The copyright act of 1988 is the current law in place which gives the creators of the material the right to control how their music is being used. If someone would like to use the video or broadcast it they would need permission from the creator. The copyright law which applies to the majority of creations within the entertainment industry such as sound recordings, films, musical work and artistic work (as well as many others) is officially known as the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988. Copyright means that a company or person who owns a recording or song has the ownership of its content, meaning not just anyone can use it. This stops the recording being used for things that the owner doesn't agree with, and helps them to protect their own work. We have applied for the right to use the song to the record label of Sub Focus. It was important that we asked for their permission to use the song because it means that we will be legally within our rights. This also means that we will be able to post our music video onto YouTube. In asking for the right to use their song we had to research the artist in order to find out their record label, then we had to research the record label to find out their email address. Next we got one of the members of the group to write an email asking for their permission to use the song in our music video. We are currently still waiting for a response from the record label.. As of 17 Novermber 2014 we are still waiting for a response from the record label, however my group and I are continuing to plan and create our music video for sub focus. This is understandable as the record label is likely to be very busy.
In this post I will be analysing three music videos, and give reasons as to why they have provided me with inspiration for my music video. The music videos that I will analyse have provided me inspiration through the micro elements, music video style, artist representation, music video genre and choose of song.
1. Chase and Status - No problem
This video has inspired me particularly as it is extremely conventional to the dance genre. The first convention that we are able to see is through mise en scene. The lighting in this video is very conventional as it is bright and strobe lighting is used. This is something that I believe links very well with the dance genre as it makes the audience feel although they are in the party atmosphere. I am going to try to incorporate this into my music video.
The editing within this music video is also something which has inspired me to create a dance music video. In the video there are a lot of fast timing of shots, which enhances the pace of the music video and goes well with the fast pace music. I think that this is something that makes this music video strongly conventional to the dance genre.
Finally the mise en scene again is something that has inspired me. In this video the main character has been painted in luminous paint. This use of make up is something that i believe contrasts well with the dark background used within this music video. Also luminous paint is something that often is used in dance videos, therefore it is strongly conventional again.
2. Redlight - 9TS Baby
The cinematogrpaphy in this music video was something that I thought worked really well. There was a vast amount of close ups and extreme close ups of the girls face and mouth. In using these shots the audience are able to view the face of the artist and also it helps them understand the lyrics more as they can see her mouth. I would like to incorporate these close ups into my music video as I think it gives the music video a unique edge.
In addition I think that the mise en scene, in particular clothing is well chosen in this music video. The artists are dressed in clothes that you would link with the 90s like a burberry bucket hat, therefore creating a link between the lyrics and the visuals, making the music video conventional to Goodwins theory. Furthermore accessories like glasses and large hooped earrings have also been used in this music video, these are items that you would expect to see in a club environment, therefore the music video is conventional to the dance genre.
The lighting used in this video has inspired me to create my music video. In one shot we can see a blue background in which a person is standing with no light on their face; this creates the effect of a shadow. I think this is something that I could try to include within my music video as I feel it works well with the dance genre.
3. Route 94 - My Love
The mise en scene in this video works very well with the dance genre. The setting is one of the main elements in this music video as it is set in a club. This is very conventional for a dance song. I like the idea of setting the music video in a club environment as it makes the genre easily
identifiable for the target audience. This club environment is something that I certainly want to try to include in my music video.
The iconography is also well matched to the genre in this music video. In the early parts of the music video the audience can see a girl put a pill in her mouth, connoting that she is taking a drug. This piece of iconography is something that is also used a lot in dance music videos as they are usually drug related.
4. My Head Is a Jungle - Wanklemut
The reason I have chosen this video is because there is the use of a party scene and strobe lighting. The lighting is very conventional of the dance genre which is the same genre that I am doing for my own music video. The use of the colour tints also is conventional as it creates the party theme and gives the audience and insight to the genre of the song and what it represents. The video follows a character which is also quite relatable for the audience as they may feel they also have a lifestyle similar to the character in the visuals of the music video. The narrative has given me inspirations for my own video. The location of the party is very irregular; it takes place in a launderette. The idea that the party is in an unordinary location keeps the audience entertained and surprised as it is not just any normal dance music video. Another inspiration is the mis-en-scene element of costumes; the costumes that have been worn in this video really appeal to the target audience of the video as it is current and fashionable and suits the genre of music. 5. Levels - Avicii
Mise-en-scene has been used in the music video to show how the video relates to the genre of music. The location of the music video is a typical office building, it shows a normal working life. However, as the man in the office is dancing as if he is in a club it shows how different people can act. It relates as this is the effect of the music. Natural lighting was used within the music video, this is too make the scene seem more realistic and it makes the dancing man stand out more. This represents that the man is dancing like he would if he was in a club which is stereotypical to a dance genre music video. The costume that was used in the video was a typical work clothes-shirt and tie. I like the use of a male character to create a narrative within this dance video. This is something that has inspired me to use a male character to portray a narrative in my music video.
There are many reasons as to why n artist may choose to reinvent
their image. They may be at a low point in their career and need something new
to freshen it up and generate new publicity surrounding them. Another reason
could be that they feel they need to be attracting a new target audience in
order to further their career. They also may try to enter a new music genre and
would reinvent their image in order to fit. The main reason for changing an
artists image is always likely to be aimed towards generating more sales.
One artist that has reinvented their image
is the Arctic Monkeys. The Arctic Monkeys started off as a young band new into
the indie genre who almost recreated it with their day to day, light hearted
lyrical content. But over the years they have transformed into a much more
mature rock band who tend to sing about much more serious issues now. They're
pace of music has also slowed down and their music has taken on a much darker
tone.
When The Sun Goes Down - 2006
Fluorescent
Adolescent - 2007
Why'd You Only
Call Me When You're High - 2013
In the early music videos Arctic Monkeys
released in 2006 and 2007 we see a lot of Goodwins theory applied as they are a
new band and are trying to fit into the genre. Firstly in Fluorescent
Adolescent we see a clear link between the pace of the music and the lyrics.
The pace of the music here is very up beat and fast and in relation to this
there is a lot of quick cutting, creating a heavy link between music and the
visuals as they are both at a quick pace. Similarly we can see this in When The
Sun Goes Down, where the music is at a slow pace at the beginning there are a
lot of slow timing of shots, but when the guitar kicks in and the pace of the
song is increased the editing becomes quicker; again creating a link between
visuals and music.
In the 2013 music video where the
Arctic Monkeys have completed their transition we also see a link between music
and visuals however in a much different way. By the time of the release of this
music video The Arctic Monkeys had already completed their transition into a
much darker group of artists, therefore adopting a much slower style of music.
In turn the pace of the visuals in this music video is slow throughout to match
the slow pace of the song.
In Fluorescent Adolescent and When The Sun
Goes Down the demands of the record label are not clear to be seen. This is
because in the early part of The Arctic Monkeys career they were not as well
known and therefore their audience did not demand to see them in their music
videos; the music was what was in demand. However by the release of Why'd
You Only Call Me When You're High, the Arctic Monkeys were a well recognised
band around Britain and therefore featuring them in their music videos
increased popularity and therefore that is what the record label demanded. As a
result of this we see a lot of the members of the band in this video,
particularly Alex Turner who the music video is based around.
The final point of Goodwins theory that we
can see in these videos is a link between the lyrics and the visuals. In the
early videos there a few examples of this as the band were much more edgy then
and their lyrics were less meaningful and serious, therefore matching the
visuals to the lyrics held less importance. However, as the band grew into a
much more serious figure and developed meaningful lyrics, they felt the need to
match the visuals to the lyrics. An example of this is in the 2013 music video
with the lyric "its 3 in the morning", and soon after we see a shot
of his phone and the time is 3:54am. In matching the lyrics and visuals here,
the artist is attempting to make the lyrics much more understandable for the
audience, allowing them to get there serious tone across.
The new genre that the Arctic Monkeys have
joined is rock, where as before they were an indie band. We can see examples of
generic conventions of the rock genre in Arctic Monkeys 2013 video in the form
of mise en scene. The clothing that Alex Turner is wearing in this video is
very stereotypical of the rock genre, he is wearing all black and a leather
jacket. Both the colour black and leather jackets are conventions of the rock
genre. On the other hand, this music video is quite unconventional to the rock
genre as you would usually expect rock artists to be shown playing their
instruments in a performance type music video. However here we see a
much more narrative/concept based music video.
In the early music videos the artists are
portrayed as being young, edgy and light hearted due to their style of music.
This also comes across in their music vidoes, especially fluorescent adolescent
which is a very light hearted music video which explains the hassles of growing
up. In the later music video in 2013, the artists are portrayed as being much
more mature and serious, through their new style of music. Dyers theory can be
applied in the form of paradox 1, which states the artist must be ordinary and
extraordinary. In the 2013 video this is evident as the artist is extraordinary
due to their high calibre and the audience are likely to idolise them due
to their success. However the music video portrays Alex Turner in an ordinary
light as he is walking home through London at night doing ordinary things like
trying to get a cab. This makes him relatable to the target audience as he is
portrayed in an ordinary light.
The Arctic Monkeys target audience has
also changed along with them reinventing themselves. At the beginning the
target audience was a much more younger type of people aged 15 - 25 who were
attracted to their music which discussed day to day life in there hometown
Sheffield. At this stage their music was much more up beat and therefore more
entertaining to the younger generation. As they have transformed and become a
more serious rock act they have attracted a more mature audience aged 20 - 35.
This is due to them slowing their music down and adopting a much deeper tone.
In conclusion, I believe that the Arctic
Monkeys are a great example of artists who want to reinvent themselves. They
have demonstrated how you can go from being successful in one genre and then be
even more successful in another. I believe that their transition is due to the
demands that they have given themselves, they felt that they needed to change
their music in order to attract a different type of audience. I will use this
research to help me with my music video as it has enabled me to see why artits
may change themselves in order to generate publicity. It will also help me
decide on an artist that has a clear target audience, which is vital as it will
allow me to insert the conventions of their genre in the music video.
Music videos appeal to their audiences in many different ways, one of these is the micro elements that are featured such as mise en scene, editing and cinematography. These appeal to audiences as they engage them to what is happening in the video, creating a relationship between the artist and themselves. The use of sound combined with these elements also enables the audience to understand the lyrical content.
Rap analysis - Drake, Over:
In the Drake's music video "Over" he engages the target audience through the use of cinematography, this is evident when the audience a close up of Drake on his bed singing towards the camera. This use of a close up allows the audience to view the expression of anger in Drake's face, helping them understand the lyrics more easily and allowing a connection made between the audience and the artist. This example of cinematography is a way that the producer has helped a relationship between the audience and the artist to be created. the music video is very conventional to this genre to engage a particular target audience. He uses the conventions of cinematography to create a relationship with the audience through the lyrics and the visuals. A close up is used when Drake sits on the bed, he looks directly into the camera which creates eye contact with the audience to reveal his emotions and create an emotional attachment between him and the audience.
Drake is represented to be struggling with how fast everything is going. At one point in the music video at 1:44-2:00 Drake is in a time lapse where everyone is moving at a speeded up pace behind him. This shows how he is struggling to keep up with the pace that his life is going at at the moment. This is unconevtional as it is representing him as weak and vulnerable a representation that is rarely seen in the rap genre. I would argue that this has been done in an attempt to appeal to a more female audience through appearing more sensitive in order to strenghten his female fan base. Drake is shown to be angry. This is shown on the bellow image where a red filter has been edited in. The use of this emphasises his feeling emotions of hate, love and the danger associated with these feelings. This is relatable to the rap genre as danger and hate are common themes explored within rap music videos. Through using this edit here, the target audience are able to see the emotion that Drake is attempting to express. Another example of cinematography in this music video is when a long shot of Drake is used. The audience can see this shot when Drake is sitting on his bed. Through using a long shot here the audience are able to see Drake isolated as it emphasises his loneliness. This therefore makes the lyrics that he is using more meaningful to the audience as they have the visual to go along with it.
Editing is also used in this video, this is shown through timing of shots and the blur effect. When the pace of the music increases we can see the timing of shots increase, this makes the music video seem more action packed. In increasing the timing of shots it interlinks with the speed of the music, this means a relationship between visuals and music is created, meaning Drakes video is conventional to Goodwins Theory. This therefore attracts the target audience as it helps them feel that the music video and the visuals are in connection. Another piece of editing within this music video is the use of the blur effect, the audience see this type of editing when Drakes figure is blurred several times. This blur is in relation to the lyrics that Drake is using, he is rapping about being unsure and the blur effect makes it seem although he is not clear about himself. Again this is coherant to Goodwins Theory as the lyrics and visuals are in relation. In relation to the audience this makes them more attracted to the music video as the lyrical content is being depicted to them.
Mise en scene is also used in this post, costume has been used to represent the genre of the music video. Drakes costume in this video has been used to comply to the rap genre, as he is wearing a tracksuit throughout. This creates a bad boy representation of Drake which is often how rap artists are portrayed within their music videos. However the white colour of his tracksuit is unconventional of the rap genre as it portrays Drake in a pure light, this is not how you would expect a rapper to be depicted to their target audience as they discuss explicit material such as murders and drugs.
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Flo Rida analysis, Club Cant Even Handle Me:
Flo Rida as an artist is promoted throughout the music video. This is done through the use of close ups (one of which is seen bellow). The use of close ups within the music video allows the artist to be seen and veiwed by audiences. This then allows audiences to identify the artist, in this case Flo Rida, in other media, promoting and advertising the artist in doing so. This is done in nearly all music videos as it is important for audiences to be aware of what the artist looks like to help advertise their music.
Cinematography in this music video is used, the audience can see a high angle shot of the massive crowd. This makes it seem although there are more people as the high angle shot fits more people in. This makes the party atmosphere seem much more greater and the feel good theme of the song is therefore passed onto the audience. As a result of this the audience are satisfied as the music combined with the music video has done its job, entertained the audience.
Another piece of cinematography used in this music video is a long shot. The audience see a long shot of the dancers performing. In using a long shot here the audience are allowed to see the choreography and gain maximum enjoyment. This also is conventional of the music genre as it is a dance song, and in showing the audience dancers they are satisfied.
Mise en scene is also a prominent feature throughout this music video. The first piece of mise en scene that is displayed is iconography in the form of the two flash cars at the start of the video. By including two flash and expensive cars the artists are glorified as they are portrayed as having a lot of money, and it is also conventional to the genre as glamorous objects are often used in these club songs. In relation to the audience it helps them label the genre more easily and also gives them a reason to idolise the artists.
Costume is another element of mise en scene that is used within this music video. Flo Rida is wearing expensive jewlerry in the form of a gold chain, again depicting him as rich to the audience. Combining his jewlerry with the bottles of champagne he is spraying about helps the music video become more conventional as these are both generic conventions of a high class lifestyle. This again is appealing to the audience as they are likely to want to live this type of lifestyle which they are being given an insight into.
The editing in this music video is fast paced throughout, the audience see a lot of fast timing of shots, this increases the pace of the music video. This means that the visuals are in relation to the fast paced style of music, meaning that the music video is conventional to Goodwins theory, much like Drake's music video. The fast paced editing is a reflection of the fast paced lifestyle that is being discussed in the song, again this means that lyrics and visuals are in connection. Therefore the editing used in this music video is one of the main factors which contributes to it being a very conventional music video.
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Katy Perry - Firework
The pop genre that Katie Perry belongs to is that of a vary conventional one. The first use of cinematography within the music video is an establishing shot. This sets the scene for the music video, showing the audience where the music video will take place. The upscale setting is . This is conventional to the pop genre as glamorous locations are attractive to audiences as it convoys the artist, Katie Perry, in a light that is more desirable, audiences build a relationship with the artist as they want to be her.
The characters as well as the artist are made to appear more powerful within the music video. This is done through the use of cinematography, particularly the use of the low angled shot shown bellow. The shot makes the character look bigger as it is taken from bellow. This therefore makes the character appear more powerful and as they are a cancer patient it is empowering to the viewer as they are usually represented as weak through all sources of media. This is an unconventional effect to be shown in the pop genre as it makes the artist and female characters appear more masculine as opposed to feminine and attractive to appeal to the young target audience they market this genre of music at.
The Katie Perry is also represented to appear relatable to her audiences. This is done through the use of mise-en-scene. The setting of a 'house party' shown in the picture bellow, is attractive to the young 12-24 year old target audience of the pop genre, as they find parties appealing. This then helps the artist (Katie Perry) to build a relationship with the audience as they both have found 'common ground', where Katie Perry is shown to like parties as there is one shown within her music video. This is relatable to the pop genre as artists in this genre need to appear relatable to there audience in order to help build this relationship and to gain fans through relatability towards the audiences who are exposed to this music.
Bright colours are used throughout the music video, the most abundant use of this would be the fireworks that are edited into the music video. The use of the bright colours, particularly the use of the fireworks are used in order to keep the audiences attention throughout the video. The young audience that this song would be targeted at find the bright colours attractive and it keeps their attention, ensuring that they are aware of the music and the artist, increasing the songs publicity. This method of manipulating editing to help keep the audiences attention is used allot within the pop genre. The young audience finds the fireworks attractive and so they keep watching the music video.
The narrative within the music video helps to maintain the viewers attention. The use of editing such as the shot reverse shot helps to build a sense of narrative helping the audience connect and feel more involved with the music video. This is done in many music genres as building a narrative helps audience build a relationship with the artist and their music as the narrative may relate to their lives in some way. Especially within this particular music video, where there are several different scenarios going on such as the over weight girl being self conscious about her body.
Summary:
The research that I have done on music genres will help me when it comes to creating my music video. Researching genres has allowed me to see how I need to make my video conventional so that it appeals to the target audience. Furthermore I have seen how to manipulate the elements of mise en scene in order to entice the audience to the music video. I have also seen how to create an image surrounding the artist through iconography and camera angles, this can therefore make the artist seem more appealing and desirable to the target audience.
"Why would an artist choose to create a diverse music video?"
1)What makes a music video diverse and unique Many factors contribute to a diverse music video, the main way is to go against the regular conventions you would expect to see in that music genre. For example in pop music videos you expect to see glamorous settings, therefore a diverse music video would be shot in a very urban, grimy location. Furthermore a diverse music video could be created through the words and music not linking to the visuals, for example if there was an up beat happy song contrasted with a sad slow video, that would create diversity. Mise en scene can also play a huge roll in creating a diverse music video for example if we was to see an artist in an unusual costume, that would make he music video different. Artists that tend to make diverse music videos are Lady Gaga, Miley Cyrus and Robin Thicke. Chris Cunningham is a diverse music video director who has worked with many different music artists who made his directional debut in 1997 with the music video for "Come to Daddy" by Aphex twin, which was instantly praised, banned, and raved about by many people in the business, other artists he worked with include Madonna and her diverse music video for her song "Frozen". The videos diversity allows the audience to remember the music videos which therefore can impact on the artist by gaining or losing their publicity and fans. Cunningham works predominantly with genres such as ambient music and electronica. Whilst working with pop artist Madonna Cunningham was able to reinvent her completely from her general pop genre based music videos to a more dark, gloomy video. Michel Gondry is another diverse music director who worked with Kylie Minogue and The White Stripes who both created obscure and ambiguous music videos. The music videos are out of the ordinary which makes them memorable through the use of repetition of the artists/characters within the videos. Gondry's success was achieved by the use of mise-en-scene in his videos. The elements he incorporated into his videos were very unique, and helped to attract and engage the audience. The settings he uses in the above music video of 'Hardest button to button' are interesting. The settings such as the train station and park that the band play in make the band seem more accessible to their fans which is important for their smaller fan base. While Micheal Gondry and Chris Cunningham are both successful directors they both have contrasting directing styles. Chris Cunningham is more controversial, working on Madonna's work as well as promoting artists such as Aphex twin through his use of editing his face onto characters within the music video. His outlandish style of directing is effective as the music video gains views through audiences talking about it and how strangest is or in madonna's case, how different it is. Gondry however works with music with a relatively smaller fan base in genres such as rock, where its more about the music and less about the artists. Therefore he adopt a more particular directing style where focus is on more the music and improving the fan base other than the artist themselves. The appeal with working with Chris Cunningham would be that he is obviously vary good at what he does and is no doubt able to get you publicity through the ambitious style of his directing however his style of directing makes it difficult for you as an artist to keep fans as they may become to confused of his music videos. 2)Cunningham and Gondry's music videos Cunningham - Come to Daddy by Aphex Twin 'Come to daddy' by 'Aphex Twin' is directed by Chris Cunningham. This music video can be seen as very controversial and strange due to the editing of the artist "Aphex Twin's" face onto the bodies of school girls. This is going to be memorable to the target audience as it is very unusual and not something that they would expect to see in the music video. The fact that Cunningham used the bodies of young girls for a male artists face could make the audience feel uncomfortable. The title 'Come to daddy' in itself can be seen as inappropriate to the audience as the video includes little girls who the artist seems to have a hold of which can bring about a negative message and can be taken the wrong way. The genre of the song is electro, however the music video contrasts this completely as it shows scary disturbing images which are more linked to the horror genre rather than electro music. Cunningham - Frozen by Madonna Chris Cunningham also directed the music video "Frozen" by pop star Madonna. At the time Madonna was a world famous artist who was strongly associated with the pop genre, making this diverse music video even more shocking as it completely went against the genre. The music video portrays isolation of the artist 'Madonna' who is usually seen with many back-up dancers or glamorous scenery in her previous pop music videos. The pop genre is linked in with bright colors to tie in with the upbeat music, however this video of Madonna's completely contradicts this as it includes dark,dull coloring and lighting to match the deep lowbeat music. This diverse music video was to reinvent Madonna so that she could attract new fans to buy her product. The drastic change of her music video would get the audience talking and through word of mouth would again attract more attention. Gondry - Come into my World by Kylie Manogue Much like Madonna, Kylie Manogue was heavily related to the pop genre and producing flamboyant and glamorous music videos to match this. However when she teamed up with producer Michael Gondry she went for the more diverse approach. In the music video 'Come into my world' the artist is the only focus and she is repetitively shown. The repetition of the artist is unconventional for the pop genre which will draw the attention of the audience and engage them to watch more. Another factor that makes the music video so diverse is the fact that Kylie Minogue is wearing casual clothing which subverts typical pop and also has a normal everyday setting. We see her wearing a casual pink shirt which is not what you would expect to see a pop artist wearing as they usually wear clothing that stands out and is extravagant. The videos style is narrative and performance based - when Kylie sings in to the camera which links in with the title of the song as it shows a day to day routine and is the artist going through her own world doing the same thing over and over again. Advantages and disadvantages of diverse music videos: An artist may opt to choose to create a diverse music video for many different reasons. The main reason would be to get people talking and to create a 'buzz' for the video. This would get audiences talking about the artist and their video publicising them and their music. Furthermore the individuality of the music video is likely to make the artist stand out from other artists and makes them easier to remember. However their are certain disadvantages to a diverse music video. One would be that in trying to gain views through making it somewhat controversial or changing it from what your original fans were used to, could loose you fans. Furthermore the artist could lose fans as the music video may not match the genre of the music. This means that there is a disconnect between the genre and the video. Conclusion: Upon reviewing both Gondry and Cunningham's work i would argue that Gondry would be the best suited director for my work. The use of his inventive visual style and manipulation of mise-en-scene aswel as his particular style of directing would suit my rock genre music video as he already has allot of experience working in this genre, directing music videos for artists such as Radio head, The Chemical brothers. I will take inspiration from his directing on White stripes 'hardest button to button' in the hopes of replicating the same effect of making the artist appear accessible to fans into my work. However a disadvantage would be that no relationship will be built between artist and audience as this type of alternative music usually focus's on the artistry rather than the artist and so it maybe difficult to maintain a strong fan base.
Goodwin came up with a theory that explained all the elements that exist in music videos. His theory states that most of the time; music video’s do not have a clear conventional narrative structure this means that they do not set out to have a beginning, middle or end. Instead music videos are constructed by the lyrics; it is the relationship between the lyrics and visual representation. Furthermorethe artist/singer or a leader of band can play both the narrator and the participant. They tend to be repeated in most of the shots. Goodwins theory was made up of the following seven elements: 1. Music videos demonstrate genre characteristics:
The music video "Show Me" by Chris Brown is an example of how music videos demonstrate genre characteristics. As you can see in this screenshot Chris Brown is wearing an expensive gold watch and a baseball hat. Both of these are examples of genre characteristics as you would expect to see them in the rap genre as rappers often talk about wearing expensive jewellery. This therefore portrays the rappers as being rich and having loads of money. Furthermore there is a sexual objectification of women within this clip. This also is an example of genre characteristics as sexual women are often related to the rap genre. We see the sexual objectification of women within this clip through the use of clothing as the women are wearing little and revealing clothing. We can further see an example of this music video presenting genre characteristics as we can see Chris Brown in the club with his "gang", which is something that is very conventional within the rap genre. This is seen when Chris Brown is in the club, which is a glamorous location, another genre characteristic of the rap genre, as they are often filmed in glamorous and flash locations. Through demonstrating genre characteristics the artist entices its target audience. This is because the target audience will clearly be able to see that the music video belongs to the rap genre and this will persuade them to explore the artist and watch more of his videos. Overall this promotes the artist and increases their popularity. 2. The lyrics are in relation with the music video:
Goodwin's theory states that the lyrics and the music video should be in relation, we can see this in this music video as Kid Ink says "No time on the rolex" and as he says it he looks at his watch. This is used here to make it seem although the audience are watching some sort of narrative as they can see that the lyrics are in correspondance with the visuals in the music video. This also allows the audience to further understand the lyrics of the song as they are being illustrated. Furthermore it means that the music video will have more of an impact on the audience as the lyrics are being reinforced by the visuals, meaning that the audience is more likely to take in what is being said. This point of Goodwins theory appeals to the target audience as it means that the artist is communicating the lyrics of his song through visuals, this therefore means that a relationship between the audience and artist is made. In this video the use of visuals to explain the lyrics is specifically important as the artist is trying to show off in the lyrics by discussing girls and money and this is further reinforced and emphasised through providing the target audience with a visual.
3. There is a relationship between the music and the visuals
The third part of Goodwins theory is the relationship between the video and the music of the song and whether it is illustrative, amplifying or contradicting. I would say that this music video is illustrative in relation to the music as there are a lot of images throughout that explain the music. We can see an example of this at the beginning of the song when we first hear the beat come in. Here the director of the music video matches the change of the beat with a change of frame, this creates a relationship between the music and the visuals making it more appealing to the audience as they can feel the full effect of the music and music video. Furthermore we can see a relationship between the visuals and music, as the pace of the song increases when the chorus of the song comes in, in correspondance to this the pace of the shots and editing increases, thus creating a link between the visuals and the music. This is likely to attract the target audience and appeal to them as they can see a clear link between the song and the video. A relationship between music and visuals is used in order to show that they go hand in hand, making it more appealing to the target audience.
4. The demands of the record label will include the need for lots of close ups of the artist and the artist may develop motifs which reoccur across their work.
Throughout this video we see a lot of close ups of both Kid Ink and Chris Brown, this matches goodwins theory. The impact of using a lot of close ups of the artists is that it engages the audience as they are seeing their idols close up. Furthermore it allows the audience to see the full emotion in their faces making the lyrics more relatable for themselves. In addition, using close ups of the artist in the music video is likely to appeal to the target audience as they are seeing their icons close up. In turn, this will create more profit for the record labels as the fans are more likely to purchase the album through seeing the music video. This also gives the record label control over how the artist is represented which means they are able to create an image surrounding the artist. The purpose of this point is therefore to to represent the artist in a certain way and make sure that the audience are engaged with the artist and the music video.
5. There if frequent reference to notion of looking, examples of this would be screens within screens or telescopes, and a particular treatment of the female body.
In this music video we see the female body sexualised frequently. Again this is in accordance to Goodwins theory. In sexualising the female body the male members of the audience are satisfied and it also idolises the artists as it makes them look superior as they have women climbing all over them. Furthermore the female members of the audience are entised through the girls bodies that are being put on show. As a result of this both sexes are given reason to desire what is going on in the music video, meaning that they are likely to buy into the artists lifestyle by purchasing their albums etc.
6. There is often intertextual reference.
In the video there are signs of intertextual reference. We can see this at the beginning of the video when Tyga is wearing "Beats" headphones. This conveys to the viewer that these headphones must be the best on the market because if they are good enough for Tyga then they are good enough for me. Furthermore we can see intertextual reference in the club scene when there are bottles of Ciroc vodka on the table. Again this creates a link between alcohol and having a good time, persuading the audience that this is the drink to buy. The purpose of this point is so that the produucers can maximise profits by including certain brands within the music video.
7. Whether the video is primarily performance based, narrative based or concept based.
Music videos can be narrative, performance or concept based. This video mainly features performance. The performance part of the video is clear to see as there is a lot of dancing about within the club scene. The effect of this is that it is appeals to the target audiences eye and makes them idolise the artists as they may want to dance like them. Furthermore it means that the video is conforming to the conventions of the genre as you would usually relate dancing to this type of song. This also informs the audience that the song is not going to be serious and more about having fun, which will appeal to them.
Music videos is a short film associated with a song. They are used to create a greater relationship between the artist and the fan. Music videos are primarily used as a marketing technique to appeal to the audience and promote the sales of the artist through targeting the intended audience and also appealing to other audiences on certain occasions. Music videos are widely accessible to the public now and they are available to view through many different technologies. You can access them through TV programmes such as MTV, YouTube, Facebook and many other technologies. Over time the ways in which target audiences access music videos has changed, and it has become much easier for artists to promote their music videos. I will be discussing the history of music videos and how technology has advanced and helped the progression of music videos. It was in the 1960s when we first saw music videos being moulded into what they are today. This is when artists such as Elvis Presley, The Beatles and The Rolling Stones began to appear in music videos. This would spark a new era in the music industry where artists would promote their music through videos. In 1964, The Beatles starred in their first feature film A Hard Day's Night, directed by Richard Lester. Shot in black-and-white and presented as a mock documentary, it interspersed comedic and dialogue sequences with musical tones. The musical sequences furnished basic templates on which countless subsequent music videos were modeled. The late 50s saw the popularity of a visual jukebox called the Scopitone increase. Many French artists such as Jacques Brel used the Scopitone to create short films to accompany their music. In 1966, Nancy Sinatra filmed a music video for her song These Boots Are Made for Walkin. In June 1968, Elvis Presley recorded music videos again, in recording studios, in order to promote their new albums, making videos where famous stars If I Can Dream. The 1970s saw the invention of music television channels. The Australian TV shows Countdown and Sounds, both of which premiered in 1974, were significant in developing and popularizing the music video genre in Australia and other countries. The long-running British TV show Top of the Pops began playing music videos in the late 1970s, although the BBC placed strict limits on the number of 'outsourced' videos TOTP could use. Therefore a good video would increase a song's sales as viewers hoped to see it again the following week. Also in 1975, the band Queen ordered Bruce Gowers to make a promo video for their new single "Bohemian Rhapsody" to show it in Top of the Pops; this is also notable for being entirely shot and edited on videotape. It was the 1980 when the music video really began to take shape. The 1980s saw the invention of the most recponisable music channel around the world. MTV was launched August 1, 1981 and its original purpose was to play music videos. MTV was the first music TV channel, and it launched by airing the music video "Video Killed the Radio Star". The first hour of the show featured artists such as Rod Steward, The Who and Cliff Richard. A year after MTV's launch in 1981, it began to introduce high profile black artists such as Prince and Michael Jackson, this attracted a wider target audience as the channels popularity grew ever strong. The channel was the first 24 hour music channel, meaning that people could tune in and watch music videos all day, increasing their popularity. The channel further widened its audience by introducing new genres such as rock. In 1984 MTV began the Video Music Awards, with a live performance from Madonna. This has been a tradition ever since, and is a large contributor to the success of MTV. MTV has been the main broadcaster of music videos for the last 30 years. In 1983, the most successful, influential and iconic music video of all time was released: the nearly 14-minute-long video for Michael Jackson's song "Thriller", directed by John Landis. The video set new standards for production, having cost $800,000 to film. The video for "Thriller", along with earlier videos by Jackson for his songs "Billie Jean" and "Beat It", were instrumental in getting music videos by African American artists played on MTV. Two key innovations in the development of the modern music video were the development of relatively inexpensive and easy-to-use video recording and editing equipment, and the development of visual effects created with techniques such as image compositing In November 1992, MTV began listing directors with the artist and song credits, reflecting the fact that music videos had increasingly become an auteur's medium. Directors such as Chris Cunningham, Michel Gondry, and Spike Jonze all got their start around this time; all brought a unique vision and style to the videos they directed. This is when it became vital for big name artists to have a good music video to accompany their songs in order to promote their work. Youtube is also another use of media that has played a vital role in the history of music videos. The channel was found in 2005 and has been under the ownership of google since 2006. Youtube has allowed the accessibility of music videos much more easy for the general public, making it as simple as one click away. YouTube has also been the platform for many popular artists to start their career such as Justin Bieber who was found through YouTube. The vital role YouTube has played in the history of music videos can be seen in the huge amount of views that Psy's "Gangnam Style" music video recieved. The music video recieved over 2 billion views as of August 2014, contributing to the large popularity of the song, making it a world wide hit. YouTube also allows the public to access a service called "VEVO" which is a service which airs music from Universal records and Sony music entertainment, which are two of the biggest recording labels in the world.
