Lost Art Form: The Music Video

We all know what a music video’s purpose initially was to do: promote the band. And we all know and have seen the music video pretty much become nonexistent thanks to one bad video after another (see the glam rock of the late ‘80s and most rap videos) and channels like MTV going reality, which is ironically the same place that gave music videos their purpose and forum so to speak. What is pretty much in my opinion the one thing that everyone has overlooked is the art form that music videos had/have become when done right.There are a handful if not more that not only accomplish the promotion of the band but also are almost an extension of the band or artist. The difference I am using to make this is that the video itself not only heightens the music but also is just so visually arresting it makes it hard to ignore, it becomes daring. What I am using as a “standard” if you will would be something like Michael Jackson’s ‘Thriller’. Not only was it made to promote the song and the singer but it transcended the typical music video by giving you this little movie plus it hands down showed with some care and thinking (aka designing) you can make a package that expands the artist past the fans and makes them (or the director of the video) an artist by definition. What I am not using as  a standard is most early videos like Devo’s “Whip It” because to me a lot of those really early videos bands and directors were using such weird (and wonderful) things just because it was a new medium for them to use and explore. It is a shame that the music industry is changing and that the channels like MTV are all reality based now because with the use of After Effects and Cinema 4D and other various programs used in post the video can really, REALLY take off a be considered more of a legit art form, then again in order for that to happen some of the hacks need to be weeded out too.

How did this happen? When did the videos become artistic? I don’t have the answer really, but I do know for me at least it was when John Landis showed what could be done when he made ‘Thriller’. It got expanded, in my opinion, when guys like Michael Bay start going with these almost big budget looking concepts for bands like Aerosmith. And then it became what it is now (in terms of being just purely artistic at times) when guys like Adam Jones, David Fincher, Hype Williams, Spike Jonze and Mark Romanek got behind the lens. There are bands too out there that can be considered also responsible for the video becoming an art form. Credit where credit is due go to bands like Pink Floyd, The Beatles, Nine Inch Nails, Tool, Soundgarden, R.E.M. (a lot of their videos should be on here but won’t be just t be fair) Pearl Jam and many more but just to name a few.

Anyway here is a brief list of music videos that I think are more than that. I think they are art, the directors that made them are artists and I will try to explain my POV on them.
Also note, some of these videos might be NSFW or kids.… fair warning.

Mark Romenk’s website… Basically to me Romanek is THE premiere guy for music videos being art. Pick anyone one of those videos on his site and tell me you are not amazed. Starting from a humble beginning of shooting a Lenny Kravitz video and then for a little known song called ‘Closer’, Romanek quickly became the top director for videos. Always switching and changing up the visual approach, Romanek always seems to find a way of visually encompassing the heart of the song (and at times the artist). Romanek blends seamlessly some of the most obscure visuals and references along with great lighting and set designs to create worlds that the lyrics simply cannot even begin to say. Romenk also basically proves my theory of a really great director can make a crappy band look awesome… who else can make Jay-Z, Linkin Park, RHCP and No Doubt likable? Without those visuals I would never really care to listen to what turns out (at least in Jay-Z’s case) not a bad song.

‘Sabotage’ (Spike Jonze) has to be one of the best if not hilarious pieces I have ever seen. The attention to the details (such as getting the vintage film look and the way the cameras were blocked for the cop shows of the era) in the video is amazing, but the reason I think it works well too is cause of the wild imagination and humor that Spike applies to his videos.

‘Judith’ (David Fincher) not only gives us a great video for A Perfect Circle but with the use of editing and the low lights it takes the whole dark violent undertone of the subject matter and makes it just super cool to look at.

‘Put Ya Hands’ (Hype Williams via his official website) shows a side of hip-hop that rarely is shown and that is just a fun side. I think this video makes it into my little art form due to Hype’s experimentation with the visuals and the camera lens. It becomes daring with the extreme visuals straying away from the sleek and sexy that rap is commonly known for and made Hype the sought after guy for hip-hop.

‘Original Fire’ (Paul R. Brown via Chris Cornell’s website) is not only a great stand out video due to the visuals (and the use of After Effects) but also in my eyes stands as a piece of art with commentary about how things were and are and could be the next day.

‘Prison Sex’ (Adam Jones) took videos to the next level and set guys like Mark Romanek up by challenging what could be shown in videos and how dark they could get.

‘It’s The End of the World As We Know It (And I Fine Fine)’ (James Herbert) is juts a chaotic look at a Cold War era America and a look at the disillusionment of the youth who just wanted change.

‘Drive’ (Peter Care) is another R.E.M. video that just captures the beauty of the youth wanting a chance for fun and the disillusionment that they have. The use of black and white just helps drive (no pun intended) these points home.

‘Jeremy’ (Mark Pellington). What is there to say that hasn’t been already? This is just a great commentary on the face of the common kid growing up in our country today. It was at the time not thought of but it is a scary foreshadowing of the kind of events that have happened in schools and homes within the last few years/decades.

‘Fell on Black Days’ (Jake Scott) is one of the few Soundgarden songs that actually got a great video for it. The themes of isolation and despair are only enhanced by the close ups of Cornell, the subtle lighting and the use of B & W.

‘Karma Police’ (Jonathan Glazer) was a breath of fresh air in the midst of all the “by the book” formula that was being used for videos at that point and time. The editing almost giving us a sense of one constant camera dolly is what makes this one stand out along with the colors as they approach an almost total saturation of your  screen.

There are tons more I know I am missing and I want to know, so drop a comment and lets get a big list together. Hope you enjoyed this.

MH