Pop Music Video Forms Conventions

Introducing the music video
Forms and Conventions

Pop Music Video: Forms and Conventions
A music video is a videotaped performance of a recorded

popular song. It is usually accompanied by dance or a
fragmentary story. Music videos often use concert footage.
Queen – Bohemian Rhapsody.
Typically music videos are three to five minutes long, they

frequently include quick cuts, stylisations, fanciful and often
erotic imagery, and computer graphics.
Abba – Knowing Me Knowing You
Music videos can accommodate all styles of filmmaking,

including animation, live action films, documentaries, and
non-narrative, abstract film.
Bob Dylan - Subterranean Homesick Blues.
In the 1980s the music video became synonymous with the rock idiom
and for this reason they are often referred to as rock videos.
U2 - Where The Streets Have No Name

Foo Fighters - Pretender
Institutions
Pop Music Video: Institutions
Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device
intended to promote the sale of music recordings.
Kings of Leon – Sex on Fire
Dizzy Rascal – Dance Wiv Me
The proliferation of music video came in the 1980s, when MTV

(Music Television)'s format was based around them.
The first video show in 1981 was…

Buggles - Video Killed The Radio Star
For this reason the success of the music video is synonymous with the
second British invasion of the American charts in the mid 1980s.
Duran Duran – Rio
Eurythmics – Sweet Dreams
Wham! – Club Tropicana!
Although the origins go back much further to music television programs

like Top of the Pops (UK), Ready Steady Go (UK), American
Bandstand (US) and Musikladen (D).
The Beatles – All You Need is Love TOTP
Dusty Springfield – You Don’t Have To Say You Love Me TOTP
By the end of the Sixties, when bands could not make it to a TV studio to
perform, record companies often provided TV producers with a short film clip
to promote their latest single.
The Beatles - Strawberry Fields Forever.
By the 1990s many hundreds of videos, representing a cross-section

of musical forms were being produced yearly. Genres include
traditional to Country and Western, Hard Rock, Heavy Metal, Hip Hop,
r+b, Adult Orientated Rock, Teen Pop etc.
Guns n Roses - November Rain Kris Kross - Jump
Audiences
Pop Music Video: Audiences
A common misconception is that pop music videos are aimed

strictly at teen audiences. Kylie Minogue and Jason Donovan and
the music produced by Stock, Aitkin and Waterman are classic
examples of performers aimed at teenagers.
Many videos of “soft rock” songs have traditionally been

directed at an older group of viewers.
Bon Jovi – In These Arms.
Stevie Nicks – Sometimes It’s A Bitch
Cher – Heart of Stone
How do these video appeal to an older audience?
Since shortly after their inception, the style and content of music videos have
strongly influenced advertising, television, film, and popular culture as a
whole.
The Clash – Should I Stay or Should I Go (Levi’s Advert)?
Bryan Adams – Everything I Do I Do It For You (Robin Hood)
Whitney Houston – I Will Always Love You (The Bodyguard)
Digital TV Channels means that music videos are targeted

at niche audiences.

Beyonce - Irreplaceable
30 Seconds to Mars Attack – The Kill
Coldplay - Yellow
On the internet sites like www.myspace.com have enabled

unsigned bands like the Arctic Monkeys to find mainstream
success in part by providing an outlet for new music videos.
You Tube is a forum for online bands to show DIY video footage.
The Foo Fighters – Live in Norway on Mobile Phone
Fans can also post archive clips from TV shows…

Bucks Fizz – Making Your Mind Up.
As well as professional music videos from established artists.

Madonna – Hung Up
And spoof versions of famous videos.

Madonna – Hung Up On Crack
Representations
Pop Music Video: Representations
The popular music video certainly has its own clichés

Spinal Tap – Hell Hole
Many examples of the genre feature the macho rock stars.

The Cult – Sweet Soul Sister
Guns and Roses – Sweet Child of Mine
Scantily clad dancers have become cultural clichés…

Robert Palmer – Addicted to Love
Aerosmith – Love in an Elevator
Certain music videos, however, are notable for their cutting-

edge techniques and artistic innovations. As time passes those
techniques can look dated.
Dire Straits – Money For Nothing
Peter Gabriel - Sledgehammer
Race: in the early days of MTV in America black artists were not
featured… until Michael Jackson’s high budget Thriller.
Michael Jackson - Thriller
Gender is another key issue. Successful female rock stars have both lived
up to and parodied male fantasies
Blondie – Detroit 442
Donna Summer – I Feel Love
Kate Bush – Wuthering Heights
Jonas Akerlund
smashing pumpkins, iggy pop, madonna, cardigans, metallica, blondie,

primal scream, jamiroquia, rammstein, blink 182, jan’es addiction.
Many directors now train to become music video makers and it is often
considered to be an ‘auteurs medium’ with particular directors having
specific styles of mise-en-scène, camerawork, editing etc.
The Cardigans – Favourite Game Blink 182 – I Miss You
Interestingly Jonas Akerlund is also in high demand as the

director of television advertisements for leading brands.
Jonas Akerlund
From an institutional perspective audience/user generated content has

transformed the forms and conventions of music video introducing a
more DIY aesthetic. Has the music video come full circle?
OK Go – Here It Goes Again
Moby and Deborah Harry – New York New York

Pop Music Video Forms Conventions

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Pop Music Video Forms Conventions

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Introducing the music video

Forms and Conventions

A music video is a videotaped performance of a recorded

Typically music videos are three to five minutes long, they

Music videos can accommodate all styles of filmmaking,

U2 - Where The Streets Have No Name

The proliferation of music video came in the 1980s, when MTV

The first video show in 1981 was…

Although the origins go back much further to music television programs

By the 1990s many hundreds of videos, representing a cross-section

A common misconception is that pop music videos are aimed

Many videos of “soft rock” songs have traditionally been

Digital TV Channels means that music videos are targeted

On the internet sites like www.myspace.com have enabled

Fans can also post archive clips from TV shows…

As well as professional music videos from established artists.

And spoof versions of famous videos.

The popular music video certainly has its own clichés

Many examples of the genre feature the macho rock stars.

Scantily clad dancers have become cultural clichés…

Certain music videos, however, are notable for their cutting-

smashing pumpkins, iggy pop, madonna, cardigans, metallica, blondie,

Interestingly Jonas Akerlund is also in high demand as the

From an institutional perspective audience/user generated content has

Moby and Deborah Harry – New York New York

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