how Pop Videos can be used to create a brand

Often artists are sold as a brand. The artists music video acts as a product of the brand, in the hope that the audience will be inspired to “buy into the brand”. For many synthetic artists their image is seen as more important than the quality of the product. However for organic artists it is the song/ meaning of the song that is seen as more important and the artists ‘image’ has little to do with the sale of the song. A good example of an artist who's product is more important than their image is Phil Collins where as a good example of where image is seen as more important is the Spice Girls.

The Spice Girls

In the mid-1990s,  Bob Herbert, Chris Herbert and Lindsey Casbon realised there was a gap in the market for a girl band and set about creating a girl group to fill this gap and compete with popular boy bands that dominated the pop music scene in the mid- to late-1990s such as Take That and the BackStreet Boys. In February 1994 Heart management placed an advertisement in the Stage trade magazine saying "WANTED: R U 18-23 with the ability to sing and dance? R U streetwise, outgoing, ambitious, and dedicated?" After 100's of auditions they decided that Melanie Brown, Melanie Chisholm , Emma Bunton , Geri Halliwell and Victoria Beckham would be perfect for this gap in the market. Shortly after forming, they were signed to Virgin records and in 1996 they released their debut single "wannabe".

Each spice girl were given nickname and a particular style which became their trade mark. Melanie Brown was "Scary Spice", Melanie Chisholm was"Sporty Spice", Emma Bunton was "Baby Spice", Geri Halliwell was"Ginger Spice"and Victoria Beckham was "Posh Spice". Each Spice Girl had a different style to appeal to a range of different audiences. Baby Spice had a very innocent sweet style, Sporty Spice had a very sporty/tomboy style etc. When appearing on American Tv their clothes were carefully chosen.Victoria wore a sophisticated slinky black number,Emma wore a baby pink dress, Mel B wore leopard-skin trousers, Geri wore red hot pants, top and bra and Mel C wore  her favourite Liverpool shirt and tracksuit bottoms.

The Spice Girls were sold to the world as a group of friends, just goofing off and making top-selling singles together.They were actually a carefully selected group of strangers chosen, after hundreds of auditions.They had endless merchandising and sponsorship deals, and were involved with everything from Pepsi ads to Polaroid ads to Barbie-style Spice Girls dolls.

 Everything about them was under the control of men or corporations. Geri Halliwell (“Ginger Spice”) almost didn't make it into the group, because she looked older than the other girls; when they asked her age, she reportedly said, “I’m as old as you want me to be. I’ll be 10 with big boobs if you want.”

The Spice Girls debut single "Wannabe" really established their brand. The video shows them as a group of friends with different styles and personalities having a good time. The lyrics of the song helped attract a strong female audience as they are singing about how "friendship never ends" and that "if you wannabe my lover you gotta get with my friends".

comparing two artists

To many artists image is important as it sets them aside of all the other artists and makes them unique. It helps them establish a brand which they can then sell. Lady Gaga is a good example of an artist whose artistic image is very important to her success, although she is talented if Lady Gaga did not have her controversial wacky image she would not have experienced the level of success she has. All of Lady Gaga's music videos a very high budget and some are like mini films.

However to the more organic artist the product is of most importance. Artists such as Adele and Ed Sheeran care little for the image yet are considered as some of the most successful artists in the world right now. This focus on the product sets them aside from many of the mainstream pop acts that are in the charts at the moment which acts as a unique selling point as there are very few mainstream acts who focus on the product. Adeles music videos are very plain and simple which allows the audience to focus on the music rather than the video. 

Possible Tracks

  The reason we are considering using this song is that its slow but has a strong beat which means editing would be easier. If we were to use this song our video would contain many flashbacks and have a narrative that matches with the song; the song is about a woman whose partner has left them and how that experience has made her stronger. We would have flashbacks of her relationship that would not only show the good times but also the bad. This would create a strong contrast between the negative and positive aspects of the relationship and help broadcast the message of the song. The amplified part of this video would be a dolly shot of the singer walking and singing into the camera (similar to Adele in the "someone like you" music video).

The reason we are considering this song is that it is catchy and the lyrics are suitable for a narrative based music video. It would also be a good song to use a theme that revolves around props (such as in mcfly's music video to "love is easy". Props are used throughout mcfly's video to express the lyrics in a creative way. I feel a similar video would be suitable for this song as it is a happy cute song about love. Throughout this video props would be a predominant feature. For example when the song goes "like a fish on a line" we could have a paper fishing rod with a fish on the end of the line. The downside to this idea would be that we would need to create a lot of props which considering our restriction on time and resources is unlikely to be doable.

The reason we are considering using this song is that is it extremely catchy and it has a strong beat. This style of music is becoming increasingly popular and is extremely refreshing. For this video we would use a forest as the location as the song is called "Garden" so a green, natural setting would be a strong idea. We would use an amplyfied shot of the artist walking through the trees curiously of the forest whilst lip syncing the song. Other possible shots we could use is a high angle shot from above the artist laying in down on the grass singing (similarly to the simple yet effective shot of Hayley Williams laying on many letters in Paramore's video to their song "the only exception").

The reason we are considering using this song is that the whole concept behind the song would be effective and easy to translate effectively into a music video. The song is about a women who was in a toxic relationship that ended badly. This song would be a good choice as we wouldn't necessarily need to have a male in the video as its not a love story. Possible shots we could use for this song would be a close up of the singer singing with a microphone (such as in Taylor Swifts music video for "mean". This song would also be ideal to lip sync too as its not too fast and the words are clear.

The reason we are considering this song is because the song is an alternative song which means we could use a band and have some of the video studio based. Also, as the song is called "On A Train" we could use an amplifying shot of the artist on a train and at the very beginning of the song before the music starts. The train could also symbolise the emotional journey the artist is going on.

First Production Meeting!

Today we started the process of planning our music video. We brainstormed all our ideas for our video, costume and props, themes and camera shots!

Andrew Goodwin: key features of music videos

In 1992 Andrew Goodwin wrote a book called "dancing in the distraction factory".which identified 5 key features that are used throughout music videos.

Goodwin believed that music videos demonstrate genre characteristics. He believed that the characteristics and the content of the music video depended on the genre of the music. For example if the artist was a girl/boy band the video would contain some choreographed dance routine and vivid colours.  Another example would be if the artist was rock/heavy metal the music video would stereotypically contain atleast some shots of the band performing and the crowd.

Iron Maiden

This video of Iron Maiden (who are one of the biggest metal bands in the world) demonstrates the genre characteristics of a metal video as it is a stage performance containing many close ups of the band playing instruments and many shots of the crowd. The colors in the video are also quite dull and dark. This proves that Goodwin's theory of key features in a music video are true as the video conforms to the typical convention.

Backstreet Boys - Everybody 

This video to Backstreet Boys "Everybody (backstreets back)" demonstrates the key characteristics of a boy/girl band music video as throughout the video Backstreet boys perform a well synced choreographed dance routine. The video also contains vivid colors and the dance at certain points can be classed as being quite sexual. This proves that Goodwin's theory of key features in a music video are valid as it conforms to the expected convention.

There are 3 ways in which a music videos are used to promote a song and create a relationship between lyrics and visuals.

Goodwin also believed that another stereotypical trait of music videos is that there is always a relationship between the lyrics of the song and the music video for that song.This relationship can either be: illustrative, amplifying or contradicting.

Illustrative ( Owl City Fireflies)

An illustrative relationship between lyrics and visuals refers to when the song lyrics are put in visual form by the use of images that illustrate the meaning of the lyrics and genre. This is the most common way to promote a song within a music video. A good example of an illustrative music video is Owl City and their video for "Fireflies". Owl city use illustrative ideas throughout this video. For example whenever the word fireflies is sung, fireflies are shown on screen. This shows a strong relationship between lyrics and visuals as it is an easy to distinguish the illustrative parts. 

Amplifying (Daniel Powter)

An amplyfied relationship is similar to repetition as the meanings and effects are manipulated and constantly shown through the music video and drummed into our vision. In this video the image that is repeated is Daniel Powter on the piano. Although there are many other scenes to this music video during the chorus it always cuts back to him playing the piano.  This is a good example of an amplyfied music video as after viewing the video, it becomes the most memorable part of the video. 

Contradicting - Muse Feeling Good

A contradicting relationship is when the song meaning is completely ignored. This is usually done to either emphasise on another meaning or to be more creative. A good example of a contradicting relationship in a music video is Muse's music video to "Feeling good". The song is about feeling good on a sunny day where as in Muse's video no one appears to be feeling good; everyone has a blank expression throughout the whole video. This is a good example of a contradicting relationship as the video practically expresses the opposite to the song.

Another stereotypical characteristic that Goodwin believed was evident in music videos is that the record labels demands will include the need for lots of close ups of the artists and that the artists may develop motifs which recur across their work. 

The 1975 - Sex

A good example of this is the band The 1975. The 1975's video to "sex" is in black and white. This visual style has became a motif to the band as this visual style is used in many of their other videos. Their videos also contain many close ups, particularly of the lead singer Matty Healy. The editing switches between close ups of him singing to long shots of the whole band. By using many close ups of the frontman of the band it appeals to the audience. 

Another stereotypical Characteristic that Goodwin believed is that music videos contain frequent reference to the notion of looking which can be evident in a number of different ways. Such as showing the artist looking at their phones/tvs, looking through telescopes and in particular the voyeuristic treatment of the female body. 

Busted - Air Hostess

A good example of where the notion of looking is present in a music video is Busted's video to Air Hostess. Throughout this video the "male gaze" is used frequently when the band members are checking out the air hostess. This is a good example of the voyeuristic treatment of the female body in regards to the notion of looking as the band members are looking at her in a sexual way, rather than looking at her face when shes talking they're looking at her breasts. 

The last stereotypical characteristic that Goodwin believed about music videos is that there is often an intertextual reference to other medias such as film.tv, other music videos etc. This is either done in a way that mocks the over video or a way thats just to have fun.

A good example of this is the Wanted's music video to their song she walks like Rihanna. The title itself is a intertextual reference at it refers to the female artist Rihanna. This video is a good example of intertextuality as constant references are made throughout the video. In one scene they are sitting near a car in dim lighting which is a recreation of the "back for good" video by Take That. Many of the shots from this video are recreations of the shots from Take That's video. For example there is a particular scene in both videos where water is seen traveling down their face. Also the same dull colour scheme is used.Both videos also have also been edited in the same way, as both use mainly slow motion shots.

History of the music video

During the 1940s, singer Bing Crosby became one of the western world's first major stars within the tv, film and music industry. One of his most famous songs to date is "White Christmas". He wrote this song in 1945 and later performed it in the film White Christmas in 1954. He also starred in many tv specials. Compared to today's celebrities, Crosby was pretty old. When he first found fame during the 1940's he was in his late 30's and early 40's. His age meant that , he never fully reached them as he wasn't what the younger generation of females found attractive. Although Crosby appeared on tv and film he rarely ever did shows which meant his fans never got the chance to see him live.

In the 1950's the "Bing Crosby era" came to an end and he was replaced with a young Frank Sinatra. Frank Sinatra was an American singer, actor, and filmmaker. He began his musical career in the swing era as a boy singer with Harry James and Tommy Dorsey. He first found success as a solo artist in the 1940' s after being signed by Columbia Records but it wasn't till the early 1950's, when he signed to Capitol records that he became world famous. He was very similar to Bing Crosby in the way he sang and appeared in film and television. However because Sinatra was younger and better looking he was able to connect with the female audience.Unlike Crosby, Sinatra used to perform live. However this wasn't a frequent occasion which meant fans had to rely on tv and film to see him.

During the late 50's Elvis Presley burst onto the scene and became one of the worlds biggest stars. Compared to the usual style of music people were listening to in the 50's Elvis was a breath of fresh air as his rock and roll style had never been seen before. Because of this Elvis had a massive influence on the way young people acted and dressed. He really changed the way young people were in general. Before Elvis, young people used to dress and act like their elders did. But after Elvis came on to the music scene the younger generation started to dress like him, many would even grease their hair just to look like him. When Elvis first appeared on tv they only showed him from just above the waist upwards as his dancing was deemed as to sexually inappropriate as he would thrust his hips. Elvis was the first artist who girls would scream over. Similarly to Crosby and Sinatra he starred in many films (such as the jailhouse rock), tv and he even did concerts. However, these concerts were only in the USA.


During the 60's the Beatles took the world by storm. They had a massive influence worldwide. After conquering the UK music scene they decided to take on America.  They first appeared on the Ed Sullivan show in 1964. This appearance had a record number of viewers and their fame rocketed. As a result of this they had a #1 hit in the US, which showed that they had done what many artists, even today struggle to do; appeal to the american audience. The Beetles had many onscreen appearances and were regularly seen on "Top of the Pops". Top of the Pops played a major role in the Beetles early successes as it allowed them to play their music on live television and gain exposure similarly to Elvis, many fans would copy the Beetles style by getting the same haircut and dressing the same. The Beetles were the first band to have such a large dedicated female audience. Whenever the band would  return to the country the airport would be televised and hundreds of fans would gather and wait just to get a glimpse of the band. They were also the first artist ever to play a major stadium.

First Music Video

However, eventually the screams of the fans got too loud and started to prevent them from performing to the best of their ability as the screams were so loud they struggled to hear themselves play. This lead to creation of the first ever music video.The Beetles decided to record a short film of them performing the song "paperback Writer" and sent it all over the world for fans to see. Although this music video was created many years ago, it formed the basis for all music videos and many of the concepts used are still seen in music videos today!

Foo Fighters Animatic

Our task was to watch the first 40 seconds of the Foo Fighters music video "the Pretender". Then we had to storyboard each different camera shot and calculate how long each one was. Then we had to take pictures of each shot and upload them to the macs. Then we had to upload them into Adobe premiere along with the original foo fighters video which we placed in the corner of the screen.Our task was then to match up each shot from the original video with the story boarded shots. Once finished we then exported the video and uploaded it to YouTube.

By doing this we learned that in order for a music video to be of a good quality many different camera shots and edits are needed. Te pretender contained around 19 different camera shots within the first 40 seconds.We also learnt how to use the basics of Adobe Premier. I also learnt that music videos should have many different shots and angles.

Editing a music video is completely different to editing a thriller as although a thriller may need to be in a faster pace music videos need more edits and camera shots as it needs to maintain the audiences attention for a short period of time and keep the audience interested.Thrillers need longer camera shots as they are telling a story over a longer period of time.