Music videos - overview

What do memorable music videos have to do?

Memorable music videos have to stand out from typical conventions, to the point of meeting the convention of being considered unconventional, weird, or different. Their contents might seem unpredictable or unreal.

Why is it useful to connect the visuals of the music video to the lyrics?

When audiences have to figure out the relevance of the connections between the lyrics and visuals, the process of doing so becomes memorable and even personal, especially if the music video is up to interpretation.

What is absolutely necessary for the content of any music video?

It has to be unique and identifiable (to have a unique selling point).

Why are music videos created?

As a method of driving sales and raising brand awareness and growth; They serve to promote an artist and sell downloads, concert tickets, and merchandise.

What do music videos help to build for artists?

A star image or brand, conveying the way the artist wants to be perceived by the audience.

How are music videos designed to engage and position audiences?

They’re designed to engage the audience, entertain them, and sometimes challenge them to think about big cultural and social ideas. For example, Childish Gambino’s ‘This Is America’ addresses ideas about gun crime and racism in America.

What do music videos almost always contain?

An identifiable performance element, for example the artist lipsyncing the song. The first line of the song is also almost always matched up to a shot of the artist.

Which type of shots are most effective at building star image?

Close up shots.

How important is mise-en-scene in music videos?

Mise-en-scene is an important part of creating brand, style, and representation of people, place, and ideas. The music and the lyrics work with the visuals and variations in pace are important (the editing often matches the beat of the music). Symbols and editing are important in telling a story as concisely as possible and narrative economy is key.

What is Richard Dyer’s star theory?

Celebrities are near commodities created by larger corporations to target a specific group of people to make money.

Where do younger people access music videos?

Younger people do not watch as many music videos on TV as previous generations, they are obtained by younger generations on streaming websites including YouTube and Spotify.

How are music videos circulated by younger audiences?

Peer to peer on social networks, especially those music videos which are shocking, which are more likely to go viral.

What does ‘This Is America’ reveal about the artistic power of a music video?

As an artistic tool it made audiences consider key cultural ideas and as a commercial tool and branding device increased sales. 44.7 Million of 66.7 Million streams came from the music video leading to the song being a number 1 single.

What happens if an audience is not engaged by a music video?

They are unlikely to watch it all, which means that they are unlikely to like the song itself. If an audience member is attached to a music video, they’re more likely to share it on social media or download if.

When was ‘This Is America’ released?

May 2018.