Task 3 – Music Video Production Job Roles

By Connor Davidson

Director• The director is possibly the most important role within a music production team, he is in charge of the whole production.• One of the main roles for a director is to organise the whole production of the music video. This includes making sure

everybody is doing their required job and that it is done correctly. The director is ultimately responsible for everything that happens during production, with the filming/shooting of the video. The director needs to make sure the correct equipment is being used in the correct way and at the right time. Not all equipment will be needed for every scene.

• The director will also work closely with other members of the team such as the actors. He/she needs to make sure the actors are doing the correct job for the scene and that it makes sense.

• Some other examples of people the director will work close with are the location scouts and also the cameraman/woman. He/she needs to check the location with the scout to guarantee it is suitable for filming as well as safe and realistic. He/she works closely with the cameraman/woman to go over any footage that has been shot to make sure he/she is happy with it and to re-shoot if he/she isn’t.

• The director also needs to create the idea for the storyboard and check it is accurately drawn by the artist before any of the production goes on. This is known as post-production. The director will work alongside the artist so they can get their ideas down on paper to a high standard. The director also works alongside the casters and will have the final say on who will star in their music video. This is important as you need the perfect actor for a character, otherwise the video may not make sense.

Cameraman/woman• Every music video needs a camera team. These people are vitally important, as without cameras there would be no video.

Camera teams range in sizes depending on budgeting and size of the company producing the music. The camera team need a head cameraman/woman, who will be the main camera throughout the video.

• The main role for a cameraman/woman is obviously to shoot the footage for the music video. Without this, the video cannot go ahead. Each scene will be shot at different times, sometimes even different days or weeks. Shooting for the music video can also be very time consuming. Smaller videos can still take numerous days or weeks to collect all the footage they need to a high standard. The bigger music videos, can take months at a time to collect all the vital footage, that the audience will see. The footage is essentially, the most important part of the music video.

• There are also other jobs and roles that the cameraman/woman will have to do whilst on set, it isn’t all just shooting for the film. They also have to carry and transport all their equipment to the different locations used for the video. It is important that they always bring the correct equipment to each shoot, as without it they may not be able to film. It isn’t just a camera they have to carry around; they will also have their tripods and lenses etc. to move about.

• The cameraman/woman will also have to follow the storyboard that will have been drawn for the music video, to make sure all the scenes are shot from the correct place and angle. If they didn’t read from the storyboard and follow its directions, then the music video may not look how the director wants it to look. Sometimes the cameraman/woman will have to work closely with the director in case he/she wants to make any changes to the video and also to check that the quality is good enough for what has already been recorded.

• The cameraman/woman will also work with the director and location scouts. This is so they can decide whether the desired setting is practical to work in, with all the camera equipment and crew. If the setting isn’t practical enough to shoot footage in then they have to find a different location which is suitable for the whole crew.

Sound Recordist• The main job of the sound recordist is of course to record the sound and speech for the music video. This includes the music

within the song, such as the singing of the lyrics and also any ambient sound needed for the background. The sound recordist has to make sure the sound is clear and not muffled for the video, to achieve maximum potential. If the sound isn’t clear enough to hear then they will have to record the sound again.

• As well as recording the sound within the music video, they have to record any ambient sound that is used within the music video. This will vary depending on the genre of music being created. For example, if it is a grime or rap music video, you may hear police sirens in the background, like in POW by Lethal Bizzle. However other ambient sounds may include leaves on the trees blowing in the wind or busy cities. Not all music videos will need ambient sound in the background, depending on budget and size of the video, sometimes music videos are very simple, and just created in a study.

• Another thing the sound recordist will have to do is transport and carry all their equipment around set and to the different locations if necessary. They have to make sure all their equipment is transported safely to the different locations and also check they have the equipment needed to record the sound eg microphone. Without the microphone, the sound for the video would not record well, and would be extremely muffled and may include background noise which is not wanted in the video.

Lighting • The main role of the lighting man/woman is to make sure the lighting is correct for each scene of the video. The lighting has

to be bright enough so that you can see the scene but also matched to the mood of the song. Depending on the type of video or type of song, the lighting can be adjusted to match the mood. This includes setting the correct exposure for the lighting with the camera man. This means the cameraman/woman has to work closely with the lighting team.

• The lighting team also have to consider health and safety when working with the lights. Some lights that video producers use are extremely big, which means they will be very bright. If a person was to look directly into these lights, or stand in front of them from a close range, it can be dangerous and have severe effects on their sight or give severe burns. The lighting team need to be careful not to turn the lights on if somebody is stood directly in front of them, as this would be a health and safety risk.

• The lighting team also need to be comfortable and confident with what they’re working with. This includes items such as filters, as they may need to change the colour or tone of a colour used. The team or person needs to know how to safely insert and remove the filters and other add on equipment to the lights.