History of Music Video

History of Music Video


Over time, popularity of music videos have increased due to the introduction and development of technology, in which before this advance music videos were not widely accessible to the public. Until then most people would listen and watch music videos through music channels such as MTV which was the first music channel which was first founded in 1981. Whereas nowadays there are many different variations of music video channels such as 4music which features up-to-date chart music. However, now due to the advanced technology this allows the public to watch music videos in a variety of ways. The development of the internet is the most common way of watching music videos and through video sharing websites such as YouTube which was discovered 10 years ago, a cheap and easily accessible way of watching music videos alongside streaming the music videos from a mobile device or tablet. 




YouTube was first founded 10 years ago on February 14th 2005 which is now known as the second largest search engine, due to statistics showing 1 in every 2 people use YouTube frequently in which I think the app is used so frequently is due to the wide accessibility of the app which is able to be downloaded onto smart phones and tablets. The role of YouTube is for videos to be uploaded of a variety of different subjects and can be liked and shared between members of the public which helps the success of the video. YouTube has proved to be a successful platform for music videos which can be seen in the table of most viewed music videos below. This can be seen from Psy music video "Gangnam Style" which reached 2,443,785,096 views due to the catchy lyrics and engaging music video which helped the video to become a viral sensation. 



MTV first aired on August 1st 1981 which was one of the first music channels introduced. This music channel currently plays up to date, current chart music which stereotypically appeals to a niche audience of younger adults and teenagers with an average of 340 million viewers around the world. Rod Stewart claimed the highest number appearances on the channel with 11 of his popular songs played frequently on the channel, alongside the first ever video aired was The Buggles "Video Killed The Radio Star". Although the music channel typically targets towards its niche target audience of younger adults and teenagers, it has also created several new channels to expand the franchise which appeal to a wider target audience. The channels include MTV Bass, Rock, Dance and Hits.

Each music video has a budget given to them, which pays for all aspects which are included in the music video. This could include the location in which the music video is set in, along side the costuming of the actors/actresses which are in the music video and and iconography which helps to create the desired music video effect. Some music videos have a high budget to create their music video, whilst others may be able to create just as an effective music video with having a lower budget to create their music video. The table which I have included shows the music videos which have the largest budget which may not have necessarily helped with how successful the video is.





The music video in which had the largest budget stated was for "Scream" by Michael Jackson, directed by Mark Romanek in 1995. After this the second two music videos with the highest budget were from the artist Madonna. The reason behind the $7 million budget was down to the improvements and advance in technology at the time of the production as the music video has been created by CGI, allowing the music video to seem realistic and of a high quality than the audience would usually expect to see. This does help towards the success of the video as this makes it more memorable for the audience as this is something they may have not seen before. However, the music video is not what we would expect in the current day. If a music video had a budget of $7 million nowadays we would expect a range of special effects and a more unique style of music video, whereas this particular music video was filmed predominately in black and white, with the majority of the video being performance based. 

The audience are immediately drawn in by the use of CGI in the opening scene which appears as though it is located in space. This location is not used in music videos frequently, so helps to engage the audience. Furthermore, the transitions used in between different shots give a unique twist to the music video as simple transitions are usually used whereas multiple transitions are used such as showing the artists in television monitors. This helps to build a relationship between the audience and the artist as this allows an insight to the artists personality and the input that they have had in the music video. This represents Michael as unique and quirky which the audience are able to see, which they may not have seen this side before. However, as Michael Jacksons music video has shown that a high budget in a music video and good uses of CGI does not determine the videos success, as a music video can be created on a lower budget but may draw in the audiences attention due to the catchiness of the lyrics or the content of the video. 

The Development of Technology/Special Effects

From analysing older music videos in comparison with current day music videos there is a clear development in the technology which is used. I have watched both videos which is by, Route 94, "My Love" and The Buggles "Video Killed The Radio Star" from watching both, it is evident they ways in which technology and special effects have developed. "Video Killed The Radio Star" was the first video aired on MTV , and was produced on a budget of $50,000. The music video used basic technology and special effects. This could be due to the lower budget and technologies not having been developed at this stage as this music video was produced in 1980. So the video relied on basic special effects to make the video appear edgy and to engage the audient but mainly based their music video on performance by actors. In comparison, Route 94 "My Love" use a range of varied different special effects. The main difference between the two music videos is that "My Love" is clearly a higher quality video with better graphics. Which is expected due to the advance in technology and equipment. They have conformed with the conventional Pop/Dance genre music video and based their whole video in a UV effect. This is a modern technique and is cleverly used as it appeals to their target audience of younger and teenagers as it suggests they are in a club/party atmosphere which may appeal to their audience.

The number of views on a music video has changed dramatically since the development of smart phones and social media. This is because music videos are now easily accessible to audiences as you can download apps such as YouTube or other music downloading devices onto your smartphone and watch a music video on the go. In addition to this the apps such as Twitter and Facebook have influenced how many views a music video gets because a person could easily share or recommend a music video and this video is easily accessible to watch by anybody, increasing the amount of sales of the artist. 

With planning my own music video it has helped me to realise the success of the video is not dependent on the budget. It is dependable on the conventional aspects of the music video and whether or not they comply and appeal to the target audience and whether or not the video is interesting for the target audience, which will make them want to purchase the song leading to profit for the artist and their music record label.

In conclusion, when I am creating my music video I will take into account that it is important to have different styles of music videos. This includes having a narrative style music video which applies to the lyrics of the song and makes it easier for the audience to understand and follow. Layering this, we will try to use as many different effects as possible to not make the video boring and dull for the audience to watch as this will not be interesting for them. This could include overlapping of scenes, to make it appear as though there is more of a narrative and action than there actually is, this will make the music video seem more interesting. In addition I could possibly used different effects over the actual clip, such as making the footage a different colour or style, which makes the audience question whether or not this is relatable and representing their emotion. This is because music videos which are in one effect without different footage or transitions are boring for the audience to watch and do not engage them. Therefore meaning it is less likely for the audience to have a visual image and remember the song, resulting in fewer sales and lower profit. From this research I also found that the videos with a narrative create a link between the story and the lyrics for the audience, making them engage and remember the song, therefore increasing sales. I will focus on having a unique, interesting narrative which is easy for the audience to follow along so they can also listen to the music and not have to pay too much attention questioning what the narrative is about. An example of this is Justin Biebers song "Baby" which is 2nd on the most viewed video chart. The audience understand the song because of the video, but also help to understand the video because of the lyrics, and do not spend their time questioning what the video is about, as it is evident he is trying to find a girl. When making my music video I will not only consider the important aspects such as editing or which song I should choose for my chosen target audience. But also consider how to market my music video, this could be where the video is uploaded. This piece of research has also made me realise that I would like to target my music video towards young adults and teenagers and create a video to a current song. This is because my research shows that the most watched videos on YouTube are recent and current songs, which would stereotypically be watched by a younger viewer as they know how to work the resources which enable them to watch the video such as YouTube.

What Is A Music Video

What Is A Music Video

A music video or song video is a short film which combines song and imagery together. The music video is produced for promotion purposes to advertise the artists new piece of music which then results in profit for the artist as this will increase their sales which is typically used with modern music videos as a source of marketing. There are many purposes of a music video. One purpose could be to advertise the song towards the artists target audience, the colours, writing and style of the advert appeals to particular audience members as certain connotations will intrigue the audience as this helps to represent the artist in a certain way. Additionally, advertising for artists can also be seen on a varied range of technology and may appeal to different target audiences. For example, a music video may generally reach a younger target audience as they may be able to use and access different types of technology easily and be interested in the genre of music which stereo typically have a music video to their music. Another purpose for a music video is to give the audience a better understanding of the song. A music video can help to tell a narrative and show a different meaning or the story behind the song and how it was created.

Music videos also help to portray many other talents which the artist may have. For example, the artist may be able to dance, act or play a musical instrument so may want to portray this in their music video as this shows them as multitalented. This additionally helps to portray the artists personality more toward their audience as this helps to express their interests to the audience which also helps to expand their profile. In addition to the previous points, the music video also helps to invoke a reaction to a visual memory. This may help increase the chances of the song to sell and therefore increase profit for the artist making the money the company have spent on the music video beneficial and worth it.

There are 3 main types of music video styles. The first type of music video is a performance based video. This usually features the artist or band performing typically singing, dancing, acting into the camera for most, if not all of the music video. A good example of this is by the girl band The Spice Girls with their music video of "Wannabe" where the band are performing by dancing and singing to the camera for most of the video. This particular style of music video is common within music videos as this is a style which helps to engage the audience as they are intrigued, as this helps them to explore the artists personality. Another style of music video is narrative based. This style of music video usually contains scenes which attempt to tell a story throughout the video, involving actors which are used to help to try and tell a story to the audience which is usually linked to the lyrical content. This is effective to the audience as it helps them to engage as they are interested in what is happening throughout the video, as well as helping them to understand what message the artist is trying to get across in their music video. Additionally to this, the narrative style music video also helps to create a visual memory for the audience. This helps to reminds the audience of the song and what the message of the song is, which could lead to an increase in sales as this is memorable for the audience and they are more likely to purchase the artists song, whilst also if the song is created a lasting memory could be suggested to their friends which also increases the sales of the record. An example of this could be Taylor Swift's song "Love Story" which shows a love story between a young couple which is portrayed through the use of Taylor acting and also an actor, helping to act out what the lyrics are suggesting and inferring. Lastly, another style of music videos is based on the majority of concept or singled idea music video usually are edited in a particular style around the videos idea. This is not commonly used within a music video as the most engaging style of music videos are narrative and performance based as these are something which the audience has to think about, and may possibly be relatable which helps to create a lasting visual memory. A single idea or concept throughout the entire music video can be uninteresting for the audience to watch as this gives the impression of repetition throughout the music video which could be dull and boring for the audience to watch. 

In order to understand what a music video is and the different styles which can be used in a music video I have analysed many different music videos including pop song by Charlie "Marvin Gaye" which was released on February 10th 2015, reaching number 1 position in the charts in 8 different countries. 

The purpose of a music video is to engage the target audience by the style of music video is being used as this can help them to understand the narrative of the music video and the hidden meaning behind the lyrics. Not only this but different conventional aspects of a music video help to appeal to different target audiences, as certain aspects may engage them as they may be relatable for that specific age range. The target audience for Charlie Puth's song "Marvin Gaye" is mostly younger adults and teenagers due to the style of the music video and the genre which is Pop as aspects included in the music video may be relatable to the audience.

"Marvin Gaye" has a combination of music video styles including both performance and narrative. This features actors and actresses acting along to the music throughout some scenes, whilst in others the artist is performing to the camera throughout the music video, whilst also playing the piano. The contrast in the styles of the music video is engaging for the audience as they are not watching a repetitive music video which does not change much throughout, as this would be dull and boring to watch, also considering that the target audience is of a younger age so need different aspects of the music video to keep them engaged in the song. The narrative side of the music video is beneficial to the audience as this is engaging as they have something to watch which is interesting and what will also give them a better understanding of the lyrics. Furthermore, the performance side of the styled video is also another aspect which will engage the target audience. This is because this helps to show the artists facial expression which helps to convey their passion throughout the song which in turn builds a relationship between the artist and the audience as they begin to have an insight of the artists personality. 

"Marvin Gaye" is a stereotypical Dance/Pop music video, this can be seen throughout the narrative of the music video which is based in a relatable atmosphere, such as school and can also be seen to be an enjoyable atmosphere as this is a school dance. This helps to represent the artist as relatable to the audience as he is setting his music video in this location, this could suggest that he is young like the audience giving the audience an insight into the artists personality as they get to see that he enjoys similar activities such as going out and enjoying himself, like the audience who are watching this may do too due to their age group. Partying, with possibly alcohol surrounding them is something which teenagers enjoy. This music video is targeting towards the right age group as this will increase the sales as teenagers are the age group which are easily able to access the music video from multiple sources as they are so advanced in technology. Additionally, the lighting used in this music video is conventional to the Dance/Pop genre as the spot lights and low key lighting helps to suggest the party atmosphere, which suggests to the audience this is something that the artist enjoys also, building a relationship between the two as they have something in common.

Another conventional aspect of the music video is the mid shots which are used. This helps to show the actors involved having a good time by singing and dancing, which is conventional to the dance music genre as they can relate to the audience as this is something that they like to do also due to their age group. Furthermore, several close ups are used throughout the music video of the artist whilst they are performing. The close ups help to show the artist smiling which suggests that they are happy and enjoying the moment. This helps the audience and artist to build a relationship as this shows that they are caring about their audience and want to show that they too are also having a good time. This also helps the audience to gain an insight on the artists personality as this shows them as bubbly and energetic which is something the audience may admire and aspire to.

Conventional aspects of the music video can be seen through the use of editing. In the screenshot it can be seen that slow motion editing technique is used. This is conventional as it helps to reiterate to the audience how much fun the actors are having. For the target audience, and enjoyable and relatable video contains elements which they would enjoy themselves, so to see the actors of a similar age doing what the target audience also enjoy to do, this is engaging for them to watch. This can help to build the artist and the audience 

From analysing this music video I have learnt that it is important to consider the target audience when creating a video. If the music video does not capture the target audience attention and is not relatable this may affect the overall sales  of the song as they will not have a visual memory and be uninterested to purchase the music. I also think that music videos are important as it helps to get across the artists lifestyle and personality to its audience. As a result of analysing this music video by Charlie Puth I think that it would be difficult to create a Pop/Dance music video. This is because it would be difficult to follow the generic conventions to make the video successful. Such as the setting, it would be difficult to know where to film and create the specific atmosphere. In addition to this the majority of Dance/Pop music videos have different lighting such as low key and spot lighting and would be difficult to create this effect. I think it would be more suitable to create a different style music video as it may be easier to create with resources more widely available to us.