Treatments and Paperwork

Types of Music Video

Cinematic v. Photographic Cinematic

Film grammar, narrative/dramatic progression, performance

Progressive: time and space (Jonze “Feel the Pain”) David Fincher, Spike Jonze, Sophie Mueller

Photographic look/feel not really “story”, collage/juxtaposition,

texture, color, lighting Sam Bayer, Mark Romanek, Anton Corbijn, Gondry

Categories of Music Video

Performance Story (interlacing narrative) Concept Gag Dance Animation Party/Club Film Clip Hybrid

How do we come up w/ ideas?

Exercise / Yoga Sample Daydream Meditate Look for inspiration / Consume Substance Sporadically Geographical Space or Space

Treatment Form

• One word to 3 pages

• Courier font type

• Tear sheet / Visual element (“visualment”...visual treatment)

• Include “categories” as descriptors

• Concise

• Treatment writers

• Storing ideas

Modes of Treatments

• Describe unfolding...A happens, B happens, C happens. A short story

• Outline...use headers such as “The Look,” “The Feel,” “The Concept,” “The Performance,” “The Hook”

• Crazy babbling, one-word, no punctuation, collage, poem, “Blow stuff up” (Roman Coppola for Fat Boy Slim's “Gangster Tripping”)

Writing Treatments

• Visual hooks

• Have idea of what artists DON'T want; be aware of their image and personalities

• Address:

– Narrative/Concept, shot choices, some of the locations, wardrobe ideas, action

– Style/feeling, performance style, cite other media by artist or in general

• Lyrics or instruments AS lyrics

• Brevity!

Nigel Dick says

• Break a song down (lyrics, bars, breaks, length, choruses...structure)

• Use structure and break into “acts”; narrative reflects or interacts w/ the structure

• Store your ideas...

• Need to sell the treatment, cater to label/marketing strategies

Egan and Barry say...

• Process of making “mini-movies”

• Listen to song...feeling, adjective, picture

• Look for inspiration

• Write descriptively

• Add visuals!!!

Jeff Clark says...

• Originality and professionalism

• Artist name, song title, director's name, production company at top

• Overview: breakdown and purpose

• Style: visual style, color, texture, mood, glam; Avoid technical discussion, just what not how

• Concept: linear, discontinuous, dream, etc. The hook! Regardless, write organized!

• Summary: final sales pitch for idea!

“99 Problems”

• 2004, Jay-Z

• Dir. Mark Romanek

• 4 VMAs, 3 MVPAs

“Heard Em Say”

• 2005, Kanye West

• Dir. Michel Gondry

• 2 versions (2nd is all animation)

• Macy's (Christmas them...release mid-December...commerce?

“The Unforgiven”

• Metallica, 1991

• Dir. Matt Mahurin

• Connection between performance and narrative, musician and actor

• Uses shots and elements of continuity in disjunctive editing (spatiotemporality.)

“Rap Song”

• 2010, T-Pain feat. Rick Ross

• Dir. Todd Angkasuwan

• Freeze effect w/ 3D renders, and “gags”

“Doo Wop (That Thing)”

• 1998, Lauryn Hill

• Dir. Big TV

• Juxtaposition of historical eras / split screen

• Connection between 60s soul and 90s “neo-soul”

“If I Ruled the World”

• 1996, Nas feat. Lauryn Hill

• Dir. Hype Williams

Release Forms

• Talent / Model / Minor Release Form

• Large Group / Concert Release Sign

• Copyrighted Materials Release Form

• Location Release Form or Permit