History of Music Videos

Music videos were first created as a promotional tool in order to further the status of the artist who appeared within them. The video which is widely accepted to be the first ever is the one for Bohemian Rhapsody by Queen, as it was called a "promotional clip" by its marketers. Music videos such as this one were produced to be shown on programs such as Top of The Pops on the BBC, as no channel which exclusively showed music videos was around until MTV launched in 1981. The first music video to be screened on MTV was Video Killed The Radio Star by The Buggles. This was clearly chosen in order for MTV to promote themselves as being the new way in which music would be shared and new artists would be discovered, although it didn't end up working quite like this. Now days music videos are created for largely the same purpose, as artist promotion, although the way the audience digest the medium has completely changed due to online streaming services such as YouTube.

The cost of making a music video can vary hugely - some music videos are produced for as cheap as £20, as Ed Sheeran told Q Magazine about the production of The A Team, but some have production budgets of over $7 million, such as Scream by Michael and Janet Jackson. A few of the most expensive videos to have ever been produced include Die Another Day by Madonna, Too Legit 2 Quit by MC Hammer and Estranged by Guns 'N' Roses. Most of these videos have been produced in a way which makes them appear to be a short film which has been set to the music, with editing and special effects which would be expected to be included in a blockbuster film rather than a music video.

Music videos within different genres have widely different conventions from one another. For example, the conventions of a hip-hop video are usually lots of men with weapons, throwing up gang signs and wearing jewellery. There is almost a competitive nature between the different videos within this genre, because different artists will use their music videos to show how much power they have (in terms of money, drugs, weapons and jewellery) over their rivals. An example of a music video which shows this kind of possession based competitive spirit as a convention of hip-hop is the video for I Don't Like by Chief Keef, as it contains lots of shots of people counting money and holding weapons.

However, the key conventions of a metal video are completely different to this. For example, an audience member would expect to see a band playing to a large crowd, with lots of close up shots on their instruments. In addition to this, each member will receive equal screen time, because there usually isn't a single star of a metal band, with all members usually being held in high regard by the audience. An example of this is the video for Thunderstruck by AC/DC, as the camera focuses on the audience as much as it does the band - it connotes that the band believe their fans to be as important to the music as they are.

A third genre with conventions completely different to these two is pop music. Whilst it is hard to exactly pin down what pop is, because what's popular changes very quickly, there are still some key conventions often included in a music video from a band who are trying to break into the mainstream.

In terms of YouTube plays, the most watched, and thus most successful music video of all time is Gangnam Style by Psy, which has just over 2 billion views (June 2014). Behind this, Baby by Justin Bieber is the second most successful music video of all time, having amassed just over 1 billion YouTube views. It is hard to measure audience figures of music videos which aren't on YouTube or have only recently been uploaded, as Michael Jackson's Thriller has about 180 million views on YouTube, but is commonly regarded as being the most successful video of all time, due to the promotion which it gave his career.

Music Video Analysis - The Strokes: Last Nite

This establishing shot shows that the video is going to be a
performance video, and the background establishes a 50s/60s
setting and vibe.

The genre of the music video is alternative rock, which matches the genre of the artist. The video is completely a performance video, which is made to seem like the band are performing the song live in the studio. This means that there is a typical narrative for a performance video within the genre of rock, as the camera is largely focused on the lead singer rather than the rest of the band. The audience for the video are likely to expect this, along with a lack of storyline, in order to make the live performance seem as authentic as possible. This is why it has been constructed for some of the microphones to fall over, as it adds to the authenticity and entertainment for the audience. 

Shots like this show that it is clear there is little narrative
to the video, as the band aren't established as being characters
in any way.

In terms of narrative, there is very little storyline to the video, with the only noticeable change being that the musicians become seemingly more energised as the video progresses - there is no change of scene or dialogue in order to suggest that there is actually an underlying story to the video. This could have been specifically done by the director in order to make the video seem unorganised and chaotic, which is a key theme which matches with the music. Another theme within the video is the 1960s theme, present in the way that the band members are dressed, and the background of the studio they are performing in contains cartoon graphics which are often associated with the 50s and 60s. This is because the band are trying to show that the music they make is influenced by the music of the 60s, which is often described as a "golden era". There is no recognisable narrative structure such as the Todorov's theory of five stages - this is due to the live performance feel of the video. In a way, there is a reflection of the video within the music, as the video appears to be very much improvised and uncontrolled - this reflects the music as it is fairly underproduced.

The socio-demographic group which has been represented within the video is men in their early twenties, as this is not only the group which the band fit into, but also the audience. The video reflects the band as being reckless and not having anything to care about - this seems appealing to the audience, who will then, theoretically, want to act more like the band do in order to become more similar to them. This is based on the hypodermic needle theory, which despite often being described as outdated, still works on a basic level as it shows how audiences will change to become more like the characters in a media product. This means that whilst it seems there is very little representation within the music video, it is actually a clever attempt to win the band more fans by making them seem so appealing to a target audience, that the target audience want to become them.



The video has been recorded in a basic way, with one camera on
each musician and then a camera following all of them

The recording institutions which the band are signed to have a lot of pull in what goes into the video, and the overall aesthetic of the video. This is because The Strokes are signed to RCA Records in the US and Rough Trade in the UK. RCA is a major record company, and Rough Trade a independent company, which means they have to be marketable to both a mainstream audience and a more niche one. This mixture is evident in the way the video has been produced, as it is shot quite technically with a focus on different angles and shot framings, yet it also appeals to a more niche audience due to the recklessness of the band and realistic setting.

The audience for the video is likely to be made up of people from the C1, C2, D and E groups, as it is music which has been produced with a raw production ethic, and so is unlikely to appeal to the upper and middle classes. This also matches the class which the band are trying to get the audience to perceive them as being, because the video uses the uses and gratifications theory in order to get the audience to apply the video more to themselves. In terms of age, this video is likely to appeal to those between the ages of 20 (around the age of the band) to about 35/40, as anybody above this age is unlikely to be able to relate to the raucous and destructive nature of the video.

Music Video Analysis - Catfish & The Bottlemen: Fallout

The best description of the genre of the video is alternative rock, as this is the genre which the bands music usually fits best into. This immediately means that the video is likely to be slightly tongue-in-cheek, because a big part of the genre is about being against the mainstream. This is confirmed when the men in the van begin to dance in sync with each other, having been completely straight faced and serious up until then. There is a fairly typical narrative and style to the video based on the genre, because the narrative of the video is completely detached from the narrative within the lyrics, which is arguably convention of rock music. However, from listening to just the lyrics, the listener will expect the narrative of the video to be about a breakup between two people, especially when noting that the chorus of the song begins with "but we just always seem to fallout". This means that the majority of what happens within the video is unexpected based on the lyrics, but is expected in an unusual way when considering the content of the video. 

The basic storyline of the video is three builders are driving in a van, when one of them begins to imagine things which are happening around him. This is what makes the positioning of the audience interesting, because they are able to see the things which the builder who is suffering the delusions sees. As the video progresses the things he sees and does become more erratic, to the point where he leaves his van and begins dancing. There is a theme of happiness and spontaneousness, which is unexpected for a music video for a song which is about the breakup of a relationship. In terms of Todorov's 5 stages of narrative theory, the video contains an equilibrium, a disruption and a recognition of this disruption, however the resolution of the disruption hasn't occurred by the end of the video because the man is still dancing by the time it reaches the end. There are no recognisable characters as such, but there is the recognisable stereotype of a builder. This stereotype has been constructed through the fact that they are driving a white van which has pages from tabloid newspapers stuck up on the walls. The video doesn't reflect the lyrics very much, because everybody in the video seems to be giving off a completely different message to the one which is expressed within the lyrics.

In terms of representation, it is clear that the director is making the point that middle aged people can become fairly burnt out and deluded. This is because the older man attempts to ridicule the younger man for asking him if he watched Strictly Come Dancing, but it is then the older man who begins to have delusions. Aside from age, there aren't any representations of other social groups, because the only women in the clip appear as dancers, and ethnicity doesn't play any part within the clip. The band don't feature at all within the clip, which is fairly typical of an alternative rock video, because the artist will usually think that the song is more important than their individual artistic image. In addition to this, it would be hard for the band to fit into this video, because if the video cut to clips of them playing live then it would make the narrative of the video even harder to follow.

The video is set in a location which appears to be in the suburbs. Such a location was probably chosen because it is easily relatable for the majority of the expected audience for the video, and because it has connotations of both comfort and security, but also being stifled and unable to break out of the routine of life. The dominant colour used within the video is the grey/beige which is used on the roads, houses and sky, which again suggests the monotony which is often associated with the suburbs. 

The shot which is placed in front of the van with the van
moving towards the audience is one which is seldom used
and thus creates further interest

The most interesting camera angles are the ones which are within the van, because they give the feeling to the audience that they are looking into a scene which they wouldn't usually get to witness. The shots which create this feeling the most are the multiple extreme-close-up shots on the face of the driver of the van, as it invites the audience to emphasise with him and to try and work out why he is seeing such strange sights. Another interesting camera angle used is the dolly-based shot which shows the front of the van, as it gives the shot from the perspective which most people would expect to see the scene from - the contrast between the two different ways of presenting the shot is one of the most interesting technical codes which is included within the video. The majority of the editing is made up of cuts between what the driver of the van believes is going on, and shots showing what is actually occurring - this means that the editing is kept at a fairly fast pace and transitions are seldom used.

The target audience for the video is people who are in their teens, because with the exception of the driver, who is the source of ridicule within the video, all the other people who feature appear to be very young. This type of audience targeting is based on the uses and gratifications theory, because it shows audience members characters who they can relate too in some way, and this will fulfil a certain need which they have, such as the need to see a character who they can emphasise with. The demographic for the video is likely to be people in classes C2, D and E, because the three main characters are all builders, which is typically a working class job. However, the video could appeal to an audience member in any demographic, because the narrative of the video is likely to be entertaining to somebody from practically any walk of life.

The record company which Catfish & The Bottlemen are signed too is the independent Communion Records. This explains why the video hasn't been filmed in a studio, because not only is it cheaper to film outside than to construct a set, but also because filming outside of a set gives the video a feel with more verisimilitude, which is key for an independent music video. There is no specific brand image sold of the band, because they don't feature within the video, but due to the mix of different characters, it is clear that the director is trying to connote that they are a band of the people, whom anybody can be a fan of. 

Analysis of Music Videos: 99 Problems - Jay Z

Within the music video for 99 Problems, the use of the of Brooklyn is used as the main iconography in order to make a variety of points about both the artist and the wider social issues which he is addressing through the piece of work. Brooklyn is an area of New York which has connotations of  both violent crime and rap music, which is one of the reasons why such a location has been chosen. It is also an area which appears to be fairly run down, which connotes that he is showing where he has come from to become successful, which links to the lyrics as he describes how he went “from rags to riches”. The iconography surrounding the setting of Brooklyn is also extended in order to suggest that he is the one who runs the area, because the shot of him staring down the Brooklyn Bridge suggests that he controls the bridge, making him seem even more powerful and domineering. The video has been shot in black and white with no coloured clips appearing, which could be a use of a visual code to link to the racial divide he is discussing within the lyrics, as it suggests that there is no mixture between the cultures of blacks and whites. Finally, the shots of Rick Rubin throughout the clip are used to connote that Jay-Z has made it, in his mind, as a musician - it again makes him seem more powerful and more like a celebrity within the clip.

The low angle medium-close up on Jay Z makes him
seem both intimidating and aggressive, which is a
stereotypical image within the genre of hip-hop.

The most prominent technical code which can be seen within the video are the low angle shots which are used on Jay-Z, especially at the beginning of the video. This is used to make him seem powerful and aggressive. As the shot is also a close-up shot, it has been framed so that his head fills up the majority of the screen when it is being watched, which makes him appear even more imposing and threatening. Another technical code which has been used is the fast paced editing which is evident within the video. This demonstrates the energy which is carried within the music. In addition to this, there are very few transitions being used, with most scenes just cutting straight from one scene into the next. This could have been used to connote the lifestyle which Jay-Z is describing within the lyrical content of the video, because the editing is fast and uncertain. 

The video is a part of the hip-hop genre, and it contains a fairly typical narrative because it shows what is often regarded as a typical lifestyle for somebody who is involved within the genre. Many would expect the video to contain women, chains, speakers, drugs, and so on. These are all key pieces of iconography within the video for 99 Problems, because Jay-Z is trying to demonstrate a slightly stereotypical view on the lifestyle which it is often assumed he and his peers lead - it could be suggested that these conventions of the genre have been included in the video in order to parody the genre and make it seem as if the audience are being positioned in the eyes of the stereotypical white person which is being mocked within the lyrics. 

Interestingly, the name of the record company is at the beginning of the video, announcing that the song was released on Island Def Jam/Roc-A-Fella records. This is significant because it demonstrates the divide which is within the content of the video - it is set in a run down area in Brooklyn, but Jay-Z is covered in jewellery and is showing the power which he has as a celebrity. This is echoed by the split between the two different record labels, as Roc-A-Fella is a label which was established by Jay-Z in 1995, and Island Def Jam, which was a subsidiary of the huge music conglomerate Universal Music Group. This demonstrates the huge significance which the record label has within the video, because the two differing labels in themselves show the split in parts of Jay-Z’s life. This is because he is shown as being powerful within Brooklyn, but then later in the video a policeman is shown as being domineering over him. The star in the video is being marketed and promoted as being powerful and intimidating, as this is what it is assumed the audience for a rap video would want to see. 

Moving onto the audience, the target audience for the video is most likely to be people who would already make up the typical audience for a hip hop artist. Jay-Z was already a well established musician by the time this song was released, so it is unlikely that he would be using it in order to try and win any new fans - instead the main audience for the video is going to be those who are already fans of him. The main demographic status of this target audience are going to be those in groups C2, D and E, because they are more likely to be able to relate to the settings within the video, but also the situations which are described within the lyrics. They are also likely to be black, because Jay-Z seems to be hitting out at white people throughout the video, as the only white person who is featured prominently within the video is the police officer who is trying to intimidate him. The audience would have most likely accessed the video through TV channels such as MTV at the time, as it was released in 2004 before websites such as YouTube had been launched for the video to be viewed at the time which the audience member chose. This works well in terms of marketing Jay-Z, because if his music video is exhibited on channels such as MTV then he will seem like even more of a star in the eyes of the audience, which is how he wishes to appear within the video. 

If the narrative is to be fit into Propp's theory, then Rick
Rubin is the enabler character within the video

In terms of narrative, the video has a loose storyline which follows what Jay-Z is discussing within the lyrical content of the song. This is because there is a large scene in the middle of the video where he is being harassed by a white police officer, which matches lyrical content which discusses how the officer is pulling him over because he is “young and black and (his) hat’s real low”. The theme within the storyline is demonstrating the lifestyle of somebody who has come from a similar background as Jay-Z, which is why parts of the video seem to not feature a coherent storyline, as he is trying to show the danger which is associated with such a lifestyle. In terms of Propp’s theory about certain characters which can be seen in all media texts, the music video for 99 Problems contains many of these. Jay-Z is certainly the hero, as he is demonstrated as being powerful and influential within the world of the music video. The helper/enabler within the video is Rick Rubin, because as the producer of the track he is the one who enables Jay-Z to make the song, but he doesn’t get much time within the video because his character isn’t regarded as being as important as the role which Jay-Z is playing. Another one of Propp’s characters who can be spotted within the music video is the villain, which is represented as the police officer who attempts to apprehend Jay-Z for a fairly minor misdemeanour. 

Finally, the video represents two main social issues: gender and ethnicity. In terms of gender, women are demonstrated as being repressed and subservient to the men within the clip. This is because the bikinis which they are dressed in show that they have been objectified by the men, as there appears to be a culture within the video that women are able to be bought and sold in order for the pleasure of the men. This is contrasted with the men, who are dressed in jackets and coats, in order to show the status which they hold above the women in the society which is being represented. This is a typical stereotype of a working class African-American community such as the one which is shown within the music video, because of the high levels of prostitution which are typically associated with such communities, mainly due to the references to it within the lyrics of the music which originates from these places. The other social issue which is represented within the video is race, and more specifically the divide between the white and black races. As I mentioned earlier, the video has been shot in black and white in order to connote that the divide between the two races is something which is set in stone, and that it is hard for the two communities to ever come together. In addition to this, the video is full of people who are black, but the single white person is the policeman who is shot at an angle which makes him appear to be aggressive and dominating when attempting to apprehend Jay-Z. This mirrors what is described in the lyrics, as Jay-Z describes how the police officer is only attempting to pull him over because he is “doing 55 (miles per hour) in the 50 zone”. Another point about race which is represented within the clip is the fact that the racial stereotypes about African Americans are the object of satire within the video, because as I mentioned previously,  it is as if the audience have been positioned in a way which means that they are seeing the society from the eyes of a white person, who sees the people in the clip as being violent and criminalistic rather than human. This means that overall, the representations of both race and gender within the music video are stereotypical ones, however they are stereotypical as a form of satire in order to fight back against these common representations. 

Analysis of Music Videos: Writings On The Wall - Plan B

The genre of this music video is a hybrid of the genres of soul and pop. This is because the song borrows influences from soul music, but it is still a song which has been marketed towards a mainstream, popular audience. This is demonstrated within the video through the juxtaposition of the nightclub with the soul music which is being played, as it is usually assumed that people would go to a nightclub in order to hear pop music. In addition to this, there is the underlying theme of love and betrayal, which connote a soul genre more than they do a pop genre. These two genres make up the main forte of the artist who recorded the song, Plan B. The narrative is fairly typical for a video which is mainly within the genre of pop music, because it shows a man betraying his wife for another woman, which is a fairly typical and generic narrative within a pop song, because the themes of the narrative are supposed to be easily relatable for the audience. In addition to this, just from the title of the song it is expected that there will be some sort of element of a love story, because it is clear the title is a reference to the fact their relationship has nearly run its course. There is a clear intertextual reference between this video and his other work on the Defamation of Strickland Banks album, because it tells the story of the night which sparked the false rape allegation towards the character - this is why the narrative of the music video cannot be completely appreciated alone.

The overall storyline within the video is that of a man leaving his wife at home and meeting another woman in a club before having a one night stand with her. The themes which run throughout the video are ones of betrayal and breakup, as well as of foreboding because the man in the video knows that their relationship is soon to be over. In terms of Todorov's narrative structure, there are three of the five recognisable stages. There is an equilibrium, a disruption and a recognition of the disruption, but there is no resolution of the disruption because the male character in the video has gone too far to the point where he can't find a resolution. The one recognisable character in the video is the character of Strickland Banks, because his character runs throughout all of Plan B's music in this era. The narrative between the lyrics and the video are similar, because the lyrics are referencing an impending breakup between a couple, which is what is demonstrated in the video. However, it could be argued that the lyrics are set from the perspective of a man singing before the events which are seen within the video.

The representation of gender within the clip shows the woman at home working hard, with the man out enjoying himself. This shows that within the world of the video, a patriarchal society is in place, which makes sense because the décor of the interior of the house shows that the video is set in the 60s and 70s. Whilst Plan B is playing a character in the video, the way this character has been constructed still connotes that he is the big star who is being marketed to the audience through the video. This is because he is wearing a suit and appears to be successful as he is playing in a nightclub to a large audience. Had he not been dressed up and not playing to an audience, then he wouldn't have appeared to be the star within the video which wouldn't have extended his marketing image.

The video is set in a nightclub and is then set at home, the contrast between the two locations connoting the difference between the man and the woman within the video. In terms of time settings, it is most likely set in a previous decade due to the décor of their house the soul music which he is performing in the club. The dominant colour which has been used in the video is blue and black, because these colours are usually associated with having connotations of sadness. However, all of these shots are in the nightclub, which connotes that whilst it may seem like the nightclub is a happy place to be, it is actually sadder than the house which is bright and colourful. This suggests that the director is trying to show that the star of the video hasn't realised where he is actually happiest, which is at home with his wife. The typography of  'Sold Out' outside of the nightclub connotes that he is popular so is powerful enough to do whatever he wants, such as cheating on his wife with a fan. In terms of notable shot compositions, the extreme-close-up of the woman at home connotes sadness, with the low angle on Strickland connoting power and the high angle on his wife back in the house connoting that she is vulnerable.

There are many interesting camera angles employed throughout the video, for example the repeated close up shot of the cooking pan - the sauce bubbling and rising from the pan connotes the way in which the anger and tension within the relationship is also rising. In addition to this, there is an extreme close-up on the pan burning the woman, which has been used in order to shown how she has become burnt out due to the relationship. The editing within the music video is discontinuous, because there is the frequent jump between the two locations. The choice to not use continuity editing could have been made by the director in order to demonstrate that the relationship has become uncomfortable, as this is the effect which is made by discontinuous editing between scenes which are vastly different.

In terms of audience, the target audience for this video is likely to be those who are in their teens or early twenties. This isn't necessarily because of the subject matter, which would probably be most relatable for a slightly older audience, but because of the mass-marketed style of music which is likely to appeal to them. In addition to this, the characters within the video appear to be fairly young themselves, which helps to attract a younger audience. Considering the demographic which the video is probably trying to appeal to, it is likely that the video will be appealing to the C2, D and E classes, because the nightclub which is shown is a working class club, which suggests that this means that people from this sort of demographic would be able to relate to it the easiest.

The record label plays a large part in the music video, mainly because the song was released jointly between independent 679 Records and huge conglomerate Warner Brothers Music. This means that the video can be funded by Warner Brothers to be hugely flashy and engage with a larger audience, but because Plan B is still signed to an independent label as well, this money isn't used to make a video which would go against the gritty themes which are contained within the lyrics. Plan B is promoted as being the star within the video, however he appears as a soul singer, which makes him seem like an "everyman" character. This means he can appeal to a much wider audience, especially when considering the demographics which I mentioned previously. The video serves to promote both his career, but also the fictional character of Banks who appears throughout the concept album which Plan B had just released at this point. 

Real Media Texts - Analysis Tables

Let It Burn - The Orwells

Money - Peace

JME, Jammer and Skepta - I Don't Like

Narrative - The video doesn't have a narrative as such, as instead the video is directed as being filmed in one shot, in order to give the video the feel that it has been improvised on the spot. However, the actions which the rappers are doing match some of the lyrics they are saying, although with that said the main narrative comes from the lyrics.

Settings - The whole video is set in a dark place which has been illuminated by a single light source. This mixture of high and low key lighting gives the video an eerie feel, which makes the artists seem more threatening. In addition to this, because all of these shots are medium-close-ups of the artists, it is difficult to tell if it had been filmed inside or outside.

Number of Shots - It has been shot in order to appear as though it has been filmed in a single continuous shot, which is very rare for music videos as they are often made up of multiple different settings and shots which are then cut between. However, it also builds a lot more of a profile for the artists, as they are the only thing on screen. The shot constantly goes out of focus and back in, which along with the shakeyness of the camera gives the impression that the rappers are drunk.

Transitions - There are no transitions used, with the camera physically panning between the different artists as opposed to filming them separately and adding in transitions.

Specific Knowledge of Music Videos

Target Audiences for Music Videos 

The target audience for a music video is typically made up of pre-existing fans of the artist, although due to the purposes of a music video, the target audience is usually extended to also be targeted at people who aren't fans of the band at the time, in order to build promotion and hype for an upcoming release. Most bands will make a video in a more pop based style in order to reach out to a larger audience. An example of this is the video for Use Somebody by Kings of Leon, because features of it such as the large number of close-up shots which are normally used in pop music videos. This means it demonstrates how the band are attempting to attract a new, larger audience to their work. 

A contrasting idea about target audiences within music videos is a video which aims to please pre-existing fans, without necessarily earning the band any more fans. This type of audience targeting is usually favoured when the video is promoting a fairly low key release. An example of this is the video for All The Time by The Strokes. It doesn't contain any new video as it only contains clips of the band performing in the past - this is unlikely to open the band up to a larger audience, but is likely to please pre-existing fans of the band.

Typical Images Found in Music Videos

There are two typical images which are often featured in pop music videos - lots of closeup shots of the artist performing, or images of actors and perhaps the artist playing out the story which is being told within the lyrics. Closeup shots are often used if it is the image of the artist which is being promoted by the music video above the actual song, this is why they have been used so extensively in Wrecking Ball by Miley Cyrus.

In hard rock and metal videos, a typical image which can almost always be seen is the band playing in front of a huge crowd. This is to match the ideas about power and dominance which often run throughout the music, and they are often trying to market the whole band rather than a single singer. An example of featuring a huge crowd within a music video for a rock/metal act is Thunderstruck by AC/DC, as it presents the band as being almost heroic in the eyes of their fans who are singing along. It is also a clever image to base the video around in terms of marketing due to its use of the hypodermic needle theory. It makes it seem like the masses are a fan of the band - this encourages more people to also listen to the bands music as they believe it is the accepted thing.

Settings and Locations for Music Videos

The setting of a music video often encompasses the mood which is told in its lyrics, for example the unsettling tale about prostitution which is told in the lyrics When The Sun Goes Down by Arctic Monkeys is demonstrated by the run down, unattractive location. In addition to this, it is mainly set in the night time, which gives the video a more eerie feel as it makes the location setting seem even more uninviting. 

Another often used location for music videos is a domestic setting, such as a band playing within a house. This can often be in order to make the band seem to be more appealing an inviting, especially to a mainstream audience, which is why this sort of setting (such as a living room, or a place which many people are familiar with such as a shop or a pub) is often used for bands who are attempting to break into the mainstream with their music. An example of this is Follow Baby by Peace, which is set in a living room in order to make the band appear to be more down to earth and inviting.

Knowledge of Music Videos

This mind map demonstrates the initial knowledge which I had about music videos before I began making this coursework. The ideas which I have expressed within it will be built upon further in my post about specific areas of music videos.

Name and Candidate Number

George Martin
Candidate Number 8220