A music video is a short film or video that accompanies a complete piece of music/song. Although the origins of music videos go back much further, they came into their own in the 1980s, when MTV based their format around the medium, and later with the launch of VH1. The term "music video" first came into popular usage in the early 1980s. Music videos play an important part in the construction of the band/singer's image, which is then used to 'sell' the products of the artist.
'A short, moving image product, shot for the express purpose of accompanying a pre-existing music track and used to encourage of sales of the music in another format.'
Andrew Goodwin wrote a book about the rise of MTV which came out in 1992..
He indenftified a number of key features, which distinguish the music video as a form:
* There is a relationship between the lyrics and the visuals with visuals illustrating, amplifying or contradicting the lyrics.
* There is a relationship between the music and the visuals (again with visuals illustrating , amplifying or contradicting the music).
* Particular music genres may have their own music video style and iconography (such as live stage performance in heavy rock).
* There is a demand on the part of the record company for lots of close ups of the main artist/vocalist.
* There is likely to be reference to voyeurism, particularly in the treatment of women, but also in terms of systems of looking (screens within screens, binoculars, cameras etc).
* There are likely to be intertextual references, either to other music videos or to films and TV texts.
Georgia Angove
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