An enriching plot, gorgeous visual imagery and protagonists who ensnare the attention of any viewer they encounter. No, I’m not talking about Oscar-winning films; my focus is solely on the visual imagery constructed to convey the meaning of a song. In other words (and less pretentious ones at that), a music video. It is an art form to masterfully craft a compelling music video that both astounds and is interesting enough to entertain for its three-to-five-minute duration. There are some artists who pride themselves on interesting videos, making it as much of a priority as their music. Others simply rely on tried and true dialogues to base the theme of their video upon. The former makes the experience an enjoyable accompaniment to the aural experience talented musical artist can generate.
Recently there seems to have been a resurgence of making interesting vids in the music-sphere, and trying to craft eccentric pieces that either enforce the emotional integrity of the song or do the sheer opposite. Take the Three Artists, One Song campaign created by Converse. They take three artists (obviously) to collaborate for a fresh new track. Collaborators of the past include Gorrillaz, Best Coast, James Murphy, Mark Foster, A-Track and even Andre 3000. Not only are the songs an ingenious way to increase publicity, the videos that have been made for the songs are reeking of artistic time and effort. The newest video, “Warrior,” features Kimbra, Mark Foster, and A-Trak battling as lucha libre-infused vigilantes to save the fair Kimbra from certain gloom. The best part is when, after untied, the lovely Kimbra unleashes fresh hell for her captor, reveling in her vengeance.
Their other videos also display interesting visual cues for this original material. One features Best Coast/Kid Cudi and the other ventures in the Gorrilaz territory. But Converse is not alone: there are many beginning to visually craft their quality work.
Even acclaimed actresses are no stranger to being the device sustaining the foundation of a music video. Rufus Wainwright secured the help of Helena Bonham Carter for his saucy tale of a librarian’s bittersweet fantasies.
Videos have two goals: Either be a visual focal piece or create an alternative visual dialogue for the song to exist in. Visual focal pieces are interesting because they often have the viewer focusing on one object: a person place or thing for the remainder of the video. Charlie Brand’s artistic hand guides the colorful imagery in the recent release of “Sex on the Regular,” and Feist ‘s new video focuses on the passage of time from frame to frame through its slideshow.
The visual dialogue for a video can literally go along with the song being played or paint the opposite storyline for its viewers.
Either method can prove to be compelling or even just fun to watch. Artists who take the time to craft their videos as well as their music see the multifaceted (and multimedia) tenets of their work. Plus your eyes get to have as much fun as your ears.
