good and bad music video technqiues

Lip syncing

Lip syncing is used a lot in music video production this is because the vocals sung is usually through a studio or a professional place and doing so during production may be inefficient quality wise.

A example of a good lip syncing video is by George Ezra - Listen to the man, the lip syncing used is professional and also used in a humorous way, the audience can clearly tell its lip synced through another person other than the singer lip syncing in the song. However in this particular example lip syncing is not disguised, the joint lip-syncer is Ian Mckeller a famous actor, this in the eye of the audience creates something different and unique compared to the regular music videos meaning that it will likely to gain more publicity as well as invite those to click on the music video for the video instead of the music.

Common lip syncing is often done to create a more enhanced version of the song, which is imported over by the studio and edited together by the music video editor. This is usually done because locations the music video is filmed at my not be perfected cut out as a singing environment, issues such as excessive wind, noise and additional background sounds may hinder the overall quality of the music video so lip syncing is usually being taken placed when watching a music video with exquisite locations.

cutting to the beat - 

I've found a good example of cutting to the beat in this video by Drake - Worst Behaviour, at 2:00 a cut was made when the beat changed alongside the lyric 'worst behaviour' this is used to emphasis the lyric and also show the transition in which how his 'behaviour' changed mentally-wise according to the narrative of the video. Numerous other shots used cutting to the beat such as certain when he says 'remember' and after a brief pause the shot cuts to different peoples faces assuming that they are forgotten which further emphasises the lyrics. 

A bad example of cutting to the beat is Bobby shmurda - Hot n*gga, the cuts made are inconsistent and when the beat changed the cut made was delayed such as seen in 1:20 and 2:17. This could be because of the overall production of the music video, the production isn't professional and done in an outside environment 

Number of cuts - Rihanna's needed me shows numerous cuts throughout mainly to engage the audience, showing the rough nature of the song and also connote the ghetto origin/background she came from.
In this particular video it follows a narrative arc of a female who holds a grudge against a particular person. Having more number of cuts turns a boring music video into a interesting one, the exquisite locations and plot can be used in contrast with the song providing an additional dialogue to follow which keeps the audience engaged. Some of the cuts show emphasise on a particular shot to portray a certain message or for the audience to pay attention to something, either way having more cuts speeds up the overall music video and dialogue. 

special effects -

Special effects is used in music videos to make it stand out, it can be done to show artistry and creativity, special effects can come in many different forms and is often taken place alongside the music video and being edited on top of it.

A example of special effects used is in the music video Keith Ape - It g ma, it is used throughout to show their style and connote their music style being trap and urban. The type of special effects used are various symbols, funky topographies, and colour swaps, this all contributes to the artistic value of the video.

This particular music video by galantis creates a very trippy experience for the audience, the special effects used include spiral shots, twirls and mirror illusions, this on top of the footage being shown blends in together to create something unique and refreshing and also provide a cultural learning experience through the ritual and use of colours.

camera language - 

This video starts of as a high angle, followed by medium close ups and uses a range of other shots such as a wide shot this shows the landscape and the beautiful scenery blending into the positive vibe the song has. The video then moves into a more personal level using tracking shots, medium shots of different characters making the viewer feel like they are part of their adventure such as in 1:16 a POV of a person swimming together with other people is used.

Chroma key/ green screen  

A good example of a green screen being used is Evanescence bring me back to life, although some may say that it is bad because it looks fake but considering the time it was made it is realistic enough to show us her she was doing being walking on the balcony and climbing a high building bare feet. Being able to take this scene using a green-screen enables the protagonist in the video to perform dangerous stunts that she would not of been able to do so without a green-screen, the scene in 3:00 shows her hanging onto someones hand on the edge of the building, this builds suspense for the audience in relation to the narrative of what will happen next and also care for her safety in which the green-screen makes it look realistic.

Richard Dyers star theory

Star as constructions

Stars are made for the audience and sometimes does not represent who they naturally are, they can be seen as 'constructed', either by their label or artists themselves that decide that they want to add to their artistic perspective and twists to make them differ from other artists, however with this being said they still have to maintain certain characteristics because of their specific targeted audience they appeal to. Aside from artists who've already 'made it', a example of a platform for potential stars who are moulded into a character is X factor, X factor goes through several stages of the competition from  auditions who are judged by the judges on the panel to live shows who the audience at home votes for who they want to win, through the process each judge gets to mentor a singer and they are addressed to dress and sing a particular song, this all contributes to they way they are perceived by the audience which as then put into different groups and voted based on their like-ability as stars.

A example of a artist I've used is 'Thatpoppy', she is a artists who is deemed as to be weird in terms of her character but since she held her constructed image through the years, she is popular on platforms such as youtube,  her ideas are unique which draws attention towards her and her popularity and image is known by numerous people who mention ' That weird girl on youtube'.

Stars as personalities

Personalities of stars are nurtured through time by their songs and their performances, an example I've used is Drake, drake is an artist who is seen as someone who constantly delivers to what the audience wants. With this his song themes and 'vibes' people can tell that he is genuine, at first when Drake started his career/gained popularity the songs he set out were seen as very emotional being around the theme of heartbreak and love which were currently his struggle at the time, from then on the fans of Drake have followed him on his journey and him being 'real' in his lyrics and his music gained him even more popularity, the fans were able to relate to him which is why he is one of the biggest rappers in the music industry and that is partly to do with his personality and speaking his heart out in a song.

This is when stars gain money through merchandise and such means, this can be particularly seen in boy bands such as one direction who has a large influence on a particular age group which is why most of the merchandise is aimed at young audiences.

Another example of this would be the girl group Little mix, since being a modern girl group the industry uses this as an opportunity implement merchandise seeing that younger audiences especially young girls and teens would likely to it and also simultaneously accumulate more exposure for the girl group. Industries choose groups in particular to gain money through merchandise because fans can have a favourite in the group which means that they can sell separate merchandise based of each person in the group, this will ultimately create a topic to talk about amongst friends in terms of social interaction. What makes these merchandise successful is what each of these groups connote, the group Little Mix’s theme revolves around  girl power, glam and being beautiful and strong as a woman.

stars as embodiment's of ideology and cultures

The sex pistols is a example of a sign of rebellion.

It is the idea that the audience relates to the star because they have a feature they the share or admire with the star. Some fans may attempt to replicate the star in their behaviours, what they and what they do. But this could also be a negative impact as some stars often are heavy drinkers and drug abusers. For example in the 60's and 70's there was an increase of illegal sales of cannabis due to The Beatles being open about using it. Stars represent shared cultural values and attitudes, and promote a certain ideology. Audience interest in these values enhances their 'star quality', and it is through conveying beliefs, ideas and opinions outside music that performers help create their star character to their fans.

purpose of MV

The purpose of music videos

Promotion: Promotion through music video is widely used to promote a certain agenda, it could be used to promote a certain artist and his/her idealism.

Extension of income

Artists get paid through the music they create, from music being played on the radio to merchandise but one of the most popular platforms these days are through streaming services online such as youtube and Spotify, youtube allows an artists music video to be played over and over again, in terms of views the more views the more money they earn, approximately the artist makes $1500-$2000 per 1 million views. Adverts are also used before a video starts or as a webpage advert providing extra income for the artist, as for the content of the music video some music videos are sponsored such as Avicii's song taste the feeling being sponsored by coke. Spotify uses similar means being paid by the amount of plays the artists gets which result to a similar amount to youtube.

Apart from streaming services if an artist decides to sell their album digitally through downloads such as Itunes the amount made by them varies if the artist is unsigned or signed to a record label but either way an example of a platform i.e apple will take 30% of what the artist sold their album for and being signed to a label the label takes a considerate sum depending on the particular label.

As for other non-digital means artists get paid by the total of hardcopy CD albums they sell, retailers such as HMV may sell a particular artists album and a small sum will go to the retailer and the rest to the artists himself. With this being said if they artists chose for the amount of CD sells to go to charity the whole sum will be profited to the chosen charity. Artists can also chose to create merchandise based of their theme or music video as this also contributes to any extra earnings made by them.

Extension of outlets

A music video can allow exposure towards potentially expanding its audiences, a song on its own is restricted due to it being only audible whereas a music video allows a variety of vast interactions and ways it can be access for example on a television channel such as 4Music, MTV, or download the music video itself for offline use. In terms of interactions a music video allows an audience to interact through social means such as liking the video, or sharing the video to a social network such as Facebook which further helps expand its audience. A music video also helps an artist to become more known due to its visual content of the music video, what i mean by this is the artist may show its creativity visually such as creating a emotional narrative in the music video and this may lead to a new discoveries, a wider range of audience and dedicated fans.

Speaking of downloads, some people may decide to illegally download music, this may be good in a sense that you do not have to pay for music but for the music industry itself it creates a major toll financially resulting in low sales. However this is not the only problem, for the artist if he/she isn't selling albums this means that they are not making enough money for a living especially artists signed to independant record labels who are less known, however this does not mean that artists that are more publicly known are safe, they also suffer due to only a sum of their earnings go to their major record label and if the major record isn't making enough money this means less artists are signed including those that are talented.

Synergy

Synergy in the context of music video regards to having either a film featuring a music video or the other way around, this acts as a promotion video for the both as it draws both audiences of the film and the song together therefore making it generally more interesting and by increasing the publicity gained from it. An example of this is the song Heathens by Twenty one pilots played as a music video for Suicide squad, there are many references to the film such as the locations being jail cells  the same dark theme and the characters, this allows the music video to gain popularity due to the success of the film therefore gaining publicity for the artist.

http://music--videos.weebly.com/purposes/synergy

Producers Strategies

A major record label is a label that works with mainstream artists, these producers have large budgets which means that they can promote their artist through more means of adverts however major record labels comes with many restrictions as some artists have scheduled tour dates and aren't allowed to do certain things.

One of the main attractions of a major record label is the amount of budget they have, this can aid artists to create and expand their creativity to its full potentials, the artists would be ensured that their overall image will look professional including professional advertising and production.

A major record label is formed as a contract, through the duration of your contract you are tied to the label, they will have creative control over you image and your music. With this limitation set in place the music you bring out has to be within their regulations and a example of your image taking a could be to forced act and maintain a persona and not be able to express how you feel i.e swearing or say certain words in a interviews.

A drawback of a major record label is their freedom being extremely limited in terms of tour dates, media interactions. A major record label will distribute your music, however all the money you earn will not entirely be yours, a certain percentage of your earnings will go to the record label

A major record label means that you may not always get the full attention you want, what i mean by this is signing to a major record label through a visual image shows that you are just another small fish in a big pond, if you do not produce the results you will not get the promotional support and support you deserve and in the long run potentially get kicked off the label.


Unsigned

This could refer to a freelance artist in terms of having the flexibility to control what they like.
One of the main reasons why artists remain unsigned could be due to the fact of not having enough money. Ways of promoting themselves include self promotion through word of mouth, social media such as Twitter, Facebook and Youtube. In terms of opportunities for medias such as radio, and tv interviews stand as very unlikely since unsigned usually do not have the links to these major services due to how small they are.

Drawbacks of unsigned artists include the budget you get, this could hinder the promotional side of things as music videos might not get desired outcome or to flex your creativity to its full potential due to money limitations. A reason why unsigned artists may not want to be signed is due to the restricts that may take place and other implications to do with their freedom.

styles and conventions

Narrative

Narrative music videos provides a story alongside the music, this is used in a variety of genres including romance, pop and hip-hop and, in terms of the visual the story can be off-beat or connected to the music. This can offer the audience an additional side of entertainment as people sometimes view a music video solely because of whats happening in it but not the song, this goes under artistic intellectual value. In addition to this a narrative music video can stand out from others and provide a personal treasure for some. Narrative music videos usually starts it arc from the beginning and develops a story until in ends near the end of the music video, this can aid both the music and the story simultaneously if the editor does a good job which when both factors aid each other hand in hand to create the production giving some audiences an experience they would music likely remember.

Performance

Performance  is a style of music video that allows a artist to perform live and to be shown on TV, there are many benefits of doing so one being that it enables the audience to see what it feels like to be at that particular artists concert, the energy and vibe he/she has and the overall feeling. A performance music video allows an audience to have an insight on the particulars artists fan-base, this allows them to make the decision if they belong or not. In terms of the satisfaction they gain from this, it shows the true artist at work instead of which some music videos not even even contain the artist who is singing.
An example of a live performance is Jay Z.

Animation

In an animation music video, the artist can be very creative when it comes to the content of the visuals, creation can be limitless and animation allows certain ideas to be express through ways only capable through animation. Animation allows the audience at home to become imaginative and with this animation does not require any form as it can adapt its own form such as having hints of combined performance and narrative together such as the music video for 'Gorillaz', with this being said some scenes cannot be performed as excelled as animation such as a gorilla rising from a tombstone and if it were possible it would stress the finical incentives for the record label.

A example of an animation music video is Aviicii waiting for love, in this music video, it tells a story in form of an animation with an interpretative storyline, the audience gains satisfaction through the engagement of both the song and the animation, though the story is a touching one it allow creates a emotional attachment for the audience and allows the content in whole to act as personal identification.

Interpretative 

Interpretive is a style of music video that follows what is happening on the screen, this is good if someone wants to deliver a story through the lyrics and reflecting it as movement and actions on screen. This may seem limited as you have to abide by the lyrics strictly however this is not the case as the producers can be creative with how they use this style.

An example of this is Lily allen's LDN, in this music video majority of it is performed in a interpretative style, she describes what she sees as she's walking down the streets of London, by showing the visual of happening the audience gets to experience what she means and it can be fascinating.

Conceptual

Conceptual music videos are based of the word concept', it for-fills its name from having a message sent across that can be interpreted in numerous ways, compared to narrative and performance it does have certain characteristics of both but it is in its own category, a conceptual music video usually ends with something that is unclear or unfinished from first viewing and it can leave a confused feeling after it. Conceptual music videos is a way for an artists creativity to be shown to its full extent, this allows fans to dwell deeper into the whole experience and provide something refreshing and different to other type of music videos. Conceptual music videos can stand its own ground as a visual stimulation or experience, this way it can be successful even though the music may not be the best.

Surreal

A surreal music video a style of music video that endorses creativity, its content tends to usually have a deeper meaning but most incorporate it as an artistic art form, the content as a whole is expressive and has much character being that it has no boundaries to what the video intended has to say/show. Surreal music videos can also stand alone as a individual art piece, it gains it audience by in which the use of distinctive ways of addressing certain ideologies into an art form.