Homework Summer

VIDEO KILLED THE RADIO STARAN INTRODUCTION TO MUSIC VIDEO

A2 INDUCTION 2014

For your A2 Coursework you will produce: a media portfolio, compromising a MAIN and TWO ancillary texts 60 marks research and planning 20 marks EVALUATION 20 marks

Main TaskA promotion package for the release of an album, to include: a music promo video 40 marks

Plus: A DIGIPAK CONSISTING OF AT LEAST SIX PANELS (CD package) 10 MARKS

A MAGAZINE ADVERT FOR THE DIGIPAK (CD package) 10 MARKS

You will then be required to answer TWO questions in your 2015 exam on your coursework. Question 1a (25 marks) will focus on your skills development from as to a2. You have already begun preparation for this during your A2 induction lessonsQuestion 1B (25 Marks) will ask you to analyse ONE of your products in relation to one of the following key concepts Narrative Audience Genre Representation Media Language

The Purpose of a Music VideoA music video is a short film or video that accompanies a complete piece of music/song. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a [marketing] device intended to promote the sale of music recordings. Although the origins of music videos go back much further, they came into their own in the 1980s, when MTV based their format around the medium, and later with the launch of VH1. The term "music video" first came into popular usage in the early 1980s. Prior to that time, these works were described by various terms including "filmed insert", "promotional (promo) film", "promotional (promo) clip" or "film clip" (Wikipedia)

Task 1

1. What do you think are the major elements of an Album marketing campaign (the different ways in which a Band/Artists identity is mediated to an audience)? - I think there are many ways to market an album. one of the most recent that had a huge impact was Beyoncs album Beyonc. This album was kept secret until its day of release and was therefore marketed through word of mouth. This only worked due to the fact that Beyonc is the queen of pop so everyone already knows who she was, meaning that this wouldnt be an appropriate method for a first album release. Other elements of an album marketing is over advertisements on television, which are most commonly shown on the ad breaks of shows such as The X factor and other shows which focus on artists and therefore promoting them to the correct target market. A successful music video also promotes the artists song as it gives the audience more to focus on than simply the song and further entertains them. The artist could also increase interest by appearing as a featured on a well-known track, increasing their fan base and making them better known. This is helpful for advertising because when they release their own album they are already known by the public. Magazine advertisements also boost interest and sales of an album and help to further stylise the artist. Radio coverage an effective way of finding the target market because once it is played the audience have the opportunity to download the track/album.

2. Where have you encountered these elements in your daily life?- The element that has the most impact in daily life is most likely the radio due to the fact that i listen to it when driving, studying and any time when you need to listen to something (once youve overplayed your favourite album). I dont frequently read magazines, never mind music magazines so advertisements wouldnt impact my choice in music or which album to buy. The word of mouth campaigns do impact me however because with everybody raving about an album you have to download it to know what the fuss is about. Tv adverts impact a lot of people and is a very helpful advertising component.

3. What factors make you like a band and therefore download their music, buy their albums or attend their concerts? How do you decide which band is cool and which is not?- The thing that makes me like an artist is simply their music. If I dont like their music, videos, the bands image and advertisement campaigns will most likely not change my opinion of their music. If their music is good then I will download the songs. I decide whether a band is cool or not on the genre of their music. I dont consider any indie bands to be interesting and therefore would never download the music. I dont really follow bands and solo artists but whoever makes the music, if its a good, fun song that makes you want to move then its good enough for me.

what makes the music video unique?The music video is designed for multiple viewings; it has to be instantly memorable yet interesting enough to warrant watching again and again. Unlike the Film Trailer it is not designed to be viewed on a large screen nor is its audience captive.

1. Where and when do you watch Music Videos?- I rarely watch music videos unless the music channel is on in the background. However whenever I see a good one I tend to watch it a few more times online. I feel that for a music video to be good it needs humour all the way through, I dont find that watching a band play their instruments is entertaining. Also I dont think that it is always necessary to have a narrative within the video but sometimes they do work.

Task 2In the space below list as many features/conventions of Music Videos that you can think of.-many close up shots of the people in the video, as well as long and mid shots-relationship between lyrics and action-location is always captured in a video that is outside of a studio-storyline-band/artist or if they are not featured random people used instead-lip synching (eg happy, pharell williams)-instruments-girls dancing the background (eg. blurred lines, robin thicke)-choreography (eg run the world, beyonce)-dialogue at the beginning to start narrative-everyday locations-interactions between characters-white rooms -warehouses (eg white noise, disclosure)-gigs/parties -font introducing the song and artist, also used to project lyrics onto the video-artists performing (sometimes footage used from a gig eg. mumford & sons i will wait-masks (eg animals, martin garix)

Analysing Music Videos :

1. Genre Categories:

Illustration either a straightforward performance video or a simple narrative video (or mixture of the two) that illustrates the meaning of the lyrics and visualizes the music in a straightforward way. It could be called music video denotation. A good example of a classic mixed narrative/performance video is Pulps Babies.

Amplification the conventions demonstrated by the music video auteur or creative director. S/he may use both performance and narrative, however, rather than simply illustrate the lyrics or sounds this director will amplify both with creative interpretation, unusual ideas and surrealistic approaches. There is still a direct link to the song, whether it be the beat, sound or connotative link to part of the lyrics or song title. See Spike Jones video for Fat Boy Slims Praise You or Michel Gondrys video for Kylie Minogues Come Into My Life.

Disjuncture also created by auteur directors these videos are completely abstract and have no obvious link to the music, lyrics, song title or artist. In this sense they are a point of disjuncture from the song. See Spike Jones video for Daft Punks Da Funk or any Radiohead video.

2. The Narrative Video Codes and the Performance Video Codes:

Narrative Video:

Narratives are rarely complex for two reasons:

1. They need to market or advertise the band/artist and song so must feature repeatability In other words the narrative code must be loose or simply suggestive rather than realistic or detailed. This is because music video audiences need to be able to watch videos repeatedly and a tight realist narrative would prove too boring after the first couple of viewings. Musical Synaesthesia only requires the musical or lyrical mood to latch onto to develop a narrative concept.

2. Musical Synaesthesia the two elements of the song which determine the visual subject matter or overall concept

a) Roland Barthes theory of the grain of voice whereby the vocal sounds can be understood as music in themselves eg Michael Jacksons yelp or Fantasias yeh, yeh, yeh.. or the tone of voice of the words which are the song title themselves e.g Bjorks Its Oh So Quietb) The dominant musical arrangement that dictates the overall mood. This could be a key guitar sound(the bassline in Sabotage The Beastie Boys) or a particular beat (Weapon of Choice Fatboy Slim)

Once the director has identified what he/she thinks is the key vocal or musical element then this may be used to tap into the audiences sense of shared cultural history or intertextuality e.g.

The steel guitar=the American Deep South and desert plainsA rnb beat or bass line=an urban environmentA group of choral voices=a place of religious significance e.g.: church or graveside etc.

Performance Video:

1. Conventions of the band performance: a degree of authenticity of the performance is sought by the band and the director so we find lip-sync close-up, mimed playing of instruments, repetition of chorus shots to enhance repeatability, unusual camera shots and angles e.g. the micro camera shots attached to the neck of a guitar, sweeping crane shots to film audience reaction to the band playing etc (see number 4)

2. Conventions of solo artist performance: many of the above plus choreographed dance routines to enhance repeatability, a first person mode of address directly engaging the viewer through the camera which involves many close up shots of eyes rolling and gesturing (see how these conventions have been adopted by Pop Idol contestants in a bid to appear professional and authentic)and if the video is a hybrid form cutting between performance and narrative then the solo artist or band lead singer often becomes part of the narrative story, acting as narrator and participant at the same time (see Jarvis Cocker in Pulps video for Babies)

3. Star Image only 1 in 10 artists promoted by a major record company will actually make that company any substantial profit. This is why certain select profit making stars are manufactured, manipulated and marketed by the record labels artist and repertoire (A&R) division so aggressively. The star image of individuals such as Michael Jackson and Madonna through their videos is a vital component of this process. This is why we can identify the meta-narrative of stars through their videos whereby the record label manipulates and changes the artists image with each new video release to increase sales, consolidate target audiences and broaden appeal to new fan bases. The best case studies are Madonna and Michael Jackson. Trace their image manipulation through videos over the past 30 years.

3. Audio-Visual Technical Codes Needed for Analyzing a Music Video:

Speed is the Essence:Camera Shots: jumping directly between long shots, close ups and extreme close ups. Primarily the close up on the singers face is the main generic convention for music videos. Also the extreme close up on the lips for lip synching.

Camera Movement: whip pans, fast dolly track shots and fast overhead crane shots to follow the running, walking or dancing of performers. Also fast vertical tilts and horizontal pans.

Editing: various terms: jump cutting, MTV style editing or montage editing. Creating the visually de-centred experience of jumping from location to person to instrument without any normal narrative continuity. Instead it is often the beat or the rhythm of the track which provides the organising principle for editing movement. The editing moves so fast it creates the need for viewing repeatedly. There are exceptions though. Some continuity editing used such as atmospheric dissolve shots such as in Sinead OConnors Nothing Compare to You

Post-production digital effects: see i-movie for split screens (see Michel Gondrys video for Kylie Minogues Come Into My World for split screens seamlessly bled into each other) colourisation slow motion etc These are now conventional for music videos. Please look out for other innovative effects.

Lighting: Expressive lighting a key feature of music videos. Extreme artificial light to create the bleaching effect on pop stars faces (making them seem ageless). Also the use of switching from colour to black & white or sepia to indicate a shift from chorus to verse. Also lighting effects such as strobes or flashing needs to be identified. This obviously links into the use of CGI in dance music videos to enhance the atmosphere.

Mise-en-scene: look for the overall artistic concept in a video. Is there a theme such as the historical period e.g. the sixties (Madonnas Beautiful Stranger with its intertextual link to the Austin Powers film) or the seventies (The Beastie Boys Sabotage video which parodies the Starsky & Hutch 70s TV Cop genre...also an intertextual link). Does the videos mise en scene follow the need for authenticity in performance videos by using the concert hall or rehearsal studio setting. Or is there an intentional parodic setting to exaggerate star image as in many rap and r&b videos with a focus on glamorous icons such as exotic locations, beautiful cocktail bars and stunning beachside houses with infinity pools (see Rick Ross Here I Am).

Task 3TEXTUAL ANALYSIS OF MUSIC VIDEOS Name of track: White Noise

Artist: Disclosure ft. AlunaGeorge

Year:

Features Observations Examples

GenreCharacteristics

The music genre of this video is electronic/dance therefore you could expect lights/parties etc.In the video there is one shot of the protagonist walking past a graphitised wall and area which shows the urban side of the music genre. The warehouses are also a characteristic of electronic music because that is where the first djs played their early sets.

Relationship between lyrics and visuals?

There is no evident relationship between the lyrics and visuals.1. White noise means noise containing many frequencies and the visuals dont show anything to do with the lyrics.

Relationship between music and visuals?

There is a link between the music and visuals as some shots are synched with the music and the dancing also shows a relationship.There is no narrative that links to the lyrics however the fact that he is dancing in time with the beat does link the visuals to the music.

Are there close-ups of the artist and star image motifs?The artists arent featured in the video however their star motif is used.Disclosure have a star motif that they have used since they released Latch in 2013. It features in all their videos creating a brand and a recognition of the two djs.

Is there reference to the notion of looking?

There is one use of the notion of looking at 1min35sec.This is when the man begins to dance; he looks at the camera breaking the fourth wall. This helps the loose narrative because we feel as this man is no longer lonely.

Are there intertextual references?

The star motif shows a reference within this text to their other records and brand.Latch disclosureF For Youboth videos include the reference to disclosures star motif, meaning that they link together.

Is the video CATEGORY ILLUSTRATION, DISJUNCTURE OR AMPLIFICATION? How much of each?The video is in the disjuncture category because there is no narrative or relation to the lyrics. There is some amplification.We see the amplification through the performance aspect of the video and the fact that the protagonist performs throughout. Mostly it is in the disjuncture category because there is no link to the lyrics.

TASK 3TEXTUAL ANALYSIS OF MUSIC VIDEOSName of track: Everything You Never Had (We Had It All)

Artist: Breach FT. Andreya Triana

Year:



the genre is again electronic and has a lot of connotations with the genre.the beginning takes place in what looks like a club therefore there are lights, dancing and music. Then the main woman dances and goes to a different place. In the end she returns to the club and is made to seem as though she is high/on drugs which is also a connotation of electronic atmospheres.


There is no relationship between the lyrics because all that happens is a dance routine which shows no relationship.


there is a relationship between the music and visuals due to the beat and dance.the choreography has clearly been set to this song and therefore the visuals link to the music.

Are there close-ups of the artist and star image motifs?the artist is not featured in the video however the protagonist has many close ups.The close ups allow the woman to show many facial expressions and therefore include the audience in the video due to the lack of the fourth wall.


The close-ups allow for many accounts of notion looking.


There arent any apparent intertextual references within this video.

is the video category illustration, disjuncture or amplification? how much of each?the video shows mostly a disjunctive approach because of the lack of narrative and relations between the lyrics and visualsThere is also Amplification due to performance aspect of the video and the choreography; however it has an odd twist within the video which shows more of a random approach to the video.

TASK 3TEXTUAL ANALYSIS OF MUSIC VIDEOSTEXTUAL ANALYSIS OF MUSIC VIDEOSName of track: Toulouse

Artist: Nicky Romero

Year:



The music genre is electronic and like most electronic music there are no lyrics.The video therefore had endless possibilities because no relationship would have to be made between lyrics. The masks that are used make the video trippy and therefore can link to the stereotypes that electronic music have.


not applicable because there are no lyrics.


there is a relationship because when the build-up begins the masked men recruit new members.Once this happens in the video they begin dancing to the beat which links the visuals and music.

Are there close-ups of the artist and star image motifs?the artist isnt seen in the video however there is a possible motif.The motif could be the use of mask because it creates a brand and an image that is recognisable to the artist.


There is however the people are wearing masks so there are no facial expressions.It does however include the audience because they may be scared or weary of the masked people and the effects that the masks seem to have over the people in the video.


No apparent references are seen in the video.

Is the video category illustration, disjuncture or amplification? how much of each?Disjuncture is apparent due to the eccentric approach to the video.The unusual narrative has nothing to link to due to the lack of lyrics therefore it could be an illustration to the artist and the people who produced the music because they know the intentions of the music, the audience dont.

Task 4 Answer all the questions below This is exactly the sort of thing youll need to do when evaluating your own coursework.

1. Why did you choose the text you are analysing?I chose White Noise because I enjoy the music that Disclosure produce and I knew that their videos were entertaining also. 2. In what context did you encounter it?I saw it as I was downloading the track to my iTunes Library.3. What influence do you think this context might have had on your interpretation of the text?I think it wouldnt have impacted my interpretation because I was watching it for entertainment, meaning that I wouldnt have picked up analytical features such as motifs and relationships between lyrics and visuals.4. Which conventions of the genre do you recognize in the text?5. To what extent does this text stretch the conventions of its genre?I think that it fits in with the genre because electronic music is aimed at people who like to dance and maybe find entertainment in things which are slightly abnormal. Therefore the video fits with the conventions of the genre.6. Where and why does the text depart from the conventions of the genre?7. What sort of audience did you feel that the video was aimed at (and how typical was this of the genre/style of music)?I think that the video was aimed more at tennage-20s due to the use of an older male. This is because teens respect it when an older person enjoys their music and dances to it. 8. What sort of person does it assume you are?I think that me watching this video could assume my taste in music and the fact that I appreciate it could assume that I prefer videos with slight comedy involved and seeing people having a good time because I like to do that myself.9. What assumptions seem to be made about your class, age, gender and ethnicity?I dont think that the ethnicity can be assumed because I think all races enjoy this music however it is stereotypical that black people can dance better than others, and this stereotype is met during the video because the protagonist is coloured.10. What interests does it assume you have?This assumes that I have an interest in dance, which is true. Not technical dance but just having a good time.11. What relevance does the text actually have for you?I feel that the video has relevance to me because I believe in videos that can be watched and re-watched and not in those that show a band playing their instruments. 12. What knowledge does it take for granted?13. To what extent do you resemble the 'ideal reader' that the video seeks to position you as?14. Are there any notable shifts in the video's style (and if so, what do they involve)?Not particularly, the whole thing shows a man dancing in abandoned places and having a good time.15. What responses does the video seem to expect from you?I think it expects you to laugh because the man starts dancing out of nowhere and therefore I think it expects to make your day a bit better because of this lonely guy who is expressing himself in random places.16. How open to negotiation is your response (are you invited, instructed or coerced to respond in particular ways)?I think even if you dont find it funny or entertaining you can still enjoy the music and appreciate how other people could interpret the video.17. Is there any penalty for not responding in the expected ways?I think the only penalty would be for those who arent humorous enough to appreciate the idea behind the idea. However all this does is stops them from enjoying a video and that is it. 18. To what extent do you find yourself 'reading against the grain' of the text and the genre? I feel as though the video isnt meant to be read into too much because then the comedy is taken out. However I do think that the genre is apparent within the video, saying that anyone can enjoy heavier music than they may be expected to. 19. How typical do you think this video is of Music Videos?I think that more and more videos are beginning to show more humour and be more entertaining than some other which only show a narrative which are usually simple. I feel that the random videos make for a more entertaining watch and therefore that is what I will be thinking while producing my own.

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