Introduction to Music Video

Music videos were created around the 1920s. American Blues Singer Bessie Smith had one of the first music videos for the song 'St Louis Blues' (1929). Since Bessie's Smith music Video technology has progressed since then and music videos have been perfected a lot better through the use of colour, special effects and editing t

echniques.

Bob Dylan was credited to having the first music video in 1965 from his song Subterranean Homesick Blues. The video features a man holding cue cards of the lyrics of the song. This technique has been used by many artists in their music videos today

Technical codes of a music video.

• Camerawork

Camera movement, angle and shot distance all need to be analysed.

Closeups tend to predominate music videos.

• Editing

The most common form of editing associated with the music promo is fast cut montage. Often enhancing the editing are digital effects ehich play with the for the audience. This might take the form of split screens, colourisation and of course blockbuster film style CGI. Also the green screen called chromo-key.

Andrew Goodwin wrote in 'Dancing in the Distraction Factory'. He explains the codes and convetions of a music videos.

1. Music videos demonstrate genre characteristics e.g stage performance in rock, or dance performance in a pop video.

2. There is a relationship between lyrics and visuals.

3. There is a relationship between music and visuals.

Some visuals will amplify the words.

Some will illustrate the words.

Some will contradict the word.

4. The demands of the record labels will include the need for lots of close-ups of the artist and artist may develop motifs which recur across their work.

5. There is frequently reference to motion of looking (screens with screens, telescopes) and particularly voyeuristic, treatment of the female body (scopophilia).

6. There is often intertextual reference to films, TV programmes and other music videos etc.

Intertextual references can add another dimension of meaning to a text ... as well as fulfilling an important role for audiences. They can work on different levels so that theywill be undertood by some, but not necessarily all, of the audiences. Those who do get the reference feel privileged as though its a secret.

Examples of Intertextual references.

Michael Jackson's 'Thrilller' - Horror film imitation

Madonna 'Die Another Day' - reference to James Bond

Red Hot Chilli Peppers 'Californication' - Video game characters