Growing up in the hay-days of music videos; between MTV, VH1, Much Music, and the various other outlets of music video productions that used to be the staple of early morning and late afternoon activities for preteens and young adults back in the 90s (and for a couple of years, the early 2000s), one might think in this day and age there’s been a bit of love lost for music videos. I would posit to say, “Not so!”
Of course, the commercialization of music videos has certainly increased over the years. Sure, there was no strict financial model for music videos back in the day (though those old David Fincher and Spike Jonze videos from the 90s that exceeded upwards of hundreds of thousands of dollars for a simple song/video combo would certainly suggest otherwise), but there sure was an abundance of them back then. However, with television moving toward the *shutters* reality TV market more and more, mixed in with the inevitable decline of the blockbuster music industry, and the uptick towards more cheaply produced videos and film, there certainly has been a dynamic shift in the world that is the music video.
But don’t be discouraged! I’ve compiled a list of some (not all) of my favorite music videos and why, whether new or old, they are still important to our collective consumption of art in film. I’m a firm believer that the music video, though still technically considered a commercial, is one of the truest forms of creative film and video arts out there. You may or may not share the same opinions that I do, but at the very least I hope you can appreciate this long list of awesome that I’ve created. So here goes!
Smashing Pumpkins – “Tonight, Tonight”
Looking back on all of the films that influenced me as a child film enthusiast, this one was one of the first “AH-HA” moments where I remember explicitly wanting to learn about the influence of the film and what it meant. Of course, this George Méliès inspired production of “A Trip To The Moon” was not only striking for me visually, but it drove me to actually study up on my film history. I was already a major fan of Charlie Chaplin and Buster Keaton movies, but this put into motion my want to know more.
The orchestral movements, the beautiful display of child-like imagination, the fun sets and film tricks involved; they were incredible stepping stones of influence that would one day put me on the path I now am on. At the time, no other music video was even close to capturing the raw and yet beautiful substance that was “Tonight, Tonight.”
The Smashing Pumpkins have moved on to… uhh… different things, but this for me was the defining moment of what nearly a hundred years of film production had developed into; and it was gorgeousness. I may have only been about 7 or 8 when this came out, but it struck a great chord within me.
Wolf Parade – “I’ll Believe In Anything”
The Indie scene gets a lot of flack for being quite uninspired when it comes to music videos. Obviously it’s not about their lack of artistic sentimentalities, but more-so of their lack of funds by production companies. However, this is a perfect representation of what can be accomplished when you let certain artists just breathe.
The timing and delivery of this entire piece is really what makes it magical. The editing is simply perfect, and one of the first things that come to mind when watching this (aside from the obvious Marie Antoinette references) is the Stanley Kubrick film, “Barry Lyndon.” The slow pace, the pompous structure, and the attention to placement and over/under-acting is strikingly reminiscent of what is arguably one of Kubrick’s most beautiful, yet boring films. Either way, I’m still surprised this video flew under the radar for so many music video aficionados for so long (and still does).
Another one of their more praised videos that often pops up on top 100 music video lists obviously deserves honorable mention. Though not as popular, “Yulia” is another great representation of letting the artists just sort of, “do their thing.”
M83 – “Wait”
Speaking of Stanley Kubrick inspired videos, this video; one of a three-part series, isn’t ashamed to showcase their inspired artistic abilities in a grandiose manner a la “2001: A Space Odyssey.” I love this music video simply for its conceptual beauty. Lonely space children with super powers taking over the Earth and influencing wolves? What’s not to love about it?
Cinematically, it’s exquisite, and the thematic voice behind it is not only intriguing, but strangely inspiring as well. I wouldn’t mind seeing a feature film based off of the themes presented here in the series itself, personally.
Jay Z – “On To The Next One”
This is just pure, raw, artistic fun at its core. You can say what you want about illuminati references and whatnot, but this director has a running theme of just making some of the most visually striking music videos I’ve ever seen. I mean, did you even watch the trampoline-geisha-sword-girl stuff!? It’s stupid fun to watch. I don’t even care if it has a meaning or not, it’s just… so much fun!
Sigur Ros – “Ekki Mukk”
I had a really hard time deciding between which piece from this band I wanted to use. In the end, the ironic part of it is that I went with a fan-film instead of a labeled-produced piece simply based on its story-telling merits (after all, aren’t we supposed to be story-tellers?). This production just goes to show you that yes, you can tell a story in a music video. But it’s not only about the story-telling aspect, it’s how inspiring the film’s tone is on an artistic level, as well as on a budget level.
This is truly one of my favorite music videos of all time, mainly because it shows that you don’t have to have a whole lot of money to create a truly eclectic and wonderful film. You just need a good idea, some resources, and a few friends to help you out, and you can make gold. The wind-blowing through the trees, the sense of loss and loneliness, and once again, the child-like wonder is simply magical (I think I have a running theme here).
It was tough to choose this over Sigur Ros’ other music videos, because, in my opinion, they have a consistent streak of making the most perfect music videos out there. There’s something about their music that makes you want to get up and explore, that makes you want to reach into the deepest pockets of your mind and pull up thoughts that you never thought were there, or to write something truly epic and awe-inspiring. Maybe that’s why they’re one of my absolute favorite bands of all time?
In Conclusion
Music videos are like blank canvases for the screen, riding on the backs of music you truly believe in. Sure, for every Sigur Ros music video, there are about a hundred teeny-bopper, Justin Bieber/One Direction videos. But the ones you remember, the ones that get your blood going, that inspire you to take on the world… those are the ones in which we cherish the most.
As I’ve said before, I believe that music videos are the auteurs path for artistic expression and story-telling. You can essentially make what you want of the song in front of you (band’s permission pending of course), and you aren’t cornered into having to work under any structured construct like movies, TV, and shorts do, though you certainly have the ability.
If you’re a filmmaker, I implore you to take some time every once in a while and watch a few music videos for inspiration. And if you need any motivation as to why, if you are delving into the world of filmmaking, that you should experiment with music videos, take into account all of the now-successful film directors who all started in music videos: Spike Jonze, David Fincher, Danny Boyle, Michael Bay, Michel Gondry, Marc Webb, Gore Verbinski, Antoine Fuqua, and Tarsem Singh.
If you have any music video suggestions that you yourself would like to share, please do so in the comments section below. And who knows? This is brand new to me, so I may just start posting a new music video once a week or so. That sounds like a lot of fun, huh?
-Jamie
