Music Television (Discussion)
Types of expression
Allan contends that one can group music videos according to types of expression -- separate from genres based on content. That is, genres such a rock, pop, rap, country and R&B are the most common way of grouping music videos, but cutting across those genres are certain expressive forms. Allan lists four of them:
- Performance - Group 4 Kenny Chesney - Reality
- Narrative - Group 1 Gwen Stefani - Cool
- Nonnarrative - Group 2 Kanye West, Jay-Z - Otis
- Graphic - Group 3 Paula Abdul - Opposites Attract
Each group should be prepared to explain the characteristics of their "type of expression" to the class, and choose one video that exemplifies it. (The video must be available online: YouTube, mtv.com, Yahoo Music, etc.)
All groups
- List four ways that the Replacements' Left of the Dial breaks the conventions of the music video. Be as specific as possible and draw examples from the video.
- List the five principal antecedents of (or influences on) music television and explain the specific aspects they contributed to music TV.
- While discussing "The Sound of Video," Allan discusses the mix of music and nonmusical elements in music video.
- Aside from genres and types of expression, what generally characterizes the music presented in music videos?
- How can nonmusical elements be used?
Sample analyses
- Tom Waits - "Hold On"; on YouTube, on MTV.com
- Los Lobos - "Kiko and the Lavender Moon" (directed by Ondrej Rudavsky, 1992)
- Kina Grannis - "In Your Arms" (directed by Greg Jardin, 2011)
- Raphael Saadiq - "Movin' Down The Line (Don't You Go Away)" (2011)
- How do these videos use the types of expression discussed above? Is one type dominant?
- Do they fit the generalizations about the sound of video that Allan specifies?
Sample production
Each group should choose one well-known song and pretend they're video producers. Design three videos for that song that use the narrative, nonnarrative and graphic types of expression; but do not use the same concept that the real music video used. You may divide your group into sub-groups to work on these videos. And you may want to storyboard your video.
Bibliography
- Butler, Jeremy G. Television: Critical Methods and Applications. New York: Routledge, 2012.