An american film director, producer, screenwriter and actor, Spike Jonze (born Adam Spiegel) has been active in the media industry since 1989, most recently directing films such as Her and Where the Wild Things Are. Jonze is also well-known for his music video direction, directing the the following music videos, which have received high praise and stellar reception from critics:
A music video's design can be as vital as that of a film's; the music video must deliver its narrative and promotion in a relatively small time scale. Its mise en scene, and editing must all converge towards a single message, a single direction. Complicated narratives must be explained clearly and concisely on screen - this is where music video directors become invaluable - succeeding in this regard, while'st being grounded in a great song, has its rewards through critical acclaim and praise. Ultimately however, a director's success in a music video is often proportional to the quality of the song they are working with. In either case, one assists the other in a kind of synergy.
An example of a music video that was subject to heavy direction is The Shoes' "Time to Dance" :
Directed by Daniel Wolfe, "Time to Dance" has Jake Gyllenhaal play the part of a troubled young man with murderous tendencies. He stalks various nightclubs and the other places where young people gather to party, isolating and killing them to satiate some form of blood-lust or anger within him. The video itself accompanies a club/punk dance track, which seems appropriate given that his murders are linked to areas where we find people dancing. This, almost short film, received praise from critics and was rated quite highly. It was nominated for 'best music video' at the Camerimage awards 2012
Another music video of Wolfe's, "Iron Sky" was once again nominated for 'best music video' at the Camerimage awards 2014:
In both videos, we can see that although the lyrics of the song are not directly linked to the visual content of each video, they are edited and filmed in a fashion that hints of the each mise en scene's relevance to the song it accompanies. For instance, Time to Dance is club/dance music, with the video's setting and film locations such as nightclub-london with a generally dark ambiance. In Iron Sky we see that a community of people are tormented by some form of nagging pain; a kind of migraine that can only be soothed by smoking something called "Aurora". The precise nature of this pain is unclear - at a point in the video, we see a woman wearing a headscarf, bleeding from the nose; perhaps these people are suffering from brain tumors? In any case, a clear message is present; these people, be they suffering physically or mentally, want to be free from the pain and free from their suffering. The lyrics of the song refer to this, making it a relevant music/video accompaniment.
Needless to say, a good music video draws more attention to the music behind it, which is where the importance of music video directors comes in to play. Wolfe has carefully crafted a narrative in each music video that bears relevance to the music behind it, while at the same time remaining original and unique in its delivery - embellishing the lyrics of the song without conforming to the usual visual content expected of music videos of each of their respective genre and in general. The length of time in which Wolfe had to include footage for each song was relatively quite lengthy, and in both cases we see that he has capitalised and has made what appear to be short films; Both of the videos in question introduce us to a narrative - a narrative that appears to continue beyond the footage we see without an obvious conclusion, but a narrative nonetheless - it allows the viewer to invest their interest into the music video, and by that, the music.
Released in may 2009, Dizzee Rascal's "Bonkers" song caused quite a stir in the music charts of the time; it peaked at no.1 in the UK charts for dance purposes and general consumption, ending the year as the 15th most popular song in the UK. In the UK and Australia, Dizzee's album has reached platinum status.
"Bonkers" is considered to be grime, hip/electro-house in genre. In the music video, we see Dizzee dancing frequently, addressing the viewer directly as he is often looking at the camera. It is here that we can also observe the camera distortion effects that are in play; as the lyrics go, "Some people think I'm bonkers" - his possible insanity is represented through the distortion of the world around him; camera and lens effects are used to warp the shape of objects to create a sense of confusion and disorientation. This is clearly a link between the visual-audible content of the song, where we see the world through the eyes of Dizzee and that world is indeed 'bonkers'.
As is the convention of grime/electro-house music, the music video includes scenes of club dancing, albeit in strange, semi dream-state locations. The setting is that of a generally urban theme, which lends strength to the song's purpose as music for modern consumers. The content of the music video has been deliberately selected to strengthen the song's intended purpose - one of which would be its use as a club/dance track. The song's genre is geared towards this demographic of course, so including this imagery allows for the music video to appeal to the audience that would likely be watching.
Dizzee Rascal himself is centre-stage for the duration of the music video (excluding some shots of a crowd dancing). Whenever the camera warps the screen, for the most part, the screen is warped around him. Overall these are techniques of artist promotion and narrative story-telling; Dizzee is the most important thing on screen,. It's his song. It's his album. The world in the music video bends around him, it hinges on him; he's at the centre of the universe, in his video. This is promoting his power as an artist and ensures that no viewer may escape the fact that they are watching a music video made by Dizzee Rascal. His face is the symbol of his music, one might say.
As is the band's usual style, Mumford & Sons' "Hopeless Wanderer" consists of a folk/country music sound, with elements of rock. The music video itself has the actual band members singing while actors mime the song in a comical fashion. (The actors present have appeared in films such as 'Hangover' and 'Horrible Bosses'). The real band is not present throughout the video. The lyrics of the song are upbeat in their own right - perhaps this is why the direction of the music video was tailored towards a more comical performance; it's a performance that could only have been carried out convincingly by actors perhaps, whom have appeared in various comedy films prior to this video. It is a light-hearted song that seeks instill energy within the listener. The actors themselves are fairly well-known amongst mature audiences; perhaps they were also used as a means of drawing in greater attention from viewers to the real band.
The visual content of the music video is that of the dusty, seemingly American outback; the colours present are generally browns and yellows, indicating that the desired setting and indeed place of filming is that of rural locations and perhaps set in a time or place where the usually cold tones of modern, urbanised society are not present. The overall effect of this is that the music video seems warm, comfortable and light-hearted; the music video and indeed the lyrics themselves are not intended to insight any brooding thought as it is energetic, enjoyable and homely in its visual and audible content.
At the beginning of the song we see the (acting) band members walking with their respective instruments, some stumbling with them. They appear to be nomadic; traveling without a place to rest. The look exhausted. Indeed, they are wandering; The music video's title states this clearly enough. This reveals a visual-lyrical link that is present, which strengthens the narrative and lyrics of the music video as the message is being carried out by the actors on screen to bring about a complete representation of what the actual band's song stands for.
As is a convention of folk/country bands, the music video is shot in rural locations; dry-grass fields, barns, cabins; these are all locations commonly associated with country and folk music - a director's decision that was made with the intention of strengthening the song's position as a country/folk-rock musical work. The style of dress of the actors is also constructed to suit this rural image; the general mise en scene of the music video has been constructed to abide by the conventions of Mumford & Sons' musical genre - it created solidarity in the purpose of their work and in the fanbase that the band targets as its primary consumer.
The actors themselves have been directed to appear similar to each of the real band members. For instance, the lead singer and the cello player have similar facial hair to the real band members who would be in their place; The actors have been directed to mimic the behavior and appearance of the real band members, as a means of promoting the band's physical image and thereby its brand-image.
"Run Boy Run" is a track from an album called "The Golden Age", written by Woodkid. (Real name Yoann Lemoine). The song is considered to be Baroque pop in genre, as It's overall sound is heavily orchestral, yet the lyrics can be considered as mainstream with a clear and repetitive structure.
The music video itself is strong in visual theme - other tracks from the same album share the same stark colour scheme, and an emphasis on an overarching narrative linking together tracks in the album.
Analysing "Run Boy Run" Using Goodwin's Theory
As the lyrics and the name of the song state, this song is indeed about a young boy running - but to or from what? In the opening sequence of the music video, we see a cut transition from black reveal a building. The camera angle is that of a long shot, elevated slightly or far enough out to appear to be level with the centre of the building. It is here, where we can appreciate the stark, black and white post processing behind the music video, lasting throughout its entirety. As the camera zooms in slightly, we see a small figure run out of an entrance on the building's right side. There's no music yet, only the toll of a bell. This opening shot is effective in setting the tone for the rest of the music video, and gives clues and makes references to the overarching narrative behind the inspiration for the events that are to follow in the video.
Cutting to a mid-shot of the boy running with the camera in pursuit at his side, the lyrics and soundtrack of the song now kick in; Immediately, "run boy run" is spoken by the singer, and there's a literal connection between what is being sung and what we are seeing on-screen. The boy is not singing however, as the voice is almost transcendent of the action occurring on-screen - the singer, though he does not appear in the video, is guiding the boy, encouraging him to keep running. The music video conforms to Goodwin's points in that the song's lyrics are related to the on-screen imagery, and also that the tone of the song is reflected through the mise en scene of the footage we see, being an orchestral, epic dash to boy's objective.
"Rap" is a relatively new genre of music, and is incredibly popular amongst younger music consumers. Rap artists will usually perform solo, often 'rapping' about an issue or experience that a younger audience will relate to, or even aspire to. In many Rap music videos, we often find a mise-en-scene of material wealth, pool parties, private clubs and sexualized women. It is because of the latter that the target audience of rap artists are often male audiences, though the genre is still popular amongst female audiences-- female rap artists such as Nicki Minaj and Iggy Azalea are leading the way in this regard, though they still in some part conform to the commonly associated sexualized image of women in the rap genre.
R&B
R&B (Rhythm and Blues) has shifted in its meaning over the course of its existence as a genre of music. In R&B's early stages, the genre was considered to be comprised primarily of African-American artists, who were increasing in popularity alongside the rise of 'Jazz' and 'Rocking' music during the 1940's to 1960's. Today, R&B still carries the association that the genre generally features black artists, such as Mariah Carey, Whitney Houston and Stevie Wonder.
Rock
Rock is an expansive genre, exploding outwards from roots held in 1940's music culture. Here are some examples of Rock Sub-genres:
A performance on stage by the Red Hot Chili Peppers
*Glam Rock *Gothic Rock *Grunge Rock *Hard Rock *Indie Rock *Heavy Metal *Emo
And many more! Rock is considered to have origins in the 1940's United States "Rock and Roll" music scene, supposedly influenced by "rhythm and blues" and country music. The most commonly used instruments of modern Rock are the electric guitar, electric bass guitar and drums.
Pop
Said to have origins in 1950's America, 'Pop' can be described most simply as 'popular music' - that is, the genre of Pop is highly accessible to audiences ranging from middle-age to the majority of young people. Often in Pop, repetition of a clear chorus is essential in allowing for a vast audience to immediately recognize and absorb the lyrics of the song; it's how the song spreads to its listeners. (A catchy song is a successful song!)
The CD album front cover to Katy Perry's "One of the Boys" album. Released 2008.
Figures such as Michael Jackson and Madonna are considered some of Pop's most renown artists, with flavors of Pop, such as 'Bubblegum Pop', being introduced by artists such as Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera in the 1990's.
Goodwin had identified five key points that are present in music videos:
1. A Relationship between the images shown and music heard.
The music of the song will, in some form, be relevant or deliberately contradictory to the images displayed in the video. For example, you may expect to see images of grungy, dark and seemingly improvised stage surroundings when listening to heavy metal music.
2. The visual content of the video will, in some form, link to the lyrics of the song.
This has the effect of making the video and the lyrics relevant to each other and therefore allows for the amplification of lyrics, or inversely, the video's content. The relationship between the visual and audible content can also strengthen the narrative/message present in the song.
3. Music videos will usually conform to genre characteristics.
One might expect that a rap artist, for example, will often produce music videos that include images that are widely associated with the rap genre- In this case, mostly material wealth and objectified women. In conforming to/abiding by the associated characteristics of their music genre, music video creators can establish their target audience and in turn allow for that same target audience to relate to the music video they are watching, and easily identify its genre.
4. An iconic image will often be present and focused upon.
As an example, the pop boy-band "One Direction" will produce music videos that focus greatly on each of the five members, as they are well known and well liked by the majority of listeners interested in the pop genre. A similar example would also be "The Beatles". In both cases, the two appeal to their target audience through the popularity of their band members- Music videos do well to focus on their respective iconic imagery, as this will define the identity of the music video and assist in gaining attention and a maximum number of viewers.
5. The demands of the record label will include the need for close ups of the artist and the artist may develop motifs across their work. This is often achieved through a 'visual style'.
6. Intertextual references are often present.
Music videos may include intertextual references sourced from other music videos, or other media such as films. These references allow for the music video to tap into the culturally relevant trends/ideas circulating in a viewer's mind. In including intertextual references in a music video, a kind of synergy occurs when the viewer thinks about the film (as an example) that the music video has referred to. Ultimately, this bolsters the appeal of the music video through relating to the audience and appealing to culturally/socially significant themes present in the respective target audience demographic.
Today, music videos are a means for music producers to better advertise songs, and the artists performing them. The world's current technological advances, in areas such as smartphone technology and web 2.0, allow for many convenient methods in which the consumer may view these videos, thus, in more recent years, music videos have become highly popular.
This effort of convergence is what drives the producer's renown and the spreading of the Artist's/Music's popularity, as videos can be viewed by most the population in modern countries, where the majority of their target audience will be situated.
1890's-"Illustrated songs"
late 1800's 'Magic Lantern'
The precursor to music videos, "Illustrated songs" first emerged in 1894, where artists projected a series of still images to convey narrative/aspects of a song.
"Magic lanterns" produced the still images seen, accompanying the live musical performances heard by the audience.
1920-1960's-"Talkies", "Soundies", "Shorts"
"Talkies" were a form of musical performance comprised of projected images that were used to give meaning/expression to the music being played out of the audience's view. "Talkies" could be considered as the precursor to modern day music video media, as it was one of the first uses of visual media to express, promote and accompany sound media in a kind of synergy.
"Soundies" were a new form of media sensation, deploying the use of recorded video footage of staged and theatrical performances. The majority of these performances were of bands, as these bands dominated the music scene at the time.
The rise of MTV
Launching in 1981, MTV is an American basic cable satellite and television channel based in Los Angeles. MTV's initial purpose was to play music videos lead by well-known television personalities, with the aim of appealing to a younger audience, consisting of mainly adolescences and teenagers. MTV has been credited for tapping into and amplifying various cultural changes in the music industry, shifting regularly to meet the current demand from a dynamic audience demographic.
As of 2013, approximately 86% of american households with at least a single television receive MTV.
Modern media consumption-how has this affected the music industry?
Web 2.0-
Web users, since the introduction of 2.0, have become considerably more 'active' in the way they consume media. Users can now actively comment on and search for what they want to consume, and in some cases, thereby directly affect the producers/creators of the media themselves.
Technology-
Advancing technology has demanded a rapid evolution of the music industry; smartphones and other highly portable and convenient means of media consumption are now centre stage, and have revolutionized many aspects of modern media consumption. Because of this, in recent years CD's and other non-digitised means of music consumption have been in decline.
