Meeting Polydor Records

On Friday, a couple of video commissioners from Polydor Records, a British record label operating as part of Universal Music Group, a subsidiary of Paris-based media conglomerate Vivendi, came to school to give us a talk on everything that goes into making a music video.

The first thing to note is that Polydor is responsible for some of the best music videos in the business, having worked with A-list artists such as Lana Del Rey, Eminem, Gary Barlow, The 1975, Kendrick Lamar, Lady Gaga, The Rolling Stones, Selena Gomez, Will.I.Am, Madonna, Imagine Dragons and many, many more. Consequently - they know what they're talking about.

Two of the music videos that Polydor records was responsible for making:

Polydor oversee the video process from start to finish. Talking about the process, they said that the artist whom is wanting a music video made will come to them, and some will have an idea about what they want, and some really won't mind. Next, a treatment is made; this brief summarises what the camera would point at in the music video. Polydor showed us a few example treatments

Directors all have a unique style which sets them apart, and when making the treatment, Polydor try and pair directors with artists based on compatibility. The treatment is sent to both parties and should both enjoy the idea (which isn't always the case), then further development continues.

When writing the treatment, it is advised to be as clear, accurate and realistic as possible with lots of visual aids. The best treatments should be able to be worded with a really succinct summary before braking down into detail, with the visual arch of the music video being considered as to keep the viewer interested. A specific colour palette and visual style should be maintained throughout.

Normally, the whole process (from treatment to delivery), takes roughly between 1 and 3 months, with shoot days usually only consisting of a single day. This means that before the shoot day, every single detail has to be planned meticulously with a complete shot list to ensure that everything runs smoothly. Given how the artist is commissioning the music video, it is highly important to keep them happy during the entire process.

For the music video for Jax Jones' House Work, the entire process took only 7 days. However, this was only possible due to the rigorous detail and planning both pre- and post- shoot.

Taking all of the advice given from this talk into mind, when making the final draft of our treatment, I think it is necessary for us to have a really precise (and concise) explanation as to what the camera will be pointing at during our video, aided visually with really effective and explanatory photos, gifs and videos. Our music video should have a really strict and obvious visual theme and colour palette, and before the shoot day, we should have a really meticulously planned shot-list and schedule to assure the day runs smoothly.