The Artistic Realm of Music Video

American Visions, June, 2000 by Deborah Rouse

When music videos first appeared on television in the late 1980s, usually the most that viewers could hope for from the three-minute interludes were either lip-synced mini-concerts on makeshift stages or melodic tableaux of enraptured couples strolling beaches at sunset. Those early videos weren't much in the way of cinema, but they sure beat watching reruns of Diff'rent Strokes.

The stakes were raised instantaneously when Michael Jackson's showstoppers--"Thriller" and "Beat It"--exploded upon the scene. Jackson's fluid moves and star quality-not to mention his video productions' over-the-top special effects--altered the landscape once and for all. Artists could no longer be satisfied with simple choreography or unimaginative backdrops; audiences were far too savvy to be excited by visual cliches. Music video fans were not the only ones sitting up late and taking notice: Record company executives, performing artists and video producers also recognized that it was time to aim higher.

In 1983, the exorbitant price tag for "Thriller" was unheard-of, but today, record companies regularly allocate substantial budgets to bring an artist's music to life. Industry moguls understand that these tasty morsels have the astonishing capacity to transform a modestly selling tune into a hit. Back in the day, radio airtime was an artist's biggest concern, but now, getting a music video in heavy rotation is just as essential.

"Music videos have become a true and serious art form that artists' record companies and audiences are taking seriously," explains Chris Robinson, currently one of the A-list music video directors for the MTV and BET generation.

Although the presence of black music video directors is on the upswing, music video director Cathy Irby Durant, president of Devine Communications, a pre- and post-production film house in Atlanta, says that the number of minority directors in the industry is still painfully sparse and that rivalry is an ever-present reality.

"Competition is very fierce among black video directors, because the work is so hard to come by," says Durant, who is currently shooting her first feature film, Babylon Dreads. "When it's time to do a job, I don't mention it to anyone until it's done, because the project can get snatched from you real quick."

In lots of ways, the process of landing and preparing a "simple" three- or four-minute music video is similar to that of creating a feature film. Competition commences when an artist or a record company begins looking for a director who can capture a song's mood and rhythms while creating a visual showcase for the performer. It helps to have a unique approach to visual expression and the ability to lay down a video's tracks on paper. The written concept--or treatment--is often what makes or breaks the deal.

"A concept can be written in hours," says Robinson. "It can also take weeks." The treatment is submitted to the record company, and if executives approve the proposal, the treatment is either revamped or allowed to proceed to the habitually chaotic pre-production stage.

"Before a shoot begins, we have to decide where we are going to film, which cameraman is right for the job, what kind of equipment is going to be used, who the extras will be, et cetera," Robinson explains. "You have to choose all these pieces of the puzzle so they come together correctly, and it can be a lot of pressure sometimes, because artists have deadlines for their albums to drop."

Once the filming has been completed, the project enters the post-production stage, during which the film is transferred to video. Special effects (like the magic that turned Michael Jackson to dust in "Remember the Time") are inserted, and editing takes place. Artistic possibilities, as well as costs, run the gamut.

It is the excitement of such hands-on activity that causes music video directors to feel drawn toward the granddaddy industry: feature-length motion pictures. Says Robinson: "Music video direction is the best training ground, because you do everything you would do on a movie set. It's a rigorous, crazy schedule, and so much is demanded of everybody--from the smallest production assistant to the director. You learn a lot in this game."

Video shoots are notoriously tedious and can last anywhere from a few hours to an entire day. Some of the more elaborate videos (for example, rapper-actor Will Smith's $1 million "Wild Wild West" and megastar siblings Michael and Janet Jackson's $7 million futuristic video production, "Scream") take even longer to complete. Coordinating choreography, makeup, hair, lighting, wardrobe, retakes, salaries, and other details also demands the director's attention.

Where music videos differ from feature films is in their dependence upon two distinct art forms: music and film. "Before, music was music, and visual was visual," explains director Hype Williams, the undisputed king of music videos. "Now the two are one and the same. [Artists] make records with the visuals in mind."