Diversity of music videos

Why would an artist choose to create a diverse music video?

Music videos provide the record label with freedom regarding the way in which the artist is represented. The freedom refers to a variety of elements that can be diversified such as costumes,props,settings; elements of the mise-en-scene. However most music videos to mainstream music conform to stereotypical genre characteristics. This provides the target audience with knowledge as to what genre the music video belongs to. As well as following traditional expectations, music videos tend to follow certain theories such as Richard Dyer's and Goodwin's in order to gain a mass market appeal. However music videos that are considered to be diverse do not conform to the stereotypical genre characteristics. As opposed to the majority of music videos in which the visuals are parallel to the lyrics, diverse music videos do not necessarily display a relationship  between the two. They present different themes and concepts which contrast against those of a more typical nature. Diverse videos do not have to abide by the rules of censorship; however this may have an impact on the channels they are then aired. Directors of diverse videos such as Chris Cunningham and Micheal Gondry break the boundaries of the music industry by producing material which is highly unconventional  In order to understand the purpose of diversity a selection of their productions have been analysed on:

1)Presentation (genre characteristics)
2)Goodwin's theory
3)Structure and style of video
4)Representation of the artist

Chris Cunningham

Chris Cunningham is a British music video and short films director. He is known for breaking boundaries as he does not conform to generic conventions. He is knows for producing unusual and innovative videos that appeal to a niche audience; one with distinct preferences. This means his work is not aired on mainstream channels such as MTV as the videos are not suited to a mass market.

Frozen - Madonna

 

Madonna's video to 'Frozen' does not conform to the generic pop conventions due to the mise-en-scene being of a Gothic nature. The colours used in the video are dark and so contrast with the emotions in the song i.e. love. This isn't the only contrast visible in the video. Although the song speaks of being 'frozen', the location being a desert has connotations of warmth. Madonna however felt a dessert would act a suitable visual due to it being desolate which can also be considered as cold and empty. The most significant iconography visible are the animals such as a black dog and a flock of crows which are widely known symbols of death. They are therefore typical of thriller film as opposed to a pop music video. This is also reinforced by the use of black and white which subverts the conventional vibrant colours seen in music videos of that genre. The elements visible in the music video convey a sense of fear which subverts the emotions music videos of this genre aim to evoke.

According to Goodwin's theory, music videos demonstrate genre characteristics. However this cannot be applied to a music video that displays diversity as it aims to do the opposite. Although this element of the theory is not relevant, the video does portray a relationship between the lyrics and visuals. The visuals seen in the video are parallel to the lyrics, for example 'Love is like a bird' is presented by the visuals of black crows. Also, the lyrics 'your frozen when your heart's not open' is suggestive of the artist being unable to access the heart of the male referred to throughout the song. This is reflected by her covering her own heart with black silk. This also illustrates a relationship between lyrics and visuals however it is not extremely distinguishable. The title of the song itself ‘frozen’ is well reflected by the artists’ static movement and pale face. However regardless of certain aspects of Goodwin’s theory are visible, the video does not appeal to the pop audience in away way due to the unusual way in which the artist is presented.

The video displays a 1:9 narrative to performance ratio. The artist is seen miming the lyrics and so it is highly performance based. It does display some narrative however this aspect is limited. The performance aspect of the music video is evident due to the artist miming the lyrics towards the camera. The narrative is made apparent through the use of iconography i.e. the flock of black birds and the dog which act as transformations of the artist. This further signifies the cold atmosphere that is present throughout the duration of the video.

The presentation of the artist is highly gothic due to Madonna's black clothing and pale, almost transparent, face which may be suggestive of her allowing the audience to see through her exterior. The way in which Madonna is portrayed does not abide by the conventional ways a pop artist is presented. The 'shatter' effect used when she hits the ground and transforms into a flock of black birds present her as beastly and rather frightening. Her persona then triples which may be suggestive of a split personality. One crawling amid the dessert is also suggestive of a thriller as opposed to a music video to a song of this nature. The artist's representation follows Dyer's theory in which a star is a commodity as she is simply sold to a specific audience which is obvious by the drastic contrast between her previous videos and the one directed by Chris Cunningham.

Aphex twin - Come to daddy

The music video to 'Come to daddy' has been constructed for a techno dance genre. It does not however display the conventional genre characteristics that are expected to be seen by the audience. Unlike typical videos that are set in a fast-paces club scene, the video is thriller-like. It is set in an industrial setting of a dark underground car park in which an old woman is seen walking her dog. The setting in which the video is set in is likely to evoke confusion and uneasiness from the audience which aren’t the conventional emotions videos of this genre aim to evoke. The narrative consists of the dog urinating on an abandoned television seen on the pavement causing it switch on. A distorted image of a man's face is displayed which is considerably frightening. This is accompanied by a gang of small men dressed as school girls that cause havoc and trash the alley. This enhances the atmosphere presented in the music video with the people being a rare choice; the way in which they are dressed being strange and unexpected. The demon seen previously emerges from the screen and screams in the old woman's face. The narrative of the music video is highly unusual and so breaks the boundaries of techno music videos. It is evident that it does not abide by any conventions of the music genre which underlines the unique style of the director. The video is highly diverse which may therefore cause disturbance to certain viewers meaning the video would not be aired on mainstream channels.

Goodwin's theory consists of a variety of elements that can be recognised in most videos. However a diverse video creates difficulty as the elements aren't applicable to such an extent. ‘Come to Daddy’ features limited aspects of Goodwin’s theory due to the director’s desire to subvert and ultimately break conventions of the genre. One point listed in the theory mentions a relationship between the lyrics and visuals. Although this isn't obvious to viewers, the lyrics ‘I will eat your soul’ are accompanied by the frightening projection on the television screen which displays a distorted face of a man that appears to be screaming. There is a link between the terrifying nature of the lyrics and what is seen by the audience. There also appears to be a link between the visuals and beat of the music due to the editing, for example when the men are seen running. This isn't necessarily prominent however it can be linked back to Goodwin’s theory which also states there is a relationship between the visuals and music. No other elements of the theory can be found which emphasises how different the music video is. As the theory is not used, it is evident that the director’s aim is to create a diverse video.

The video is narrative -based throughout its duration. This is because the video resembles a short thriller film and so the narrative evolves; consisting of a beginning middle and end. It flows continuously which makes the narrative the main focus and so the most significant aspect of the video. The audience can easily understand the narrative however not entirely due to the confusion caused by the random components it involves. This may however be beneficial to the artist as it may encourage the audience to research into the lyrics of the song and the artist which may also entice them to further explore the artist’s music. 

The music video does not provide the audience with a representation of the artist. The video is entirely dependent upon the narrative with no performance from the artist. The artist being absent from the video means the audience is not aware of what the artists’ characteristics or the way in which they are portrayed in the music industry. They can only create their own idea of a representation by making assumptions as to how the artist wants to be represented by watching the video. This may encourage them to research into the artist however it can also provide negative assumptions which may discourage them to find more music videos of the artist which would therefore have a negative impact on both the artist and in turn the record label.

Micheal Gondry 

Micheal Gondry is a renowned French film maker recognised for his individual style and manipulation of mise-en-scene. He produces unique videos which subvert conventional elements seen in music videos and therefore ignore the mainstream theories. His work is however more neutral when compared to Chris Cunningham.

Kylie Minogue - Come into my world

Micheal Gondry is a renowned French film maker recognised for his individual style and manipulation of mise-en-scene. He produces unique videos which subvert conventional elements seen in music videos and therefore ignore the mainstream theories. His work is however more neutral when compared to Chris Cunningham. Chris Cunningham is known for producing videos that are dark and evoke a fearful atmosphere which may be of disturbance to some viewers. This differs to the directing style of Micheal Gondry who involves unusual elements in music videos however they aren’t harmful to viewers as they are not considered as frightening or distressing. 

Micheal Gondry is the director of ‘Come into my world’ by Kylie Minogue. Although the song is of the pop genre, it does not display the conventions typically seen in music videos of this genre and so does not display what is expected from the audience. The music video is unusual due to its repetitive nature that is created due to ‘Kylie’ and her surroundings multiplying every time she completes a full circuit of the area. As she duplicates and so do the people around her, a chaotic scene is created. This provides the audience with an illusion that is likely to be questioned in regards to its purpose or meaning. It does however make the video engaging. The diversity is also recognisable as the video is almost an independent video that would not be typically associated with an artist such as Kylie who is a multi-national star.

Goodwin’s theory can be applied to the music video due to a relationship between the lyrics and visuals. ‘Come into my world’ which is the title and main focus of the song is reflected by the visuals of Kylie and her surroundings multiplying. This suggests Kylie is inviting people into her world which is full of chaos due to her hectic lifestyle caused by fame. Goodwin’s theory also mentions the demand for close ups however in this video this demand is not met. Kylie is presented in an ordinary way suggested by her carrying out ‘normal’ tasks such as picking up dry cleaning. There is no focus on her appeal appearance-wise. There is also no voyeuristic treatment of the body as suggested by Goodwin’s theory which presents the artist in a more subtle way, emphasizing her innocence and purity. This reinforces Kylie’s ‘ordinary’ image which the video conveys.

The video is based upon the narrative as well as performance. The structure and style consists of 80% performance and 20% narrative. The performance aspect is made evident through Kylie singing throughout the entire duration of the song. However unlike conventional pop songs, the performance aspect is not emphasized i.e. on a big stage in front of an audience or accompanied by effective mise-en-scene. There is no dance routine involved; the performance aspect being extremely simple. The simplicity connotes the artists’ talent to be natural rather than forced or created out of nothing. The narrative is also significant as it relates the lyrics to what is seen however it is repetitive and so does not involve many elements. It does however allow the artist to create a relationship with the audience who is able to gain an understanding of the artist.

The music video created by Micheal Gondry gives quite a simplistic representation of the artist. It presents the artist in an ‘ordinary’ way as suggested by Richard Dyer’s star theory. The viewers are likely to consider the artist as having a ‘girl next door’ personality which is created by the narrative of the music video. The artist not only carrying out normal tasks that are expected to be done for her rather than by her but wearing casual clothing emphasizes her ordinary self. This allows the audience to relate to her and so form a relationship. Although she can be considered as ordinary, she is also extra-ordinary due to the diversity of the music video which has an aim of presenting the artist as unique. The way in which she is represented helps to gain fan loyalty as well as to attract viewers. 

White stripes - The hardest button

The song ’The hardest button to button’ by White Stripes is of an alternative rock genre. The music video does not convey the typical genre conventions of rock music such as exaggerated movement of the individuals involved in the performance aspect. While rock is commonly associated as a way of expressing rebellion, the video does not portray this. It does however follow conventions to a certain extent through the use of colours such as red and black as well as the instruments involved i.e. a guitar and drums. This is typically seen in videos of the rock nature. The video itself involves transitions which increase the amount of an object such as the drums which increase one by one.

Goodwin’s theory is partially present in the music video although it is not as distinguishable as it typically is in music videos that are conventional to the genre. The theory mentions a relationship between the music and visuals seen on the screen. The video features straight cut transitions in which an instrument is added. This is parallel to the beat of the music. Although the music video is diverse and so does not follow most conventions, the video does display some conventions such as the heavy make-up worn by the performers in the video. 

The style and structure of the music video is mainly performance. There is no narrative or concept in the music video due to the simplicity of the video. The artists are simply performing with the female playing the drums whilst the male plays the guitar whilst singing. Although this may be of entertainment value, it prevents the audience from forming a relationship with the artist. The video displays diversity in a way which makes the video difficult to understand and so this may have a negative impact on the viewing of the video as there is no clear purpose as what it tries to convey.

The video gives a simplistic representation of the artists which does not give much away to the viewers. The video can be considered as portraying the artists in a negative way. As they are only seen performing, the audience cannot get an insight into their character. They seem quite static in the way they perform and do not express much through their body language or expression. This may discourage viewers from watching the video and further explore their music as they do not appear to be interesting.  

Advantages and disadvantages of producing diverse music videos
Music videos that display diversity will not be successful at targeting a wide audience due to the need for viewers to have a distinct taste. They are not suited towards a mainstream audience that expect to see conventional elements of a certain genre. Diverse music videos tend to be unusual and so audiences that prefer conventional music videos may not understand the diversity. It may also prevent them from forming a relationship with the artist due to not being able to relate to the music video. It may also discourage them from looking into other material of the artist due to the belief they will not be able to relate or gain an understanding of the artist nor the lyrics.

However certain viewers may be curious as to how the video subverts stereotypical genre characteristics. This may encourage them to research into the work of the artist which increases the audience of the artist. The curiosity of diverse music videos is evoked due to the freedom a diverse video allows. The director does not have any limitations as they tend not to abide by censorship rules. This may benefit the artist as it enables them to be reinvent themselves for one video which may cause controversy and so attract media attention leading to interest amongst the audience.

How will researching diverse music videos assist you in the production of your own video?
By researching diverse music videos, I am aware of how genre conventions can be broken. However this has both benefits and limitations which must be considered. In the production of my own music video, I am likely to produce a video that conforms to stereotypical conventions. This is so the theories studies can be applied and so a relationship between the audience and artist can be formed. The audience will be able to understand and relate the artist. A diverse video may have limitations which may negatively impact the video if the elements do not provide a clear reason as to why it has been created and what it aims to achieve.