The three other group members beside me are Jazz Chyriste, Luke Durrance, Benjamin Yarwood.
Firstly we came collectively as a group and put on a piece of paper songs that we would like to create into music videos. We then discussed and tried to narrow down this list further. Finally we came to a mutual agreement on Tame Impalas "Feels like we only going backwards", we feel this was suitable for a number reasons, mainly being general ideas that could be place in the content of the video in relation to the lyrics and style of the music. It is also quite a diverse song so it allows us to let our ideas to follow as it can be as creative as it has a set meaning which can be exploited due to the genre.
Of all things we discussed there were 10 main areas that we considered Mise-en-Scene, Cinematography, Style of Music Video, Artist Representation, Editing, Codes and Conventions, Music Video theory, Annotations of Lyrics, Target Audience and our inspirations. This together sets out the basic outline and themes that we want to apply to our music video, and gives a structure that we can follow in the near future.
In our next meeting, as we have decided what song our music video will be based around, we will be Applying for copyright for the song that we have chosen to the artists record label and then will be continuing further research into our chosen genre. We will be sending an e-mail to Tame Impalas record label and will be asking for permission to use the song "Feels Like We Only Go Backwards", this is so that we do not break any copyright laws and as a consequence be sued by the record label that owns the rights to the song as there signed artist created it. Will permission granted we will be able to freely create and publish the work on Youtube without it being forcefully removed due to the record labels complaints to the website. (This is so the examiner can view our work.)
After condensing all of our ideas surrounding the genre and its conventions in relation to the song, we all gave individual feedback of what we had gained while doing further research into our chosen music genre and ideas gathered. I had researched into videos by Animal Collective, another well known band within the genre, and I had gained some more ideas regarding the content of the videos. These included elements such as coloured tints and fading between shots that we could use. Besides the research we also collaborated our own individual ideas that we had thought about over the period between the two meets. Ideas that stood out were based around locations of which could be the main settings of the video which included Liverpool Street and Canary Wharf among many others.
While creating initial group planning ideas we had a group discussion of all general ideas that we all felt were prominent and stood out, that were also realistic and within our range to create with the equipment and time frame that we have. These ideas are ones such as time lapse, reverse of footage, elements within the narrative, camera angles and connotations of the song itself. This collectively formed a basic idea of what we wanted our music video to be like outlining the basic structure of which we could adapt on by mixing ideas i.e. Camera Shots into different sections of the narrative.
After this we condensed our ideas further writing down what needed to be included and what we felt was possible, we then relocated these ideas into the form of a storyboard which included the length of shot, a still of what was going on in the scene, location, camera angle, editing, costume and make up, editing, and narrative description.
Meetings and Discussions
Group meeting and discussions are very important to carry out as they enable us as a group to come together as a collective and do tasks as one, In addition they enable us to discuss and put ideas forward that we can either reject and put aside or considered using in the final production. If we do not carry out these it would be increasingly hard for us to communicate and work together and would therefore make our music video worse that it would be if we were to have a strong connection through communication over a time period.
I feel that our group worked very well together, we worked rather productively in these meetings, completing all of the set tasks that we needed to complete. We have long discussions in all of the tasks covering all areas that we felt were necessary and that need to be covered until we deem everything was complete and nothing else could be discussed. Also away from being in a group physically we created a social media group chat for when we wanted to discuss areas outside of school or filming. We discuss things such as filming times, ideas, editing being the most prominent from all.
Our research was carried out for a number or reasons. Firstly we need to understand the general opinions of the population for a set sample size of 40. We needed to narrow down our target audience and get accurate feedback on what we should include in our music video when we come to planning and creating the content of it. Secondly it is vitally important that we create a video that our target audience will defiantly like so we need to conform strictly to the feedback given and not guess what an expect audience wants. The questions asked were designed specifically to get the feedback that we desired from the questionnaire population. We didn't receive any surprise results and gained the typical feedback we expected.
Question one tells us that the population of 40 that we asked that the basis of them was around 15-19 years old. This will be around the age range that we will base our music video on.
Question two tells us that the majority of our population listen most frequenty to the pop genre, with Hip-Hop second and third Rock. Our music video is a branch of rock (Psychedelic) so from this at least we know now that we will have quite a sizable audience size.
Question three is the first time that we see actual data that can assist us when we come to the advanced planning stages of our music video. We can see clearly from the data that our target audience want a video that is mostly narrative with also strong elements of performance also. A small percentage do prefer concept which suggests that our audience want a video that can be clearly understood with no mixed messages or anything involved which leads them to make their own opinions.
Question four suggests that the majority of people asked have never heard of the branch of rock our music video will be based on. In turn this shrinks our audience size. This could be a positive also in some ways as we could be more creative with our video being more diverse to attract attention from outside of the genres audiences, but at the same time we do need to follow the typical conventions to keeps the genres audience entertained.
Question five shows us that sample of people we asked enjoy there music videos particularly when there is a common use of the sexulisation of the female body. This is a typical convention of our genre so it is something that we need to consider when planning. We need to see if this will fit in with our song, lyric wise and if we feel this particular footage should be shown to our target audience as it may not be suitable for the age range that we want to focus on.
Question six has similar ideas to that of three as we see for the audience that an unconventional video is not appealing and therefore we must have a strict and conventional narrative, iconography etc. Just behind that is the use of Excessive Swearing which already solves itself as our lyrics do not contain any swear words nor offensive connotations. Finally we should have a clear storyline to not confuse audiences and leave them to conform their own opinions on what messages are trying to be conveyed.
Question seven shows us that our sample prefer to see the artist of the song in their watched music video. This could be numerous reasons but mainly due to the fact that this is what they expect to see. When planning we need to take into account if we are going to use an artist or just be purely narrative based. But due to the results we will probably show the band performing.
Question eights results suggest that from the majority of people that we questioned that they were not particularly fans of Tame Impala's work, despite this over 25% of people did like it so it can be deemed that we will have quite a substantial audience considering the fact that our chosen genre has a rather small size/fan base. Our video therefore needs to be made for the people who would listen to this band and the video needs to conform to the bands conventions so that the audience will most probably enjoy the content that we produce.
Question nine falls to a similar view to that of eight as once again the overall assumption is the fact that an increased. Again one positive out of these results is the fact that we may not have to be retained by the conventions of our chosen artist and can therefore have our music video be more open genre wise to appeal to a bigger target audience, maybe even cross genre charactisic's in some ways. But indeed we still want to focus on pleasing the target audience as these are the people our video will be mostly aimed at.
Question ten and our last question on the survey we asked if the sample like the use of CGI and special effects in a music video. The overall answer gained was as intisipated as we saw a deadlock between people preferring and other that it did not appeal to. This suggests that we as a group need to decide whether we use, don't over use or don't use at all any CGI or special effects in our video as we want to please as many members of the target audience as possible.
In order to gain further research into our target audience we decide to gain additional infomation with the use of Vox Pops, the following 5 are the ones that I have filmed. We decided to ask different questions from that of our questionaire as we realised that the majority of the people asked haven't heard of Pyschedelic Rock let alone Tame Impala. We therefore had to plan this stage out differentlty. We designed another questionaire with 5 different questions that were based around the music video we would be re-producing. We first showed our samples the video and then got them to anwser the following questions.
1) Do you like Tame Impala
2) Did you enjoy the music video, why?
3) What elements did you enjoy about the video?
4) What elements didn't you enjoy about the video?
5) What improvements would would you implement?
These are the findings we found:,
What subculture will our video follow?
A sub-culture is a group of people who are united through common value system and tastes (i.e Clothes, Music, Popular etc.) They can also be a group who are positioned outside of the mainstream, as they go against the mainstream of what is popular.
Our video will follow Grant McCracken theory. He says that if we look at the array of values, and ideologies then we can't say all sub-cultures came from one culture. It therefore assures that all sub-cultures come from one culture as a reaction to mainstream. Therefore to compensate for this we are going to create a video that will appeal to all as we are trying to merge the conventions of more Mainstream genres and Psychedelic rock into one to attract attention from both sets of audiences.
On the other hand other theorists have a completely differing view as the CCCS (Centre for Comtempory Cultures Study), they rather see that all subcultures come from one cultures and are branch outs of the mainstream. This theory is deemed out of date due to the fact that it doesn't relate to the 21st Century, the theory rather generalises when it should be particular.
Pop Music and Youth Culture - there are two rival views between the two
1) Pop Stars are constructed to appeal to a specific market with specific values.
2) The audience are so unpredictable in their likes and dislikes, so record companies can never truly know how to target them.
In fact both of these theories are true as this is how music celebrities and their record labels opperate. They try to make the artist appeal as high as possible to the target audience/ general audiences but the audiences tastes and preferences change so fast that targetting is harder for labels and disiding what steps to take is very difficult.
To conclude, our research was very helpful as we gained an idea of what our target audience wants to see in the video. Thinks that we found from our sample are that they would prefer a narrative/performance based music video, that features "maybe" due to the genre and its conventions. Also they want a clear storyline that doesn't confuse them with the artist featuring with the video itself. To over come this we will sit down as a group and brainstorm narrative ideas. We will then decide on one that we feel is more suited for the use in the context of our music video. After this we will address each segment of the narrative as a group, until all is complete and we have a narrative that we feel can easily be understood by the audience through camera angles, MES etc. (This will be completed when we create our storyboards.
One signficant point that needs to be noted is that the people we asked mainly didn't know who Tame Impala are, this is why we adapted our questions when filiming the vox pops otherwise we wouldn't have gained much information as we had due to people not know who the band are and what their music videos look like.
What they like - Effects, Zooming in and out, Colours are interesting, Somethings always happening.
From this we will take these items on board, the audience would like a wide array of effects to be used to keep the video that they are watching more entertaining these effects will be some used with a balance of colour to keep the audience more visually engaged. The idea of zooming in and out we will take on board but this is completely dependant on the camera angles and narrative that we use. Finally we will always try to make sure something is happening in the video so that we keep to audience interested throughout the video.
What they dont - Randomnise, Repetitivness,
In our video as already mentioned we will make sure that we will try to keep the narrative as engaging as possible my having a meaningful storyline rather than one that is boring and respective that the audience will easily forget.
Improvements - Clear Narrative, High Quality.
We have already made a plan to address the narrative but to ensure that the video is of high quality we will try to ensure that the camera that we use to record footage is of a good standard and is always in focus when we film or when we are selecting shots to use.
If we were to do the questionaire again I would probably only use a demographic of Tame Impala or fans of the Pychedelic Rock genre as these are members who will mainly feature within our target audience whom we need to entertain and produce the music video for rather than just people who are at random and who properly are fans of more mainstream genres such as pop or rock.
The chosen music genre that we have based on the music video we choose "Feels like were only going backwards" falls under the Psychedelic Rock genre. This style of rock music is inspired by the Psychedelic culture and is listen to in order to replicate and enhance the mind altering experiences of psychedelic drugs. This genre interests my group an I, as we feel this is quite an unconventional genre to be following as the themes within as strange/abnormal to us. Our main inspiration was Tame Impala's song which I have mentioned. We though it was best to gain a further understanding into the genre so we as a group have looked at various music videos these are the two that I have picked to analyse. The two bands I picked were Animal Collective and Avey Tare's Slasher Flicks who are some of the most popular and known artists under the genre.
We picked this Psychedelic Rock for a number of reasons. As a group we like the use of editing in all videos under this genre as it involves a wide range of transitions and bold colours. Obviously these themes aren't in all music videos under this genre but it is mainly the conventional.
Animal Collective - Todays Supernatural
This music video is by one of the well known artists under this genre. This video seems to be a collection of random of events that cannot be clearly explained by the audience as we see a giant monster being attacked by flying arms. This video is set in a desert location which is clearly unknown. The main conventions of the music video in the genre are as followed an unclear narrative a wide use of animation, bright bold colours and editing techniques that tend to be fast pace and transition in a straight cut. These codes and conventions are used for numerous reason but mainly to grab the audiences attention and send them into a trance fixated on the fast altering colours and flashing lights (this represents the narcotic related theme which is the main focus point of the genre).
Mise-en-Scene is a common theme in this music video as all areas can be seen. The video constantly alters between High and Low key lighting with no common ground between the two, this can be seen in the clear constant between the two settings. The setting is very odd as it is highly unrelatable for audiences as most of them have or would have never been to an open desert before or have been trapped in a random location with a clear insane person (from a outside of genre perspective.). The video uses a wide array of props for example a dune buggy to tie in with the location and some form of piano/organ that is part of a mutant body for no apprant reason. When Facial Expressions and Body Langauge comes to attention it seems that there is quite a lack of this throughout as we see no clear display of either throughout. Characters and objects are always central of the screen and in plain sight of the audience, this is so that no items are missed due to the use of fast pace editing.
The main camera angles used are Establshing Shot, Close Up, Panning, Extreme Close Up, Mid Shots, Long Shot. A wide array of shots are used so that the audience are kept engaged throughout otherwise it would be very dull for audiences as some audience may not be engaged by the narrative completely so the only way to keep them to watch would be to have these with a fast pace editing style so they want to know what the next shot is and what it contents are.
Close Ups are used to draw attention from the audience to the characters in an attempt to create a bond with them, from my perspective it does somewhat work as it leave the audience questioning what it is these characters are, what they are doing and what is there purpose in relation to trying to form a narrative around them.
In the same way additional Long Shots are also used to create the same affect as they distance the audience from the characters, the constant flicker between the short and long distance shots somewhat creates a stronger emotional bond that the audience has to interpret in their own way depending on whether they are fans of the genre which would probably tend to have a stronger bond than those which do not.
There are various editing styles used for example we see mostly straight cuts, and occasionally fading transitions as an alternative to keep the attracted to what is going on screen. On the other had we do see a vast amount of bold filters and animations used to effect the audience and engage them more as there mood is altered depending on the narrative an colour filters used. This again is to relate the theme of narcotic use as the effects of drugs does affect the body, visually this is the only way to represent this so therefore consequently it is one of the conventions of the genre.
In the circumstances and content of this video I would say that the artists target audience is rather quite older compared to other music videos under this genre. I would say it fits the age bracket from 20-30 as it wouldn't appeal to younger audience as it doesn't have a clear/explainable narrative neither does it appeal to the older in the same way. The age bracket provided may find it entertaining due to its randomness but that is about all.
The artists representation is rather unclear to the audience as his message is quite difficult to interpret for audience. It seems as if he wants the audience to be confused and decide on there own outcome from the video, and this is a result of the narrative being unclear yet even if there is one that can be understood.
Today's Supernatual has a very complex style as it is a very abnormal narrative that has an open perception, which may alternate between the demographic due to the audience indefinitely needing a strong taste towards the genre and experiencing other music video to have a close idea of what the artist or record label are trying to convey to them.
Final this video has little relations with Goodwin's Theory. One that match are the fact due to the demands of the record label there are lots of close ups of the artist in attempt to create a bond with the audience, but due to the fact that the artist cannot clear be seen it doesn't not somewhat reach its full potential. The video is concept/performance as there is no clear narrative as the audience are left to there own devices to conforms their own narrative. But there are more elements of the theory not included than that are as there is no relationship between lyrics and visuals nor music and visuals. Neither is there any sexualisation of the female body or notion of looking and there are no intertextual references to other media as these are not conventions of the genre at hand and rather are more associated with more mainstream genres.
Avey Tare Slasher Flicks, Little Fang
Another video under this branch of Rock is Little Fang. Compare to the previous video it follows a more clear/actual narrative to the audience. From what features in the video we see a puppet cat setting itself free from it normally life, taking on what it is to be considered human features as it can somehow drive a car and interact with other characters in such a similar manner. Due to is unrealistic narrative it can be clearly seen as a conventional video under its identifier genre.
There are various codes and conventions in this video which represent the genre except they are mild compare to others within the same genre category. These include bold colours(restricted to blue,green and red), with a common use of black and white footage, transitions that effect audiences thought pattern/state of mind and a scary theme for certain clowns alike the monster. Aside from the obvious colour tints to represent the 'positive' side of the drugs the lack of colour and indefinitely emotion may represent the negative side as some stronger drugs have too sides the high itself and the down after. This isn't conventional to the genre but does link in due to its themes and there connotations.
Mise-en-Scene is carefully constructed in this video and is more apparent to audiences. There is a more relatable setting(s) as the video features a house, a freeway(American) and a carnival/circus of some sort. There is also numerous costumes used throughout as we see clown jumpsuits and etc. used with characters wearing mask/clown make up. There is also a clear array of emotions as we see a grace puppet cat on its new adventures outside of it previous restrictions. Lighting and colour once again we can see that there is a use of mainly Low Key lighting to set the tone of the video for the audience, and as always characters are defiantly place in the middle of the screen to grab the audiences attention.
The main camera angles used are Mid Shots (mostly), Long shots, Close ups, Point of View and Panning. As mentioned alike the prior video Long Shots and Close Ups are used to create and emotion bond between the audience and characters. Unlike the prior video the main character is rather more relatable as this character is a cat which is a domestic pet that many of the genres audience will have one, despite it is rather easier to create a bond with something that is real. In addition this is taken a step further when POV shots are used to create a sense of empathy for the audience putting them in the 'shoes' of the character itself and the narrative it is a part of.
While there are a use of Colour changes, transitions and mainly straight cuts on the terms of editing.
For this video I would say that the target audience is around from 16-35 as it has a rather young audience in mind for the genre, also it may only be understandable for these age ranges as if younger it may become confusing an then unappealing.
The band is rather is represented as a influential and entertaining of some sort as it seems as if they are encouraging the main character in the scene as lyrics party match visuals. They appear also more normal compared Today's Supernatural due to less make up and tone down music and lyrics.
Little Fangs Style is one that can be considered a one that conform to the genres conventions that can be easily picked up upon through the use of colour filter and black and white items, also puppets and characters used also conform to there genre due to the fact one cannot be real as its a puppet and the other being abnormal due the band wearing fangs alike a cat to somewhat represent a vampire character. In addition this video is highly more realistic than the other video analysed as it has a common setting of a circus with all of its additions such a clowns which once again due to there abstractness can be considered also conventional to the genre.
This video conforms to more elements if Goodwin's Theory as there is quite a strong bond between lyrics and visuals and music and visuals, also there are many close ups of the band due to demands of the records label, there is some intertextual references to films/tv programmes that use puppets such as the muppets and Garfield which can be considered, furthermore there video is a combination of all three of Goodwin's characteristics of a music video as there is a clear use of Concept/Performance and Narrative. This is due to the fact we see the band singing, the theme of drug usage and a narrative involved around a puppet cat.
My research into the particular music genre our music video is from, will once again assist me in the planning stage of my music video. This is due to the fact that now I have an extended knowledge of the genre as I now can clearly see the main characteristics that need to be considered/included within the video. Also I have noticed the most common camera angle and editing techniques due by the production teams of artists under the genre. Also I now clearly see that our artists representation needs to be clearly thought through as we need to consider the audiences viewpoint and overall conclusion of the artist once they have viewed the content. Finally one last point is that my group and I need to come to a conclusion if that we will either follow Goodwin's theory strictly or rather relaxed or conform to another persons theory when it comes to the final planning stages in pre-production.
The Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, is the current law in force to deal with copyright infringement. It gives the creators of the material the rights to control the ways in which their material may be used. It also covers the right to Broadcast and Public Performance, Copying, Adapting, Issuing, Renting, and Lending copies to the public. The creator will have the right to identified as the author and to object to distortions of his/her work.
Copyright happens when an individual or organisation creates work and applies it to work that is seen as original.
Interpretation is related to the independent creation than the idea behind the creation.
Names, titles, short phrases and colours are not colours are generally consideration unique or substantial enough to be covered. Creation such as a logo that combines all of these may be covered.
Normally the individual or collective who authored the work will exclusively own the rights.
Only the owner, or his licensee can bring proceedings in the courts against an infringement of law.
We applied for copyright due the fact that it would be an infringement of the law and it could possibly result in us being sued by the record label. This is because we wouldn't have permission to use their content that they own and do not possess the rights to upload the video to the Internet (YouTube).
When we applied for Copyright we had to find out Tame Impalas Record Label in order to gain permission to use the song. We found this by going on his website http://www.tameimpala.com/ then getting in contact with the record label and then emailing them the pre-written structure asking for permission.
Copy of the E-mail we sent to the record label is below.
After a few days we recieved a reply from the label stating that we were allowed to use the song, only if we followed the strict guidelines which are below.
These are 3 music videos that I have watched recently, that I enjoy. From these videos I have gained various inspirations that will help me when I go to create my music video in the near future. I am going to pick various micro-elements from each video that may be used or adapted into my video that I like from each video. The three videos that I feel are most adequate for this task are Clean Bandit-Rather Be, Calvin Harris-Summer and Avicii-Addicted to You.
Clean Bandit - Rather Be
The main thing I like about this video is the City location that it is set in. The setting involves the main body of the city itself, fish markets, beach, transport system and the characters main living area.
The main reasoning behind this is the fact that it is strongly relatable for most audiences, as its a common theme in everyone life. This can be seen by the main characters everyday life being repeated over and over, replicating a real life scenario which can be forgotten in some music videos as do tend to be more extreme and unrealistic compare to this.
I also like the way in which there is a concept in this video, which sees the main character going into a state of shock when the band and others start to dance in front of her. This is due to her being freaked out by seeing visions of them beforehand replacing other people and seeing the bands logo in others eyes. This puts her in a coma like state before the audience is shown the truth about the identity's of some of the other people(face masks). This main reason I like this is the fact that its keeps audiences on edge as they are trying to figure out what the main idea behinds the logo/story is. I would like to consider something like this in our work as it would keep the audience interested/entertained and also stand out from other music videos that are more conventional to their genres and alike.
This music video has an equal balance between Performance, Narrative and Concept. It doesn't seem to focus on one more than the other, again this is something I would like to add to my work as then we have covered all elements that should be in a music video under Goodwin's Theory.
Calvin Harris - Summer
One of the main features of this video sexualisation of the female body which is not included in the other videos I am analysing for my inspirations. One of the main reasons I thing that this should be included in my final piece of work is the fact it will attract a particularly area of our target audience particularly of the male gender. In turn is may attract more views and then more revenue for the artist etc. Also this one key element of Goodwin's Theory.
Two obvious camera angles that I deem as necessary to be place in the music video are the Low Angle, and High Angle as they both embrace the artist/characters and the setting which can be seen in this music video as we see Calvin Harris on the long road on his own with nothing in the distance. The main reason for using these angles is the fact it alters the opinions of the audience towards them and also enables a wide proportion of the setting ti be seen as well.
Again an obvious feature of the music video will either be fast or slow pace editing. Not only in this video we see the time between shots as being fast we also see them being slow as well at different stages of the song. This reflects Goodwin's theory that there is a direct link between music and visuals, which is something I and my group will have to thing about strongly in the planning stage of our video.
One final section of the music video I like is the usage of Lighting Strobe effects at the party towards the end of the scene. The main reason I like this is due to the fact it differs from the standard use of lighting in music videos i.e Low Key Lighting and High Key Lighting. It offers a attractive display with entice the audience to view the video, also it is more effective and meaningful in come cases to the viewer also.
Avicii - Addicted to You
The main parts I like about this music video in particular are the camera angles used by the director and intriguing narrative which keeps the audience entertained which refers to Bonnie and Clyde.
The first camera angle I like is the Establishing Shot which enable the audience to see the main setting. It is high in the air so all of the surroundings can be seen in detail. The shot also is panning also. This shot has a purpose on screen for example it shows the audience the car which is used multiple times across the video and as it goes off into the distance we see the title of the song appear in the main focus. I also like this as it has a unique font which is related to what period the video is set in. We could try and incorporate this into our video as it enable the audience to an introduction to the video as well as being informed of the artist and its title which is rarely seen if other music videos in general.
Near the start of the scene in the bar we seen the second main character come into the building. One particular element of this I like is the shot on the feet of the character which informs the audience of her presence before we see the main characteristics of her ie her face. I like this due to the face it shows the characters authority indirectly almost. The reason we might do this is to give the video more camera angles that are unconventional, by this I mean not alike the standard shots i.e Mid Shot etc. This pattern can also be followed with the next two shots I am going to mention.
Tracking, this is used in the scene when the main characters are robbing the bank as they are on the desk and throwing money up in the area there is a steady shot which tracks them around. The main reason I like this is it gives the audience the viewing of the full setting with the characters in main focus, which differs dramatically from a Low Angle which compared to this technique is quite boring.
Birds eye view, This shot make the characters seem powerful due to the circumstances that they are in, but equal it can be reversed to make the character(s) seem vulnerable,
Beside the fast pace editing which is most music videos and which may be used in mine there is another editing technique that I rather like, this is at the start and links the two setting together. The fading between shots is quite subtle and gives the audience a calm and rather different mood towards the video that will change throughout as it becomes violent unlike the transition suggest.
Unlike the other videos addicted to you follows a strict only narrative based video which doesn't include the artist at all, this is something I will have to consider when I consult my group when planning for the final production.
Foster and the People. This music video has inspired me through its editing technique used called a time lapse. I like this editing style as it displays long sequence of time condensed into a few minutes. By doing this it is very easy for the audience to notice the changes that occur to the setting in high speed, and makes it more entertaining as things that would not be seen by the human eye or over a long period can be condensed and actually seen in a small time space.
All of the Lights, this has inspired me through the use of various colour tints in a small time space, as it has a dramatic effect on the audience. The rapid changes show the footage in shot in different was and changes emotions due to the colour associated i.e red for negative and blue for positive. With all the colours of the spectrum used it means it keeps the audience engaged further rather than just a few as they can be used repetitively and in different orders to switch it up and be unexpected at some points due to no order or motif. In addition this has various connotations, such as strong links to drugs.
Stay High. I like the way there is a consistent use of slow motion and how it gives the audience more detail of what is going on in each shot as they have more time to process the information seen on screen compare to that of a standard shot clip. This has the opposite effect to that of the time lapse but is still as effective in engaging the audience if used in moderation. Slow Motion also have connotations connected with it such as drugs and alcohol so if we wish to use these themes within our chosen song and its narrative this editing style may come into consideration.
Artists choose to reinvent their image for a variety of reasons. This could be either at the peak or a low of an artists career, but it is usually done for a purpose and not a random collection of events for example
-To reach wider audiences or branch out to a different target audience.
-Break into a new music genre.
-Increase sales/revenue.
-If the artist is the tired of his/her own image.
-Increase Publicity.
-Attempt to reverse bad press created.
-Being an old artists trying to keep up with current trends.
One artist that has done which is Maroon 5, the band started off as a Pop-Rock band and has eventually made the transition to Pop with collaborations with Wiz-K, Christina Aguilera and Gwen Stefani branching out to wider audiences. The main differences are the style of music and what it in the actual content of the music videos.
Maroon 5 have made this transition due to the fact that they started off as a Pop Rock band and wanted to become more mainstream like other artists in the music market. They have done this by following the conventional stereotypes of the pop genre as I will explain
Goodwin's Theory tells us that a music video will fall into, or cross over into three main categories. Narrative, Concept or Performance.
Video 1, This Love (Past)
This song is about a break up from a relationship, which is connect to Maroon 5 lead man Adam Levine as it is based on his personal life. This video falls into the Narrative, Performance category, this is for a variety of reasons. Through the video we see Maroon 5 performing to the camera in a series of closes up to engage the audience, we see the band with all of their instruments and Levine singing at the centre of the screen. We also see a romantic storyline throughout with obviously follows the Narrative side of the video. There is also a distinct relationship between lyrics and visuals with is obvious to the audience as we see two characters, one being the lead singer making love which reflects the lyrics "making love, as if it was just a game". Also in relation to Goodwin's theory we see many close ups of the band to promote the audiences as this is what they demand.
This music video is very conventional to the Pop Rock genre for many reasons. For example we see the band performing to the audience with instruments this is conventional due to the face that this is what the artists use in the soundtrack of the song and it represents a link between the music and visuals which is generically seen in Rock/Pop. Instruments include the Guitar, Drums and a Piano. This also linking to Goodwin theory as we see the use of genre characteristics.
Video 2, Payphone(Change)
This song has a completely different narrative to This Love. It still is performance based also but it follows a more Pop storyline as it is more attracting to audiences. The video follow Levine escaping from some bank robbers with a girl in a shooting, he attempts to become the hero in an array of shots fired at him. He then gets mistaken for the robbers and then is involved in a chase scene in which he flees. The video is in some sense a mini action movie which follows a conventional storyline. Yet again there is a direct line between lyrics and visuals for example "I'm at a payphone trying to call home", this is clearly seen in the video. Another part of Goodwin's theory that can be seen, is the demands of the record label which has the artist seen in multiple close ups throughout the video this is for the personal benefit of the audience as this is what they want to see when they are viewing the video.
Unlike This Love, Payphone only features Adam Levine and not the rest of the band, this reflects one of the major changes in Maroon 5's transition to the Pop Genre as most artists/bands under this genre only focus on one particular individual. Another difference is the fact the band are collaborating with another well known mainstream artist which is only common with Pop artists rather than distant genres and their previous style of music.
Video 3, Love Somebody(Present)
Love Somebody is a mixture of the two previous songs and rather falls under the Dance - Pop genre. The nature of the song reflects the emotions a person would feel on the dance floor in a club or a similar setting. It has a rather unconventional theme compared to Payphone or other Pop music video of the same time period, this can be seen obviously through the use of the band and actress being covered in blue paint to reflect their emotions and or etc.
Again this follows Goodwin's Theory alike the others it has a direct link between lyrics and visuals i.e "I really want to love somebody, I know we're only halfway there" this reflects the audience and artists/characters being half seen as if they only half know each other and are becoming more connected as the amount of paint on there body increases. Unlike the other the video is more concept based as the video is open to interpretation to the audience as there isn't a clear storyline/narrative to follow alike the other analysed videos. The concept is the bond/relationship between a couple. Yet again there are various close ups of the band not just Adam Levine.
A significant note to add would be the fact that in the last two videos there as been a lack of the use of musical instruments due to the transition between genres which primarily on a high level shows the evolution of the band. Due the them becoming more performance orientated.
In addition the way that the artist has changed through the sexualisation of the female body and all the males with the exposure of the torso in a sexual way, due to the use of paint and tight clothing, which is also a key element of Goodwin Theory.
Dyer's Theory
A star is an image and not a real person. They are constructed from a range of materials. They are seen as commodities. Stars depend on a range of subsidiary media such as magazines, TV, internet etc. These are used to construct image for the artist which can be marketed to their target audience to raise their profile and fan base. The star image is made up of a range of meaning which are used to gain the attention of audiences. A stars image is always incomplete and open for alterations. This comes down to two paradox's
1) The star must be, at the same time, ordinary and extraordinary for the audience.
2) The star must be, at the same time, present and absent for the consumer.
The stars image ensures that the audience continually feel the need to feel up to date or complete to make sense of the image, this can be achieved by the consumer buying the stars products.
The artists performance, promises the consumption of their image which is always satisfying for the audience. As a result of this fans will continue to consume the star and their products in order to complete their image.
The stars image is used to show the consumer a position of dominance but also social values this is known as Hegemony. Depending on the artists style this may mean the audience get positioned in or against the mainstream
- How does the video represent the artists?
The video represents the band as conventional to the genres they are within and then it seems like they become more risk tacking as their videos become more diverse and more extraordinary compare to their early previous videos. At first it is more apparent that the band is a group while later on it can be said that new audiences, due to only Adam Levine featuring may see Maroon 5 as an single artist an not a band. Beside this they may also think this due to the music becoming less Rocky and more Dance as beats have been altered with and are more predominant to audiences.
-Can the artist be viewed as a product?
I would say that the band could be seen as a product as they are constantly changing their style which can be seen by the 3 videos I have analysed but also due to the fact they endorse a range of items to their fan base which include gigs, t-shirts, CD's, Vinyl Records of their tracks, sheet music, iPhone cases etc. This is in order to please their fans and remind them of their star image that they project to audiences to entice them to but their tickets and themed products, which increases the bands revenue.
-Is the artist both ordinary and extraordinary?
The artist can be considered under both of these criteria, this is due to their content in the videos that I have analysed. For example the normal side of the artist can be seen by there reflective themes of breaking up and love relationships which is consistent throughout. The first two video I analysed seem to follow the respective conventions of the two genres with the third taking a slight twist to keep the artists style fresh and new for audiences not forgetting the second as it has a complete direct change from the first. This can be seen by the weapons and car chases etc. The third is completely unexpected by audience and may come as a shock and first but in the end the themes are the same. So in conclusion it can be said that the artist is both depending on the audiences perspective.
Does the video place fans for or against hegemony?
Hegemony is the section of the theory, that the audience (us), can relate to the star, as the audience we admire artists/bands and attempt to replicate what they are experiencing. It can be said that Maroon 5 have a large following, as they perform at concerts, have their own twitter and a range of merchandise.
Some percentage of the audience may choose to replicate the lifestyle and themes they present in their music videos such as love and heroism. These ideology's are in contrast to other artists quite positive, but at the same time are not that compelling to replicate so audience may choose not to. Maroon 5 may be seen by some audiences as a role model/inspiration for various reasons, or may like their music so much they may choose to learn on instruments songs. Overall I would say that Maroon 5 videos place fans for hegemony as they could alter a fans view and actions in some way.
Target Audience
I would say that the audiences target audience has only changed slightly over the course of the three music videos. This Love in my opinion would be targeted at young adults (16+) to around late 30's to early 40's . This is for a variety of reasons such as the explicit scenes and themes and due to it being slightly not conforming to the mainstream audiences only a small percentage would be of younger audiences. While on the other hand I would say that Payphone and Love Somebody would appeal to a further extended target audience as it is more mainstream and fits clearly into the Pop/Dance genre. Also Payphone has a more clear narrative for audiences to understand, so overall I would say this would reach out to young teens (13) to again people in their 30's/40's. The target audience has evolved so much due to the band becoming more mainstream when they made the switch from alternative rock to pop rock becoming more upbeat with lyrics that represent the values of the pop genre in general with there themes.
Messages and values
There are only a few messages and values in the bands music videos, they mainly portray love and similar messages that link, like being a hero etc. The messages haven't changed really at all over the course of the bands career as I have just explained, they are rather all similar with slight alterations. The only major changes are in the style of the music and image of the band in their transition over the two genres including there transformation from small unknown band to fame and stardom in the limelight.
In my opinion I think the main reason Maroon 5 made this change was due to the fact that they wanted to reach wider audiences or branch out to a different target audience also at the same time break into a new music genre. This changes are in attempt to increase sales/revenue of the band/record label by the increased publicity.
My research will assist me to decide on an artist to pick for my final music video as I have further explored the characteristics of a band and two different genres. Also I have seen how Goodwin's Theory has been applied to the three videos which will assist be in implanting the theory into my work also. It is extremely important to identify and maintain a target audience as their interest as this will enable the artists/us to decide what song should be used to create interest and also what content is appropriate /needed for the music video. The video also needs to be generic to the genre and relatable for the selected target audience.
Different music videos appeal to different audiences in many different ways. Each music genre has certain characteristics that define it to its genre and that particular set of fans. For example if we were to look at Rock Music Video we would probably see Instruments of the Band, Close ups of the artist and music that matches the visuals as these are to common conventions that appeal to the audience who have an interest in that genre and that is what they expect to see. Other reasons why a video may appeal to an audience is an artists eye contact with the camera which may make them feel involved, and seeing a display of the artists skills. Throughout this blog I will be discussing about 3 particular music videos from different genres which will be Drake - Over (Rap), Flo Rida Ft. David Guetta - Club Can't Handle Me (Pop) and Ain't It Fun by Paramore (Rock). and will be discussing how they appeal to their audiences through micro elements, conventions and the artist representation.
Rap Analysis - Drake Over
Drakes Over is a music video from the Rap genre, and its subject is about Love/Emotional experiences that the artist have had over the course of his life. This can be seen by the lyrics but also how the video is constructed through Mise-en-Scene, Editing, Cinematography which can also appeal to the audience as well.
Drake represents himself as a person going through a extremely hard break up, beside this being clear from editing and cinematography it can be seen by the clothing that he is wearing, it seems to be quite casual, this may reflect the idea of being closed in cutting the connects with the outside world as in the artists "state" he may be feeling downhearted by his situation, which is also evident in his body language as he is constantly looking down in thought.
This music video uses various lighting such as Strobe and Low Key Lighting which reflects the artists emotions to the audience through the Lamps on the chest of draws (LKL) which shows his depressed state after his break up. Then throughout the video we see the mood of the video change as Drake with the strobe lighting effects, this appeals to audiences as they can feel the artists emotional trauma as he has consistent highs and lows throughout, possibly relating to the experiences that he is feeling and then possibly making a strong connection to him, as this reflects the different stages of a relationship that most of the target audience of Drakes are likely to have had. The setting is a apartment which is rather relatable for audiences, but this is extended when we see New York City being projected onto the white walls of the setting which extends the way the audience can reflect on the video as this is an iconic location admired by many.
Editing, Over uses various Colour Tints to also display the artists feeling to the audience in a more graphical way. The main colours used are Red and White. Red is used when lyrics have negative tone which represents love/danger, while white is used are a positive reinforcement as the Drake sees 'its far from over'. so rather represents a new start in a relationship or breaking free from it. This appeals to audiences as they can clearly see the changes of the artists emotions which they may be able to reflect on through previous experiences in relationships which could be similar to there idols.
There is also a mixture of both Fast Pace Editing and Slow Pace editing throughout the video, this symbolises the relationships fast and slow pace which reflects alike the colour tints but in a more consistent manor. This technique keeps the audience interested as there is always a new piece of footage which hasn't been seen before, this is much more appealing than seeing one camera shot throughout with the artist performing down the lens.
Cinematography, Close Ups are used throughout the video in order the promote the artist to audiences (Goodwin's Theory). The artist being in the whole of the video rather than some sections ensures that the label can promote them as much as possible, in turn this gives the audience what they want when they view this material as they may only being watching it to look at the artist for various reasons such as they may attempt to copy there lifestyle or just enjoy watching the artist in general. If the artist wasn't featured in or not promoted some audiences may be less inclined to view the material. High Angle, we see this when Drake is sat on the bed. The high angle is complemented with a Time Elapse of the clouds. So in turn they collectively represent him as being vulnerable over time, which is a common theme in relationships i.e the fear of breaking up or being alone which audiences could relate to.
Dance Analysis - Club Can't Handle Me, Flo Rida feat. David Guettua
Club Can't Handle Me is a club anthem and is a collaboration by Flo Rida and David Guettua.
There are various lighting techniques are throughout the video but on main reoccurring one is the strobe light effect which represents a club atmosphere. This creates the feeling of being at a club without being there, this is the effects of realism as the video is as close to real life as possible, this may be relatable for such audiences who have been to similar locations before or aspire to gain this experience in later life, also this can be seen by the Low Key Lighting which also symbolises a club setting. Another common theme throughout the music video is the artists lifestyle being constantly promoted to the audience, this can be seen through the iconography seen. Examples include Flo Ridas jewellery which include his watch and all of his gold chains, also the cars as the start of the video and class expensive drinks which include Champagne. These items are the generic conventions of a upper class/rich lifestyle these will appeal to all audience as they will see the artists as role models and inspirations which is why they will choose to view the music video.
The Editing is a constant flow of fast timing of shots, we see all the way throughout outside the club and in. Again this helps reflect the club experience as the music played useless is high tempo and is loud, this may feel realistic to the audience as all the common conventions of a club setting have been used in the video. There is a section in the music video which uses Slow Motion editing, this allows the audience to obtain more information from what is seen in the video as they wouldn't usually see it in this way. He may be referring to such activities that happen at a club such as drinking which may affect an individuals ability to act in a conventional social manner.
Alike Drakes Over, there are many close ups of the artist involved in the music video, (Flo Rida and David Guetta), in order to promote the artists again this is what the audience wants to see as they many be less inclined to watch if the artists doesn't feature or is partly in the video. Therefore it is vital that the artist is promoted in order to please the audience and meet there needs and wants.
There is also a low angle of Flo Rida which helps again to help him seem like a superior figure which audiences want to see. This is as explained they see him as a role model to look up to an inspire to be.
This may also appeal to audiences as they see the figure as having some authority/power over the crowd of people at the club.
Link with Step Up 3D as various shots are used from the film.
Ain't it Fun by Paramore was released on their self titled album in 2013 and is of the Rock, Funk Rock genre. The music video features the band attempting and succeeding in breaking Guinness World Records, which include fastest time for 3 people to smash 30 clocks with a guitar and longest time spinning a vinyl on a finger among many others. The music video is complete different that what was intended by the artists by changed the style as they wasn't convinced with the direction the video was taking. Under Goodwin's Theory's this video falls into the Concept/Performance category. This music video appeals to audiences in many different ways.
Iconography there are various conventional items used throughout the video which relate to the genre such as Guitars, Vinyl's. These items are used by many artists within this genre as they are the main instruments used. This may appeal to the audience due to the fact that they are seeing what is expected, but in an unconventional manner as the band are not performing with the instruments but rather attempting to break records by using them, in turn this may appeal to a wider audience as they may find a group of people breaking these records entertaining.
Clothing, the band wears conventional clothing to the rock genre as both guitarist are wearing jackets and skinny jeans. While Hayley Williams the lead singer is wearing more unconventional clothes which are a collection of random items which make her stand out to the audience, despite the colour of her hair always changing, as they change in every time the setting/location changes throughout the video. She is seen by the audience as a more expressive artists as she is unique in the way she dresses.
Slow Motion is used quite frequency throughout the video, and is used in scenes which involve destruction to items, this editing technique is used in order to show the audience a high frame shot of items being destroyed for longer so the impact and damage can be seen more clearer. This is conventional of the rock genre as it is a more destructive genre compared to Dance or Rap etc.
The audience may like this as it gives a different view on the video and will engage them further as this is more entertaining than a normal speed shot.
Fast Pace editing is used again alike the other genre as it keeps the audience interested in what is happening in the video as it is constantly alternating between camera angles to keep attention, which keeps the audiences viewing interesting as they are constantly processing new imagery on screen.
Unlike other genres the artists lifestyle isn't clearly portrayed, but it does seem to a be a fun and care free which can be seen by the way the artists body language is. Also it can be deemed as relaxed as they are cruising in a luxury muscle car. The audience may relate to this as they may see themselves having a similar lifestyle alike the artist.
The artists also portray themselves as being quite fun, alike the title of the song. As they are constantly involved in a vast array of activity's, they see fun to the audience due to the bands carefree attitude and the appeal of the activity's that they are doing, within reason.
In Summary................................
Technical elements vary in different music videos due to the genre and the overall narrative of the music video. Examples include the fact that the Pop genre focuses around modern and 'in trend' locations, which can be seen in Flo Ridas song with the fact that the strobe lights are used because they are connected with the setting and are a generic convention of the genre. This would not be needed in genres such as Rock as there videos tend to be rather basic and dull compare to that of the pop genre and are less engaging due to the fact there is a entertaining narrative and also the convention mentioned is not of the genre so therefore it is not needed. On the other hand, the rock genre uses instruments as a convention so therefore it has technical elements likewise.
Music videos appeal to there audience by making them very relatable and/or inspirational for audiences. Making a video relatable may include locations that the audience recognises such as London or various international capital cities, it may even be a town or club location or even house as audience will have most probably been to 2 out of the 3 of the setting named. Another way a music video can be relatable is through its narrative, if it follows the theme of love/relationships (alike Drakes) then some section audiences will be able to relate among may other narratives that can attract viewers alike. Viewers may also find some music videos inspiring when they see narratives that follow the ideas of success or even money, this is usually a basis for them to aspire to gain replicate these themes. Audiences also enjoy genre specifics to be included as this is what they are expecting to see when they go to watch a video of there genre choice, if the video does not conform to genre the audience may be disengaged.
The audience can build a relationship with the artist in many ways, relating to Goodwin's Theory due to the demand of the record labels there are a vase amount of close ups of the artist within the music video. This helps the audience be suggested positively towards the idea of the artist. Another way they can relate is through the narrative and how the artist is involved within it, for example again if the narrative reflect a break up narrative if the artist portrays this message well then it is highly relatable for audiences therefore increase their appeal for the viewer.
From this analysis I have taken some ideas regarding the content of the videos. Ideas include the use of colours tints to reflect mood as I like the way this has a meaningful impact on the audience. In addition I like the respective use of Slow Motion as it shows images in slow speed so that more detail can be evidently see by the audience.
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Firstly we came collectively as a group and put on a piece of paper songs that we would like to create into music videos. We then discussed and tried to narrow down this list further. Finally we came to a mutual agreement on Tame Impalas "Feels like we only going backwards", we feel this was suitable for a number reasons, mainly being general ideas that could be place in the content of the video in relation to the lyrics and style of the music. It is also quite a diverse song so it allows us to let our ideas to follow as it can be as creative as it has a set meaning which can be exploited due to the genre. .jpg)
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