Why Music Videos?
Essentially, music videos themselves are really just short films. In his book, Money For Nothing: A History of the Music Video from the Beatles to the White Stripes (2007), Saul Austerlitz emphasizes how music videos hold a significant place in the film industry and states,
The history of the music video is that of an underappreciated, critically unnoticed subgenre of filmmaking. It I uncatalogued depths, though, contain a panoply if the brilliant, fascinating, and simply odd, shedding enormous light on pop music, mythmaking, and the enduring limitless possibility of the music video as short film, liberated from the featured-length narrative’s requirements to proceed in logical order, follow an easily gleaned plot, etc. (Austerlitz, 2007, p.5)
Because they have not always been viewed as such, it is important to recognize that music videos have come a long way and have unquestionably changed over time. From the start, the concept of bringing sound and image together musically was purely experimental. In his quest, Austerlitz discovers that one of the very first was set in 1928 where Al Jolson performed The Jazz Singer. For the film industry, this musical format was only made to demonstrate the quality of technology and to capture the tonal distinction of songs. Subsequently, Hollywood musicals extended the idea further through animation and music exploring its capabilities. One of the most unique and influential German filmmakers during that time was Oskar Fischinger. Fischinger tightly synchronized his films’ movement with music. Through his career, he collaborated with composer, Leopold Stokowski and animator, Walt Disney. Some of his composed work can be found in the final version of Fantasia (1940). Austerlitz states that Fantasia was “an avatar for the coming music video genre.” He strongly believes this led films to create a visual world that that complemented musical selections, and more importantly, it foreshadowed the format of music video channels to come.
Scopitones, short-form music clips, were the next innovation of music videos in the 1950s. They primarily represented and addressed parties of young people at play. This responded to the growing teenage rebelliousness of that time, and it set the foundation for Youth-culture films such as Blackboard Jungle (1955) and The Girl Can’t Help It (1956). Austerlitz explains that this “marked rock n’ roll’s newly central place at the nexus of youthful energy, musical innovation, and antiauthoritarian impulse.” These films, along with others like them, implied that the performances themselves such as dancing were part of the narrative. It became the most entertaining aspect of the films.
In the 1960s, music videos were intended to “sell” the music; to quickly cash-in on instant success. The Beatles, considered the innovators of this movement, were the first to broadcast their A Hard Day’s Night music on television in 1964. This was a way to promote their record releases without having to make in-person appearances. It was without a doubt, a successful approach. Nevertheless, Richard Lester, the American film director behind the Beatles’ promotional idea, was the main “precursor”-turning it into a unique musical comedy film by cleverly moving the camera from background to foreground and back again to flow successfully with the music. Following this guide, D.A. Pennebaker directed Bob Dylan’s Subterranean Homesick Blues (1967) in a similar fashion, but adds a slight dramatic feel. According to Austerlitz,
If Lester’s Beatles videos would come to define the highest early realization of music video’s capacity to charm and salesmanship, Subterranean Homesick Blues is its Avant-grade counterpart, unabashedly intellectual and cool where A Hard Day’s Night was physical and warm.
As time progressed, music video directors began to take a creative stands and used this as an opportunity to construct an artistic atmosphere, above all- a mood and space where their viewers can fall into alongside the music itself. The goal was to keep viewers coming back for more, and increase video demand. Austerlitz explains that this was the purpose behind the business model of MTV as well as its other companions that followed in the 1980s. In addition, music videos were also divided into two main categories: performance videos and concept videos. Performance videos, more traditional, were simply the musician/artist performing their song, and this often done in a performance space, a concert setting, or another relatable locale. On the other hand, the concept videos, explained by Austerlitz, “spices up the song with an accompanying visual track, on that tells a story or emphasizes a mood.” Hence the reason behind my selection for this unit.
A good music video can add layers of meaning on top of a song through visual elaboration. If I can get my students to analyze this, they would be implementing a whole host of language and creative thinking skills, while enjoying it in the process. There is no doubt that it is the younger generation that generally loves music: it speaks to them, helps them make sense of their world and has the potential to evoke emotions and feelings. Music videos are also dependent on elements of Mise-en-scène laid out via fast cuts and editing (tied to the music’s rhythm), and including camera angles, purposeful color choices, and distinct lighting to set its tone.
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