RESEARCH
Scroll down for Research
Task 1 - History of a music video
By doing task 1 I have learnt where music videos started, and I am able to see how they've changed over the years, and what factors affected them. I've also been able to look at some very iconic videos which I can potentially take inspiration from.
Task 2 - Conventions of a music video
By completing task 2, I've been able to have an in depth look at the conventions of music videos throughout different genres. Knowing these conventions, I can try to use or challenge them in my own videos. Also, knowing the conventions of different genres helps me to narrow down the conventions of indie rock videos, which is the genre I'll be working in.
Task 3 - Existing companies who produce and distribute music videos
There are many companies who produce and distribute music videos, but the main and most famous are 'The Big Three'. This is the three biggest record labels in the world, and consists of Universal Music Group (UMI), Sony Music Entertainment (SME) and Warner Music Group (WMG). These record labels are responsible for music recordings and music videos, but they can also managw other things like brands and trademakrs. They coordinate production, manufacture, distribution, marketing, promotion and copyright enforcement of their recordings and videos.
Universal Music Group (UMG)
Sony Music Entertainment (SME)
Warner Music Group (WMG)
Universal Music Group is an American global music corporation which is a subsidiary of the French media conglomerate Vivendi. UMG's gloabal headquarters are in Santa Monica, California. Universal Music was founded in 1934 and has previously been called Decca Records, MCA Records and MCA Music Entertainment Group.
Sony Music Entertainment is an American music company owned by Sony that is incorporated as a partnership of Sony Music Holdings Sony Entertainment is a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America. The company was first founded in 1929 as American Record Corporation and renamed Columbia Recording Corporation in 1938.
Warner Music Group is an American multinational entertainment and record label conglomerate headquartered in New York City. They were founded in 1958. The company was publicly traded on the New York stock exchange until May 2011 when its privatisation was announced, having been sold to Access Industries.
Another very famous company responsible for music videos is Vevo. Vevo was a joint venture between the big three, founded in 2009. It's shareholders include UMG, SME, Abu Dhabi Media and Google. Vevo only hosts music videos from UMG and SME, as indicated on the YouTube videos. The name is an acronym from 'video evolution'.
Vevo
Task 4 - Analysis of music videos
Kathleen - Catfish And The Bottlemen
Girls - The 1975
Click the images to enlarge them
Task 4 was a huge challenge. Despite this, it was actually really helpful. By doing this task I've been able to see how much work actually goes into a music video. It'll help me when it comes to making my own music video, as I can refer back to this to see how much different cuts, shots, and locations I should be using to make a good, dynamic exciting video.
It should also help me in my evaluation when considering what institution might be linked to my video.
For the song on the right, I stopped analysing when the bridge of the song started, as this is a very long song - nearly 5 minutes - and I wouldn't have been able to do it all. I felt just over 2 minutes was a sufficient amount to analyse to get a feel for the video, and the bridge of the song was a convenient point to stop.
I found task 5 quite enjoyable, as I was able to look at music and videos which I like. I think this task was also important as having a deeper understanding of why artists create images and themes, will help me make creative choices further into the project. Hopefully I will be able to use and adopt this bands style to make my work seem professional.
Task 5 - Research into an artist/band
Task 6 - Influences of style
For task 6, I chose some indie rock music videos and took screenshots of the outfits and style seen in them. I thought about where the style may have come from - what influenced the bands styles. I was able to compare some more modern styles with more classic, traditional ones. It also allowed me to see what the commonly worn items were.
By doing this task I've been able to see what influenced artists styles, and I can now use their style or same inspirations to influence my own creative choices when it comes to planning.
Click the link or photo to see the full moodboard, scroll over the screenshots on it to see my comments.
Task 7 - Research into the indie genre
Task 7 has allowed me to see the conventions of my genre. Also, by looking at some unconventional videos, I will be able to decide whether I want to challenge or adopt the conventions of indie music videos. At the start of this task I felt like I wanted to adopt the indie conventions, but having looked at some unconventional videos, I feel quite inspired, so this task has also helped me with ideas. Furthermore, completing this task should benefit me when it comes to my evaluation.
Task 8 - Theory
There are a number of media theorists, some specifically focus on film, some on physical texts, some on music. Two famous media theorists are Andrew Goodwin and Carol Vernallis. Here, I will explore what theories they both have. By doing this task it will allow me to learn the important theories behind music videos, and see how I could use them in my own work.
Andrew Goodwin
Andrew Goodwin's theory of music videos focuses on 5 key points - thought through beats, narrative and performance, star image, relationships between song and visuals, and finally, technical codes.
Goodwin once famously said "music videos are simply an extension of the lyrics"
Carol Vernallis
Carol Vernallis is an author, lecturer and media theorist. She is the author of 'Experiencing Music Video: Aesthetics and Cultural Context' (2004). She also co-edited 'The Oxford Handbook of New Audiovisual Aesthetics' (2013) and 'The Oxford Handbook of Sound and Image in Digital Media' (2013). She teaches Film and Media Studies at Stanford University.
Theory wise, Vernallis' music video theory is based around 4 key areas - narrative, editing, camera, and diegesis.
Narrative - Vernallis suggests that the video is a visual response to the lyrics, similarly to Goodwin. It can be narrative or performance based but the star will always dominate.
Diegesis - This is the story or world created withing the music video. This is key to create meaning for the audience.
Camera shots/movement/framing - Vernallis says that music videos try to avoid mid-shots, and instead use shots at either end of the scale, such as extreme close ups or establishing shots.
Editing - Will be left in a state of disjuncture, rather than using continuity. The editing will cut between performance and narrative, there will be jumps in time and clear editing features will be used - such as jump cuts and other effects.
Some of Vernallis' most important quotes:
- "music videos do not embody complete narratives or convey finley wrought stories...they follow the songs form, which tends to be cynical and episodic rather than sequentially directed"
- "music videos help create an artist's identity"
Thought through beat - This is when the structure, speed and beat of the song are represented through different types and speeds of cuts.
Narrative and performance - Music videos need to be able to be watched over and over again to ensure their success, so both narrative and performance are essential in doing so. The artist acts as the performer and narrator/character.
Star image - Music videos are made by record labels to promote the artist and increase their profile. For this reason, the star is given the most screen time.
Relationship between song and visual - There is three types of relationship. These are disjunctive, amplified, and illustrative.
Disjunctive - The visuals do not correspond with the lyrics.
Amplified - The meaning of the song is increased with visuals
Illustrative - The meaning of the song is made clear through visuals (most commonly used)
Technical codes - Camera angle, movement, lighting, editing and post production all work together to create meaning for a music video. Atmosphere, tone and mood can be reflected through use of colour, speed of editing and variety of transitions.
Task 9 - Inspiration and influences
Boys - Charlie XCX
Boys by Charlie XCX is one of my favourite music videos, despite it being released quite recently in July 2017. It is quite simple, consisting of just shots of lots of boys. However, this is particularly effective as all the men featuring are famous. There is huge 52 famous men in the video, including Denzel Curry, Joe Jonas, Joey Badass, Mac DeMarco, Mark Ronson, Stormzy, Tom Daley, will.i.am and many more. Clearly, I won't be able to recreate that in my own video, but I just really like this video. It uses a few different locations, and lots of different props, which is what I think makes it exciting to watch and interesting on the eye. Also, it has a nice colour scheme - very pink and pastel-y - which I think makes it really aesthetically pleasing. This fits nicely with the pop genre, but not so much the indie genre. Another thing I really like about this video is how it challenges gender roles. There is quite a lot to analyse here, some of the men are portrayed in a very female way, contradicting the lyrics about boys and challenging the stereotypes of men. Despite this, some of the men are actually doing manly things, such as lifting weights, so the I find the ideas behind this video quite interesting.
Breezeblocks - Alt - J
Alt - J are one of my personal favourite artists. The video for one of their biggest songs, Breezeblocks, is quite an inspiration of mine. I think its quite eerie and puts you on the edge of your seat due to the story of the narrative. Clearly this is something I aim to achieve in my own work as you want the viewer to watch the entire video. Another thing I love about this video is how the narrative is played entirely in reverse, so seeing how the story ends makes you want to know how it started. Not only this but I think visually it is just interesting and exciting to see things backwards, particularly a fight scene like in this video. My favourite part is when you see the glass bottle smash in reverse.
Humble - Kendrick Lamar
I think the reason Kendrick Lamar references The Last Supper painting is becasue the song is about being humble, which could be a reference to royalty, or god. Recreating the painting could be suggesting he is royal or on god level, meaning everyone else needs to be humble and bow down to him .
The video for Humble is another of my favourite videos, as well as just being a good video, there is a lot of interesting elements. It has some really interesting camera work and editing, this can be seen between 1:59 - 2:06, where the camera seems to move in a very weird way. It goes very smoothly between point and abruptly stops at these point, the whole time moving around Kendrick Lamar. There is also bits where the camera shakes and jumps throughout the video. Both of these things are things I've never seen done before which is why I find it quite inspirational and different. The video also has lots of different locations, which I really like, i think this is an important element in making a good an exciting video. Some of these locations have intertextual references, as shown below.
Screenshot from Humble
Race scene from Grease
Screenshot from Humble
Leonardo Da Vinci - The Last Supper
Another thing I really like about this video is how the scene are set up to almost look like optical illusions, as shown below. I'd really like to do something similar to this in my own work, as I think it's quite appealing to the eye and has a bit of wow-factor.
Task 10 - Analysis of previous students work
By completing task 10, I've been able to analyse previous work and see what works well. I'll be able to take inspiration from the WWW's and remind myself of what not to do from the EBI's. Not only this but this task means I can also extend my ability to analyse media and will help me put goals and limitations on my own work.
Task 11 - Audience Research
I want to make my target audience young adults, both male and female. I think the indie genre can appeal to both genders. The group of people I am targeting is quite specific, as they have specific interests, likes, and dislikes. For this reason the audience research task is essential to ensure my music video appeals to the right target group in order to succeed. This age range will have the least disposable income due to heir socio-economic group (shown below in the audience profile), however, this won't be a problem as the internet and platforms like YouTube allow you to listen to music for free.
By completing this task I will learn what my target audience wants from a music video, I will find this out using my survey. This task will also benefit me in the evaluation when I need to discuss how the target audience influenced my creative decisions.
Audience Profile
Age: both 18
Gender: Male and Female
Demographic: Bristol, UK
Socio-economic group: category E, semi-skilled & unskilled manual occupations, low grade occupations. Earns under 10k, lives at home, student, little to no savings
Media preferences: Both use social media such as Twitter and Facebook. Prefer to stream music and watch music videos online on sites such as YouTube.
Lifestyle: Both in college, female studying art and fashion, male studying music production. Both living at home with part time jobs to find their hobbies and interests.
Likes: Fast food, socialising, media, friends, smoking, romance, skating, subjects they're studying, film, writing, music
Dislikes: pop music, pop culture
Interests: Music, playing instruments, art, fashion, socialising, gigs, museums and galleries
Task 12 - Music channels
By completing task 12, I was able to asses what the most popular music channels are and why. This is really important, as in my planning I will have to consider where my audience might be watching my video, and where I would need to promote it.
Task 13- Tracking an artist throughout their career
Task 14 - Research into digipaks
Click through the PDF pages for more detail on each bubble of the timeline.
Doing this task meant I could track an artist over time, and see how they've changed over the years. It was important I chose an indie rock artist so that I could consider this timeline when making my own creative decisions and creating an image for my work. Having done this task I've realised that the image Oasis had was a very boisterous one, often fighting and causing havoc. Unusually, this image didn't really change over the years like it does for so many artists. Oasis were such a famous band, it is easy to see how they influenced people in the eras and became one of the most famous and influential bands of all time. This suggests they're a group of very head strong, borderline violent, people who could easily make their audience follow and copy their actions and style. This idea of Oasis being head strong is proved up by their constant fights and splitting of the group. They represent gender in a very stereotypical way - stereotypically male and boisterous.
Doing this task will help me in my evaluation when it comes to considering how I've created representation.
Task 14 has given me a really detailed insight into digipaks, and why artists create them. It's made me realise how important they are, as before this task I wouldn't really have given it much of a second thought. They can reveal a lot about an artist and their music so it's important when I come to creating my own digipak I refer back to this task. It will help me make a successful digipak, and I can use it to either challenge or use conventions of indie digipaks.
Task 15 - Research into adverts in magazines for digipaks
Band's name in bold, clear writing. Ensures the audience know who the focus of the advert is right away - catches their attention.
Logo for the album slap in the middle of the poster, really catches the attention of the viewer. Represents how the Arctic Monkeys want to be the centre of attention, above all the bands.
Information about the release date, album name, and promoting it as new. This information is essential and included so that people know when they can buy the album.
Simple colour scheme and layout suggests they are relying purely on their music for sales. They don't need fancy promotion or anything to sell their music.
The main image appears to be an explosion of birds and flowers. There is clouds too, which look godly and almost heavenly. This could suggest You Me At Six want to be above all the others on a god tier. This could also represent purity and modesty - representing how You Me At Six are a humble group.
In the middle of the poster the bands name is written in quite big font, cutting through the graphics behind it. This could be because they want their name to be the centre of the focus, to grab the audience's attention. Like many bands, they want to be the best and most popular.
The essential information is quite large at the bottom. The release date is the same size as the bands name - suggesting these are the two most important parts as it's eye catching
There is also information on how to get the album below the date, meaning they want to inform people so they will actually buy the album.
The different font used for "Hold Me Down" differentiates that piece of text from the rest, adding emphasis to the title of the album.
The muted colour scheme could suggest that the band are quite laid back and chilled out, they don't want to be too in your face. They want people to like them because they actually like the music, not because it's been forced upon them.
Despite it saying 'new album' there isn't much emphasis on this. Suggests they're confident in the music, and know it'll sell, even without loads of promotion.
Clearly, the main focus of this poster is the text "What did you expect from The Vaccines". This has a double meaning, as it's not only the title of the album being promoted, but also sounds like a statement.
This statement suggests The Vaccines know they're good, they know they're iconic. By asking the viewer that question it's like saying "Well what did you expect? It's The Vaccines!" This could suggest the band are confident, borderline big-headed.
The quote at the bottom backs up the idea that The Vaccines know they're a good, iconic and famous band. It also suggests they're quite patriotic as it says "the great British".
There is star ratings at the bottom. This is there to show viewers that the album is great and worth buying. This again reinforces the idea that they are proud of their work and want everyone to know it.
The background is the album art, but it's pink and opaque. In the bottom left corner we can see a small image of the album. These two images are the only indication that this advert is for an album.
Oasis have their iconic logo on this poster, which is used on all of Oasis' work. This means whenever people see it they know it Oasis, even if you don't read it properly as you just instantly recognise it. This is a sign of Oasis' huge fame, as their band is branded.
The car thrown in the pool could be representative of Oasis' rockstar lifestyle. It suggests how Oasis are so famous they have the money to throw an expensive car in a pool on an expensive property.
It also represents their iconically boisterous and argumentative personalities.
The text of "Be Here Now" uses the same font as the Oasis logo. This links the two. Beneath is information about what format the album comes in, and a link to the website. This poster doesn't have a release date for the album.
This could be to keep fans hooked and hanging on for more information. Alternately, it could be so fans visit the website link, in hopes of finding a release date. Instead, they might find things such as merchandise and end up spending money on it.
To me, it seems more like the band are trying to promote themselves, not a specific album. Perhaps this could suggest The Vaccines want fans to explore all their music and know them as people, not just for one album.
From doing task 15, Iv'e been able to see some good example of adverts, and see why artists make certain creative decisions. This will really help me when it comes to creating my digipak and advert, as I can draw inspirations from the successful ones above.