Exploring the history of music videos

Bobbie Gentry- Niki hoeky • This music video was released in 1967 and features unique

choreography. The video is also performance as through the choreography she is also singing. There are close ups to give a stars persona as she is wearing make up and singing stylishly. In this video there are also very few cuts mostly tracking shots that show her movements across the set and her dance movements whilst she performs her song. The style of the video gives off a happy feeling as the artist herself is participating in the cheerful dance routine, this mood is also creating by the bright coloured clothes that everyone on set is wearing and also her constant smile at the camera.

Carpenters- close to you• This video by the carpenters was released in 1970 and the

most noticeable difference is how much clearer the video is compared to the video from the 60’s. In this video there is very little editing and the shots change mostly by fading rather than sharp cuts, this helps to create the atmosphere of the song. The clothing in this video is much more plain than in the 60’s example, Karen Carpenter who is the lead singer is wearing a long sensible dress which creates the persona of a more innocent woman simply singing about love.

a-ha - Take On Me• This music video was released in 1985 and was ground

breaking because The video used a pencil-sketch animation / live-action combination called rotoscoping. The video shows a narrative between the lead singer of the group who seems to be trapped inside a comic book and a young woman who is reading it in a café. The editing of this video consists of sharp cuts which keep up with the fast paced beat especially in the beginning where the characters in the comic book are being shown. There is also scenes showing the band performing which come up during the narrative.

Sisqo- Thong song • In this particular video its immediately clear to see how

women are seen more of as sexual objects than in the videos from previous decades. There are a lot of low angle shots of the girls which show off their bodies, the colours are bright and the women are wearing very little clothing whilst doing rather sexualised dancing.

• The editing consists of panning shots usually showing the sexual facial expression of the woman and then her nearly nude body. The camera will also track the curves of the woman's body which links to the Laura Mulvey male gaze theory