Music Video introduction

1) What is the purpose of a music video?

The purpose of a music video is to sell products, the most obvious of which is the song featured in the video. However, other connected products are also marketed by a music video. music videos are an unusual form of marketing as they allow the audience full access to the product they are selling. When a music video is shown, the audience is able to hear the song the video is for so they are ‘getting’ the product that is being promoted.

2) How has the digital age changed the production and distribution of music videos?

Prior to the digital age, allowing the audience full access to the product in the marketing was not too problematic. The song was only available at specified times in places which were approved of by the record company, such as on weekly television chart However, the development of new media technologies meant that music videos, and the songs along with them, were more widely available at any time. Videos could be uploaded to video hosting sites like YouTube and viewed using portable media devices such as mobile phones and iTouch devices, allowing audiences to see the video and hear the song whenever and wherever they liked.

3) Which three major record labels are behind VEVO? What is VEVO and why was it created?

Sony Music Entertainment, Universal Music Group and Abu Dhabi Media. VEVO, a

video hosting site specifically for music videos is syndicated to YouTube in the UK with YouTube and Google receiving a share of advertising revenue for directing users to the official versions of music videos rather than those uploaded by a third party as now in store albums have became rather neglected and unnecessary in the digital age.

4) What are the key conventions of a music video?

Movement, Narrative, Band or Artist, Lip-syncing, Intertextuality.

5) How can narrative be used in music video? Give an example of a music video that uses a narrative.

Narrative may relate to the song’s lyrics and illustrate what is being said or be independent

from the song and tell a different story that can add a personal interest into the meanings of the lyrics and maybe a deeper connection to the artist or song as a result of this.

6) What examples are provided in the factsheet for intertextuality in music videos?

references such as the way that the Blink 182 video for All the Small Things makes references to videos by pop artists such as Back Street Boys (I Want it That Way) and Christina Aguilera (Genie in a Bottle) by directly copying scenes also the video for My Chemical Romance’s Teenagers features ‘alternative’ cheerleaders, which is reminiscent of the cheerleaders in the video for Smells Like Teen Spirit by Nirvana. Most fans of My Chemical Romance are likely to be familiar with Nirvana and this iconic video.

7) Why do audiences enjoy intertextual references in media products?

Audiences enjoy intertextual references as it provides us with a sense of pleasure to look at a text and know and understand that aspects of it have been taken from other cultural contexts that we are familiar with and creates a connection between us as the audience and the text that has included intertextual references.

8) Read the music video example analysis on page 3 of the factsheet. Select a music video of your own choice for each of the following headings and explain how each one links to the heading:

• Conventions (movement/narrative/artist)

LMFAO Party Rock Anthem

There is a lot of movement and performance while also having a narrative of a post apocalyptic future where everyone is dancing to party rock and presents the two artists as our main protagonists.

• Intertextuality

Katy Perry Last Friday Night

The music video starts out with what's reminiscent from movies made in the 80s/90s with the bike riding down the streets throwing newspapers as we focus in on a house furthermore even though the video came out in 2012 the time period is in the 80s and is shown through the clothing that was popular then but it later breaks this idea when they show the party guests playing Just Dance or a version of it which had only come out in 2009 and continues to play on clique tropes from American movies such as the nerd, jock etc.

• Representation

Lady Gaga Stupid Love

The video is representative through a multitude of races and ethnicities leading the performance roles while the choreography itself could present the overall message to be representative of that of ending conflicts due to differences and instead working together in harmony.

• Audience

Linkin Park In The End

This music video is most likely targeted towards a younger male audience specifically older teens and believe that its message and overall vibe is that of understanding ones place in society and realising that life is not as fair as it could be which would resonate with teens who are approaching their adulthood and finding out who they want to be and so relate with this band of other relatively young men.

9) Watch the video for Ice Cube's It Was A Good Day (1993). How did this video set the conventions for later hip-hop music videos?

Sets up conventions to have an overall darker colour grading and have the main artist usually surround by a group while also having themes of driving around.

10) How important do you think music videos are in the marketing and promotion of music artists today? Are music videos still essential to a band or artist's success? You need to form your own opinion here. 

I think that music videos are still important today because we have access to the internet through digitalisation and are much more active on it, music videos can come to us far easier through things like YouTube and other social media platforms like twitter and Instagram that would otherwise be overlooked in traditional media like TV although the relevance of music videos has fallen quite sharply in recent years with an emphasis on the music itself rather than the video due to it being so accessible through Spotify and apple music for example, it makes music videos less viewed as many may just forget that they exist and some producers now don't even make music videos unless that song is successful to market it further. To conclude, music videos are still important in advertising and to us as consumers but their roles have changed from being that of ways to sell us the song directly but to provide gratification for consuming it for longer periods of time and then being later exposed to more of that artists work.