We watched this set of videos in particular because they are all very unique in their construction.
Ashes to Ashes (1980) was considered the most iconic videos of its release time, especially since it had broken the record of being the most expensive music video made. It's key features are that the video is hardly shot in balanced colour, and it mostly switches between solarised and black/white colours. The costumes are extremely unique, especially Bowie's Pierrot costume. Bowie has been very experimental with camera, mise-en-scene and lighting in particular. David Bowie has been recording long before the release of this video, so it's known that he is an organic artist. Controversially however, his alter ego Ziggy Stardust could have been seen as synthetic.
Everybody Hurts (1992) is one of the most known songs released throughout the history of music. As well as being a good song, it also has a good music video to accompany it. The video depicts the members of R.E.M. waiting in traffic, along with other civilians. R.E.M. are singing amongst this traffic whilst those in traffic are waiting, and we [the audience] can see their thoughts in subtitles. Eventually by the end of the song, all of the people stuck in traffic begin to get out of their cars and walk instead. This video (and many others by R.E.M.) either have a narrative or feature the band playing, without making any shots seem synthetic, giving off their desired image.
Praise You (1998) is another instantly recognisable song and had huge success reaching to #1 in the UK charts. It also had an interesting music video to accompany it, created by "The Torrance Community Dance Group". The video depicts a man in a striped top and his dance group, preparing to dance to the song. Once the beat drops, the lead man begins to dance crazily whilst the group are performing synchronised choreography. This video was interestingly shot "guerrilla-style" (meaning they are using the location without permission) and the dancing aroused both positive and negative reactions from onlookers. Fatboy Slim is a self-made DJ and through his labels has been free to display his organic image.
Afrika Shox (1999) has an interesting music video directed by Chris Cunningham, considered one of the most creative video artists of our time. This video depicts an African man not looking well and walking around the city streets, presumably trying to ask for help. Throughout the video, some of his limbs start to break off and smash on the ground (imagine a vase dropping on the floor and breaking). By the end of the video he hops into the middle of the road, is smashed by a taxi and is never seen again.
Stan (1999) was nominated for best rap video of all time (at time of release) and has a long and short version (8:10 and 6:03 respectively). The video is so famous for it's perfect visual portrayal of the lyrical narrative. The video depicts Dido (UK artist who features in the song) as Stan's pregnant girlfriend who becomes increasingly worried that he is becoming too obsessed with Eminem. Stan is writing his third letter to him in hopes that he will reply and begins to talk about about the common ground that they share and that he relates to his music better than other fans because he has lived almost the same life. In the next verse he goes into detail about his life experience and then starts to talk about the opportunity Stan and his brother had to meet him, but were dismissed. The third verse is a tape recording of Stan in the car and he has locked his girlfriend in the boot. He graphically details the current events, whilst on "downers" (medication with drowsy effects) to Eminem in hope that he will answer in help. The car then goes off the bridge where Stan and his girlfriend die. The final verse is Eminem finding the letters that went missing and giving a response, until he remembers he heard the news that someone in a car drove off the bridge and realises it was Stan.
Express Yourself (1989) had also broken the most expensive music video record (past Ashes to Ashes at its time of release). The video depicts Madonna in a factory penthouse office onlooking the half naked men working in the factory whilst rain pours on them. She is first shown in a very masculine light but later on in the next verse she is shown wearing lingerie, embracing her feminine side. One of the workers seems to be enchanted by her and finds his way up to her room, whilst also finding the cat that went missing after the first verse to bring it back to her.
Frozen (1997) also has an interesting video directed by Chris Cunningham. This video is interesting because the name and idea of the song have no relation to the actual video. In class we listened to this song for the first time without visuals and then we were asked to describe what we thought the music video would look like. This was surprisingly fair because no one had actually seen the video or even heard the song before. After this we watched it with the visuals and were completely surprised to learn that it was filmed in the Mojave Desert. The way Madonna moves in this video, her costume and the drawings on her hand are very "mystical" symbolising that this was made during her time of strong belief in Kabbalah. Cunningham again makes the video interesting by making the desert colour blue, to enforce the "frozen" idea, even if it's hot where they filmed it. Another interesting part is the start of the chorus where Madonna drops to the floor and turns into a group of crows flying away, and next you see three Madonnas with one sinking into the ground. She later moves her costume in a way that turns her into a dog. In the final part of the song, the colour becomes much darker, more black.
Papa Don't Preach (1986) was a commercial success, presumably due to the narrative. The video was filmed in New York and it depicts Madonna in the role of a teenager who is trying to explain to her dad, who loves her very much, that she is in love with her boyfriend, she wants to marry him and they are pregnant with a baby that she wants to keep. He is trying to protect her from the dangers of this but she's making it clear that she can manage on her own.
Everybody Hurts (1992) is one of the most known songs released throughout the history of music. As well as being a good song, it also has a good music video to accompany it. The video depicts the members of R.E.M. waiting in traffic, along with other civilians. R.E.M. are singing amongst this traffic whilst those in traffic are waiting, and we [the audience] can see their thoughts in subtitles. Eventually by the end of the song, all of the people stuck in traffic begin to get out of their cars and walk instead. This video (and many others by R.E.M.) either have a narrative or feature the band playing, without making any shots seem synthetic, giving off their desired image.
Praise You (1998) is another instantly recognisable song and had huge success reaching to #1 in the UK charts. It also had an interesting music video to accompany it, created by "The Torrance Community Dance Group". The video depicts a man in a striped top and his dance group, preparing to dance to the song. Once the beat drops, the lead man begins to dance crazily whilst the group are performing synchronised choreography. This video was interestingly shot "guerrilla-style" (meaning they are using the location without permission) and the dancing aroused both positive and negative reactions from onlookers. Fatboy Slim is a self-made DJ and through his labels has been free to display his organic image.
Afrika Shox (1999) has an interesting music video directed by Chris Cunningham, considered one of the most creative video artists of our time. This video depicts an African man not looking well and walking around the city streets, presumably trying to ask for help. Throughout the video, some of his limbs start to break off and smash on the ground (imagine a vase dropping on the floor and breaking). By the end of the video he hops into the middle of the road, is smashed by a taxi and is never seen again.
Stan (1999) was nominated for best rap video of all time (at time of release) and has a long and short version (8:10 and 6:03 respectively). The video is so famous for it's perfect visual portrayal of the lyrical narrative. The video depicts Dido (UK artist who features in the song) as Stan's pregnant girlfriend who becomes increasingly worried that he is becoming too obsessed with Eminem. Stan is writing his third letter to him in hopes that he will reply and begins to talk about about the common ground that they share and that he relates to his music better than other fans because he has lived almost the same life. In the next verse he goes into detail about his life experience and then starts to talk about the opportunity Stan and his brother had to meet him, but were dismissed. The third verse is a tape recording of Stan in the car and he has locked his girlfriend in the boot. He graphically details the current events, whilst on "downers" (medication with drowsy effects) to Eminem in hope that he will answer in help. The car then goes off the bridge where Stan and his girlfriend die. The final verse is Eminem finding the letters that went missing and giving a response, until he remembers he heard the news that someone in a car drove off the bridge and realises it was Stan.
Express Yourself (1989) had also broken the most expensive music video record (past Ashes to Ashes at its time of release). The video depicts Madonna in a factory penthouse office onlooking the half naked men working in the factory whilst rain pours on them. She is first shown in a very masculine light but later on in the next verse she is shown wearing lingerie, embracing her feminine side. One of the workers seems to be enchanted by her and finds his way up to her room, whilst also finding the cat that went missing after the first verse to bring it back to her.
Frozen (1997) also has an interesting video directed by Chris Cunningham. This video is interesting because the name and idea of the song have no relation to the actual video. In class we listened to this song for the first time without visuals and then we were asked to describe what we thought the music video would look like. This was surprisingly fair because no one had actually seen the video or even heard the song before. After this we watched it with the visuals and were completely surprised to learn that it was filmed in the Mojave Desert. The way Madonna moves in this video, her costume and the drawings on her hand are very "mystical" symbolising that this was made during her time of strong belief in Kabbalah. Cunningham again makes the video interesting by making the desert colour blue, to enforce the "frozen" idea, even if it's hot where they filmed it. Another interesting part is the start of the chorus where Madonna drops to the floor and turns into a group of crows flying away, and next you see three Madonnas with one sinking into the ground. She later moves her costume in a way that turns her into a dog. In the final part of the song, the colour becomes much darker, more black.
Papa Don't Preach (1986) was a commercial success, presumably due to the narrative. The video was filmed in New York and it depicts Madonna in the role of a teenager who is trying to explain to her dad, who loves her very much, that she is in love with her boyfriend, she wants to marry him and they are pregnant with a baby that she wants to keep. He is trying to protect her from the dangers of this but she's making it clear that she can manage on her own.
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