What is a music video?

The purpose of a music video

 

·         It sells the artist’s song and gives the target audience a better understanding of the meaning (this is sometimes done through a narrative story)

·         It allows  the audience to build a relationship with the artist

·         The music video increases the chances of the audience remembering the song, which increases the artist’s profits and success.

·         It allows the audience to buy into the artist’s lifestyle. For example, if the artist is wearing a designer top the audience will then go out and buy the same brand.

The music video that I analysed was Ed Sheeran the A Team. The purpose of his music video was to inform and educate a wide audience on the awareness of drugs and the negative impacts they have. He did this by using short narrative of a young woman who ‘sells love to another man’ in order to get money for drugs. Throughout the video, the audience is encouraged to sympathise for the woman as she is shown to be walking around the streets with a sleeping bag as she is ‘Struggling to pay rent’. This in turn encourages the audience to build a relationship with her. The audience then watches the artist Ed Sheeran sit with the woman and buy a magazine from her. This further promotes the artist as the audience can see his caring and generous personality as he is trying to give her money. This further encourages the audience to build a relationship with the artist, and uses the artist as a market tool.

The music is made memorable through the use of empathy. The narrative shows the woman’s daily struggles such as a place to sleep and the lack of money. It highlights the extremes she goes to like prostitution in order for her to pay for her next fix. Through the lyrics the audience is told that she has ‘been this way since 18’ and that she is ‘slowly sinking, wasting’.  At the end of the video, the woman dies due to an overdose of drugs ‘For angels to die’ highlighting to the audience the effects drugs may have. This educates the audience and encourages them to stay away from drugs.

The purpose of the music video was to reflect the true meaning of the song and to send a message to the audience. This video was successful in doing this partly due to the music genre. The genre of the song was indie and this was clearly represented throughout the music video. An example of this was when Ed Sheeran made an appearance he was wearing casual clothing such as a hoody which is conventional in that music genre. This also allows the audience to relate to the artist’s ‘Ordinary’ lifestyle and are able to relate more to the narrative. The only musical instrument used was the artist playing a guitar throughout giving the narrative a softer tone. This is also conventional in the indie music genre as it helps make the story line bearable to a more vulnerable and sensitive audience. 

The music video appeals to a wide audience and is no way gender bias. Even though the artist is male, he has both male and female fans. The music video is based for teenagers and young adults as in the lyrics it highlights negative effects of drugs. This is the age group that is mostly influenced to taking drugs and therefore aims to encourage them not to. In the lyrics the line ‘been this way since 18’ is continuously repeated in the chorus. This allows the audience of the similar age group to relate to the woman in the video and what she is going through. 

Each music video consists of either a performance, narrative or concept based; this music video in particular used a narrative based. A narrative is told to the audience from a young females perspective highlighting her day-to-day struggles. This is effective as it gives the target audience drug awareness and discourages them from trying it. The music video subverts conventions of a music video as the narrative is usually used to show a representation of the artist. Instead it gave the audience a better understanding of the message of the song. 

Another purpose for a music video is so that the audience will buy into the artists lifestyles. If in a music video a artist was seen to be wearing designer clothing, the audience are likely to go and buy these items. However a convention to the indie music genre is that the artist are usually seen to be wearing casual clothing. This is evident in the music video as i previously stated, therefore it doesn't encourage the audience to buy into the artists lifestyle. However by watching the artist giving the homeless person money, it not only shows him to be generous, but it encourages the audience to follow his behaviour as he is seen to be a good role model.

This music video will help assist me when it comes to me filming my music video as there are elements that I would like to consider. I like how the majority of the video is narrative based as I feel as though it keeps the audience attention longer than a performance based would. I also like mise-en-scene was used follow conventions of the music genre. I think i would like to use a pop song choice which would therefore also mean casual clothing. This is effective as the audience find they can relate to the artist more.