The video is shown in black and white which highlights clearly the time period in which this was recorded and performed. This also shows the quality of the camera was poor. The tracking shots especially aren't stable at all. There is more performance than concept or narrative in this video as it shows that they weren't technically advanced so they just filmed the artist and band performing. Their costumes are all very formal which represents the stereotype of this era, they all dress well especially when out. This also shows how the community worked in this historical period as people went out to listen to music and they all listened to singers in one room together. The type of shots don't vary as they mostly just stay as medium long shots. There isn't any order of narrative in this music video as the music video doesn't follow a narrative as well as having no special effects.
Jailhouse Rock - Elvis Presley 1956
In this video the colour this music video was filmed in is in black and white which identifies the period in which it was first filmed. There is concept to this video as the lyrics have a visual relationship and they're illustrated in this video which supports Andrew Goodwin's theory. The video follows Goodwins advice about advertising the song and music rather than creating a narrative. This video relies highly on the performance aspect and the star image as Elvis is in the foreground of any shots and the camera follows him when he moves around the set. There are few closeups but we already know he is the main artist. The props used such as a trombone also fit with the lyrics as he sings about it, also incorporating genre related props and iconography as you would expect a trombone or other similar instruments to be used in a rock band. All of their costumes match the theme of the song and video and the set (Jail) which makes the video more realistic. The shots used are mostly just long shots as they didn't focus on different types of shots to make it more realistic.
Waterloo - Abba 1974
In the 70's most of Abba's music videos were all about the performance aspect and none showed any narrative other than in the lyrics as well as Queen and David Bowie. From the 70's, colour was used when filming and shooting videos which shows the improvement of technology. Also their costumes are really bright, colourful and sparkly which makes them stand out but also makes them recognisable which will help their band become well known. There is a much better variety of shots used in this music video which makes it much more flowing and interesting to watch. There are some close ups which helps to create star image for all 4 band members as they all have equal roles. Most of the music videos in the 70's were just videos of their live performances to real audiences.
Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go - Wham 1984
This video first aired on MTV in 1984, and straight away you can see they've focused mainly on performance. They rely solely on the performance of the song selling it. They use thought beats in the beginning as the music and visuals match on the 'Jitterbug' which grabs your attention straight away. The use of low and high key lighting gives the video a different effect which make you interested wanting to watch more. The use of closeups create a star image of the main singer who always appears in the foreground, but the band are also featured in the background.
Sweet Child Of Mine - Guns N Roses 1987
This video is in a black and white filter by choice as by the 80's you could film in colour as the quality of the cameras and other equipment had improved dramatically. From the beginning we know that it's a band rather than an individual artist as we hear the different instruments playing separately. Their costumes immediately indicate a specific genre, being Rock, as the clothes are casual but stereo typically what a member of a rock band would wear. The camera shots are mainly all medium shots although there are a few closeups of just the main singer which creates a star image for their band.
November Rain - Guns N Roses 1992
This video broke the stereotype in the 90's based on the length of the video as it takes a long song and entwines a narrative into it along with performance elements. They were a particularly iconic band of this time as the lead singer and lead guitarist were very charismatic performers, catching the public's eye, which in their own form created their star image. From watching, it's a very atmospheric video and at times quite dramatic.
Today - In the current media world today, music videos in general are not commonly watched. It's more about the song and unless someone really likes the song, only then will they watch the music video. However, some that are really into music and listen to it all the time, like to watch the music video that accompanies the song. The most commonly known way of watching a music video for most people would be through YouTube as it's easy to find any song you wish and can be viewed by anyone. There are quite a few music channels on the TV and people also watch the music videos on these but you don't have the freedom like you do on YouTube to chose your own songs.
Issues
Overtly sexual, violent and explicit music videos distributed online will carry adviosry age ratings in the UK.
The trial measures were originally introduced on October 1st 2014 when the UK arms of Sony Music, Universal Music and Warner Music partnered with digital platforms Vevo and YouTube to put clearly identifiable age classifications on music that are deemed unsuitable for children. This has now been made permenant, with all 3 companies agreeing to submit content of an adult nature to the BBFC which will, in turn, classify the videos into 12,15 or 18 age categories.
The sort of scenes and issues which the BBFC considers in classifying music videos include: drug misuse, dangerous behaviour that is presented as safe, band language, sexual behaviour and nudity, and threatening behaviour and violence.