There are a number of artists who have made music videos. In many cases these videos cost a lot of money, in other cases they are done on a tight budget. Sometimes they serve an artistic purpose, perhaps complimenting the music or perhaps being developed alongside the music. In other cases it becomes a marketing tool, but something that is arguably interesting nonetheless emerges through the video.
What do you think is the purpose(s) of making a music video?
What is the history of this medium?
Is it ok to mix art (and music videos) with commerce?
The history of them is tied up with short experimental film ( Kenneth Anger ) and Scopitones which were produced by France in the 60s, as well as advertising...That's a short history! I'm sure there's other people on here who'll fill in more though.
I reckon nowadays they're part of the whole process, media breeds media. Clips of your videos get used in documentaries, etc which broadcast the work to people who are more accustomed to watching than to listening. With the advent of Web 2.0 and the flv file, it's pretty much now the song and the video as a package, and if you don't make one yourself - 'the real version' - then someone else will only make one of your track using bad stills of you and the Ken Burns effect.
I like the idea that music and images can go together, although often a bad video can ruin a song, or one's images of it. Film/video has a way of owning memory that sound doesn't. I don't think music videos - or images to music - have to be linked to commerce though, not nowadays.
