The first music video created in 1894 by Joseph Stern and Edward B. Marks had electrician George Thomas and various artistes promote the sale of the song “The Little Lost Child.”

Using a magic lantern, Thomas projected a series of still images on a screen simultaneous to live performance. Since then, innovative minds and technology have given rise to some of the most spectacular videos.

Included in this list are ‘Thriller’ by Michael Jackson, ‘Like A Prayer’ by Madonna, ‘Karma Police’ by Radiohead, ‘Runaway’ by Kanye West, and ‘Big Time Sensuality’ by Bjork.

Here in Jamaica, several video production companies have become household names; three being Phase Three Production, Digital Video Concept, and Warrior Films. However, this does not delay an energetic and passionate record producer like Kenyon Gerrow to make his first move in this direction.

Kenyon born Kenyon Dave Gerrow, is not only the director of the ‘Cyah Be Loyal’ music video. He produces the song on his own Richcodemusic imprint. A lot of people have been talking about the ‘Cyah Be Loyal’ music video since its release on March 24, 2024.

Kenyon now shares his experiences for the first time with Reggae Vibes.

“This was a first for me, but there was not an ounce of, “Mi cyah do it” throughout this video shoot. I actually saw it as a funfilled experience, which I will cherish for a very long time.”

“This was an opportunity to show my creativity to the fullest and to give the characters a chance to pull out their best acts and shine.”

It was also another challenge for director Kenyon to show these youths they were going to make their communities very proud.

The young artistes were Hot Vybes from Spanish Town, Geppi Don from Jeffry Town, St Mary, Jenuin from Seaview Gardens, and Lyan Turbo from the United Kingdom.

Kenyon feels there are at least five important rules that contribute to a good music video.

“One is the concept of the story. The storyline should be clear in the minds of producers. This helps to capture viewers who want something unforgettable from the video. Another is the teamwork involved. This video should be a group effort as every single character knows their strengths, and weaknesses and can significantly make the music video popular.”

“The characters need to be familiar with their roles prior to the shoot. This will make them, at least, very confident when they hit the stage. The editing is very crucial and the sound engineer must be professional. Sometimes one has to choose or refuse scenes that do not contribute to the strength of the video. The scenes are very essential in that these should compliment the emotions of the characters.”

“Spanish Town was a choice setting for the storyline which includes poverty and negativity. Seaview Gardens, the home ground of Jenuin was another perfect fit. Geppi Don, although from Jeffry Town, chose Waterhouse as his home community to shoot the video.”

“The video, directed by Runnin Sparks, was released on March 24, 2024.”

(Photos contributed)