100 Greatest Music Videos (Top 5)

#5 Madonna - Like a prayer (1989)
This video was very controversial as it related to religious ecstasy. It depicts a woman witnessing a murder and being too scared to report, and so goes into a church to find answers, but instead finds a statue of a black man portraying a saint who she falls in love with. The video then goes on to show them engaging in sexual activities which caused a lot of controversy in the industry. Madonna was always know for controversy in her videos, however this video was another shock to the public.

#4 Queen - Bohemian Rhapsody (1975)

This was a revolutionary video that changed how people visualised music. The song was no.1 in the charts however Queen were too busy touring and did not want to keep appearing on TOTP and so they created this short film. The song and video stayed at number 1 for 9 weeks running.

#3 A-ha - Take on me (1985)

This video was something that was different to any videos prior or even since. It incorporated a half comic, half real world aspect. This made it a very interesting video and helped immensely with the songs success as it was released twice a year before with no video and did not do well. However this time around with the second video it peaked at number 2 in the UK charts.

#2 Peter Gabriel - Sledgehammer (1986)

This was directed by Stephen R. Johnson. It revolved heavily around animation. Peter Gabriel's head was the centre and there were animations revolving around his head and colliding with him as if it was in fact real. This video broke records as it collected 9 MTV Music Video Awards in 1987.

#1 Michael Jackson - Thriller (1983)

Finally, the number 1 greatest video of all time according to this channel 4 documentary is Michael Jackson's Thriller. This video was based on the film 'An american werewolf in London'. Michael had said he wanted to turn in to a werewolf and so the director, John Landis, played on this concept for the video along with Michael. The original version was over 13 minutes long and several TV channels cleared their schedules to premier this video. A reported $500 000 was spent on the production of the video. The video appeared in the UK chart for 25 weeks. It also won 3 awards at the 1984 MTV Music Video Awards

Favourite 3 Music Videos

In this post I will analyse my personal favourite 3 videos from the '100 Greatest Music Videos' list. I will analyse them in terms of Mise En Scene, Cinematography and Editing.

Michael Jackson - Billie Jean

This video uses Mise en scene, cinematography and  editing very effectively. The concept of the video is a reporter following Michael Jackson trying to get a picture, for a story. The story is of a woman who is claiming Michael is the father of her child. In the video Mise-En-Scene is used, it is set in a peculiar place where there are hardly any residents around. In the video every Michael becomes very bright, playing on the phrase "everything I touch turns to gold". Also whenever the reporter gets close enough to get a good photo, Michael seems to disappear into thin air, which could be re-enforcing the fact that he cannot be linked to the story. The visual quality of the video is not great but this is quite an old video and so it is expected. The director uses quite long shots, with glimpses of quick edits. He also uses a range of shots, Medium shots, Close Ups and Long Shots. This is used to allow the viewer to get the full feel of the video.

Outkast - Hey Ya

This video was quite controversial at the time of it's release. This is due to the fact that at this time the duo Outkast were going through a rough patch, whereby neither the media nor fans of the group knew whether they were still together. In the video one member of the group 'Andre 3000' performed as every member of the band from the singer to the drummer. This caused as a stir as it could have been making the statement that he was the only one in the group and the rumours of a split may be true, however the other member of the group 'Big Boi' appeared at the start in the form of Andre's manager. The song itself has an old school feel to it, and seemed like a song that would have been released in the 90s. This aspect was illustrated in the video as it shows a singer and band performing at a show with ladies dressed as though they were from the 90s, the whole video had this sort of feel. Also parts of the video are shown through an old TV in black and white, and the band are all wearing matching colour schemes in their outfit. All of these features, along with the polaroid pictures, illustrate the 'old school' nature of the song.

Eminem - Stan

This video was used to tell the story of a crazed Eminem fan who was driven to homicide due to Eminem not replying to his fan mail. It was quite a dark story and caused a stir in the industry however it was a very successful song which also helped in the success of the album 'The Marshall Mathers LP'. The song also used a sample from the song 'Thank You' By Dido, who also appeared in the video, which helped to launch her stardom. The video begins with a shot of heavy rain as the camera moves towards and through a bedroom window; the rain was used to re-enforce the spooky feel of the song and it is also accompanied thunder and lightning which are often perceived as scary types of weather. Throughout the video there is not much lighting as it is supposed to illustrate the dark nature and help to fit in with the story of the crazed, homicidal fan. Many close ups are used on the character 'Stan' to show the emotion in his face as he narrates the lyrics.

100 Greatest Music videos (Most Unique)

#98 Bronski Beat - Smalltown Boy (1984)

This video was used to illustrate the story about a young gay mans isolation. It showed the life of the group who were all homosexual. The video shows a young gay man getting attacked due to his sexual orientation. It portrays a part of what some gay men go through.



#96 So Solid Crew - 21 Seconds (2001)

This video was cleverly used to portray the entire group. So Solid Crew contained a large number of members so they used the '21 second' concept to portray their style and character. 21 seconds was the amount of time they had for each verse and so they used this concept as a way of showcasing themselves.



#92 Herbie Hancock - Rockit (1983)

This video was a very intelligent video at the time of it's release. Around this time MTV would not show black artists videos. This video used a unique idea of making robot body parts the main focus of the video, with the actual artist concealed in the background of the video. This proved successful as the video was in fact shown on MTV.

#88 Elton John - I want love (2001)

Elton John wasn't someone who liked appearing in videos and so he chose to get Robert Downey Jr. to play his part in the video instead. At this time he was recovering from drug use and the emotion from this was transpired in the video. The whole video was one continuous scene and it took 16 takes to complete.

#63 George Michael - Outside (1998)

Previous to the release of this video, George Michael had been involved in an incident in a public toilet and it had been reported that he was gay. This video replicates that incident in a mockery fashion and is a statement by George Michael confirming he was gay and that he was not ashamed.

#31 Eminem - Stan (2000)

This video was used to tell the story of a crazed Eminem fan who was driven to homicide due to Eminem not replying to his fan mail. It was quite a dark story and caused a stir in the industry however it was a very successful song which also helped in the success of the album 'The Marshall Mathers LP'. The song also used a sample from the song 'Thank You' By Dido, who also appeared in the video, which helped to launch her stardom.

#14 Christina Aguilera - Dirrty

This video is an example of how some artists used music videos to change their public perception. Christina went from the child friendly 'mickey mouse club' to the completely opposite end of the spectrum. This song and video was saying that she was a sex symbol and wanted to be taken seriously; and she was successful in doing this.

100 Greatest Music Videos (The List)

This is the list of the 100 greatest music video's from 1 to 100, which was shown on a channel 4 documentary.

1. # Michael Jackson: Thriller
2. # Peter Gabriel: Sledgehammer
3. # A-ha: Take on Me
4. # Queen: Bohemian Rhapsody
5. # Madonna: Like a Prayer
6. # Robbie Williams: Rock DJ
7. # Michael Jackson: Billie Jean
8. # The Verve: Bittersweet Symphony
9. # Madonna: Vogue
10. # Nirvana: Smells Like Teen Spirit
11. # Coldplay: The Scientist
12. # Michael & Janet Jackson: Scream
13. # Pink Floyd: Another Brick in the Wall
14. # Christina Aguilera: Dirrty
15. # REM: Everybody Hurts
16. # OutKast: Hey Ya
17. # Blur: Coffee & TV
18. # Beyonce: Crazy in Love
19. # Madonna: Material Girl
20. # Gorillaz: Clint Eastwood
21. # Queen: I Want to Break Free
22. # Justin Timberlake: Cry Me a River
23. # Britney Spears: ...Baby One More Time
24. # Radiohead: No Surprises
25. # Madness: Baggy Trousers
26. # TLC: Waterfalls
27. # David Bowie: Ashes to Ashes
28. # Foo Fighters: Learn to Fly
29. # Electric Six: Gay Bar
30. # Weezer: Buddy Holly
31. # Eminem: Stan
32. # Chris Isaak: Wicked Game
33. # U2: The Sweetest Thing
34. # The White Stripes: Fell in Love with a Girl
35. # Sinead O'Connor: Nothing Compares 2U
36. # Red Hot Chili Peppers: Give It Away
37. # Guns N Roses: November Rain
38. # Fatboy Slim: Weapon of Choice
39. # Pulp: Common People
40. # Missy Elliot: Get Ur Freak On
41. # The Spice Girls: Wannabe
42. # Bjork: It's Oh So Quiet
43. # Dire Straits: Money for Nothing
44. # Kylie Minogue: Can't Get You Out of My Head
45. # Aerosmith: Crazy
46. # Adam & the Ants: Prince Charming
47. # The Prodigy: Firestarter
48. # Johnny Cash: Hurt
49. # Jamiroquai: Virtual Insanity
50. # Paul Simon: You Can Call Me Al
51. # Run DMC & Aerosmith: Walk This Way
52. # Massive Attack: Teardrop
53. # Wham: Club Tropicana
54. # Daft Punk: Around the World
55. # Fatboy Slim: Praise You
56. # Eminem: Without Me
57. # Meatloaf: I'd Do Anything for Love (But I Won't Do That)
58. # The Cure: Close to Me
59. # Abba: Knowing Me, Knowing You
60. # Eurythmics: Sweet Dreams
61. # The Prodigy: Smack My Bitch Up
62. # Blur: Parklife
63. # George Michael: Outside
64. # Bjork: Human Behaviour
65. # Aphex Twin: Windowlicker
66. # Bob Dylan: Subterranean Homesick Blues
67. # The Beastie Boys: Sabotage
68. # Madonna: Ray of Light
69. # Frankie Goes to Hollywood: Two Tribes
70. # The Police: Every Breath You Take
71. # Bjork: All Is Full of Love
72. # Robert Palmer: Addicted to Love
73. # Basement Jaxx: Where's Your Head At?
74. # Wu-Tang Clan: Gravel Pit
75. # Duran Duran: Rio
76. # The Beatles: Strawberry Fields
77. # MC Hammer: U Can't Touch This
78. # Godley and Creme: Cry
79. # New Order: True Faith
80. # Radiohead: Just
81. # Ultravox: Vienna
82. # 50 Cent: In Da Club
83. # Shakespear's Sister: Stay
84. # The Boomtown Rats: I Don't Like Mondays
85. # Sid Vicious: My Way
86. # The Streets: Fit But You Know It
87. # Talking Heads: Once in a Lifetime
88. # Elton John: I Want Love
89. # Smashing Pumpkins: Tonight Tonight
90. # The Pet Shop Boys: Go West
91. # The Specials: Ghost Town
92. # Herbie Hancock: Rockit
93. # The Rolling Stones: We Love You
94. # Bonnie Tyler: Total Eclipse of the Heart
95. # The Cardigans: My Favourite Game
96. # So Solid Crew: 21 Seconds
97. # Cornershop: Brimful of Asha
98. # Bronski Beat: Smalltown Boy
99. # Supergrass: Pumping on Your Stereo
100. # Musical Youth: Pass the Dutchie

Copyright Information

What is copyright ?
'A legal concept, giving the creator of an original work exclusive rights to it, usually for a limited time. It also gives the copyright holder the right to be credited for the work, to determine who may adapt the work to other forms, who may perform the work, who may financially benefit from it, and other related rights.' 

It was initially conceived as a way for the government to restrict printing; the intent of copyright is to promote the creation of new works by giving authors control of and profit from them. They do not extend beyond the territory of a specific state unless that state is a party to an international agreement. Many aspects of national copyright laws have been standardized through international copyright agreements, copyright laws of most countries have some unique features. Typically, the duration of copyright is the whole life of the creator plus fifty to a hundred years from the creator's death, or a finite period for anonymous or corporate creations. Some jurisdictions have required formalities to establishing copyright, but most recognize copyright in any completed work, without formal registration. 

Most jurisdictions recognize copyright limitations, allowing "fair" exceptions to the creator's exclusivity of copyright, and giving users certain rights. The development of digital media and computer network technologies have prompted reinterpretation of these exceptions, introduced new difficulties in enforcing copyright, and inspired additional challenges to copyright law's philosophic basis. Simultaneously, businesses with great economic dependence upon copyright have advocated the extension and expansion of their intellectual property rights, and sought additional legal and technological enforcement.

The media institution

The process of creating a music video

Pre-Production
Planning the video and gathering any resources you might need.

• The approximate length of the final video, how many shots you will need to achieve this, etc.
• What music or other sounds will be added to the video.
• A script or storyboard.
• What format the final video will be shown in. Be aware of the best way to convert into the correct format.

Production

Camera work and sound recording.

• Camera work involves a range of skills from recognising the potential for a good shot to knowing how to use the technical-looking controls on your camera. The better your skills are in all areas, the better your videos will be.
• Vision is very important in a music video, so learn how to capture good pictures to fit the sound (music).
• Unless you have some other artistic purpose, camera work should be steady, in focus, well-exposed and well-framed.

Post-Production

Editing and/or encoding the finished video.

• Removing unwanted footage
• Arranging desired footage in the correct order
• Adding music, titles, transitions and possibly other effects
• Converting (encoding) into the correct format(s)

These are the three steps included in the process of creating a music video. These steps are essential in creating a music video, and will help to ensure a successful product.

The purpose of a music video

A music video can be used for various purposes:

• It can be used as promotion for the song included in the video. 
• It will also help to raise the profile of the artist, whose song it is. 
• Videos are used as a way of enticing the public into buying the song and possibly the album. 
• They are also used as a method of expressing an individuals emotions, such as Sinead O'Connor's Nothing Compares To You. 
• There are certain videos that are used to tell a story such as Eminem's Stan, which was very effective in advancing the success of the song.
• They market an image and can be used to change the image of an artist, such as Christina Aguilera and Kylie Minogue.
• Used to make an artistic statement e.g. Talking Heads 'Once in a lifetime'.
• Product placement can also be used in a music video e.g. Christina Aguilera and her perfume in the song 'Not Myself Tonight'.

My Favourite Music Video

Outkast - Miss Jackson. This video is very different to most other videos, this is what interests me about it. It uses a concept almost completely irrelevant to the song itself, however it is eye-catching and so people will still enjoy it. This video is one that will be remembered for years to come and in my opinion is one of the greatest video's of the 21st century.

The Brief

Your task is to produce:

A music ‘promo’ video 

Up to 5 minutes

Either working on your own or in a group of up to four members

You also need to produce:

A ‘digipak’ for its release on DVD

A magazine advertisement for the DVD

Welcome Post

This is my A2 media blog. In this blog I will be tracking my progress as I create my music video, digipak and magazine advert.