It has been pointed out to the new guy (me) that our vernacular is lacking. Recent history indicates we have been referring to these visual specimens as "fan-made video" or "amateur video" neither of which really resonates, you know?
Amateur is seemingly better than fan, since it suggests a neophyte's charming lack of skill, as opposed to the rabid idolatry currently being lavished on this week's K-Pop confection.
Since TikiKiti is still in its infancy (scratch that: we're still floating around in amnionic fluid—good stuff!), it affords us the chance to define our terms and be a bit more descriptive.
Amateur video
If truth in advertising is still considered a valuable commodity, then here we are. The examples of amateur video singled out for fleeting recognition by the TikiKiti team are not created by anyone in the name of commerce, so not professional in that sense. Still, the word "amateur" reeks of ineptitude and bland hobbyism.
Fan-Made video
Presumably, someone associated with the project is an admirer of the featured musical artist. Why would someone choose to create a video homage to a song that means nothing to them? There has to be a moment of inspiration, an epiphany of sound, image, and movement that acts as catalyst for everything that follows.
In some cases, a fan's inspiration means the spontaneous joy of young women kicking up a Terpsichorean tribute to Taylor Swift. Other examples are more studied and serious, a cinematic peek at someone's subconscious in action, as in Meadow Marks's interpretation of Bon Iver's "33 God" above.
Whether through an attempt at a narrative or an abstract dip in the stream of consciousness, artistic decisions were made by someone. A music fan, certainly. But that's not the whole story, is it?
Student video
The tides have brought us a steady influx of videos from English educational facilities, otherwise known as schools, or "academies," if the family is rolling in pound notes.The student videos are typically well-crafted works with serious production values, and can be identified with a caption that reads "A Level Media‚" which I thought was a band's name at first!
The Brit-vids offer a fascinating view of a youth culture that's similar to our own, but with intriguing differences. See for yourself, with Three-Fold Law's rendition of "Sleepwalking" by English hard rock darlings Bring Me The Horizon.
So what are we calling these videos? Probably one of the three above descriptives unless something better comes along.
I have a feeling we've just scratched the surface on this topic. I suggested "fanateur", but I haven't heard back from the board on that one. We'll keep you posted.
