The document provides guidance for a case study assignment on music video production. It outlines 3 tasks for students to complete: 1) examining the purposes and strategies of music videos, 2) exploring styles, techniques and conventions used in music video production, and 3) conducting an individual case study analyzing a minimum of 3 music videos. The case study should discuss the use of style, intertextuality, camerawork, editing, genre conventions and critical approaches. Students are encouraged to include video links, stills from videos, and compare/contrast their selected artist to others.

1. MUSIC VIDEO PRODUCTION
CASE STUDY
YO U R N A M E H E RE

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 most important purpose of any music video is
to entertain its audience. If a music video isn’t entertaining, the
audience won’t engage with the content and the artist.
• Branding- A music video is the best way for a band to showcase
their branding. It allows a visual representation of their style, their
principles and their personality (or what personality they want to be
perceived).
• Sales- A music video helps promote the artist and can gather them
more interest and profit. It also makes the artist look more
professional which can aid them in gaining more interest.

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?)
• A music video can help push a social message or ideology. This
is predominant in less mainstream music (rap/punk/rock) but
can be used across all genres.
• A music video gives the fanbase a different way of interpreting
the song to perhaps what they had done before. It can give
ideas of how the artist interprets the song too, especially if it
has an open meaning.
• Allows the artist to explore their creativity and show their
fanbase their visions of their songs. This is mostly prevalent with
smaller artists or artists who direct their own videos.

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.
• GIRLI
• She uses a lot of pink in her videos and style, which would associate with
her stage name GIRLI/girly and could also be a sort of reclamation of the
colour being used derogatorily and seen as ‘feminine’ (or girly). She has a
lot of influence from other eras, specifically 90s/00s and has a distinct pop-
punk/pop-rap genre. There is also an obvious influence of British style in
her music videos ‘Hot Mess’.
• Her main branding is the use of her music and music videos to push her
political messages. Her feminist ideologies specifically inspire “Girls Get
Angry Too’ and ‘Hot Mess’. ‘Hot Mess’ uses low shots where she sings
directly down to the camera to show her dominance in the narrative and
references rap videos, but the gender is reversed.
• This appeals to young women and the LGBTQ+ community as she is a
queer woman and pushing for women’s rights. As she is a small artist there
is not a financial motivation, she is doing this for as a creative choice and to
influence and inspire young women.
• ‘Girls Get Angry Too’ (2016) has an obvious intertextual reference to ‘It’s
Gonna Be Me’ by NSYNC (2000) in her being portrayed as different styles of

8. • ‘99 Problems’ – 2011
- Jay-Z
• ‘Hot Mess’ – 2017
- GIRLI

9. • ‘It’s Gonna Be Me’ – 2009
- *NSYNC
• ‘Girls Get Angry Too’ –
2016
- GIRLI

10. 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.
•

11. From the screencaps
alone, Animal Collective
has an abstract style in
their videos and will have
an open meaning.
Their videos are almost
purposefully
uncomfortable to watch,
they’re meant to confuse
and intrigue you- in part
so you will watch them
again.
There is not so much of a
link between lyrics and the
visual but there is a
connect between the
music and video. Even
though sometimes this is
only as far as lip sync or
being in beat with the
song.
Animal Collective don’t
have to worry about
appealing to a larger
audience as their aesthetic
is niche and suited for a
smaller group of people.

12. One Direction videos on
the other hand are more
digestible to the average
viewer and easy to
understand. Their
narrative is clear, and
you’re not left with
challenged views after
watching. This is on
purpose; they are made for
any viewer. They’re made
this way to gain popularity
and to fit into the themes
of what gets into the
charts.
If a video is fun to watch
then that generates more
views and boosts the
song’s spot in the charts.
Their demographic is
teenager or preteen girls
so to have lots of close-up
shots and singing directly
to the camera is pivotal to
be appealing, they’re
singing about love and
want to share an intimacy

13. 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

14. 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
• Low shots can be used to show the power of the subject, this is
used in rap music most famously.
• In contrast, using high shots make the artist look smaller and
submissive to the viewer.
• Mid shots are used as a neutral shot, it doesn’t imply anything
about the artist.
• Close-ups are used to show an intimacy with the artist. This is
also useful when we are viewing music videos on smaller and
smaller screens so we can see the artist clearer.

15. 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
• Fast-cut montage is the most used editing
within music videos. This keeps the viewer’s
interest as there are new shots to look at
constantly.
• At other times, if it is a ballad or slower song,
there will be gentler transitions and slower
pace to fit the music. This reflects the usually
melancholy theme of the song as there can be
longer focuses on the singer’s face.
• Music video editing also includes split-screens
and colour editing. This increases interest and
changes how the original shot looked which
will make the viewer take more notice.
• CGI can also be used in music videos if the
artist has a big idea for their video. This is
helpful in creating shots that aren’t perhaps
sensible to try in real life.
Bad Blood 2015

16. 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… Pop-Punk
• The videos are usually performance-based with little to no
narrative. There is not usually a lot of connection to the lyrics if
there is narrative.
• Shots used tend to be medium close-ups of instruments being
played, long shots of the band and close-ups of the lead singer
lip syncing.
• The video matches the style of the music with fast-paced shots
and lots of movement from crowds or the performance.
• There tends to be a simple backdrop to not distract the viewer.
• The artists use their outfits to reflect the music, so it comprises
of dark colours, heavy makeup, hair dye.

17. 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 a reference in media coming from another
source of media such as fashion, photography or cinema. It is
used often to increase interest in the product and bring people
back to watch over and over. It is indicative of the times the
media is produced.

18. Clueless (1995)
Fancy (2014) ft
Charli XCX
-Iggy Azalea

19. Bad Blood (2015)
Taylor Swift
The Fifth Element (1997)
Sin City (2005)

20. Rodeo (2020)
Lil Nas X
Buffy The Vampire Slayer
(1997-2003)
The Matrix
(1999)

21. 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

22. 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]

23. 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

24. ARIANA GRANDE
Positions - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tcYodQoapMg
thank u, next -
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gl1aHhXnN1k
7 rings - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QYh6mYIJG2Y
34+35 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B6_iQvaIjXw

25. THANK U, NEXT
• Thank U, Next is a pastiche, verging on parody at times. It replicates
coming-of-age movies (namely: Mean Girls, Bring It On, Legally
Blonde, and13 Going On 30).
• Her choice of movies cannot go unnoticed as they, in comparison
to other teen movies, have the romance as a subplot rather than
the focus. They focus on friendship and female empowerment
which Grande supports heavily, both in her music and her life, and
is the message that should be passed onto young girls.
• She also uses the power of cameos to promote this video (Kris
Jenner, Troye Sivan, Jennifer Coolidge). This is a tactic used by
artists as it creates discussion and piques interest in the music
video. Especially as Jennifer Coolidge was in the Legally Blonde
series which creates an interesting crossover.

27. POSITIONS
• As in common in the genre, Grande uses a lot of
fast-paced montage throughout the video, which
keeps the viewer’s interest.
• She remains central in the shot throughout the
video and when sharing the scene with other
‘characters’ in the video she remains central and
usually stands out in some way- being in front of
them or at the head of the table. As the narrative
in the video is that she is the President this would
make sense and holds her sense of importance
whilst also showing her as collaborative.
• This video was released less than two weeks
before the 2020 Presidential election and there is
no coincidence there, she highlights her liberal,
feminist views with the lack of men in the video
which is a direct contract to Trump’s cabinet at the
time.
• She also is able to use the video as feminist
messaging, you don’t have to give up femininity if
you want power. She dresses in nod to Jackie

29. 34+35
• Grande uses a mix of narrative and performance shots which
intrigues the viewer more than a completely performance-based
video.
• She makes use of intertextuality with references to ‘Austin
Powers: International Man of Mystery’ and ‘Frankenstein
throughout the video which creates discussion of the video as
people will recognize popular pop-culture references. The
references to Austin Powers could almost be satirical due to the
over-sexualized nature of the original characters and Ariana
Grande’s emphasis in her life on female empowerment.
• At the end of the video, when the credits roll, there is behind-the-
scenes footage of them filming the video which creates an intimacy
between Grande and her fans as she is allowing them a deeper look
into her videos.
• She makes use of lighting in her performance parts, creating a
disco ball-like effect.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B6_iQv
aIjXw

30. Performance vs narrative

31. 7 RINGS
• 7 Rings is about Grande talking about her wealth. To emphasise
this, she is wearing a lot of jewellery which changes between shot,
this is typical of a hip-hop song as it is a boast of the amount of
money you possess. As well as this, her outfit changes between
each shot.
• She uses a lot of colour in her lighting which helps harmonise each
scene. If someone is wearing a contrasting colour in the shot it is
muted by the lighting.
• She also uses the song to push female empowerment, talking
about her friendships. This is shown by the groups of people in
each shot, all of which are women. This is another typical hip-hop
convention, posing with a ‘gang’ of people.
• There is use of close-up and wide shots as well as fast-cut montage.
• She appeals to her fans as there is links to her real life, such as a
mention of her dog and cameos of her friends.

33. TASK 4 – LINKS
TO YOUR OWN
WORK

34. 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

35. • A technique I will use is fast-cut montage. It keeps the viewer’s
attention throughout the video and allows multiple shots and
ideas to be incorporated.
• I will use close-up shots to emphasise where I want the viewer’s
attention also because it is a heavily used convention
throughout most genres.
• I would like a chance to try out slow motion shots without
editing them to be slow motion in post-production.
• Regardless of the genre, the convention is that the clothing in
the video matches the genre of the artist which will be fun to
emulate.
• I would also like to try reversing a shot in post-production (alt-J
used a full video in reverse in Breezeblocks) as it can add some
confusion for the viewer.
• If I could incorporate some type of choreography that would
bring an interesting aspect to the video as it really draws the
eye and keeps the video coordinated to the audio as it follows
the beat.

36. • I like the punk/rock genre, they use a lot of simple, plain
backgrounds for performance shots. This works better as I am
on a low budget.
• They also have close-up shots of instruments being played; this
would be a cheap but effective shot to imitate
• With this genre, you are also able to experiment and have
content that isn’t as easily digestible as mainstream pop music.
• It also provides the opportunity for fast-cut montage as rock is
fast paced and intense.