Rich Mix Media Trip

The trip to Rich Mix was both inspiring & helful. I learnt many things about the history of music videos & tips when creating our music video. The first part of the day included a talk from Pete, an examiner, who was very knowledagable & gave great tips. Here are some notes of what i had written through his presentation:

Music Videos:

• lasts the length of the song (and sometimes longer)
• features the artist (usually but not always)
• can tell a stroy (but usually doesnt)
• is a performance

The history of music videos began in 1940 with Soundies, video duke boxes. There were 4000 installed around the states in diners etc. This was the video example we were shown by Nat King Cole:


In 1960 Scopitones were the introduced in France & these were in colour. They were very low budget & often included a lot of dancing.  In the later 1960s, managers started to make promo films for their bands. This replaced the need for bands to tour to play their music, e.g. Top of the Pops could show a bands promo video rather than having them perform on the show.

In the 1970s it became more common for bands to make promo films, e.g. Bohemian Rhapsody.


Then, in 1980 MTV was created. Mostly British bands were featured on the show & to get into the charts, bands would need to make a video to be played on the show. Madonna upped the game for music videos as she built upon the idea of concept in her videos. Michael Jackson was then the break-through for black acts. MTV believed there was no market for black music but realised that the black market could make a lot of money in the music business. His music video 'Thriller' was extremely popular & had a massive budget. This was a prime example of how music videos had progressed over the years.


After discussing the history of music videos & the way they had progressed, Pete then moved on to giving a set of tips for making our own music video. These were the tips he gave us:

• Step 0 - Practice lip syncing. Play around with footage to get used to the programmes & how to edit & what kind of footage you will need. Shoot a music video for a different track so you have an idea of what to expect. Remake a music video to help learn the techniques of making a music video.
• Step 1 - Choose a track. Make sure it's not too long.
• Step 2 - Write a treatment. Have a clear, workable concept & be realistic.
• Step 3 - Plan everything. Plan people, props & places. Aim to shoot early so any footage can be re-shooted if there is a problem. Make sure the performer has rehearsed.
• Step 4 - Set up a blog & link ideas to visuals.
• Step 5 - Know your equipment. Do test shots & make sure you have a tripod. Experiment with the editing programme so you know all the tricks & shortcuts. Music must be played at all times.
• Step 6 - At least 10 performances need to be shot so there are plenty of cut aways. Lots of close ups will be needed of the performer & make sure you enthuse performers. Shoot more footage than you actually need.
• Step 7 - Organsie footage so it's easy to find.
• Step 8 - Do effects last. Upload a rough cut for feedback.
• Step 9 - Get feedback wherever you can. Upload to your blog via YouTube.
• Step 10 - Produce an evaluation.

It felt very comforting to know that the tips he gave us had already been thought through by our group & reinforced that we knew what we was doing. Overall, i enjoyed the trip & found the information helpful & will apply the knowledge I gained when creating my own video.