would be a good example of special effects as they used the idea of stop motion animation very well, what made the music video very good is the song in some parts is quite fast and so the stop motion was also made fast as well, likewise when the song slows down then the animation slows down as well. The tempo of the song and stop motion are what make this song particularly good. This music video connotes how creative Skrillex, diplo and Justin Bieber can be, in making something that seemed very new and fresh.
However Californication by Red Hot Chili Peppers at 1:08 would be a bad example as most of the music video is a game and then cuts to the band performing on a terrible green screen. The whole animation of the whole music video just didn't seem great, there was some good creativity in what they tried to achieve but ultimately it didn't look professional and disengaged the audience, instead we laughed at it.
Perhaps for the audience it impacts them as it shows the creativity in the artist. In this example, 'Where are you now', the audience can be amazed by how this music video was created and can be appreciative of the time it took to make. Its something that seems so abstract that the audience are just excited by everything that is happening, perhaps it could be argued also that this technique could portray art in its own right. Whilst 'Californication' is something that the audience perhaps have never seen before, it seemed tacky and cheap. The song didn't match what was happening with the video and as a result we just mocked it rather then appreciate what they tried to achieve.
Green Screen
Green screen is a type of special effect, and when used in moderation it can make the music video look better and creative, however when using a green screen it is also important to professionally edit it otherwise it can make the music video look tacky, unless the aim of the music video is too purposefully look bad to create humor.
Tenacious D Tribute at 1:24 uses green screen which looks good as, they weren't very well known at the time and so didn't have a great budget but was able to use what they had to create a decent music video. They connote good creativity in this music video by the whole concept but they also wanted to represent their selves as very comical in this video and other.
But in Dj Fresh & Diplos Earthquake at 0:28 they have not used green screen particularly well, as the music video is kind of abstract, with the green screen it can be seen how they have tried to use it, but ultimately it hasn't worked. As the it tries to imitate superheros, running around New York on the green screen just hasn't particularly grabbed the audience and instead we kind of laugh at its stupidity.
In this case, using a green screen impacts the audience as it can add this comical element to the music video for them, which was shown in the Tenacious D video. It can also impact the audience by showing them that green screens can look good if done properly, whilst Tenacious D perhaps used it too much it had a massive comical effect on the audience. Green screens in music videos are a very 'risky' thing to do, perhaps its more about the context that its used in if the artist in the music video can display a certain character and charisma about themselves then some green screen can work. Its In 'Earthquake' which seemed like it was mocking some superhero films the characters didn't have a connection with the audience so we really just focused on the negatives of the video.
Lip-Syncing
This technique has to follow a couple of rules in order for it to work effectively, lip-syncing can be hard to do and if the actor/actress doesn't have the right facial expressions that fit the lyrics of the song then the technique will not work. Of course it is vital that the actor/actress know the lyrics but they must make sure that they don't over react or under react because by doing either one it loses the audience focus and therefore wont work.
An example of this would be Carly Rae Jepson 'I really like you' at 0:24 as this stars Tom Hanks lip syncing to the song in the music video, it seemed well done as he didn't over react as obviously there was a big difference in voices. But he did it appropriately and sometimes added a little bit of over reaction as well as under reaction which added to the comical side of the music video.
But Candy shop by 50 Cent at 1:22 would be a bad example as his facial expressions didn't really react to what he was saying. and his actual lips didn't move much in the music video compared to what we was actually hearing. As he didn't really react it made the lip syncing bad and it distorted the audio from the video which mad it a bad music video for lip syncing.
Perhaps the impact on the audience would be to create humor in the song. As was the case in the Carly Rae Jepson music video it was funny for the audience to see Tom Hanks lip sync it. This music video aimed to portray Carly Rae Jepson as more of a fun artist and to show the audience that she can be very creative with her content. If an actor is lip syncing the song then from an audience perspective it has to be funny trying to connote a meaningful message perhaps, wont particularly work on the audience because that not what we are looking for. But, if the video breaks rules like over reacting to much to be humorous then we will accept that as we are enjoying the music video. However when its the artist own music video and the lip syncing is bad then for the audience it becomes just another bad video, it detracts the music video and we just wont bother watching it because it feels like the artist isn't bothered either.
Social media is an online platform that allows people to connect and interact with others, as they are able to share and post content. One example of a social media outlet would be Facebook, this is because it allows people to freely interact with each other whilst also being able to watch music videos through their feed or what is posted on the artists account.
Facebook allows for the audience to be kept up to date with news of the artist by their account, for example Skepta can post a new release of a new music video as he did with 'Shutdown'. By using a social media site it allows skepta to market his new single without paying for it, which is esspecially better for him as he is signed to an independent label, meaning he has little money fo rhis new music videos. Moreover, the audience are not able to download the video from Facebook and 'fights' can happen in comments sections causing a lot of negativity if they dont agree with skeptas new song Shutdown.
For the institution (facebook) they can constantly make money from advertisement as more and more people use their site. Skepta though is able to gain some feedback from his audience and able to get some good publicity as when he posts a music video, the audience will constantly share it and tell others. A negative for Facebook is that there is a constant influx of new social media sites being created which adds a lot of competition, and for the artist they have to constantly update their facebook page and possibly get some negative comments from people.
mainstream TV
This type of media is non-subscription TV, where it is not required to pay for any extra packages, however it is limited to what channels are available for the consumer to watch. An example of mainstream TV would be freeview, this allows the consumer to watch tv and only have to pay their TV licence fee. Freeview also allows people to be able to watch music videos when a channel has produced a program.
In a sense to watch music videos becomes free and is on all the time. But, music is of course has a wide range and not everyone likes the same thing, therefore audiences may not even watch it simply as they don't like what has been produced. A major problem for the institution and for Freeview is that they have to buy the right to exhibit the music video which is a risk as perhaps not many people will even watch it.
Furthermore, Freeview has to compete with many other services and outlets which in some aspects are perceived as a much better way to watch music videos. Of course though, for the artist its another platform that they can get more publicity from and continue to grow their audience, as an example Kygo may have grown his audience from mainstream tv showing his music video Firestone which is much like Fallout boy and the music channel outlet. However Kygo before Firestone were certainly not very popular worldwide, and now their music video Firestone is being exhibited on Freeview, so their is a big contrast from where they were to where they are in recent times.
music channels
Different to mainstream TV, music channels are specifically specialized in viewing music videos on the channel, which amounts to 90% of their content leaving little space for any other programs. A example of a music channel would be Kerrang, this channel mainly specializes in the rock genre and much of its content exhibits rock music videos. By watching Kerrang the audience will be able to discover new bands that perhaps they haven't heard of before and like their music, the audience also get a nonstop feed of music videos that they like and haven't got to wait for a music video based program to come on which has to be done on mainstream TV.
But the audience do have to wait for their favorite band/music video to come on as it is not on demand and there are many advertisements in between which can be very annoying. The artist/band though, in this case Fallout Boy and their new single "Uma Thurman" can get more publicity & exposure plus, its free which of course is great for them and their new music video as now more people are aware and sales will constantly increase for their new single.
However for Kerrang, there isn't a stable number of viewer ratings as people will watch when their favorite music video comes on. plus, music channels are becoming less popular because the audience has to wait, whereas there are better platforms of media that people can use to get what they want when they want. So in actual fact maybe Fallout boy's new single 'Uma Thurman' might not really get that much exposure as it would get from being posted on a YouTube channel for example.
direct cd/ special edition cd/ dvd releases
This outlet is unlike the others as it produces a hard copy of the music video for the consumers to keep and watch offline upon purchase. HMV whom sell a deluxe edition CD from Bob Dylan is an example of a special edition CD which enables the consumer to listen to all of the songs without having to wait for them to come on TV or go online and search for them. The deluxe edition of course is good for the audience as there is some extra and maybe exclusive content available.
The audience also get to keep and watch all of his songs without having to download anything or go online plus they can share the CD around with other friends and family. but, the hard-copy does cost more then an actual download, and they are hard to find because less shops sell hard copies as more people are using downloads as they are faster and easier. As the hard copies price was a negative for the audience it benefits the institution (HMV) as they make a better profit, but a major problem is as everything is going digital, their sales will decrease and perhaps go bankrupt.
For Bob Dylan as a more of an older artist he is still able to make some money and kept in the minds of his audience, as now he targets more of the older generations which will by CD's rather then download digitally. His new album 'Shadow in the night' is able to sell because these traditional methods of buying hard copies for his audience are still very much the norm so he may have faded a little but he is till in the eye of his main target audience.
streaming websites
Streaming websites are a platform that allow people to access content on demand, and don't have to wait for their favorite music video to come on TV, instead this outlet allows for quick and easy access. An example for this outlet would be YouTube as this website allows people to find the content they want very quickly and whenever they want, fitting the demand aspect. From an audience point of view, YouTube is a free, easy, and can give them a voice through the comment section which are very good aspects of the website. However, when watching a music video there can be some buffering which is annoying and the audience have to wait for advertisement to play at the start of the video, which again is frustration and annoying.
From an institutional point of view the advertisement makes them money, and for the artist eg Shawn Mendes who was not very well known can post a music video 'Stitches' and get massive publicity from the website. They are able to use YouTube as a way of showcasing their work, when 'stitches' came out it excelled Mends' career and has been allowed to enter a new sector of media from Vine to music.
Although YouTube URL's create a very easy way to get an illegal download from, and for the artist in this instance Drake, he could lose a lot of money on a music video as no one is purchasing it, the audience are just watching it on various free websites.
artist websites
An artists website is another platform online that allows the audience to view products and music on the website, however every artists website will differ to become more unique and add a individual style.
Adele's website is an example of this outlet as when compared to Taylor swifts website there is a clear difference, Adeles websites first main features are her new album 25 and also when clicking to go watch her music videos her new single Hello is the first to come up. This illustrates how she wants to really push her new release for the audience to go buy it.
Adeles website is particularly good for the audience it is very easy to navigate around, also the website allows for the audience to see things that perhaps they wouldn't know, such as a brief overview of her life story. however the websites are not publicized as much which means not everyone knows they are available. What could be seen as a little annoying is the music videos are not always embedded on the website but rather a link to a YouTube page an example would be Justin Biebers website, his new songs such as 'what do you mean' are a link which is frustrating to the audience as they want it instantly and not have to wait to go through YouTube. For the artist the website allows for another platform of advertisement for new music videos etc, and is another source of income as they can sell merchandise to the audience. But, due to other websites and platforms of media the artists website is not used that often which means that money injected into creating it and produce merchandise for the website may become a loss.
downloads (legal & illegal)
An online site that allows people to download a keep-able copy of the music video to view offline whenever preferable. Downloads may be legal which itunes would be a perfect example of however, music videos have to be purchased, there are also illegal websites to be able to download music videos for free in which an example of this would be Clip Converter. Itunes is a online platform where people can buy singles, albums, or the actual music video among other things, when bought the download is in your possession and free to play on demand. Clip Converter is a website that allows people to input the URL and download the music video for free, and like Itunes it can viewed on demand and offline.
When buying a song/music video legally from Itunes eg. 'Keep Up' from KSI & JME there is a guarantee to the audience of good quality of sound but also a good quality music video. However if the same music video (Keep Up) is downloaded illegally perhaps there is not that guarantee of quality, of course a negative but it was free and haven't had to purchase it. With Itunes it is expensive to buy them which is a reason why people would rather take the risk and illegally download the song/music video.
For itunes though it has become a lot more popular, and more people use them rather then purchase a hard copy which means less competition and a greater income from sales of music. For KSI it means he will also receive a greater income but also continue to get a higher rank in the charts. Although, a major negative is that itunes will always lose money as more people are using clip converter to get the music video for free, which increases clip converters income as more institutions wish to advertise on their website.
A music video is released to help promote the new song/ album, which in turn makes the audience want to buy the artists new music.
An example of this would be Firestone by Kygo, as they released this song they got to number 1 on some charts and have globally been put on the map. At 1:42, and throughout the video the audience are able to see a story to the song which can add some creativity that perhaps the audience will like the song more.
Through certain platforms of media the music video & song have been publicized a lot and for that, Kygo and Conrad have been able to go on to do bigger things, as well as being recognized worldwide for their work. Of course these are all positives for the artists they now don't only have a fan base in their native countries, (kygo from Norway and Conrad from Australia) but now have a more growing fan base worldwide. Although this is a collaboration for the two individual artist perhaps when they release a new single or album, they will continue to see an increase of sales and growing support.
Whilst 'Firestone' seemed to have a more conventional narrative it was very enjoyable for the audience, as the tempo seemed to match up, and although it wasn't something the audience haven't seen before it was oddly very engaging, we really wanted to see if he was going to reach the girl.
To create a visual representation of the artist
A music video also allows the artist to showcase their work without having to perform live, as well as giving themselves a visual representation and how they wish to be viewed in the public eye.
This music video from Joey Bada$$ 'NO.99' is an example of how he wants to have a specific representation of himself to the public. At 2:39 it shows how he wants to portray himself as more of a rebel and perhaps an outcast of society, as he attempts to get across his message about the perception of others in society.
By creating a music video it allows for the artist to enhance their brand as they wish to get across to the audience, furthermore, they can communicate to the audience the types of energy levels and their own unique style. In this particular case Joey Bad$$ has been allowed to use this video to his advantage by getting across his message and allowing the audience to see him in many different ways as this video can be both controversial and have many different interpretations. As it does create many opinions perhaps that does mean it gets more exposure as people are constantly talking about it. Which is what Joey Bada$$ really needs as he isnt very well known at the moment. His music video also gives us a chance to open our eyes more, we actually seem to be on his side more and really do start to think more as we watch, which is exactly his intentions.
To extend the play-ability of and provide an additional income for the song.
To extend the play ability of the music video, its produced after the release of the song which allows for the artist to be kept in the public eye and to continuously keep sales of the new song going after the first week of release.
An example of this would be Taylor Swifts, Shake It Off, which has over 1 billion views on YouTube. Perhaps, at 3:10 which denotes the artist dancing amongst others, the music video connotes how people have problems and sometimes they need to be let go, perhaps the audience are able to see this and therefore like the song and continue to watch it as they have a relate-able connection.
The positive impacts this has for the artist is a continuation of income, stemming from music channels wanting to exhibit the music video or from the artists YouTube channel in this case Taylor Swifts channel making money from advertisement on her video, and in some cases it may develop in to a DVD collection release. To extend the play-ability of a song is much more business related, it seems its more for the record label (Big Machine) as a continuation to make more money, of course it does mean the artist is kept in the public eye for longer which Taylor Swift will defiantly want (not to be forgotten.) Extending the play-ability of 'Sake it off ' has its benefits for Taylor Swift but it seems deeper then just her, perhaps its more about the money the record label receives, as well as the money the agent also receives.
To create synergy
Synergy is when the artist works with a film institution to create a song for the film but also for the music video to incorporate some of the film too.
An example of synergy would be Justin Bieber's never say never at 0:46. Here we are able to see a segment of the film being used in the music video which connotes the synergy that Justin Bieber and the film have.
Creating synergy allows the artist to work with a TV/ film institution, which in turn allows for the artist to perhaps enter a different area of media. Justin bieber has been able to feature more cameo roles in some TV programs and star in some episodes. For the artist and the institution it allows them to simultaneously get some exposure in the two different sectors of media. As in this example Justin Bieber has been able to get more exposure and perhaps a bigger audience, whereas for Columbia Pictures they are also able to gain more awareness for their film from Bieber's audience by working with him. Ultimately leading to a greater income as more people are aware. From an audience perspective there aren't massive positives or negatives they get a new music video from their favorite artist whilst also knowing about the latest film that's coming out. Synergy is definitely to benefit the artist and the film institution, maybe more for Justin then for Columbia. As at the time he was an upcoming star so he needed as much help as he could get, but for Columbia being a 1 of the big 6 Hollywood companies they would already have had the money to massively market & advertise the film.
To be art in their own right
This music video is produced to create and leave the audience with a memorable image, as well as it being very creative and is usually more memorable then the actual song.
An example of this would be Runaway by Galantis, as in this video the actress wears a mask to cover her identity, as well as the lighting being very colourful and expressive which can be viewed at 1:26 here the background is brightly lit up as well as being able to see the persona in the mask as a silhouette.
A positive impact for this music video would be how it allows the artist to create an enigma for themselves and portray a strong message that the audience can pick up through the video. It also allows the audience to see how the artist in this case Galantis can be very creative and have almost a mysterious element to herself and perhaps can entice the audience even more. As this music video is so abstract it does open its self out for more exposure like a synergy music video would. However its different because more people will talk about 'Runaway' as we are so fascinated by how surreal the video seems. It constantly leaves the audience asking questions as to why she wears the mask? or What does she have to hide? Perhaps though a negative may actually be how the audience will focus more on the video rather then actually listening to the song which should be a major part, but we are more enthusiastic about what is being shown rather then what we hear.
