Music Video Assignment

1. MUSIC VIDEO PRODUCTION
CASE STUDY
TEGA N A R TH U R

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:
• Promotion
• Money
• Entertainment

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?
• Increase sales
• Reinforce a political view or social message
• Allow the band the availability of not playing live

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 – the interaction or cooperation of two or more
organizations, substances, or other agents to produce a combined
effect greater than the sum of their separate effects
• 1. Ghostbusters – By Ray Parker Jr
• 2. Ninja Rap – By Vanilla Ice
• 3. The goonies – By Cyndi Laurper

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.
In these music videos Sia hardly appears in any
of them and when she does she wears a wig to
help cover her appearance. This maybe
because she doesn’t want people to focus on
what she looks like, but maybe she wants
people to focus on the message she is trying to
put across within the music videos. As well as
the lyrics of the songs she sings.

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.
One Direction:
In the music videos that one direction make, they try and make
themselves known by having a lot of close up shots of them. But they
also have high budges, so they put a lot of money into making the
music video because there music videos are built to make money but
also to help promote themselves.
Animal Collective:
However in the music videos animal collective artists are non-
representational and there are no close up shots of the artists. This
is because there music video is built to be creative rather than to
make money.

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
• Low angle shots - this makes the artist look
powerful.
• Close up shots – shows the details and
highlights the emotions of the artists in the
music video.
• Group shots - in some music videos there are
group shots but the shots mostly focus on the
artists, so then this makes the artist look like
they are above the rest in the crowd.

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
• Though the most common form of editing
associated with the music promo is fast cut
montage, rendering many of the images
impossible to grasp on first viewing thus
ensuring multiple viewing, there are videos
which use slow pace and gentler transitions
to establish mood.
• Digital effects in music videos might take
the form of split screens, colourisation and
of course blockbuster film style CGI. Which
play with the original images to offer
different kinds of pleasure for the audience.

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
In music videos to do with society or pop music videos
there are a range of shots used, such as:
Close up shots – show the detail of the emotion that
the artists or actor in the music video is expressing
Groups shots - focus on the artists, so then this
makes them look like they are above the rest in the
crowd.
Low angle shots - makes the artist or actor look
powerful or someone important .

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 recognisable genre and use
illustrations to explain what their genre
conventions are…
Pop: music videos that fit into the genre pop often
have a range of characteristics in the music
video such as:
• Low angle shots
• Mise-en-scene signifies status – expensive
clothes/items/etc
• Close up shots of the artists
• Objectification of women/men – men/women in
power often, women/men
interchangeable/faceless – misogyny

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 intertexuality is and find some examples of it in music
videos?
• Intertextuality is visual reference in music video coming from a
range of sources, though the three most frequent are perhaps
cinema, fashion and art photography. An example would be on the
left Robert Palmer Addicted To Love (1986) and on the right
Shania Twain Man I Feel Like A Woman ( 1999)

16. TASK 3 – CASE
STUDY

17. TASK 3 – CASE STUDY - POP
Pop
• Style[s] & Techniques employed:
The styles and techniques that are used in these pop
music videos is that they use a lot of close up shots of
the artists. For example in the music video Titanium
by Sia, there are a lot of close up shots of the actor
that is used in the music video. But they also wear
some expensive clothing for example in the music
video uptown funk. They wear a lot of suits. However
in some other music videos with different genres there
might be move close up shots of the artist rather than
group shots.
• Intertextuality:
Objectification of women – men in power often, women
interchangeable/faceless – misogyny. In this music
video dancing with a stranger by Sam Smith. Everyone
around him is faceless and so within the music video
there are more close up shots of the artists because
they want the audience to show the details and the

18. TASK 3 – CASE STUDY - POP
• Camerawork/editing:
In these pop music videos there are mostly close up shots of the artists/actors in the music
videos. There are also some groups shots for example dancing with a stranger from Sam
Smith and Uptown Funk by Bruno Mars. These groups shots are maybe use to show that the
artist has power or more important than the people around then which is usually followed by a
close up shot of the artist within the music video. However in other music videos from different
genres they mostly use close up shots and low angle shots to either put their message across
through the emotions they express, to make them look important and powerful etc.
• Genre conventions:
In these pop music videos they have a lot of characteristics such as close up shots, group
shots, mise en scene so expensive clothing and items, low angle shots etc. This is maybe
because of the genre these music videos fall under, but also because of what message the
music videos are trying to put across to the audience.
Links:
Titanium: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JRfuAukYTKg
Uptown Funk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OPf0YbXqDm0
Dancing with a Stranger: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=av5JD1dfj_c
Chandelier: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2vjPBrBU-TM
Havana: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BQ0mxQXmLsk