I had not even heard of scopitone videos before digital media class, however when I started watching them, I fell in love. The reason? They were all definitive retro camp. How so? For starters, all of the videos had the same premise- Boy meets girl. Boy loses girl. Boy chases after girl. Boy and girl are peachy keen at the end of the video. Secondly, I noticed that all of the videos I watched featured the main singer lipsynching along to the film. While these videos were very simplistic in execution and composition, they were effective and helped promote the video.
Now-a-days, music videos have become avante-garde productions. Plots of music videos can become very intense (in the case of R. Kelly's "Trapped in the Closet" saga, span for a good 3 or 5 videos). Production value is high with multiple camera angles, many hired actors, and elaborate costumes. It almost seems that the music takes a backseat to the video. This contrasts greatly from scopitone videos which were created for the sole purpose of promoting a video.
While modern music videos value style over substance compared to its vintage counterparts, they both share the common goal of promoting the artist. While scopitone videos are mildly entertaining in a camp way, they fail to entertain the way modern videos do. However, they both get the job done in exposing the viewer to a particular artist. And while highly choreographed dance moves may overshadow an artist's attempt at lipsynching for videos, it is still done in vain of the scopitone artists.
Whether which era of music videos is superior is up to interpretation. While some may be drawn to Lady Gaga's videos full of glitz, glam and swimming pools, for people who are interested in a catchy song and a retro throwback, a Paul Anka scopitone of him chasing a girl through a maze while dressed in a suit will suffice. That's at least how I feel.
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