Music Video introduction

 This week's work requires Media Factsheet #69: Music Video. You'll need to log in to Google using your Greenford Google account to access this. Read the factsheet and answer the following 10 questions:

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. However, 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?

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?

In America, three major record companies, Sony Music Entertainment, Universal Music Group and Abu Dhabi Media (along with content licensed by EMI), have also launched Vevo, a video hosting site specifically for music videos. The content of Vevo 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.

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.

A music video may have a narrative. The storyline may relate to the song’s lyrics and illustrate what is being said or be independent from the song and tell a different story. For example, I Was a Teenage Anarchist by Against Me! features a loose narrative which links to the song’s lyrics.

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

Such references may be very obvious, 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.

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

However, references can also be more esoteric and obscure, allowing the audience to feel pleasure when they recognize the reference. For example, 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.

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): Shakira -Waka Waka (This Time for Africa) (The Official 2010 FIFA World Cup™ Song)

The narrative of this music video is reflecting and featuring the football 2010 FIFA world cup that was set in Africa this reflects the setting of the music video as we can see and the it reflects the African culture with people and clothing and even the genre of the music. Its also really good as we can see Shakira throughout the video lip-syncing along whilst looking directly at the camera. This makes it seem like she is singing directly to the audience, which is called direct address. The movement is a good convention in this music video as in the background there is always a line of people who are dancing to the beat moreover Shakira dancing to the beat and the camera movement of angles and close-ups  and the cuts between the actual music video and the footage of football players  from different seasons and eras with different popular football players in different generations gives also audience pleasures and nostalgia and reference also matches the beat very well. 

Intertextuality: One Direction - History (Official Video)

As I previously studied this in media GSCE i feel like it has a really good intertextual references as it brings nostalgia but also audience pleasures such as entertainment of going back and watching their previous tours and footage as like they are reliving these moments again and also gives surveillance to those who don't know one direction and gives them a slight background to how their career started ( the X-factor) and to go through their journey together with the audience as well as it creates personal relationships between the artists band with their fans. 

Representation: Taylor Swift - Bad Blood ft. Kendrick Lamar

This video represents diverse stereotypes as their is a mixture of cultures, however more over it reinforces female stereotypes and the theory of Mulvey's male gaze as we can see Taylor swift and the women sexualised and wearing revealing clothes however, it also subverts gender stereotypes as we can see females fighting and looking independent and dominant as as can see a line with all males walking dominantly with a low angle to show their power and success with the equipment in their hands and the setting behind them as they are walking from the destruction that they proudly done. 

Audience: Marshmello ft. Bastille - Happier (Official Music Video)

The target audience for this video I think would be mostly for kids and teenagers and maybe families as its very family friendly within school as its reflecting their childhood life and their teenage like in school so this would reflect audience pleasures mostly personal identity as it reflects to their characters, personalities, families, celebrations and events however its not very cultural or diverse. 

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 and surrounded by gang members this can reflect the hip-hop genre as it has suggestions of gang culture. 

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 they can be important because nowadays we access the internet and mostly everyone uses youtube and this will increase the success of the artist as it will give the audience an introduction and a closer look on the artist and how they act instead of just hearing their music and sometimes a lot of music videos may reflect different storylines that may change the whole meaning of the song to the audience, it may also make the song more popular if the music video went viral and vice verse. I think mostly i see on youtube that most of the times the most popular song in their account page is the one with the music video as it has the most views and people would be curious to see how it will reflect on the music video. However on the other hand there are some music videos that don't actually feature or promote or highlight the artist as they will not be in it may be just actors within a narrative reflecting the song in the background and that's all and it still may go viral but it doesn't have to affect the actual artists success but it can to the artists music.