Music Video Evaluation: Question 2

Below, I have shown my emaze presentation that develops Question 2 of my music video and ancillary task evaluation.

Final Music Video: Railings pt.2 by Apex

Music Video Research: Why do bands make music videos?

There are many reasons as to why bands and music artists in general make music videos and these vary within their reasoning.



By making a music video, artists are able reach a wider audience by creating a music video. Music videos can be viewed by audiences in the traditional way through TV programs such as MTV. However, due to the increase in popularity of the internet and websites such as Youtube, artists have begun to make music videos more often that will get uploaded to these sorts of sites. These videos will then gain views and the more views these videos get; the more money the artist will make from the revenue that the adverts on the videos earn. More artists are now able to upload their videos to youtube and reach a wider audience whilst also making the same money that they would if they were to only show their video on television etc.


Music videos also allow artists to create themselves an image. Audiences are able to view music videos which means the artists are able to make themselves appear however it is that they, or their record labels, wish for them to look. This image can then be progressed throughout their career and as their fans grow older, the image of the band often tends to grow more mature also. One prime example of this would be the band One Direction who began their careers as more "childish, teenage heart throb" type people, but have nowadays, progressed into being seen as a more mature and serious group.

Music Video Research: Conventions of Music Videos and Electronic Music Videos

Within each genre of music, there are codes and conventions in which the music videos for certain tracks commonly follow. This is the same with indie, rock, rap, folk etc. and each genre of music will have different conventions that are commonly used within its music videos. For example, in indie rock videos, an audience would expect to see live instruments such as guitars and drums being used in a performance; black and white, gritty scenes and locations and dark colours being used etc. Good examples of this would be music videos from bands such as Arctic Monkeys and Royal Blood.

The genre of the track that I have chosen to carry out my coursework on is Electronic music. This genre of music has many sub genres within it such as House, Drum and Bass, Dubstep etc. and so Electronic Music videos seem to carry the same conventions with them. These conventions include things such as:

- The use of live performances within Electronic Music Videos is a common theme throughout. Often, huge crowds are shown to be dancing wildly at live gigs that the particular artist is playing; whether this be at a festival or a gig at a certain venue. This convention is shown in music videos such as Benny Benassi - House Music.




- Commonly, electronic music videos do not make a lot of sense to the viewers. This convention is shown in music videos such as Rudimental - Feel the Love.




- However, in some electronic music videos, there is a large emphasis on narrative and often when narrative is used, it is a narrative about a couple and a relationship. Examples of this are in Passion Pit - Carried Away and Wilkinson - Afterglow.

Music Video Research: Analysis of 4 Music Videos

Above, I have analysed 4 music videos, 3 of which relate to the genre of the music video that I plan to do as part of my coursework and 1 that does not but was good for me to analyse.

Music Video Research: Andrew Goodwins Theory of Music Videos

Andrew Goodwin devised a theory in which all music videos could be analysed by using. This theory includes 5 technical aspects that are used to analyse music videos; these are;




1. Thought Beats


2. Narrative and Performance


3. The Star Image


4. Relation of visuals to song


5. Technical aspects of music videos





I will be using this in the future to analyse a variety of music videos that do and do not relate to the genre of music that I have chosen to carry out my media coursework.