Music videos Essay

‘’Music videos have changed drastically over time and are now unrecognisable from their historical counterparts’'

Question
‘’Explore this statement and discuss how true you believe this to be. Use a range of older example s and contemporary examples. Use some basic media theory to back up your ideas’’

In this essay I will discuss the statement made and seeing if music videos have really changed as much as he says it has. I will be using the same genre of music in different time periods to see if there is a difference between the new and old music videos. I will compare the music videos by using like ‘’Laura Mulvey’s Male gaze’’ theory, ‘’Corteau Hoynes the Effects Model’’ and ‘’ Andrew Goodwins ideas on Narrative, Performance and concept Narrative’’.


History of music videos
The first type of music video was in 1894 when images were projected onto the screen whilst there was a rendition of little lost child. In 1900 there were illustrated songs which captured cinema goers’ attention as they could sing along to the video. In 1925 there were music videos in the theatres which encouraged audiences to sing by a bouncy ball which bounced on the lyrics so the audiences could sing along with the song easier. Later on these became common elements of children’s TV shows. In the 1960’s the Beatles combined music and movies which allowed them to market and express themselves through music videos. Many rock and roll bands followed their lead and used music videos to share their performances on televised music variety shows. In 1974 paved the way with countdown and paves which created teen orientated music programs.


Laura Mulvey’s Male Gaze Theory
This is the theory that women are objects of desire purely for males to look at. Mulvey believes that the audience has to view the film or music video from a heterosexual male’s perspective and that’s why they were seen as such objects. In the earlier music videos the male gaze was used a lot in hip hop and R&B videos, and was criticized for being soft porn in a lot of videos. For instance in DR DRE’s and 2 Pac’s California Love females were used as objects lot to attract the male audience. Modern day videos are somewhat different but not completely. The director of Jason Derulo’s Trumpet’s the director took females into consideration and Jason Derulo was sexualised and seen as an object to be looked at. Although the Male Gaze theory is still in music videos this is shown in Nicki Minaj’s Spaceships where she sexualised and seen as an object like older R&B videos.


Andrew Goodwin’s Theory
He says that music videos are often constructed by the link between the visuals, lyrics and the music plus the artist. Relationships are built between these in the video, and the close-ups of the artists give them the representation and publicity they require. Record labels demand artists to create a video which will sell records. Goodwin also says that a music video is ALWAYS one of the 3, performance, narrative or concept based videos.

Performance based is where the artist appears in part of the music video. Narrative this is where the music video tells a story in the lyrics for example a relationship split up. Concept is where the video is based around an idea which is unusual or surreal for the audience.


Performance music videos is the most used music videos partly because it’s the easiest way to make a music video also because it’s the best way to advertise the artist and a lot of the time it is what the audience want. The Madonna music videos always used performance music videos because people wanted to see her perform as well as sing. This is very similar to Beyoncé in her videos where she is the only thing which the camera focuses on and therefore promotes her as an artist also like Madonna people want to see her dance moves and perform as well as hear sing.


Before in music videos there were very little narrative music videos as no one done it well before. But since Eminem’s Stan which is said to be one of the best narrative videos ever it has been used more and more used. Narrative music videos are like a short film they go through the five stages. First there is equilibrium where everything is settled and normal. Second there is dis-equilibrium where something happens which unsettles the equilibrium. Then there is recognition that dis-equilibrium has happened then there is reparation of the dis-equilibrium. Finally there is a new equilibrium where everything becomes settled. Narrative music videos are often on slow songs so that the song can go with the video better.


Concept is the most unused music video of them all and is used in mostly rock videos when they are trying to be different and entertaining. It has been rare when one is successful and therefore haven’t been used much since first tried.