Domestication, Syncretism, Diminishment

At the beginning of 1990s, music video, as an exotic from western countries, has become a popular form of television art after being sinicized in China. It created a super real and dreamy sensation for the audience through the expressions of music and image languages. During its twenty-year-development, China music video, as a cultural phenomenon, is changing silently with the whirligig of China society. The basic elements of music video—music and images—directly reflect the development of China music video. It goes through the stages in which image serves as an adjunct of music, then as a indispensable part of music, and currently as a diminishment of music. The relation between audio and visuality of China music video has been constantly exploring and adjusting. After entering into the 21st century, due to the development of globalization, online media, our reform and opening up policy, market economy and the post-modern culture, China music video is encountered unprecedented challenges as well as opportunities. The repositioning of "nationalization" and the transformation from elite to the masses and the exposure of its commodity nature are the main trends for China music video development.