Exploring Music Videos

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o22eIJDtKho
'Hurt' by Johnny Cash belongs to the genre of "country music". The video was released shortly before Johnny Cash's death and shows him looking back on his life. We see his old childhood home and there are representations of the various stages and his differing states of mind during his life.

Johnny Cash created this video as a final goodbye to the people in his life and perhaps a final goodbye to music and his fans, which is highlighted when he closes the piano. The nostalgic images target his life-long fans.

The final clip where Johnny Cash shuts the piano, also suggests that his life is coming to an end. His emotions are communicated to the audience by his facial expressions. Through the use of old footage and photographs we witness the ups and downs of his life and this is designed to invoke emotion within the target audience who have stood by him through thick and thin.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tmjPrdTNxQ0&ob=av2n
'The Scientist' by Coldplay is an "alternative rock song". In the video reversed footage is used whereby we see the singer, Chris Martin, slowly travel back to before the girl in the car has died. This representation could be seen as a warning to the audience to wear a seatbelt or as a metaphor for the break up of a relationship. The footage is slow moving and through the use of close-ups the emotion on the singer's face is always visible as we watch the story unfold.

Coldplay's music appeals to and targets a diverse audience. The video tells a moving and accessable story that people of all ages can relate to.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EVBsybpH
'Telephone' by Lady Gaga, features Beyonce and it is a "pop song". Lady Gaga said that she wished the video to be more of an 'event'; the event is nine minutes and thirty seconds long. Lady Gaga highlights her frustration with constant phonecalls, perhaps from lovers, with the use of her sexuality. This is shown in the prison scenes. In the video Lady Gaga is taken to prison because she poisoned her boyfriend, however Beyonce bails her out of jail. They drive on to a diner and Beyonce attempts to kill her boyfriend, however she doesn't succeed, but Lady Gaga then manages to poison him and all the customers. The video ends with Beyonce and Lady Gaga driving off into the desert, whilst a helicopter follows them. There is a frequent use of dialogue throughout the video, the video end with Beyonce stating 'you promise we will never come back', this allows the viewer to understand the plot of the video. The video ends with the symbol of the planet and Roman goddess Venus, which then highlights this sense of 'girl power', which adds fun to the video.


'Bohemian Rhapsody'by Queen
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2VXc2eZtPN0&ob=av3e
The "rock video's" simplistic approach creates depth and meaning through the camera angles and lighting. The song consists of six separate parts, intro, ballad, guitar solo, opera, heavy metal and outro. The song and video have universal appeal in line with the band's widening target audience. Stern facial expressions are used to narrate the message and emotion of the song. This is reinforced by theatrical performances, special effects and dramatic lighting. This style of video was unusual at the time and could be seen as a representation of the band's unique contribution to music at this time.