History Of Music Videos

The first music video was created in 1894. Sheet music publishers ran the music business, Edward B.Marks and Joe Stern hired electrician George Thomas and a variety of performers to promote sales of their song The Little Lost Child. George Thomas projected a series of still images on a screen at the same time with live performances, this is what became a popular form of entertainment known as the illustrated song. This has been termed as the first music video.
In 1926, many musical short films were produced. Vitaphone shorts (1926-30) which were produced by Warner Brod featured many bands and vocalists. The series entitled Spooney Melodies was the first true musical video series. The short films were approximatly six minutes long, they also featured art deco style animations and backgrounds combined with film of the performer singing the song. These series of short films are considered to be the earliest music videos.
Another early form of music videos were one-song films called "Promotional Clips" made in the 1940s for the visual jukebox. These were short films of musical selections. Soundies were then invented, these were an early version of music videos. Soundies were three minute musical films produced in New York between 1940 and 1946, they included short dance sequencs. The last soundie was released in March 1947. The short films were displayed on a film jukebox, in nightclubs, bars, restaurants, factory lounges and amusement centers.
Musical films were another important start to music videos. Several well-known music videos have imitated the style of classic Hollywood musicals from the 1930s to the 1950s. The best-known example is Madonna's 1985 video for Material Girl. Several of Michael Jackson's videos show the influence of the dance sequences in classic Hollywood musicals.
In 1956 Fine Arts Films recorded the event of a live orchestra then in 1957 Tony Bennett was filmed performing whilst his recording of "Stranger in Paradise". This film was distributed to and played by UK and US television stations. The rise of popular music was because of the rise of television as the format allowed for new stars to be exposed.
In 1964 The Beatles starred in their first feature film A Hard Day's Night. It in black and white and was presented as a mock documentary, it was structured as a musical fantasia with innovative musical sequences. The musical sequences created the basic templates with countless promo clips and music videos were modelled.
In 1965 The Beatles started to make promotional clips which were known as "filmed inserts" for distribution and broadcasted in other countries. This was so the band could promote their record releases withour having to make in-person appearances. The Beatles videotapes 10 promo films, two of the songs were aired in the US in 1966. Many of the clips were aired on "Top of the Pops" . Two more were released to accompany the CD.
The promotional clips for "Strawberry Fields Forever" and "Penny Lane" made in 1967 took the the promotional film format to a new level. The directors used dramatic lighting and unusual camera angles. This reflected that it was impossible for the group to perform live as these clips were studio masterpieces. These mini-films illustrated the songs in an artful manner rather than trying to simulate a performance or a narrative or plot.
In 1974 Australian television shows developed the music video genre. After developing it the creaters relocated to the UK in 1970, Russel Mulcahy made successful music videos for British artists. His early video was XTC's "Making Plans For Nigel (1979) and his video for The Buggles "Video Killed The Radio Star" 1979, this became the first music video played on MTV in 1981.
The British TV show Top of the Pops began playing music videos in the 1970s. A good video would increase a song's sale as viewers would get to see the video a week later. In 1980, David Bowie got his first UK number one in nearly a decade with his promo for "Ashes to Ashes".
In 1981, the US video channel MTV launched. In the 1980s music videos grew to play a central role in popular music marketing. Many acts such as Adam and the Ants, Duran Duran and Madonna owed a great deal of success to the consturction and appeal of their music video's.
Music video's are now very important to artists and bands. Music video's are essential to the music industry as viewer's can watch there favourite perfomer's perform in there own video on YouTube.



Source - Wikipedia

The Brief

A promotion package for the release of an album, to include a music promo video.
It will also include a cover for its release as part of a digipak (CD/DVD package) and a magazine advertisement for the digipak (CD/DVD package)