Do-It-Yourself videos

As it is well known, everything is going digital, but more importantly its becoming interactive. That doesn't exclude music videos. Long gone are the glory days of music videos; in the 80s MTV had huge success with airing music videos. Of course, anyone can remember the success of Michael Jackson's "Thriller" video that was more of a mini-movie, and its still popular today.

Then came the era of TRL where the highlight of an adolescent's day would be coming home from school to watch their favorite videos and anticipate the premiere of new ones. I do admit that is was the first notible step towards interaction from the television show to the audiences. Teens would vote all day long on the MTV website, give their comments, and call in to the show to give shoutouts. At the time, it was a big step for music television, and many kids felt that they had a legitimate affect on the show.

In the face of the decline music industry that's hurting records sales, but also the market of music videos, which used to be a huge element to promoting an artists. To get your video on TRL was a sign of huge success. Now: not so much. According to
http://www.boston.com/ae/music/articles/2008/02/16/the_itty_bitty_video/?page=3
Joan Anderman of the Boston Globe discusses the decline of video popularity and how its hurting director's careers (boo hoo they have to gasp! direct television commercials for a mere $400,000 rather than a million dollar paycheck. lets take a minute to feel sorry for them) Moving on...like everything else in our society, video are now being filmed by amatuers and fans on their cells phones and uploading them onto the internet for people to see. That's how the now hugely successful Sara Bareilles got noticed: someone recorded her on their phone and put it on youtube, it caught on with viewers and BAM here she is! Today people aren't as impressed with million dollar budgeted music videos with special affects or expensive cars with good looking women. Viewers like videos that look amatuer, even if they're not, like showing the artists backstage at a show getting ready or meeting fans. Many artists website allow fans to mash up different videos to make their own custom-made music videos.

While I know we're all mourning the death of video directing millionare's careers, music videos have moved to a more interesting era. Viewers want to see something real, and many of us now have the power to make the videos ourselves.