Purpose and director case study1

TASK 1
THE PURPOSE OF A MUSIC
VIDEO

AS1: Task One:
Understand the purpose of music videos:
You will need to write about the following:
 promotional
 availability of artist
 extension of income
 extension of outlets (music channel, direct DVD and CD
sales, website, download)
 synergy (films, TV programmes)
 the strategies producers’ use (major label, independent,
artist self-produced)

Music Promo video
What is the purpose
of a music promo
video?

Promotional
 Advertisement
 Draws attention to the music/song
 Illustrates the song
 Appeals to a visual audience
 Expresses an individual’s emotions
 Tells a story
 Markets an image

Creating a Brand
 Often artists/groups are sold as a brand and
the music video acts as a product of the brand,
in the hope that the audience will be inspired
to “buy into the brand”
 For some artists the ‘image’ is of greater
importance than the quality of the product.
The Spice Girls are a good example of this.
 Other times it is the song and the meaning of
the song that is sold, and the artists ‘image’
has little to do with the sale of the song.

Marketing an image
Lady Gaga Adele
Compare the image of these two artists:

What makes it memorable?
 Lady Gaga “Born This Way”
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wV1FrqwZyKw
 PSY – Gangnam Style
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CH1XGdu-hzQ
 Why is this a good example of a promo video?
 How does it achieve a range of different promotional
aspects?

Availability of Artist
 In 1964, The Beatles starred in their first feature
film A Hard Day's Night, directed by Richard
Lester.
 A year later in1965 they then began making
promotional clips for distribution
and broadcast in
other countries.
 They did so to enable
them to promote
their record releases
without having to
make in-person
appearances.

 It was only after the success of Queen’s
"Bohemian Rhapsody" that it became regular
practice for record companies to produce
promotional videos for artists' single releases.
 These videos could then be
shown on television shows,
such as Top of the Pops,
without the need for the
artist to appear in person.

 Before promo video’s became popular if the
artist was unavailable they would have their
music broadcast and accompanied rather than
dancers such as Pan's People.
 Brian May said the video was produced:
 A) so the band could avoid miming such a
complex song on Top of the Pops.
 B) as they would be unable to appear on the
programme every week as they were
scheduled to appear on tour (It was number 1
for 9 weeks).

Extension of income
 Promotes the artist/single/album
 Persuades audience to buy –
CD/download
 Raises the audience awareness or profile
of the artist/group – tours, festivals
 Product placement e.g. Christine Aguillera
& perfume (Not Myself Tonight)

Extension of outlets
 Music channel
 Direct DVD and CD sales
 Website
 Download

The End of the Music Channel?
 With competition from a variety of online
platforms, music channels are no longer the
strong promotional platforms they once were.
 In many ways the music video channel is in
danger of becoming defunct and irrelevant.
 Online streaming and downloads mean that
music videos are instantly accessible.
 Gone are the days of TOTP!

Synergy
 Films
 TV programmes
 Sky Fall
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=StJLvbPIvT
w
 Military Wives
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0hR6O7VxK
aQ
 Why is synergy a good thing ?

Producers’ strategies
 Major label
 Independent
 Artist self-produced

Major Record Labels
 The music industry is dominated by four multi
national corporations;
• Universal
• Sony Music
• Warner Brothers
• EMI
 These are referred to as ‘The Majors’. The
majority of these are backed by conglomerates
with stakes in other industries such as; Film,
TV and Electronics.

Major-Independents
 Most of these ‘Majors’ own, or license, a series of
smaller subsidiary companies in order to reach
different kinds of audiences in different kinds of
genre.
 Columbia
 Island
 Syco
 RCA
 Virgin,
 These companies are known as ‘major-
independents’.

Major Label Strategies -
VEVO
 Vevo is a music video website owned and
operated by Universal Music Group, Google, Sony
Music Entertainment, and Abu Dhabi Media.
 It was launched on December 82009. The videos
on Vevo are syndicated across the
web, with Google and Vevo sharing the
advertising revenue.
 Vevo offers music videos from three of the "big
four" major record labels: Universal, Sony Music
Entertainment, and EMI Records. Warner
Music Group was initially reported to be
considering hosting its content on the service, but
formed a rival alliance with MTV Networks

Independents
 There are a huge number of small companies
with little or no financial connection to the
majors.
 These companies often concentrate on a small
number of acts, within specialised niches in
the industry, Hip Hop/Rap/Electronica/Dance
 These are called ‘Independents’. An example
of a highly successful independent is ‘Warp
Records’.
 It is often that record labels begin as
independents, but then are bought by a major
and then become major-independents.

Independent Label Strategies
 Independent or “indie” producers often see
their work as an art-form and not just an
advertisement for the music industry.
 These types of producers often become well
sort after by mainstream artists,

Chris Cunninham
 Chris Cunningham made his directorial debut
in 1997 with the music video for "Come to
Daddy" by Aphex Twin
 It was praised, banned, and raved about by
many people in the business.

Artist self-produced
 Artist self-produced videos have the smallest
budgets and are usually unknown artists.
 Making your own video and utilising a website
such as Youtube can lead to great success.

Justin Bieber
 Justin Bieber was discovered in 2008 by
American talent manager Scooter Braun.
 He came across Bieber's
videos on
YouTube
and then became
his manager.

CASE STUDY - Emil Nava
Emil Nava
 Began as a runner
for film production
companies
 Worked for Blink
Productions
 Now freelances for
OB Management

 After working as a runner graduated to Assistant
Director (A.D.) where he would manage the
video shoots
 He signed to Academy – who are the biggest
music video production company
 Then worked for Between the Eyes and now
works mainly for Pulse

 At his busiest Emil has made 24 music videos
in one year
 When he began shooting videos for
independent labels the budget would be as
low as £5,000 to £10,000
 His most expensive video to date has been for
Jessie J and the budget was £160,000

 Emil’s first budget was for the band Kid British
and the track Our House
 Budget - £20,000
 Location – Manchester
 Cast – local people
 1 day for filming
 2/3 days for editing
 10 days pre-production
 Demonstrates the very tight timescales
involved

 Kid British – Our House

CASE STUDY – OB
Management
 OB Management work as agents for music
video directors
 Their aim is to:
 Nurture talent
 Work with production companies
 Work with record labels
 Match the right director to the right artists

 Paloma Faith ‘30 Minute Love Affair'
 Client Sony - Director Emil Nava
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O0O2DfNRxv4

 Paloma Faith 'Picking Up the Pieces'
 Client Sony - Director Emil Nava
 Cost - £80,000
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ijel4Vcqd9g

 Ed Sheeran 'Lego House'
 Client Atlantic - Director Emil Nava
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c4BLVznuWnU

 Jessie J 'Do It Like A Dude'
 Client Island - Director Emil Nava
 Cost - £25,000
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pOf3kYtwASo

 Rita Ora 'RIP'
 Client RocNation - Director Emil Nava
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L1l9WST5lXM

 Ed Sheeran 'You Need Me'
 Client Atlantic - Director Emil Nava
 Cost - £35,000
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZXvzzTICvJs

 Jessie J 'Price Tag'
 Client Island
 Director Emil Nava
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qMxX-QOV9tI

Relation of Visuals to Song
There are three ways in which music
videos work to promote a song
Music videos can
use a set of images
to illustrate the
meaning of lyrics &
genre, this is the
most common
This is similar to
repeatability.
Meanings and
effects are
manipulated and
constantly shown
through the video
and drummed
into our vision
This is where the
meaning of the song
is completely
ignored

Purpose and director case study1

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