Music Videos

A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings. There are also cases where songs are used in tie in marketing campaigns that allow them to become more than just a song. Tie ins and merchandising could be used in toys or marketing campaigns for food and other products. Although the origins of music videos date back to musical short films that first appeared in the 1920s, they came into prominence in the 1980s when MTV based their format around the medium. Prior to the 1980s, these works were described by various terms including “illustrated song”, “filmed insert”, “promotional (promo) film”, “promotional clip”, “promotional video”, “song video”, “song clip” or “film clip”. Since the creation and increased popularity of YouTube, mainstream artists now promote new music videos by releasing trailers of short promos on the site for their upcoming song and music video. Consequently, YouTube has been converted into a social media platform for celebrities and artists to market themselves to their fans and audiences.

Music videos use a wide range of styles of contemporary video making techniques, including animation, live action filming, documentaries, and non-narrative approaches such as abstract film. Some music videos blend different styles, such as animation, music, and live action. Combining these styles and techniques has become more popular because of the variation it resent to the audience. Many music videos interpret images and scenes from the song’s lyrics, while others take a more thematic approach. Other music videos may be without a set concept, being merely a filmed version of the song’s live performance.[2] Music videos have also become a place where product placement is evident in almost every mainstream video. They are always parent and it usually takes place because the artist is sponsoring a product or brand. An example of product placement is the Beats Pill being featured in numerous hip hop videos. The strong emphasis on product placement is something that has evolved because of the global scale music videos can reach because of websites such as YouTube.

U.S. and foreign films

The English film title, original title, country of origin and production year are listed. Foreign-language films are subtitled in English.

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Altas – Rattenkonig

Horace wrote “You may drive out Nature with a pitchfork, but she will always come roaring back.” This dark and atmospheric art film begins in a dystopian office where employees fulfill their mundane tasks as cogs in the great machine. However, a looming chthonic force begins to invade, seeping in between cubicles and calling all… Read more »

Carnival Youth – Boys Do Cry

A homage to exploitation films of the 70’s, this music video is about an unstoppable force of nature making every grown man cry.

Clean Green Dream

Music Video/Documentary about a Middle School Earth Day project and their thoughts on the meaning.

Forlana

Music video by William Harper for Toa’s Forlana

Mongol

A man spent years seeking redemption after abandoning his mother when he was a child.

Got It Got It

“Got It Got It” is a music video shot and edited by students from the Savannah College of Art and Design in Savannah, GA, USA for artist DarriusTheGreatest and music producer tTopicana. The concept was first developed by director Pong Tulyathan as a way to visualize the mental health issues DarriusTheGreatest faced as a teenager… Read more »

Outside – Daniel Laurent

Touching on salient themes of gun violence, psychological trauma, and racial identity, OUTSIDE is a “nightmarish mirror reflecting our troubled times.” Fueled by powerful lyrics, provocative imagery, a meaningful message, and a hopeful ending, OUTSIDE will stir emotions and light a fire within. We must break the seemingly endless cycle of gun violence in our… Read more »

The Hard Road Trio- Mama Spin Me Round

Orlando Martos | United States | 00:06:49 | 2020 English A mother and her son are left in dire straits as they struggle to get by in 1950’s New Mexico. Left with no choice, the mother does whatever it takes to provide for her son, even if it means selling her dignity. Cast Noa Maes… Read more »

Waters of March

Elizabeth Lewis | Canada | 00:03:35 | 2020 English Waters of March is the classic written by Tom Jobim and performed by jazz singer Stacey Kent. The delicately rendered animated drawings move at a rollicking pace transitioning back and forth from real to abstract images telling the everchanging story of loss and hope. Producer Elizabeth… Read more »

Number Nein

Robert Glenn | United States | 00:03:00 | 2021 English Music Video of the Band “Her Wicked Jones” entitled #9 Cast Candy Graham Christopher Mcbride Robbie Glenn Writer Candy Graham Producer Robbie Glenn