Research & Planning

Purpose of producing a Music Video?

The main benefit of a music video to the artist and record company is of promoting their music. When a video is produced for a song the popularity of the single will automatically double as before the single had no video it could only be played on the radio, internet services such as iTunes and Spotify but by having a music video it would mean it could be played on sites such as YouTube and television music channels.

Also, For an artist this could mean more recognition, as a visual medium widens the possible scope of their creative ‘vision’, allowing them to get their message or self-image across with more power. For a record company, the music video gives them the opportunity to include product placement and earn more revenue.

There are many different theories behind a popular Music Video, these are shown below:

Richard Dyer - Star Theory:

Richard Dyers star theory is the idea that icons and celebrities are manufactured by institutions for financial gain. He believes that stars are constructed to represent 'real people' experiencing real emotions. Stars are manufactured by the music industry to serve a purpose; to make money out of audience, who respond to various elements of a star’s personality by buying records and becoming fans. 

His theory is split into three sections:

1. Audiences and Institutions 

2. Constitutions 

3. Hegemony

What is a star? Am image of a star is created by many different media connections such as interviews, photo shoots etc. 

Keith Negus:

Keith Negus challenges the connection between popular music and youth culture, he is also known for his book, 'Popular Music in Theory (1996)'which shows his ideas and understanding. 

He argues that popular music is listened to and performed by an aging demographic. Moreover, Negus explores and examines how popular music is meditated by technological, cultural, historical, geological and political factors.

Negus also delares that the idea of music comes from the artist who has to in fact has to be grown by the record company but he makes it clear that he thinks that the image of artists should be enhanced not created of an artist. From what I have read about Keith Negus I find that his points are very clear and true as I don't think that record company should change an artist just to sell more singles.




Adorno:

Adorno's theory is that capitalism fed people with products of a 'culture industry' to keep them passively satisfied and showing no concern. Popular culture was identified as the reason for people's passive satisfaction and lack of interest in overthrowing the capitalist system.

Adorno suggested that culture industries have created products which have replaced more critical art forms which might actually lead people to actually question social life. Therefore, he indicates how all popular media is standardized and is all very formulaic but he says that there should be a relationship between the lyrics of the song and the video which he also declares that sexual references from females are always popular.




Dick Hebdige:

After learning about Dick Hebdige I have noticed that he is best known for his influential book in subcultural studies, The Meaning of Style which was published in 1979. Hebdige's three main points are shown below.

• Hebdige believed that fashion and music choice determined the identity of youth.
•  Also that the meaning behind this particular subculture remained.
•  The subculture you belong to is a key way of determining who you are and who you are not.

How to analyse a music video?


Andrew Goodwin:

Andrew Goodwin has identified a number of key features in music videos which are:

• A relationship between the lyrics and the visuals, with the visuals illustrating, amplifying or contradicting the lyrics.
• Genre-related style and iconography present.
• Multiple close-ups of the main artist or vocalist.
• Voyeurism often plays a major part, especially in relation to females.

Many of these features are present in all music videos, depending on the genre of the song and the aim of the record company/artist.


Pete Fraser:

“This idea is absolutely central to understand music videos as they build on the soundtrack’s visual associations in order to connect with the audience and provide additional pleasure.”

From researching Pete Fraser I have realized that his overall theory is for the audience to gain pleasure from looking at the music video by casually doing slower editing to enhance females sexuality. He also claims that close ups during camera work could create intimacy during a music video and that movement in acting creating a dynamic feel which could then drive the audience to have sexual pleasure. 

Steve Archer:

Archer states that music videos will cut between a narrative and performance of the song by the band. 

Archer also believes that a choreographed dance might be part of the performance. In my music video I don't actually think i want to include a choreographed dance as the music genre which I want to commit my music video to wouldn't exactly suit a dance in my opinion. Furthermore, dance numbers are mostly used for pop music videos.