2. Aim and purpose
In this unit you will explore the
purpose, styles and conventions of music
video.
You will then develop, plan and produce a
music video.
3. On completion of this unit a learner should:
1 Understand the purpose of music videos
2 Understand the styles, conventions, and
techniques of music videos
3 Be able to originate and plan a music video
production for a specific music track
4 Be able to work to complete production of a
music video.
4. PRODUCT:
You work for a music video production company who are
looking for new clients. Individually, plan and deliver a 5
minute presentation aimed at encouraging bands and music
industry professionals to hire you. In your presentation, you
will comprehensively explain the purpose of music
videos, providing detailed examples of how music videos can
increase the popularity and sales of an artist.
5. PRODUCT:
Having wowed your potential clients with a stunning
presentation on the purpose of music video, you now
need to convince them that you are knowledgeable
about the conventions of music video, and can create
a video that suits their musical style and reaches
their target audience.
Individually, you will select a variety of music videos
from different genres and record a voiceover that
comprehensively explains the styles, conventions and
techniques of music videos.
6. PRODUCT
Hot dog! You got the job! The band are desperate
to hear your music video ideas for their new
song. You will mindmap a variety of
ideas, choosing an appropriate one and
developing it in pre-production. Your client will
want to see your preparation so you must
complete all pre-production paperwork to a
professional standard.
7. PRODUCT
You are now on a roll. Having planned your video to
perfection, you are able to shoot and edit it with
immense creativity and flair. You require little
input from anyone else and work with motivation
and focus. Your final video is a masterpiece and
easily measures up to those on rotation on MTV.
8. 1929 - Bessie Smith, St.Louis Blues
1940s– Panoram visual juke box1942 - Cab
Calloway, Minnie the Moocher
Panorams were popular in clubs, cafes and
bars in the 1940s, but lost popularity after
WWII. Why do you think this happened?
9. 1950s – Musical Films
1953 - Marilyn Monroe, Diamonds are a girl's
best friend
1959 – The Big Bopper coins the term
Music Video
Baby!
10. Late 1950s - Scopitones, Cine-boxes and
Color-Sonics
1957 - Elvis Presley, Jailhouse Rock
Don‟t show them
kids his snaky hips!
11. 1964 - The Animals, House of the Rising Sun
1950s, 1960s – „Live‟ performance footage is
standard.
1964 - The Beatles, A Hard Days Night
Bands as actors
1967 - The Beatles, Strawberry Fields Forever
Location clips, hand-held camera
work, rhythmic editing, slow motion shots
and reversed film
12. 1967 - Bob Dylan, Suterranean Homesick
Blues
The first concept video?
1967 - Procul Harum, A Whiter Shade of Pale
The first political music video?
The first to use stock footage?
14. 1976 - The Residents, Hello Skinny
The first avant-garde music video?
1972 - David Bowie, John I'm only dancing
The first banned music video
15. TOTP – 1970s
- Played music videos when bands couldn‟t
appear live
- Notable impact on sales figures of singles
- Viewers would tune in with hoping of seeing
videos again the next week
16. 1981 - Buggles, Video Killed the Radio Star
What is notable about this video?
1984 - Madonna, Like a Virgin
Would Madonna have been as popular without
music videos? Why?
Madonna
17. 1983 - Michael Jackson, Thriller
1985 – VH1 launches
1986 - Peter Gabriel, Sledgehammer
100s of hours in production
1985 - Robert Palmer, Addicted to Love
A simple idea can go a long way
1988 – Yo!MTV Raps launches
1988 - Public Enemy, Night of the Living
Baseheads
Music videos representing sub cultures
18. 1992 – Directors are listed along with the artist
and song title
The start of the auteur music video directors
Michel Gondry
Spike Jonze
Everyone wants in on the act, including Martin
Scorsese (Michael Jackson – Bad) and John
Landis (Michael Jackson – Thriller, Black or
White).
19. 2002 – Music Videos formatted onto DVD for
the first time. 33% growth for music videos
worldwide
2005 – iTunes opens online video store. Within
20 days of music videos being released on
iTunes, 1 million songs had been downloaded
20. YouTube creates stars:
2006 - OK Go, Here it Comes Again
Viewed by over 1 million people within 6 days
of being uploaded.
The phenomenon continues:
2011 - Rebecca Black, Friday
22. “Apicture paints a thousand words” – highly
visual culture
Music
television – set precedent, all singles now
need a video
Increase
artist‟s presence – can see them „live‟
when they are not performing (started on
TOTP)
23. Engage target audience through use of
familiar generic conventions (e.g. Rap
Videos)
Exploit
the physical attributes and visual
image of the artist (e.g. Madonna, Lady
Gaga, Beyonce)
24. Enhance the experiential power of a song
Fans feel more connected to the artist
25. Expands the creative
process, collaboration, mutually beneficial
(directors like Michel Gondry)
Innovative and original videos (e.g. OK Go)
create greater interest in a song and a wider
audience through word of mouth (LINK:
advertising).
Videos using groundbreaking or unusual special
effects can get attention (e.g. Sledgehammer)
Original ideas for an average song can lead to
the video gaining cult status and gaining „classic‟
status and lasting appeal (e.g. Addicted to Love)
All of the above can lead to increased playability
on music TV channels, radio, and
therefore, more…