Music video: Introduction

 BLACKPINK: How You Like That

Arctic Monkeys: I Bet You Look Good On The Dancefloor



We need to study the industry and audience contexts for these products: 

Industry: how music video is produced and marketed and how this has changed over time.
Audience: Target audience and audience pleasures. How music contributes to an audience's sense of identity. Fandom. How the internet has changed the position of the audience.
PLUS: Historical, cultural and social significance of the music videos and the impact of the internet on the music industry.

Music video will appear in Paper 1, Section B of Exam
Section B is only on INDUSTRIES and AUDIENCES and will consist of:

• 1 short answer question
• 2 medium answer questions – one on audience, one on industry
• 1 extended essay style question on one of the media forms we have studied - which is very likely to be Music Video due to the advance information we have from AQA about the Summer 2022 exams.  
• This essay question will require you to make judgements and draw conclusions. 

Music video: introduction and history

Music video key conventions

Music videos typically feature movement – often fast paced either in terms of actors, camerawork or editing. Many contain a performance element or narrative. Music videos can also feature visual effects and intertextuality.

Music videos were originally designed as a promotional device to sell the band or artist’s music but have developed over time to become a recognised artform or product in their own right. Modern music videos no longer have the huge budgets of the 1980s and 1990s but digital media means they are now more accessible than ever. Videos such as Psy’s Gangnam Style have received over 3 billion views on YouTube.

Intertextuality

Intertextuality is when one media text references another media text – through genre, conventions, mise-en-scene or specific cultural references.

Music videos often use intertextual references – often to classic films but also to television, popular culture, news, videogames or even other music videos.

Music video history

Originally, music videos were made like mini ‘films’ of the bands performing (e.g. The Beatles, Elvis)

MTV was launched in 1981 as a platform for music videos and the first music channel on television. Programs such as BBC show Top of The Pops also showcased music videos from the charts alongside ‘live’ stage performances. 

In the 1980s and 1990s big budgets were spent on producing innovative and creative music videos such as Michael Jackson’s Thriller that had a film narrative, a well known director and featured intertextuality (horror films)

Music video in the digital age

In 2005 the launch of YouTube changed the way that consumers access and enjoy music video. Now self-promotion is more common.

The rise of new and digital media paved the way for bands such as One Direction ‘manufactured’ by the industry and increasingly promoted through convergence on social media to maximise profits for the record companies.

Other artists were able to make it big thanks to YouTube, digital media and fans' word of mouth:









Problems with piracy

Piracy became a huge problem for the music industry as they could not keep up with illegal downloading and streaming services where fans shared content for free therefore… The 2000s saw the rise of streaming services with subscriptions such as Spotify, Apple Music, Beats Music and (most recently) Youtube Music. 

New platforms and music apps on smart phones mean that listeners are now becoming one-device consumers and using their phones for all media access. 

Introduction to Music Video: Blog tasks

Answer the questions below to complete your introduction to the Music Video topic: 

1) What are the key conventions of music video?

 

Movement, performance, narrative, visual effects, intertextuality, mise-en-scene, special effects, video editing & promotion.

2) What is intertextuality?

 When a media text references within another media text, this is done through cultural references, genre, conventions or mise-en-scene. This may be done to signal towards a specific audience that already have knowledge which contextualises the reference.

3) When did music videos first become a major part of the music industry? 

Music videos became a major part of the music industry between 1980s - 1990s, when 97% of songs on the billboard music chart had accompanying videos and production costs were going up to 150 million dollars.

4) What launched in 1981 and why were music videos an important part of the music industry in the 1980s and 1990s?

MTV was launched in 1981 as a platform for music videos and the first music channel on television. In the 1980s and 1990s big budgets were spent on producing innovative and creative music videos and these videos were portrayed as mini films which therefore meant they raked in a lot of traction

5) How are music videos distributed and watched in the digital age?

In 2005, the platform YouTube was launched and became an easy and more accessible way to promote your content and music. This allowed a lot of bands to become popular such as One direction as it allowed their music to be shared and distributed amongst viewers.