Amateur Video Killed the MTV Star

Published: May 28, 2015

During this time of multimedia hyper commercialisation, such as smartphones, tablets and now even smart watches and glasses - videos and music are becoming more and more inseparable.

There is no doubt that the youth are particularly visually orientated more than ever before, and it doesn’t take much to make a video hang in that head: Provocation, identification, product placement or plain stupidity are the most commonly used ingredients to make a successful YouTube buzz. The ‘quality' of a music clip is now measured in a few numbers located on the bottom right corner of your computer screen. Studio filmed videos à la Hype Williams are so late 90s.

Low budget videos have become a stylistic device and seem to be the most successful in terms of ’shares’. Some videos literally filmed by phone and already reaching the millions. Beyoncé's music video '7/11’ impressed fans with its extremely personal approach; she is seen dancing around in her most comfortable lounge clothes in her enormous apartment, exposing her scattered dirty laundry to viewers and even seen using her right foot as a cell phone. The DIY nature of the video obviously didn’t turn off anyone; granting it over 12 million views on YouTube in just 2 days.

But why? One important theory would be that the amateur music video creates further intimacy between the audience and the performer, the fan and the idol. This is also the recipe behind the success of almost all social media tools such as Twitter, Instagram and Vine - the ability to see those who you once perceived as supreme beings in an environment almost similar to your own. Giving the impression that they are just across the street from you, keeping you safe from harm.

Paradoxically, it would seem as though the more physical technological items are made available to us, the more we feel the requirement to stay virtually connected.

The post Amateur Video Killed the MTV Star appeared first on WAM.

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