A2 Media Music: Development of individual codes

Key innovations in the development of modern music video were mainly recording and editing processes along with other developments such as Chrome: key or green/blue screen.
A ha- take on me (music video) was the 1^st early 80s animation followed by Peter Gabriel ‘Sledgehammer’ 1986.

The advent of high-quality colour videotape recorders and portable video cameras enabled many pop acts to produce promotional videos quickly and cheaply.

In the 90s a number of technical codes become common:

· Most common form of editing associated with the music promo is fast cut montage.

· Many images, impossible to grasp on 1^st viewing thus ensuring multiple viewing.

· Split screens, colourisation are also commonly used effects

· Non-representational techniques, is which the musical artist is never shown, become more common.

· Lack of edits, long take/steadicam also a common experimentation.

Goodwin Music Video analyse

· Andrew Goodwin writing ‘Dancing in the Distraction Factory’ ( Routledge 1992)

1. Music video demonstrate genre characteristics (e.g. stage performance in rock video, dance routine)

2. There is a relationship between lyrics and visuals

3. There is a relationship between music and visuals

4. The demands of the record label will include the need for lots of close ups of the artist and the artist mat develop motifs which means recurs across their work ( a visual style)

5. There is frequently reference to notion of looking (screens within screens, telescopes etc) and particularly voyeuristic treatment of the female body.

6. There is often intertextual reference( to films, TV programmes and other videos etc)

Directors who started with music video include:

David Fincher – Madonna ‘Vogue & Express yourself’

Spike Jonze – Fatboy Slim ‘Praise you’

Michael Gondry - Bjork, Foofighters

Intertextuality

- From Madonna ‘Material Girl’ (Mary Lambert 1985, drawing on ‘diamond are a girl’s best friend’) to 2pad and Dr Dre’s ‘California love’ (Hype Williams 1996, drawing on ‘Mad Max’. Material girl archetype of a sexy blonde.

Madonna and Marilyn evidently show clear similarity in these two pictures. The Mis en scene shows similar bold pink dresses that captures their body and enhances their figures. The diamond jewellery represent the material things and wealth that are meant to be adored by both women. Also groups of men are enclosed around the women making them stand out more to be center of attention.