Music Video Technology

The music video has always been thought of as something you watch on TV, but during its infancy, the medium was watched in an entirely different way

A music video is one of the most critical marketing tools an artist can use to promote himself. Some artists have even been defined by the music videos they have released, like Michael Jackson with "Thriller" or Madonna with "Like A Prayer." But in the beginning of music video history, the technology available was incontestably more limited. It took some time for music video technology to get to the MTV stage.

Music Video Technology Beginnings

Before the term "music video" ever entered the cultural lexicon, it was called an "illustrated song." These illustrated songs were simply images projected onto a screen in tandem with the music. The first illustrated song was commissioned by sheet music publishers Edward B. Marks and Joe Stern in 1894.

Function

The function of technology in music videos is growing evermore important for artists in staying ahead of the curve. Musicians who release banal videos are not as likely to stand out amid the cutthroat competition. More recently, music videos rely on animation of some kind, as Radiohead did with the video for 1997's "Paranoid Android" or 2008's "House of Cards," which used an optical sensing technology called LIDAR (light detection and ranging).

Benefits

Technology may up the competitiveness of the music video industry as the desire to outshine one another becomes more obtrusive, but it will also change what viewers expect out of music videos in the future. No longer will female pop stars simply be able to dance around in sexually suggestive ways, they will also have to include the technological trick that's up the director's sleeve. As a result, the music video has become more of an art form than it ever was, weeding out those who can't conceive of an uncharted concept.

Considerations

Some of the best music videos of the MTV age have in some way pioneered the prevalence of technology. Videos like "Take On Me" by A-ha, "Virtual Insanity" by Jamiroquai, "Waterfalls" by TLC, and "Sledgehammer" by Peter Gabriel all employed a technological element that makes the videos more pronounced than others of their time. There are also certain trends in music videos, as with the late '90s practice of using a fisheye lens in videos like "Supa Dupa Fly (Da Rain)" by Missy Elliott or "Mo' Money, Mo' Problems" by Notorious B.I.G. A more glamorous approach to the content of the music videos of the late 90s and beyond seemed to take hold over the low-tech vibe of early to mid-90s grunge.

Effects

The effects of technology on the medium of the music video are far-reaching. Any idea an artist conceptualizes for his video can probably be executed by the directorial and editing team. Everything from CGI to LIDAR to claymation to time lapse photography is available. All the artist has to do is come up with the storyline for the song.

References

• NY Press: Music Video History