09/07/2014

History of the Music Video

 

What is a Music Video?

A music video (or song video) is a short media product which features a specific song with imagery or film to help portray the song, and can be used for both promotional or artistic purposes. Within a music video, it can feature people, objects, locations or artistic approaches, and some music videos have the artist to the song featured int he video, possibly singing along to the song whilst being filmed. As stated by Andrew Goodwin in 1992, "music video is not primarily a commodity form but a promotional one".

 

Before the 1980’s, the name for Music Video was not yet used, so other terms were used, and included ‘illustrated song’, ‘filmed insert’, ‘promotional film’, ‘promotional clip’, ‘promotional video’, ‘song video’, ‘song clip’ or ‘film clip’.

 

 

 

First Uses of the Music Video

 

In 1894, Edward B. Marks and Joe Stern hired various performers to promote the sales of their own song named ‘The Little Lost Child’. Using a magic lantern, they projected a series of still images on a screen. What they had created was a form of entertainment known as the ‘Illustrated Song’. This was the first leap into modern technology as we know it, and also, the first step towards the Music Video.

As ‘Talkies’ arrived in the late 1920’s (the discovery of videos with sound, not silent films), many musical short films were made. In the early 1930’s, cartoons soon become popular and most featured popular musicians performing their music on camera in live-action segments. Some cartoon music videos include Walt Disney’s ‘Silly Symphonies’, and The Warner Brothers ‘Looney Tunes’ and ‘Merry Melodies’.

 

 

 

 

What Does it Include?

 

Music videos use a wide range or materials and technology to create a short film, which include animation, live-action, documentaries and non-narrative approaches such as artistic videos. Some music videos have before blended different styles of techniques including animation, live-action and music together, Many music videos interpret images and scenes from the song's lyrics, some take a more artistic approach, and others may not have any artist apporach, but filmed as a live performance. Most music videos include all aspects of Mise-en-Scene (costume, props, make-up, lighting, NVC, etc) as well as camera techniques, sound and editing techniques, which are used to determine what the music video is trying to portray.

 

 

 

 

Modern Music Videos

 

Due to the modern day technology, we can have access to music channels on television, the internet, podcasts and DVD's. This technology allows us to easily watch music videos for entertainment, and it also allows music to become popular much quicker. Most modern music videos include the main music artist featured in the video, to help portray to the audience who the song is by, and also to show the audience their real identity, attitude and image. Music videos nowadays also have some kind of dance routine or dancers to help express the style of music and this therefore represents the artist. They can also be shot in pretty much any location, interior or exterior, cityscape or rural areas. Props, costume, make-up, lighting, NVC and camera techniques can also help determine what the music video is about.