Planning- Alternative music videos

Objective: To recognise the diversity of music videos and the implications they may pose to an artist’s promotion and audience reaction.

Chris Cunningham is an English music video film director and video artist. He is the director of the following music videos; Aphex Twins- Come to Daddy, Madonna- Frozen.

The presentation of this music video is very different to the mainstream. From this music video I believe that the music director is original and they don’t follow the mainstream. This goes against the CCCS theory that states subcultures originate from one mainstream. Although it can be argued that this music video is from the mainstream but has adapted to different beliefs. For example the location is in an estate. This can be considered from the mainstream as there as some music videos from the mainstream that have estate locations; such as Arctic Monkeys- When the Sun Goes Down.

Hebdige’s theory states that there are no subcultures but little cultures in their own right. I believe that this music video goes against this theory because subcultures such as ‘Harajuku’ people don’t have any similarities with the norms and values presented in Cunningham’s “Come to Daddy.

Mc Cracken’s theory says people change with age and become part of different cultures. This can be applied to the mainstream artist Madonna as through the decades she has changes her image to attract to different audiences. Although this change isn’t as big for the Aphex twin as he didn’t make major changes; he mostly stayed to his genre of music which is Electronic. This may be because he isn’t a mainstream artist like Madonna. 

In Dyer’s theory there are two paradoxes; the first is “the stars must simultaneously be ordinary and extra ordinary for the consumer.” Cunningham’s video shows the starts being more ordinary than extra ordinary for the consumer. For example in Come to Daddy, the location is an estate. This is an ordinary location and isn’t something consumers will aspire to because it’s considered an area for working class people. Also in Madonna – Frozen the location is in a desert. This may be considered extraordinary for consumers because it’s quite difficult to go to a desert. On the other hand many people wouldn’t want to aspire to go to a desert as there’s nothing to do; so this may also be considered ordinary. The second paradox is “the star must be simultaneously present and absent for the consumer.” This paradox applies in Cunningham’s music because you can visit both Aphex twin and Madonna on YouTube; making them present for the consumer. Also the artist is absent in the sense that you are less likely to see them in public except you purchase a ticket to see them in concert. 

Goodwin’s theory suggest 7 points that all music videos follow, these are:

1.       Music videos demonstrate genre characteristics (e.g. stage performance in metal video, dance routine for boy/ girl band.)

2.       There is a relationship between lyrics and visuals. (Either illustrative, amplifying or contradicting.)

3.       There is a relationship between music and visuals. (Either illustrative, amplifying or contradicting.)

4.       The demands of the record label will include the need for lots of close ups of the artist and the artist may develop motifs which recur across their work (a visual style.)

5.       There is frequently reference to notion of looking (screens within screen, telescopes, etc.) and particularly voyeuristic (sexual) treatment of the female body.

6.       There is often intertextual reference (to films, TV programmes, other music videos etc.)

7.       Whether the video is primarily performance based, narrative based or concept based and how elements of each are used in it.

Mainstream or alternative?

The music video we are going to create is alternative. I believe that our music video will follow McCracken’s theory more than Hebdige and CCCS. This is because McCracken’s theory states that ‘the postmodern world is full of diversity and creativity, looking at these common norms and values, we cannot say this is from one culture; the mainstream.’ For example a Goth’s norms and values are dark and moody while a Hippies norms and values would be happy and not take life to seriously. This example suggests to disagree with the CCCS as they say all subcultures originate from the mainstream but is a rejection to it. From Dyer’s paradoxes, our band will follow these paradoxes. The first paradox is “the stars must simultaneously be ordinary and extra ordinary for the consumer.” Our band will be ordinary in the sense that the location in the narrative will be outside a cinema. This is ordinary as the audience can visit cinemas locally. The band will be extraordinary as they will have talent will their singing, guitar skills and drum skills which not everyone will have. The second paradox is “the star must be simultaneously present and absent for the consumer.” Our band will be present as audiences can view them on sites such as YouTube and MySpace. They will also be absent as the audience will mainly only see them in concert in real life.