So how does a musician get a music video?
A music video is a short film or video that accompanies a complete piece of music, most commonly a pop or rock music song with lyrics. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings. Although the origins of music videos go back much further, they came into their own in the 1980s, when the U.S chanel MTV based their format around the medium, and later with the launch of VH1. The term "music video" first came into popular usage in the early 1980s. Prior to that time, these works were described by various terms including "filmed insert", "promotional (promo) film", "promotional (promo) clip" or "film clip". In Chinese entertainment, music videos are simply known as MTVs because the network was responsible for bringing music videos to its popularity.
Music videos use a wide range of styles of filmmaking techniques, including animation, live action filming, documentaries, and non-narrative approaches such as abstract film. Some music videos blend different styles, such as animation and live action and the use of stock footage.
Music videos are a very important medium because TV in this day and age is the new Radio. People watch music TV more then ever and probably more then they listen to Radio. In my opinion with the advent of I pods and the increased ability for people to make their own playlists, Radio is becoming obsolete.
So how does a musician get a music video?
Firstly you need to make music, but for arguments sake I will presume we can all take that as an obvious conclusion. Anyway I've had direct experience in three methods of obtaining music videos and I will share what I have learned over the years of being a songwriter and performer.
In the traditional sense an artist or band will be signed to a record label. A record label will organise a production company to make the music video for the artist or band. But here's the catch. Every penny that a record label spends on an artist has to be recouped through album sales before the artist or band gets a penny.
In New Zealand we have a funding department called New Zealand On Air. NZ On Air's mission is to reflect and foster the development of New Zealand culture and identity through broadcasting. An artist can apply to New Zealand On Air for funding to record a single and also to make a music video.
This is the main way a New Zealand band is able to find the resources to make a music video. However the amount received of 5K, although a huge help, is only a drop in the bucket towards the price of a good music video.
Check out Freak In The Club.
Freak in the club is an example of the traditional way of obtaining a music video. My group JCK were successful in receiving NZ on air funding for a song of ours called Truly Mine, we were given 5k to record the song and also a further 5K to make the video. We recorded the song but fell into the trap of trying too hard to make it better and in the process lost the magic we had captured in the original demo recording. So we decided to go with another song we were working on called Freak in the club.
So we had 5k to spend on a video. Great we thought. Well not so great because after approaching several production companies we couldn't find one who could work with such a small budget. They wanted at least 8k just to even consider talking to us. Small problem. We don't have 5 bucks let alone an additional 3k. But fortunately at the time we were signed to a small independent label called Pagan/Antenna recordings. The director coincidently met a producer one night through a mutual friend and mentioned they had an act that needed a music video. Hey presto we have the hook ups.
A couple months later we flew down to Wellington to shoot the video for Freak in the club. Being our first video we had no Idea what to expect. The director had a vision of what he wanted and we had absolutely no say. So we were dressed in the clothes prepared and told where to stand and what to do. A cast of extras were there and we pretty much felt like we were extras as well. So after 15 hours on the set shooting footage and about 4 months of editing we had our first music video. The whole process took just under a year.
The video was received well by the music stations, but completely misrepresented who we were as a group. Oh well we were lucky to have anything so we will chalk that one up to experience.
Now our second music video was just as frustrating and took even longer. But these things are like a woman carrying to full term and giving birth. They seem to take for ever, they are painful, stressful and they make you sick. But when they finally arrive they are a bundle of joy.
See Spirit X
The second method of getting a music video is to find a film maker who needs a show real or who wants to enter a competition or wants to be associated with your music because they like it and believe in it.
That's how Spirit X happened for us. One of the guys who worked on Freak in the club had some Ideas for music videos that he was gagging to try out. So one day he messaged us on Bebo about it. We were over the moon with excitement. We sent him songs we were considering for the album and he chose Spirit X as the song he would like to make a video for. So about 4 months later we flew to Wellington and shot footage for 2 days. This time we had a say and managed to get most of our ideas implemented in the video. About 6 months later we received the first edit. Straight away we could see some very obvious flaws and that was fine since this was just the first edit.
So we asked for what we wanted changed and we waited for the next edit. We waited and waited and waited. What's going on we thought? We got in contact with them and they promised us they would get on to it ASAP. This went on like this for a whole frustrating soul destroying year. We were very angry and pissed off after being mucked around lead on and told lies to for so long. But we still had a reasonable video and all it cost us was huge emotional anguish, 2 years of our lives and the price of three return flights to Wellington.
But there is a happy ending to this story. Spirit X will be playing on Juice TV from February the 6th 2009 and C4, MTV and Alt TV will soon follow. So watch out for it.
Method three and by far the easiest and most fun is shooting the video yourself. Or collaborating with someone who shoots their own videos. In this case I am very fortunate to be friends with The Robba a prolific song writer and low budget music video producer.
See Once you went to the Moon
This was actually fun to make. A couple of weeks ago we took a handy cam and filmed for the day. The Robba took the footage home and edited it on his PC. So much fun and no stress at all to make. But because of the low fi nature of the videos they are pretty much doomed to being relocated to Youtube and maybe if your really lucky a one off play on C4 homegrown and Alt TV. But they can still be a very useful marketing tool for your myspace and youtube profiles. It's very important for an artist or band to have at least one video so people have an Idea who you are and what you're about.
Here's another video called like a virus.
This video was mainly shot on our The Odd Get Even tour back in 2006. It got a couple plays on C4 Homegrown as well as Alt TV and has had a couple thousand views. It cost us nothing to make and was a lot of fun.
So from very expensive to totally free. A music video can absolutely be achieved if you want it bad enough. So fly my prettys and go get you one.
Peace.
