1. The Evolution and changing role of the music video from
1900's and its likely development in the future From the beginning
of consumer music being produced in the 1900's and the introduction
of music video alongside has grown from the simple purpose to
entertain an audience to being a key promotional item for the
artist. The first music videos which where produced as a visual
accompaniment alongside the piece of music began to appear around
the the 1920's along with the first 'talkies' such as the Jazz
singer in 1927. The first known video created with the purpose to
entertain and amuse the audience was though to be with the song
'Komposition in Blau' produced by Oscar Fischinger. This was
revolutionary at the time due to the way i which it was created to
show a relationship between the music and the visuals and each beat
of the music would be represented by a movement of colour and shape
on the film. However, in this time, the technology available to
produce videos was basic compared to the array of professional
devices which are used in music video production today. Komposition
in Blau was a result of each visual being manually painted to
appear in colour. This was revolutionary at the time with music
videos from then on, taking inspiration from the movement and the
music being synchronised. Popular music from the 1930's became a
more common influence in the way people would view the music
industry and pop culture began to dominate the world of media in a
way which hadn't been seen before. With the rise of hollywood
musicals in the 1940's with MGM producing musicals such as 'singing
in the rain' (1952), 'On the Town' (1949) and 'Royal Wedding'
(1951), Producing music and visuals became a common movement in the
music industry. This rise of musical films during the 1940's where
an important influence on the evolution of the music video. During
the 1950's however, the role of music videos on the music industry
became a bigger part to the artist's image and it also became a
wider used piece of media to promote the song. For example, artists
such as Nat King Cole and Elvis Presley began to use the music
video as a promotion tool. Frim Fram Sauce by Nat King Cole was an
example of how the music video was a way of beginning to use music
videos as a way of promotion. The visuals in Frim Fram tells the
story of people in a diner watching Nat King Cole play the song.
This would have been at a time in which there would have been
visuals which play alongside the juke boxes and therefore would be
promoting the artist and song for the diners in the 1940/50's.
Whereas, previously the music video had been primarily to entertain
or play alongside the song, Frim Fram Sauce was one of the first to
introduce the idea of a music video being a promotion tool for the
artist. Throughout the 1950's Elvis and other artists of the time
began to produce music videos which not only entertained their
audience, but also began to show them in a positive and appealing
light with them being the main focus. With the arrival of the
1960's and the beatles, the music video began to become a vital
media tool in not only the promotion, but also to present new and
interesting ways of connecting to their audiences. The Beatles
where a band which heavily relied on the music video to allow a new
era of music to be born. The role of the music video in the Beatles
career allowed them to be continue boosting their popularity in the
USA but at the same time continue to keep their fans interesting
back in the UK. For example, the Beatles produced the music video
to 'Strawberry Fields' as a way to compensate for being in America
during the time in which Top Of The Pops was a huge influence on an
artists profile. The video was played on Top Of The Pops while
strawberry fields was number one and was revolutionary in the way a
music video for an artist could be used in different ways and how
it was able to connect with fans and their audience more so than
just releasing a new song. This video which was produced in 1967,
included close ups of each Beatle and therefore was a way in which
the fans could connect with the band closer than ever before and as
pop culture became a way of life for many people, the music video
was vital for artist success. The way in which the music video was
used remained this way for many years after this, however, possibly
the most revolutionary step in Music video history was the
beginning of MTV. MTV began in 1981, as a way to present the music
video as important as the song and the artist, with the first
revolutionary video being for 'Video killed the
2. radio star' by Buggles. For example, Michael Jackson was able
to showcase Thriller through MTV and then this has become one of
the most well known Music videos of all time with a purpose of not
only to boost Jackson's profile but also to entertain and connect
with an audience. The evolution of the Music video over the years
has changed in a way which allows the artits to use the video as a
way of not only to be the visual accompaniment to a song but also
as a way to promote an artist and to boost their profile. In recent
years, the music video has pushed the boundaries of modern film
making and the music video has taken a form which has challenged
the expectations of the public and the music industry. Many Music
videos can be seen as controversial in the eyes of either their
messages or values. For example, one of the most controversial
music videos in recent years is from The prodigy 'Smack my B****
up' which was deeply disturbing in many viewers eyes and received
thousands of complaints due to the extremely graphic images of
Drugs, aggression and nudity all pushing the image of the artist
and the genre. Through the visuals and the explicit themes of new
music videos becoming more and more common, this could pose the
question of whether future music videos are taking the form of
using their visuals to put across a more of a political or personal
message and could become a representation of the artist themselves.
To conclude, the music video has changed from purely a tool of
entertainment to something vital for an artists image as the music
industry becomes more competitive in a society where celebrity
culture is becoming a way of life and will continue to change in
the way it is helping promote an artist but also promote a message
in society and pushes the boundaries.