Research: Music Video Channels

 

Music Video Channels

What are music channels and why are they important?

Music channels are TV programmes which generally show music videos by popular artists and bands in the music industry to the audience. These channels are usually on cable or satellite and are vital to the music industries overall success. Music channels are important because they allow the audience to watch music videos rather than just listening a song alone, this promotes a music video ensuring that it receives more viewings and that there is a larger fan base for artists. Without music channels, artists would be in danger as their music videos would have a lack of viewings and their songs would also be at risk of not receiving success. Therefore, music channels are necessary to ensure an artists success, but also music channels allow various genres of music to be promoted to a wider audience, rather than a particular, popular genre. Music stations have created channels as a source of synergy to promote their music to their audience, for example, KISS and Magic have their own channels. Magic have three channels dedicated to them, including  Sky 363, Virgin 340 and Freesat 523, allowing their audience to listen to music on their TV rather than having to listen on the radio, giving them more choice and freedom. This proves the importance of music channels existence today. 

Music channels today…

There are many music channels on todays TV to suit a mass audience’s expectations. This ensures that the audience has a larger variety of music genres to choose from, and are able to watch music channels that satisfies them most, which shows music videos that appeals to them. In the past there was few channels to choose from, limiting the audience’s choice, and preventing them from being picky, however, the increase in music channels has been beneficial giving the audience greater choice, and leading to larger audience appeal. The increase in music channels is also beneficial for artists who can become more popular and gain a larger fan base due to their music videos being played repeatedly on these channels.

Today’s music channels include:

- Kiss      - Flava         -Viva      - 4Music      - Kerrang        

- Magic   -The Vault   - Bliss     -Heart TV    - Capital TV                              

- Starz    - Stars TV    - Heat    - MTV

Are music channels the same as they were in the past? 

- Music channels are not only catering for music videos nowadays, but TV shows as well. This is to make music channels appeal to a larger, mass audience who can relate to the content.

- For example, MTV, was known as a popular music channel, however, have now began to show TV shows as well as music videos as they have recognised that there is a larger audience appeal now in comparison to the past, therefore, they must cater for all their audiences and show content that their audience find appealing and entertaining to watch. Popular artists who have music videos played on MTV include Britney Spears and One Direction who are extremely popular within the music industry.

- TV shows played on MTV include Catfish: The TV Show, Teen Mom, Ex On The Beach, Geordie Shore. MTV appeals to the female audience, aged 16-25.

- However, MTV now has sister channels which show different genres of music genres.

MTV'S sister channels include:

• MTV dance- Plays club music which appeals to 18-25 year olds.
• MTV Live- Shows concerts and festivals
• MTV Rocks- Play rock music and sub genres which appeals to 25- 40 year old males.
• MTV Base- Play hip hop music, from popular artists such as Chris Brown and Beyonce, and appeals to audiences from ethnic minorities, aged 16-25.
•  MTV Hits- plays pop music in the charts, and appeals to the younger audience (5-20 year olds).

What music genres are underrepresented and why?

Despite there being a variety of music channels today, particular music genres tend to be under represented as a result of them being niche genres, appealing to niche viewers rather than the mainstream audience.  For example, alternative R&B and hip hop music are under represented genres as their music videos are rarely shown on popular music channels, such as 4Music and MTV due to them having controversial content within them, and only being appropriate to watch after watershed hours to a niche audience (18-30 year olds). Jazz music is also under represented on music channels, as it is a niche genre, and usually appeals to the older generation (45 years and over) who are unlikely to watch music channels in comparison to the younger generation who have a greater interest in music. Moreover, despite grime music becoming more popular and widely listened to by the younger audience, it continues to be under represented on music channels in comparison to classical music for example which has its own music channel. People who create their own personal music videos used to be promoted on AKA, however, are now under represented as this is no longer available, and as a result, YouTube is the new platform for new/ upcoming artists.

Advantages of having so many music channels…

• Promotes artists- An artist become recognised when their music videos are played on various music channels.
• Creates a relationship between the artist and audience-  The audience are able to relate to the artist through their music videos.
• Established fan base- Artists music videos are played on various music channels increasing an artist’s popularity and providing them with established fans.
• Provides entertainment for the viewer- The viewer has a choice of what to watch, and gain entertainment from watching music videos they enjoy.
• Allows audience to sweep- Due to music channels being blocked together, the audience are able to sweep through channels watching the channels that they like most.
• The music industry becomes more successful and earns more money- Having multiple music channels allows the music industry to make more money, as their artists become more popular and increasing the push for more music to be produced from the audience.
• Artists earn more money- Having their music videos played on various music channels, increases an artist’s earnings.

Disadvantages of having so many music channels…

• Under representation- Having lots of music channels can result in certain channels receiving less viewings, and therefore being under represented.
• Importance of artists is less- The music industry has lost its stars, as the popular stars have become too mainstream, making music repetitive.
•  Less engagement and views- Music channels are not as popular as other channels and therefore fail to receive as many viewings as them. The audience also lack engagement in music, preferring to each TV shows which are more entertaining.
•  Less videos are played on these channels- Music channels are no longer playing music as much and try to appeal to a larger audience by playing Shows and festivals as well, however, his goes against their traditions and conventions causing the audience to rebel.

Conclusion: What channels do you think your music video will play on and why?

I think my music video will play on MTV due to it having sister channels which promote a variety of genres, and appealing to a mass audience. Therefore, whatever the genre of my music channel, it is likely to fit into one of the MTV channels, gaining viewers and enabling my music video to gain a fan base. Moreover, I think my music video will play on the radio station channels, such as KISS, which also promotes popular music videos and has an existing fan base, ensuring that my music video will gain viewings from the mainstream audience. However, if my music video is of a niche genre, a radio channel may not be an appropriate channel to play my music video on as it may appeal to a niche audience.

Research: Diversity of music Videos

 

Diversity of music videos

What are diverse music videos? 

Diverse music videos are videos that usually go against conventions and are targeted at niche audiences rather than the mainstream audience. Particular genres of music are prone to creating diverse music videos, for example, rock, alternative, and some dance genres are likely to create music videos that are likely to create a response from the audience, and the mainstream audience are likely to react with confusion and uncertainty due to them being familiar with conventional music videos that include common themes and easy narratives. 

Diverse music videos are also likely to be concept and performance based, with the concept being unclear, causing the audience to find it difficult to identify with. 

Diverse music videos are directed by specific directors that are able to make the music videos unique, differing from mainstream music videos. Famous directors of diverse music videos include: 

Chris Cunningham: 

Chris Cunningham is a British video artist, and has directed many diverse music videos for popular artists. He has worked with the likes of Madonna, Aphex Twins and Bjork etc, with their videos winning music video awards. For example, his video for Aphex Twins, 'Windowlicker' was nominated for the 'Best Video' award at the Brit Awards 2000. He also directed Madonna's 'Frozen' video which became an international hit and won the award for 'Best special effects' at the 1998 MTV Music Video Awards. Cunningham has been extremely successful in his work and as a result he has transitioned between the film and TV industry. Cunningham's music videos can be associated with Hebdige's theory which states that there are subcultures evident within our society, which are little cultures in their own rights and beliefs. Cunningham's music videos reflect his as they appeal to a niche audience. 

Some examples of popular videos Cunningham has directed includes:

        Bjork- 'All is full of love'

Cunningham directed this diverse music video, which included robots, and a distinctive narrative which consisted of a female robot being built and then finding love with a fellow male robot. The star image was extremely unique, however focused on the artist and was a pure and honest representation of her. The relationship between the images and the audience is uncommon as it leaves the audience mesmerised. The mainstream audience are likely to react with uncertainty and confusion, however, Bjork's loyal fans are likely to watch the video and  appreciate her work and her as an artist due to them identifying her as a unique artist with a unique style. Bjork decided to work with Cunningham as she believed he was a genius and is aware that she is from a certain genre, therefore she thought the collaboration would be a success. she explains that the music video revolves around love and lust which is evident throughout the video, as the two robots find love and make love to each other highlighting their feelings for each other. While the video was being made, Cunningham was concerned about how the video was going to form and look at the end, and was worried as ideas were frequently changing in order to make the music video successful and different from common videos. This video goes against conventions due to lacking common characteristics, such as real characters being evident in the video and the music matching the visuals. This occurs as the video is from the niche genre, trip hop.  I believe the video is different and intrigues the audience, leaving them in awe and wonder, it /also fulfils its purpose which is to revolve around love. The theme of love and lust is portrayed in an unconventional manner, which is more interesting and was thought out well. 

Aphex Twins- Come To Daddy

Cunningham directed Aphex Twins' music video 'Come to daddy' which is a niche music video, that is purely concept based due to there being no evidence of a specific artist or star image, and there is no sign of a narrative with a clear beginning, middle and end. The dwarfs are simply running around in a rebellious manner and are reunited with their 'daddy' at the end. The characters consist of an old woman, her dog, and male dwarfs dressed as females, which is confusing and may be perceived negatively by the mainstream audience, as they may see the content and images as disturbing. Therefore, this music video is targeted at the Aphex Twins' loyal fans and a niche audience who are able to understand their work. Although the music video does not appeal to a mass audience the video was still perceived as successful after it's release in 1997 as it was nominated for 'Best video' at MTV Europe Music Award and for 'Best Visual Effects' at MTV Video Music Awards. I believe that the music video fits into the category or diverse music videos as it does not consist of popular conventions, instead it does the complete opposite and there is no real message behind the video. The music video can be considered as controversial due to particular images, such as the dwarfs being dressed as females, and their 'daddy' wearing almost nothing. The title of the video can also cause misunderstanding, causing controversy which is reinforced through the images. 

Aphex Twins- Flex

Cunningham also directed Aphex Twins music video 'Flex' which is also a diverse music video made for a 15 minute film loop. The characters consist of a deformed, naked male and female that are in a curled up position, reflecting a foetus in a womb. There is no clear narrative or performance, as there is no star image visible. The couple are fighting and having sex at the same time which reinforces uncertainty for the audience. The images create a confused response from the mainstream audience, and they react by feeling uncomfortable by the images displayed. However, the Apex Twins loyal fans are likely to see this as normal and more normal than his other music videos due to a lack of exposed content. This video also causes controversy due to the content being inappropriate for the mainstream audience, as it consists of naked people and physical contact. Therefore, the film was given an 18 certificate by the BBFC. Although the music video is interesting, it has no clear message or theme associated with it. 

Cunningham has reoccurring characteristics within his work which are evident in the above music videos, these include: 

• Unclear star image 
• Deformity 
• Low key lighting 
• Weird locations 
• Works with niche genres of music 

These characteristics are not likely to be found in mainstream music videos, and therefore, this is what makes these diverse music videos different. Despite receiving criticism for particular choices he has made in the music videos, Cunningham is also seen as a successful director as his videos have been appreciated and nominated/ rewarded for their effects and outcomes. In my opinion, Cunningham's work proves an important point, that music videos do not have to make sense and stick to conventions in order to be successful, he proves that being different and unique, and reflecting this in music videos is enough to make it successful. Although some of decisions are weird and do not make sense, I believe his work is artful.

Michel Gondry:

Michel Gondry is a french director, screenwriter and producer and has been responsible for creating diverse music videos for popular artists. He has worked with mainstream artists including; Chemical Brothers, White Stripes, Kylie Minogue, Sheryl Crow, Sinead O'Connor, The Rolling Stones, Gary Jules, Daft Punk, Beck etc. These artists wanted diversity evident within their music videos to make a change, which relates to McCracken's theory which states that people change with age and become part of different cultures. This theory particularly applies to Kylie Minogue who created music videos that were mainstream and appealed to the mainstream audience, but then decided to seek help from Gondry to target her video at a different audience culture. Gondry's work has been extremely successful, for example, the successful collaboration with Bjork led to him directing seven of her music videos, including 'Human behaviour' and 'Bachelorette'.  

Some diverse videos Michel Gondry has directed includes:

Kylie Minogue- Come into my world

Gondry directed Minogue's music video, 'Come into my world' which was diverse due to the repetitive performance and the star image being unique. The characters consists of the female artist who is performing, by singing and dancing and then cloned numerous times, with the narrative repeating itself each time. The artists representation is subtle and stripped back which differs from her other music videos, in which the artist looks more glamorous and dressy. The prolonged use of cinematography also makes the video diverse, along with the special effects which required fifteen days for producers to complete. Despite the video being different it still appeals to the mainstream audience due to being from a popular genre: pop. This music video was honoured with a Grammy Award for Best Dance Recording in 2004 soon after its release illustrating its success and popularity among a mass audience. I think the video was diverse, and resulted in a successful outcome as the effects enhanced the video making it likeable and unique. 

Gary Jules- Mad World 

Gondry also directed Gary Jules's music video 'Mad World' which is portrayed as a low budget video due to the lack of mise en scene and basic editing. The video is repetitive, rhythmic and subtle with the pace of song matching the editing, which involves no cuts. Star image is evident with the artist singing from the top of a building looking over the people creating the different pictures, although the camera does not specifically focus on him. The music video is concept and performance based, with no narrative evident. The music video proved to make success as the song was included in the commercial to the video game, 'Gears of War' in 2006, and also peaking to third in the UK Singles (official chart company). Despite a basic location and a lack of glamour involved, the video is portrayed as diverse due to being different from mainstream videos, and the repetition that occurs. 

Daft Punk- Around The World 

Gondry directed Daft Punk's music video, 'Around The World' which is a  concept based video that consists of various groups of dancers dressed up in differing outfits and dancing to the song. There is no star image evident, however, the video intrigues the audience due to the various colours that make the video look bright and upbeat. The video is diverse as it is from a niche genre: french house, and differs from mainstream videos which usually consist of a star image and are performance based as well as concept or narrative based. Gondry used 'Around the World' as his first attempt to bring organised dancing to his music videos, and he portrayed each group of dancers as representing a certain musical instrument, for example, he claimed that the skeletons represented a singing voice and the mummies represented a drum machine which is an intelligent idea and reinforces the diversity of the video. This music video was extremely successful as it reached number one in the dance charts and was awarded an MTV music award for 'Best Video' in 1997 and a Grammy Award for 'Best Dance Recording' in 2000. 

Reoccurring characteristics evident within Gondry's work includes: 

• Low budget locations
• Clever visual twists
• Visualisation of instruments 
• Repetition
• Concept based videos
• No/ Simple star image

These niche characteristics are what make Gondry's videos so diverse and different from mainstream videos. These characteristics have enhanced his work making him more successful and ensuring that his work is rewarded with awards. In my opinion Gondry's work  differs from other directors as he uses simplicity to make his work successful and effective. This proves that it is not all about expensive locations and lots of mine en scene that makes a video so successful, it can just be efficient cinematography and basic skills that enhances a video. 

Out of the two directors, Gondry is my favourite as his work is diverse yet can still appeal to a niche and mainstream audience, due to it not being overly controversial or overly inappropriate. Instead, it is effectively portrayed to an audience, giving it more emphasis and allowing excitement to build for an audience. 

Advantages and disadvantages of diverse music videos: 

Advantages: 

• Creates hype for the audience
• Portrays individual style-  Allows directors and artists to be creative and unique when making the music video. 
• Visually appealing- Diverse music videos are likely to be more appealing to the eye due to their different characteristics and effects contrasting with mainstream music videos. 
• Infinitive film making style 
• Reinvent an artists star image- If an artist feels their music career is in jeopardy, creating a diverse music video is likely to reinvent their image, forming their popularity again. For example, Kylie Minogue turned to Gondry to reinvent her image, and to seek popularity again. 
• Entertaining- Diverse music videos are more likely to be entertaining to watch due to them differing from mainstream videos, and containing artful effects. 
• Mentally challenging
• Gives the artist an intellectual sense
• Artist can have a niche audience
• Abstract comes to life

Disadvantages:

• Controversial content- In order to make particular music videos diverse, directors may add controversial content that could cause criticism, and could lead to the music video failing. 
• Some people may not understand- If the video is diverse and does not make sense, some people may not understand the content or themes. 
• Videos may not gain viewings from a mainstream audience- Diverse music videos usually appeal to the niche audience, due to them being from niche genres. 
• Risky- Diverse music videos can be expensive to create and it could be risky as it may not be successful. 
• Video can be at risk of getting censored- If the video contains controversial content the video may be at risk of getting censored, preventing it from being viewed by a mainstream audience. 
• Distressing visuals- The music videos may contain distressing images that the audience may be uncomfortable watching. For example, this is evident in Apex Twins, 'Come to Daddy'. 
• Can ruin an artists reputation- If the music video is to diverse for the audiences liking, and it proves to be unsuccessful, an artists reputation can be ruined rather than enhanced. 
• Certain audiences may find the diverse videos bizarre

Should diverse music videos stay away from mainstream music culture? 

It can be argued whether or not diverse music videos should away from mainstream music culture. I believe that diverse music videos should stay away from mainstream music culture    as they deserve to be identified for their unique nature, rather than being categorised as mainstream. If the videos appeal to a niche audience and contains niche characteristics, that differ from mainstream music videos then they should be recognised for this. Furthermore, diverse music videos are also likely to reject Goodwin's theory contrasting with mainstream music videos which are likely to include at least two of his characteristics or more, therefore this proves that diverse music videos have their own music culture. Diverse music videos are also likely to be from niche genres of music, which indicates that they should not in the same category as the mainstream music culture, as niche genres are not listened to by a mass audience and are targeted at the niche audiences. 

Conclusion:

Overall, I have learnt that diverse music videos exist and contain niche characteristics which   distinguishes them from mainstream music videos. After researching Cunningham and Gondry's work, I have identified certain similarities they portray within their videos which is using their imaginations to create diverse videos. As a result i am considering including particular features to make my music video diverse if my video is of a niche genre as it will make my music video more entertaining and enjoyable for the audience to watch, increasing the rate of success my video receives. However, I do not intend on making my entire video diverse, as it could create uncertainty for the audience and I may put the videos success at risk. When i decide the genre my video, I will find the conventional characteristics of existing videos from the same genre, and create my video according to similar characteristics and diverse characteristics so there is a balance of both within my video. I also want to ensure that I follow Goodwin's theory to an extent by providing some of his characteristics within  my video, and I want to use Dyer's theory which is associated with star theory, ensuring that my artist is portrayed in a particular way to the audience. Therefore, in order to include the theories and make my video diverse, I need to find a balance to avoid any problems occurring. 

Research: History Of Music Videos

History of Music Videos

Intro: 

Music videos have changed dramatically, with modern music videos differing from traditional music videos. Modern music videos are now more advanced, and visually appealing in comparison to traditional music videos which were simple and contained basic performances from artists. Modern music videos are more likely to be narrative or concept based with the artist acting within their video. The use of mise en scene, locations and cinematography, and lighting has also changed dramatically, as traditional music videos lacked these elements, in comparison to modern music videos which have expensive and various mise en scene used, expensive locations, various camera angles, due to cameras being better, with an improvement in technology and better lighting due to more lighting equipment becoming widely available. Modern music videos also appeal to different audiences, due to music videos having individual genres, for example, pop music videos are more likely to appeal to the younger, female audience, in comparison to rock music videos which are more likely to appeal to the older male audience. however, traditional music videos appealed to a larger audience due to their being limited music videos in the early 1900's, therefore, there wasn't a particular audience the video was aimed at. Modern music videos can also be used for various purposes nowadays, such as for entertainment purposes, films, trailers, adverts etc, whereas traditional music videos were used to accompany an artists song, entertaining the audience. The impact traditional music videos would have had differ from the impact modern music videos have as traditional music videos were less likely to contain inappropriate or controversial elements, receiving positive responses and artists gaining large fan bases such as the 'Beatles' who become globally famous. However, modern music videos can have a negative impact as well as positive due to the changes within society and the morals artists hold, artists now choose to add controversial content to their videos which they know will have a negative impact, but will receive popularity. Media has also become extremely diverse with the internet and social media being important sources of information, therefore artists are perceived in particular ways due to the media, influencing their music videos and the response it receives. For example, if an artist is portrayed as powerful and likeable, their music videos are more likely to be watched by a larger audience in comparison to an artist who is negatively portrayed. 

Timeline of history modern music: 

• 23 December 1938: Number 12 in our series of the 50 key events in the history of jazz music - From Spirituals to Swing was the title of a concert at Carnegie Hall on 23 December 1938, marking the first time jazz had made a formal recognition of its own history. The concert, intended to present music of African-American origin to a mixed audience, was the brainchild of John Hammond, a scion of the Vanderbilt dynasty who had fallen in love with jazz during his youth. He worked as a jazz critic before beginning a distinguished career as an A&R man, and was also active in the civil rights movement.

• 1952: Number 13 in our series of the 50 key events in the history of world and folk music- There is a famous photograph taken by Allen Ginsberg of " film-maker " Harry Smith "transforming milk into milk" in a New York hotel room in 1985. This compilation featured recordings from a motley assortment of pre-war characters, such as Dock Boggs or Floyd Ming and his Pep-Steppers. The selection seemed to be made on the songs' strangeness – in the later words of the critic Greil Marcus, it revealed "the old, weird America". Smith wrote synopses of the songs and created his own artwork, including an etching of a monochord taken from a mystical treatise by 17th-century English astrologer Robert Fludd. The release became the bible of the Greenwich Village folk revival of the late 1950s and early 60s – feted by the likes of Dave Van Ronk and Dylan.

• 18 January 1987:  Number 14 of the 50 key events in the history of dance music- It was in 1987 that dance stormed the charts. Steve "Silk" Hurley's 'Jack Your Body' was the first to hit number one. It arrived with no promotion, a video that was cut from old black and white films and barely any lyrics. The similarly anonymous Pump Up the Volume by M/A/R/R/S also charted at number one on 27th September – one of the first singles to exploit the possibilities of sampling. Also among 1987's dance hits were Frankie Knuckles's Your Love and Coldcut's Say Kids What Time is It.

Key dates in our history: 

• 1929- Songs and Moving images- Bessie Smith appeared in the two- reel short film, 'Saint Louis Blues (1929) which featured Smith performing, as she was lip syncing along to the hit song. Lip syncing was first evident in this short film, therefore, it is argued that this performance proves that this was the first music video. However, despite there being elements of a music video I disagree that this can be regarded as a music video, as intention of the lip syncing was to promote the film, and there was no narrative or concept and no real performance, except Smith simply lip syncing to the song. 

• 1940- Songs and moving images- Walt Disney produced an animated film which consisted of eight animated segments set to classical music called 'Fantasia'. It was argued that this is when music videos were invented, however, I disagree as it did not properly reflect a music video, with no evidence  of an artist promoted, or even lyrics to the songs. It was simply a genre of music associated with the film.  

• 1920-1940- Songs and moving images- Many films, animations in particular,  including 'Stream boat Willie' (1928) and 'Snow White and the seven dwarfs' (1939),were accompanied by moving images. However, these were not considered as music videos, just basic editing of images to films/ musicals which was a popular genre of film during this period.  I agree as these films lasted longer than that average time of a music video and did not contain characteristics of  music videos, such as the visuals matching the lyrics or music. 

• 1950- 1960- Songs and moving images- in 1956, Tony Bennett was filmed walking along Hyde park, London, for his song 'Strange in the park'. This resulted in the single/ video being distributed on US and UK TV, causing Bennet to claim that he made the first music video. This can be arguable, although I believe that this did reflect a music video, due to performance and star image being evident suggesting that this was the first music video to be invented. 

• 1950-1960- Songs and moving images- 1964 was a key moment as The Beatles' song 'A hard days night' was released, and this was arguably set out the basic visual vocabulary of today's music videos. This impacted on the number of contemporary musicians at the time, as a vast number of them began to create similar moving images to accompany their music. I believe that this music video could be regarded as the first music video, as it did resemble a music video, as it was performance and concept based, and star image was evident, with their fans surrounding them. Due to The Beatles being extremely famous, their influence was enough to start off other music videos being invented. Therefore, it can be argued that The Beatles, 'A hard days night' music video was the first music video. 

• 1950-1960- Songs and moving images- Monkees was a TV show that was shown from 1966 to 1968. Each episode included a specifically made film segment that was created to accompany their songs used in their  TV series. Monkees song 'Daydream Believer' reflects a music video as the band were perceived to be singing and playing instruments along to the music. Star image and performance was evident in the video suggesting that it reflected a music video. However, i do not believe that Monkees did not invent music videos as they performed during their shows, not actually performing for the purpose of a music video. 

• 1966- The birth of the top of the pops- Top Of The Pops was invented in order to promote singles, which meant that artists had to compete for air time as the Top Of The Pops only showed a limited number of performances. 

• 1950-1960- Songs and moving images- In 1967, videos began using techniques from film including film effects, dramatic lighting, camera angles and rhythmic editing. For example, the Beatles video 'Penny Lane', included these techniques making it look more professional, supported by the band performing the song and acting in the video. The video is performance and concept based. 

Modern era of music videos!

• 1975- Queen 'Bohemian Rhapsody'- The modern music video-  Queen created a music video in order to replace a live performance on TV. Although the Beatles had created videos, Queen were the first to actually create a video that was specifically for that song to be played on TV. Bohemian Rhapsody was the first music video to be made on video format. Therefore, it would be accurate to say that this was the 'First music video' although it was not the 'First promo film'.

• 1970- 1980- Songs and moving images- Modern music videos were further developed when video recording with editing processes were invented. High quality video tape recorders and portable video cameras allowed pop acts to produce promotional videos quickly and cheaply rather than using film which was expensive. By the mid 80's producing a video to support a new single was the norm. Artists were using high budgets to create these videos, for example, 'The jackson's', spent money on their costumes, and miss en scene to ensure their videos were of high quality. 

• 1981-  MTV launch and development of music videos- MTV was launched in 1981 with the first video to be aired being Buggles, 'Video killed the radio star', which was trying to prove the point that once music videos were invented and began to become more popular, the number of radio listeners decreased, decreasing its popularity. 

• 1984- Michael Jackson's Thriller... and the concept of short film...- A short film is a music video that has a clear beginning, middle and end. Michael Jackson's 'Thriller' video took this into consideration and took the music video format to another level, which was extremely popular and liked at the time. The 'Top Of The Pops' started to censor video content that was considered inappropriate or controversial, so another approach was to produce videos that would be banned or edited so using controversy and publicity would help  promote the release. Early examples of this was Duran Duran's 'Girls on Film' which included females with little clothing who were portrayed in a promiscuous and vulnerable manner in contrast to the dominant males. 

• 1980's- MTV and musical success-  By the mid 1980's, music videos began to play a central role in popular music marketing, as many artists began experimenting and creating music videos due to its popularity. Many artists such as Madonna owed a great deal of her success to the skilful construction and seductive appeal to her music videos. Although many people view MTV as the start of a 'golden era' of music videos and the unparalleled success of a new art form in popular culture, others perceive it as hastening the death of the true musical artist, because physical appeal is not critical to popularity of an unprecedented degree. 

How have music videos changed over time ?

Music videos have changed in a number of ways over the years, which are associated with a number of things including the development of technology, value, formats, representations and the Importance of music videos. 

• Development of technology- Before the modern era there was little technology to use making music videos of a low quality and lacking professionalism, however, the increase of technology such as editing and sound programmes have enhanced the music videos as they look and sound more professional and expensive, suggesting the vast amount of time and money consumed. For example, when comparing the 'Beatles' music videos with 'One Directions' music videos, we can see the difference in quality due to the different editing techniques and programmes used, and also the use of instruments used, all of the 'Beatles' band members are seen to be playing instruments in comparison to the 'One Direction' band who are not playing any instruments. This highlights the changes of sound programmes, as they have improved encouraging artists to steer away from performance based music videos, and to focus on narrative based performances instead. The improvements in technology has also enabled music videos to be globally viewed on different medias including social media, Youtube, World star, iTunes, Spotify etc. 

• Formats- music videos can now be saved in various formats including, 'WAV', 'PCM', 'AIFF, 'PCM' etc, these formats allow videos to be synced onto iTunes and other programmes, allowing the audience to use different forms of media to listen to music videos such as Youtube, iTunes, gaming consoles, the internet etc. However, this contrasts with the older formats that music videos were saved on which included video, vinyl record, disc etc. These formats limited the way music videos were presented to an audience.

• Representations- The ways in which artists are represented have changed over the years, as artists are now represented as stars, as they are portrayed as living a lavish lifestyle. The way females and males are portrayed differ, as females are objectified and seen as vulnerable in comparison to males who are seen as more dominant. In the past representations were different as there were more male artists, due to feminism not yet existing, and males were not portrayed as dominating, just as role models and perceived as attractive towards the female fan base. 

• Music video importance- The importance of music videos has decreased as their is less emphasis on them, due to other forms of media being used by audiences to listen to music. On the other hand, in the past, music videos were portrayed as more important due to them being newly invented and introduced causing a hype from audiences. The lack of importance has led to artists using different forms to promote their music including films and adverts. For example, Ellie Goulding's song 'Love me like you do' was promoted by the film 'Fifty shades of grey'. However, it can be argued otherwise, as the increase of music videos suggests that they are more important, in comparison to before when music videos were not watched due to the music being listened to on the radio. So when comparing the number of music videos made by artists in the past to the number of videos made by artists today, there is a large difference due to more videos being produced today. 

• Values- Artists had more values in the past, ensuring that they made music videos that did not portray them in a negative manner, whereas artists today have less values, causing them to make controversial decisions, such as Madonna who does not consider other peoples opinions and has made various controversial music videos.

After researching into the key dates in our history, and looking at the arguments about who created the first music video, I believe the first music video was created my Tony Bennett in 1956, as his video for his song 'Strange in the park' reflected a music video due to the Goodwin's characteristics being evident within it, such as the video being performance based, due to the artist singing while walking through the park,  and  star image motifs is also evident as there are close up's capturing the artist, promoting his importance. The artist is also in a formal attire as he is wearing a suit reflecting his formality and making him stereotypical of his gentleman like role. These factors demonstrate that the Bennett's video 'Strange in the park' was the first music video to be evident in our history.

Conclusion: Why is important to know about the history and what ideas have you gathered?

Gaining knowledge about the history of music videos is vital as we are able to understand how music videos have developed over the years and compare traditional music videos to modern music videos. Without gaining this knowledge we are unable to understand how music videos were invented and how they have got to where they are now. Overall, I now know that music videos were invented because of famous stars including 'Tony Bennett' and the 'Beatles' who created videos to accompany their music. Their work influenced other artists to create music videos, for example, 'Michael Jackson' created a more advanced music videos,making it resemble a short film, including  a narrative. All these traditional music videos have led to modern music videos using them as a guide and becoming higher quality due to the developments in technology.