blastedgoat

Introduction to the Form and the Power of Music
While most of the music video world is concerned with the promotion of a song some directors consider their creations artistic endeavors. Music videos are short enough to have an impact yet long enough to allow for the construction of a coherent story. There are components every music video must contain but there are countless paths a director might take to achieve balance between promotion of the artist and expression of the music. The meaning of a music video or “promotional film” resides in the combination of music, lyrics and images. There are roughly two categories they tend to fall into: performance and conceptual. I will focus on conceptual videos that implement techniques found in “legitimate” films or make a statement beyond that of shameless self-promotion. I will present videos that cross the threshold of “trash” and enter into something much deeper.

Great music videos have the capability of provoking responses much like a great films might and are becoming increasingly accessible in the technological age. The history of the form is interesting as it pulls from many traditions and techniques of filmmaking. Modern music has gone beyond the world of “music television” and onto the internet. Some music fans want to do more than simply view the video; they embark on an artistic endeavor of their own by creating “fan-vids.” Homemade lip-synching videos have also become popular recently and are part of a growing trend of viewers that choose to manipulate images and music to create alternate videos for their favorite songs. Many fan-vids feature popular songs and clips from t.v. shows or anime and have caused various copyright issues on video sharing cites like Youtube. Much of this insight can only be gained from a long love affair with the form and a few copyright issues dealing with videos uploaded on my own Youtube account. Through studying the roots of video making I have gained a greater appreciation for those music videos that inspired me as a teenager and got me through a difficult time in my personal life. I will provide links between my experience and what I have learned this semester to show the merit of several so called “promotional films.” Read the rest of this entry »

I am looking at http://www3.bc.sympatico.ca/jcannon/rocknrule/ and giggling to myself like a school-girl. Rock and Rule is a ridiculous movie. you should check it out sometime if you get a chance. It is set in the future after WWIII and everyone is descended from mutant cats and dogs and rats. It’s freaking hilarious. Well here’s the plot as borrowed by the author of the above website :]

Here is an excellent plot summary written by James Ellis:
“Angel, a member of a punk rock band in the apocalyptic future, is kidnapped by Mok, a legendary super rocker. Obsessed with a dark experiment, Mok plans to use Angel’s voice to summon a demon from another dimension. The rest of the band follows Mok to Nuke York in an attempt to get her back.”

If nothing else watch it because the soundtrack includes Debbie Harry, Cheap Trick, Lou Reed, Iggy Pop and Earth Wind and Fire…

I might write a more in-depth review/analysis if anyone is interested :]