2.1 Theory with Nigel

2024/06/05 16:30

Start to write Chapter 1 (draft)

Chapter 1 Foundations of Music Video Structure
— traditional patterns

1.1Historical Evolution and Traditional Structures
The history of music videos is intricate, showcasing the broader shifts in technology, culture, and the music industry. From their early beginnings to the complex and multifaceted creations we see today, music videos have undergone significant evolution, transforming from straightforward performance recordings to intricate expression that blend music, and visual artistry.

Early Beginnings: Performance Clips
The origins of music videos can be traced back to the 1950s and 1960s with the advent of television shows like “American Bandstand” and “The Ed Sullivan Show,” which featured artists performing their songs live. These early performance clips were simple, focusing on the artist’s live performance without much additional production. The primary purpose was to promote the artist and their music, leveraging the burgeoning medium of television to reach wider audiences.

The Birth of Concept Videos: 1970s
The 1970s saw the emergence of more conceptual music videos, with artists and directors beginning to explore storytelling and thematic visuals. Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody” (1975) is often cited as a groundbreaking moment in music video history. This video combined live performance with creative visual effects and marked a departure from the straightforward performance clips that dominated the era. The success of “Bohemian Rhapsody” demonstrated the potential of music videos as a medium for artistic expression and not just promotional tools.

The MTV Revolution: 1980s
The launch of MTV in 1981 revolutionized the music video industry. Suddenly, music videos became essential to an artist’s success, and the demand for high-quality, innovative videos skyrocketed. This period saw the rise of iconic videos like Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” (1983), which blended music, elaborate choreography, and a cinematic narrative. “Thriller” set a new standard for production value and storytelling in music videos, inspiring artists and directors to push the boundaries of the medium.

…..

2024/06/04 21:48

Literature Review

Critical Review of literature informing the research and how you used your sources to investigate the topic and achieve objectives or answer the question

Any perception of expression in music, he claims, is merely illusory and results from a longstanding collective agreement to attribute such qualities to music—a convention that we have mistakenly conflated with its true nature(Stravinsky,I.,1936). Building on the discussion of music’s expressive way, Larsen (1987) explores the interplay between musical and visual syntax in Phil Collins’ Against All Odds using Greimas’s narrative theory as a framework. However, this line of inquiry is not continued; in subsequent work (Larsen 1988), he narrows his focus to Western art music and its influence on Hollywood film scores. By doing so, he implies that contemporary popular music typically does not lend itself to narrative-driven analysis and is generally non-narrative. Brown and Fiske (1987) suggest that music videos ,like rock music mainly stimulate physical sensations, creating a type of physical enjoyment that deviates from the traditional linear narratives found in dominant ideologies. Nattiez makes a clear assertion that music does not inherently tell a story, and any attempt to describe its structure as narrative is merely an unnecessary metaphor (Nattiez, J. J., 1990). Similarly, Abbate (1996) argues that the narrative is not inherently present in the music itself, but rather is formed in the minds of the listeners who construct a story from the musical elements they perceive. Reyland (2005) explains that narrative interpretations of music are effective primarily because they focus on texted music, where the narrative qualities are inferred from the associated texts. Additionally, they may involve programmatic music, where the composer explicitly assigns narrative attributes to musical concepts, or they rely on the analysts’ subjective interpretations, projecting specific meanings onto the music that may not inherently exist in the material itself. Nicholls (2007) indicates that even a cursory review of the existing literature reveals a fundamental discord between the core purposes of narrative theory and the inherent reluctance of musical compositions to conform to narrative interpretations.

These perspectives imply that Identifiability in music videos is very weak or even indistinguishable. However, Theoretically, Frith’s (1988) analysis of the structural traits of music videos presents a thoughtfully formulated rebuttal, grounded in musical realities. Frith identifies fundamental organizing principles such as movement, described as ‘the metaphor for sound’ (1988, p. 216), and montage, which he argues represents the experiential qualities of rock music. He further explores how musical and visual elements share repetitive characteristics.In a conversation about the similarities between musical films and music videos, Allan defines the roles of music as providing ‘grounding, unity, and resolution’ (1990, p. 9). Kinder (1984) notes that the uninterrupted progression of music in a video creates a sense of unity. This observation is one of the few examples where scholars of music videos focus on the importance of music’s structural elements. others (Schindler, A., and Rauber, A., 2019) discuss the challenges associated with shot boundary detection in music videos, noting that shot transitions are employed in a sophisticated and artistic manner. Their analysis of the clips revealed that music videos exhibit distinct editing styles—such as the number of shots per second and the types of transitions—associated with specific music genres or moods. Pozzi（2021）points that editors and musicians share similar objectives in their work: they both strive to create rhythm, develop a narrative, and build climaxes. This perspective emphasizes that editors and musicians create work in a common framework. According to Prétet, Richard & Peeters (2021), when directing a music video, the structure of the music, including choruses and verses, is considered. Secondly, audio elements like rhythm, beat, and downbeat are factored in during the editing process of a music video. Lastly, based on the intended atmosphere, the synchronization between audio and video structural events can be precisely aligned. Liao, C., Wang, P. P., & Zhang, Y. (2009) employed a dual-wing harmonium model to identify and represent the underlying associative patterns between music and video clips in professional MTVs. These patterns were then used to support the automatic generation of MTVs. Their approach yields promising results.

2024/05/07 17:45

NOTES（some sub questions）

1.Foundations of Music Video Structure — traditional patterns

Note：sub question“How do fundamental components like narrative, visuals, and music integrate to create a standardized structure in music videos?”

2.Universal Codes and Diverse Structures — disruptions and reconstruction

Note：sub question“To what extent do universal structural elements exist across music videos from various genres, and how are these elements adapted to meet genre-specific demands?”

3. Disruption and Innovation in Music Video Form –emerging trends

Note：sub question“In what ways have recent technological innovations and artistic choices disrupted traditional music video structures, and what new forms of expression have emerged as a result?”

2024/05/06 11:30

Literature Review（draft）(still working on it)

Critical Review of literature informing the research and how you used your sources to investigate the topic and achieve objectives or answer the question

Larsen (1987) explores the interplay between musical and visual syntax in Phil Collins’ ‘Against All Odds’ using Greimas’s narrative theory as a framework. However, this line of inquiry is not continued; in subsequent work (Larsen 1988), he narrows his focus to Western art music and its influence on Hollywood film scores. By doing so, he implies that contemporary popular music typically does not lend itself to narrative-driven analysis and is generally non-narrative.

……

others (Schindler, A., and Rauber, A., 2019) discuss the challenges associated with shot boundary detection in music videos, noting that shot transitions are employed in a sophisticated and artistic manner. Their analysis of the clips revealed that music videos exhibit distinct editing styles—such as the number of shots per second and the types of transitions—associated with specific music genres or moods. Pozzi（2021）points that editors and musicians share similar objectives in their work: they both strive to create rhythm, develop a narrative, and build climaxes. This perspective emphasizes that editors and musicians create work in a common framework. According to Prétet, Richard & Peeters (2021), when directing a music video, the structure of the music, including choruses and verses, is considered. Secondly, audio elements like rhythm, beat, and downbeat are factored in during the editing process of a music video. Lastly, based on the intended atmosphere, the synchronization between audio and video structural events can be precisely aligned. Liao, C., Wang, P. P., & Zhang, Y. (2009) employed a dual-wing harmonium model to identify and represent the underlying associative patterns between music and video clips in professional MTVs. These patterns were then used to support the automatic generation of MTVs. Their approach yields promising results.

2024/04/27 12:15

Complete the Contents page

Introduction

Literature Review

Methodology（A quantitative study）

1.Foundations of Music Video Structure — traditional patterns

1.1 Historical Evolution and Traditional Structures

1.2 Theoretical Approaches to Music Video Analysis

2.Universal Codes and Diverse Structures — disruptions and reconstruction

2.1 Identifying Universal Structural Codes

2.2 Genre-Specific Variations

3. Disruption and Innovation in Music Video Form —emerging trends

3.1 Breaking the Mold: Disrupted Structures

3.2Technology’s Role in Shaping New Visual Languages

3.3Case Studies of Innovation and Impact

Results and Findings

Conclusion

Appendix (optional)

Bibliography

2024/04/20 18:20

Introduction, statement on the Issue, topic to be investigated and purpose of report

Introduction

Music videos are a dynamic and multifaceted form of artistic expression that combine visuals, music to create a compelling piece of entertainment. Historically, they have served as a powerful tool for artists to extend their reach and influence, evolving from simple live performances to complex narrative and visual spectacles. This evolution has prompted the question: Is there a discernible structure to music videos clips? The necessity of this research stems from the growing academic interest in visual media and its impact on popular culture. Music videos offer a unique opportunity to analyze media trends, artistic innovations, and audience engagement. Understanding the structure of music videos can provide insights into how they are crafted to maximize appeal and influence, which is crucial for artists, producers, and marketers alike.

Despite the pervasive presence of music videos in contemporary culture, scholarly understanding of their structural elements remains under explored. This gap in knowledge presents a significant area for academic inquiry, particularly in understanding how structure affects interpretation and engagement. This study not only seeks to identify common structural components but also to offer new insights into the complexities of this multimedia form.

The paper is organized as follows. Section 2 discusses the related literature. Section 3 describes the quantitative study on a case study of the MTV Video Music Awards and the limitation. Section 4~6 focus on traditional patterns, disruptions, and emerging trends. Section 7 concludes and discusses the perspectives of this study.

2024/03/15 15:45

Is there a discernible structure to music video clips?– a case study of MTV Video Music Awards

2024/03/11 15:45

Source

Prétet, L., Richard, G., & Peeters, G. (2021). Is there a” language of music-video clips”? A qualitative and quantitative study. arXiv preprint arXiv:2108.00970.

contribution

This study contributes significantly to understanding the interplay between music and visual elements in music videos, which is crucial for driving a music video to its climax through film language. By demonstrating that music and video temporal organizations are not independent but interconnected, this research provides a foundational framework for analyzing how synchronized music-video events can enhance emotional and narrative peaks.

Source

Liao, C., Wang, P. P., & Zhang, Y. (2009). Mining association patterns between music and video clips in professional MTV. In Advances in Multimedia Modeling: 15th International Multimedia Modeling Conference, MMM 2009, Sophia-Antipolis, France, January 7-9, 2009. Proceedings. 15 (pp. 401-412). Springer Berlin Heidelberg.

contribution

The study utilizing a dual-wing harmonium model to analyze the association between music and video clips in professional MTVs and facilitate automatic MTV generation offers valuable insights for my research on the climactic progression in music videos through film language. It underscores the potential of employing machine learning techniques to understand and replicate the synergy between audio and visual elements, thereby suggesting a quantitative approach to enhancing the emotional or narrative climax in music videos. This methodological innovation proved that providing a framework for predicting and manipulating film language elements can achieve desired climactic effects.

A bibliography of the sources reviewed.

Tannenbaum, R., & Marks, C. (2011). I want my MTV: The uncensored story of the music video revolution. Penguin.

Björnberg, A. (1994). Structural Relationships of Music and Images in Music Video. Popular Music, 13(1), 51–74. http://www.jstor.org/stable/852900

Frith, S., Goodwin, A., & Grossberg, L. (Eds.). (2005). Sound and vision: The music video reader. Routledge.

Gabrielli, G. (2015). An analysis of the relation between music and image. Rewind, play, fast forward: The past, present and future of the music video, 89-110.

Espinoza-Carrasco, I. G., & Turriate-Guzmán, A. M. (2022, October). Audiovisual Language Trends in Music Videos: A Review of the Scientific Literature from 2010 to 2020. In 2022 6th International Conference on Communication and Information Systems (ICCIS) (pp. 124-128). IEEE.

Wei, W. L., Lin, J. C., Liu, T. L., Yang, Y. H., Wang, H. M., Tyan, H. R., & Liao, H. Y. M. (2018, July). Seethevoice: Learning from music to visual storytelling of shots. In 2018 IEEE International Conference on Multimedia and Expo (ICME) (pp. 1-6). IEEE.

Hua, X. S., Lu, L., & Zhang, H. J. (2004, October). Automatic music video generation based on temporal pattern analysis. In Proceedings of the 12th annual ACM international conference on Multimedia (pp. 472-475).

2024/03/10 15:15

A research question or problem you will investigate.

Is there a discernible structure to music video?
Is there a universal language to music video?

— a case study of MTV Video Music Awards

MTV Video Music Awards (VMAs): Established by MTV in 1984

UK Music Video Awards: Launched in 2008

Grammy Awards: including Best Music Video and Best Music Film.

Billboard Music Awards

Key word

Music video, film language, quantitative study, multimedia

A short statement on the purpose and intentions of the study (75-100 words)

Purpose and Intentions:

I will do a research about film language that’s used in music video. For example, cinematography(It includes aspects such as shot composition, framing, lighting, and the use of colors. Different camera angles, movements, and focal lengths ), mise en scene(sets, props, actors, costumes, and lighting), editing(such as cross-cutting, jump cuts, and match cuts)…

but also film language that’s broken, for example, the film language which is ignored and new languages.

This research aims to identify common patterns and to understand whether music videos, despite their diverse origins, share a universal set of codes, or recognize some of the disrupted structures and some new visual language, thereby contributing to our understanding of how music videos are crafted to appeal to audience.

2024/03/05 10:12

A short statement on the purpose and intentions of the study (75-100 words)

Purpose and Intentions:

I will do a research (film language) on MTV Video Music Awards, Grammy Awards and other famous music video awards.For example, cinematography(It includes aspects such as shot composition, framing, lighting, and the use of colors. Different camera angles, movements, and focal lengths ), mise en scene(sets, props, actors, costumes, and lighting), editing(such as cross-cutting, jump cuts, and match cuts)… all elements of film language will be analysed precisely, in a quantitative way

Through this systematic analysis framework,

For me: I can gain a deeper understanding of the role of film language in music video creation and how its quantitative management can enhance the video’s emotional impact and narrative effectiveness.

For industry: This research also has a certain reference value for the music video related industry.

2024/02/07 09:10

A research question or problem you will investigate.

How can a music video be driven to its climax through the quantitative control of film language?
How can film language elements effectively guide a music video towards its emotional or narrative peak？

Key word

Music video, film language, visual climax, quantitative study, multimedia

I will analyze the visual language of the music videos that have won the Grammy Award for Best Music Video in the past decade.(TBD)

Or, I will thoroughly analyze the visual language in Kanye West’s music videos.(TBD)

For example, various types of lenses, different lens operations , time rhythm, different lens, transition techniques, and different perspective shifts … needed to be analysed precisely

to explore How to use visual language to better convey information, emotion, and intention in Music Videos？

How can different effects be achieved through the quantitative control of visual language?

How can a music video be driven to its climax through the quantitative control of visual language?

2024/1/16 21:40

On graduation which area or environment of production do you wish to focus upon and why?

I might focus on animation studio or music videos, but for now, I am concentrating on creating animated music videos. To some extent, I do things just for fun and also engage in activities that I really enjoy.

What skills will you need to attain the standards required for vocational practice?

It requires strong animation skills, which I have to keep learning and staying updated with the latest technology.In addition to that, it is beneficial to learn new tools, such as AI tools. Furthermore, I need to acquire some fundamental music knowledge to effectively communicate with a producer.

How will you showcase your FMP practice for the final shows?

Maybe it is a music animation album consisting of four/five/six music animations. I have already completed two of them. It is just my current idea, though.

Is it important to directly connect the thesis research to your practical work?

In my opinion, it would be better to connect them together. But it is difficult, though. Perhaps we can select a unique approach to connect them, rather than directly linking an academic concept with a practical one.

Do you have an area of research you wish to conduct that is unrelated to practical element?

Actually, no. I hope I can work in a field related to my area, cause animation is a rapidly evolving industry. It’s important to engage in work that involves both experimental and practical processes. These processes together form a comprehensive system. The reason we conduct experiments is to apply the findings in real-world practices.