Example Videos for Discussion
I've been watching brief bits of Much Music to study videos, and I've been surprised at how few good ones there are. Most of them are branding efforts: the music videos are sales tools focussed on creating an image for the artist, rather than focussing on the artistry of the music and meaning of the lyrics.
Here are a couple of videos that use metaphor to create meaning, and deepen the experience of the song. Obviously these are high production videos, so they're not something you'll be able to do. But I hope that you can see the difference between these and most music videos getting airplay these days. Notice the consistent visual direction and how the metaphors and symbols are related throughout.
These videos also reveal my own subjective musical tastes and creative direction, so keep this in mind. There are many ways to approach video and music in an artistic manner. If you have any suggestions, please send me an email and I'll put them up on our course blog.
Silence - Delerium (Featuring Sarah McLachlan)
What I love about this video is the remarkable simplicity of the concept - a man and woman running with their wrists chained together. But the moving image can be interpreted as a metaphorical narrative, about the challenges and difficulties of interpersonal relationships.
Enigma
Enigma has many fantastic videos: here's just a few. Composer Michael Cretu is brilliant at mixing musical instruments and visual metaphors, to create a densely meaningful work of art.
Enigma - Sadness
Enigma - Push the Limits
Original version
Mixed version
Enigma - Beyond the Invisible
Age of Loneliness (Carly's Song)
Enigma - Mea Culpa
Enigma - Gravity Of Love
Enigma - The Eyes Of Truth
Enigma - Video Slide Show
I like this example because it demonstrates how you can use a selection of visually related images that work as symbols, and play them to a song.
Frankie Goes to Hollywood - Two Tribes
The video is designed as political art.
Frankie Goes to Hollywood - Two Tribes - 2006 video
In this version of the song, someone has taken images from the Gulf Wars and put them to the song to create a powerful political statement.
I've been watching brief bits of Much Music to study videos, and I've been surprised at how few good ones there are. Most of them are branding efforts: the music videos are sales tools focussed on creating an image for the artist, rather than focussing on the artistry of the music and meaning of the lyrics.
Here are a couple of videos that use metaphor to create meaning, and deepen the experience of the song. Obviously these are high production videos, so they're not something you'll be able to do. But I hope that you can see the difference between these and most music videos getting airplay these days. Notice the consistent visual direction and how the metaphors and symbols are related throughout.
These videos also reveal my own subjective musical tastes and creative direction, so keep this in mind. There are many ways to approach video and music in an artistic manner. If you have any suggestions, please send me an email and I'll put them up on our course blog.
Silence - Delerium (Featuring Sarah McLachlan)
What I love about this video is the remarkable simplicity of the concept - a man and woman running with their wrists chained together. But the moving image can be interpreted as a metaphorical narrative, about the challenges and difficulties of interpersonal relationships.
Enigma
Enigma has many fantastic videos: here's just a few. Composer Michael Cretu is brilliant at mixing musical instruments and visual metaphors, to create a densely meaningful work of art.
Enigma - Sadness
Enigma - Push the Limits
Original version
Mixed version
Enigma - Beyond the Invisible
Age of Loneliness (Carly's Song)
Enigma - Mea Culpa
Enigma - Gravity Of Love
Enigma - The Eyes Of Truth
Enigma - Video Slide Show
I like this example because it demonstrates how you can use a selection of visually related images that work as symbols, and play them to a song.
Frankie Goes to Hollywood - Two Tribes
The video is designed as political art.
Frankie Goes to Hollywood - Two Tribes - 2006 video
In this version of the song, someone has taken images from the Gulf Wars and put them to the song to create a powerful political statement.
posted by MJ at 10:31 AM
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