Music Video

Music videos are a marketing device used by record companies to make the songs popular and to make sales. Music videos have only been mainstream since the 1980s but have been around for longer. Some people argue that the Beatles contributed to 'music videos'. In 1964, the film 'A Hard Days Night' contains songs with the Beatles and some narrative was attempted. Therefore it was a musical sequence, not a video. In 1965 the Beatles began to make film inserts as a promotional tool. Other bands began to follow this idea. The Beatles led the way with 'Strawberry Fields Forever' and 'Penny Lane', both were directed by Peter Goldman.
Use slow motion, unusual camera work, and through experimentation they were more sophistication than previous musical sequences. In the 1980s, music videos became mainstream with MTV, with the first song, 'Video Killed the Radio Star'. Music videos became standard practice for bands and artists as they were cheaply produced with hi-tech equipment such as the chroma key.

Censorship

Music videos need to be censored. They are regulated by the BBFC (British Board of Film Classification), music videos are small films, so the film board regulate them. Censorship must be considered when making a music video. In 1991, Michael Jackson's 'Black or White' was censored when it was said that he was inappropriately touching himself. Other videos that are censored include 'Smack my bitch up' and 'Rock DJ'.

Music Theory

Some would argue that music videos make pop music based on image. Are pop songs enough on their own to make meaning and pleasure to the audience..?

"A good music video is a clip that responds to the pleasure of music, in which the music, is made visual, either in new ways that accentuates existing visual associations"
- Andrew Goodwin, 1992




1. The basic function or purpose of a music video is an advertisement and promotional tool to be used by the record company and artist as part of a marketing strategy.
2. The first music videos were produced in the 1980s.
3. Music videos are commissioned by becoming publisher-broadcasters rather than a broadcaster and programme maker, for example, channel 4 commissions all of its programmes from independent production companies.
4. A music video rarely takes more than two weeks to produce.
5. According to Andrew Goodwin, the three different ways in which the visuals in a video can relate to the lyrics of a song are illustration, amplification and disjuncture.
6. A music video treatment or pitch is the concept which outlines what the video will show, it will also include the location, situation, stories, images, look and feel, colour, the video's pace and many other important factors that need to be considered when making a music video.
7. Some of the things to avoid when making a student video are lack of planning and lack of research.