What is a music

video?

Hannah Costello, Jacob Gould & Louis Cornwell

Definition•A music video is a short film or video that

is used to accompany a piece of music. Music videos are primarily used to market and promote the sale of music recordings, however some bands may choose to create one for purely artistic purposes.

•Although the origins of music videos date back much further, they came into prominence in the 1980s, when MTV based their format around them.

•Music videos use a wide range of styles of film making techniques, including animation, live action filming, documentaries, and non-narrative approaches such as abstract film. Some music videos blend different styles, such as animation and live action. Other music videos may be without a set concept, being merely a filmed version of the song's live performance.

Definition cont.

StyleMusic videos can be categorized in terms

of the style they use, these can include:•Performance•Narrative/story•Mixed performance and narrative•Cameo (artist features in the narrative

nut does not perform)•Animation – digital/stop-motion

Editing and SoundDifferent techniques are used in the editing

and sound of music videos, including:•Editing to the beat of the song•Split-screens•CGI/Special effects• Jump cuts•Straight cuts• Inclusion of diegetic sounds as well as the

track itself•Changes in the volume and levels of sound

Development of the Music Video

•Due to the popularity of music videos, many of them are now made into collections and sold on DVD. Instead of watching the video to listen to the piece of music, some viewers now watch them purely for their aesthetic value.

•Critics say that in the modern day, music managers have sought to focus on sex appeal in music videos, particularly in the case of female artists, rather than creating different narrative videos.