Research into What is a music video?-Miss Miller (Updated)

What is a music video?
27/06/2014
Vazl

Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v2AC41dglnM

A music video is a short filming sequence that is used to accompany a song. Music videos are primarily used to promote and market the sale of the artist`s merchandise and recorded work. However, some bands/artists may choose to create one for purely artistic purposes. It is argued that the origin of music videos date far back before the 1980`s, however, the music video became very popular during the 1980's, when MTV became a global power in the promotion of new artists and popular songs. It was also the first channel to base their format around music videos. In this post I will be analysing the music video for 'Thunderstruck' by the Rock band "AC/DC".

The style of a music video is usually either a narrative, or a performance or a concept music video. When it is a performance music video, the audience would be able to see how the band is performing or whether the audience/artist is dancing. This way, the audience could copy the dance or performance in order to look cool when they show off that move to their peers. A narrative music video contains a story with which the artist would use to create an emotional bond with his/her target audience. Finally, there is the concept video which is used by the artist to give the audience a certain idea. The music video used by AC/DC is a performance music video which is created to attract a wide audience. The music video helps to promote the band, which can be seen in the music video. This makes them further recognisable towards the public which helps build a relationship between the audience and the band.
The target audience of this music video consists of both males and females of whom like the rock music genre, follows the codes and conventions of the music genre therefore making it appealing to the targeted audience. These codes and conventions include the mise-en-scene of costume which is seen to be the stereotypical dress code of a rock group member. This way the artist is further promoted to the target audience as it gives them an easy way to look like their idol.


Music videos use a wide range of styles of contemporary video making techniques, including animation, live action filming, documentaries, and non-narrative approaches such as abstract film. Some music videos blend different styles, such as animation, music, and live action. Many music videos interpret images and scenes from the song's lyrics, while others take a more thematic approach. Other music videos may be without a set concept, being merely a filmed version of the song's live performance.

In my case, the song "Thunderstruck" by the famous AC/DC, portrays the conventions for a classical rock music video. The conventions of such genre are categorised under 4 categories (Mes; Cinematography; Editing and Sound) under which the factors of the convections fall. They are:
-Close ups (For the performer)
-Similar costumes
-POV
-Low Key Lighting
-Close up on the instrument (Usually a guitar or drum)
-Big and Crazy audience
-An energetic environment
-Camera shots of the audience's reactions
-Dance routine for the audience to learn

In AC/DC`s case the purpose of the music video is to build a relationship with their target audience of classical-rock fans as many of their fans are slightly older and prefer just to see the band , than see a story behind the song. The following examples will contain imagery and a detailed explanation of each picture.

In the first minute of the video, the audience becomes a witness to the convection that the song`s style being mainly performance based. This is used to promote the band for audiences that like to go to gigs as the editing (Which is mainly of jump cuts) constantly moves from the audience to the performers. This is made in order to make the audience feel like they are a part of the concert and that they are looking from the standard screens supplied on such gigs to see the artists perform. The reason for the song being completely performance based is that it is conventional for a classical rock group (Such as AC/DC) to show only how they are performing or their instruments, as many of their fans go to their gigs (Just like I did).

In this picture, the audience sees similarly to the one above a close-up of the instrument used by Angus. This is used to show more about the artist in order to intrigue the audience into the life of the artist. The "Gibson" guitar used here by Angus is a very rare and in it's time inexpensive guitar. This is trying to imply that he cherishes his first guitar and is snot a picker on what equipment he is using. Thus the audience or the next rock wannabees could build a relationship with him as they too can not afford expensive equipment. The picture also portrays the energy produced

In the picture on the left, we see Angus Young (One of the more known members of the group) playing on his guitar and preparing to start to dance. The Cinematography used is quite simple (A Close-up) but quite effective as the audience would like to be able to identify the group easily. Angus wearing a school uniform is his trademark as they are the only band in which everyone else wears casual clothing. Thus this eases the audience with remembering the way in which the group is dressed.

These two pictures are used to portrays the group's style as being energetic and interesting as we can see that throughout the song, the use of reaction shots which fall under editing are used to display how the audience becomes ecstatic from the vibes that they listen to. Thus this suggests that the purpose of the video in our case is to build a relationship that the audience from the video have.

Unconventionally, the group wears mainly casual clothing (a part from Angus) which goes against the convention that the band would wear costumes as in the period when they performed, many similar rock groups wore

Research into Andrew Goodwin`s Theory-Miss Georgiou

Andrew Goodwin`s Theory
25/06/2014
Vasil Nikolov

Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qObzgUfCl28

Andrew Goodwin's Theory is an important theory in the music video world as it gives the world, the pillars of what a music video should consist.

Firstly, Goodwin's Theory suggests that the video often tends to include a demonstration of typical genre characteristics. This can be seen by the picture on the left which shows the mainly performance based video of the song "Ruby" by the "Keiser Chiefs". As the band is a indie rock it is conventional for the song to be mainly performance based (Both singing or playing on a instrument). However it is also conventional for a indie rock band to give the message of being isolated from the world. Here we can see that as the band is preforming in a dusty desert where they are isolated from the world (Or at least until a small city is constructed around them). This way the group is giving a message to their audience that they like to be alone but they can't as they are quickly surrounded by society. 

Goodwin's second theory is that the video is synchronised together with the performance. The picture left of the text is the evidence that shows the lead singer singing at the same time as the lyrics are playing, which suggests that the visuals are linked with the music. This suggests to the audience that the band is playing the actual song at the time of the recording (Although they might pretend to be performing as the special effects surrounding them will not allow them to actually preform).

The picture also supports the 7th part of Goodwin's theory which is that the video is either Narrative based (IF there is a story that links with the song), Concept based (What the song is trying to tell the audience) or Performance based (The visuals mainly show the group performing with instruments or vocally). In "Ruby"'s case, the song is mainly performance based as over the entire song the band is playing and a town that is built is surrounding them. However, the song is also slightly (40%) concept based as the main vocalist is trying to inform the audience what they should be careful with the signals given to them by their crush as it can be painful if they misinterpreted them. Thus "Ruby" reinforces and strengthens Goodwin's theory.

The third part of Goodwin's theory suggests that there is a link between the music and the visuals. This is trying to imply that while there is a certain instrument playing the video should show the same instrument being played. This can be seen in "Ruby" as in the scene on the left while the guitarist was playing on his guitar, the audience could hear a guitar being played in the music. Thus the theory is reinforced and proven from the song.

The top and bottom picture taken from the video support Goodwin's 4th part of his theory. The 4th part suggests that the video should show a demand for the close ups of labels used by the artist and the equipment he is wearing or using. In "Ruby's" case the video shows a close up on the drummer's "Van" trainers and a drum nut from a "Gibraltar" drum kit. This should give the audience information of what their idols wear or use and make them (The audience) want to buy the clothing/equipment that they are using. Thus this part of his theory is both proven and strengthened by the images taken from the music video above.

Goodwin's nearly last point (Point number 6 due to the bigger usage of photographs as evidence of the explained concept) is that there is always intertextual refrences in a video clip in order to promote the band thatis performing the song. During the next 4 pictures the audience can see several parts from the lyrics where they clash with the buillboards of Oxford Circus. This has been used to sudgest that the buillboards are promoting the lyrics of the song and thus promoting the group. Due to the high amount of tourists visiting London (Allegedly 16 million per anum) for these famous buillboards (that have been shut off once during the 2nd WW), they have become a refference in society as a famous place to advertise and include in films based in London. Thus the builboards can be counted as a intertextual refference and can be included as proof that suports Goodwin`s theory.

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In this picture comes the second part of the below explained segment of Goodwin's theory which is that there are always voyeuristic shots that objectify women as being a sexual object. However, as "Ruby" is giving a different  opinion to what women are it was hard to find a scene where women could be objectified...until the one on the left showed where at the bottom right corner of the screen a small neon sign that says "Withney's drive". This suggests that the bar might be a strip club which is sort of objectifying women as being a toy for the male sex.

In these two pictures, the audience becomes a witness of the frequent notion of looking. This part of Goodwin's theory states that in a video the audience frequently become a witness of an event that is created in the world that the performer has created. In "Ruby's"case the audience see at one point a gramophone stopping to play and a fan of the group putting it back on. This is used to both promote the group as the audience can see a poster of the group and also to suggest that they have seen the dream of the fan as he wakes up from his couch and goes to turn it back on. This part of the theory also suggests that there are voyeuristic shots in a video in order to portray women as a sexual object.