Unit 29: Music Video Production
The purpose of music videos is to promote the artist and the song. A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes.
1.Promotion of a particular song
Michael Jackson - Thriller - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sOnqjkJTMaA
One of the main purposes is the promotion of a particular song, and a lot of the time the music video is the way to promote it. Once they have released one single off the album they then tend to release the entire album shortly after.
Thriller was and still is a revolutionary video as it was also a short film, and was the first of it's kind. No one had ever made a music video that was a short film. The video was a breakthrough. MTV showed it 2 times a day due to how popular it was and to meet demands.
The sets, costumes and make up were amazing, and in detail you would think it was real. His dancing, as usual was amazing and from previous videos people love to see him dancing so this video had a lot of anticipation. A lot of people watched the video when it was released to see his dancing as people were mesmerised by him dancing. The song itself was a different song and the music was different to other songs, so people we excited to see what kind of video would come from the song. It was a Halloween, zombie themed video. The red jacket that Jackson wore was designed by John Landis' wife Deborah Landis to make him appear more "virile". This red jacket is now iconic.
They use a lot long shots in the video so they can show Michael and all the other dancers in the video dancing. Up close shots were used to show Michael's face and to show what a scary zombie he was. The song thriller is also the name of Michel's album, so this would help promote the album as well as the single. The single was released after the album was released, when this got released the album went back to number 1.This album has now gone onto be the world best selling album of all time. The thriller single was the final and 7th single released off the album.
Christopher Connelly in a January 1983 review in Rolling Stone gave it four out of five stars and described it as "a zesty LP" with a "harrowing, dark message". Comparing the songs on the album with the life challenges that the 24-year-old Jackson had faced since Off The Wall, Connelly remarks that he has "dropped the boyish falsetto" and is facing his "challenges head-on" with "a feisty determination" and "a full, adult voice".
2.Promotion of the artist's album
David Bowie - Blackstar https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kszLwBaC4Sw
I chose this song for the promotion of the artists album as David Bowie is a legendary artist and this whole album was amazing and the video was brilliant. It's an art-rock song with drum and bass parts. This album was Bowies 25th studio album and the last album he released before he passed away. The album was released 2 days before he passed away.
The album cover is adorned with a large black star on a plain white background, with the five star segments below the main star forming the word Bowie in stylised letters.
The video is 9:57 and is a short film music video. It's a very surreal video, It has a woman with a tail discovering a dead astronaut and taking his jewel-encrusted skull to an ancient, otherworldly town. The astronaut's bones float toward an eclipse, while a circle of women perform a ritual with the skull in the town's centre.
Theres a use of warm and cold lighting and a variety of different camera techniques are use including, close ups, medium and long shots.
Bowie is featured in the video he portrays three distinct characters in the video: the introverted, tormented, blind "Button Eyes"; the "flamboyant trickster" in the song's middle section; and the "priest guy" holding the book embossed with the "★" symbol.
Having the album called 'Blackstar' as well as releasing a song called 'Blackstar' helps the album massively as they recognise the name and associate it with Bowie. The video was weird and creative like all Bowie video's so that also helped promote the album. Blackstar the single, is also the first track on the album. The single Blackstar is the main opening song for the TV show 'The Last Panthers' which is also good promotion.
The co-producer from the album described the album as "Bowie's intended swan song and a "parting gift" for his fans before his death" It was received well from critics, one saying "the most extreme album of [Bowie's] entire career", stating that "Blackstar is as far as he's strayed from pop."
When Bowie died 2 days after the album was released it was at number 1 and stayed there for 3 weeks. A lot of album sales came after he died but many were from before as this was David's first album in a few years so many fans were excited to see what he had come up with.
3.Promotion of a new artist or promotion of an artists change in musical direction or image
Miley Cyrus - We can't stop https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LrUvu1mlWco
This song was Miley's comeback to music. She had been one of the biggest disney stars and had played 'Hannah Montana' for many years, and was looked up to by young girls and boys all over the world. She was a clean disney channel star. Once she had finished Hannah Montana she was Miley Cyrus for a while and then came back in 2013 announcing her 4th studio album will be released. We can't stop was then released. The video released a lot of criticism as the lyrics were explicit and not what Miley usually sang. It's a pop and R&B song that talks of a house party and recreational drug use.The video was extremely provocative and it helped her break out of her clean, disney princess image.
The basis of the video is massive house party, with the guests engaging is weird actions. She twerks a lot and does lots of inappropriate dancing, considering she has a young audience and is very sexual in the way she sits, and moves. There were a lot of odds scenes like a women supposedly cutting her fingers off, skulls made out of french fries and piles of bread.
After this video was released it was safe to say she was no longer an innocent teenage disney star.
The video uses many cuts back and forth between different scenes. Many close up's of Mileys face are used as well. A few months later a directors cut of the video was released and this was much more explicit and featured "more simulated sex, one oral sex gesture near the end and actually less Miley tongue overall.
One critic - Randall Roberts of Los Angeles Times felt that the song "seems as if it were written by an ninth-grader imagining her rebellious college sister’s lifestyle" and felt that it lacked creativity within Cyrus' catalog.
There is also product placement as she uses a beats pill and applies an EOS lip balm.
4. Synergy with another media product
Eminem - Lose Yourself ( from 8 mile) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eRhEcKHU5LY
This song was featured in the film '8 mile' and was written and produced by Eminem. It is one of the feature songs in the movie.
Eminem was still a major,popular at the time the film the film got released. People who watch the film are able to find out who Eminem is and then people who listen to Eminem will find out about the film through the video. So they are promoting each other.
In the video for 'Lose yourself' there are a mixture of scenarios and settings. When the camera is focused on Eminem rapping they use medium shots as they show the top half his body and they also shoot it from a low angle so it's as if he is rapping down towards up and we're looking up to him. They do zoom out and then you do get a long, full body shot.
A majority of the scenes are from the film therefore helping to promote the film again. The video also brings to light some of Eminems own personal issues he has faced, such as the criticism from the rap community because of the colour of his skin and his difficult personal life.
In the video when there aren't scenes from the film he is seen rapping in from of the "8 Mile Rd. Mobile Court" sign that appears on the cover of the movie's soundtrack.
Thus promoting the album soundtrack as well. The song was used in the trailer for the movie, which helps promote the film and Eminem.
After the film was released it won many awards and nomination including, 'Best video from a film' which they won and nominations including 'Best Rap Video' and 'best male video'. It also won an oscar for best song in 2003.
5.Increase income for the record company
Drake - Started from the bottom - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RubBzkZzpUA
Drake released this song in 2013 under the label OVO Sound as well as a couple of other labels. Drake and his long-time producer, Noah "40" ShebibO founded OVO sounds in 2012. OVO stands for Octobers Very Own.
This is the logo for OVO and is featured very heavily in the video for Started From The Bottom. Throughout the video you see Drake and other in the video wearing jumpers/t-shirt with the OVO owl on and Drake also wears a gold chain with the owl on. The logo is very well known and for fans who listen and keep up with Drake they will instantly know what the gold owl represents. This helps boost the record label massively and they gain a lot of recognition. The video has been viewed over 282,411,190 times on youtube which helps boost the company. The photo on the right shows the tops Drake and
other people wearing the OVO merchandise which is helping to promote the record company.
Drake is a very big name and is very successful and through his success he has now started selling OVO merchandise.
Promoting brand through his video's, and merchandise promotes the brand a lot and helps the brand build a bigger profile.
Since they founded the label in 2012 they have signed over 10 artists and producers including PARTYNEXTDOOR and Majid
Jordan. PND being the biggest act they have signed.They have made a lot of money from signing these artists and
gained even more popularity and success. PND has a big fan base which helps with promotion to the company.
6.Increasing the range of media an artist is active in
Jaden Smith - Scarface https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gefCdLAGK4E
I chose to use Jaden Smith as my example as he has branched out to do many things. He started acting in 2006 with his first major film role being 'The pursuit of Happyness' which is stared alongside his dad Will Smith. He has acted along side his dad in a few films. He carried on acting and in 2011 stared in 'The Karate Kid' which resulted in him rapping and singing the song 'Never say Never' with Justin Bieber. In October 2012 he released his first mix tape 'The Cool Cafe'.
In the song 'Scar face' he is rapping and singing and showing off his talents. The public have branded Jaden 'Odd and weird' for breaking stereo types and this video shows he doesn't care what people think. The video opens with a man in a poncho flying Batman-Like onto a wall, Jaden is drinking out of a coffee mug the size of a watering can and Jaden dies right after rapping the lyrics, "The government be killing me." which is funny but it suits his style of music and the type of person he is. He stands up for what he believes in which i am so for. He likes to make his point about certain topics.
He has a different type of fashion style and has always made that clear to the media and his family. He also started his own clothing line. He wanted to break away from his families name and finish acting and become a rapper instead. He does still act.
To conclude, i think all these purposes are important but promoting the artist and promoting the album are most important. A music video is made to the artists preference and are made for many purposes.
BIBLIOGRAPHY Bibliography:We can’t stop (2016) in Wikipedia. Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/We_Can%27t_Stop#Critical_reception (Accessed: 30 September 2016).Bibliography:Started from the bottom (2016) in Wikipedia. Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Started_from_the_Bottom (Accessed: 6 October 2016).In-line Citation:(Started from the bottom, 2016)Bibliography:OVO sound (2016) in Wikipedia. Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OVO_Sound (Accessed: 6 October 2016).In-line Citation:(OVO sound, 2016)Bibliography:Bowie, D. (2016) ‘Blackstar (album)’, in Wikipedia. Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blackstar_(album) (Accessed: 6 October 2016).In-line Citation:(Bowie, 2016)Bibliography:Jackson, M. (2016) ‘Thriller (Michael Jackson album)’, in Wikipedia. Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thriller_(Michael_Jackson_album) (Accessed: 30 September 2016).Bibliography:Jaden Smith (2016) in Wikipedia. Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jaden_Smith#Career (Accessed: 6 October 2016).In-line Citation:(Jaden Smith, 2016)
3.Promotion of a new artist or promotion of an artists change in musical direction or image
Miley Cyrus - We can't stop https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LrUvu1mlWco
This song was Miley's comeback to music. She had been one of the biggest disney stars and had played 'Hannah Montana' for many years, and was looked up to by young girls and boys all over the world. She was a clean disney channel star. Once she had finished Hannah Montana she was Miley Cyrus for a while and then came back in 2013 announcing her 4th studio album will be released. We can't stop was then released. The video released a lot of criticism as the lyrics were explicit and not what Miley usually sang. It's a pop and R&B song that talks of a house party and recreational drug use.The video was extremely provocative and it helped her break out of her clean, disney princess image.
The basis of the video is massive house party, with the guests engaging is weird actions. She twerks a lot and does lots of inappropriate dancing, considering she has a young audience and is very sexual in the way she sits, and moves. There were a lot of odds scenes like a women supposedly cutting her fingers off, skulls made out of french fries and piles of bread.
After this video was released it was safe to say she was no longer an innocent teenage disney star.
The video uses many cuts back and forth between different scenes. Many close up's of Mileys face are used as well. A few months later a directors cut of the video was released and this was much more explicit and featured "more simulated sex, one oral sex gesture near the end and actually less Miley tongue overall.
One critic - Randall Roberts of Los Angeles Times felt that the song "seems as if it were written by an ninth-grader imagining her rebellious college sister’s lifestyle" and felt that it lacked creativity within Cyrus' catalog.
There is also product placement as she uses a beats pill and applies an EOS lip balm.
4. Synergy with another media product
Eminem - Lose Yourself ( from 8 mile) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eRhEcKHU5LY
This song was featured in the film '8 mile' and was written and produced by Eminem. It is one of the feature songs in the movie.
Eminem was still a major,popular at the time the film the film got released. People who watch the film are able to find out who Eminem is and then people who listen to Eminem will find out about the film through the video. So they are promoting each other.
A majority of the scenes are from the film therefore helping to promote the film again. The video also brings to light some of Eminems own personal issues he has faced, such as the criticism from the rap community because of the colour of his skin and his difficult personal life.
In the video when there aren't scenes from the film he is seen rapping in from of the "8 Mile Rd. Mobile Court" sign that appears on the cover of the movie's soundtrack.
Thus promoting the album soundtrack as well. The song was used in the trailer for the movie, which helps promote the film and Eminem.
After the film was released it won many awards and nomination including, 'Best video from a film' which they won and nominations including 'Best Rap Video' and 'best male video'. It also won an oscar for best song in 2003.5.Increase income for the record company
Drake - Started from the bottom - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RubBzkZzpUA
Drake released this song in 2013 under the label OVO Sound as well as a couple of other labels. Drake and his long-time producer, Noah "40" ShebibO founded OVO sounds in 2012. OVO stands for Octobers Very Own.
This is the logo for OVO and is featured very heavily in the video for Started From The Bottom. Throughout the video you see Drake and other in the video wearing jumpers/t-shirt with the OVO owl on and Drake also wears a gold chain with the owl on. The logo is very well known and for fans who listen and keep up with Drake they will instantly know what the gold owl represents. This helps boost the record label massively and they gain a lot of recognition. The video has been viewed over 282,411,190 times on youtube which helps boost the company. The photo on the right shows the tops Drake and other people wearing the OVO merchandise which is helping to promote the record company.
Drake is a very big name and is very successful and through his success he has now started selling OVO merchandise.
Promoting brand through his video's, and merchandise promotes the brand a lot and helps the brand build a bigger profile.
Since they founded the label in 2012 they have signed over 10 artists and producers including PARTYNEXTDOOR and Majid
Jordan. PND being the biggest act they have signed.They have made a lot of money from signing these artists and
gained even more popularity and success. PND has a big fan base which helps with promotion to the company.
6.Increasing the range of media an artist is active in
Jaden Smith - Scarface https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gefCdLAGK4E
I chose to use Jaden Smith as my example as he has branched out to do many things. He started acting in 2006 with his first major film role being 'The pursuit of Happyness' which is stared alongside his dad Will Smith. He has acted along side his dad in a few films. He carried on acting and in 2011 stared in 'The Karate Kid' which resulted in him rapping and singing the song 'Never say Never' with Justin Bieber. In October 2012 he released his first mix tape 'The Cool Cafe'.
He has a different type of fashion style and has always made that clear to the media and his family. He also started his own clothing line. He wanted to break away from his families name and finish acting and become a rapper instead. He does still act.
To conclude, i think all these purposes are important but promoting the artist and promoting the album are most important. A music video is made to the artists preference and are made for many purposes.
BIBLIOGRAPHY Bibliography:We can’t stop (2016) in Wikipedia. Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/We_Can%27t_Stop#Critical_reception (Accessed: 30 September 2016).Bibliography:Started from the bottom (2016) in Wikipedia. Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Started_from_the_Bottom (Accessed: 6 October 2016).In-line Citation:(Started from the bottom, 2016)Bibliography:OVO sound (2016) in Wikipedia. Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OVO_Sound (Accessed: 6 October 2016).In-line Citation:(OVO sound, 2016)Bibliography:Bowie, D. (2016) ‘Blackstar (album)’, in Wikipedia. Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blackstar_(album) (Accessed: 6 October 2016).In-line Citation:(Bowie, 2016)Bibliography:Jackson, M. (2016) ‘Thriller (Michael Jackson album)’, in Wikipedia. Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thriller_(Michael_Jackson_album) (Accessed: 30 September 2016).Bibliography:Jaden Smith (2016) in Wikipedia. Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jaden_Smith#Career (Accessed: 6 October 2016).In-line Citation:(Jaden Smith, 2016)
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