Directors are a massive part of any music video and it is imperative that he/she is present if the vide is to be successful. Obviously, the director will have a prominent influence over the video and this doesn’t always have to reflect the song being performed in the video. Some examples of a director’s influence over how a music video is produced are videos directed by Hype Williams. He is extremely well known around the world because he produces a lot of good quality and highly successful music videos for a song in the style of hip-hop.
Where the video is set will reflect the tone of the song in most cases. For example, a song which sounds quite Caribbean may be set on a beach in order to perceive a laid back feeling. Also, you may set a video on a beach if the song which is accompanying the video is to be released in the summer, because a beach connotates being hot. In addition, a Caribbean song may be set in an urban, gritty area because in these areas there is a vast population of people who have roots in the Caribbean. An example of this is Misteeq’s video “Be with me” which is set in the Caribbean. Another method used to represent the tone of the song is the use of Symbolism and Colour. For example, if a song is to be release in the summer season the main colour seen in the video may be red because red has connotations of signifying heat.
Sometimes videos are produced which include a narrative that runs throughout the video. This can add meaning to the video and has been proven to be a successful method in order to sell the single to the audience. An example of hoe this can be used is in Eminem’s video for his single “Stan”. This video is based on the main character’s relationship between his idol and his girlfriend. In addition, personality is added to many modern videos in order to add meaning to them. The video will reflect the performer’s personality. One example of this is Avril Lavigne’s video for her debut single “Complicated”. As this was her first single she had released, the video is mostly about her personality and mischievous nature. In the video she is seen with a group of friends running around a shopping mall causing havoc, which reflects her personality because she is a rebellious person. Another example of the use of personality in a video is Tatu’s video for “All the things she said”. They kiss each other in the video because they are trying to show the audience that they are lesbians.
Technology and Sound Effects are used a lot in music videos to enhance the video and make the video seem ‘cooler’ and make the video appeal more to its target audience. This is a similar method which is utilised by many film makers because they want to make their film seem worth-watching and make it more enjoyable. Many music videos now also employ this tactic. Michael Jackson is the main example of an artist who uses technology and sfx to sell his single. He has produced the two most expensive music videos ever made; his solo record is for his single “Thriller” which cost $2 million dollars to make. Also, he holds the record for the most expensive video made for a duet when he produced the video for “Scream”, a single which he sung accompanied by his sister, Janet. This video is reported to cost around $5 million to make.
If an artist or bands are no longer together or alive then the record company may produce a video in the style of a montage to promote the single that they may have made before these rare circumstances. Another method which is rarely used to produce a promotional video is a one shot video. This means that there are no cuts made throughout the duration of the video. This is a method rarely used because the audience may find this type of video boring; therefore the video will not be promoted in a good manner. Finally, dance is a method employed by many videos in order to promote novelty songs in particular. One example of many of these types of videos is Jennifer Lopez’s video for her single “Love don’t cost a thing”.
In conclusion, there are many different ways that a promotional music video can be produced. However, these methods have to be successful in order to convince the audience to go and buy the single being promoted. I have only mentioned some of the ways a music video can be made, but these are the most commonly used methods.