Pitch and Feedback

After my pitch and the presentation of my vision and ideas to my peers, the main feedback that I will take under consideration is to source some instruments and use them in the performance element of my music video. As it is a key convention of rock music videos, I believe that it will be essential to include them in my video. As well as this, I will also be doing test shots of the lighting in my house to ensure it is a suitable location to be aesthetically pleasing for my video as a respondent had given the feedback that they would like attention to aesthetics in the video to entertain and engage the audience. 

Rock Conventions

 Mise En Scene

 Typically members of a rock band will wear black or dark coloured clothing with piercings and heavy eye makeup. Additionally rock music videos tend to have very low key lighting to create a dark atmosphere as this reflects the mood in the song. However in contrast to this high key lighting is used on occasion to add emphasis. Location wise rock music videos are either set outdoors maybe in an urban area or city. The setting is normally very simplistic as the band want to keep the attention towards the music and performance. Rock musicians facial expressions in videos tend to be very angry to express the feeling of the song and to show how passionate they are. Furthermore rock artists will use their bodies to reinforce a particular lyric, for example if they are saying no they might shake their head as a way to express themselves. The stereotypical rock hand gesture is associated with the rock genre and is sometimes incorporated in some musicians music videos to reinforce the genre.

Narrative

Some rock music videos have story lines and are produced in the style of a ‘narrative’ and therefore might have some dialogue throughout. It can also be introduced at the beginning of the video before the music to set the tone for the rest of the music video. Other than this typically it will just be the music from the musicians in the video.

Editing

 Depending on the tempo and mood of the song depends on how it is edited. For example fast rock songs with have quicker paced editing rather than a rock ballad music video. Lively rock song will have lots of cuts and jump cuts between different scenes creating  an energetic atmosphere. Whereas in a slow song the editing will have less cuts and maybe a cross dissolve between clips as this is softer. Another common editing feature found in rock music videos is montages.

Camera Shots

 Usually the video will consist of mainly close up or extreme close ups on their faces to show emotion or on the instruments. This will influence how the video impacts the audience. As well wide shots and ariel shots are used to establish the location or maybe the size of the crowds if the music video is of a performance. These shots will either be shown at the beginning to introduce the setting or during the chorus to demonstrate the impact their music has of the audience. Furthermore varies angles are used to keep it interesting and also to emphasise their authority. Lastly sometimes point of view shots are incorporated to give an insight into that they are seeing and experiencing.

Case Studies

Hair- Little Mix

The music video begins with intertextual reference to Little Mix's album Get Weird which was released in 2015, a year before the music video of Hair was released. The video follows the heartbreak of one of them members, Leigh-Anne over the feature artist, Sean Paul. As she scrolls through her social media feed, she sees her apparent 'ex' with another woman on holiday.

In a split shot with all four members, Leigh Anne calls her fellow castmates/best friends over for a sleep over to get her mind off her relationship issues with the comfort of her friends. There is a clear narrative that is being followed and the use of different locations in one shot increases the engagement with the audience. There is also a loose intertextual reference to the movie 'Mean Girls' where there is a scene of the group of friends on the phone to each other.

The narrative continues, which follows the typical conventions of a music video that I would like to incorporate in my own video as the girls appear at Leigh-Anne's front door in their pyjamas, ready to spend the night. The over the shoulder shot from Leigh-Anne's perspective gives the audience a sense of comfort.

The girls have now reunited and are performing typical activities associated with a sleepover such as doing their hair and makeup in front of the vanity, which also coincides with the theme of the lyrics of the song, following Andrew Goodwin's music video conventions. Their confidence comes with the unity of being together and supporting each other in acts that reinforce their femininity and identity. 

Similar to a performance typically in rock videos, the group come together at the lobby of the house in which the entire video is set and lip sync to the lyrics of the video in an unserious fashion as they dance freely with no choreography unlike their other music videos with random beauty items such as hairbrushes. 

Despite the upbeat an carefree themes of the music video, protagonist Leigh-Anne still feels upset at the sight of her ex berating her through a post over the phone. Bandmate, Jade interjects and demonstrates the lyrics of the song, further following Andrew Goodwin's conventions of a relationship between the lyrics and the visuals. As an act of empowerment, she takes her phone and throws it away, bringing back a positive mood as the music video ends with the girls singing together on the bed ending their night with a lack of care or concern of anything outside their friendship. 

So What- P!nk

The first few shots of the music video is at a tattoo parlour, covering up the name with the word 'void'. This relates to the lyrics 'I guess I just lost my husband' as it is common for couples who break up to cover up the tattoos of each others name.

There is a more intimate scene with the singer and her husband throughout the music video as the song explores the themes in their relationship which she publicly shares. This contrasts the exaggerated and dramatic scenes in the song that brings a sense of sincerity to the audience.

There is a relationship between the visuals and the lyrics of the video which coincides with Goodwin's conventions of music videos as the protagonist is depicted to be carrying out acts of rebellion and violence as she says in the lyrics 'I wanna start a fight'. They are unrealistic scenes as they oppose the expected norms and values of how people are meant to be behaviour which makes the audience more engaged through entertainment.

In a parodic scene at the red carpet, the protagonist is shown to be naked in front of the paparazzi, showing the eccentric nature of rock stars and other celebrities at the time, constantly being in scandals for their controversy.

As a key convention in rock music videos, Pink also includes a performance aspect shot from the audience's perspective with a very dramatic setting with fire and a band and she sings to a screaming audience. She also uses very expressive body language and gestures with there being close up shots to her face and expressions.

Fetish- Selena Gomez ft Gucci Mane

The song Fetish by Selena Gomez explores themes of sexuality and sexual desire, with the chorus detailing the effects that attraction has on a lover. It also follows the themes of addiction, as if the attraction between two lovers is inevitable and the love between the two lovers has become a 'fetish'. Singer Selena Gomez revealed that she is a fan of horror movies and wanted the music video to be an homage of disturbing horror. The video begins with simple imagery of the singer I a pale, yellow dress with bag of groceries in both hands, as if she is assuming the role of a housewife. However, as events unfold, the scenes become increasingly disturbing as she carries out a range of strange actions. 

The video begins with a close up shot of blossoms in a tree with the sun in the back and clear skies to indicate a sense of calmness and tranquillity in the day. The shot pans out and widens as the camera descends into the neighbourhood that is seemingly empty. 

Cutting in between the shots of the neighbourhood, still in the first few seconds of the video are very short clips of Selena wet and in some sort of trance. The clips are very short and last no longer than two seconds as they appear a total of three times before she stares directly into the camera. It is not yet clear what these clips are depicting as they are all close ups or extreme close up shots, so the audience is left unaware of the events that are to unfold.

As the camera focuses on the neighbourhood, we are shown Selena walking alone in the neighbourhood with the sprinklers going off but nobody around. This gives the impression that the street has possibly been abandoned as there is also a broken down car with smoke coming out from it that was also present in the promotion photo of the song:

The music starts as the shot shifts to a close-up of Selena's face blocking the shining sun on her face as she begins to sing the lyrics of the song, following Andrew Goodwin's conventions of a relationship between the audio and the visuals. Her arm is already wet with no visible source of water; foreshadowing the events of the video.  

As the bridge of the song unfolds, the disturbing scenes begin to unfold as she enters into the house that already has broken glass and strawberries in which she eats the glass. As the second verse begins, there is a shift in atmosphere with the tension beginning to rise uncomfortably as shown with the singer throwing her groceries into the wall, perhaps as a means to release her inner desires and unveil her true self. 

Throughout the music video, there is loose intertextual reference to the 1981 film 'Possession' in terms of the styling to create a horror-film inspired aesthetic in the video. The use the intertextual reference is less for the audience to identify with the media product, but to create a visual aesthetic and narrative of 'the good girl gone bad'. 

There is also a representation of a woman with full autonomy and control over her sexuality and desires in the music video. Unlike most artists who typically wear more revealing clothing to show their sensuality, Selena opted for full length dresses that still were able to portray these themes with the use of water or translucent material. 

As a music video for a pop song, Fetish opposes most conventions as it has an unclear narrative and storyline which leaves the audience in confusing with a lack of understanding about the message of the video. The use of horror inspired disturbing scenes challenges the features of a typical pop song that has very one-dimensional characters and emotions displayed as the protagonist of this video is complex with an unknown objective. 

There is a notable colour palate which lends into the aesthetic of the video which is something that inspires me for my own video and how I could use colour or different types of cameras in order to have a mixed used of texture in the visuals of my music video. 

Brand Research

 Universal Music Group

Universal Music Group is an American-Dutch owned music corporation that has one of the largest market shares in the music industry. It is one of 'the big three' record labels along with Warner, and Sony. Its origins date back to the formation of the American branch Decca Records in 1934. The company aims to shape culture through the power of artistry and are committed to creativity and innovation. They are a large conglomerate, who on top of music production, have a broad array of businesses responsible for music publishing, merchandising and audio visual content. They also aim to lead in developing new services, platforms and business models for the delivery of music and related content.

Capital Music Group:

Capital Music Group is one of the branches of the record label who has played a significant role in the popular culture with its dominance in the pop music industry with a diverse array of artists such as The Beatles, Ice Spice, Katy Perry, Sam Smith, Callum Scott and Halsey. 

Def Jam Recordings

Founded in 1984, Def Jam Recordings has represented the cutting-edge in hip-hop music for more than 35 years. Def Jam began as a maverick independent label inspired by downtown New York City’s vibrant street culture and the emerging sound of hip-hop. 

Since Chris Blackwell first started Island Records in Jamaica in 1959, it has remained one of the world’s most coveted destination for new and established artists across genres. Today, Island is home to a varied roster across the US and UK. Its unique ethos has provided the platform for launching some of the biggest and most influential artists across the musical spectrum, including Bob Marley, and Amy Winehouse. In the UK, artists includes Hozier, while the Island US roster is home to artists such as Sabrina Carpenter, Shawn Mendes, Demi Lovato and Bon Jovi. 

History of Music Videos

History of Music Videos

After the creation of cinematography in the late 1800s by the Lumiere brothers in France, film and cinema has since developed as technology has since been on the rise. The art of film has since coined the phrase 'the seventh art' from Italian philosopher Riccioto Canudo. To promote the song, 'the little lost child', Joe Stern and Edward B Marks hired an electrician George Thomas in 1894 to have a revolving lantern which would display an array of images. Then came the 'talkies'- which were motion pictures with sounds- so, there was a rise in musical short films. Soon came live action music shorts that were shown in cinema featuring such popular artists as Cab Calloway. Soundies were then released for jukeboxes which were three-minute performance videos. Then there were short films released to promote songs. All of these were considered grandfathers of the music video. 

Who were they for?

In 1964, there was the start of the TV show Top Of The Pops in Britain. This required the regular performances of British and American musicians and bands. However, due to their busy schedules with tour and their high demand, it was not convenient for artists to be doing performances in person. Therefore, they filmed 'promotional' videos to show to the public to replace the usual live performances. Then in 1964,the decision to incorporate dance troupes with choreographed dances in the promotional video added the visual aspect of entertainment when performing music or presenting music to the public. The Beatles especially led the way with the development of music videos as they incorporated dramatic angles and lighting, slow motion and reversed clips in their promotional videos for Strawberry Fields Forever and Penny Lane.

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S-rB0pHI9fU

Music Videos Go Mainstream

     In 1981, the US launched the TV channel MTV, where they would broadcast music for 24 hours a day. TVs were accessible to most people in developed country during this point in time and most households owned one, so music videos could now be shared to all and rise in popularity. Due to this, music videos became an essential part of music marketing and capturing the attentions of audiences to listen to music. The introduction of inexpensive and easy to make music videos, especially with the easy editing and filming equipment, made music videos very accessible to all. This allowed up and coming artists to make their own music videos without needed the large budgets of already popular artists. As music videos became more popular, directors and artists began creating videos with storylines which contradicted the original purpose of music videos which was to promote the artist. Early examples of this would be Under Pressure by David Bowie and Queen or The Chauffuer by Duran Duran.

Downloads and Streaming

From 2005, downloading music and music videos became available through applications such as iFilm and Napster. Music videos had gone from being promotional short films on jukeboxes for the middle-class population to being a visual art to present and market songs to the public. Technology continued to develop with the creation of YouTube in 2005 and the iPhone in 2007. With the mobile phone becoming more versatile, more people were having access to music videos without having to use large, chunky computers or watching TV. Apple had decided to capitalise on this as they released the iTunes Store, where music videos were also available to stream. With YouTube, artists were able to make a profit off their music videos with the introduction of monetising views and subscribers. This also allowed larger companies such as YouTube, Google and Vevo (launched in 2009) to profit off videos and distribute money between themselves.

Mood Board

Here is my mood board which encapsulates my vision for my music video of young women having a pyjama party, which has heavily been influenced by the Little Mix music video 'Hair'. As the song that I will be doing a music video for is a break-up song, I believe that it is typical for friends to come together and spend time with each other in order to seek comfort and find a sense of empowerment. There will be a loose narrative of the girls arriving and carrying out typical sleepover activities whilst the protagonist lip syncs the lyrics to the song. 

Audience Research 

16-25 year old middle market audience that like to be entertained

Age (16-25):

The brief has instructed an age range of 16-25 year olds who are a part of the Generation Z, also known as Gen Z. They are the first generation to have grown up with access to the internet and portable technology, so they are digital natives. This means they are more likely to have the cultural capital on the zeitgeist and be able to recognise intertextual references and watch more music videos. For this demographic, Youtube and Snapchat are the most popular gateways for music, meaning they are visually being exposed to music and musical content so they want to be visually stimulated and entertained by music videos. This is also due to the generation's dwindling attention span and lack of interest in going outside to socialise which was identified din a surely conducted by One Poll in 2018. Research by Spotify shows that the younger generation are less interested in keeping up with new songs and rather listen and discover old music as they are becoming less and less fans of popular music due to its repetitiveness and lack of variety. This would suggest that the younger generation are looking for something outside the norms of popular music today and music that opposes the typical conventions of its genre.

Middle Market Audience:

The term middle-market refers to the ABC1 demographic which includes the middle class income bracket.  42% of the target audience if 16-25 year olds in the UK say that they're middle class, which means that it is the largest demographic of the audience, meaning the music video must be targeted to the majority of the population of 16-25 year olds. This suggests to me that the video does not need to be elaborate for the audience to identify with and consume.

'Likes to be entertained':

This phrase suggests to me that the audience is anticipating a music video that they can watch as an isolated form of entertainment and not just to listen to the song. This could be done through a fast-paced video with quick sequences of changes in angles, location and shot-types. It can also be done with a clear narrative and storyline which could be linear, cyclical or thought-provoking. The short attention span of the audience means that the video must be captivating which can be done in different manners. However, the video must not be stagnant and just a performance video; there must be change in costume, location and angles. I believe that the audiences who would like my music video would be the reformers as those who listen to tend to be more shy and introverted which is the usual demographic of people who listen to rock music. I believe that explorers would also be interested in my music video as they would be open minded to such a different or alternative genre to what is typically mainstream. 

Focus Group

Angelie

Interests: Dancing, music, art, fashion and games

Psychometric group: Reformer

Favourite Music Genre: Kpop and Bedroom RnB

Would Like To See: I like music videos with an interesting storyline or ones that are cinematic and a storyline related to the song and fast-paced camera work and editing. 

Piper

Interests: Playing video games and listening to music

Psychometric group: Explorer

Favourite Music Genre: Rock and Indie

Would Like To See: A video that keeps them hooked, a narrative relating to the lyrics such as someone moving on alongside lip-syncing from the artist.

Owen

Interests: Video games, Drawing and Chess

Psychometric group: Reformer

Favourite Music Genre: Kpop

Would Like To See: Storylines, Creativity, Group Shots, Reoccurring Themes, people having fun, instruments, friends in a living room just hanging out.

Gabriel

Interests: Dancing, music, Art, Fashion and Games

Psychometric group: Reformer

Favourite Music Genre: Kpop, J-rock, K-indie, RnB

Would Like To See: A music video with very aesthetic cinematography that follow a nice storyline and more attention to aesthetics than videoing people sing. 

Interests: Film, Theatre, Baking, Horror Video games

Psychometric group: Explorer

Favourite Music Genre: Indie, Pop, Rock

Would Like To See: A music video with lots of performance with high-energy and passion

 

Music Videos That Inspire Me

Music Videos that inspire me include:

Formation - Beyonce

Her use of different costumes and location to contrast the themes of nobility and poverty in the music videos accurately depicts the inequality and institutional oppression of black people in the United States as areas that are densely populated by black people in America are often known as 'ghettos' or 'projects' as they are highly underfunded and ignored by the government as the inhabitants often turn to crime. 

Sweet Melody- Little Mix

The smooth transitions between the choreography is aesthetically pleasing and entertaining from the perspective of the audience. Despite it being set in the same location throughout the entire video, the different uses of angles, shots and lighting 

Options - NSG

NSG is a group that releases mostly grime music. Grime music videos are often shot on estates or warehouses with dark lighting and an intense ambiance. They have a successful motif with cars and women to draw in their audience which is typical in the London setting or similar areas. This music video is one of my biggest inspirations for my music video as I would like to stay true to the grime aesthetic and brand identity since the artists of the song that I have chosen are a grime group.

C Komen? - Kiff No Beat

This music video particularly inspires me with its use of angles and shot types as they accentuate the narrative of the video and the personalisation of the characters. The narrative is also something that I would like to explore with a group of friends who meet up with each other and spend the day together. 

Cheers - Rihanna

The use of shots and scenes from Rihanna's tour that aren't staged gel well together, displaying a hectic but  enjoyable time she had when on tour during the early days of her career. The collage of her life over a long period is interesting and engaging for an audience.