Key music video director - Textual analysis

The music video director whom I shall be analysing is David Fincher.

He now directs films such as "Gone Girl" (2014), Alien 3 (1992) which David Fincher made his directorial debut with Alien³ in 1992, and "Seven" (1995), but directed music videos before this and even up to date he is still directing music videos. . He has won many awards such the MTV music choice awards along with Spike Jonze and even Grammies and Oscars for his artistically perfect and film like music videos. Fincher has worked with big music stars such as Michael Jackson and Roy Orbison. Working with the likes of Madonna, Don Henley, Aerosmith and many others, Fincher became a successful director of music videos. He also helped found Propaganda Films in the mid-1980s.

He has directed such videos for artists for example Madonna's music video for her single " Bad Girl" which is about a woman's resent relationship breakup and is hoeing her emotions. In this he uses techniques that he does in filming Hollywood blockbusters. He always uses the advice of Top producer Steven Spielberg on making a good film. He applies this in to many of his music videos which give them a movie feel and grips the audience in to watching the video as well as listening to the song. He has captured the genre within the choreography and the mise-en scene and is performed perfectly by Madonna.

Another music video which he applies his special skills to make the video. This video was called " The way that you love me". The song's video was Abdul's first with Fincher in July 1988, who would later direct her most successful videos. It consisted of Abdul dancing and singing with male dancers at a photo shoot, while expensive product shots were flashed in and out. The shots used were again what he learnt while training and practiced film experience and again from the advice of Spielberg. 
The use of special effects adds to the feel of this music video

 

He is a very good music video director whom uses his skills from film to make his music videos of best quality and that's wars made them very successful for not only him but for the artists he's created them for. This I feel makes him a very memorable person within not only the film industry, but also in the music video business, which is expertly made by David Fincher.


Source -  IMDB - http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000399/

Iconic CD covers and music videos

Iconic music videos

 



One example of an iconic music is "Thriller" by Michael Jackson. This is because of the length of the video which is 13 minutes long and at the time had never been done because it was un ethical for a music video to be over 4 minutes long, and is now know to be one of his greatest songs that he has created to date up until his death. The 1980s would have been boring without this music video.

 

Another iconic music video of all time is Madonna's "Like a Prayer" which is famous for being controversial for its use of sexual activity an offence to religion. Many Religious figures took offense to this and had reported about it. It remains today as a iconic music video and possibly one of her best videos in her career.
This video links with the theory of the Zeitgeist through the rebellious attitudes of artists like Madonna beginning to dominate the music video and then headlines of national and international press

 

Iconic CD/Album covers

 



One iconic CD cover of all time is "Abbey Road" by the Beatles, released on September 26th 1969. This is iconic and has been created for many media over the years as a tribute to one of the Beatles greatest albums. The location used is now considered to be a national landmark. this was the last album that the Beatles recorded together. For the first time on a Beatles album, the front cover contained neither the group's name nor the album title just that iconic photograph taken on the zebra crossing near the entrance to the studios in London NW8 in August 1969. Abbey Road entered the British album chart at no.1 in October and stayed there for a total of seventeen of its 81 weeks in the chart. In the US, it spent eleven weeks at #1 during its initial chart stay of 83 weeks.

 

Another album cover which is iconic in today's culture is by Van Helen which portrays how the genre of rock and roll can corrupt anybody and shows rebellion. Especially in the 1980's when this album was released - Linking to the Zeitgeist. Some would find this offensive through the fact that a child is used smoking to promote the rock and roll genre. At the time of its release, much of the fuss surrounding 1984 involved Van Halen's adoption of synthesizers on this, their sixth album.

Another iconic CD/Album cover is "Dark side of the moon" by Pink Floyd. Released in 1973. The cover itself and its creation was debated - as shown from Shortlist's iconic covers

"Roger Waters, Pink Floyd's bassist and singer suggested to designer Storm that perhaps for the cover of Dark Side of the Moon, he might not use a photograph. He replied, “What do you mean? That’s what I do. Pictures...I don’t do graphics.” Thankfully, for the history of album cover design, he embraced the challenge laid down to him. Using twin inspirations of Floyd's live light show and a triangle - a symbol of thought and ambition - he created this cover and a piece of musical and art history." Although to me this cover seems very plain and unrelated, this has a big place in the music industry and so does the plain and simple design.

 

 

Unfortunately now because of the digital age in which we live in. These album covers are becoming obsolete and many people now prefer to watch music videos or download the song through the Internet, but the CD cover will always have a place in my heart and hopefully people can recognize this and keep the covers which are or will be iconic.

Sources- http://www.nme.com/list/100-greatest-music-videos/217342

http://www.shortlist.com/entertainment/music/50-coolest-album-covers

http://www.thebeatles.com/album/abbey-road

http://www.allmusic.com/album/1984-mw0000196168

Music video controversies

Over the years of music video production, there have been a few which has raised concerns. These can be because of either lyrics, content or the entire video itself. One example is from the extract of an article in the entertainment magazine "Q". This talks about the song "B**ch better have my money" by Rihanna.

One example of a music video which as raised concerns within the music industry and the public is "Blurred Lines". This raised concerns due to the lyrics which are used within the song which follows - 

 

This is one example of controversy but is very popular in culture today, and because of this, Robin Thicke has made a better career in this type of work, but to many - women in particularly can be offended by the way that the artist has shown women as sex symbols, which many do disagree on but is still a well known and popular song to many teenagers (Not me).

Looking at the article from the magazine Q, the writer looks at how one music video by Rihanna called "B**ch better have my money" which contains graphic murder and sexual content. As the writer says "An event video is designed to project power and money" which is what the artist and the record producers want but the writer also explains the flaw of this "usually ends up revealing an artists fatal flaws"

I agree with this as many artist are taking this gamble and as a result had led to their downfall in the music industry and has painted the artist in a bad light, which in many respects is their own fault but it also comes down to the demand of the mass audience and their expectations of music genre and style of song in which they expect the artist to perform.
 

All in all in today's modern society, these things are very common and many are now not offended by the artists actions  because it is now common to do such things to gain a bigger audience base, but in many cases I agree that an artists attempt to rebrand themselves can be a big failure for not only them but for the produces and the record business.

 

Controversy has made a bad repetition within many music videos over the years, but does not last as long as other controversial topics. This is because as a generation, we (The audience) is not shocked as these types of videos are a part in a teenagers life, and to them may not seem so bad. However the older generation of people in society today believe that these music videos encourage bad behaviour and attitudes, in which people believe that the behaviour exhibited by the artist is ok to do. This can lead to many behaveial disformalaties such as excessive dieting or criminal acts which can tarnish the artists public image.

 

Sources

Q magazine extract

www.metrolyrics.com 

 



Music video regulations.

In 2014, David Cameron announced that there will be age restrictions on music videos. This pilot scheme was in the leadership of the BBFC (British Board of Film Classification) whom co-operated with leading internet pioneers such as Google and YouTube. This was brought up due to parents concerns of their children seeing inappropriate content on such music videos such as "B**ch better have my money" by Rihanna and using sexual stereotypes in the videos for example "Blurred lines" by Robin Thicke". As of 2015, this scheme has disappeared completely due to lack of success. This is as many people whom worked in the music industry and enthusiasts of video's believed that it will not work because on the internet, the regulations cannot be constantly overseen as it can be on television. However parents of young children are still concerned with these music videos having an effect on their children's way of growing up on these stereotypes.

On an interview on BBC radio 4's "Today" programme on the 1st October 2014, an ex associate editor of the Sunday times and now a writer on NME Chrissie Murison is convinced that the scheme "will not work" as through this law, the music video industry will gain a bigger audience because they will want to watch these age rated videos.

In an article from the Guardian (23rd August 2014), the writer explores the short term view of the regulation process and links back to a survey in 2007 by the American Psychological Association. their report concluded that there is "a direct link between pop media consumed by children and three of the most common mental health problems" This could be seen as not trust worthy but does support the need for regulations on music videos. the article also contains a statement from the BBFC whom say that parents "felt that music videos should be subject to guidelines........ a music video was an intense , graphic viewing experience" and links to music video's as "Watching a film concentrated in three minutes". This I believe is true as a film stretches out while a music video is compact and to an extent full of the wrong messages to the younger generation.

In my opinion I believe that in all fairness that this regulation of music videos would have not worked in reality due to the reality that no one can stop anyone viewing this type of context on the internet now, parents can not be strict as their children may be watching these music video's at a friends and that the internet has expanded to a point where now these videos can be accessed anywhere and at anytime.

source - http://www.musiclawupdates.com/?p=5661 - BBFC music video regulations
http://www.theguardian.com/music/2014/aug/23/will-age-rating-classifications-music-video-work

Analysis of Music video and apply theories

The music video I shall be analysing and applying theory to is "Out of Touch" by Hall and Oates. The song is about the role of police in the 1980's  (The lyrics) and explores culture. This song is widely known and has featured on the game "Grand Theft Auto - Vice City" which is set in the 1980's and pays homage to this song. The music video for the song features actors Paul Spicer, Charlene Rena, Hayley-Marie Coppin and Sophie Lovell Anderson playing strip poker. The music itself is catchy and is seen (by me) to be one of the crowning jewels of music videos in the 80's.

The genre of the song is considered to be pop, as the artists of the music video are dressed in popular "80's" clothing and would have reached out to much of the young audience at the time of release. In my view, I'd consider this song to be in then range of pop. The theorist John Hartly says that "Genres are agents of ideological closure, they limit the meaning potential of the given text". I disagree with this theory as this piece does expand on the given point and the meaning the artists are trying to portray the correct themes for that time period. The genre for this song is solely Pop and has not been a victim in hybridisation as many songs now consist of this "Borrowing" (Rick Atman) different conventions of genre. However this is not true in this as

 The Music video does reflect the idea of the "Zeitgeist" of the 1980's. One of which is fashion as seen within the colourful and ridicules outfits worn

Looking at the video. I can apply Goodwin's convention theory to the video. The music video does reflect the time period through the artists choice of actions and lyrics within the song. There is a notion of the artist looking into the camera, which reflects on the feeling given of comfort as the artist is singing to the audience with close ups of the artist. This is used so the viewer can see how the artist portrays himself and shows the viewer his feelings.