MUSIC VIDEOS:
(1)
THE EXPERIMENTAL: Visser/Musicals/Beatles/Queen
(2)
THE CLASSIC: Thriller/Beat it/Duran Duran (Early 80’s/MTV)
(3)
THE PARODY: Weird Al Jankovic: Eat it/Amish Paradise
(4)
THE DECONSTRUCTION: Robert Palmer: Addicted to love/Shania Twain: Man I feel like a woman
EXPLANATION OF 4 PHASES
(1)
By EXPERIMENTAL we mean the phase of
filmmaking which explored and experimented with how to film a band or artist whilst they are performing
A.
First recording of a
person singing to camera
World's
First Music Video - Gus Visser and his Singing Duck (1925) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LwQ6v_nYPMs
Q:
Analyse how the clip has been framed? What is the context is of the clip? What
is happening in the clip?
The video is one continuous shot and it is static, Gus and the duck are in the centre of the screen throughout the whole video. We see them at a medium shot on what appears to be a stage at a theatre, which gives us the impression that he is likely to be a comedian/comic performer who is used to being on the stage. This is possibly the first ever performance that was recorded and presented to the world.
B.
Musical Films: Gentlemen
prefer Blondes/Diamonds are a girl’s best friend
Musical films were
another important precursor to music video, "Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend" from the film Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1953). The
performance is filmed mostly in a long shot with pans left and right and
tracking towards the artist – mostly a long take, no or little cuts.
C.
A Hard Day’s Night
(1964) Directed By Richard Lester
Q: What camera
angles, shots, movement & position, are still used today from the ‘Hard Day’s
Night’ Performance music videos?
This video is likely to be the first ever performance music video where we see visuals of the band singing, as nobody had done it before. The video consists of a large variety of shots like high angle, two shots, tilts, establishing shots and close ups.
The whole video is filmed handheld, this is more effective because it follows the documentary style and makes it more realistic for the audience, it makes us feel like we’re watching it unravel and that we are also there. A lot of shots go in and out of the band with people walking in front of the camera and it gives us the impression that there aren’t even cameras there.
During the filming of this video there might have been multiple
cameras used rather than just one, because some of the shots switch back and
forth from in front and behind them, there is even a high angle shot that is
coming from the lighting rails is the studio and zooms outwards. This
particular shot is interesting because it almost feels as if you’ve stumbled
across the band and you aren’t supposed to be there because they are all
engaged with each other rather than an audience.
Richard
Lester helped formalise and establish the codes and conventions of how to film
a band;
1. Close
ups of lead singer,
2. Cutaways
of instruments being played,
3. Filming
band together and separately,
4. Cutting
to the beat of the song, on the beat transitions/cuts
5. Filming
a live performance with multiple cameras.
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(2)
By CLASSIC we
mean the phase of music videos which established the conventions in its most
successful & defining period (The 1980’s)
A.
Michael Jackson: Beat It/Thriller
B.
The Buggles: Video killed the
Radio Star (1st August 1981 – First ever MTV broadcast)
Q: Discuss what the
appeal was of MTV in the 1980’s? Analyse in relation to Thriller/Video killed
the radio star
(Think in terms of pop culture at
that time, TV as a medium, importance to record sale etc.)
In the 1980’s, technology had been developing and music developed alongside it. MTV was founded in 1981 and provided a platform of entertainment for audiences.
Michael Jackson’s ‘Thriller’ was one of the most iconic videos at the time, it isn’t like an ordinary music video from the era. Most were upbeat and fun songs which you could typically dance to and the videos would be bright and colourful. Thriller was more like a short film and the effects involved in the video were quite realistic which made it slightly scary. The scariness would have attracted an audience and then created a buzz just like horror films do nowadays, and people talking about it would instantly intrigue others and get MTV more views. Dance also evolved a lot in the 80’s, so MTV screening upbeat and fun songs would attract those having dance parties, Michael Jackson was also a very talented dancer.
Any artists that want a breakthrough relied on MTV as a major promotional platform because songs broadcasted on the channel usually became hits.
(3)
By PARODY we mean videos that have mimicked famous music videos
in some comical way
A. Weird
Al Jankovic: Eat it (Parody of Beat it)/Amish Paradise (Coolio/Gangster
Paradise)
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(4)
By DECONSTRUCTION we mean videos which have taken the generic elements
of another music video and amalgamated them into something else (homage)
One
of the best-known examples of DECONSTRUTION
is Madonna's 1985 video for "Material Girl" (directed by Mary
Lambert) which was closely modelled on Jack Cole's staging of "Diamonds Are a Girl's Best
Friend" from the film Gentlemen
Prefer Blondes.
Q: Discuss what elements of the Marilyn Monroe musical scene are
borrowed by Madonna? Think in terms of the Similarities of Mise en scene: location,
setting, costumes, props, body language etc.
It is clear that Madonna’s ‘Material Girl’ video took lots of inspiration from Marilyn Monroe’s ‘Diamonds Are a Girl’s Best Friend’ video from the very start. Madonna is wearing a very similar style and coloured dress as Marilyn except it is slightly less vibrant. It is noticeable that she is wearing jewellery in the exact same positions and her hair is styled to look similar as well. The men surrounding her are holding the red hearts just like the ones in Marilyn’s, however Marilyn’s look a bit pop art-like. Another thing taken from Marilyn is the black straps with the diamonds on them, Madonna is seen with the men surrounding her with them at the beginning.
It is clear that Madonna’s ‘Material Girl’ video took lots of inspiration from Marilyn Monroe’s ‘Diamonds Are a Girl’s Best Friend’ video from the very start. Madonna is wearing a very similar style and coloured dress as Marilyn except it is slightly less vibrant. It is noticeable that she is wearing jewellery in the exact same positions and her hair is styled to look similar as well. The men surrounding her are holding the red hearts just like the ones in Marilyn’s, however Marilyn’s look a bit pop art-like. Another thing taken from Marilyn is the black straps with the diamonds on them, Madonna is seen with the men surrounding her with them at the beginning.
Also
Robert Palmers: Addicted to Love was deconstructed by Shania Twain’s: Man I
feel like a woman
