Top Ten Music Videos of All Time

10. Nirvanna - Smells Like Teen Spirit - 1991

9. Madonna - Vogue - 1990

8. The Verve - Bittersweet Symphony - 1997

7. Michael Jackson - Billie Jean - 1983

6. Robbie Williams - Rock DJ - 2000

5. Madonna - Like a Prayer - 1989
Madonna's 'Like A Prayer' in 1989 was a very famous video. Most of her videos flirted with religious imagery but no more than this one. Mary Lambert was the director and wanted this to be religious and sexual. John Landis described this music video like 'cleavage with a crucifix'. This was a parable story for children where Leon Robinson played the 'black jesus'. Madonna's character witnessed a crime and the black man was arrested but she was scared to tell anyone even though she had seen everything and knew he was innocent due to being threatened by the criminal. She goes to church to pray for guidance and the statue who was intended to be a saint comes to life and makes love to her. This was Robinson and people viewed him as playing Jesus. This caused the cancellation of a massive sponsorship deal. Madonna herself however kept $5 million. At the end of the video she goes to release him.


4. Queen - Bohemian Rhapsody - 1975
Queen's 'Bohemian Rhapsody' in 1975 written by Freddie Mercury himself about nothing; he wanted to see how far he could go with writing a song about nothing at all and it worked. The video was directed by Bruce Gowers and was a recreation of their 2nd album cover but a moving version. The video was a visual interpretation of the lyrics and used a multifacid prism to create the effect of having 6 of Freddie on the screen. They began filming just after 7pm and finished by 10:30pm. The video ensured that the song was at number 1 for 9 weeks.



3. A-ha - Take on Me - 1985
Number 3 is A-ha's 'Take on me' 1985. This won the MTV video awards and is about a girl in an Eastenders style cafe. The video had a storyline to it and she was reading a newspaper of motorcycles which Steve Barron, the director, had read a comic book on once and it had stuck in his mind. In the video the phallic hand rises from the newspaper pulling her into the newspaper with the man and she becomes part of the comic. This took 3 months to make and 1400 drawings. People wondered how they switched from making them real people in the frames to cartoon drawings and this sold millions of copies.


2. Peter Gabriel - Sledgehammer - 1986
 Sledgehammer consists of extensive animation and was famous for its time, the animation is remarkable and it was an experiment of cinema and relentless using animation.  It was designed to hold up after many viewings and won 9 MTV music awards.

1. Michael Jackson - Thriller - 1983 -
'Thriller' by Michael Jackson, was a music video which TV channels cleared their schedules for premier showings of this video and the documentary of the making of the video. Michael jackson was a jahovas witness and this religion were adimant that thriller shouldnt be produced and featured as it promotes satanism, the record company and the jahovas witness' came to an agreement, one that was key to thriller being allowed to be made as Jackson was a devoted witness, Thriller must release a staement from Michael Jackson, one that read;

"Due to my strong personal convictions, i wish to stress that this film  in no way endorses a belief in the occult"

This was not enough to satisfy Thriller mania and when the public were in clubs and the dj would play the Thriller video everyone would stop on the dancefloor for the 9 minutes it was playing and just watch it. It was very captivating. Michael had seen 'An American Werewolf in London' and became taken with the morphing and contacted John Landis, the director of Thriller, and told him he wanted to morph into a monster. The video was like a movie and changed what could be done with a music video. Jackson known for his iconic dance moves created a routine that the world will follow for many years after. This was the biggest ever music video in history and everybody wanted to watch it. The awakening of the zombie dance was accompanied with Vincent Price's Horror movie 'rap'. Michael sold 50 million copies and was a huge success and it cost $700,000 but it was money worth spent. Michael become the biggest man in showbiz and everyone wanted to know him and have the key story of the moment and Michael was something different altogether. After this video people would anticipate his other videos and become eager to watch them. Michael jackson was  credited as the King Of Pop years after, and was an entertainment phenomenon!

Production Schedule

Production Schedule Location Visit Sheet Programme Title: Tony Henry – Stuck In The Ghetto Client: Tony Henry Writer: Billy Baldry Producer: Kyle Tanner Director: Billy Baldry Date: 13/12/2013

Rough Sketch/Explanation of location and key points to consider Access to location via: Car, buss and walking Name and number of location contact: Kyle - 07970631369

Health and Safety Issues: ●      Stay out of the buss lanes/road whilst filming ●      General house hazards, stairs etc ●      Try to find a spot of high ground in order to place un used equipment in order to prevent thef ●      Filming in a suspicious area, have to be aware at all times!

Potential Filming Problems:: ●      People not showing up to film ●      Illnesses ●      House maybe crowded ●      Bad weather, might not be able to film outside ●      Camera equipment malfunctioning         Access to certain props and costumes e.g. shisha pen

Additional Notes:  (map of area/weather forecast etc) 5 day weather forecast of Romford between 21st of Jan to 25th of Jan.

Costumes and Props

Costumes and Props

Character Name:	Billy Baldry (Tony Henry)
Costume: All black with basketball trainers.	Props: Mobile Phone Guitar
Character Name:	Kyle
Costume: Grey tracksuit, this is due to it being his house Tony Henry goes to.	Props: Beer Glass
Character Name:	Michael
Costume: Casual, jeans and trainers nothing fancy.	Props: Beer Glass Shisha Pen

Character Name:	Corey
Costume: Casual, bit more of a retro look.	Props: Mobile Phone TV Remote
Character Name:	Buss Driver
Costume: Buss uniform.	Props: The buss
Character Name:	Job Centre Rep
Costume: Smart, office wear.	Props: -

Shot List

Treatment

Treatment

Group Roles Cinematography: Kyle Mise-en-scene: Billy Sound: Michael Editing: Kyle & Billy

Title: Tony Henry – Stuck In The Ghetto Tag Line:

Synopsis: The video portrays a lost souls ability to cope with the struggles of daily life, with things not going for him the actor (Billy Baldry) (mimicking Tony Henry) is trying to make the best out of a day “in the ghetto” therefore having a complete attachment to the lyrics giving the audience direct contact with his feelings and emotions.

Key Genre Conventions: Conventions include, a dull depressing feel to the video but the video lightens up towards the end, this will be done by including many close up for the beginning and longer shots to establish the scene. But later on in the video the joy in made clear and medium shots of what the gang are doing allows the viewers to be en capsulated in the motion that they are viewing.

Shooting Schedule

Shooting Schedule

    Day                       scene                  location                equipment              costumes                   props            cast and crew

Risk Assessment

Health and Safety Issues: ●      Stay out of the bus lanes/road whilst filming ●      General house hazards, stairs etc ●      Try to find a spot of high ground in order to place un used equipment in order to prevent theft ●      Filming in a suspicious area, have to be aware at all times! f       Avoid general public as much as possible

Contingency Plan

Lip Sync Evaluation

What have you learned about filming music videos?

I have learnt that while filming music videos, it is really important that that the lyrics are literally sung, even if one may not be able to sing good. If they do not sing the lyrics, It will not look like they are singing because for an example if you watch someone whisper the lyrics of a song and then sing the song it would not look the same.
What have you learnt about filming duets?

I have learnt that if one person hasn't really learnt the song, they might still be able to pull it off but you will be able to tell that there is no enthuses or action on as they are singing the lyrics. So the music video could be ruined.

Describe the process of editing?

We filmed from 3 different angles. Then we we put them as layers on each other and chose which parts we would choose what parts we want from each layer. We also had to make sure the song was in time with the people in the video so it would look right.

What have you learnt about editing music videos?

I have learnt that it is very important that you edit to the beat. My group managed to not do it that much and during the beginning, the editing was too slow. The song was upbeat for most of it so the editing should also be quite and fast.

In what ways could you improve the filming/editing of the sequence?
I could have improved by editing more to the beat.

Conformation

My chosen artist is a singer called Tony Henry, he has collaborated with artists such as Chamillionaire and Bun B. In order to get his permission I had to contact his agent via twitter then via email in order to get confirmation, I am very excited to be using his music as I listen to it often and he's very talented! Thanks to Brittany his agent for all her help.

Artist Profile - Tony Henry

A free-spirit passionate about creating up-lifting, encouraging and inspiring music is the only way to describe Tony Henry. Genres: Soul, Jazz mainly with Hip-Hop and pop thrown in. Where is he from? Houston, Texas Why? Tony’s original sound is reminiscent of music legends like Sam Cook, Bob Marley, & Terrance Trent Darby. Inspired by such artists as Sade, Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye, and Michael Jackson, he has written a collection of songs and sings covers from many different genres,this is one reason why he appealed to me. Accolades Tony’s ability is ever-present and this awarded him the privilege of recording with Grammy award winning artist Chamillionaire, an appearance at the Essence Music Festival 2012 at the Mercedez-Benz Superdome in New Orleans alongside platinum recording artist Carl Thomas, as well as appearances on BET’s 106 & Park, Great Day Houston, the world famous Apollo Theater in New York, and the new Aspire TV Network also a bit closer to home he and has performed at Houston’s top music venues - Wortham Center, Miller Outdoor Theater, House of Blues, Red Cat Jazz Café, Verizon Wireless Center, and Arena Theater. Information gathered from: http://tonyhenrymusic.moonfruit.com/#/home/4539085818 http://www.reverbnation.com/tonyhenry

"Soulful. Stirring. Passionate. Alluring. These words poignantly describe the effect of Tony Henry's artistry. In 2008, these very words even set the backdrop to advance the romantic journey of my husband and I on our way down the aisle. 'I'm trying to write about it; been trying to figure it out. I just can't seem to put my finger on it. You're strangely beautiful - so pure and magical. I look in your eyes and I see destiny.' - "Something About You", The Soul Experience

'So much blood is spilled, another soul is killed...not too far are we from judgment day, so we need righteousness...The time is come for no more broken hearts; the winds of change are in the angel's wings.' - "Righteousness", The Soul Experience

The year was 2003 and independent soul artist Tony Henry embarked upon a new chapter in his life -- music. After discovering his natural and innate talent for singing and songwriting, Henry desired to take it to the next level. "I came to Houston and landed in Third Ward - where I performed here and there [until] someone handed me an acoustic guitar, to add a little extra something to my a capella [performances]."

And the rest was history. Henry, after creating a groundswell following developed from performing at small venues throughout Houston, went on to record his debut The Soul Experience in 2008. With tender, gritty and smooth low-, mid- and up-tempo grooves sprinkled throughout the LP, each listener gets a taste of the days of old soul, reminiscent of Sam Cooke, Marvin Gaye and Terrence Trent D’Arby combined. Similar to these trailblazers in rhythm and blues, Tony has a keen ability to touch the soul of his audience. Hits like “Lil Birdy”, “Every Now and Then”, and “Stuck in the Ghetto” truly embody Henry’s uncanny lyrical ability to be raw yet delicate, underscored by melodic acoustic chords. “[There is this] sensitivity that I have – that I can passionately express my emotions through singing…my music. Just noticing the effect it has on people – it makes them feel good.”

This effect, which can be utterly stunning, led to opportunities to work with Carl Thomas, Bernard Freeman (nee’ Bun B of UGK), David Winans and Chamillionaire, which ultimately landed him a short-lived deal with a label. Not one to pursue the fringe elements of the music industry, Tony has always focused on the music. “It is [not] really my dream to be famous and rich – but really have a voice that can connect with others. Universal has exposed my music to the masses…I just want to reach people. I want that more than the fame or the money. [I am] also doing it [as] inspiration to others, people with big dreams. It’s a beautiful thing [to live my dream].”

Henry continues to share his passion for music with others via intimate soul-stirring performances at venues throughout the nation. His upcoming live set is tonight, Thursday, October 24, 2013 as the opening act for Glenn Jones and Howard Hewitt in Baton Rouge, Louisiana at BREC Airline Highway Park. Tony also plans to release a sophmore project in 2014. For more information about Tony Henry’s music, visit his artist site or follow him on Facebook."

This was an article taken from examiner.com, it was wrote in October 2013 and outlines the artist we are using for the music video. It explains what Tony looks for while creating music and how he wants to do it. Furthermore it contains quotes from the artist himself giving us an insight into his personality, attitude and genre of music.

Our Music Sample

Our Music!

Tony Henry - Stuck In The Ghetto - Lyrics

I got a degree ( Yeah )
But my felony wont let me get a job
(That's what i'm talking)
Life is so hard
(Real hard baby)
And just today somebody stole my car and the bus don't run my way
(It's messed up man whatcha gonna do?)
I think i'll walk the street today
It seems like i'm stuck in the ghetto, ghetto, ghetto
(Feel that baby)
Sometimes it seems like i'm stuck, i'm in the ghetto
But I've got love for the ghetto, ghetto
(That's real baby)
When I go to my friends
Now they opened arms they greet me 'n' let me in
'What's up Tony baby? Let's go do something, let's go drink something, huh?, its all good
And every day we just dream and sceem and drink out lots of way
(Try to get behind this walls baby)
I think I'll fly the sky today
It seems like i'm stuck (stuck baby)
in the ghetto, ghetto, ghetto
Sometimes it seems (It's real Tony)
like i'm stuck, i'm in the ghetto (It's all good mayne)
But I've got love for the ghetto, ghetto (Yeah we gonna be all good babe)
But every time I seem to keep my feet on the ground

 

100 Greatest Music Videos

98. Bronski Beat/ Small Town Boy/ 1984

96. So Solid Crew/ 21 Seconds/ 2001

95. The Cardigans/ My Favourite Game/ 1998

90. Herbie Hancock/ Rockit/ 1983

88. Elton John/ I Want Love/ 2001

87. Talking Heads/ Once In A Lifetime/ 1981

85. My Way/ Sid Vicious/ 1979

80. Radiohead/ Just/ 1995

79.  New Order/ True Faith/ 1987

78. Godley and Creme/ Cry/ 1985

73. Basement Jaxx/ Where's Your Head At?/ 2001

69. Frankie Goes To Hollywood/ Two Tribes/ 1984

66. Bob Dylan/ Subterranean Homesick Blues/ 1965

63. George Michael/ Outside/ 1998

Vox Pop

This is our Vox Pop questioning people on their views of music videos

Vox Pop Evaluation

The purpose of the research conducted was to gain an insight on members of the public's opinion on music and how it affects their life's.These were the questions which we asked:

• Do you watch music videos?

• What is your favourite music videos?

• What make a great music video?

• What do you like about music videos?

• What types of media do you use to watch music videos?

The questions that we used, were very easy to understand. This was good as everyone could understand the question so much that they can easily understand it. But on the other hand, we can also say the questions are too simplistic. In a sense this has effected some of the answers given. For an example, when we asked "What is your favourite music video?" Some people would say just say the music video and nothing more. But what we really want to know is why they like it so much. Therefor it would have been even better if we changed the question to "What is your favourite music video?"and w hy is it your favourite m sic video. Achiving this would have lead to more of the answers being more developed.As there was only 3 members of our group, we found it sometimes time consuming to get more people to answer the questions. When we first started filming the pop vox, we had trouble remembering exactly were the person answering the question was standing. This lead to us putting an object on the floor so the people answering the questions will know where to stand. When we would press play on the video camera, the video camera would move a little bit and you could see in the video that the camera was shaking. To eliminate this error, we tightened it more onto the tripod. This lead to us avoiding any movement we didn't need. 

Question 1 was, "Do you watch music videos?" this allowed us to have a understanding about whether they watched music videos or not and  would give the basis to ask more complicated questions. In addition to that I feel that this question would allow people to be eased into the questions we were about to ask.

Question 2 was, "What is your favourite music video?" This gave a personal touch, when asking people to reiterate information to you, you want to make them feel as comfortable as possible so that the information you receive is true and accurate. Furthermore asking a wide range of people will give a wide range of answers e.g. people of a higher age generally seem to talk about music from 'their' generation where as people who are 17 -18 will tend to relate to video being made from 2000's onwards, this further allows us to categorise different ranges and have a mean genre per generation and to find out the general key conventions they liked .

Question 3 was, "What makes a great music video?" This question gives people the chance to express what they like. A great music video will tend to have a positive effect on the person answering the question so listening to them and getting information on a videos may not come into the interviewers head as 'a great music video'. This variation of replies will give the vox pop a balanced answer scheme and give the survey some purpose. This question still allows the interviewee to give an opinionated answer as it is still their opinion of great music videos as there are no absolute conventions to make a music video

Question 4 was, "What type of media do you use to watch music videos?" We asked this question because we know how the use of media is changing. With online platforms like YouTube and Vimeo music videos are available whenever you are online added with the improved speed of phone signals (4G) and internet speeds (50mb +) "buffering" is no longer a lingering problem. Also with the addition of services like TeVo by Virgin Media which allows you to get music videos straight to your home TV. The hardware we watch music videos has also changed, instead of watching them on TV, the introduction of smart phones and iPads the music video has become portable.

The End of the Music Channel?

With competition from a variety of online platforms, music channels are no longer the stronger promotional platforms they once were. In many ways the music video channel is in danger of becoming defunct and irrelevant. Online streaming and downloads mean that music videos are instantly accessible .

Extension of outlets

-Music channel
-Direct DVD and CD sales
-Website
-Download

Star Theory - Richard Dyer

Stars as Constructions

Dyer believes artists are constructed through artificial images such as advertising, films, magazines and music. He claims that consumers prefer artists to convey their true emotions themselves and not be groomed by record labels who try to create a fake image for them. A 'real' artist can use this as their unique selling point.

Industry and Audiences

Richard Dyer also believes that stars are manufactured to make money for their record labels by appealing to target audiences. As a result of this record labels have to cater different artists for certain target audiences as there are both niche and whole markets. Examples of record labels doing this can be seen through Mirror branding, both Rage Against The Machine and Joe McElderry are signed to Sony Music.

Ideology And Culture

Another one of Dyers beliefs within his Star Theory is that artists become trendsetters in the sense that audience members will imitate hairstyles and artists clothing styles. Artist may have certain religious beliefs and cultural values that audiences may also pick up on if shard by the artist. The internet has meant audiences now have far greater access to the 'personal' lives of stars.

Character and Personality

Presented as 'real' human beings, Stars support hegemony/dominant ideology of their time/generation - glorified versions of 'us'. Stars are representations of the contradictions/reinforced ideas of the music industry.

Creating a Brand

Often artists or groups are sold as a brand and the music video act as products of the brand, in the hope that the audience will be inspired to "buy into the brand". For some artists the "image" is of greater importance than the quality of the product. The Spice Girls are a good example of this. Other times it is the song and the meaning of the song is sold, and the artists 'image' has little to do with the sale of the song.

Promotional

-Advertisement
-Illustrates the song
-Appeals to a visual audience
-Expresses an Individual's emotions
-Tells a story
-Markets an image
-Creates a brand

Purpose of a Music Promo Video

Promotional
Extension of Income
Extension of outlets (music channel, direct DVD, and CD sales, website, Download)
Synergy (films, TV programmes)

Synergy

the music video exists as only one strand of a multimedia campaign, and is just one way in which a song is promoted. the industry as a whole has a complex relationship with a number of different media and purposes;  Radio, TV, Print  media, Film New Media. There is often a clear sense of synergy across a number of platforms.

Types of Music

Artists branch from to different categories

Organic - the term 'organic' is used to describe bands where the music comes first, they make the kind of music they want to make and then the record labels (if signed) try and sell this music to the correct market segment. Organic music appeals to a niche, but can appeal to a mass audience also.


Synthetic - the Synthetic refers to the 'X factor' methodology, and it is the record labels that sit in the driving seat.  A gap in the market is identified, and then it is exploited by the development of music, and often the artist, to suit this gap. Money is the ultimate goal in this operation. Acts such as; The spice Girls, McFly and JLS are good examples of 'manufactured' artists

Major Record Labels

The music industry is dominated by by four multi national corporations;

Universal
Sony Music
Warner Brothers
EMI

These are referred to as the 'majors'. the majority of these are backed by conglomerates with stakes in other industries such as; Film, TV, and Electronics.

Independents

Independents rely on little to no financial support from the majors. these small companies have the unique selling point of focusing solely on a specialised genre and niches of the industry, offered to a small number of acts and performers. an hugely successful example of a Independent is Domino Records. It is commonly seen that Record Labels begin as Independents but then are bought by a major and then become major-independents.

Major-Independents

Major Independents own or license, a series of smaller subsidiary companies in order to reach different kinds of audiences in different types of genres. These major independents are recognised as  Columbia, Island, Syco, RCA and Virgin, these are known as the Major Independents.

Non CopyRight Music

Copyrights are where the producer/owner of a piece of media content has the 'right to copy' and gives the credit for the work like a trademark or paitent. This proves that the content is yours and yours only. The breaching of those rights could have various consequences for the criminal, yes, breaching copyright restrictions could land you in jail! This is why in my project I am doing things by the book to ensure that everything is 100% legitimate. Its important as it allows industries to be regulated, think of it as paying for something and if you steal it you will get arrested. Same goes with media content, don't have proof of purchase (stealing) then the evidence is against you, governments all over the world are trying to stop copyright infringements. Also it allows the owner of the music to be protected by the court of law, as they own the final product they should determine what happens, how it's distributed and how it is edited. Problems that my come of age include: Getting the lyrics - this may become difficult as for a unsigned/unkown artist will not have their content passed around in the media. Other copyright problems could also arise including contacting the artist who is the owner of the music.

Michael Jackson - Smooth Criminal (Short Version)

This is my favourite music video as it is unlike many of the music videos of its time, or even today. this music video is more like a film rather than a music video. the music video featured in a film by Michael Jackson called MoonWalker, which is a collaboration of multiple music videos from Michael Jackson's Bad. Each song together advocated a story, which can offer an explanation the short film like music video characterised here. Michael Jackson himself is considered the greatest ever performer and and artist of all time, it is impossible to think anyone will ever suceed his career, music, dance, and achievements, he was titles the King of Pop, receiving 13 grammy's and countless awards and records. Smooth Criminal is a pop/soul/R'n'B song which is world wide known and extremely popular, received a No.1 across numerous nations including Belgium, Spain and the Netherlands, and No.2 in the US and Europe. It is full of choreography that disproves the image of the video, full of flamboyant, expressive movements and gestures. the choreography fundamentally contradicts the noir element seen within the music video. there is the sense of the good v bad, characterised through the use of costume and light, the protagonist (michael jackson) is in white and blue, and constantly illuminated by a light that hangs over, this has common associations with angelic and pure imagery. this differentiates from the other characters, whom loom in the darkness, and shadows. although the protagonist is always lit by a pure white light, there is often a shadow that conceals the identity of Michael Jackson, this could symbolise his change innocence, and becoming affiliated with criminals, yet still remaining intrinsically good.  differently it could symbolise the concealment of identity. Through the costumes it is apparent it is set in the 1920's New York, where commonly associated with gangsters and criminals at this time, matching the lyrics and dialogue of the song. the immediate setting is a club setting.