Music Video Survey Responses

Charlotte Eldon

36% of respondents were

male and 64% were female with the most common age

being 18-24 year olds

Shows a positive response to music videos in general

HOW DO YOU CONSUME MUSIC VIDEOS?

Suggest viewing is quite casual and not a planned activity, so less serious videos may receive a better wider response

A surprising number of people who responded liked Jazz, Blues and swing

music which took me by surprise as being a widely popular genre. Pop music was high

up as expected but rock and alternative music also scored. These could all be

potential genres

DO YOU THINK MUSIC VIDEOS ENHANCE A SONG?

Yes very interesting

Sometimes, depends on the song

They can be very artistic and beautiful to watch so yes they enhance the music

Can be interesting and help with promotions and sales

Not always, they can be overly dramatic

They can add a new meaning to song lyrics

Definitely

Yes they add visual representation

For me its about the Music, its just another way to hear the song. Sometimes they can spoil a song if they stray from the lyric content

I think they can add a new level of interest and meaning to a song

yes

When asked to rate from 1-5 how important certain elements of a typical music video are the results

were quite useful. Interestingly having a narrative storyline appears a very popular and important

element something I will definitely consider in more detail now for my video. It would appear sexualised and explicit content is not that important t people so I think I will leave that out for the most part of my video. But the most significant element seems to be matching the visual with the songs lyrics and theme which something I will now definitely think

long and hard about before deciding what to do for my project.

FAVOURITE MUSIC VIDEO AND WHY

my fair lady/ les mis TV Films - good range and variety of song

Bohemian Rhapsody

Sia Elastic Heart subtle simple with a message

Uptown Fuck cause the dancing and choreography are on point and it fits the style a flow of the song well

Hozier Take me To Church - such an interesting message and the video is quite simple in black and white

Thriller Micheal Jackson - The story element was so strong and inviting

Lonely Boy- The Black Keys. This music video is humorous and unconventional. It is a pleasant break from the over-sexualised content mostly shown in chart music!

Drake hotline bling the dancing makes this video stand out from all the rest

November Rain - Guns n Roses

Love in an Elevator - Aerosmith, Love the way its filmed and the concept

Demi Lovato Skyscraper because it has a deeper personal meaning and depicts a very touching journey

OPINIONS ON STRONG NARRATIVE STORY LINES

really important makes it enjoyable

They can add something to the video but often unnecessary

very intriguing and good for drawing people in

I enjoy a story line part as it helps me understand

Really interesting and makes you involved in the meaning of the song

Really love a good storyIt helps to understand the lyrics better, however sometimes no story line is good because it lets you make your own interpretation of the lyrics.

Not always a positive thing

i enjoy this type

Very Important

hey can be very effective and feel like a mini film although they can get tedious if not executed well

OPINIONS ON ABSTRACT CONTENT AND VISUAL

STIMULATION

not for me

I'm not a fan

needs to be executed well to work properly and then I enjoy it

I love abstract ideas and plot twists

With a high budget this can be done well

i find them annoying and clichedThis makes it stand out

more and makes me more likely to remember the music video/song

Can be interesting and make a tame beat stronger

tend to dislike if it doesn't relate to the song

Quite interesting, sometimes can be fun as it helps you to associate something with a song that you wouldnt normally think of

This can be very enticing but often gets too self involved and loses connection with the song

OPINION ON CONTROVERSIAL/SHOCKING

VIDEOS

unnecessary I enjoy the controversy that surrounds them and the discussions it can spark

If it opens societies mind to new ideas then i am all for looking at taboo topics

good for marketing and promotion but not always adding to the piece

Not a necessity i think its just for publicity

I don't like a lot of controversy but I like a good plot twist in a video

It's interesting to see artists pushing new boundaries!

Very important and makes good publicity

dislike

It doesn't bother me

Shocking videos may offer a wider social comment and try show taboo topics, it also a fact that shocking will create publicity and so ultimately sell

OPINION ON VIDEOS WITH A

MORAL MESSAGE

not keen on strong political social agenda

good to watch

So many interpretations can be taken from thought provoking videos which is what makes them stand out

overrated humor is more important to engage an audience

Very important feature for a lot of songs that help challenge moral and social stigmas

If done well this is normally quite powerful so really good

It often depends on the mood I'm in, as sometimes I just want to listen to light hearted music, however I do believe music is a great way to convey social messages to millions

Right message can be interesting and make you re play

if that is what the song was written for then i would enjoy this

This is quite good, as it can raise awareness for political campaigns, however I dont think that Artists should use this lightly, or where its not necessary or related to the song

Can be very interesting and is an innovitive tool o reach younger audiences with hard hitting messages but can also be too heavy to enjoy in the space of one song

OPINION ON SEXUALISED

CONTENT (DOES SEX REALLY SELL?)

not appropriateit does sell, bu should be more equalized to men and women so less objectification

Not always a good thing, we shouldn't exploit ourselves to sell, try using talent

undoubtedly helps boost sales and may be a part of the story

can be a useful tool but it can be subtle so it doesn't need to be explicit

not necessary

It can't be denied that sex does sell, but I can't imagine over-sexualised content has a good effect on society's beauty standards and expectations

Yes it sells the more sensational the more it sells unnecessary and can

portray the wrong message to children

I dont have an issue with a small amount of love/emotion if its related to the song, however I think that far too many music videos use sex inapropriateily and for shock factor and I dont' agree with this

Some of ok but forced and over sexualised content is degrading and i persoanlly find it totally unecessary

The general consensus appeared to agree that a well executed narrative storyline can be an

effective tool in music videos. Many stated that the visuals shouldn’t detract from the song itself

so I will probably stay away from very abstract and mind bending themes. There was a fair bit of

mentions for plot twists, and how an unusual element or story arc can make a video more

memorable and interesting which is something I will bare in mind for future planning.

Overall this survey has proved very interesting research and has helped me form some ideas on

what people do and don’t like to see in music videos, which will be useful during planning.