Video before 2000- Messages and values

Historical Context of Pre-2000 Music Videos

Music videos of the pre-2000 era were shaped by the social, cultural, and technological contexts of their time.
Popularity of MTV (Music Television), launched in 1981, significantly influenced the development and distribution of music videos.
This era was marked by genre-defining music videos, including landmark releases from Michael Jackson, Madonna, Nirvana, and others.

Narrative Structure: Many pre-2000 music videos contained clear narratives or storylines. These narratives often reflected the lyrics of the song and expressed the theme or message the artist wanted to portray.
Persona Expression: Artists used music videos to represent their public personas and reinforce their brand identities. This was often accomplished through costume, set design, lyrics, and performance style.
Mood and Emotion: Music videos were often designed to elicit specific emotional responses or establish a particular mood, well-matched with the associated track, through visuals, performance, and editing.

Social Commentary: Much like the music itself, videos often made statements or comments on societal issues. This represented the artist’s engagement with the cultural and social landscape.
Cultural Representation: Videos were used as a platform to represent various cultures and subcultures. This was especially common in genre-specific videos, such as hip-hop or rock.
Fashion and Lifestyle Trends: Music videos often showcased prevailing trends or introduced new ones, impacting popular culture and youth lifestyles extensively.

Production Techniques: Experimentation with different formats, camera techniques, and special effects was common, particularly in the 1980s and 1990s.
Aesthetic Choices: Visual styles varied widely, from the glamorous and extravagant, often featured in pop and rock videos, to the gritty and realistic that was common in hip-hop videos.
Iconic Imagery: Many videos created iconic and enduring visual impressions which contributed to the lasting popularity of certain songs and artists.

Towards the end of the millennium, music videos started leveraging the exponential improvements in digital technology, resulting in high-quality graphics and effects.
The end of the 20th Century marked the emergence of internet as a distribution platform, which began altering the landscape of music video production and consumption.