Sven Carlson

Acknowledged “Facts” regarding the music video industry:

• Music videos are there to communicate the messages of the song through visual stimuli (whether this actually happens is debateable, but is subjective)

• A form of low-brow art culture – also known as pop surrealism. Originates from the underground – often humorous/sarcastic

• The reception that the music video receives depends on the audience that watches it. E.g. Some may regard it as art whilst others may think it is trash, etc.

Often things are classed as opposites

• e.g. Good/Bad Beautiful/Ugly Artistic & Creative/Boring

Carlson stated these opposites are then split into two categories

Performance Clips Conceptual Clips –when a video mostly when a video shows something else shows the artist singing/dancing (often with artistic ambitions)

Carlson then took this a step further, and said that the music video artist is seen as

embodying one, or a combination of "modern mythic characters or forces" of which there are three general:

Commercial Exhibitionist:

No longer an artist, but a monger of her own body image

– selling everything to be in the spotlight

Televised Bard:

Storyteller who uses on screen images rather than

personal ones.

The Electronic Shaman:

Embodies various roles. Guide/ wizard who takes you

on a spiritual journey.

http://www.zx.nu/musicvideo/musicvideo.pdf

• Music, lyrics and image combined create meaning for an audience

• Images are bound to the song through beat to make sense (e.g. if there footstep sound within the track, an image of a person walking will be used to accompany it)

• Lyrics can be emphasised through use of image – an important image can be visually interpreted.

Performance Clip:

The artist performing the song – usually in a concert

setting.

Narrative Clip:

The “story” of the song being told

Experimental Visual Narration (Art Clip):

Usually an abstract clip in the music video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fJ9rUzIMcZQ