Smalltown Boy was a video that was making an important point in society, it was about openly gay men in society and how they felt coming to town when everybody knew that they was homosexual. It went both ways, some people then spat at him in the street however some people emailed him thanking him and saying how much it had helped him. It was a fantastic way of making a statement.
So Solid Crew- 21 Seconds
So Solid crew were seen to be showing themselves as much as they could in 21 seconds to see who was better. It was a fantastic way of creating individual profiles and showing the public the different members of the band. Even though the video and lyrics were actually supposed to be about escaping.
My favourite Game- The Cardigans
This video was created by the famous Jonas Akerland. The song was actually about a love affair however they didn't want it to be typical and found a perfect way of showing the lyrics meant something. This was by using violence and showing her driving a car in a desert, being reckless with everything smashing around her. There was also humour involved, this was a great hit as it was a different approach.
Herbie Hancock- Rockit
Herbie Hancock was a black man and in society at this point black people were racially discriminated against, there music and videos were not shown. Therefore they created a video which didnt show him in it, well it briefly did but only on a screen for a small about of time. It was an extremely effective way of creating a music video and also used art, many people were intreaged and it was a massive success. This video was played on mtv and opened the doorway to black music, hip hop.
Elton John- I want Love
Elton John hated being in his own music videos, therefore he didn't. He wanted passion to be extremely shown in his video and the anger to shine through as deeply as possible. He chose a drug addict who was currently in rehab to play in the video and it was a huge success, it showed so much passion and was a huge success.
Talking Heads- Once In A Lifetime
Talking heads music video was so abstract that it struck everybody, it was full use of modern technology yet such a simple idea. It was a brilliant video that was played everywhere and portrayed as art too, it is shown in new york modern art museum and was a huge success.
Sex Pistols- The Great Rock and Roll
The video was madness and was about a man just performing and being outrageous. He had no talent and it was a copy of the song 'my way' by frank sinotra. It was crazy but it worked so well as everybody noticed it and it created younger people to do outrageous things, everybody was talking about it but it was such an effective way of making a statement and was a huge success!
New Order- True Faith
The music video to truth faith was created by a man who had no idea how to make a music video, he was a ballet choreographer and was randomly chosen. The video has no resemblance to the song and therefore is so brilliant, mtv thought the song was so rubbish that they refused to play it unless it had the band featuring in it. They changed the video slightly and featured the band playing in it at glastonbury, it was a success because of how poor and different it was!
Gadley and Creme- Cry
Godly and Cremes video was a huge success because it was one of the first videos which just had close up of random peoples faces and used a lot of video genetics to merge all of these different faces together, as all of the people look upset it try's to show a real sense of passion and being upset. This is specifically shown by the man crying at the end.
Basement Jaxx- Wheres your head at?
This video has a story behind it about evolution and men and women evolving from apes, one of the first videos to use animals as humans and put them together. The video was filmed in a crazy place, a mental institute and was just so unrealistic and crazy...about a man who thought he knew the way to show pop and sees a crazy scientitst. Such a bizarre video and thats why it was so successful!
Frankie Goes To Hollywood- Two Tribes
The inital idea for this video was a war game however with the budget that they had they decided they would have to come up with something else. They turned the cold war into a boxing match, it was exciting and matched the music perfectly. It was a video that caught your eye and you didnt know shre to look, everybody was wearing t-shirts, chanting and as a brilliant marketing technique they sold many different versions of the cd and video so it was such a buzz with everyone comparing how mad their one was, success!
Bob Dylan_ Subterranean Homestick Blues
Bob Dylan was such a well known talented artist and wanted to do something simple, just came up with the idea of words being on cards for people to see. It was a song that was trying to send a strong message and wanted people to see the words not only hear them. He had the talent of being able to make up words and throw them away because he was Bob Dylan. Just because Bob wasnt trying to be great, it was so great and this method became so iconic being used to promote adverts, television, movies. Success!
George Micheal- Outside
George Micheal decided to conflict the good and the bad and bring them together. He did this by being a policeman in the USA and partying all night, dancing with girls, having sex and doing many rude things that a policemen would usually be stopping others from doing and not doing himself. They decided to go round in a helicopter and catch many other people making out, having sexual reltionships and broadcasting it because he could because he was a policeman. It was such an outrage to everyone even revealing some peoples true identity to the world before they actually did themselves, but it was such a huge success because it was so astonishing.
The Prodigy- Smack My Bitch Up
The prodigy decided to do something creative and film a whole video based on one persons point of view on their night out. The whole moral of the video was to express 'enjoy being a bloke' by doing activities such as going out and drinking huge amounts of alcohol until your sick, taking home drunk prostitutes and having sexual intercourse with them, being violent to the public around you and having a laugh. It gives of many sexist opinions about how it portrays women however at the end has a twist when its actually a woman who has done all of these things. It was an absolute outrage and sent many people over the edge but this was the reason why it was such a success, it avoided many critics purely because of the twist. brilliant!
Fat Boy Slim- Praise You
Fat boy slim had no talents and didnt know what he could do in the video so decided not to be in it. They was ine if the first people to use a TV format as a music video. It was literally 5 foreigners just dancing in a flashmob outside a cinema, nobody apart from them anf the producers knew it was happening hense all the surrounding confusion and the break in the middle. Fantastic successful creative idea and made the charts!
Paul Simon- You Can Call Me Al
Paul Simon took a snog about poverty and contrasted it to a video full of comedy. They just chucked a TV star with no acting experience and it turned out to be brilliant as he has such bad facial expressions it was funny! brilliant contrast as so controversial it was a success! Jamiroquai- Virtual Insantity
The idea was brilliant and so was the cinematography. Everybody was curious as to how the video was made and the producers thought it would be brilliant to lead them on and tell them different stories about magnets etc. However the walls actually moved. It was fantastic as it got everybody wondering and was something completely new!
Johnny Cash- Hurt
Johnny Cash was coming to the end of his age and the video was the idea of him looking back on his life and now he is ready to die. It was his last albumn before he passed away so every lyric that he sang he really meant, a very touching video. The feelings were all real and it was good to combine somebody old to somebody young. Heart touching success!
Andrew Goodwin states: There is a relationship between lyrics and visuals (either illustrative, amplifying or contradicting)
This proves Andrews theory correct as the video is Beyonce making her boyfriend leave and taking back all her items that she paid for, showing him leaving and her independence which in turn is representing her lyrics which also say that she wants him to leave "to the left to the left everything you own in the box to the left" and also "if i bought it then that's my stuff" "driving around in the car that i bought you" whilst she calls him a cab and lays across the car in her drive. Therefore the video is showing what the lyrics are saying.
This video shows Andrew correct as it is over exaggerating the lyrics and the theme by the video being very childish and abnormal to everyday life. They are wearing clothing that stands out and the background is very abstract, either trying to belittle the lyrics or trying to over exaggerate them completely for emphasis.
This proves Andrew right as it is a contradicting video to the lyrics which are being heard. The song is about escaping from something bad such as the "apocalypse" whereas the video is contradicting this by showing two puppets fighting which are fluffy toys. So its a conrtadiction between reality and a cartoon.
Andrew Goodwin states: Reference to the notion of looking (screens, telescopes, and voyeuristic treatment of the female body.
This supports Andrews Theory as the women in this video are just looked at as sexual objects, they are dressed in underwear showing that this is trying to be sexual and the men are desiring there bodies, they arent singing they are just walking around the men as objects and servants.
This specific part of the video shows that she is just a toy... just like the toy car on top of her and she is in a sexual position often referring together as a sex toy.
This idea originally comes from Laura Mulveys theory of The Male Gaze:
This idea is that men look at women as just sex objects and they have no respect for them, they are a way of reproduction and just objects to get satisfaction from.
Andrew Goodwin claims: There is often inter textual reference (to films programmes, tv, other music videos etc)
This video is almost a mimic of the take that video when they are doing the car scene. This is making a reference to take that's video when they are also standing in the rain by a car.
This video is a Michael Jackson video however stars a film as the opening to the song, this is a film called Home Alone. This is therefore making a reference to a film which it can relate to prove Andrew right.
Andrew Goodwin States: Demands of close ups of the artist and the artists may develop motifs which recur across their work (a visual style)
Andrew Goodwin is proved correct by the artist developing a motif from their own style or own certain symbol which is recognizable through them. Micheal Jackson is recognized through his white glove, the public recognize him from this, he has created his own motif.
Adam always wears a pirate outfit, therefore he is recognizable for this and has created this motif for himself.
Andrew Goodwin claims that Music Videos demonstrate genre characteristics (eg stage performance in metal video's and dance routines for a boy/girl band)
He is proved correct;
This shows that the girls are united as one by doing the same dance routine and the same movements in sinc however are individual characters as they all have different clothes and a different look.
This video also proves Andrew Goodwin right as it shows that the band who sing heavy metal are performing and showing the set and showing there stage performance, its typical. This is a self reflexive video as you can see the video being made, all the cameras and wires.
Let go of everything that’s bothering you Let go of anything that’s bringing you down Its not worth it Take charge, put your hands on the steering wheel Control the shaky hands that show how you feel Even if you hurt him Don’t be afraid pick up the remains of whatever’s broken You might not be able to fix it or contain it But that shouldn’t be your focus, your focus Don’t look away, don’t forget your past Your hardships your mistake you learned , only made you stronger Today is the day that could be your last life is unpredictable The pain doesn’t have to go on any longer This is just something we all have to go through Heartbreak doesn’t have to break you Down down down Sit down , take your shoes off your tired feet Rest your wearied head and get some sleep Put your worries behind you don’t think , let your racing mind take a break don’t speak about the struggles you face today Tomorrow is brand new I know your trying, don’t give up just yet don’t let your problems define you Its not worth the regret, the regret Don’t look away, don’t forget your past Your hardships your mistake you learned only made you stronger Today is the day that could be your last life is unpredictable The pain doesn’t have to go on any longer This is just something we all have to go through Heart break doesn’t have to break you Don’t look away, don’t forget your past Your hardships your mistake are what have made you stronger, Stronger Today is the day that could be your last life is unpredictable The pain doesn’t have to go on any longer This is just something we all have to go through Heart break doesn’t have to break you Down break you Down break you Break you down Down break you down It doesn’t have to break you down
Finding the right music that you can exceed the potential for is quite difficult, however can simply be made easier by looking in the right places.
There are many helpful sites such as www.unsigned.com and also www.youtube.com as many artists post there music on there in hope of being scouted by a record label or noticed in the industry. Examples of this would be Ed Sheeran and Justin Bieber.
To contact the artist there are usually contact details for you to get personally in contact with the artist or there is a contact box on www.songwritersexposed.com which is the method i used.
When we sent the email we knew what we had to say, this included:
Who you are
Where you are
What course this project is for
Why you have chosen their music
Tell them that you like their song
Check up information for the artist
Funda volunteered to email our artist;
Draft
Before we knew exactly what to write in the email
Confirmation email
Email recieved soon after, we decided that tonight funda would contact Bailey
