DiaryBlog Entry 2: Refresh on Analysing and Researching music videos

I have been shown a more detailed way of analysing music videos, than before. From this I shall be able to analyse in professional standard detail, of the concept, design and manifestation of the music videos themselves.

This is achieveable by looking at "Andrew Goodwin's" theory of how music videos are divided up into six different categories.
BUT, first here is the helpful general categorization of music videos on a universal scale:
1. Performance Based - the artist or band is playing the song throughout the video (NB is the performance stage, studio, stadium or location based?)
Good example of this would be my muisic videos

• "Kings and Queens" by "30 Seconds to Mars"
• "Sugar, We're Goin' Down" by "Fall Out Boy"
• "Walking Disaster" by "Sum 41"
• (etc)

This is advantageous to the artist, as it shows the origin of the presented music, promotes how well they can play, and may also try to replicate the experience of how they perform in-front of live audiences, or simply try to set the mood/theme of the artist themselves.
This may also help to connect them in with the concept of the video, if another story is present (through Concept based), as to not confuse the song's artist as someone else.

2. Narrative Based - the video represents the narrative of the song lyrics
This isn't normally achieved, and I have no current examples of this basis, however I have seen it been used in songs to emphasize the meaning of the lyrics within the song. Like presenting the word literally, or presenting the image of the word (like "fire" the video then presents a flame to the audience, etc).
This is also achieved by reoccurring the story within the song, as it's being presented, to fit in time with the plot of the lyrics. This used to be a popular base, yet, due to the style of having videos having NO correlation to the songs lyrics, yet may reflect the theme/mood that the artist wanted to achieve, generated the new artistic look of the medium.

3. Concept Based - single cocnept or idea, often unconventional
This is what I described in the "Narrative Base", this is where the video presents a concept, rather than plot, which may or not relate to the song itself. As said above, this is usually unconventional as this is a more arty approach to the subject.
Relevant examples would be:

• "Sugar, We're Goin' Down" by "Fall Out Boy"
• "Kings and Queens" by "30 Seconds to Mars"
• "Move Along" by "The All American Rejects"
• (etc)

With "Kings and Queens" this was very much expected of "30 Seconds to Mars" as the lead vocalist: "Jared Leto" comes from a film background, so most of the bands actual videos are more like short movies than your simple promotional video.

4. Animation
This is the style of using the medium of Animation within music videos. This can be a full animated piece, or simply having characters (perhaps band members) interacting with the fictional entities. This is used to directly convey imagery to the audience, rather than trying to replicate the intended image in real life.
Such examples (Which I HAVE NOT analyzed) would be:

• "Dig" by "Incubus"
• "Walk Over Me" by "The All American Rejects"
• (etc)

This is used as another unique and current art form within music videos, however, it is considered to be troublesome hiring an animator or designer, including syncing the animations with any real-life interaction (as said before). All in all this isn't a wise choice to use, as I have not got the right equipment, skills or tools necessary to achieve a video on such a high level of quality.

Andrew Goodwin's "Dancing in tyhe Distraction Factory" (Routledge 1992) identified 6 key points within media products (mainly music videos:):

1. Genre Characteristics - Music videos demonstrate gnere characteristics (e.g. stage performance in metal videos, dance routine for boy/girl band).
2. There is a relationship between lyrics and visuals - (either illustrate, amplifying, contradicting). How does what you hear relate to what you see? Are they dancing in time to thew music? Does the editing cut on the beat of the music?
3. There is a relationship between music and visuals - (either illustrative, amplifying, contradicting).
4. The star image of the artist - THe demands of the record label will require lots of close ups of the artist and the artist may develop motifs which recur across their work (a visual style). Lok for the artist close ups, artist logo or iconography.
5. Voyeurism - There is frequently reference to notion of looking or spying (screens with screens, mirror shot, frame-within-frame, unconscious exhibitionism, private view, telescopes, etc) and particularly voyeuristic treatment of the female body. Voyeurism = Pleasure gained from watching (ideally when the object is unaware of being watched). Relate this to gender theory, e.g. Laura Mulvey & the 'male gaze'.
6. Intertextuality - There is often intertextual reference - ie a reference to well known image or phrase from another media text (films, TV programmes, other usic videos etc). Eg. Madonna's Material Girl / Marilyn Monroe's Diamonds are a Girl's Best Friend; Dr Dre's 'California Love' / Mad Max; Sinead O'Connor's Nothing Compares 2U / Jannelle Monae - Cold War

These points I shall have to reference and detail within my own work. Especially the points:

• Illustrative - showing or illustrating the meanings of lyrics and genre clearly
• Amplifying - repeating and emphasising themes, meanings and effects to the viewer
• Contradicting - deliberately abstract or opposite images in the video compared to the lyrics of the song eg. Ratatat - Drugs

That were shown in Goodwin's points. I'll also have to look at the camera angles and shots presented, as to evidence my claims of these points. These shall be a guideline to my analysis and evaluation of videos, along with other guiding concepts, in-order to produce the best quality analysis that I can possibly achieve!