A music label is a brand or a trademark that markets and promotes music recordings and music videos. It is also known as a record label. A music label manages all the the production, manufacture, distribution, marketing and promotion of sound recordings and music videos. It also has an important role of enforcing copyright protection to the song recording and video. As well as all of this, it also talent scouts, focusing on finding and developing new music artists. Music artists have a connection with their music label as they maintain a contract with the label and the manager.
EMI Music is one of the fourth largest business groups in the family of music labels. In 1931, the year the company began; it opened the famous recording studios at Abbey Road in London. It’s success as allowed it to form many subsidiary labels such as Parlophone, HMV, Columbia and Capitol Records.
In 1948 British Tape Recorders were developed within EMI. This was a huge development, as it attracted The Beatles. From 1960 to 1995 EMI’s headquarters were moved to Manchester Square in London. This became a hugely iconic building after the stairwell featured on the cover of the Beatles’ “Please please me” album. As well as this, another shot within EMI’s headquarters was featured on the Beatles’ first double disc greatest hit album.
As well as EMI’s success with bands such as The Beatles, they also had respectable contracts with Classical artists such as the Philharmonia Orchestra and London Symphony Orchestra, ensuring not to limit their clients.
The company was under management of Sir Joseph Lockwood from the 1950’s to the early 1970’s, which proved to be to their advantage as within that time period they formed contracts with some of the most popular bands and artists of the time, such as: The Hollies, The Shadows, The Beach Boys, The Beatles along with hit solo performers such as Frank Sinatra, Cliff Richard, and Nat 'King' Cole. This made EMI one of the most well-known, famous and successful record labels at the time.
In 1971, THORN Electrical Industries merged with EMI Ltd. to form Thorn EMI. They later bought Virgin Records from Richard Branson, which then became one of its highest-profile and most expensive acquisitions in record music history.
However, in February 2010, EMI Group reported to be in serious debt of £1.75 billion, which then lead it to sell its recorded music operations to Universal Music Group in November 2011.
Sony Music Entertainment is the second-largest global recorded music company of the "big four" record companies. It is mainly controlled by Sony Corporation of America, which one of the many subsidiary companies which include: Columbia Records , Epic Records , RCA Records , Sony Music Nashville , Columbia Records UK and many more!
The company began as the ‘American Record Corporation’ in 1929, one of the most difficult times in America, The Great Depression. However, by 1938 by the company was acquired by the Columbia Broadcasting System. However, it was not until March 1968 that CBS and Sony formed CBS/Sony Records, a Japanese business joint venture. This was a smart company decision, as Sony was one of the developers behind the compact disc digital music media, which meant the company could begin supplying some of the first ever compact disc releases for the American market by 1983.
Within the huge company, many artists were signed such as Andy Williams, Johnny Cash, Barbra Streisand, Sly & the Family Stone and many more. In the 1980’s to the early 1990’s, when Tony Martell was head of the label, artists like Ozzy Osbourne, The Fabulous Thunderbirds, Electric Light Orchestra, Joan Jett, and Henry Lee Summer were signed. In November 1987, the Sony Corporation of America acquired CBS Records, which hosted Michael Jackson, for $2 billion dollars, making the company all that more respectable.
The company was renamed as Sony Music Entertainment on January 1, 1991, as the license for the CBS trademark expired.
Monday 25 June 2012
Friday 22 June 2012
Codes and conventions of music videos
Codes and Conventions of Music Videos
Looking into the typical codes and conventions of music videos throughout time and in our current day has been hugely beneficial in terms of helping me decide what i would like to base my music video on. It has taught me that there are more than one way to make my music video entertaining. As i could make a music video that is solely performance based, solely narrative or a mixture of the two, either involving the artist within the action or having them separately, working as though their lyrics are an illustration to the story.
This has helped me to create a narrative within my head and helped me to decide that i would like just a narrative based music video. However, has also given me inspiration on how i would use a music artist within my music video without it taking the audiences attention away from the narrative too much.
Another thing this research has given me is an insight on how camera, mise en scene, editing and sound can be used to make my music video even more interesting. This could be done by using dark lighting to forebode that something bad is going to happen, or use quick editing to represent the characters fearful and distressed emotions.
Looking into the typical codes and conventions of music videos throughout time and in our current day has been hugely beneficial in terms of helping me decide what i would like to base my music video on. It has taught me that there are more than one way to make my music video entertaining. As i could make a music video that is solely performance based, solely narrative or a mixture of the two, either involving the artist within the action or having them separately, working as though their lyrics are an illustration to the story.
This has helped me to create a narrative within my head and helped me to decide that i would like just a narrative based music video. However, has also given me inspiration on how i would use a music artist within my music video without it taking the audiences attention away from the narrative too much.
Another thing this research has given me is an insight on how camera, mise en scene, editing and sound can be used to make my music video even more interesting. This could be done by using dark lighting to forebode that something bad is going to happen, or use quick editing to represent the characters fearful and distressed emotions.
Diary #2
This week, i have begun my planning for my music video coursework for A2.
I have started researching things such as' the history of music videos', discovering that the first music video to have ever been shown was on MTV called Video Killed the Radio Star - The Buggles and was shown at exactly 12.01pm.
I also looked at the impact music videos have had on the music industry and how they have suddenly become hugely important to the industry. And also how they might often be considered the most important element of an artist's single! I created this presentation on a prezi.
I have also begun my 'Conventions of a music video' research process, and have been researching how things such as narrative, performance and mixture of the both are used to create an entertaining video. I also began looking at how elements such as editing, mise en scene and camera angles are used to portray characters within music videos in particular lights. This has given me inspiration on how i would like to use these elements when creating my product to create a sad but entertaining music video.
I have started researching things such as' the history of music videos', discovering that the first music video to have ever been shown was on MTV called Video Killed the Radio Star - The Buggles and was shown at exactly 12.01pm.
I also looked at the impact music videos have had on the music industry and how they have suddenly become hugely important to the industry. And also how they might often be considered the most important element of an artist's single! I created this presentation on a prezi.
I have also begun my 'Conventions of a music video' research process, and have been researching how things such as narrative, performance and mixture of the both are used to create an entertaining video. I also began looking at how elements such as editing, mise en scene and camera angles are used to portray characters within music videos in particular lights. This has given me inspiration on how i would like to use these elements when creating my product to create a sad but entertaining music video.
Diary #1
This week i have been working the planning for my A2 coursework. After much indecision, i finally decided i wanted to make a music magazine. I have decided that i want to use a slow music track and have been looking at a few songs. Im feeling as though either Birdy - Shelter, or Lucia - Silence, might be the tracks i am going to use for my music video. This is because i decided i wanted to create a sad narrative to my music video.
For my actual idea i have decided i will be following the life of a girl, who has woken up in either a meadow (as used commonly in music videos using the type of music i have decided upon) or a beach, as i feel its a beautiful and visually interesting place to film. The video will show various shots on her walk home. If filmed in a meadow, the shots will be showing her walking through a forest etc, if filmed on a beach the shots will be of her walking over the cobbled beach, along the shore, up mountain banks etc. It will then show her walking down roads, leading to a large beautiful thatched roof cottage, showing her walking up the drive. There will then be various shots showing her having an argument with her mum (in slow motion), as i will use shots that imply she has been out all night. Her mum will be waving her hands and miming and argument and then eventually shutting the door in her daughters face. There will then be shots showing the girl running down the drive, and looking back as she runs into the road. She will be distressed and crying. There will then be shots showing her being hit my a car. I will then do a reverse editing on the shots, rewinding everything that's just happened, rewinding all the way back to the scene where she enters the drive. Everything will be the exact same, except rather than her mum slamming the door and shouting, she will smirk and hand her daughter a cup of tea. The video will end with the name of the song being written on the door.
I thought i would have it soley narrative, however, if i do chose to have performance in it. I will use close up shots of a females hands playing the piano. And also big close ups of a females red lips mouthing the words. But this is yet to be decided.
I have also thought about the era it can be set in and what i have access to. I have access to a lot of 50's cars, which might make the video visually pleasing for the audience to watch. Therefore, might have the video set in the 50's era, using a sepia editing contast on the footage once its done. And use 50 era mise en scene such as costume to show the era also.
For my actual idea i have decided i will be following the life of a girl, who has woken up in either a meadow (as used commonly in music videos using the type of music i have decided upon) or a beach, as i feel its a beautiful and visually interesting place to film. The video will show various shots on her walk home. If filmed in a meadow, the shots will be showing her walking through a forest etc, if filmed on a beach the shots will be of her walking over the cobbled beach, along the shore, up mountain banks etc. It will then show her walking down roads, leading to a large beautiful thatched roof cottage, showing her walking up the drive. There will then be various shots showing her having an argument with her mum (in slow motion), as i will use shots that imply she has been out all night. Her mum will be waving her hands and miming and argument and then eventually shutting the door in her daughters face. There will then be shots showing the girl running down the drive, and looking back as she runs into the road. She will be distressed and crying. There will then be shots showing her being hit my a car. I will then do a reverse editing on the shots, rewinding everything that's just happened, rewinding all the way back to the scene where she enters the drive. Everything will be the exact same, except rather than her mum slamming the door and shouting, she will smirk and hand her daughter a cup of tea. The video will end with the name of the song being written on the door.
I thought i would have it soley narrative, however, if i do chose to have performance in it. I will use close up shots of a females hands playing the piano. And also big close ups of a females red lips mouthing the words. But this is yet to be decided.
I have also thought about the era it can be set in and what i have access to. I have access to a lot of 50's cars, which might make the video visually pleasing for the audience to watch. Therefore, might have the video set in the 50's era, using a sepia editing contast on the footage once its done. And use 50 era mise en scene such as costume to show the era also.
Tuesday 19 June 2012
History of music videos
Researching into the history of music videos has helped me as it has given me information on why music videos are so important. It has provided me with the knowledge on how music videos have become more complex, starting as standard performance videos, the growing to involve CGI elements and animation. This has given me the insight i need to create a successful music video, as it has showed me why music videos are such a huge element of the music industry in this day and age.
It has emphasized how now audiences have more of an interest on the music video than the actual track itself, and how the long wait for the distribution of the music video can be an intense experience for audiences. It has also shown be that through time, as technology develops, so does the quality of music videos, as they become more complex and entertaining, with the use and experimentation of new technologies.
Monday 11 June 2012
Resources
What I currently have to make my music video:
- Actors to star in my music video
- A video camera
- Lights
- Smoke machine
- Editing programme
- 50's cars
- A thatched cottage to film around
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