MTV (Music Television) is an American music channel. It was created in 1977, but was launched in New York in 1981 by creator Robert W. Pittman, primarily just playing music videos guided by an on-air host. In the same year, the first music video to be shown was 'Video Killed The Radio Star'.
2 years on, MTV broke the 'color barrier' by Micheal Jackson's 'Billie Jean', which then allowed to show music by more black artists.
In 1984, the VMAs (Video Music Awards) were created as an alternative to the grammys.
In '88. MTV ventured into television shows
One of MTV's most highlighted development was when they launched MTV Europe in 1987, hoping to express their popularity worldwide.
In the early 1990s, MTV was playing a combination of pop-friendly hard rock acts, chart-topping metal and hard rock acts such as Nirvana and Guns N' Roses, pop singers such as Michael Jackson and Madonna and R&B quartets such as New Edition and Boyz II Men, while introducing hit rappers Vanilla Ice and MC Hammer.
By 1997, MTV focused heavily on introducing electronica acts into the mainstream, adding them to its musical rotation. Some of the more popular musicians of this group were The Prodigy, The Chemical Brothers and Fatboy Slim. That same year, MTV attempted to introduce neo-swing bands.
However, around 1999 through 2001, as MTV aired fewer music videos throughout the day. It regularly aired compilation specials from its then 20-year history to look back on its roots.
MTV celebrated its 20th anniversary on August 1, 2001, beginning with a 12-hour retrospective, which featured over 100 classic videos played chronologically.
From the start of 2000 to today, MTV grew to produce TV reality shows, such as Jersey Shore.
In 2010, the word 'music' was no longer featured on the logo.
Published on 14th March 2011, Rebecca Black's video 'Friday' became one of the most talked about videos on the web. The song has received a great number of negative reviews, and even one critic (Lyndsey Parker from 'Yahoo! Music') stated that it could be the worst song ever. The lyrics (of which some are shown below) highlights this statement.
The editing techniques involved are poorly used. Most noticeably, the car scene at 2:30 - 2:49.
Seven a.m., waking up in the morning Gotta be fresh, gotta go downstairs Gotta have my bowl, gotta have cereal Seein' everything, the time is goin 'Tickin' on and on, everybody's rushin' Gotta get down to the bus stop Gotta catch my bus, I see my friends
Kickin' in the front seat Sittin' in the back seat Gotta make my mind up Which seat can I take?
To help me come to terms with the audience, I have decided to create a questionnaire. Our main peers that we will be asking, are the the students and staff within my school. This could cause a mix reaction, with the contrast between the views of the different ages.
The questions are as follows;
1. What is your gender?
Male
Female
2. What is your age?
13-16
17-20
21-24
25-29
30 +
3. Where do you watch music videos?
Music channels (e.g MTV)
Online (e.g YouTube)
Other
4. How often do you watch music videos?
Daily
Weekly
Monthly
Never
5. What is your favourite genre?
Pop
R&B
Indie
Rock/Metal
Rap
Other
6. What type of music video do you prefer?
Narrative-based
Concept-based
Performance-based
7. Which do you prefer in a music video...
Slow/calm tempo
Fast/lively tempo
8. Do you prefer abstract videos or ones that are linked to the lyrics?
Abstract
Links with lyrics
9. What emotions do you prefer constructed in a music video?
Keith Negus challenges the connection between popular music and youth culture....
His book 'Popular Music in Theory (1996)' shows his ideas and understanding.
He argues that popular music is listened to and performed by an aging demographic. Moreover, Negus explores and examines how popular music is meditated by technological, cultural, historical, geological and political factors.
Andrew Goodwin identifies 6 key aspects of music videos which the audience should look out. These are....
1. The Star Image
2. Narrative and Performance
3. Relation of visuals to songs
4.Technical aspects of music videos
5. Thought beats (seeing the sound)
The Star Image
Aspect of visual image
Describes where the main performer has come over time (Meta Narrative)
Narrative and Performance
Music videos should ignore common narrative. Important for advertising
Should coherent repeatability
Work hand in hand so it makes it easier for the auidence to watch over and over again.
The artist acting as both narrator and participant helps increase authenticity.
Relation of visuals to songs
3 ways in which music videos work to promote a song;
1. Illustrate - use a set of images to illustrate the meanings of lyrics and genre.
2. Amplify - meanings and effects are manipulated and constantly shown through the video.
3. Disjuncture - where the meaning of the song is completely ignored.
Technical aspects of music videos
Hold the music video together through the use of; camera work, movement, angle, mise-en-scene, editing and sound.
Lighting and color effect help sets the mood and the key moments in the song.
The setting is essential >> it needs to look authentic.
Beats. The cuts are motivated by the beat/rhythem of the song to make the video more entertaining.
Thought beats
Seeing the sound in your head
1st step..... Look at the music itself. Look for the sturcture of the song, e.g chorus/verses
2nd step..... The voice of the song. The artist's voice is unique and can form identifications that links to the star image. Roland Barthes theory of gthe grain of voice can be linked to this.
3rd step..... Songs can be seen as stories, with the artist being the storyteller, making the video a two communication device, telling a story and us listening.
An early example of a music video was in 1929, which was 'St. Louis Blue's' by Bessie Smith. The video was composed of a two-reel short film, with a dramatized performance. This video went on to be shown until 1932.
In 1940, Walt Disney released 'Fantasia', an animated film which is based around famous pieces of classical music.
Within the mid-1950's, even more music videos and music proms were being filmed. However, before then, films by animators were accompanied by musical scores labeled 'visual music'.
Around 1960, the Scopitone, a visual jukebox, was invented in France and begun to produce short films by many French artists. It spread worldwide, and similar machines were patented, like the Color-Sonic in America.
The Modern Era
The key innovation of the development of the modern music videos is the growth of video recording and editing techniques. The introduction of high-quality color videotape recorders and portable video cameras enabled many pop acts to produce promotional videos quickly and cheaply.
In the 1980's, releasing a music video to accompany a new single had become normal. Artists such as The Jackson's created lavish music videos with million dollar budgets, most noticeable, the video 'Can You Feel It'.
In 1981, MTV was launched, and the first music video to be aired was 'Video killed the Radio Star'. By the mid-1980's, artists started to use a storyline or a plot in their music video, for example Micheal Jackson, of which had a beginning, a middle, and an end. An example of this is 'Billie Jean'. However, in 1984, the music video of 'Thriller' took the music video format to a whole new level.
Today, music videos approach the popularity of the songs themselves, being sold in collections on video tape and DVD. Furthermore, video-sharing websites, most noticeable You Tube, is where the main music videos are being watched, which the artists uploading their music video through their record labels.
From further research and debate, I have decided to drop my initial ideas of the two songs which I was considering; 'Yellow' by Coldplay and 'Apologize' by One Republic ft. Timberland.
Instead, I have chosen a song which is by an independent artist. The song is called 'Jealous Girl' by Ben Kweller. The lyrics of the song are shown below;
BLACK = CHORUS
We all saw your plans to win his desperate heart
Hands of silk pulled me and him far apart
The twin that tied each ‘n’ everyone has all been frayed, it’s all undone
In high-heels you run into a night that calls your name. Woah-oh-oh-oh
Jealous girl, jealous girl, what have you done?
I won’t live in a jealous world with anyone
Can’t ya letcha boyfriend be himself sweet jealous girl, oh jealous girl?
Only one yer hurtin’ baby is yourself, sweet jealous girl
I know now even more then before you gotta hold friends high
Some remember what they have when they wave bye-bye
I hope in time, much sooner then years
We can make that climb and dry those tears
And sit down face to face without the gaze of jealous eyes. Woah-oh-oh-oh
Jealous girl, jealous girl, what have you done?
I won’t live in a jealous world with anyone
Can’t ya letcha boyfriend be himself sweet jealous girl, oh jealous girl?
Only one yer hurtin’ baby is yourself, sweet jealous girl
J-j-j-jealous girl!
It’s been three years since ya took my friend he’s been gone for good
I’m just sad that I don’t even miss him like I thought I would
At least he’s got someone on his right
To walk him through the wheezy night
And when he starts to see the light just tell him
“It’s ok honey, it’s alright.” Awoah-oh-oh-oh
Jealous girl, jealous girl, what have you done?
I won’t live in a jealous world with anyone
Can’t ya letcha boyfriend be himself sweet jealous girl, oh jealous girl?
Only one yer hurtin’ baby is yourself, sweet jealous girl
Background Information
Ben Kweller is an American singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. He was born in San Francisco in 1981. His song 'Jealous Girl' is a power pop song, which is from his fifth studio album, "Go Fly a Kite"
Plot
I will be portraying a narrative music video. A couple are seen showing affectionate emotions towards each other (e.g holding hands, hugging, kissing etc.) in various locations (e.g parks, streets, shopping malls etc.)
However, the boyfriend is seen with this other girl, of which they show affectionate emotions (light kissing). One time, when the couple are out together, the boyfriend tells the girlfriend he is going to get something and will see her in a minute. But he secretly meets the other girl. the girlfriend wonders where he is and she goes looking for him. She finds him with the other girl and is distraught by it, thus she runs away from him. He chases after her in, asking her for forgiveness by trying to hug her etc. However, she pushes him to the floor, hitting his head on an object, which in turn kills him. She is shown in a cold, emotionless stature, shaking. She runs off leaving her boyfriend on the floor.
Throughout the video, I will show the artist singing the song. He will be shown in the scenes where the couple are and where the conflict is happening.
Moreover, I will use a wide range of camera shots, angles, movement, editing, mise-en-scene and of course, sound.
The camera shots which I will be displaying are ELS, LS, MD, CU, ECU. I will vary these shots between each other. Moreover, the angles and the movement of the camera will also be varied, which will portray the effect of the emotions.
For the editing, I will be using a wide range of different techniques. These might include, fast cuts, which will be motivated by the beat of the song, slow motion, cut-ins and cutaways.
Locations
For my music video, I will be filming in different locations. As I live quite near to Central London, I am considering filming around town. I will be filming around and about Oxford Street, where the couple will be seen showing moderate affection. Furthermore, Hyde Park will be considered to be another filming location, again where the couple are seen together. Little bars and cafes will also be shown, portraying the couple. Where the incident happens, where the boyfriend is with the other girl, I will film this at a point in the park, where it will be relatively secretive.
There are many different types of music directors, each associated with a genre. Today, with the advancements of technology, some directors can be found on social networking sites, e.g You Tube.
From music-mix.ew.com, the top 10 music-video directors of 2011 are shown below;
1. Spike Jonze ('Otis' by Jay Z and Kanye West)
2. Canada - is the 'nom de director' of a trio of filmmakers from Barcelona; Luis Cervero, Nicolas Mendez and Lope Serrano. (Ice Cream by Battles)
3. Tom Scharpling(Romance by Wild Flag)
4. Marc Klasfeld(T.G.I.F by Katy Perry)
5. Jake Nava(Someone Like You by Adele)
6. Jesse Dylan(Lotus Flower by Radiohead)
7. Wolf Haley(Yonkers by Tyler The Creator)
8. Natasha Pincus (Somebody That I Used To Know by Gotye)
9. Dugan O'Neal(Ass Back Home by Gym Class Heroes and Neon Hitch)
10. Maria Matsoukas (We Found Love by Rhianna and Calvin Harris)
From my reasearch through watching different music videos, I can determine my favorites directors. These are as follows;
Director X- "Boyfriend" by Justin Bieber, "HTFR" by Drake, "Chasing The Sun" by The Wanted.
"Chasing The Sun" by The Wanted
"Boyfriend" by Justin Bieber
When watching the videos, I have noticed that he uses a swipe for the introduction of the music video. Moreover, the name of the artist and the song is portrayed in slow motion before the start of the song.
Yoann Lemoine - "Take Care" by Drake ft. Rhianna, "Teenage Dream" by Katy Perry, "Born to Die" by Lana Del Ray
"Take Care" by Drake ft. Rhianna
"Born to Die" by Lana Del Ray
From the videos, the director uses a lot of slow motion action. Moreover, he uses videographic filters on the camera. From the above videos, the concepts of the music videos are based around romantic relationships.
Colin Tilly - "Next to You" by Chris Brown ft. Justin Bieber, "Champion" by Chipmunk ft. Chris Brown, "U Smile" by Justin Bieber
"Next to You" by Chris Brown ft. Justin Bieber
"Champion" by Chipmunk ft. Chris Brown
From Colin Tilly's music videos, at the start of the video, there shows 'Colin Tilly presents' Moreover, the name of the song and the artist is displayed at the start of the video, and at the same time, the camera is rolling on the artist(s)
From http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/music+video; A music video is a commercial videotape featuringaperformanceofapopularsong,oftenthroughastylized drama bytheperformerswithlip-syncingandspecialeffects.
Music videos used a wide range of styles, including animation, live action filming, documentaries and abstract filming. Some music videos don't expose their song lyrics, however the music labels produce lyrical music videos as well as their primary one; for example Payphone by Maroon5 ft. Wiz Khalifa (below). Moreover, some music videos are without a set concept and are based on live performances.
"Payphone" by Maroon 5 ft. Wiz Khalifa (Lyric Video)
In any music video, camera shots, camera movements, editing, mise-en-scene and of course sound are all important to convey a good video.
Editing is one of the most important uses in music videos. usually, the cuts are fast and sharp, which is motivated by the beat and tempo of the song. Furthermore, there are added effects, such as slow motion. The camera shot vary in videos, depending on the concept of the video. The camera movement is again dependent on the tone/beat of the song. The mise-en-scene portrays the concept of the video displaying the props, costumes and the background.
Different genres There
are many different connotations for music videos dependent on genres.
Looking at different videos, mainly through You Tube, I have developed
an understanding of what the genre of the music should portray in their
music video.
Below show my understanding of the conventions in music videos in association with their genre.
Rock
Through
looking at music videos associated with Rock, I have developed an
understanding of the traits involved within Rock music videos. The hue
of the video is shown to be quite dark, but with some inclusion of
contrast. This is to show that the video has an edgy feel to it when
watching. The videos are mainly performance based, with the camera
covering the whole band. When watching these videos, I focused on
listening to the lyrics and their concept; a dark, emotional feel. The
costume design is shown to be black, which stereotypically is associated
with the rock genre. The editing techniques involved are quite fast
paced to match the tempo of the song.
Examples; 'Thunderstruck' by AC/DC, 'Stairway To Hell' by Led Zeppelin
'Thunderstruck' by AC/DC
'Stairway To Hell' by Led Zeppelin
Pop
Pop
music videos are usually performance based, with the artist lip-syncing
the lyrics to the camera. Moreover, the performer is usually dancing to
match the lip-syncing. The lyrics are meaningful and have a relevant
concept. The overall hue and tone of the music video is vibrant and
colorful, very different to the rock genre music videos. The costume
design in the video is is quite vivid. Moreover, there tends to show a
'modern' look not just in the costumes, but in the set background. In
the videos, the artists are always present in any shape of form. Pop
videos are mainly targeted at a younger audience.
Examples; 'Love At First Sight' by Kyle Minogue, 'Beat It' by Micheal Jackson
'Love At First Sight' by Kyle Minogue
'Beat It' by Micheal Jackson
R&B
This
type of genre usually has a light tone to it. The hue is very vibrant,
similar to pop music videos. Typically, the artist will be involved in
either a narrative setting or a performing in a setting, e.g beach.
Within the video, there are usually dancers present, to imitate the
sound of the music. The costume design in these music videos shows
revealing on women, and wealth on men, e.g cars, jewelry etc. The
narrative of the story usually reflect the lyrics of the song, and like
in the pop videos, the artist will lip-synch. R&B videos display an
up-beating, good feel to them.
Examples; 'Ignition' by R.Kelly, 'Dance For You' by Beyonce
'Ignition' by R. Kelly
'Dance For You' by Beyonce
Indie
This
type has a big variety of conventions. The hue can either be dark,
bright or black and white, depending on the tone of the song. Indie
music videos are also split generously between being solely narrative
and performance based. On some occasions, the artist may or may not
feature in the music video. However, they can be performed either
featuring the entire band or featuring the main vocalist. Narrative
music videos are typically quite arty and symbolic, rather than spelling
out the lyrics.
Examples; 'Fireflies' by Owl City, 'Feel So Close' by Calvin Harris
