Research techniques for music video - theorists

Theorists - Andrew Goodwin 'Dancing in the Distraction Factory' (1992).

                - Carol Vernallis 'The kindest cut: Functions and meanings of music video editing' (2001).

Goodwin

Goodwin put together a set of key features which apply to all music videos. Not all of the features are included in each video, however at least one feature is complimentary, contradicting or amplified.

Goodwin identified 5 key aspects of music videos that we as an audience see. These are:
- Thought beats - seeing the sound
- Narrative and performance
- The star image
- Relation of visuals to song

- Technical aspects of music video

Thought beats

Looking at the music itself. Here we must take into account the structure of the song e.g. chorus/versus. The lyrics and beat of the song is in keeping with the music video, and often cuts nicely with smooth transitions. Most pop stars and rap artists keep in keeping with this tradition, especially songs featuring predominant and harsh beats, then followed by cuts. An example of this is Lady Gaga's hit song, Applause [1].

Secondly, the voice of the song is important. The artists voice can be extremely unique and can form identification or trademarks that work well with the star image. "pop lyrics are always about both the content of the words (which may often be less of a story and more a series of slogans or linguistic gestures/poses) and the voice/face/character who is singing" [3, page 76]. Roland Barthes theory of 'grain of voice' can be related to this. The singing voice is seen as an expressive instrument, and therefore able to make associations of its own. With modern technology such as radio, we subconsciously identify artists/people with songs played and through constant exposure of repeated songs, this is easy to do.

Goodwin also points out the artists mode of address. Songs can be portrayed as stories, and the artist as the storyteller. Therefore enabling the song to become a communication device with them telling us a story and us as the audience listening. "When a pop singer tells a first-person narrative in a song, he or she is simultaneously both the character in the song and the storyteller. Often the two positions become confused for audiences" [3, page 75].

Narrative and performance

Songs often fail when giving us the complete narrative. We only tend to get the gist of the meaning of the song and then tend to make up our own idea of what is being told. Goodwin explains that music videos should ignore common narrative. It is important in their role of advertising. "How do you explain the power this expressive culture has over young people, especially through its music?" [4, page 152].

Music videos should coherent repeatability. Narrative and performance work hand in hand, and makes it easier for the audience to watch repeatadly, without loosing interest. Most modern music videos are made to either wow and audience by showing them a lifestyle they could only dream of, relate to, or follow due to a plot narrative. Music videos such as Justin Bieber's, As Long As You Love Me combines two of these and shows the female teenage audience a life they aspire to have aswell as a narrative [2]. The artist acting as both narrator and participant helps to increase the authenticity, however the lip sync and other mimed actions remains the heart of music videos. The audience need to believe that it is real. Modern music videos are becoming more obscene and quirky as time passes, with artists such as Lady Gaga leading the way. "Consequently, clothing described in fashion magazines (which might seem to you less real, less interesting than clothes worn in real life) acquires new dimensions as a projection of a collective image-repertoire. It is a medium for images, stereotypes, a great wealth of elements that are not real, it's true, but utopian in nature. In this way, written clothing is akin to movies, comic strips, or popular novels. Finally, there is a stereotyped image of femininity that hides behind the phraseology of fashion magazines" [4, page 58].

The star image

The star image is another vital aspect of music videos, possibly the most important. Meta narrative (which is a big story describing the development of the star over time) has an important part to play in the music video production process. Iconic musicians over time have gained their status and popularity. "An important characteristic of every teenager’s maturation is her self-definition. Self-definition can be defined as the way you see yourself. For teens, that image is influenced to a large extent by personal choices, which are, in turn, influenced by the images and associations teens glean from pop culture on a daily basis" [7]. Pop stars such as Elvis, David Bowie, Elton John, Michael Jackson and Madonna use star image to attract an audience and ensure that their appearance is long remembered. Stars recognise that this technique works, and is used by all genres of music, from pop stars like Beyoncé, Katy Pery and Miley Cyrus, to rockstars like The Rolling Stones, Queen and Kiss.

Relation of visuals to song (illustrate, amplify and disjuncture)

Music videos use a set of images to illustrate the meaning of lyrics and genre, this is common. This is where the meaning of the song is completely ignored. Quite often the lyrics don't match the visuals, and can be a way of expression for the artist. This is similar to repeatability. Meanings and effects are manipulated and constantly shown through the video, and drummed into our vision.

Technical aspects of music video

Technical aspects hold the video together, through the use of camera work, movement, angle, mise-en-scene, editing, sound and special effects. "Camera technology (as exempified by deep focus in particular) and camera movements (determined by the action of the protagonist), combined with invisible editing (demanded by realism) all tend to blue the limits of screen space" [6]. Speed, camera movement, editing, cutting and post-production are all forms of use of camera. Lighting and colour help to set moods and emphasise key moments of the song for dramatic effect. Mise-en-scene (e.g. the location/setting of the music video) is vital, and must look authentic in order to attain professionalism. Music videos also use cuts to go with the beat or rhythm, making the video more entertaining.

Vernallis

Carol Vernallis is best known for her theory based on the editing of music videos. The theory is based around 4 key concepts that relate to how a music video is manufactured. These are narrative, editing, camera movement/framing and diegesis.

Narrative
When describing her theory, particularly the narrative aspect, Vernallis suggests that the video is a visual response to the narrative. Therefore whatever is happening onscreen reflects the choose of lyrics that the artist is singing. However, Vernallis then goes on to say how the narrative may not always be completed and can be partial with the video appearing disjointed, disconnected and appear in fragments. The video has something driving it forward but this may not necessarily be the narrative, it could be the music itself or other elements in the video. If the video is left uncompleted it can lead to many questions about the narrative that won't always be answered throughout the video. Although the video may have a theme or narrative, it is probably displayed in a montage style, rather than in one clear focus.

Editing
She states that a clear convention of music editing is that the video may disrupt or break the convention of continuity editing. The editing may also be bought to the foreground, become visible and not hidden, apposed to the invisible style of continuity editing. Meaning the video will have a style of editing running throughout that is distinctive to that video. For example, breaking the 30 degree rule, cutting in time with the lyrics, jump cuts, extreme changes in pace and juxtaposed frames. Most R&B videos are in keeping with this tradition, an example being Pitbull ft. Ke$ha [5].

Camera movements and framing
Vernallis states that establishing shots are one of the key camera features of a music video and are used frequently throughout a music video as well as close-up shots. "The camera becomes the mechanism for producing an illusion of Renaissance space, flowing movements compatible with the human eye, an ideology of representation that revolves around the perception of the subject; the camera's look is disavowed in order to create a convincing world in which the spectator's surrogate can perform with verisimilitude" [6]. The style of framing of the video against is quite distinctive to the video and also the camera may move in time with the lyrics. Extreme shots also known as master shots are also very common.

Diegesis
In terms of media, the diegesis is the world of the music video. Carol Vernallis explains how the diegesis will be revealed quite slowly. The actions in the video won't always be completed and may be disrupted in some way. There will be many repetitions throughout the video and some frames will appear more important than others due to the way that they have been framed/shot.

Bibliography

[1]Applause, Interscope, 2013, Lady Gaga (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pco91kroVgQ)

[2]As Long As You Love Me, The Island Def Jam Music Group, 2012, Justin Bieber (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R4em3LKQCAQ)

[3]Dancing in the Distraction Factory, University of Minnesota Press, 1992, Auth. Andrew Goodwin

[4]The Grain of the Voice, Northwestern University Press, 1981, Auth. Roland Barthes

[5]Timber, RCA Records, 2013, Pitbull ft. Ke$ha (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hHUbLv4ThOo)

[6]Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema, GRIN Verlag, 1975, Auth. Laura Mulvey

[7]www.livestrong.com/article/524468-the-effects-of-pop-culture-on-teenagers/

[8]www.moodle.kinged6nun.ac.uk/pluginfile.php/32415/mod_resource/content/0/Music%20Video%20-%20Sight%20%20Sound%20May%202013.pdf