Music Video Directors: Hype Williams

Music Videos Styles

Music Videos and Representations

Major and Minor Labels

universal music group:

·       it's American based but French owned

·       'largest music corporation in the world' and the largest of the 'big 4', that also own Capitol music group and Def Jam recordings

·       founded in 1934

·       worth over $6.5 billion

·       some of their biggest artists include from various labels owned by universal: Justin Bieber, Fall Out Boy, Kanye, JayZ, Kendrick Lamar, Rihanna, Ludacris, Frank Ocean, Big Sean, Amerie, Ashanti.

·       they promote their music across a wide array of formats and platforms. they have multiple social networking sites for their artists as well as their own individual sites. they have a partnership with vevo to premiere the artists music videos. make sure their cd's are available digitally and physically in stores. plenty of merchandise available online as well as their tours. they team up with upcoming movies and have their artists make songs featured on the soundtrack. eg - Justin Bieber and Never Say Never.

xl recordings:

• is an independent British label
• founded in 1989
• has grown into one of the worlds most influential independent labels
• worth around £21 million

• artists include: Adele, Tyler the Creator, FKA Twigs, MIA, Vampire Weekend, The xx, Radiohead, Dizzee Rascal, Azealia Banks, Jungle
• unlike Universal, they give their artists more freedom as they believe they know how they would like to market and present themselves - seen as 'breaking the rules'
• Artists such as Adele really helped to raise awareness to the label as her album sales were through the roof

Andrew Goodwin - Music Videos

Iconic Music Videos

Thriller by MJ 1983

•  The 14 minute long horror spoof was released on December 2, 183. It was directed by John Landis

• "The Thriller video sent album sales into orbit, with Jackson's label Epic reportedly shipping a million copies a week in its immediate aftermath."

• Trudy Bellinger - "It was really groundbreaking to have such a long video, and it helped to shape the future of music videos, which previously had been more performance-based." 

• In January of 2010 it was classed a national treasure by the Library of Congress, the first music video to be admitted into the National Film Registry. They named Thriller as “the most famous music video of all time”

There is a definite relationship between the lyrics and visuals throughout. 

MES: costumes are a big part of the video - the famous red jacket that had become apart of MJ's image as he wore as similar one in other videos like Beat It, all the horror costumes for the zombies/monsters

lighting/setting -  a part of the iconography is the famous la theatre, the rest is filmed in the street, haunted house and graveyard. dark lighting throughout the second half of the video as it gets scary. Lots of smoke to complete the ghoulish, cold and creepy atmosphere.makeup - horror sfx and masks, without this it wouldn't have been a thriller!

Sound: lots of dialogue between Michael and Ola Ray,and narrative by Vincent Price,

 incidental music, diegetic sound, soundtrack / synchronous.

Camerawork: Long shot is used as they walk down the street and he's playing around. Also a two shot as it is just Michael and Ola Ray. Close up when Michael is teasing the girl to show they're laughing and their close relationship. Wide shot is used when the most iconic and known dance routine of all time is shown. Another close up to show Michael's transformation into a zombie and of the other zombie dancers. Multiple close ups are shown when the zombies rise from the ground, of their hands and coffins. 

Editing: the beginning is fairly slow as they're either talking or walking down the street. When the music begins and Michael starts dancing the editing pace picks up. When the music becomes more upbeat, the editing matches. The angles switch up during the dance routine such as high and low so you see all the moves clearly.

New blog!

Welcome to my new blog for A2 Media
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