MUSIC VIDEOS

• video that accompanies a song
• visual aspect of the song
• often includes performance
• another level of entertainment 
• promotes the song
• looks how a song sounds

POLYSEMY  multiple meaning

CULTURAL/SOCIAL CONTEXT  whats going on in the world at the time

Audience can identify the most with music over any other music product - personal

• SCOPITONE  video jukebox - popular in France, beginning of music videos

France Gall - Baby Pop (1965)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vczO-PqhDis

• binary opposition between music video and lyrics - dancing in the video but lyrics translate as "alone and abandoned"
• setting is unconventional and boring - (e.g. office and bleak building) , this architecture in 1960's was considered cool
• long shot of her looking away from camera - awkward, first music videos
• conventional costumes - chic and fashionable in 1960's

Rebecca - Vanity Angel (1989)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?gl=SN&hl=fr&v=EtdkgVMBbNQ

• mid shot, looking into camera, direct mode of address - conventional , performance 
• colourful and fast-paced editing - Japanese style music video
• young woman, aspirational - targets audience of teenage girls
• low angle shot of building with neon lights - lights make it exciting, stereotypical American apartment, exotic appeal for Japanese audience (escapism) 

Pulp - Babies (1994)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=38by00DGid0

• the diegesis of sound is complicated  
• use of text/ graphics/ inter title - communicates explicit meaning to the audience
• long shot at the beginning introduces band - slowly coming into focus
• mise en scene is typical of socio-political context - bedroom is working class (small), aiming for working class audience 
• suit without a shirt and miserable-looking keyboard player - doesn't conform to hegemonic codes

CONVERGENCE  the 'coming together' of 2 previously separate media industries (film and music)

Why do music videos exists?

• completely new
• another way to earn money 
• another form of entertainment - targets more audiences
• a different way to listen to music
• an advert for the song and artist

SYNGERGY  where the interconnectedness of media products leads to a result of more of the sum of its parts (the benefits of convergence) - easily shared

MTV - used to only play music videos, 1980's, music videos became really popular, American channel 

Music video Vs Cinema 

MV

• beat matching 
• shorter (average 3-4 minutes)
• less elaborate narrative
• no expectation of trailer
• video isn't the product, it's the advert 
• hyper-energetic 
• fast-paced editing
• a lot of direct address
• younger target demographic
• free

C

• music is just played over the top
• longer (average 1.5-2 hours)
• elaborated narrative
• expectation of trailer
• the product
• realistic, less energy 
• slower- paced editing (other than action scenes)
• less direct address 
• older target demographic
• expectation to pay

CELEBRITY  "the attribution of glamorous or notorious status to an individual in the public sphere"

Lady GaGa - Applause (2013)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pco91kroVgQ

• mid shot, mise en scene of eye mask - secrecy
• lack of clothing symbolises boldness of personality - celebrity is encoded by breaking hegemonic rules of society
• mise en scene of cauldron symbolises thats she's a witch - potentially a difficult and unpleasant person
• long shot, audience's eyes go towards her even though she's in a group - key-light id shone on her
• close up shot with highkey-lighting - importance 
• mise en scene of large bouquet of flowers - polysemic meanings of funeral or a winner, funeral meaning symbolises she's making a comeback because the old her is 'dead'
• binary opposition between revealing and covered up costumes - subversive of celebrities (making her a celeb)
• consistent use of close-ups of her face - encodes she is a celebrity 

METANARRATIVE  (aka GRAND NARRATIVE) refers to an overarching narrative or system of beliefs that helps us to make sense of the world (e.g. religion, science, marriage, marxism)