History of music videos

Music videos in the 21st century are vastly easier to access that they have ever previously been due to the development of computers etc and the progression of many other technologies. Music videos are used as a representation and a form of promotion for the artist as well as the song that it accompanies. It also integrates a song with a story and gives a deeper insight into the lyrics and concept that they are trying to convey to the audience. It also acts as a source of promotion for the artist as well as the single/album as it entices the audience to watch the videos and therefore the songs that they have produced. It is also used to create a 'hype', for example Kanye West 'Bound 2' whose video create a stir in the media for the wrong reasons, however                

the media coverage has lead it to reach 
11,294,435 views on youtube. Although         music videos were invented before the 
1980's this is when they can into prominence as the pop genre was founded as well as many other artists who targeted their music at a wider audience than any other. 

The development of technology and internet access has made music videos more accessible to a wider audience. Due to this, music videos have developed using larger budgets and more advanced technology. It has lead to music videos being more interesting for fans and viewers as well as create more of a hype. The creation of youtube in 2005 has heightened this and was seen as a revolution where music videos were concerned. Youtube has allowed people to view and listen to songs that they may not have heard before and has also been used as a platform for new artists to promote their music. 

                                                     Other way audiences consume music videos: 

                                                      -  Youtube 
                                                      -  TV (Music channels) 
-  Twitter 
-  Facebook
-  Tumblr 
-  Smart phone 
-  Instagram 
-  Spotify                       

Research Into Record Labels

Major record labels are defined as large companies within the music industry that may also own smaller record labels.

An example of the major record labels that dominate the music industry are:

• Universal Music Group (part of EMI's recorded music devision absorbed into UMG)

Artists that they manage include:
- Akon
- Demi Lovato
- Ellie Goulding
- Eminem
- Kanye West
- Keri Hilson
- Mariah Carey
- Nicki Minaj

Other Labels that they manage in the US:
- Interscope Geffen A&M
- The Island Def Jam Music Group
- Capitol Music Group
- Republic Records
- Universal Music Group Nashville
- Decca Label Group
- The Verve Music Group
- Astralwerks Records
- Blue Note Records
- Universal Music Enterprises
- A&M/Octone
- Show Dog - Universal Music

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• Sony Music Entertainment (EMI Music Publishing absorbed into Sony/ATV Music Publishing)

Artists that they manage include:
- Paloma Faith
- Miley Cyrus
- Britney Spears
- Justin Timberlake
- Michael Jackson
- Labrinth
- John Legend
- Avril Lavigne

Other Labels that they manage:
- Columbia Records
- RCA Records
- Epic Records

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• Warner Music Group (EMI's Parlophone and EMI/Virgin Classics label absorbed into WMG)

Artists that they manage include:
- Kylie Minogue
- Ray Charles
- Wale
- TI
- B.o.B
- Birdy
- Wiz Khalifa
- Sheryl Crow

Other Labels that they manage:
- Atlantic Records Group
- Warner Bros. Records Group
- Rhino Entertainment
- Parlophone Label Group
- Warner Music Nashville
- Warner Classics

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• The EMI Group

Artists that they manage:
- Coldplay
- David Bowie
- Lily Allen
- Republic

Other Labels that they manage:
- Blue Note Label Group
- Capitol Music Group
- Caroline Distribution
- EMI Christian Music Group
- Virgin Music Group

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Independent labels can be just as successful as major labels but operate from a smaller company base. They are traditionally known as offering more 'organic' music rather than manufactured mainstream. 

Examples of Independent labels in the UK: 

• Andmoresound:  Andmoresound was an independent record label based in Glasgow, Scotland, managed and operated by musician and businessman, Lindsey Boyd. It was named in homage to the song "Andmoreagain" by the band Love. Andmoresound was responsible for launching several Scottish indie pop and indie rock bands including Boyd's own group Mac Meda. Most notable signing was another band Boyd occasionally plays in, indie pop group Camera Obscura, a band who would find greater success on the Elefant Records and Merge Records labels. Mac Meda's debut single, "My Favourite Trashcan" claimed NME 's 'Single of the Week' title on its release.

Artists that they manage: 

- Camera Obscura 

- Tacoma Radar 

- Mac Meda  

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• Blue Dog Records: Blue Dog Records was an independent London record label located in offices above the original Barfly Club (The Falcon, Camden). Started in 1997 by Nick Moore and Jeremy Ledlin it was licenced and distributed by Richard Branson’s V2 Records, and had a mostly guitar band roster of artists. Many of the acts who released their first singles on Blue Dog were then snapped up by bigger labels, with Sona Fariq signing to Warners, Contempo signing to London, Murry the Hump signing to Beggars Banquet, and Crashland to Independiente/Sony. The label dissolved in 2000 due to funding cuts from V2 Records and the label's main artist The Crocketts transforming into The Crimea. Moore set up short lived online label Animal Noise that continued to work with Alchemicals, The Disorientee and also released records by Baby Bird & Carina Round.

Artists that they manage: 

- The Crocketts 

- Daytona 

- Contempo 

- Sona Fariq 

- Super J Lounge 

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• Creation Records: Creation Records was a British independent record label headed by Alan McGee. Along with Dick Green and Joe Foster, McGee founded Creation in 1983. The name came from the 1960s band The Creation,whom McGee greatly admired. McGee, Green and Foster were also in the band Biff Bang Pow!, which was also the title of a The Creation song. The label was revived at one point in 2011 for the release of a compilation album, Upside Down, spanning songs from the label. The label ceased operations in 1999.

Artists that they manage: 

- Oasis 

- My Bloody Valentine 

- Teenage Fanclub 

- The Cramps 

- Medicine 

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Consider the following questions:

1.    Is it right from a music point of view as well as an industry point of view that 4 companies dominate the music industry?

2.    What affect do you think this has on the industry?

3.    Are Independent labels as successful as major labels, how do you judge this?

4.    Is there anything that independent labels offer the industry that the majors do not?

Planning editing styles

By combining a range of different shots, cuts and transitions together is allows the audience to follow the narrative, understand a concept and witness an artist perform. Editing is a very important aspect to consider when making our music video as it allows our production to flow more easily between shots. This allows our audience to follow and understand our narrative rather than being confused by a diverse style music video such as Gondry or Cunningham. 

We have decided that fast paced editing is the most appropriate technique to employ within our music video due to the conventions of the dance/house genre that we have used. This specific genre is known for its beats and music rather than the lyrics and we therefore felt it was important to reflect this within the editing that we chose to use throughout the video. It will lead to an increased pace and in turn an create the correct pace of events throughout the narrative. Fast paced editing is also more complex and will lead the audience to have a more exciting and thrilling viewing experience and we hope that this will leave a longer lasting impression. This editing style we will use in the flashbacks of the relationships in order to give a sense that it is almost their life together flashing before his eyes, as well as representing how quickly it is all over. This will further emphasise the emtions of the loss that he is experiencing as well as being an emotion that the audience can relate too. Furthermore, it will also match the chaos and drama that we wish to create when the car crash happens, we felt that slower paced editing would detract from the panic that we would like the audience to feel as the events are unfolding. 

However due to the nature of our narrative we will employ areas of slower paced editing to convey the emotions of the story line and the characters that are shown. This will be used in the graveyard scenes where the artist is visiting the grave of his lost loved one. This will contrast the more upbeat flashbacks that we have chosen to include and therefore evoke the correct emotion from the audience as they are lead through the ups and down of the relationship.

Planning cinematography

Cinematography consists of the camera shots and angles that are used throughout the music video. Without the use of cinematography there would not be a music video at all and it therefore a hugely crucial aspect of creating our music video and therefore very important to incorporate it successfully. Our group meetings therefore consisted of planning cinematography in detail to decide upon which shots that we will use to create the correct effect for our production. 

Establishing Shot: 

We will use an establishing shot to set the scene of each location that we use within the video and to provide context. It is the only shot that can show the audience the setting, what characters are involved and more complex backgroud and foreground details in a single shot. It will make it easier for the audience to understand the following events; as well as to serve the purpose of linking each location together so that they flow more smoothly and therefore make a more professional looking music video. 

An example of this is the establishing shot of the graveyard that our character visits throughout the music video. This is an important location to the narrative and by introducing it to the audience it highlights its importance as well as adding a sense of foreboding.

Mid shot:

The mid shot shows some part of the subject in more detail, whilst still showing enough for the audience to feel as if they were looking at the whole subject. In fact, this is an approximation of how you would see a person "in the flesh".

We have many midshots within the sequence when the subject is not showing much emotion or intense concentration. For example we have used this when the character is walking through the graveyard with the intent to deliver information which in this case is the setting of the graveyard and background context as there is no speech involved within a music video. This neutral shot also allows room for hand gestures and movement which we have accompanied with a panning shot to track the movement of the male.

Close Up:

We have followed the mid shot with a close up which is where a certain feature or part of the subject takes up most of the frame and is usually a close up of their face. They are useful for showing detail and emphasised the characters emotional state. 

The use of this camera shot allows us to present the audience with the reactions and emotions of the subject to show the mourning that he is going through when visiting his loved one. This will allow the audience to connect with the character and build a relationship as well as putting themselves in the situation. This will also continue to help them grasp and understand the narrative that we have chosen to follow for our music video.

Low angle:

We have decided to encorporate many different camera angles within our music video to represent the highs and lows of the relationship that posseses our narrative. An exmaple of this for example is the use of a low angle shot showing the couple in a pub with the city sky line behind them. This is used to show that this moment that has been captured is at a time where the relationship was going well and shows them as having higher authority as the camera is placed slightly below them. We also decided to position the girl at a higher situation (sitting on the wall with the boy looking up) to show that she is of higher importance than the boy in his eyes (as the narrative tells his story).

Eye level:

The majority of our camera shots positioned in this way as it is a fairly neutral shot where the camera is positioned as though it is a human actually observing a scene, so that eg actors' heads are on a level with the focus. This is more practical for telling a story to show the different events clearly without confusing the viewer. This is important wihin a music video that is narrative based (such as ours) and is therefore why we decided to use this shot within our production.

Settings:

Graveyard: We have used a graveyard within our music video as a large part of the narrative shows the mourning of the main character to provide a sense of foreboding. We therefore chose to use a graveyard as it holds the connotations of death, mourning and sadness. This we felt would therefore be appropriate to reflect the emotions of the character and therefore make the audience aware of the sad story that we are conveying through the music video.

Iconography used within the scene:

- Flowers: These are used when the character is paying his respects to the loved one that he as lost to show the intense emotion that he is feeling. It is also very conventional to what the audience would expect to see in a graveyard and helps them to follow the narrative as we are complying to what they would expect to see.

- Grave stones: This audience would expect to see these in the setting of the graveyard that we have chosen and therefore makes it more believable that this is a real occuring event that is taking place.

- The sun: The sun can be seen shining in each of the shots that we used of the graveyard to represent the lyrics 'the sun dont shine without you'. Although it contradicts the words it represents the fact that she is still there although she is absent physically. It helps to link the visuals with the lyrics and therefore follows Goowins theory.

Pub: We have filmed the couple in a pub to show the happy times of their relationship. This is an appropriate setting to show the two characters having fun and in love as it is something that many couples would go and do together. This will therefore be easy for our target audience to relate too and in turn keep them interested in the narrative.

Iconography used within the scene:

- Glasses: We encorporated drink glasses within the setting of the pub to make it seem more realistic as it is what the audience would expect to see.

We plan on including some different locations such as footage from a club etc to link the narrative with the genre of Dance/House as this is what our music video seems to be lacking. The settings that we have used to date are not conventional to the music genre however do link to the lyrics of the song. By going against the conventions of what the audience expect we hope that it will add further to the attraction of the music video and therefore entertain them.