Steve Archer

In addition to looking at Andrew Goodwin’s key elements of music videos I looked at Steve Archer in Media Magazine 8 has drawn attention to the key elements of music videos:

•Lyrics
Lyrics are one of the most important elements of a music video they are used to create a feeling, mood or portray a subject matter rather than offering an obvious meaning. It is rare in a music video that the lyrics will be simply illustrated however key lines may be shown through visuals associated with the song.

•Music music video’s use the music for a number of things; They can use the tempo of the song to lead the editing, They can lengthen or shorten clips to fit with the music and create a mood or they may emphasis certain sounds in the song by using performance of instrumental solo’s such as guitar, piano or drum.

•Genre
Some songs may fit easily into one genre or they may fall in too many different categories which makes it hard to document their common forms and conventions. The majority of music channels concentrate on particular music genres such as ‘Kiss’ focuses on mainly Hip-hop, R n B and Chart hits whereas Skuzz plays Rock, Metal and Indie music. If you watch these channels over and over you will start to see common characteristics of different genres. These common conventions may be within mise-en-scene, themes, performance, editing styles, camera angles etc.

•Camerawork
The use of camera within moving image text is very important, as how the camera is used and how images are sequenced has a dramatic impact on the meaning. Camera movement, angle and shot distance all need to be analysed. The movement of the camera can be used to link with the movement of the performers such as when they are dancing or walking but it can also be used to create a dynamic feel to a video by for example circling the band as they perform on stage. Close up shots are used a lot to create an intimacy for the viewer. The use of camera angles can also be used to create the idea of representation.

•Editing
The most common form of editing used in music videos is fast-cut montage which normally shows no clip longer than 3 seconds. This type of editing means many of the images are impossible to grasp on the first viewing, this is a clever tool by the encoder as this means that multiple viewings will be needed therefore making their audience want to see the video again and again. However some videos use slow pace editing with gentler transitions to create a certain mood, this type of editing is used in many female solo artists videos. Often accompanying editing techniques are digital effects such as split screens, blurred images, enhancing brightness and contrast and CGI special effects; these are all used to create a visual spectacle for the audience.

•Intertextuality
Intertextuality is where a media text references another text within it. This is commonly used in music videos as if the audience spot the reference they receive a great pleasure and feel flattered by this. However if the audience doesn’t spot the references there will be no detraction from their pleasure in the text. Audiences also may feel more engaged with the product, which is important in this competitive industry. A good example of intertextuality would be in the music video ‘Mr Brightside’ by The Killers which has references to the film The Moulin Rouge or Geri Hallowell’s ‘Raining men’ video which used classic scenes from the films Flashdance and Fame. Music videos don’t just reference films; they can reference TV programmes, current events, people or even other music videos.

•Narrative and Performance
Narrative in songs, as in poetry, is rarely complete and often fragmentary. This is the in music promos, which tend to suggest story-lines or offer complex fragments in non-linear order, leaving the viewer with the desire to see them again.
The Video allows the audience more varied access to the performer than a stage performance can. the close-up, allowing eye contact and close observation or facial gestures, and role play, within a narrative framework, present the artist in a number or ways not possible in a live concert; This creates more of a visual spectacle which is more entertaining for the viewer.

This key elements are important in music videos to make them entertaining for the audience. These elements will help me with my own music video and I will refer back to them to make sure that I take them into account