Question 1- Genre Question
Below is a clip of me speaking about the genre of our music video:
Music Videos
Music videos can be sub-divided into 3 types of genre:
• Narrative
• Performance
• Experimental
Below is a brief explanation of all 3 genres:
Narrative- Consist of a story relating to the lyrics of the song
Performance- Mainly show artist/band performing the song directly to the audience e.g. a concert
Experimental- Where the artist/band use different mediums and techniques to show the audience the song
For our music video we decided to combine the performance and experimental genre to create a music video which would excite but still be relatable to our target audience,
Below is our music video we created:
Below is a document showing our Aunciallry Tasks:
Genre
A genre is a set of characteristics/ formula which is recognised by the audience over time e.g. iconography, narrative, mise-en-scene and themes
Genre provides the audience with familiarity and reassurance and helps the audience close down the complexities of life
Genre is important in all aspects of the media industry because it creates a relationship between the audience and producers (example look at diagram below) which minimises the risk of financial failure. Like all industries the music industry is a business and music videos are their products used to make money
The audience after a period of time and constant repetition of ideologies/iconography will have expectations whilst watching music videos and will expect to see certain conventions which will give them a lot of pleasure
“Repetition is a key element in the way audiences understand and relate to narratives (studying the media (O’Sullivan, Dutton and Raynor, Arnold 1964)
The main genre of music we are going to use in our media product is pop/folk music. The genre we have chosen is a hybrid which means it combines 2 types of music.
Below is an example of an artist/song from that genre:
Unique Selling Point
“Our unique selling point for our product is to attract the individuals who prefer following music of their own accord and own interest” (G.Burton)
Our unique selling point is that our artist is an independent woman whom audiences can relate to, she is quirky and different and will appeal to those individuals who don’t follow the status quo but search for music they like and believe in. Our artist will be known for her memorable, eccentric videos and will lighten audience’s lives with bursts of colour and music
Codes and Conventions of a Music Video
The code and conventions in a music video are certain aspects that is repeatedly used in that type of genre for example equipment, mise-en-scene which portrays certain massages to the audience
General Conventions
• The lyrics of the song influence what the audience see’s in the music video
• The artist/group is seen performing the song
• Pace of editing fits pace of music
• Lyrics establish a general feeling of mood and atmosphere
• Intertextuality- sometimes a reference is used e.g. Madonna references Marilyn Monroe in her video “material girl” (shown below)
Conventions of music video promos (Goodwin)
• Relationship between lyrics and the visuals- visuals amplify and illustrate the meanings of the lyrics e.g. Beyonce in single ladies
• The artists may develop their own star iconography e.g. Lady gaga is known for her eccentric sets and costumes e.g. Shown below
Conventions of music video promos (Pete Fraser teaching music video 2005)
• Music- use the tempo of the track to drive the editing
• Cinematography- the angle/type of shot have a significant impact on the meaning of the video
• Lyrics- Tend to establish the mood of the song/video
• Narrative and performance- music videos tend to suggest storylines to leave the audience wanting more
• Intertextuality- Music videos sometimes create nostalgia and familiarity for the audience e.g., Beastie Boys (sabotage) comically portrays TV cop shows in their video (shown below)
• Genre- Songs/music videos can be easily categorised into genres based on the theme and features of the music video
Andrew Goodwin (Dancing to direction 2003) stated that there were six main points (conventions) of music videos:
• Genre Characteristics
• Visual Lyrics
• Visuals/music
• Need to sell artist
• Intertextuality
• Voyeurism
Music video project- codes and conventions
We followed a number of music video conventions while creating our music video but we also broke a few because we wanted to add something new to the genre and make our video stand out and fulfil its main aim or being a music video the audience would watch again and again
Below is a list of the codes and conventions we used in our music video:
• The lyrics of the song influenced our music video- the song stood for women’s independence and not needing a man in your life, the song stood for “girl power” and this was portrayed in the music video, the music video showed the artist having fun and the music video was full of her personality
• The artist is shown performing/singing the song- our music video was a hybrid of the experimental and performance genre so we included a number of shots of the artist performing the song e.g. in front of a green screen she performed some of the song
• Pace of editing fits pace of music- At the beginning the pace of the music is slow however we used a number of quick jump cuts to show the audience a number of the locations, this did not fit the music but the effect used added some drama to the video, except from that instance the rest of the video the editing fits the pace of the music
• Code of dress reflects mood of the so song- The genre of pour music video is folk/pop so we dressed our artist in down to earth, flowery clothes that reflected her personality and mood, she was dressed casually and not in any clothes that could be seen as sexually driven because we did not want her to be seen as a display item for male pleasure
• Genre of the music is represented by the mise-en-scene- The lighting we used was mainly natural as we took a lot of footage in outside locations, we filmed in a number of unusual, random locations e.g. a grocery store, caravan, middle of a country road, we also filmed a number of shots in a basement because it was cold and alienated and fitted a couple of the lyrics in the song, we added a number of sepia effects into the video e.g. to show the audience that that scene was a memory, we decided to use natural lighting because it gave the video a more real, rustic look
• Camera shots/angles are used to represent the band/artist- We made sure we used a number of shots e.g. close-ups of the artist so the audience can relate to her more, we used some steady cam/handy cam shots to make it feel more real and as if you are a passerby/friend watching her
• Intertextuality- we used no Intertextuality because we felt that we wanted to create an original, unique video about the artists and not add any references
Music Video Theories
“Music video is incorporating, raiding and reconstructing” (J.Stewert)
Laura Mulvey
Her theory suggests that because most directors/producers are predominantly male, the presence of women in music videos or other media texts is often solely for the purpose of display (rather than for narrative purposes). The purpose of this display is to facilitate a voyeuristic response in spectators, which presumes a “male gaze” one that is a powerful controlling gaze at the female on display, who is effectively objectified and passive
In relation to our product, you may think that our main target audience would be predominantly male because we are using a young, pretty female artist however we are not showing her in a sexual nature or as a display item, she is seen as a more independent free spirited woman who can make her own decisions in life and does not need a man to satisfy her every need e.g. “girl power.”
Ideology
Ideology refers to systems of belief (McLennan, in the power of ideology), McLennan set out three conditions which must be fulfilled if ideas and beliefs can be regarded as ideological
The three conditions are listed below:
1. The ideas concerned must be shared by a significant number of people
2. The ideas must form some sort of coherent system
3. The ideas must connect someway to the power in society
In relation to our music video our main ideology we wanted to incorporate/portray in our music was that in modern society women have become equal to men, we wanted to show that women have become independent and that they do not need a man to live their lives and for protection. We wanted to show that women can have fun and can do their own thing in life without having to worry about what society expects them to do.
I believe that our ideology fulfils this theory because “girl power” and women’s independence is a worldwide issue/ideology , I believe that the ideology does relate to power in society because the ideology shows there has been a shift in power women are becoming more authoritive and prominent figures in society
Representation
Representation “is the way in which ideas, objects, groups, people and life forms are depicted by the mass media and is the method used by the mass media to create meanings” (Price)
“A stereotype is a label which involves a process of categorisation and evaluation an easily grasped characteristic (usually negative) is presumed to belong to a whole group” (O’ Sullivan, Dutton and Raynor)
In relation to our music video we have gone against the representation in society of women and of our music genre (pop/folk music). Firstly, in society women are seen as inferior however in our music video we have not used the stereotype, we have shown that everyone’s different and that women are becoming more independent and individuality is shining through. People think that folk/pop music is just weird bohemian individuals who sing with their guitar in the streets of main cities when actually folk music is just a type of music which originated in America and is just another tool people can use to express their feelings and inner most desires
Comparison/analysis of music video
I am going to analyse/compare my music video against another music video which is similar genre to mine
Below are the two music videos Imogen Heap's (first train home) and our music video (Angels)
Imogen Heap's First Train home
Our music video- Angels
Firstly, both music videos are similar in genre and type of music video, Imogen Heap is a pop/folk singer and her video above is experimental/performance. Both videos feature a female solo artist. The tone and atmosphere of the videos are different as Imogen Heap’s video is more dark and gothic while my music video is more bright, colourful however both music videos reflect how the singer is feeling and the visuals relate well to the song. The ideologies represented in each video is different, Imogen’s video was about relieving all your troubles and stress and just taking the first train home to see our family and friends she believed that people should metaphorically relieve all life’s baggage on the platform and just leave while in my music video the ideology was about women being independent, free spirited and man-free.
Question 2- Branding and Brand image
Branding
The main purpose of music videos is promotion, the music video is a promotional tool used by the artist/record company. A brand can also serve as a catalyst for CD sales or song downloads
A brand is a particular make of a product or artist, audiences have so much choice due to the range of artists/bands so that is where the brand comes in, it helps give the artist/band personality to make people want to buy their music and watch their music videos. The brand can refer to the whole range of products e.g. CD, songs, videos, posters and merchandise
The brand is more than just the products/artist(s) and advertising:
“Advertising any given product is only one part of branding’s grand plan” (Naomi Klein, No Logos)
The quote above can be related to artist and music videos. It explains that a brand is not just there to advertise to advertise but to create a foundation where the artists can build a relationship with the audience. Branding is about creating an image that people link to a particular product/band/artist. This image should entice the audience into buying their music and watching their music videos over and over again
Below are a number of brands (famous) relating to products:
Over time the idea is to create brand loyalty, to keep the audience buying the particular brand for life, establishing it with an unchangeable permanence
There are 8 elements that create brand identity:
• Brand slogan - often a catchphrase linked to the brands logo
• Brand Essence - what the brand means in a sentence
• Brand Personality - what kind of character the brand has, this humanises the brand making it easier for us to relate to it
• Brand values - what the brand stands for or against
• Brand appearance - what the brand looks like, sounds like or tastes like
• Brand heritage - the traditions that the brand has
• Emotional benefits - what the consumer feels when they hear or see the brand
• Hard Benefits - what is special about that brand that will make people buy into it? (is it cheap? high quality? more entertaining?) What real quantifiable benefits the brand offers the buyer
Web 2.0
Web 2.0 is a term describing the trend in the use of internet technology that aims to enhance creativity information sharing and most notable collaboration between users
Interactivity is a term that suggests a new version of the internet, it does not refer updates to any technical specifications but to changes in the way we use the web
Web 2,0 can be used as a new medium to extend and rein force the artist’s brand identity/image, due to improvements such as social networking, record labels are able to advertise stars more easily and on sites that are more accessible to the target audience
Web 2.0 has created free advertising opportunities such as “word of mouth” which can be used to improve a stars popularity thus improving the artist’s profitability
Web 2.0 is very important in terms of branding as the “domino theory" suggests due to the increased popularity of internet use and the increase in band-with, the internet will become one of the main mediums for companies to create an effective brand image
Our Brand Image
We were inspired by traditional fonts because we wanted to be creative but also authentic to the folk/pop genre. Our brand image was to signify power, individuality and exuberance. We decided on using the black because it connotes mystery and power. Throughout our media package we have wanted to maintain a brand image that our intended target audience (females aged 16-24) could relate to however we also wanted to create a brand image that put the artist’s views and personality at the forefront. Branding is an important factor and is there to help entice the audience into buying the product. Our main brand image was that our artist is an individual who goes through moments of grief, sadness like everyone else but comes out of them a better person, she is someone who with her music brightens up everyone’s day.
Question 3- Audience
Analysis of Audience Feedback
We created audience feedback questionnaires for our audience/peer group to fill in, the questionnaires purpose was to check whether we created a media package that was effective, good and maintained a brand image.
We also filmed some of the student’s comments
Below is an example of the questionnaire (empty) and a filled questionnaire:
Firstly, here is the audience’s initial reaction to the music video:
The clip shows that we got good positive reactions for the music video however they felt the lip synching could have been improved. They liked the editing and style of the music video. From this I have learned that we would need to improve the lip synching and if I could improve I would have tried to be more organised in finding a model/artist so we could find someone with experience
The second question: Is it something that you would be interested in watching again?
The graph below shows how many said yes and how many said no:
The graph shows that most people, 7 out of 10 to be exact would be interested in seeing the video again
We filmed a couple of the audience’s comments:
Most people felt the video was intriguing and different which is why they would want to watch it again, I was pleased with this because the main aim of the music video is to entice the audience to watch it multiple times. The minority of people who did not feel that way commented that it was because it was not their favourite genre of music
The next question asked on a scale of 1-10 how authentic the music video looked:
We received a lot of high marks for the authenticity of our music video because of the great locations and mise en scene (costumes/props) we used
The next question was very important because it asked whether the magazine advert/CD package/music video matched effectively
The graph above shows that the sample audience were in mixed minds about our media package matching effectively, a majority of people felt they were however some people felt the CD package and magazine advert were too creative in relation to the music video
I believe that the audience felt the ancillary tasks were not authentic because it did not follow the conventions of that genre of music however my argument is that the music video is experimental so the ancillary tasks should be as well if they are meant to match effectively (this is reinforced by the comment of one member of the audience above)
We also asked the audience how effective the magazine advert and CD package was
Magazine advert
CD package
Most people felt our ancillary tasks were not effective.
Improvements
If I could improves I would improve the lip synching and I would make the music video more creative maybe by adding more weird locations, maybe animation so it would fit our ancillary tasks
Question 4: Use of Creative Technologies
Question 5- Conclusion
The End
By Muhammad Patel
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