Making the Video (MTV)

MAKING THE VIDEO offers a behind-the-scenes look at musicians in the process of churning out a visual backdrop to their latest single. Viewers see everything: Multiple hair and make-up changes, the trials of coordinating background dancers, the storyboard process, and, most important, at least some of the finished product. Featured artists have included Jessica Simpson, Hilary Duff, 50 Cent, Jennifer Lopez, Shakira, Jamie Foxx, Beyoncé Knowles, and Kanye West.

From the number of busy people seen in the background, it's clear that making a video requires a great deal of work in a short amount of time (usually 2-3 days). But the series' enthusiasm for the technical side of video-making is limited to the occasional glimpse of a green screen scene being filmed, or a shot of the singer perfecting his or her lip-synching technique for the camera. By comparison, a much larger portion of each show is spent watching the artist come out of his or her trailer in a new 'do and robe before heading off to shoot another scene. The featured videos' themes vary, but they're often punctuated by sexuality, iffy wardrobe choices, mature lyrics, and provocative dancing. Often, the videos' storylines are unrelated to the song's lyrics -- in fact, some lyrics are so vague that the video's visuals ultimately determine what the song is about.

The program is rooted in making the featured song a commercial success on many levels. It's no accident that the artists who showcase their new releases on this show quickly become MTV darlings, with their videos regularly reaching the top 10 on TRL (Total Request Live). Additionally, if the song is highlighted in a new movie -- and/or the singer is also appearing in the movie (for example, Beyoncé in The Pink Panther) -- the music video (and hence, this series) can serve as cross-promotion for the film.