Critically Acclaimed Music Videos: by calum

critically acclaimed music videos:

Music videos have changed greatly over time and are now regularly known as being mini-musical films. As a result, their releases have become a very popular and big part of being a singer. Some of the most popular music videos including Michael Jackson's Thriller and Lady Gaga's Born This Way.

Michael jackson - Thriller:

Michael Jackson's “Thriller” music video is in the style of a mini-music film since it is a thirteen minute music video. It was directed by John Landis who used a range of different shots such as shot-reverse shots, close-ups, extreme close ups, wide-shots to depict the thrilling and horrifying themes usually associated with films of these genres. This is because it followed storyline of a girl’s lover turning into both a zombie and werewolf which terrorised her.

As well as featuring acting and dancing scenes, it shared stereotypical links to both films and music videos. As music video theories Goodwin believed, he thought that music videos all usually shared similar conventions such as lyrics linked to the imagery shown, as well as stereotypically linking both. By Michael Jackson combining both he pushed the boundaries of what music videos were viewed as at the time it was released, 1983.

mise - en - scene:

The mise-en-scene was also a very important part of the music video. This is because make up and prosthetics were used to create the zombie and werewolf characters. Animation also helped with the red “Thriller” typography at the beginning and the characters which had connotations of the death and violence thriller and horror movies stereotypically have.

Many viewers believed the first scene also parodied B movie horror films in the 1950’s since the clothing the characters wore had similarities to teenagers at the time. Because of this it was interpreted by people, such as Art Historian Kobena Mercer, as being “strewn with allusions to horror films,” such as the film, “The Company of Wolves,” since Michael was depicted as werewolf. Others saw it as a statement which linked to society and how the “werewolf” could symbolise a depiction of men’s sexuality which could be viewed as naturally predatory and aggressive.

legacy:

Because it was an original music video of it’s time, was deemed controversial and challenged people’s beliefs, it became automatically well known. In 2006, Guinness World Records labelled it the "most successful music video” since it helped the song sell over nine million copies. ABC News also commented that the music video was the "Greatest Video of All Time" and remarked that, "Michael Jackson's "Thriller" continues to be considered the greatest video ever by just about everyone."

lady gaga - Born this way:

The Born This Way music video re-emphasises the message of her single. It's about love, equality and self confidence. This is why the story-line, where Gaga herself is featured as "Mother Monster," births a new race which she expresses through acting, choreography, lyrics and her self-proclaimed "Manifesto." The messages of love and freedom sent waves of acceptance around the world and led to the LGBT community claiming it as their anthem. Similarly to Michael Jackson's "Thriller," these ingredients resulted in a massively successful, mini-musical film which propelled her single, album and career into new dimensions of fame.

MISE-En-Scene:

Mise-en-scene was also an incredibly important part of the video. A combination of make-up, prosthetics and animation all helped to link the video and song together. Again this pushed the boundaries of how music videos used to be, but relates to how the theorist Goodwin believed music and imagery within music videos link together.

For example, the first scene involved animation of a unicorn and upward facing triangle transitions which lead to a shot of Gaga. In this shot she had two heads which were facing opposite ways. This was inspired by the Roman God Janus who symbolises transitions and beginnings. This introduces the rest of the video and the song as being about that you are born to be who you are and who you want to be. It further linked to the song as she was then shown sat on a thrown in space, which could be metaphorical which links to the lyrics, that like her, everyone is a "superstar."

Bernard Herrmann's prelude to the film Vertigo then plays, which also has references to false rotational movements, which could be Gaga's way of suggesting that everyone can break from this and be who they are. Finally, Gaga then tells viewers she's birthing a new alien race within "the race of humanity," which "bears no prejudice, no judgment, but boundless freedom," which is her way of saying that this needs to happen. Successfully, this message is raised in the minds of viewers as they watch the video and listen to the song.

MISE-EN-SCENE (PART TWO):

The video then shifts between wide-shots and close ups, involving scenes of "modern based" dancing, as said by her choreographer, which reflects the modern day messages of self-worth which are further unraveled as the video continues. Accompanied by prosthetics, in the form of implants which promote freedom of expression, the video further makes use of make up since she is joined by tattooed model Rich Genest.

He is also well known by his stage name Zombie Boy, since his body is fully tattooed to make him look like a skeleton. Gaga made use of make up and paint to resemble his look, which she said was a message also linked to appearance and self worth. "I tell you what I think is beauty, and hence the scene was of me and Rico defining ourselves in artistic way and not relying on society to dictate it," she commented.

The video finishes with a scene that referenced one of her favourite artists and great influences in her life, Michael Jackson. As well, as including a downward facing triangle transition, in which she is shown blowing bubblegum which pops, in a metaphorical statement so say this is how everyone is meant to be and "bursting the bubbles" of people who think otherwise. Therefore , Gaga successfully inspires her viewers to be confident and spread love, not hate.

Legacy:

To premiere the song, Gaga performed at the 53rd Grammy Awards on the 13th of February 2011. It had the same themes as the video. Similarly, she gained great attention as she metaphorically expressed that by arriving/incubating in an egg, or as she stated, "vessel," it was an "artistic statement of birthing a new race with no prejudice." Matthew Perpetua from Rolling Stone said that "It should come as no surprise that Lady Gaga's performance of her new single 'Born This Way' was the evening's most visually stunning and bizarre spectacle."

The video, song and performance therefore helped to emphasise her status as one of the most influential pop stars in history. She won "Best Song" and "Best Video" awards at the MTV Europe Music Awards. She also won "Best Female Video" and Best Video with a Message" at the MTV Video Music Awards which she received dressed as her male alter-ego Joe Calderone, further expressing her message that you can be whoever you want to be. Accompanied by many other winnings and nominations, it's with no question, that Gaga dominated the charts, and the universe with the "Born This Way" music video.

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