A music video is a short film mixing a song with imagery, produced for promotional orartistic purposes. Music videos use a wide range of styles of film 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 and live action. Many music videos do not interpret images from the song's lyrics, making it less literal than expected. Most music videos have themes, repeated images, repetition of the chorus, edits are cut to the beat, for example in Florence and the Machine ‘Dogs Days Are Over’ jump shots are used sharply when there’s a hard beat, the shot changes.
The main functions of a music video is the promote the artist, as well as the song. As an up and coming artist in the 20 century you need to be known, recognized and attract a certain type of audience. In addition, another function is to sell the album in which the song is in, get more views and draw more people into their music. Also to put across the genre of the song through the music video, so for example, if the genre is hip hop stereotypically the video would include attractive females with bikinis, expensive cars, money and big houses, or on the other hand if the genre was rock, the video would include head banging, guitars and flashing lights. It is important to know what type of audience will appeal to the song so that the video is appropriate.
A music video gives a visual image, dimension to the song, creating a connection with the artist. Once hearing the song and knowing the music video, if effective and memorable, you can imagine the video in your head without even thinking about it. Making it unforgettable is essential because that’s how people will remember the artist, through the music video. For example, Lady GaGa is so popular due to the fact that she’s so out there and unique, she has her own style, her own voice which is something people will either love or hate, but it’s a risk she has taken, making her always memorable. Another example would be Michael Jackson, he created his own dance style, his own original voice and lyrics, his remarkable 7 minute long ‘Thriller’ music video which went down in history.
Moreover music video is made purely for entertainment. If all songs didn’t have music videos then it would be boring for us as audiences, and boring for the artists as they wouldn’t be able to present and express themselves. It creates a visual image that the artist chooses to project, for example, Beyonce uses her outstanding dance talent and her physique to create an amazing video. (‘single ladies’ being one of most well known videos of hers.) When thinking of a song you automatically think of a narrative or picture in your head which matches the song, or sometimes doesn’t, which is what a music video helps to do.
A music video differs from conventional narratives such as Eastenders or Friends because its shorter, has much quicker editing, for example in music videos shots change every 3 seconds or so, but in conventional narratives a shot could go on for minutes. Also, a music video isn’t in chronological order, it could go from a dance scene, to the artist singing the lyrics, to a completely different scene, contrasting to these other narratives which have set series and set scenes.
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