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1. MUSIC VIDEO PRODUCTION
CASE STUDY
D A N IEL FIR TH

2. 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

3. 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.

4. TASK 1 -
PURPOSES

5. TASK 1 - PURPOSES
• Q1 - Outline the 3 core purposes of music video with a short
explanation for each:
• Entertainment, to provide an entertaining stimulant too the
viewers,
• Money, too create as much profit for the producers and band as
possible,
• Promotion, to promote the band and any endorsed products.

6. 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?
• Artists whom are signed too a major records label for example Atlantic records
would have a much bigger budget for creating a video as it will probably bring in
huge profit for all parties involved as intricate and stand out videos generally
bring in more of an audience meaning that it will bring in more money in. Major
record labels usually use endorsement from brands that want too promote
themselves in the mainstream window.
• Whereas artists will usually have a smaller budget as they wont have as much
money too spend on creating music videos, as they wont be owned by large
companies which have net-worth of millions unlike major record labels.
• People who are not signed will probably have little to none money too spend as
they will be using their own funds and if they don’t have a record label they
probably don’t have much income or not very good meaning it isn’t in any labels
interest too sign them as they are not what will make money.

7. TASK 1 - PURPOSES
• Q3 – Describe what is ‘synergy’ is and how it has been used in
music videos [min. 3 examples of synergy and convergance]
• Synergy is when 2 forms of media are used in a film/video, an
example of synergy is endorsement by products, for example in
Billy Joells ‘we didn’t start the fire’ the video featured ritz
crackers and the song features Marylin Monroe, Rockefeller,
Elvis Presley, Disneyland, hula hoops, U2 and many many
more.
•

8. 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.
• Twisted Sister brands themselves rebellious and out going
band, this is because when they were big (1980’s) the main
appeal for teenagers was rock, which helped make the 80s the
era of rock, and rebellion. This led too Dee snider ( the lead
singer of Twisted Sister) vs PMRA, who wanted too create a
rating system for music much like the one we have for films.

9. 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 videos are both filmed at the sea side, this
creates a happy atmosphere as sea sides are generally
associated with fun and good childhood memories as their main
audience is pre teen girls, where as the Animal collective videos
were darker and more technical, this is because they have a
main audience of middle-aged people.

10. TASK 2 – STYLES,
TECHNIQUES AND
CONVENTIONS

11. 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
• In Shinedown’s video for their song ‘ATTENTION ATTENTION’ they
use lots of camera work that goes between the band and the actors
who are telling a story , and the band who are ‘playing’ atop a tall
building with the city in the backdrop. The camera work is mostly
close up shots of the lead singer who jumps about and interacts
with the other members, which leads too full shots of the band
members The main actor in the video is being backwards tracked
by the camera.

12. TASK 2 – STYLES, TECHNIQUES
AND CONVENTIONS
• Q2 - Describe and explain the use of editing in music videos,
i.e. the types of shot used with examples to illustrate this
Editing is prominent in pretty much all videos now be it music or
just entertainment, this allows the camera work too interchange
between two places without the movement process being shown,
for example between a close up shot of the lead singer too a
whole shot of the band for instance, editing allows the transitions
between shots and storied too be smooth and not put you off the
video.

13. TASK 2 – STYLES, TECHNIQUES
AND CONVENTIONS
• Q3 - Describe and explain some of the technical
developments in music videos, i.e. the types of shot used with
examples to illustrate this
• CGI has developed a lot throughout the production of music
videos, meaning the possibilities in videos are practically
limitless allowing people to put whatever they wish into their
videos too attract an audience, another new technology that has
massively benefited the music video industry is drone cameras
as cameras are getting a lot more powerful and compact
meaning they can film birds eye views or get too places that
were previously un-accessible meaning unable too film there.

14. TASK 2 – STYLES, TECHNIQUES
AND CONVENTIONS
• 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…

15. TASK 2 – STYLES, TECHNIQUES
AND CONVENTIONS
• Q5 - John Stuart’s description of the music video “incorporating,
raiding and reconstructing” is essentially the essence of
intertextuality [something asserted by Andrew Goodwin]. Can you
explain what intertextuality is and find some examples of it in music
videos?
• Intertextuality is the process of creating references to any kind of
media text via a different media format, for example a film
referencing a music video or vice versa. An example of
intertextuality in a music video is iridescent and new divide by linkin
park which both feature in transformers revenge of the fallen and
transformers dark moon, new divide video was filmed on the same
set as transformers revenge of the fallen, and iridescent featured
clips from transformers dark moon.

16. TASK 3 – CASE
STUDY

17. TASK 3 – CASE STUDY
• For your individual case study you must study an artist or genre
of music, focusing on a minimum of 3 videos [ideally 5+ videos]
• This should provide discussion on the usage of the following:
– Style[s] & Techniques employed
– Intertextuality
– Camerawork/editing
– Genre conventions
– Critical approaches [you should be applying some of the critical
approaches from your lessons and some of your own, to your
selected videos]

18. TASK 3 – CASE STUDY
• 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
• Compare and contrast your artist/genre to other artists/genres
• Remember to consider differing contexts

19. CASE STUDY
• The genre I am studying is rock, there are many different
variations of rock from smooth rock too death metal which too
have sub genres.
• Rock became popular in the 1950s and grew largely thanks to
bands such as Elvis Presley, the Beatles and many more. It
eventually died out till the late 60s and early 70s when it arose
again thanks to pioneers of rock such as Queen, Def Leppord,
AC/DC, Whitesnake, Europe and many many more brought a
new era of rock to America and the UK, leading to a boom in
the music industry of young bands trying to reach the lime light
and become famous, then by the late 80s lost popularity to the
uprising pop and hip-hop, yet even though people say its dead
rock is still very much alive and roaring, with 100,000s of fans
world wide going to festivals and concerts still. Rock has
become such a influential part of modern music that it’s 200+
sub genres are influenced by and influencing most other music