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.
5. TASK 1 - PURPOSES
• Q1 - Outline the 3 core purposes of music video with a
short explanation for each:-
Entertainment: To entertain the general public with what your
saying and to give the audience a purpose of watching the
video.
Branding/identity: To show the general public what you are
about and what message you want to show the audience when
presenting.
Sales: To gain the profit need to present merchandise or further
projects n the future.
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?
• There are huge differences between most artists with most
musicians having different styles in the type of music that they are
presenting. With examples of David bowie he presented himself as
a type of out of this world character but the 1975 are more rock star
with them also trying to bring in a type of music that this generation
doesn’t listen to as shown by the music video in the link below.
Some musicians or band might also differ between social class or if
they are a independent label that is capable of making their music
with the resources they’ve got.
The 1975 – The Sound/link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FSnAllHtG70
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]
Definition
• Synergy: Is when the music video has a deeper meaning but isn't so clear with
the way that its presented and it’s the transition between that.
How its been used in music videos
• M83 - Midnight city: This song is about the Government keeping us locked up from the truth and
making us remain secretive.
• Link:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dX3k_QDnzHE
• Green day – boulevard of broken dreams: This song is about estrangement and the
recognition that the American Dream can let you down. The singer's hopes have been crushed, and he
finds himself very much alone
• Link:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Soa3gO7tL-
c&list=PL5hDzrnSVK9yJGdIU3oFrnYW-XJmw0fur&index=7&t=0s
• James Bay – Hold back the river: Hold back the river is a metaphorical statement for holding
back the tears. The river is also a representation of time that is constantly flowing like a river.
• Link:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ctv5294GEX8&list=PL5hDzrnSVK9yJG
dIU3oFrnYW-XJmw0fur&index=13&t=0s
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.
• The 1975 – Sincerity is scary
• Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1K93ioXL63c
• The way the artist has presented himself in the music video is being
presented in a normal fashion with him just getting up in the morning
and walking down the street to wherever he needs to go. In this music
video he presents himself as a normal person but is also quite lazy in
the way that he is presented and how quickly it takes dress himself. In
most of their music videos their often presented in a hard rock type of
style with them often wearing leather and playing together as a band.
Their target audience is often aimed at late teenagers of both genders
but ideally men evidently from how they dress to denim and how their
music is with them trying to bring the new generation back to the old
genre of music. They present themselves in this way because they
want to make difference to the world and take it back to the music that
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.
• Animal collective – Fireworks
• Link:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ztvr09J7K
K4
• One Direction – what makes you beautiful
• Link:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QJO3ROT-
A4E
With Animal Collective their music video has a lot
more meaning but is presented in a more hidden
way, with there not being a lot happening.
With One Direction their message is very clear in
the music video with them presenting themselves in
a paradise place that anybody would want to be in.
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
• Animal collective – My girls:
• On one shot they have used a zoom in shot
with the drumstick when it is hitting the
drums to empathize the beat that they are
playing are along to.
• The Wombats – Lemon to a knife fight
• The camera works really well with the
camera being very shaky in movement with
the ball that is rolling in the car.
• Not with just the ball though but with the
whole video when there’s a fast-paced
scene the camera is shaking to empathize
the running.
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
• A-ha - Take on me:
• The take on me video capture the extreme
close-up shots where it focuses on the eyes.
The reason they have done this in the music
video is because it’s a love song and it
shows much, they love each other just from
the way that they look at each other. This
shown in the illustrations in the video and
the shots when they are not in the drawings.
• Lana del rey – Love:
• In this music video there is a lot close-up
shots on not just the band but everybody in
the video. The reason this is done is the
meaning behind love and why people love
other people is mostly based upon looks.
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
• Daft punk - Get lucky:
• This music video has a shot where the
band are stood in front over bright orange
sunset backdrop with nothing but there
cast shadows casting onto it. The reason
they used this specific shot is because
one of the lyrics is “She's up all night till
the sun”.
• The Verve – Bitter Sweet symphony:
• In this music video, it has been edited to
have a dark grey filter over the screen in
production of editing it to give it that
miserable feeling that the song is trying
to project.
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…
• Mumford and Sons – Hopeless wanderer: Alternative Rock
• This music video is much more of a key focus on Folk Rock, with there being banjo being played, the
setting being in a middle of field and them playing in a barn. With this music video hey are trying to
convey what they are saying in a way that any rock artist would with them getting angry when they
are singing and they are breaking their music instruments.
• Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rId6PKlDXeU
• The Killers – Mr. Brightside: Alternative Rock
• Mr. Brightside is a alternative rock song because its fast transitions in each shot of the music video to
show how jealous Brandon flowers is of this guy because this guy has stolen his girl and he's
expressing anger over it. It can also be seen from what their wearing with them wearing smart suits
but also wearing eyeliner to show how punk they are. Also the camera is moving very fast with the
lyrics to show angry the singer is while he's singing the lyrics.
• Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gGdGFtwCNBE
• Imagine Dragons – Radioactive: Alternative Rock
• This can been seen as alternative rock from the way that Dan Reynolds is hitting the drum with such
aggression as if he's really passion to tell people the message that he want to convey. Along with
the way that the rest of the band is acting as they are also putting a lot of aggression into what they
are expressing and the fact they have used a dark grey filter over the whole of music video to convey
the moodiness of the video.
• Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ktvTqknDobU
• R.E.M – Losing my Religion: Alternative Rock
• The same with others this music video is about conveying anger with being a lot of things being
smashed around. There is also being a repetition of flashing images with there being a lot of red and
black that flashes a lot.
• Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xwtdhWltSIg
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 Intertexuality [something
asserted by Andrew Goodwin]. Can you
explain what Intertexuality is and find
some examples of it in music videos?
• Intertexuality is when someone in a music
video references a existing style of fashion
or type of art that they have liked in the
past and is recognisable to someone else.
Examples
• Chris brown – she ain’t you/Michael
Jackson – Thriller: Costume the same
• Gentlemen prefer blondes/Madonna
material girl: Similar dress, red
background and surrounded by a group of
people.
• Bad blood – Taylor swift/Brittany Spears
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. • Nik Kershaw – Wouldn't it be good
• Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cTLTG4FTNBQ
– Style[s] & Techniques employed: In this music video there has been a lot of green screen
incorporated in what he is wearing and the surrounding he is in to represent his thoughts
and where he's from. This is also set in the 1950’s and focuses on the public’s view on the
unearthly.
– Intertextuality: 1950’s gangsters presented at the beginning and at the end of the video.
– Camerawork/editing: Towards the end of the video there is a creepy upwards shot of the
public when they are looking down at the person is playing Nik Kershaw which is effective
because it puts the character into a first person shot.
– Genre conventions: Nik Kershaw does more Pop music/new wave type of music. He did
synth-pop because that is what was popular in the era that he was in in the 1980’s. These
songs are notable because of the era he was in.
• Nik Kershaw – The Riddle
– Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bDygS0a6Tgo
– Style[s] & Techniques employed: This music video is conveying fantasy with the
beginning bit starting with a black and white. Then he enters this fantasy which is also of
different illusions that he is trying to escape from.
– Intertextuality: This video is using the character the riddler from the Batman comics, along
with this there is many references to his question mark symbol. Along with this there are
references to the book Alice in the wonderland with there being a girl who exits through a
very small door and there is also two people in the video that resemble Tweedledee and
Tweedledum that are in the novel.
– Camerawork/editing: Camera work is done very well with there being shown the likeness
between the puzzle in the video and Nik sliding down the slide.
– Genre conventions: Nik Kershaw does more Pop music/new wave type of music. He did
synth-pop because that is what was popular in the era that he was in in the 1980’s. These
songs are notable because of the era he was in.
20. • Nik Kershaw – Wide boy
• Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9gQU4OsEVhc
– Style[s] & Techniques employed: The video set in black and white throughout the whole of the
beginning video as opposed to just a few seconds like the Riddle. With it having the style of the
1950’s it work it way through the years, so it having a fast transition through the years and when
they get to the 60’s it’s in color to represent color TV.
– Intertextuality: There's a lot of resemblance between the people in Hollywood during that period
and the people in this video. With the woman on the car in the beginning resembles Marilyn Monroe,
and most of the guys in the video reassembling buddy holly. Also as they go through the era they
pick out the trends that were significant for that era with Nik having the trendy haircut of the time
when the eras are going by.
– Camerawork/editing: The editing with colors is impressive for this video with it starting off it black
and white and then as it goes through the camera tilt changes to a more bronze color to represent
the in-between of the 60’s and the 70’s. It also goes back to the bronze color when Nik Kershaw is
looking back at the his old day out of reminiscence. The camera work is very swift with the dance
moves that they are dancing to at the very start.
– Genre conventions: Nik Kershaw does more Pop music/new wave type of music. He did synth-pop
because that is what was popular in the era that he was in in the 1980’s. These songs are notable
because of the era he was in.
• Nik Kershaw – Dancing girls
• Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c5keOmgC1RE
– Style[s] & Techniques employed: This video is set in a normal person life but everyday he keeps
seeing women dancing for no reason. There's the grey filter on the screen to convey his miserable
life and
– Intertextuality: No Intertextuality in this video.
– Camerawork/editing: In this music video there is a lot of fade in an fade and fade out shots when
the ballerina is seen dancing.
– Genre conventions: Nik Kershaw does more Pop music/new wave type of music. He did synth-pop
because that is what was popular in the era that he was in in the 1980’s. These songs are notable
because of the era he was in.
21. • Nik Kershaw – Human Racing
• Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z-yQWGVhtJI
– Style[s] & Techniques employed: This video is quite artsy with there being a
lot of color, and numbers that flash up. But is all a projection for this grey dull
location surround by a group of people.
– Intertextuality: This music video shows existing cartoon images that have
been use before.
– Camerawork/editing: The most common shot is the the headshot with it
focusing on the character and the characters facial expressions.
– Genre conventions: Nik Kershaw does more Pop music/new wave type of
music. He did synth-pop because that is what was popular in the era that he
was in in the 1980’s. These songs are notable because of the era he was in.
Editor's Notes
Syntactic – the arrangement/relationships between the blocks and/or the structural and deeper meanings
