Music Videos – What They Do to Songs
Music videos give a face, a look, a visual appeal to what is otherwise an entirely auditory experience. Music videos started probably as long ago as the television itself, and they have gone a long way in popularizing artists. In fact, it is quite interesting that television channels should actually be devoted something that is only supposed to be listened to, not seen. But the popularity and Television Rating Points of these channels tell us that music videos can make or break a song or artist.
Music videos are popular because they go a long way in reinforcing an ‘image’ of a song or the artist. It is more experiential than listening; hence people tend to relate to it much faster. In the same way that watching a movie is more ‘real’ than reading a book about the same story. A music video also gives a new dimension to the meaning or purpose of a song. A song is an expression of a thought or an emotion. Although lyrics are more than enough to help one connect to this thought, the video defines this purpose more narrowly. The purpose of the song becomes much clearer to most listeners through the video. In fact, you might have observed that once you have seen the video of a song, you will recall it every time you hear the song.
Is creating a music video much different from creating a movie or ad? Well yes, it is. When you see a video, the reason it makes sense and appeals to you is because it reinforces what the song says when the song says it. A movie is a final product; everything else is ancillary – dialogues, set, lights, et al. In the case of a music video, the video is ancillary. It is to be made to fit onto the song after a song is completed; it is not made with the song. This is difficult since the video has to now be a perfect match with the song, its lyrics, tempo and its meaning. And along with all this, the video must also convey a story in most cases – All this within a span of not more than 3 minutes.
