Music video analysed

Origins of music video
Music video started out as a vehicle for artists, in the newly emerging world of TV broadcasting, who were unavailable to perform live on music shows. Out of this has emerged a multi-million pound industry, with incredibly high production values. For the artists involved, often they must aim to create a powerful and dazzling product; many are seen as mini films, and increasingly, highly respected and innovative film-makers are involved. It is no longer the amateur 'fun' project it started out as.

I intend to analyse a series of music videos, with the aim of learning from the range of techniques and styles employed in order to create my own product.

Bob Dylan's 'Subterranean Home Sick Blues'
The song is really a 'nonsense' poem which showcases Bob Dylan's amazing lyrical dexterity.
It is a very early example of video art, and really gets across a sense of spontaneity and fun that everyone loves pop music for. The innovative way Bob Dylan presents to camera still holds audiences spellbound forty years later.

Location
Set in a back street, the video is presented as a unglamourous look into down town life. Dylan chose to use this location in order to reflect his attitudes towards society and the growing interest in celebrity culture. Basic in appearance and setting, the video cleverly uses placards to show Dylan's lyrics, even spelling some of his lyrics wrong, this shows Dylan's sense of humour however costrasting against the serious messages in his lyrics. The alley which the the video is set is under construstion, perhaps symbollising America's civil rights movement, which was present during the time of the video, a movement that Dylan himself was a strong part of. There is also what appears to be a homeless man present in the backgroud of the shot, its shows him having a conversation with what is assumed to be another homeless man. This highlights the spontaneus nature of the video.

Ideology

Dylan's video has a strong sense of rebellion running throughout, with its challenging lyrics and messages, it gives the audience a strong image of change and humour. Dylan's basic landmark (behind London's Savoy Hotel) contrasting to his tongue-twister lyrics and clever word choices works well to create a piece of art, not just a music video. The deliberate mistakes shown through out the piece add to the fun attitude to video carries, along with this maverick attitude.

Props, Make up, and Costume

The video hosts the musical artist Bob Dylan, holding pieces of worded cardboard up to the camera, with his key words from the lyrics printed on them, this basic formula helps shape the creative outlook of the arrangement. Their is also a limitation on costume and makeup used, this simplicity adds to the spontaneity of the video.

Editing, Camera Angles & Film Tint/Colour

Again, to keep in the raw nature of the video, and through lack of technology, the video hosts no edits between shots, as the video appears continuous, as one scene.

The lack of technological features also means the video was shot in black and white, with little thought for camera angles, or tinting. However the video starts with a zoom out which eventually focuses of Dylan and the rest of the frame. The grainy authentic nature of the recording makes the video appealing to a younger modern audience as it has a "Vintage" quality which appears very fashionable among youth in current day.