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Music Video ProductionCase Study

Jack Sullivan

+Unit 29 - 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

+Unit 29 – Music Video Production Learning outcomes, this case study is concerned with

the first two learning outcomes of the unit:

1. Understand the purpose of music videos

2. Understand the styles, conventions, and techniques of music videos

3. Be able to originate and plan a music video production for a specific music track

4. Be able to work to complete production of a music video.

+Unit 29 – Music Video ProductionAssessment Criteria The assessment criteria addressed by this case study,

further details are in your project brief:

+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.

+Task 1 - Purposes

+Task 1 - Purposes EntertainmentMusic videos are normally created to entertain the audience. Some music videos are used to tell a story along with the music, so it can be appealing to the audience visually as well as the song they are listening to.

BrandingThe music videos include certain brands that are recognizable to the audience. This is so after someone see’s the music video they can notice the artists outside of music and also which one they prefer. Some music artists also advertise certain brands in their songs and videos which makes the brand more noticed.

SalesNearly all music videos are made to make money. Boy Bands like One Direction have very similar videos for all of their songs, millions of people like their music and will continue to buy it because it is all very similar.

+Task 1 - Purposes

Q2 - More popular artists are more likely to use high production in their music videos. This is because usually the more known and popular artists put more money into their videos to make them more appealing to the audience. The less popular and more underground artists use more of a low production. The reason they use a low production is because they might not be signed onto a major label and might not have enough money to have high production. Even though when a more underground artist starts to become more famous and popular they start to put more money into their music videos and have high production.

+Task 1 - Purposes

Q3 – Certain company's let other company's use their products for advertisement and different products. So a company could mention another company which could get it more noticed and recognized.

Busta Rhymes called a song “pass the Courvoisier”, this got Courvoisier a lot more noticed and gave them a lot more publicity. Courvoisier didn’t even ask busta rhymes to make the song, he just made the song and then the company got a lot more noticed than they were before, it also got the company a lot more sales and money that they were used to getting.

+Task 1 - Purposes Q4 –The artist I have chosen is, Tyler the creator. The reason I have

chosen this artist is because he is very different to other artists with how he writes his music and how he has his music videos to go along with the songs and also have hidden meanings behind them.

Tyler the creators brand is ‘Golf Wang’ and also ‘Odd Future’ which is a group of rappers he used to be involved with. Golf is Tyler the creators clothing brand, he wears Golf in a lot in his music videos and also advertises the logo at the start and the end of his videos. The reason he shows his brand off in his videos is because he wants more people to notice it and also so it is recognized as his brand.

In Tyler the creators videos if the song is upbeat and more of a happy song his music videos are usually very colourful. If the songs are more down beat and sad his music videos are usually more dark and plain.

+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 videos are very high production as they are on a major label and have more money as a group. Then their music videos can be used on TV to advertise their music and also other chart music.

Animal Collective have more of a low production in their music videos. Their videos include the band in the video but in a different way to how One Direction show the members of their band.

+Task 2 – Styles, Techniques and Conventions

+Task 2 – Styles, Techniques and Conventions Q1 – Usually the camera focuses mostly on the main

artist and they use camera angles such as low angle shots, to make the artist look bigger and so the main focus in the videos is on the artists. High angle shots can make the artists look smaller and show more of what is happening behind the artist.

+Task 2 – Styles, Techniques and Conventions Q2 – Usually when a music video is being filmed they

have the artist singing their song then a studio recorded version of the song is played over it in the video in time with the artist.

+Task 2 – Styles, Techniques and Conventions Q3 – Most music videos have the artist lip syncing with

the audio track playing over the music video so the audio doesn’t sound bad quality. They also have effects and most of the time the music video is cut to the beat, so it changes when the beat changes.

+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…

+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?

+Task 3 – Case Study

+Task 3 – Case Study

For your individual case study you are required to prepare material on a minimum of three music videos.

This should provide discussion on the usage of the following: Purpose of the video [consider the strategy of the artist and

the intention behind the video, remember the core purposes and break this down into the other purposes we discussed]

Style[s] used Techniques employed Intertextuality Camerawork/editing Genre conventions

+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