[RESEARCH] - What is the function of a Music Video?

Function of a Music Video

What is a Music Video?

A music Video is a short film integrating a song and Imagery produced for promotional/artistic purposes. A music video is different to other moving image media forms as it is produced to create visual pleasure and unlike other media forms it does not necessarily tell a story in chronological order. It uses various jump cuts and split screens are also common. Most of the time the artist is present instead of actors/actresses. Most videos include singing and dancing or some sort of performance and the cuts within tend to match to the song tempo, making the song as well as the video more enjoyable.

The first music video was produced in the 1970's and premiered on TV in 1981. This changed music culture and soon enough music videos became the central promotion for the artist/band. MTV (Music Television) became most known for providing a platform for music videos.

There are many videos that I would consider to be good examples of the music video form. One of my favourites would be Deuces - Chris Brown. I think this is a good example of a music video as it includes both singing and a dance performance which I enjoy in music videos. The video also uses a black and white effect throughout and as it is a modern video it singles out from other media forms. There is no chronological story portrayed in the video further isolating it from other media forms. The cuts are timed to the tempo of the song, and it just generally brings visual pleasure and makes the song more enjoyable.