Music Video Theories

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Various theorists and their viewpoints on
"Music Videos"

Theorists that I have used in my music video research/case study

Laura Malvi
Seven E Carlson
Andrew Goodwin
John Stewart
Steve Archer
Michael Shores 

Andrew Goodwin's Theories

According to Andrew Goodwin, there are following characteristics in a music video:

*Genre Characteristics: When a music video represents the features of its genre. e.g: Music videos by "Evanescence" (band) show the characteristics of the genre of the band (which is "Gothic rock") by presenting dark, spiritual, fantasy, and supernatural elements and mese-en-scene in the music videos (including sounds, visuals, tone, characters, location, story, styling etc).

*Relationship between Lyrics and Visuals: When the meaning of the song/lyrics is clearly shown through the visuals.

e.g: "You belong with me" music video by "Taylor Swift" has relationship between its lyrics and visuals in most of the scenes. Following are some examples of such scenes in that music video.

You're on the phone with your girlfriend

She's cheer captain

And I'm on the bleachers

*Relationship between the music and the visuals: The tone of the music is according to the visuals and matches the situation being showed in the music video. e.g: Louder music on the climax (like louder and aggressive music on a bomb blast, and a slow and sad music when someone in pain is being showed).

E.g:  "My heart will go on" music video (which contains scenes from the movie "Titanic") by Celine Dion, starts with a slower and a low pitched music when a love story is being showed in its first half. And then in the second half of the music video, the tone of the music changes and it also becomes louder and faster when they show the Titanic being destroyed, lovers getting away from each other, and people in pain etc.

Such visuals were being showed with pleasant

and low pitched music (in the first half of the music video).

Such Visuals were being showed with the louder, aggressive,

and high pitched music (in the second half of the music video).

*Record label demands

Institutions may include their demand for loads of closeups of the artist/star for marketing purposes & the artist may develope motifs which occur across their work.

Example: NO-Meghan Trainor

*References to the "notion of looking"

 Voyeuristic treatment of female bodies, involved more than viewed, and sells the artist using their sexuality. It usually includes stages and mirrors that focus on the artist. Artists make an eye contact with each other or the audiences by breaking the third wall between the audiences and the artists (by looking into the camera).

Examples

Justin Bieber-Confident

Selena Gomez-Come and get it

*Intertextuality

Intertextuality is a very common phenomena in the modern and post modern music videos (taking references from the already existing media texts).

Example: Taylor Swift-Love story (it is based on Romeo & Juliate play)

Sven E Carlson

Sven E Carlson believed in Binary Opposition (to divide the music videos into black and white boxes. It is a very common technique in the music videos to drive the narrative forward. There are 3 main types; Commercial exhibitionist, television bard, and electronic shayman.

There are 3 main types;

1. Commercial Exhibitionist
2. Televised Bard
3. Electronic Shayman

*Commercial exhibitionist

According t this concept,  music videos make the performer/star, not the performer himself. It debates that the artist creates a persona and sells the music  using their sexuality and body image. They sell their body, voice, face, style etc.  Artists like Beyonce, Lady Gaga, and Britney Spears (who are very popular, and have a very sexy image), use their sexuality and star image to promote their music.

Lady Gaga-Alejandro

Beyonce-Crazy in love

Britney Spears-Toxic

*Television Bard

The artist tells us a story and we see it happening through the singing at different locations, and in different images.

Example: Selena Gomez-Love you like a love song 

*Electronic Shayman

When the artist (character f the artist) has magical powers.

Example: Katy Perry-Dark horse

says that there are certain things used in the music videos: Recycled styles, male fantasies, information over loaded, sex, power, wealth, women, soft core pornography, cliche'd imagery.

Micheal Shores

Example: Fifth Harmony-Worth it

"Fifth Harmony" girls are seen looking and acting like Beyonce, Britney spears (other commercial exhibitionist stars), the music video is based on sex, power, objectifying women, and voyeurism.

Steve Archer

There is a strong relationship between the narrative and performance

Example: Akcent-My passion

In this music video, the band performs and also acts as the good spirits who help the two lovers.

John Stewart

Claimed that the music videos have the characteristics of TV commercials, lots of closeups and lighting is  used to focus on the star's face. There are visual references in the music video that come from a different of sources, although three most common are; Cinema, Fashion, Art photography.

Example: Taylor Swift-Style

Laura Malvi

Malvi is a feminist theorist who believed that we still live in a patrician society. She believed that women are considered as the objects of giving pleasure to men. This techniques of voyeurism is applied in most of the music videos (not all the music videos). Example: Akon-I wanna love you