Research into music videos

Music videos were first created as a means of promoting an artist, with the use of still images being projected onto a sheet of canvas to accompany the performance of the song.

The first ever recorded use of a music 'video' was through the pair Edward Marks and Joe Stern, who hired George Thomas (among others) to help promote sales of their song 'the little lost child'. Thomas proceeded to project a series of images whilst the song was performed to an audience.  Although this was extremely simple, the music video would soon progress to becoming what many artists consider works of art, with plenty of time and money being spent on creating them.

Music videos can and often are censored by the BBFC, as they are basically a short film. Examples of censored videos include: The Kill ( 30 seconds to mars) and Stan ( Eminem FT Dido). The two videos were censored for either explicit language or content. If videos are censored, then they will simply not be shown during the day, and only after 9PM will the full version of the video (and song) be shown on television.

The television channel, MTV was the first channel that would continuously broadcast music videos throughout the day. This channel became a major competitor when it came to listening to and viewing music videos, as it is easily accessible by the general population.
In recent years, the introduction of Youtube to the internet has revolutionized the way music videos and songs can be viewed. For free, anyone with internet access can now view official music videos. Although the videos were initially uploaded by members of the public, copyright laws were eventually put into place and now official music videos can only be uploaded via the artists 'channel'. This has shown that companies are always in control of their 'products', and youtube has become a way of advertising their artists songs once again.

Music videos are created in very much the same way as a film or television programme may be made. More often than not, the video will be shot on location with an extensive lighting array ranging from lighting rings to spotlights and floodlights. The cast will also be on the set and ready for filming. Interestingly, the band may not always be 'the cast', especially during a narrative video, however in almost all cases the band will make an appearance as the music video is essentially an advert for the band and their image, as well as promoting revenue from royalties and sales.