Mv u29 assignment 1 form

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Music Video ProductionCase Study

Paige Moorby

+Unit 29 - Music Video Production We will look at Music Videos from a number of perspectives, this

template is for you to write up your notes and to complete your case study.

The document is split into 3 different tasks, each with separate questions to answer.

Task 1 is concerned with the purposes of music videos and the strategies employed by labels and artists

Task 2 is concerned with the styles, techniques and conventions of music video production

Task 3 is your own case study into a minimum of three music videos where you can unpack and discuss the videos considering everything you have looked at in Task 1 and 2

+Unit 29 – Music Video Production Learning outcomes, this case study is concerned with

the first two learning outcomes of the unit:

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.

+Unit 29 – Music Video ProductionAssessment Criteria The assessment criteria addressed by this case study,

further details are in your project brief:

+Notes on completing the case study It is often easier to show something you are discussing

than to take time describing it. With this in mind, feel free to add lots of illustrative images from your chosen video examples. Links to YouTube/Vevo/etc are also encouraged.

Remember, when you make a point or define something, you should follow this with an example, an explanation of this and then link to further texts/videos where possible.

If you don’t think there is enough room to add your full response to a question, don’t just reset the font size to really small, add an extra slide wherever necessary.

+Task 1 - Purposes

+Task 1 - Purposes

Q1 - Outline the 3 core purposes of music video with a short explanation for each: Entertaining-

A music video provides a visual look for the audience to look at, the idea of a music video is to entertain the audience and being able to entertain them in a way which isn’t just through music but also on a visual level through a video.

Branding-

A music video also brands the band on another level, by having a visual representation of the track along side the audio release it means that the band can be seen on a whole new platform which takes the branding of the band up to a new platform also. Sales-

By having a new platform and the video being produced as well as just the audio track the band will get a bigger audience meaning there will be a financial benefit in that but they will also be able to post the video on platforms like YouTube which will give them better sale. So by having these additional platforms it means they will have much better sales.

+Task 1 - Purposes Q2 – What are some of the broader purposes of music videos? Think about some of the strategies

employed by artists in their videos and how they represent themselves, you could consider where the artist is on a major label, independent label of unsigned, is there a difference between them?

When it comes to a band wanting to make a video they focus on the audience, genre, song and motive of the band. By doing this they are going to end up producing a really well developed idea which portrays the band and who they are. They are producing a video which represents the band and themselves. Bands also produce music videos to promote their music and their style to gain audience and sales, the more they produce the more the audience want it and the better the sales and the more popular they become. By producing a music video the artist(s) are giving the audience a new platform to access the product so the audience can get a lot more from the band and feel a lot more apart of the band, the audience can almost submerge themselves into the band on a whole new level. If you look at a music video like The Beatles -Twist and Shout video it is just footage from them playing at a gig, the video still has the crowd screaming in the background so having this style of video gives a very energetic and live feeling to it to give the audience a feel for the band. In a music video there is often a story or message which is sent to the audience by a visual representation and storyline this message often links to the song and what the lyrics are saying, sometimes it is very black in white and you can clearly see what the story means and other times it is a lot more free living and the audience have a lot of self interpretation when it comes to the story. A music video game can often give the audience an advantage when they are trying to get the full meaning of a song as they can often see the visuals of what the band wanted them to see so they are enduring the video and the bands meaning instead of just listening to the song and not thinking too much into it.

Some artists and bands feature others in their music videos or other products in their work, by doing this they are gaining more promotion for the band and that certain song, by having feature artists they get associated with them gaining them both a much bigger title and much more promotion and popularity. This sort of promotion can make different audiences come together and make something a lot bigger as one instead of two different audiences separately. Different styles of artists create different music videos, independent labels have a lot different styles and expectations then a major label and different genres of music have a lot different style and expectations to each other. If you were going to compare a popular band like The Red Hot Chili Peppers (1983) to a more modern pop band like One Direction (2010) even though they are both major label boy bands there is a very big different in the visuals of their music videos. Chili Peppers are a lot more quirky and unique (artistic) where as One Direction are very formal, clean and high standard. The comparison between the two show there is a lot of the bands personality and genre that is shown through the videos and you can really see the bands representation through a video. All images from Google Images

One Direction (One thing) music video

Red Hot Chili Peppers (can’t stop) music video

+Task 1 - Purposes Synergy is when two (or more) companies/ organizations interact and combine to produce a product.

The product is often a lot stronger and uses the main qualities of the separate companies to create something of a much more superior level. An example of synergy is when a film comes out that is really popular and the film company allow other companies to make merchandise from that film, by doing this they are promoting their film on other platforms which makes the film more popular. An example of this is when High School Musical came out so many companies brought out merchandise.

Another example of synergy and convergence is when a band brings out a song and they bring it out on different platforms and they work with a range of organizations to bring the music out on other

platforms then just a simple download song. An example of this is the Artic Monkeys who work with a range of organizations so they can put their music on a variety of platforms.

Convergence is when two (or more) mass media organizations combine and interact to create something of a much higher level using the qualities they have individually to make something on a much larger scale. An example of convergence is when a record studio work with a film company to make a soundtrack for a film, by doing this the recording studio is working with a bands and artists to create an album to run with a film. A recent example of this is when Suicide Squad came out there was a pre release of the sound track which made an instant connection to the audience and they worked along side each other and made the film very popular.

All images from Google Images

The original film Toys (from a different company)

Practical merch (another company)

Video games (Convergence) Food companies using

the film to brand

CD MP3 download version

Music video Concert Vinyl Merch

+Task 1 - Purposes Q4 – Branding; select an artist you like and look at how they present

themselves in their music videos. Explain what their ‘brand’ is, who is appeals to and why they might have done this.

All Images taken from YouTube (official music video )

Looking at the Kooks music video for the way she moves you really get a feel for the band and the way they represent themselves to their audience. The band is very relaxed in front of their audience and don’t really act any differently then relaxed. The way they dress in the video is causal, very indie ‘I don’t care don’t kill my vibe’ look, the band members all look similar in the way they dress however they are all independent in what they wear which allows you to get a feel for all of their characteristics. The look of the video is very vintage sepia, it has a faded look almost like a beach holiday video from the 80’s style, the look is really natural and the tones are very beige which gives this vintage used look to it. This contrasts with what they are wearing giving a really indie look which is what the band is, they are a indie category band which is shown in the visuals. As for the actual content of the music video the video is very laid back and chilled out like the actual audio of the band. It is very relaxed music tied in with the indie genre which is something that works well with the visuals. In the video one of the band members falls into a pool, another band member is smoking, someone is buried into the sand and when the whole band is in the frame they are all just hanging out and chilling like friends, this is a friendly atmosphere which reflects back into the audience and makes them feel like they are apart of the band, they instantly feel a connection to the band. The whole video is very chilled out and gives off a relaxing atmosphere to the audience which they absorb and turn into positive energy. The whole video really represents the band and their characters, it is a really unique video which represents the band as one and individuals.

+Task 1 - Purposes Q5 – Compare One Direction and Animal Collective music videos [find

them on YouTube!], what can you discern about each act from their videos? What is the main aim? Explain why.

The One Direction video is a mainstream boy band music video. The production value was very high and it definitely shows in the final piece. The video has very sharp and designer looking Mise-en- scene. The beach that the boys are at in the ‘beautiful’ music video is very spotless and perfect looking. The boys are visually dressed to look flawless and perfect. There is a lot of close ups of the artist which gives them the attention and visuals that they want and need. The audience see a lot of the band singing and performing in a natural state which is what they want to see, the video creates a very personal friendly feeling so the audience think they are there with the band. The video has a very stereotypical view which creates a very passive viewing.

Comparing this to the niche alternative band Animal Collective. This video has a much lower production value meaning it has a less clean and sharp finish to it. As the band is an indie band they want to create a very obscure look and by doing this with a low production value they can achieve this look. The look of the videos are very artistic and obscure which makes a very active viewing as it is always different and interesting. As there is more of an artistic look the audience want to watch it more to get a better feel for it. Another drastic difference is the band is hardly in the AC videos the artistic viewing is shown more then the band themselves which gives a much different view.

+Task 2 – Styles, Techniques and Conventions


Q1 – Describe and explain the use of camerawork in music videos, i.e. the types of shot used with examples to illustrate this

The camera work in a music video is something that is very important to illustrate meaning to the audience, different camera work conveys dissimilar meanings and representations.

There is a range of different camera angles and shots that the producers use to create different meaning. If the band has a big record label (mainstream) then they use a lot of close ups, this creates a sense of personal closeness between the audience and the artist. This close up puts a spot light on the artist which gives them their moment in the video. In the Kaiser Chiefs ‘I predict a riot’ video, there is a storyline running against a gig performance. The camera shots in this differ but the band still have their featured close ups in the video, in-between the storyline and gig shots there is a contrast with the close ups which shows the intimacy between the audience and the band members.

All images from YouTube

Screenshots from the music video



Camera work is often change and used to work alongside the movement of the performers, this enhances the visuals and makes the video a lot more lively and you get to feel more of the music and the performance. When there is a music video which shows a live performance like The Beatles Twist and Shout video the camera work is very focused on the movement of the band which makes the video feel more life like and realistic, the constant movement of the camera switching from the live performance and the audience really gives a reality feel. Another example of this would be a video which tracks a artist running, the following tracking movement gives the audience a feeling of being there and the movement gives a very vigorous energetic look on the video which often fits in with the rhythm to the track. All of the different angles throughout the video really allow the audience to feel involved in the live performance and the way the camera tracks the band gives it the life like feeling.




The way that the producer uses the camera gives a completely different meaning to the video, using low angles on the performer gives them a superior look making the audience look up to them. A lot of hip hop and rap songs have a use of low angle because the performer often talks down to the audience and they want a superior level and to achieve this they having the camera low down so that they can sing down to the audience and have that look of being high. An example of this angle been used is the OutKast video ms Jackson, there is a lot of low angles used throughout this video that give off the really dominant look and makes the artist seem a lot more focused.

Having a high angle makes the image a lot wider and the performer tends to look up towards the sky which gives a really focused dramatic look, which engages the audience to the work as it looks so dense and dramatic. A lot of music videos use a range of different angles and shots this keeps the audience watching and keeps them keen as the different angles montaged together gives a defined constant look that can work really well. The Ms Jackson video also uses high angles. The use of both angles along with normal angles and cuts gives that really dramatic look that you would find in these styles of videos.




A very common style of camera work is sequencing the shots together to make meaning to a music video. The sequencing of a music video brings different meanings depending on the style and positioning of clips. This is often done in the editing part of production however in one takes and when filming they often film in the sequence they want the video to flow in, especially when they are filming a storyline or a video with lip-syncing. In the Swim Deep- King City video, the video is a lot of random footage a sort of day in the life with the bands. There is a minor storyline and if you switch the original sequence around even with a small storyline the concept of the video changes all together. Even though the lyrics don’t fit with the visuals the sequence change completely changes the structure and meaning.


If you look at the original sequence of footage and change the exact same footage to a different order then you get a completely different visual look and meaning which changes the concept of the video. This video was filmed over time and sequenced together to make a day so the order makes it look like one day.


Q2 - Describe and explain the use of editing in music videos, i.e. the way in which shots are sequenced, considering the rhythm of the edit and combinations of shots and post-production techniques

When editing a music video there is a lot of different editing techniques. One of the most common editing techniques is a fast cut montage which is when several short shots are montaged together to put a story or lots of information together. This has an effect of fast pace and energetic or can also just show a story from lots of footage. This editing technique is used a lot to fit videos in time with the rhythm of a song to convey a story.

An example of this editing is in the Libertines- Don’t look back into the sun music video, the video is fast cur to fit the beat and rhythm of the song. The video cuts between band playing and then the actual storyline style video, when the song gets faster so do the cuts and they jump and cut with the music so the visuals fit the sound correctly. Rather then the video just randomly jumping between clips and not fitting the rhythm of the song the video is cut to fit the beat and style of song.


When editing some producers use slow motion and change the speed of the video to give it another meaning. Using slow motion gives the video a new meaning and makes it a lot more interesting and eye-catching for the audience. Having a video in slow motion almost gives a more detailed look so the more you watch the video the more you find in the video. Having a video in slow motion is a lot more entertaining for the audience so they want to watch it more because it is different and it has a bigger impact on the audiences visual representation.

Nirvana used slow motion in their come as you are video, this is something that really draws the audience to video because it is slowed down so much it fits the slow speed of the song and everything in the video from their actions to the editing of the video is all slowed down to fit the pace but then is still slower so the audience gets drawn into the video. The Nirvana video has a lot of detail and the video is produced in a manner that is almost slightly psychedelic to the eye as the movement is almost mesmerizing to the audience.



When in the editing stage of a music video production you can begin to add transitions between the clips. The transitions can create different meaning and effects to the video. If a video has a much jumpier transition then it is going to create a much different effect to if the transition is smooth all the way through.


If you compare Lumineers sleep on the floor to the Black eyed peas Pump it you can really see the difference the transitions make. The Lumineers have a really smooth transition between the shots, this conveys the soft and slow love story that unfolds, the transitions make the story so smooth and unless you’re looking for them you don’t even notice the transition because it is so natural. Even at the fast pace parts of the song where the footage gets faster and shots get shorter the transitions keep consistent and smooth which keeps it all flowing smoothly. Then looking at the Black eyed peas video which is very fast paced and up beat, this video has very fast and jumpy transitions which portray the really fast pace of the video along with the sharp actions and lyrics. The transitions stand out a lot and they really make the video more fierce. When comparing the two you can really see the difference that the transitions make.


One of the most common and most used techniques in editing is Enhancing the digital effects. This is when in the editing stages you add effects to the video to enhance the look. This instantly creates the footage to be a lot more vibrant and eye catching. By changing the effects you are able to make the original look a lot better and fitting or you can make a completely different look that changes the whole style and emotion of the video. In this process light changes can be made or drastic changes which all have an overall different effect on the video.

An example of this is Circa Waves – Fossils. In this video the effects are very strong and give the visuals a very super 8 style look. It is very retro and original footage. As the video was filmed on a recent tour and was “an ethos than anything particularly planned or thought out” my guess would have been a lot of the work was done by changing settings then playing with the effects in post production. By playing with gradients, lighting and contrasts you can see that the look of the video is very retro and gives of a vey comforting atmosphere. There is definitely a reoccurring theme of the same colors. The mint green colour is shown a lot in the footage which is really friendly but also shows a contrast between the retro look and the pop of colour.



In music videos CGI’s can be used to make the video a lot more dramatic and cinematic for the audience to watch. By using a CGI the editor is bringing fantasy to life for the audience which is something that is so obscure and eye-catching to watch. CGI can be used in both scenes and surroundings as well as the actual characters and more focused points of the video. When using a CGI the production stage often includes actors and a green screen acting the video out and then in the editing process the acted out clips are transformed into the fantasy animation.

The first song that came to mind when thinking CGI was the Spiderbait video by Calypso this video is a full fantasy video, from the locations and backgrounds to all of the characters and props. The video is very minimal and simple; but has an extremely over exaggerated and colorful fantasy look. The video is not your usual look however it is a 90’s video and the graphics and CGI is so old school and quirky which completely matches the song. The use of CGI is very uplifting and works well with the song.


+Task 2 – Styles, Techniques and Conventions Q3 - Describe and explain some of the technical

developments in music videos, i.e. in terms of how the music videos are filmed, edited/produced and viewed

A technical development is Fast cut montage. Fast cut montage is a technique that is used to show a lot of footage very quickly, it can often add speed and action to a music video. It is done when a lot of consecutive sequential footage is cut together. The footage is usually only a few seconds long so when it is put together it is really rapid.

Fast cut montage shows a very fast pace action which is very bold and eye catching to the audience who watch it, so is often used in music videos to show a very fast action shot or to get across a lot of information at once.


Q3 - Describe and explain some of the technical developments in music videos, i.e. in terms of how the music videos are filmed, edited/produced and viewed

A technical development is split screen, split screen is when the screen is split to show two or more different stories or images at the same time. The screen is often split in half or quarters but can be split differently. In music videos the technique can be used to issue more information at once or to create an illusion like look for the audience.

In the Johnny Lloyd – Pilgrims music video there is a split screen layout for the whole of the video. On the right hand side of the video there is just a constant video of the bright lights and the city, which contrasts on the left where the male actor is washing his face for the video in a very depth felt black and white filter. The split screen creates two stories at the same time and adds emotion to the video.

+Task 2 – Styles, Techniques and Conventions Q3 - Describe and explain some of the technical

developments in music videos, i.e. in terms of how the music videos are filmed, edited/produced and viewed

In music videos there is traditionally three styles of filing: illustration (what you hear is what you see- literal), Amplification (less literal but still has meaning to the song) and disjuncture (not literal at all, has no relation or meaning to the video)

In mainstream videos a lot of the time the song lyrics meet the visuals and there is a link in what you see and what you hear. It Is a very traditional and well known style in mainstream and pop music to have a link and meaning between both lyrics and visuals.


Q3 - Describe and explain some of the technical developments in music videos, i.e. in terms of how the music videos are filmed, edited/produced and viewed

Another technical development of music videos are green screens, green screens are either blue or green backgrounds which you film a moving image (or person) against and then in the editing process you can add a background or objects to the final image to transform the look of the visuals of the video and also the concept of the video. They are often used to create fantasy and obscure videos that you cant make in real life.

An example of a use of green screen in a music video is the Drake- Hotline Bling. In the video Drake is dancing in front of the green screen which constantly changes colour and creates a very illusion image. The video was made with drake dancing in front of a green screen then in post production filters were put over the top to make an illusion style video.


Q4 – Genre conventions; often music videos adhere to genre conventions within their visual style and production techniques. Select a recognizable genre and use illustrations to explain what their genre conventions are…

Indie music videos all have very similar styles and conventions, as most indie music videos are known for their low budget and authentic style. A lot of indie music videos have a studio setting that runs along side a budget setting (storyline) like in a city or down back streets, this is a really budget setting but also conveys the style of the music and band. The settings are always very simple and minimal so that the main focus is on the artist and performers and their music style is very laid back so this conveys that. It is common to see indie music videos having live performance along side a storyline or other video. This has a main focus on the artist and give them the desired fame but at the same time it has a very lyrical side so that the audience can relate to lyrics of the songs whilst being able to watch the band perform. Editing is a very important part in an indie music video, the editing is used to make the music video interesting and have more style and depth in it. The editing makes the video a lot more efficient and smooth, again conveying the very laid back style of a band. Effects tend to be added over the top of the original video to make a very retro and vintage look to the video really giving off the style of the band. You will often see a lot of black and white effects too as it brings back a very classic indie vibe which can only be seen with a black and white filter.

Mise- en- scene is another significant part when it comes to indie music videos. Even though they have a very effortless look to them everything that they include in the video is there for a purpose and point. Indie artists always have a really effortless retro look to the video which is helped by what they wear and how they style their hair. If there are any additional actors in the music video they are often made retro by costume and styling, they act out a retro character for the narrative. The locations are often very effortless and there can be a use of props for the video to add to the vibe of a retro band.


Q5 - John Stuart’s description of the music video “incorporating, raiding and reconstructing” is essentially the essence of intertexuality [something asserted by Andrew Goodwin]. Can you explain what intertexuality is and find some examples of it in music videos?

Intertexuality is when there is a point of reference in the product (video) Intertextuality is enforced when the artist uses something to gives the audience a feeling of reminiscence and can often feel sentimental to the audience and like they belong. Intertexuality can be shown with costumes, props, locations, actors (Mise- en- scene) It is similar to synergy in the way that there is a combination of meaning for the viewer which makes it easy for the audience to see, visualise, recognise and understand and by having these links it makes the audience feel a lot more involved in the culture.

If you look at the Katy Perry - Last Friday night video you can see three points of intertexuality and a point of synergy. The intertexuality of this music video is the movie style credits at the start and end of the video which enforces a very traditional American style sitcom or a film. There is then the social network which is like Facebook, these two points are very similar in sense and they convey an element of home to the audience, something they can easily relate to for a reference point. There is then the aspect of the very 80’s style party with the makeup and costume to add to it, this creates a nostalgic vibe to the audience and again gives them something to link to. The point of synergy in this is the girls playing on the Wii (brand of consol- synergy) and the fact they are playing on the Katy Perry hot and cold music dance game, but the aspect of gaming again enforces intertexuality.

+Task 3 – Case Study


For your individual case study you are required to prepare material on a minimum of three music videos.

This should provide discussion on the usage of the following: Purpose of the video [consider the strategy of the artist and

the intention behind the video, remember the core purposes and break this down into the other purposes we discussed]

Style[s] used Techniques employed Intertextuality Camerawork/editing Genre conventions


You should include a video link for the video You can include as many illustrative stills as you like Be creative in your approach, it is suggested you use

the heading on the previous slide a guide on how to structure your response to get you started

Remember, make a point, use a specific part of the chosen video as an example, explain yourself and then link to another video where possible

+Music video 1 The Kooks- she moves in her own way

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pquhYpGHrlw

The music video for this song was to support the audio and to give the audience the visuals of the band to support what they were doing. The purpose of the video was to get the band more publicity and get the audience to know them more. There is not a link between the lyrics and the visuals and it is not at all literal, this shows that the band are indie and alternative as they are not making the video to represent the lyrics they are more just representing the band.

The video is a low budget video that has a very retro style to it which portrays the band for what they are. The band is very indie and retro and definitely have that look against them so having a music video that looks like this definitely supports the band and their representation. The genre of music that this band falls under is ‘indie’ and the band do support the conventions of an indie band and make the video fit the conventions, the video is filmed on a retro style look, very hand held and family film style then the edit to make it look a lot more retro and old style again support back with the conventions.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pquhYpGHrlw

+Music video- 2 Ed Sheeran- castle on the hill

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K0ibBPhiaG0

This video is a very recent video. The purpose of the video was to give a visual representation of the music video. The video gives the audience a bit more of a closeness to the artist as they see the visual intention of the song and see the visual meaning of what the artist wanted to show. The style of the video is very literal, what you see is what you hear and it is very much the exact same.

The video is a very high production, the final piece is very clean and fresh looking. It looks very professional and the storyline is very clear throughout. The camera has a lot of close-ups' mixed with a lot of long shots. The contrast between makes certain parts of the song a lot more important and highlights a lot of points. Ed has only just started putting himself in the videos more so the close-ups really make the audience feel like they are apart of his life and a lot closer to him. Because he is a bigger artist having these conventions mean that he is able to have that fame light whilst still being the individual artist that he is.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K0ibBPhiaG0

+Music video- 3 Stereophonics - I Wanna Get Lost With You

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b3cZqWoqweU

The purpose of this video is to give the audience the narrative visuals of the song as well as giving them a live performance of the band. The video gives the audience the best of both and allows the audience to have a mix of style so they can get too know the band and the song. As it has a narrative it does have a link with the lyrics but at the same time that isn’t the main focus of the band.

The band is an alternative band and their video does represent that, it is a combination of a mainstream and alternative video. It has a cross convention of them both as the video has close ups and really defining editing which gives it a clean and finished look like a mainstream video yet has the minimalistic and simplicity of a indie video. The combination of both makes the representation of the band shine through a lot more. The editing is more around lighting and the colours other then anything which makes a really nice final cut for the edit. The camera work again is a mix of both indie and mainstream, there is close-ups of the band as well as having long shots of the narrative.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b3cZqWoqweU

Date post:	21-Mar-2017
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Mv u29 assignment 1 form

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