Coursework Intro
Lip Syncing
What is it?
Lip syncing is where an artist - instead of actually singing the lyrics to their songs - pretend they're singing with the actual track playing in the background. It has been used many times in the past by many different artist, and is often used to ensure that there aren't any failures in the artist singing live such as voice fails or missing notes.
Appropriate Times To Use Lip Sync
Lip sync can be used appropriately in settings when it can be controlled and any mistakes can be remedied, such as in pre-recorded shows so that editing can be used to hide mistakes (an example of which is in Top of the Pops where artists lip sync instead of actually sing), or in an event such as the super bowl. Also, obviously, in music videos of the band.
Inappropriate Times To Use Lip Sync
Lip sync is inappropriate when it is used by a band live or in a concert, because the fans are paying for the unique experience of hearing the band sing in person. For the most part, it can be hidden in such circumstanses, however if something were to go wrong (in the case of Milli Vanilli in one of their concerts when the track started skipping) the band is outed as a fraud.
The Consequences of Lip Syncing
As said before, if a band is found out to be lip syncing, they will be marked a fraud, with multiple bands and artists in the past often losing their star status and falling from fame because they were found out to be lip syncing during a live performance, as with Milli Vanilli's track skipping incident during one of their live concerts, and Ashlee Simpson as, during an episode of Saturday Night Live, one song's vocals played through the speakers while the band played a different song.
Types of Music Videos
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Performance (Band performs on camera, preferred by rock artists)
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Narrative (focuses on a story relayed to an audience, preferred by pop artists, uses actors instead of the band itself)
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Conceptual (Based around a concept or idea, fairly unusual with a particular editing or filming technique)