Music videos have been something of importance to the world of music, with illuminating examples such Madonna’s “Material Girl” which was created and produced during the 1980’s. Music videos, in essence, are pieces of visual marketing that help captivate a potential audience. A more personal example DEARER to my heart of a music video done well would be Micheal Jacksons’ thriller music video.
(I wonder if he had to struggle to keep a straightface)
The start of the music video starts with Jackson on a date watching a rendition of a very classic type of horror movie. A seemingly nice and well put together boy and girl, dressed up in outdated clothing from the 50’s whose nice evening stroll was interrupted by the boy who was played by Jackson’s transformation into a werewolf. The lighting is amazing, the acting felt very natural, the filming was very slow and deliberate, and when the tension in the film rose the music chosen for the following scenes couldn’t be any more suited. And the most astounding aspect of this is the actual song hasn’t even started yet. All this attention to detail, and yet there’s still much more time until the “music” really starts.
(Loved their chemistry!)
This artistic choice highlights part of the goals Jackson had when it came to making the music video. We as the audience get a break from the theatre due to Jackson’s date getting overwhelmed. She then finds herself with a zombified version of Jackson leading a group of the undead against her as she attempts to escape the real horrors presented to her. But why is this important when it comes to story telling in music videos? The reason why is a two fold reason: it shows the level of focus and intentionality of the artist, as well as the financial budget the artist had at their disposal. The other reason being it further extends the life of the music through the fans and audience who are inspired by it to make their own art. A prime example of this would be season 9, episode 12 of Family Guy, where at the end of the episode the character Stewie Griffin was used as a character reference from a scene from the Thriller music video.
SO, what do you think? Are music videos important to you? What impact did music videos have in life? And if so, what are some music videos that have personally impacted you? please cOMMment your thoughts below!
Media musings 