This document provides guidance for completing a case study assignment on music video production. It is divided into three tasks. Task 1 addresses the purposes of music videos and strategies employed by labels and artists. Task 2 covers styles, techniques and conventions of music video production. Task 3 involves analyzing a minimum of three music videos, drawing on Tasks 1 and 2. The document emphasizes including illustrative images and examples to support points. It also notes that additional pages can be added if needed to fully respond to the questions.

1. MUSIC VIDEO PRODUCTION
CASE STUDY
B R A NDO N L A M BERT

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:
• The first core purpose of a music video is entertainment. If the fans are entertained by the
contents of the video they will most likely come back wanting more.
• The second core purpose of a music video is money, Music videos aim to make money just
like any other form of media. Money accumulated by a music video makes both the artist
and label richer.
• The last core purpose is to promote an artist's brand, a music video will display the artists
style and overall brand. This can accumulate fans who also like the same style who will be
back more content in the future.

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?)
• One broad purpose of having a music video is to reinforce any personal views the artist/label may have on
things like politics or social matters. Since music is such a huge industry getting a point or opinion
across though a music video is a great way to expose your opinion to a lot of people.
• Another broad purpose of music videos is to collaborate and give exposure to other artists who might be
signed to the same label. If 2 artists signed by the same label collaborate both the artists fan bases will be
exposed to new music, for example the artist who is featuring on the tracks fans will have a chance to hear
the main artist of the track, same goes the other way round. This could potentially intertwine 2 entire fan
bases and ultimately increase viewership and income for the label.
• A final broad purpose is the fact that a music video gives the fans the opportunity to make their own
interpretation of the song because of the background footage, the video can add meaning and
information to the song that it might not have just as an audio track. The video makes it easier for fans to
interpret the artists 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.
• The artist I've chosen is Lil Tracy (Yung Bruh). Lil tracys brand is very old-school and retro
like, he uses traditional grainy and lower quality edits on most of his music videos. Some of
his videos are almost completely filmed on an old VHS camera to fully get across his retro
theme. This style of music videos would appeal to multiple types of people, one being older
listeners as they have been around long enough to experience the time when this old-
schooled style was most popular, it would be nostalgic for them to look back and be able to
experience it again. He may have decided to brand himself in this way simply just because
he likes the style and enjoys making retro style videos. Another reason may be money,
there is a huge fanbase centered around old retro video games, movies and music so it can
gain a lot of attention since there are so many fans of the style.

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 noticeable difference when comparing a One direction music video to an Animal collective one is the
contrast in production. One directions video is especially made to be easy to consume, there are no
complicated things in the video that force the viewer to infer what is happening themselves. Instead all the
information u need is simply displayed to you in an obvious way, this would mean the One direction video
is closed meaning as there is no room to infer or assume. In contrast the Animal collective videos meaning
is more ambiguous, the visuals are complicated to make out and the message is up to the viewer to infer.
• I think the main aim of the 'you and I' one direction music video is to set a melancholic theme and make
the audience relate to the song. The song is clearly based on a breakup or relationship problems, breakups
are obviously painful experiences to go through so the video, colors and tone mimics this. There is nobody
around in the music video, this present the feeling of loneliness felt when going through a breakup and the
colors are dark also getting across that melancholic theme. This all makes it very relatable to the audience
which I think is the main aim of the video. On the other hand the Animal collective music video for the song
'fireworks' tries to present a main theme of joy, entertainment and celebration. Firstly most of the colors in
the music video are bright which we associate with joy and happiness, a complete contrast to the one
direction colors used. Fireworks are a symbol of celebration and there is fireworks in the background of the
majority of the video.

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 AT S E C T I O N 2
B E F O R E D O I N G T H I S TA 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
• The camerawork and shots used in a music video mostly depends on what type of feel the
song has and the message it's trying to get across. For example, if the song is an in your
face rap hip hop song the shots will most likely be low angle shots to try and make the
subject of the shot look more empowering and like a dominant figure. This is because quite
a lot of rap focuses on violence, money and jewelry which are things associated with
powerful people. On the other hand, if a music videos aim is to make the audience relate to
the video, then they are likely to use eye level shots. By using eye level shots, it can build a
connection between the person in the video and the viewer making it easier to relate.

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
• There are different types of edit styles for different types of music and the edits used pretty
much depend on the genre of the music video, as an example I'm going to use hip hop
music. In hip hop the artist tends to present themselves as a strong capable figure, quite a
lot of hip hop focuses and maintains a theme of violence and crime, to persuade the
audience that they themselves take part in these activities they use specific camera angles
and shot types to give off a strong and intimidating Prescence. The low angle shot forces
the viewer to be looked down upon by the artists, this makes the artists appear as a threat
and makes them look Stronger in comparison to the viewer.

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 recognisable genre and use illustrations to explain what
their genre conventions are…
• Hip hop rap is a very well known genre that has multiple themes presented throughout
most of the videos. One of these genre conventions is big groups of people, big groups of
people dancing together is a staple of hip hop and is shown in a large percentage of hip
hop music videos. Another genre convention of hip hop rap music is the use of cars and
jewelry, they are also a staple theme shown and used to present a sense of power and
wealth.

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 is the visual reference of something, it can be a reference of a movie, music, art,
clothing and many other things. One example of intertextuality I've found is the reference of the
diamonds are a girl's best friend scene from the movie gentleman prefer blondes in the material
girl music video by Madonna. Madonna is dressed and styled very similarly to Marilyn Monroe is in
the scene and the entire theme and background are very alike. Another example of intertextuality I
have found is in the music video for the song Dani California by the Red hot chili peppers. They
very clearly reference Nirvanas famous MTV plugged in performance from 1993 here, The clothes
worn in the music video are the same clothes Kurt Kobain was wearing, even the hair is the same an
the background and setting. A final example I've found is in Iggy azaleas music video for the song
'Fancy', she references the 1995 movie 'Clueless'. She is dressed in the exact same clothes as what's
shown to us in the movie and the school setting of the music video also mirrors the setting of the
movie.

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. TASK 3, SONG 1.
• The artist I've chosen to analyse is Trippie Redd and the 3 songs I've chosen are 'Dark knight
dummo', 'Love scars' and 'POLES1469'. So, for my first analysis I'm going to do 'Dark knight
dummo'. This music video is a very dark and a fast paced video. The colour scheme is dark and
pale and gives off the feeling of fear and uncertainty. The action in the video is very full on and
in your face. The violence and imagery in the video like the guns, special effects when the
zombies are shot and clothing of the people in the video gives off an overall style/theme of a
horror movie. The music video showcases multiple face mutilated characters trying to hunt
down the humans in the music video, this could be interpreted as a reference to the movie
series 'Wrong turn'. There are very similar characters in this movie with the same look and
clothing. Also the location of the music video is in some form of forest area with a small cabin
structure that looks abandoned which could be reference to the film 'Cabin in the woods'. The
genre of the song is clearly hip hop/rap, in the video there are many genre conventions
commonly used in the hip hop/rap industry. For example, the use of guns is very prominent in
the video which is a staple part of hip hop music. Also the bosting of money and wealth in this
video is use a lot, most rappers often do this to make themselves look rich as part of the
brand.
Wrong turn Music video
Cabin,
reference to
cabin in the
Gun

18. TASK 3, SONG 2.
• The second song I'm going to analyse is 'POLES1469'. To start things off this music video also
follows many of the traditional hip hop genre conventions. There are guns, a large group of
people dancing and they are also throwing gang signs. These 3 conventions are probably
some of the most popular within the hip hop music industry, they are shown in a very large
portion of rap music videos. The overall style of this song is very upbeat and energetic, the
energy is not only apparent in the sound/lyrics of the song but also in the music video itself.
The people in the music video are dancing, jumping around, riding dirt bikes and quad bikes
and just overall releasing a very energetic feel through there actions as well as there sound.
The song aims to make people dance and enjoy the song in an energetic way, therefore they
would have to mirror that energy in the song to encourage others listening to do the same
thing. The editing of the song is also very fast paced and energetic, this helps the overall feel
of the song and makes it more exciting to watch. The editing and special effects in the video
are very modernised with the use of the face enlarging filters and the lightning in the sky.
Use of Large group
dancing
Gang signs

19. TASK 3, SONG 3
• The 3rd song I'm going to analyse is 'Love scars'. This song is a slightly different style of hip
hop, its more of an emotional song that focuses on talking about relationship problems and
breakups which seems to be the overall theme of the track. In the video there are cars
jewellery and female actors. These 3 are genre conventions of the rap scene, even
though the style of the music is quite different to his traditional rap and focuses more on an
emotional feel he still incorporates all these genre conventions into the video. This could be
a way of showing how he is a powerful figure because he is able to afford all these nice cars
and jewellery. He also gets this point across with the use of low angle shots, the viewers are
looked down upon by the artist, this emphasises the fact Trippie redd is in a position of
power which is his whole brand as an artist. The editing and techniques used in this video
are very colourful, fast paced and old school. The use of the colourful lights on the vehicles
and the colourful transitions along with the pixelated and VHS like effects used in the video
are combined to create a very retro visual to the video.
Pixelated edits VHS style edits Cars and women

20. TASK 3, SONG 4
• The final song is 'Wish'. This music video seems to implement some very modern editing
techniques and styles into it. It is a clearly high production music video with the huge
mansion in the video and the hanging expensive chandelier, the fireworks in the
background also show this. Trippie redd is also wearing a lot of jewellery in the video which
is another genre convention of hip hop.

21. MUSIC VIEO LINKS
• Dark knight dummo-
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wrvN87l3s08
• Love scars- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NUNYcwDkBPc
• POLES1469-
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Abm2b07XFYM
• Wish- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=efxiDBygvdg

22. TASK 4 – LINKS
TO YOUR OWN
WORK

23. 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

24. TASK 4
• In my music video I will be incorporating quite a lot of the things I've learned from my
investigation, I'm going to try and use some genre conventions in the video and make it
really feel like an alternative/indie music video. The editing style will be old school and
retro, I'm going to try and make it look like it was shot on a VHS camera and will also add a
pixelated effect. The video and music will be synced, cuts will be placed to flow with the
song the best they can, I will alternate between fast paced and slow paced editing as the
song progresses and changes as it doesn’t just stay at one pace. The song I'm making a
music video to is from Title fight so I might add some intertextuality into my video and
reference one of their original music videos of another song. As an overall theme of the
video, I want to try and make it a very fun experience and something you can just sit down
and have an enjoyable time watching. To make this happen I'm going to make the actual
clips in the video just a compilation of fun, cool clips to give off that feeling of enjoyment
and fun.