What is a Music Video - Miss Miller

What is a Music Video?

A music video is a visual representation of a song that are often used by an artist for many different purpose, for example, some artists may want to show their audiences that they have a creative side through the use of a narrative which could also help to engage the audience as they have something to focus on, therefore they will be more likely to remember the song. Furthermore, a story behind the lyrics allows the audience to get to know more about an artist due to the fact that narratives are often based on real life experiences that an audience will be able to relate to.

There are many different purposes for the creation of a music video, and these can often depend on what genre of music the video is coming from, for example, a music video for the dance genre may have the purpose of entertaining their audience or setting new dance trends due to the fact that these songs often have a fast and catchy beat or a dance routine that are associated with them. The music video for the song 'Touch' by Shift K3y includes visuals of bright strobe lights and smoke, which arguably connotes the idea of a club setting which is conventional to the dance genre due to the fact that this style of music is often played in a club. The audience for this music video will be able to relate to this type of setting due to the fact that they will be at the age where they are able to go clubbing, this may therefore cause them to enjoy the video more and will be more likely to watch the video again or recommend the video to their friends which in turn will increase the exposure for the artist. Furthermore, because they songs will be used for dancing purposes, the artist will be more focused on the beat and tempo of the song rather than developing a deeper meaning for the lyrics. On the other hand, a genre such as indie will focus more on the lyrics of the song due to the fact that indie artists are known for writing their own songs themselves based on real life experience, therefore they will be much more personal to the artist and will have a deeper meaning to them.

Another purpose of a music video could be to attract an audience into buying into an artist and their music, or to flaunt what the industry has given them such as a wealthy lifestyle in order to make an audience feel envious and want to have a lifestyle similar to their own. Audiences are often influenced by artists, especially artists from within the pop genre who are often known for keeping up with and setting new fashion trends that the younger generation want to fit into. Most successful artists are associated with the idea of being wealthy and being able to afford the most expensive things in life including branded clothing, however, this makes it difficult for an audience to be able to relate to them due to the fact that they will often have average paying day jobs. This implied wealth is often made evident by the use of visuals or the portrayal of them through the media where the artist can be seen wearing designer brand such as Gucci and expensive jewellery, driving expensive cars and living in bigger houses which helps them to dictate and fit into the mainstream and therefore appeal to the audience due to the fact that most teenagers want to be seen as fitting in. There are a lot of people who cannot afford to buy nice things and may therefore envy the fact that an artist does not have to worry about spending money. Also, through the use and development of YouTube and music television channels like MTV, music video's are now available to a worldwide audience. This means that more people can watch the music videos to their favourite songs and understand what the deeper meaning behind them is. It also makes it more interesting for them when compared to just listening to the words. The use of a music video may also make it easier for an audience to identify an artist when they hear the song again due to the fact that they often include visuals of the artist through the use of a close up or performance, which therefore helps the audience to remember the video for longer, for example, in the music video for Ed Sheeran's song 'thinking out loud', the artist himself played the most important role in this video and participated in a dance sequence for the first time, therefore this video was unexpected but allowed the audience to see a different side to him as an artist. I was inspired to create a video that portrayed my artist as being more natural and realistic due to the fact that I felt as though the audience would be able to relate to this representation more compared to had I portrayed the artist as being materialistic. I will achieve this representation through the use of affordable clothing such as skinny jeans and a grey t-shirt for the artist to wear, the use of minimal makeup so that the audience are able to see what she really looks like, and the use of natural lighting when filming as this will show the audience that no special effects have been used to make the footage appear better or more than what it actually is.

There are three different styles of music video's, the first being performance, which is when the video consists mainly of visuals of an artist singing or blah in a dance routine, typically seen in the dance genre. This style of music video is a good way for the artist to engage the audience due to the fact that they will often sing directly into the camera as if they were singing directly to the audience, therefore the audience may feel as though they are friends with the artist, rather than just one of the hundreds of people watching the video from behind the screen. This will work well for artists such as One Direction or Justin Bieber who each have huge fan bases and will therefore be unable to connect with each of them individually. Performance will also enable an artist to show their audience any other talents that the artist might have due to the fact that artists often play musical instruments which take a lot of time and effort to learn, therefore the audience may appreciate how dedicated an artist is to their music. The second style of music video is narrative which is often used when the artist wants to tell their audience a story or to show them that the song has a deeper meaning to it, therefore this is the style that most indie artists such as Gabrielle Aplin and Ed Sheeran choose for their music videos. Indie artists are often known for writing their own music which are based on real life experiences such as relationships and friendships that most of the audience will be able to relate to. Songs within this genre will often be at a slower pace due to the fact that the theme of the music video will often be quite emotional, therefore the slower pace will give the audience longer to take in what the artist is trying to tell them. The final style of music video is concept, which is used when an artist wants to tell their audience an idea or give the song a deeper meaning, due to the fact that the audience will often have to think more about what is going on. This style can be seen in the music video for 'stupid girls' by Pink during which she expresses the idea that girls have the right to choose their own lifestyle and do not have to conform to society's idea of the 'norm' which includes being skinny, wearing lots of makeup and fake tan which is an unrealistic lifestyle that only a few people will be able to live up to. I was inspired to use the styles of narrative and performance in my own music video due to the fact that a narrative will give the audience visuals to focus on and relate the lyrics of the song to, which therefore gives the video a deeper meaning. Also, the use of performance will allow me to introduce my artist into the music industry due to that fact that the visuals of her singing will allow the audience to see clearly what she looks like and how she is feeling at that specific point in the video, especially if the cinematography used is a close up of her face.

The song 'cool kids' by Echosmith is an only one example of a well known song from the indie genre. This genre in particular is often perceived as not being the most popular choice of music due to the fact that it does not fit into the mainstream, therefore indie artists often focus on the deeper meaning of the song, rather than filming in high quality/status locations or wearing expensive, branded clothing that often suggest an artist as being materialistic. Furthermore, an indie artist is often portrayed as being more relatable/realistic for an audience due to the fact that they are often less concerned about the materialistic side of the industry, therefore they do not care as much about how much money they have or what type of clothing they wear, which makes it easier for the audience to make a connection with the artist because they themselves may not have that much money. It could be argued that the purpose of this music video is for the artist to show the audience that there is deeper meaning behind the song through the use of a concept, the lyrics 'I wish that I could be like the cool kids' suggest that this band are singing to an audience who do not fit into the mainstream but wishes to. This will appeal to the target audience due to the fact that nowadays it is important for teenagers in particular to feel as though they fit in, have a lot of friends and a social life, however, the music video could suggest that the band are wanting to encourage their audience to be different and to be individual, which is evident in the music video through the use of the children characters who when are first seen come across as being quite shy and conservative, but by the end of the video they can be seen dancing around the screen, not caring about what they look like. I was inspired by this video which does not have a narrative to use a narrative in my own music video due to the fact that I feel as though a narrative helps to engage the audience more as they are given something to focus on and relate the lyrics to, this giving the song more of a deeper meaning and making it feel more personal to the artist as indie artists are known for writing their own music based on real life experiences.

The two main styles that this music video includes are performance and concept. Performance can be seen through the use of close ups' of the different band members singing and playing different musical instruments such as the drums and guitar which is conventional to the indie genre due to the fact that indie artists are known for writing their own music based on real life experiences, therefore the lyrics to the song will relate directly to their life and will be more personal to them. Indie artists often want to make their audience aware that every aspect of the video has been produced by them as they do not want to become a product of the music industry. Furthermore, these visuals will allow the band to show their audience that they are talented in the sense that they are able to play musical instruments, therefore the audience may appreciate how dedicated this band are regarding their career due to the fact that musical instruments of take a lot of time and effort to learn. This will help the audience to relate to the artist due to the fact that artists are sometimes perceived as only being in the music industry for the money because the music industry is often perceived as being a wealthy industry, however, not everybody will be able to relate to this luxury. Moreover, the use of a close up allows the band to build a relationship with the audience because it appears as though the artist is singing directly towards the camera, and therefore that they are singing to just one person rather than the hundreds of people who are watching the video from behind a screen. Performance and a close up will also give the audience a better understanding of what it would be like to see the band perform live which they may enjoy due to the fact that some of the audience may not be able to afford tickets to watch the band in concert, therefore these types of music videos are the closest they are going to get. I was inspired to use performance in my own music video due to the fact that I want to portray my artist as being talented and to be able to show the audience what she looks like and how she is feeling as this is especially important when it comes to introducing my artist to an audience and the music industry due to the fact that she is new, therefore not many people will know who she is. Furthermore, the concept behind the music video is arguably the idea that being 'cool' can mean different things to different people and that the younger generation tend to feel as though they have to be considered cool in order to fit into society due to the fact that people who are considered cool tend to have it easier and are perceived as having more friends. The use of a concept for a music video directed at teenagers is arguably likely to increase the success of the video because teenagers are easily influenced by people within the music industry therefore they will listen to the song and pay attention to what the artist is saying, thus giving the concept more of a purpose.

There are many ways in which the music video for the song 'cool kids' follows the conventions of the indie genre, for example, through the use of iconography, specifically the visuals of musical instruments, the audience can see the three boy band members playing different musical instruments such as the drums and guitar. The use of a musical instrument in an indie music videos adds to the performance element of the video because it appears as though the band are performing live which is beneficial to the artist because it allows them to show off their musical talents and helps the audience to understand that every musical aspect of the video has been created by the band and what the audience can hear is exactly what the artist wants them to hear, therefore they cannot be viewed as just another product of the music industry. Other artists may be more interested in working with this band due to the fact that they have other skills that they can bring to the industry, which therefore has the potential to increase their exposure and success within the industry as working with other artists will expose this band to audiences who may not have otherwise seen them. I was inspired to use a musical instrument, specifically a piano in my own music video during the performance sections as I felt this helped to portray my artist as being more talented and would make the video more interesting to watch due to the fact that the audience can see where the music is coming from.

The use of musical instruments also adds to the performance aspect of the video which can be seen through the use of mise-en-scene, specifically the body positions of the band members, for example, the audience can see that they are all moving around in a dance-like motion, swaying from side to side as opposed to standing in the same position for the duration of the video. The use of performance is beneficial for the fans who may not be able to afford to pay for tickets to go to an actual concert during which the band will perform live, therefore this allows them to experiences what it would be like if they could. The use of a variety of camera shots such as a close up and panning also helps the video to appear as though the audience are actually there with them, as opposed to sitting behind a computer screen with hundreds of other people, thus giving the video more of a personal feel. Moreover, the use of performance to break up the narrative helps to make the video more interesting to watch due to that fact that it does not require the audience to be focused and it allows the band to portray themselves as being young and enjoying what they do, which may appeal to the audience who can see that they care about their music and that are not in the music industry for the materialistic aspects. Furthermore, musical instruments often take a lot of time and effort to learn how to play, therefore the visuals of the drums and guitar implies that the band are committed to their music and that they will continue to produce music for their audience to listen to. These visuals are conventional to the indie genre due to the fact that indie artists like to use performance to show off any other talents that they may have other than singing as this helps them to appeal to other artists within the industry to want to work with them, and to express to the audience that they are the ones who have created every musical aspect of the video, therefore everything that the audience can hear is purposeful and exactly how the artist wants it to be, thus preventing them from becoming a product of the music industry. I was inspired by this use of performance to use musical instruments, specifically the piano in my own music video as I felt as though it helps to give the video more of a personal feel to it and it allows the artist to excel in what they do best, thus making the video more enjoyable for the audience to watch as it was obvious that the artist themselves were enjoying making the video.

Another way in which the music video is conventional to the indie genre is through the use of mise-en-scene, specifically the costumes that the band members can be seen wearing, for example, the base player is wearing a bowler hat and black skinny jeans, both of which connote the idea of affordability and suggest him as having a vintage style of dress. These visuals are conventional to the indie genre due to the fact that indie is often perceived as being old fashioned and therefore as not fitting into the mainstream. Indie artists themselves are often perceived as always being on the road performing for an audience due to the fact that they are seen as being more focused on their music rather than the materialistic side of the industry and being able to buy expensive goods in order to keep up with current fashion trends. Furthermore, indie is not the most popular genre of music, therefore they will not make a huge amount of money that can be spent on materialistic goods. This arguably helps the audience to view them as being more relatable due to the fact that not everybody will be able to relate to the idea of being wealthy because most people will have average paying jobs and the music industry is only made up of a small percentage of people due to the fact that not everybody has the ability to sing. The purpose of this particular music video was arguably too promote the idea of individuality which shows the audience that there is a deeper meaning/concept behind the song and therefore that the artist has put a lot of thought into what they want the audience to see visually in order for them to understand the lyrics. The audience may also appreciate how creative the artist has been in regards to the deeper meaning of the video, therefore they may feel more connected to the artist who will have put a lot of thought into the song and is sharing a story with them. I was inspired by this video to use affordable clothing such as leggings and a grey dress for the artist and locations such as the park and a house within my own music video due to the fact that I feel as though the audience will be able to relate to these visuals more because they are likely to have been to these places themselves on the regular and that it will help me to promote the artist as being more natural and down to earth which is subversive of audience expectation due to the fact that the audience will expect people who have a lot of money to live luxurious, expensive lifestyles.

The lyrics of the song being based on the idea of love is also conventional to the indie genre due to the fact that indie artists are often perceived as writing their own music based on real life experiences that they feel their audience will be able to relate to such as friendships and relationships. Through the use of body positions and facial expressions, the audience are able to see the young kids in the video laughing and dancing around the screen in a big group which implies that they do not care what they look like, they are just enjoying themselves. The target audience of people between the ages of 13-18 will be able to relate to these visuals due to the fact that teenagers are often associated with the idea of friendship groups and solidarity. Furthermore, younger teenagers are often influenced by the way artists and people who are constantly in the media dress and behave, therefore if an indie artist promotes the idea of being individual, society may begin to accept the idea that not everybody is going to look and dress the same way. The music video will appeal to this specific audience due to the fact that they are at the age where they will be just starting secondary school or high school which is typically the age where people will begin to care more about what people think of them and their appearance because many teenagers believe the most important thing is being able to fit into the mainstream. This is arguably subversive of the indie genre which does not have a huge following when compared to the pop or rap genre due to the fact that it is often perceived as being old fashioned and as not fitting into the mainstream, therefore it will be unlikely that indie artists themselves will care about what they look like, which conforms to the genre as indie artists are often perceived as always being on the road performing their music, which is the most important thing to them. The purpose of this particular music video may be to give the audience the confidence to be themselves which is often how indie artists themselves want to be perceived as this individual style will help them to stand out from within one of the most competitive industries and will help them to be more memorable for an audience, which arguably enables them to increase their longevity within the industry. I was inspired to use the theme of love between a boy and a girl in my own video through which will be seen through the use of close up visuals of the artist and the male character due to the fact that everybody loves someone, therefore they will be able to relate to the idea of love, and relationship based videos are arguably more interesting to watch because people tend to be nosey and like to know what other people's relationships are like, therefore they will feel interested to see how this relationship has been portrayed. Furthermore, the theme of love can be interpreted in many different ways, therefore this will allow me to be creative when it comes to the narrative and how I want the characters in my video to be portrayed.

In conclusion, after analysing various media products, in particular, 'cool kids' by Echosmith, it is clear to see that not all music videos will carry the same purpose, especially if the genres of music from which they come from are different. For example, artists from within the pop genre which is arguably the most mainstream genres of music due to the fact that it appeals to a much wider target audience, will seek to entertain their audience and to influence the way they dress and behave, therefore they promote the idea of being materialistic. On the other hand, music videos from within the dance genre are often entirely performance based due to the fact that the songs themselves will have purely dancing and entertainment purposes, therefore the artist will either be seen dancing or will be surrounded by dancers to show the audience the type of dancing that compliments that specific song. Furthermore, my personal favourite style of music video are the ones that are mostly narrative based as I like having visuals to relate the lyrics of a song to due to the fact that lyrics can be quite ambiguous and are left up to the audience to interpret what they could mean. The genre most likely to produce narrative based music videos is indie, due to the fact that indie artists often write their own music themselves that are based on real life experiences, therefore the lyrics will have actual stories behind them that an artist may want to express to their audiences.