Music videos started from being distributed by channels such has MTV, many of these music videos had financial and stylistic disadvantages due to Programmes such as MTV having ‘control by requiring the music videos that are submitted to comply with their standard polices’ ( Paula Hearsum and Ian Inglis 2013). The production of videos were also owned and controlled by major record companies which made music artists dependent on these record labels in order to gain the financial access and internal marketing, but this of course came with limitations for the artist to be expressive in their own style as the main goal was to feature on MTV and with this they had to ‘ imitate the style and visual effects of popular videos played on the channel in the past’ ( Paula Hearsum and Ian Inglis 2013).

However, new online sharing platforms such as Youtube created a platform where artists can upload their music videos through their own platform ( channel) or through VEVO which is a multinational video hosting services that is owned by record labels. Youtube creates a space where artists can experiment with their own styles and challenge music video conventions as the platform ‘ fosters a community and acts as an agent for self expression while also creating a space for new identities, sexualities and modes of interactions’ ( Carol Vernallis 2013). This created what Vernallis calls the ‘youtube effect’ which is where the post powerful videos are the ones that are more crasser, bigger and ridiculous than the previous ones ( Carol Vernallis 2013). This is seen in Graham Coxon’s ‘ what’ll it take’ (2012) music video where he asked fans to record themselves dancing and then edited the multiple videos to make it look like the fans are dancing down the high streets singing to his song. The music video is fun and quirky and uses modern technology in order to interact and allow fans to participate in his music video. Having Fans as the subject in the music video and not the artist himself is in itself challenging traditional music video conventions while the style and editing of the music video is also experimental and different.

References

Carol Vernallis, Unruly media: Youtube, music video, and the new digital cinema. Oxford University Press

Paula hearsum and Ian Inglis (2013) The Oxford Handbook of New Audiovisual Aesthetics, 483-500. New York: Oxford university press

Lois Reilly