Looking into my favourite Music Videos

Music videos is a form of media everyone enjoys thoroughly since it allows you to listen to your favourite song and watch the video along with it, it is a genuine source of enjoyment.

Some of my favourite music videos are:

Sam Smith- Leave your lover
This music video has an extremely interesting story, it uses the hermeneutic code. At first as the video goes on you're forced to believe something else to be true while the actual truth/ story behing the video is revealed at the end. The narrative of the video is told using the body language, facial expressions and close-ups of the star, creating a very prominent star image (Andrew Goodwin theory). 

Katy Perry- Unconditionally
I enjoyed how the music video gave an interesting representation of the Victorian Age where men and women wore big, bold dresses and danced across the halls. This music video portrays it really well and promotes the image of the artist as well, shot by shot, with those elegant dresses. The different mis-en-scene and representation of the artist captured my attention.

Types of music videos

Music Video Theorists

A few theorists we learnt about for the production and creation of our music video are:

1. Sven E Carlsson:
     He believes that there are two categories that music videos fall into:

•      Performance
•      Conceptual

In the performance videos, the audiences are able to see the artist(s) singing/ dancing throughout the video. For example: Lady Gaga- Bad Romance. 

The conceptual videos are when the audience is watching things other than the artist throughout the video. For example: MIKA- Lollipop

2. Michael Shore concludes that music videos are recycled styles that contains an information overload and therefore contains views of adolescent male fantasies. Most videos contain elements of speed, power, girls and wealth. All this conveys into soft-core pornography with clichéd imagery.

3. Andrew Goodwin

Andrew Goodwin says that these theoretical conclusions are the basis of understanding music videos.

Cinematic genre 

Advertising

New forms of television

Visual art

“Electronic Wallpaper”

Dreams

Post-Modern Poetry

Metaphysical Poetry

“Semiotic Pornography”

History and evolution of music videos

Here is a background check on the history and evolution of music videos:

What is a music video?

A music video is a collaboration of different images and motion pictures. These images/ motions allow viewers to understand the embedded ideologies and thoughts in the songs. Music videos are made in order to promote an upcoming new album or an artist. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings. Music videos can be defined as  "Mute 3-minute movies".

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.

There are three main types of music videos; Performance-based , Narrative-based and concept-based.

Performance based videos, as the name suggests refer to videos in which the artist performs- it is either live, studio recorded or at the artists own house/ surroundings. A great local example is of Coke Studio Pakistan.

Narrative based videos are different, they tell a story based on the lyrics for example, Handlebars by flobots. Its like a story with a musical background. There is no lip- synchronized singing.

The concept based videos only depict a certain issue or thoughts. Nowadays, record labels use a hybrid form of music videos because they interest audiences more, the most hybrid form of music video is performance- narrative.

Introduction:

I'm Fatima Ali, an A level student at Learning Alliance- I recently worked on my AS level Foundation portfolio which included making a magazine cover, content and double spread page. The foundation portfolio helped me understand the importance of all media projects and the effort and attention it requires, I was able to polish my photography and Photoshop skills.

Here is a link to my previous blog: https://fatimaalismedia.wordpress.com

Set Brief:

For my A level advanced portfolio, the task is to make a "Music album promotion package". It includes making a music video, website and a Digipak. The advanced portfolio allows us to develop our critical understanding skills and be able to plan and construct our media products according to the way we want. In order to be able to have a good project completed by the end of the year, extensive research and planning is extremely necessary. If research is done properly with good detail and sound knowledge of the codes and conventions of a specific genre planning a project becomes comparatively easier since an individual would know what exactly has to be done. During the planning, a proper storyboard and mood-board will be needed in order to show the understanding of all the conventions. Photographic evidence along with footage's of where and what the project is must be given in order to give the portfolio a more personalized feel. 

A music album promotion is going to be challenging but I look forward to learning more, researching and eventually using all of my knowledge of codes and conventions in my project.