conventions of music video : Research No. 3

In order to use, develop or even challenge the forms and conventions of music videos, we must first be able to understand them.This will require me to investigate each individual different area within music video. Upon doing this, Nikil and I can conduct our own investigations which will show us first hand experience of what the general public want to see within the music video we will create.

To aid us in our research regarding Music Videos, we have decided to create a questionnaire and our sample group is 100 people of both genders and their ages range from between 13 - 60 years. The purpose is to try and define what type of music is most popular for creating music videos, how long is the preferred average music video and what sort of content is most ideal for the public. Below is the questionnaire which I will hand out to 100 participants:

1.) What genre of music videos do you like to watch?
a.) County & Western b.) Drum & Bass c.) Pop d.) R & B e.) Rock

2.) What do you like to see portrayed in a music video?
a.) Love relationship b.) Band orientated story c.) News + Politics d.) Imagery of the Future

3.) Which of the following would you want see more?
a.) Cartoon Animations b.) The Band playing c.) Computer Generated Graphics


The results of my questionnaire shows a number of different results. You can see that there is a trend where the majority of people who took the questionnaire prefer to watch music videos based on Pop music (52% of the results) that has a love relationship involved in the footage (66% of the results) as well as the additional of some footage of the band actually playing (87% of the results). These results will help me narrow down what type of song I should create for a music video and what to include within it. Doing this would allow my music video to attract the vaster majority of the general public as I have found out what is preferred amongst the public.

Synaesthesia Research No. 2

I now needed to achieve an idea of how to create my music video. In order to do this, I would have to start a psychological process called "Synaesthesia", where you picture many things like inspirational ideas, but mainly sounds, within your mind. This is paramount in the circumstances of understanding music videos, as they assemble on the soundtracks visual aspects and associations to establish a connection with the audience and to exercise the providence of any possible, additional pleasure.

Within this approach you would need to begin with the actual music/symphony and to establish an understanding of how the song works by taking into account the way it has been stacked and piled on with sound. To begin, lyrics do not need to be analysed and compared word for word throughout, but considered for the what they show the mood and general feeling to be. The lyrics are vital as they create the subject matter and storyline. Key Phrases, the Chorus and Key Lines will have a meaning and a part to play in the visuals associated within the song.

Roland Barthes created his theory about the "Grain of Voice". It means that the singing voice is more of an expressive instrument, personal and unique to the singer, therefore being able to create and develop associations in itself. Barthes believes that this should result in a lot more close-up camera shots on the singer, as they should be identified as the most important person in the band.

Voices of the songs may contain trademarks that work with the start image, for example, Micheal Jackson's yelp, which defines him apart from other singers. Having the singer as the story teller makes the music video stand out to others on TV, as they have " a first person mode of address" instead of the hidden "fourth wall" of TV narration.

Outline on Music Videos

A music video is a short piece of video or film which includes a full song. Music artists use music videos mainly for promoting their albums. Around the 1980’s, music videos were first coming into production and being played on the first music channels – MTV and VH1.

Pop-Up Video
Pop-Up Video is a VH1 television show that "popped up" Bubble — officially called "information nuggets" — containing wry witticisms and trivia throughout music videos. The show was created by Woody Thompson and Tad Low and premiered October 27, 1996. For a time, it was the highest-Nielsen Ratings program on VH1, until "Behind the Music" had overtaken it by 1998. Although VH1.com still listed Pop-Up Video in its programming roster, it has not been aired regularly on the network since it was ended on August 8, 2002, and the show's page is now an error page, meaning that it cannot be displayed any more.

It used to run on Canada's MuchMusic and MuchMoreMusic. The show, until recently, aired nightly on VH1 Europe, but is currently run only on special occasions, such as Pop-Up Video weekends. As of December 2006, Pop-Up Video airs on VH1 Classic.

Dancing in the Distraction Factory
This is a book of which I was recommended to read by my media teacher. He said that it is a comprehensive, integrated analysis of MTV which provides new ways to understand television and popular music narratives. Reading it would help boost my knowledge of music videos in order to assist me make the guideline to creating my own.

The author of the book, Andrew Goodwin, has an approach that is multidisciplinary, highly detailed, very perceptive-and it works in relation to his ideology about music videos. The industrial approach to music television covers a lot of ground and provides the kind of clear, focused thinking so often lacking in other accounts of MTV. It is a thoroughly researched and annotated book that is accomplished in focusing upon the heart of music television and its relationship with popular culture of today's society.

This book firmly takes on the postmodern analysis of MTV as it deliberately portrays the unmeaningful images which are called in the trade 'blank parodies' of other texts. Goodwin, the author, achieves his ambition to 'advance and reframe' the debates around music video and music television. It's smart context has an impact on the debates surrounding popular culture. Andrew Goodwin’s co-editor, Garry Whannel, is a corresponding editor of the international communications journal Media, Culture, and Society. This has helped Goodwin out as he can prove that he also has an expert's opinion upon his shared ideas.

Mirror Ball
Mirrorball was originally created at the Edinburgh International Film Festival in 1996. Its aim was to prove to the world that the best music videos were worth more than a passing critical
glance and that their directors were talents worth watching. It proclaimed that pop promos, rather than short films, were where the next generation of Hollywood stars would learn and advance their film-making skills.

Mirrorball was a seven part series on shown on Channel 4 in 1999/2000. The program looked at the work of pop promo directors; Spike Jonze, Michel Gondry, Jonathan Glazer, Chris Cunningham and Dawn Shadforth, Jonas Auckland & Roman Coppola With the exception of Dawn Shadforth, Jonas Akerlund & Roman Coppola- all the featured material featured in the Mirrorball programs can be found on the Palm DVD releases "The work of director..."

In the years since it was launched, Mirrorball has co-produced two television series (in conjunction with Blackwatch Productions) for Channel 4. Mirrorball has toured the UK extensively presenting film events at the National Film Theatre, Curzon and at regional film theatres across the country. Mirrorball has also participated in international festivals in Australia, Japan and throughout Europe presenting curated programmes of work by promo directors from all corners of the globe including Sonar Festival, Barcelona and SxSW, Austin.