PURPOSE OF
MUSIC VIDEO
WHAT ARE THE POSSIBLE PURPOSES
OF MUSIC VIDEOS - LIST
PURPOSE OF MUSIC VIDEO
• Promote
• Image
• Increase income
PROMOTIONAL
• Raise awareness
• Raise perception
• Give the audience a better
understanding of the song
• Entertain and show off the
artist
• Sell the song, and invoke
the reaction so that the
audience remember the
song
CRITICAL DEBATE
• "Gaga wants to offend people. She's a provocateur. Gaga
would probably be disappointed if no one was offended by
her latest video. She's doing that stuff for a reason.”
• “It's a little bit been there, done that,” New York Times ' s Jon
Caramanica thought the controversy was Gaga's attempt to
take the "Queen of Pop" throne.
• He said, "I'm sure she'd say she loves Madonna ... but I also
think she's saying, 'This [Queen of Pop title] is mine… I'm
murdering you with my own style. I've learned this. I know
how to do this ... And look how flawlessly I do it.'"
INVOKE THE REACTION
5 MILLION COPIES
WORLDWIDE
RESEARCH
Why is Controversy good?
Why is bad press good press especially with the
invention of You Tube?
In groups of 3
• Find a music video that has caused controversy
• Upload the song with an explanation as to why it
shocked – did it promote or hinder the artist?
• Upload to Unit 29 Task 1 under the heading
Purpose of music videos
• Report back to the class
• You have 10 minutes
IMAGE
• A particular style or change of image
can affect the success of a music
artist. This may be influenced by the
style of music adopted on a new
album.
• Producers encouraged Nicki Minaj to
have an exaggerated look with pink
hair/platinum blonde hair, animated
expressions and overtly sexual.
• Whilst this reflected hip hop trends she
also pushed the boundaries in fashion
and styling which appeal to her fans
(and potential fans) therefore
encouraging single sales.
“One of the cold, hard facts about the music biz is that no matter how
good a musical artist you are, having a successful public career is not
just about your music, but also about your public image–your brand.
In other words–how you are perceived by the public”
Jeff McQ - Music blogger
THE OLD AGE DEBATE OF
Does sex sell?
• From the gyrating Elvis in the 50s (in films) to
Madonna’s raunchy shows in the 80’s right up to
Rihanna’s lack of clothing today – both men and
women ‘crave’ sexier images over ‘the girl next door’
• Do you agree? Is this why we watch music videos?
• Would you still watch the videos if …..
TAYLOR SWIFT KEPT HER
‘COUNTRY GIRL LOOK’
OR….
PROMOTING THE UNKNOWN
ARTIST
•
•
•
•
Gangnam Style
First online video to receive 1 billion hits
Won best video at MTV Europe Music Awards
Social networking held responsible for making the video
popular on such an incredible scale
• Led to possible collaboration opportunities for PSY with other
artists e.g. Justin Bieber
• Caused the share price of the record company to increase by
568.8%
“I don’t think there are any record companies now in the real
sense of the word. We’re all in the fashion business. You
used to be able to see records purely on music and
musicianship. Now it’s packaging, media, television, and
video”
- CHRIS BLACKWELL, FOUNDER OF ISLAND RECORDS
EXTENSION OF INCOME
• Product Placement of own Brand
• Use of word of mouth
• Hits on YouTube – Up for debate!!
• Encourage audience to purchase single / album
• Encourage ticket sales for concerts and music festivals
• CD/DVD bonus features
SYNERGY
• Synergy is when different
companies/individuals join
together to work on a
project that creates mutual
success for both brands.
• In your groups, Provide a
range of your own
examples
EXAMPLES OF SYNERGY AT
WORK
• Films
Robin Hood (Brian Adams) No 1 across the globe
Went platinum in 8 countries (3x in US and 2x in UK,
Canada and Australia)
• TV Adverts
John Lewis (Lily Allen – Somewhere only we know)
• Video Games
GTA The Rolling Stones – Sympathy for the Devil
• TV shows
Friends – I’ll be there for you – No1 for 8 weeks in US
EXTENSION OF OUTLET
• Music channels
• Direct DVD
• CD Sales
• Website
• Download
Where do you consume
most of your music?
RECAP
• The purpose of music video is to……. (3 purposes)
• What sells the music video above anything else?
• What platform has propelled the music video to these
dizzy heights in the past 15 years?
• How can an artist extend their income?
• How is synergy used in the music video industry?
• Before you go…
THE ROLE OF THE PRODUCER
By next lesson….
• Please make sure all work and notes from today’s
lesson are uploaded
• Short paragraph on the ‘role of the producer in the
music video industry’
PRODUCER STRATEGIES
• Music videos are not merely constructed as a visual
representation of the song. The music industry often has a
motive for the style, narrative, production and promotion of
the video and artist.
• There are a variety of strategies that producers’ use in order
to encourage single, album and tour sales, promotion of the
artist and their image, sales of merchandise etc
• How might the producer strategies from One Direction be
different from an artist like Banks
WHO IS THE PRODUCER
1. The major label
2. The independent music label
3. The self produced artist
WHO IS THE PRODUCER?
A major label
• For a mainstream artist.
• Generally charts high, sells lots of records and
therefore tour and merchandise.
• Large budgets for promotional material (such as
music videos).
• Predominately main stream/popular music genres
such as Pop and RnB
Example: Katy Perry is signed
to Capital Records
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QGJuMBdaqIw
MAJOR LABEL STRATEGIES
• VEVO have a partnership with Sony Music Entertainment
and Universal Music Group. They host music videos on
YouTube and use adverts at the start of the each video to
produce revenue. This is good for music companies as it
allows them to regulate the online distribution of their
music videos and make money from it.
• VEVO also have applications on many devices e.g. iPad. This allows many more people to access the
content
IMPACT OF YOUTUBE VIEWS
• December 2012 record labels were stripped of 2
billion video views
• YouTube wants to combat ‘black hat’ view countbuilding techniques. This is when hackers artificially
build up the numbers of views or likes on a YouTube
video- enabling them to make clips more popular than
they really are and increase exposure on the site
• The number of views are regarded as an unofficial
worldwide popular music chart
WHO IS THE PRODUCER?
An independent label
•
•
•
Smaller, independent music label.
Smaller budget.
Niche market for music genre – dance (specific
sub genres), indie, folk etc
• Target audience and music artist often credit music
videos as an art form. Often experimental in terms
of technique, equipment and narrative.
• Prepared (budget dependent) to use less
experienced/known music video directors with a
proven creative background.
Example: FKA Twigs is signed to Young Turks
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3yDP9MKVhZc
WHO IS THE PRODUCER?
The Artist
• Some artists may decide to make the video themselves.
• Often unsigned, it can be used as a promotional tool to
gain fans/exposure and ultimately lead to signing with a
label.
• This is usually due to budget limitations.
• It may also reflect a desire to take artistic control of the
visual content.
• Cost effective technical equipment makes it easier to
access, produce and distribute material.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KM40cRl1yuE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xw
pgByDiHw0
ACTIVITY
In groups, discuss the positive and negatives
effecting the production of a music video with each
type of Producer
Write pros and cons onto your Weebly page
We will look over the answers together
REMAKING
Once a music artist has become
successful, it is possible
(although unusual) to reshoot a
music video with a bigger
budget or for a new audience
Compare how Ellie Goulding
is represented in each video.
Which was the first version
to be produced?
Why do you think that they
changed it?
http://www.youtube.com/watc
h?v=fBf2v4mLM8k
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5y8g
Xv0tPj4
DAFT PUNK
What does Daft Punk’s ‘Get Lucky’
music video look like?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5NV6Rdv1a3I
This was the first ‘release’.
Why did they release this?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h5EofwRzit0
RECAP
• The purpose of music video is to…….
• Who has the most controversial music video?
• How is synergy used in the music video industry?
• What are the 3 types of producer
• Why would you re-produce a music video?
Before you leave……..
COMING UP NEXT….
• Make sure you have your brief and bring it to your next
class
• Over the next two lessons you will be putting a
PowerPoint presentation together for Round 1