Music Video Production Case Study

1. MUSIC VIDEO PRODUCTION
CASE STUDY
E L KIE P O W EL L
Click to add text

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
• You are expected to submit each section on a weekly basis during your remote
learning weeks.
• If you get stuck, talk to/email your tutor for guidance.

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
Y O U S H O U L D O P E N T H E M U S I C L E C T U R E
P O W E R P O I N T A N D L O O K AT S E C T I O N 1
B E F O R E D O I N G T H I S TA S K

5. TASK 1 - PURPOSES
• Q1 - Outline the 3 core purposes of music video with a short
explanation for each:
• Entertainment – the action of providing or being provided with
amusement or enjoyment.
• branding – the promotion of a particular product or company
by means of advertising and distinctive design.
• Sales - the exchange of a commodity for money; the action of
selling something

6. TASK 1 - PURPOSES
• Q2 – What are some of the broader purposes of music videos?
Try and outline a minimum of 3. (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?)
• Allows the band to availability of not playing live
• Showcase the artist / music
• Reinforce political view or social message

7. TASK 1 - PURPOSES
• Q3 – 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.
•
• Harry styles presents himself in music videos as very charismatic
and his music videos are mostly based around two things, love
and his appearance. His brand is his looks and I think that he
appeals to teenagers

8. TASK 1 - PURPOSES
• Q4 – 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 is a very mainstream band, their music videos are based
around their looks and therefore makes a bland, repetitive visual for
the watcher. The main target audience of One direction is Pre-Teen
girls who are lovesick for boys as that’s what their music videos convey
(boys lovesick for a girl). There songs are very fast.
– On the other hand, Animal collective is a very Niche band with very
interesting music and visuals in their music videos, their music videos
are very alternative and doesn’t have the band in them, their songs are
slow and are mostly over 4 minutes, their main target audience are
those who appreciate the art more than the artist

9. TASK 2 – STYLES,
TECHNIQUES AND
CONVENTIONS
Y O U S H O U L D O P E N T H E M U S I C L E C T U R E
P O W E R P O I N T A N D L O O K A T S E C T I O N 2
B E F O R E D O I N G T H I S T A S K

10. 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 and how this creates meaning
• In most hip-hop music videos, the shots used are mostly lower
camera angles which exerts the singer's dominance as it seems
they're ‘over’ you

11. 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 and
what the effect of this is/meanings that are created/etc.
• In most hip-hop music videos, they have fast cut montages that
go to the beat- the effect of this is that it's made to feel very
party-ish and as if you’re listening to the song in a club

12. TASK 2 – STYLES, TECHNIQUES
AND CONVENTIONS
• Q3 – 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…
• the following conventions are often used by artists in HipHop:
Loud, Smooth/Upbeat Tempo, Melodic, Catchy Chorus,
Energetic and a Steady beat. These conventions are largely used
within the HipHop industry.

13. TASK 2 – STYLES, TECHNIQUES
AND CONVENTIONS
• Q4 - 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 a minimum of 3 examples of
it in music videos?
• Intertextuality happens when the conventions of one genre are
alluded to in another, or when a specific cultural reference is made
in a media text.
Robert palmer addicted to love, Shania Twain Man I feel like a woman
Gentlemen prefer blondes, Madonna material girls
Thank you next, mean girls

14. TASK 3 – CASE
STUDY
Y O U S H O U L D O P E N T H E M U S I C L E C T U R E
P O W E R P O I N T A N D L O O K AT S E C T I O N 3
B E F O R E D O I N G T H I S TA S K

15. TASK 3 – CASE STUDY
• For your individual case study, you must study an artist of
choice, 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]

16. TASK 3 – CASE STUDY
• You should include a video link for the videos used
• You should include illustrative stills from the videos chosen
• 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
• Add slides here as appropriate – DO NOT SHORT CUT THIS
SECTION, IT IS THE MOST IMPORTANT

17. HARRY STYLES
The style of Harry styles Music videos are all pretty much cut montages, this is seen in Golden,
Adore you and Falling, this creates a atmosphere of enjoyment and creativity as it makes the
audience see harry seem to have fun and enjoy making his music videos which creates
entertainment.
his videos seem to be very high budget as some of his music videos – adore you and falling
both have special fx. Adore you has a special fx fish thorough the whole mv that harry seems
to ‘adore’ and falling has water rising that slowly starts to drown him.
His audience seems to be teenagers as his whole style seems to be very mainstream-y good
looking artist-y kind of stuff.
in most of his music videos he seems to run at the camera in a dolly kind of effect and that’s
constant through golden an sometimes in adore you. In falling however the camera seems
stagnant on Harry’s face from different angles.
the editing of his music videos have it so the cut montages goes to the beat of the song and
that makes it enjoyable to watch for the audience, this is seen in falling, golden and adore you.
his genre of music is pop music and compared to rock music, pop music is vastly different as
pop music relies on the voice and rock is more based on instruments. In pop music videos they
usually make it so the artist’s face is mostly in the frame at all times, sometimes they do a long
frame shot but then go right back to the artists face right after. in rock music videos they make
it so the camera focuses on the instruments rather than the artists.
Harry Styles - Falling (Official Video) - YouTube
Harry Styles - Golden (Official Video) - YouTube
Harry Styles - Adore You (Official Video – Extended
Version) - YouTube

18. GOLDEN
• In Golden the atmosphere of the music video is all very holiday-
vibe kind of stuff and light-heartedness, harry is seen running
through the streets of Italy which strengthens the holiday vibe of
the music video as a whole. The whole music video seems the be all
edited into a multiple cut montage with lip-syncing in-between. his
videos seem to be very high budget as the music video is shot with
a very good camera the editing of his music videos have it so the
cut montages goes to the beat of the song and that makes it
enjoyable to watch for the audience, this is seen in golden. In the
music video harry is seen to run after a car(?) and there is another
shot where he keeps looking through the rear-view mirror which
may signify that he is looking at himself running.

19. GOLDEN CAMERA ANGLES
In this scene the title’s opacity is
lowered and we can see harry in
the distance in a tunnel. This may
show that he is running from
something
Harry is looking into the camera in
this scene and close to the camera
which is better for those watching
on a smaller screen
In this shot harry is running towards the
camera in slow motion
Im guessing the camera was in a car and
Harry was following it whilst lip-syncing

20. ADORE YOU
• In adore you the atmosphere is very gloomy and dark at first
but towards the end it becomes more bright and cheerful. In
this MV harry befriends a SFX fish who keeps getting bigger and
bigger until he cant fit in any of the ‘tanks’ harry has kept him in
previously, Harry and the town then pull the fish into the sea
where it swims away. The editing used is multiple cuts to the
beat and also SFX for the fish.

21. ADORE YOU CAMERA ANGLES
This camera angle is a longshot of
harry, the mountains and the sea
this was probably filmed on a drone
This scene is also a longshot, this
time
You can see the townspeople
Helping harry put the fish into the
sea.
The longshot may have been done
like this to fit everyone in and also
may have been Filmed on a drone

22. FALLING
• In Falling the atmosphere is similar to Adore You’s, the gloomy
atmosphere here however doesn’t falter as Harry seems to
drown at the end of the MV, the camera shots are mostly all
directed at Harry’s face or his hands playing the piano. The
editing used is multiple cut montages of harry either lip syncing
or playing the piano as water fills the room Harry is in. The
Budget of this Music video must be high as the room fills all the
way to the top with water and must have water damaged the
Piano Harry was playing. The song seems to be as gloomy and
sad as the MV.

23. FALLING CAMERA ANGLES
In this Shot it is focused on Harry
and the piano, the piano is filling
up with water and Harry is playing
it. This shot may have been filmed
on a tripod to keep the steadiness
of the camera.
In this shot Harry is under the water
and it’s a closeup meaning that a
waterproof camera would have had
to be used.

24. TASK 4 – LINKS
TO YOUR OWN
WORK

25. LINKING FORWARD…
• Now it’s important to think about how you can use some of what
you’ve learned in your investigations for your own work.
• Summarise in this section the key techniques, styles, conventions
and genre you prefer and what you think you could use in your
project.
• Think of this as a place to put all those loose ideas for your music
video and how you intend to apply the things you’ve enjoyed
looking at.
• Remember, music video is a medium that has a lot freedom in
terms of form and style. It is also the medium that steals,
incorporates and re-integrates all the things you have seen and
experienced.
• Add slides as necessary, it will make the next section of the
project much easier

26. MUSIC VIDEO
• The song I will be using in my music video will be Dark Red by
Steve Lacy. In my music video I will be using quick cuts to the
beat like harry styles did in golden. The narrative of my story is
that a girl has moved on from her crazy stalker ex boyfriend but
her ex hasn’t, her ex keeps texting her from multiple different
numbers and taking pictures of her from places, the girl gets
sick of this and throws away her phone and goes on her
computer but the boy keeps messaging her on multiple
different websites she visits.