Cross-media music. (web).(Industry Overview)

When MTV debuted in 1981, it changed the music industry forever. Prophetically, the around-the-clock music video cable station selected the song "Video Killed the Radio Star" to usher in a new era for music and musicians. As a result, performers could no longer hide behind their lyrics and notes. To be successful, they had to have dynamic visuals to accompany their songs.

Today, the Web and other electronic media are affecting musicians in much the same way as MTV did 20 years ago. It makes no difference if the person is a newcomer on the music scene or a veteran, he or she needs the extra edge to increase record sales. One star to recognize the value of such visuals is Alanis Morissett.

Not long ago, Michael Elins, owner of Michael Elins Pictures, and Bob Self, an independent contractor, began working with Morissett's record label, Maverick Records, to develop a cross-media campaign for Alanis Morissett's special DVD-CD release Feast on Scraps: Inside Under Rug Swept. The imagery fuses high-concept images, music, and lyrics to tell a compelling story.

The project evolved from a short online ...