We are living of the MTV, BET, VH1 generation's of visual entertainment at its best. Music videos are one of the greatest assets and medium for artists with only a few restrictions. A band or artist must convey a message within the two or three minutes designated for a particular song. The video must be entertaining enough to encourage viewers to view it over and over, and be 'main-stream' so to allow for TV viewings or the web at any time 24/7. For our fellow Haitian bands/artists, follow the following steps, and you'll have a video fit for MTV or VH1.

But what really makes a great music video?

There are many elements that can make a good Music Video! We will visit the technical side and creativity aspects. A good Music Video can enhance a song , plus tell a captivating story relevant to the song and/or tell no story but still leaves an lasting impression.

Here are some elements that I think are important to a successful music video:

TECHNICAL SIDE

*There are a lot of elements that can make a Video Good. Capturing the emotion and energy of the song, can make or break a song. So pick your Production team wisely.

MUSICAL VIDEO DIRECTOR

The Music Video Director is one of the key elements in making a great Music Video. He or She has to be a great storyteller and also know how to bring out the best in there subject. The Director must bring the storyline to life by adding these technical elements.

TOOLS NEEDED

• A Production Crew
• PRODUCER
  Job= finding the best locations to fit the storyline and help in hiring the
  crew.
• Assistant Director
• Director of photography
• Camera Operator
• Sound Designer
• Production Assistant (Depending on your budget)
• Story board Artist
• FX/ Graphics, color Corrector
• Production assistants
• Lighting/ Grip
• Editor great lighting and a good studio to for editing. Diverse and unique POV's. Great Cinematography, Sharp, clear pictures all important's factors Once that is in place the Acts/ Artist image is just as important. So working with a glam team is needed also to tell the story.
• Wardrobe
• Makeup and Hair is a great final touch in telling your story.
  

• For Example: Alicia Keys' look was just as important as her song and video.Her Glam team plus Management had many meeting in regards to her "look" before shooting her 1st video. They came up with her signature braids which started a trend soon after.
  
  CREATIVITY

Most of the Music Videos that are number 1 or rated as top are always the Videos that the IMAGERY matches the energy and brings out the emotions of the song, which touches the viewers. (Classic: Michael Jackson's thriller Video)

That can include.

• The artist performance, if in fact they are apart of the imagery.
• The storyline being appropriate to the eye for understanding or for imagination.
  
• Ask yourself the following questions:
• Do you think of the music video long after you've seen it?
• Even if you've only seen it once?
• Did it captivate you when you first saw it?

Let's Recap!

• A-The video must be unique. This is a given.
• It must tell a story. It can be a bizarre, funny or stupid story that doesn't make much sense until the end, but one must feel satisfied once done watching it.
• The artist or director must not feel limited to matching the visuals of the video exactly with the lyrics. Sometimes it may be a perfect fit in some cases, but not always.
• Makes sure the video leaves a lasting memorable and good impression.
• One must realize that a great music video does not mean a great song with a mediocre video, but a fabulous video can have a mediocre song.
• The concept is the key. There's nothing worse than to have a cliche music video, which is what we have in abundant in the HMI, or worse, a non linear concept where nothing seems to work together. The video should have a distinct look and a distinct concept that maintains throughout.

A Music Video has nothing to do with whether or not a song is good, It is suppose to be used as a marketing tool. A "Great" Music Video does not mean a great song but can help a mediocre song.

Pure and simple, a music video has to be memorable. We must remember that's the point of a music video is to augment the sales of audio recordings. So whatever visuals are in a video needs to catch or hook the target audience. Many people like videos with scantily-clad women
grinding at the camera, bottles popping, fast cars for instance, but just like beauty it's in the eye of the beholder. If that's what your audience wants, that may work for you but not for others. Remember a Music Video can make or break your career so think before you just work with anyone.

(Mickael a TV Producer, Stylist and Artist, she has produced production works for networks such as: BET,VH1 and NBC. She recently worked on a production piece about the story of Hip Hop for VH 1. She host a regular radio show on MBK Radio Entertainment, a station owned by Alicia Keys. She produces her own radio and TV show on MBK Entertainment. She expertises on music videos, movies, commercials, EPK's and more. Some of her clients include: Alicia Keys, Bono, P. Diddy, Rihanna, TI and more top American artists.)