Thriller is a music video with great intentions, it was a video that set standards for artists wishing to continue in the music industry combining narrative and music as one in a cinematic music video. It has been said to be 'THE MOST INFLUENTIAL MUSIC VIDEO OF ALL TIME.'
Thriller opens with the obvious conventions of a horror movie, the first insight of the video is a tracking shot following a car down a dark road with very little lighting. The typical mise en scene of a forest with broken light peering through, full moon, misty air and an eery silence hovering over the script all add to the regular conventions of any horror film. There is no music being played at this point, however there is over exaggerated noises you would expect to hear in this given environment; bugs, the noise of the car travelling along a road. As the car breaks down it adds to the convention of a horror scene, it being in a dark mise en scene. As the characters (in this video, the artist is used in both the narrative & the song) leave the car in the dark night the camera pans their every move on ground level focusing on their feet to emphasise that they are walking in this 'horrific' environment.
As the clip gets further in the non-diagetic music turns the video into a short film rather than just simply a 'music video'. This is only because the director has decided to use music that is not related to the song, instead he uses PARALLEL MUSIC to fit the scene and exaggerate the code of a horror film.
The actors that have been used also create a sense of importance and relevance to the audience, the girl involved has been dressed to look innocent and vulnerable, and shows signs of distress throughout the experience within the first 30 seconds of the cars breaking down, which again proves to be a convention of horror. The costume Michael has chosen to use for himself is iconic to him as a performer, which instantly establishes him as an artist.
The introduction in this video becomes so long it becomes a film its self within the music video.
Unlike many of modern narrative music videos, thriller was created using Michael as not only the artist but also as the main character in the narrative. By doing this it makes the video become beyond believable because the narrative and performance is combined.
One important thing when creating a narrative music video is to ensure that the narrative and performance is balanced. Thriller has managed to do this by having the ability to connect imagery and music. In each section of short film the choreography and the image is linked with the music. By doing this Michael has created a video that has the capability to stand alone in the world of music and narrative and create a standard for others to aspire.
(i tried to embed the music video, but i was unable too)
While this is impressive in many ways, you must focus on the conventions of music video that are employed as this is central to the overall coursework.
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