Planning magazine advert- Miss Miller

Intro

Magazine adverts are very important for promoting artists albums as they reach a wide audience that might not have known about the band or the album and this magazine advert is a chance to convince them to buy it. Good magazine adverts are clear with the bands name and album name and usually have some clever artwork or a picture of the band that engages the people see the advert to read more about the album, this would then show them the album and why they might want to buy it.

I will be creating a poster for the album of my chosen artist, I will be making it with consideration of conventions of the genre and what the bands image is from the advert, this will be good to help sales of the album as it recognisable as the bands album and conventional to their genre. The specific conventions and artwork that I would like to use on my magazine advert will have to be planned well as it could end up not being what I thought in my head and wouldn't suit the band or album, this could lead to loss in sales.

o   Colours
I have decided to use bright colours for the artwork around the bands name for my magazine advert, as I feel that this fit conventions of the genre of the bright colours and catches the attention of the reader of the magazine. This is opposed to  a plain magazine advert that would not look interesting to the reader of the magazine. The colours appeal to our target audience as our target audience is quite young and would be attracted to the bright colours as it makes the magazine advert look modern. The diversity of the genre allows me to use these bright colours as the genres audience likes uniqueness and the bright colours, I feel are unique and will attract a large audience.

o   Conventions of genre 
This magazine advert has conformed to the conventions of the phsycedelic rock genre as it includes the bright colours that are popular within the genre, this would be attractive for fans of the genre who see the album cover and people who see the bright colours as modern and interesting and look at the magazine advert in more detail.

o   Images used
The main image that I used for this magazine advert is of the main character in our music video sitting at stairs, this relates back to the album name of Lonerism as he is sitting on his own. This isn't conventional to the genre as typically the music videos and the magazine adverts are very separate but I felt that by combining them together this would give both the music video and magazine advert more meaning.

o   Layout/design
The layout of my magazine advert is simple as there is three main segments, the top with the bright colours and band name, the middle with the image and the bottom with the song name, this makes the magzine advert simple to see and read for the audience. It also makes the name of the album and name of the band clear to the audience.

o   Typography
The typography that I chose in my planning stage is fairly simple and basic, this allows for easy reading, which is important in magazine adverts as it can be read quickly, and people might not look at the page with the advert for very long. The font is slightly unusual as it misses some lines of letter, for example the 'A' is not a normal 'A' this makes the magazine advert identifiable and give the band a reputation of being unique. I wan't this unique typography to represent the artist, as it is a unique font and I feel it fits the conventions of the genre and will get the artist recognised by his diversity, this will help grow a fan base for the artist.

o   Language
The language that I chose to use in my magazine advert is basic as I wanted it to be quick and easy to read for the audience. Also it is conventional of the genre to not have a lot of writing on the magazine advert or the album cover so it is acceptable for my own magazine advert.

o   Think about connotations of all of the above
The connotations that come from my magazine advert are that the band is modern and conventional to the genre, this is seen through the bright colours use in the magazine advert. Also there are positive connotations that come from the magazine advert such as showing our artist to be unique and diverse, but also conventional to our genre, this will help the artist get fans.

Conclusion

I found making this draft magazine advert very useful as it made me realise what conventions I defiantly need to include in my magazine advert to make it conventional such a s the colours. And also it made me see how the artwork on the magazine advert can be effective at engaging people to the album and band. I feel like I am more aware of the pictures I need to take for my magazine advert as I feel that the images I used could be better, and more realistic and by taking the pictures in a live setting it would be more effective and look better for my magazine advert. The names of the artist and album will be different when I make the final magazine advert but this is a name before we decide what to call our artist.

Research into music labels- Miss Georgiou

Major Record Labels

Definition:

Large companies within the music industry that may also own smaller record labels.

 1.      Who are the major labels in the UK currently?

Universal Music Group the largest record group in the world, Sony Music Entertainment and Warner Music Group are the three main record labels that operate in the UK they all make millions of pounds profit every year.

2.      Who do the major labels manage?

These labels manage many very famous and successful music artists.

Universal Music Group own artists such as, Elton John , Emeli Sande, Fall Out Boy, Fat Boy Slim, Florence + The Machine, Jake Bugg, Kaiser Chiefs,  Ellie Goulding, Kate Perry, Sam Smith,  Iggy Azalea,Taylor Swift and 50 Cent.

Sony Music Entertainment own artists such as Miley Cyrus, Daft Punk, Olly Murs, Tine Tempah and One Direction.

Warner Music Group own artists such as James Blunt, The Ramones, B.o.B, David Guetta, Coldplay, Fleetwood Mac and Ed Sheeran. 

3.      Do the major labels own smaller companies and which artists do they manage?

These major music record labels own smaller companies that nay be more genre specific and have smaller artists.

Universal- Universal own smaller companies such as Interscope Records,

Island Records, Def Jam Recordings, Polydor Records, Capitol Records. These smaller companies own artists such as Cold Play, Ed Sheeran and Linkin Park.

Sony Music Entertainment- They own Smaller companies such as Columbia Records, Ultra recordings and Epic records. Some artists signed to these smaller companies include, Calvin Harris, David Guetta and Mariah Carey.

Warner music- They own subsidary companies such as Atlantic Records, 

Warner Bros. Records, Rhino Entertainment, Warner/Chappell Music, Elektra Records. These smaller companies own artists such as AC/DC, Aphex twin and Cee-lo Green.

4.      Are there any links within Media e.g TV/Film/Magazines etc

All of the three music labels are part of large corporations that have links within the media industry, weather it is magazines, films or TV channels. These would benefit the artists signed to them as they will get better treatment and recognition  by their own company, this would help to build their fan base.

Independents

Definition:  Independent music labels are smaller companies that own artists that can be of any level of success, they usually are helped in ways by larger  companies for licensing or distribution. Most artists start off with a smaller record label on their journey to success. 

1.      Identify some of the independent labels in the UK and a brief history of each.

RAM Records-  RAM Records is an independent record label established in 1992 by Andy C with the help of close friend Ant Miles. It is one of the major labels specialising in drum and bass. Artists such as Sub Focus, Chase and Status and Wikinson.

Rough Trade Records is an independent record label based in London. It was formed in 1978 by Geoff Travis who had opened a record store off Ladbroke Grove. Having successfully promoted and sold records by punk, very early indie pop and early post-punkbands such as Buzzcocks, The Smiths and Desperate Bicycles. Artists such as Arcade Fire, The Libertines and The Strokes.

Domino recording company-   Is an independent record label based in London, Founded in 1993, by Laurence Bell and his partner Jacqui Rice.  Recent high profile releases from Anna Calvi, Franz Ferdinand, Arctic Monkeys, and The Kills have only acted as a catalyst to this, and Domino is now one of the longest running and most successful independent record labels in the UK.

In my opinion I don't think that the music industry in the UK should be dominated by 4 companies as it is limiting the amount of good music that can become successful without the major funding from these companies, this is not positive for the music industry but the smaller companies still work hard to give un-successful artists a chance to become successful and they often do if they are talented enough.  From this point of view I don't think the domination of the 4 companies  is entirely bad as it can give the chance to un-signed artists to sign for the independent labels. Such as bands like The Strokes who could have been turned down by a larger recording company earlier in their career.

Independent labels might not make as much profit every year as the major labels but relative to their size they can become very successful and the artists that belong to them can also become major artists that become legends in their genre or music in general.

Independent music labels can offer smaller artists that might have been rejected by major labels, but then grow and produce good quality of music and become successful, without these independent music labels these artists wouldn't be prominent in their genres and the music industry.  Such as successful artists Chase & Status who are signed to independent company RAM records.

Magazine advert analysis- Miss Miller

The purpose of a magazine advert is to promote a song or album from an artist, this allows the song or album to reach a larger audience, as the magazines readers might possibly be outside of Tame Impalas target audience, so this could be the first time they would have heard of Tame Impala. The magazine adverts act as a reminder for people to buy the an album, and can also give hints on songs included in the album or the theme of the album, through art work or writing what singles from the artist are on the album. Overall the magazine advert is promoting the album to a larger audience outside or inside of their target audience, to increase revenue made from the album and to give the audience a hint to the theme of the album.

First Advert Analysis - Tame Impala- waiting for response from record label

Second Advert Analysis - Artist of the same Genre, Fink Floyd.

This avert is for Pink Floyds first LP. It is clear to their audience that they could be a phsycedelic rock bandfrom the use of conventional filters for the album image, for this a kaleidoscope filter is used to make the  band members appear more than once doesn't make the image of the band as clear for the audience. This magazine advert subverts conventions of the pop genre by using a filter that doesn't make the image of the band clear, this would have been an easy way for pop artists to attract fans, which is also part of Goodwins theory. But for Pink Floyd they used a filter for their image to make themselves appeal to fans of phsycedelic rock and stand out from pop artists.

This image is the same image that was used on the magazine advert but it is in colour which the technology in 1967 didn't allow for magazine adverts.
The colours used in this image are typical of the time and the clothes they wear are conventional to the phsycedelic rock at the time, this shows the audience a bit about the band, specifically that they are not conventional to the pop genre at the time which would have been clear from the clothes, this could attract an audience that are intrigued by the bands image or could attract people who like phsycedelic rock and want to buy their album as they like the bands image.

The layout used for the album advert is very basic with the image in the centre and a caption at the top reading 'available now', which shows that they were keen to show their audience that the album was ready to buy. The image in the centre with the bands name shows their audience more about the album and the band, the name would show they were a band as would the different band members in the image. Everything on the advert is to show the audience more about the band and make them keen to buy the album for themselves, this is done by promoting the bands look, their name and below the image it says to the audience that it is their first album and it shows the name of the album. The magazine advert also has labels o the record labels in the corner.

On this magazine advert there is a different range of typography's used the writing at the top which says 'available now' is wavy and not formal at all, this is also conventional to the genre of phsycedelic rock as there is rarely a use of formal writing, picture, songs, or music video for the genre. So the writing at the top matches conventions of the genre, as does the writing style used for the Pink Floyd logo in the centre of the advert, this font is also wavy and not formal, which is still conventional to the genre.
Below the image is possibly written by the record label with no input from the band as the writing style used is formal and speaks in third person about the band, this is normal for the magazine adverts as not every reader will be attracted to the album by the bands art alone.

This research will assist me when creating my own advert, it has shown me what characteristics are conventional for the phsycedelic rock genre, which our song is from, so I would take inspiration from the other magazine adverts. For my own advert I would consider using the filter effect that Pink Floyd used for their album advert as it is a very recognisable conventional filter to use on a phsycedelic rock album. The layout of their magazine advert is also interesting to me as it isn't as popular in modern time, so the use of that layout could be intriguing to a wide audience, but it could also be out of favour as it is not a design that people like in adverts. 

Research into chosen music artist- Miss Georgiou

1) Introduction

As a group we decided to use the song 'It feel like we only go backwards' by Tame Impala. We were interested in using this song as we like the song and the music the band makes, the genre of Tame Impalas music allows for a diverse range of music videos, for example anything shown in psychedelic rock music videos are acceptable. The common conventions of Tame Impala music videos are bright colours and effects and also strange concepts. What inspired me to choose this song and band is that I liked their music and videos, so I felt that I wanted to try and make a video for one of their songs, this will allow our group to try conventions that are used in the genre in our video, which wouldn't have been possible in other genres.

2) Artist profile

Tame Impala are a psychedelic rock band from Perth, Australia and was started by Kevin Parker the other members are Dominic Simper, Jay Watson, Cam Avery, Julien Barbagallo and formerly Nick Allbrook. Tame Impala sooner released their self-titled EP in 2008. They attained a number 1 position on the Austrailan Independent record label with three songs from the album. "Desire Be,Desire Go", "Half Full Glass of Wine and "Skeleton Tiger". In 2010 with the release of its debut album Innerspeaker, which was successful and won some awards.  Tame Impala received critical acclaim for its 2012 album Lonerism, which is their most recent album, it has won awards and has received fantastic reviews.
Tame Impala has won the following awards:

Favorite Newcomer, Most Popular single, Most Popular Act, Most Popular Live Act, Best Rock Act, Best Guitarist at the WAMI Awards

Best Group, Album of the Year, Best Rock Album for the ARIA Awards

Tame Impala are signed to an Austrailian record label called Modular Recordings.

 Include information on the number of sales the artist has, with singles, albums
“Lonerism” Tame Impala most recent album sold  60,000 units, and it has an IMPALA European gold certification for 75,000 units sold, this is a huge amount for a psychedelic rock band as the genre is relatively small, but that band has a large audience and has won many awards for its singles and albums.


3) Artist music video analysis

Tame Impala- Expectation.

 How is Goodwin’s theory used?

This video uses elements of Goodwin's theory such as showing genre characteristics, this is seen with the use of editing styles that are conventional of the phsycedelic rock genre. There is a strong relationship between the music and visuals this is seen through the performance part of the video, this shows the audience that they are good at playing instruments and can help get them a loyal audience as they know that the band are good at making and playing music. There are also lots of close-ups of the band and the main artist Kevin Parker in this video, this could have been included due to the demands of the record label, as they want their artists to be recognised by a large audience and by showing close ups of them they would be recognised by people, creating them a larger audience. The video is mainly performance based and the concept is the different editing styles and this is  conventional video of the phsycedelic rock genre.

 How is the artist represented?

The artist is represented as typical of their genre and that they are talented at what they do, this is as they follow typical conventions of their genre in playing instruments and using editing styles that change the shots, which are typical of the phsycedelic rock genre.

 Who is the target audience?

The target audience for this video would be 16-35 the usual target audience for Tame Impala as it is conventional of the psychedelic rock genre.

What is the style of the music video?

The style of the music video is concept and performance based as the band are seen playing the song for the majority of the song and the concept is the repeated shots and the editing style of the camera shot being distorted and also the shot being edited to look like it is bending and curving.

How is mise-en-scene used?

Mise-en-scene is used in this video through the setting, costume, body language and facial expression, the common shots used in this video are mid shots and close-ups. The setting is a forest, this isn't conventional to the genre, but it is unique for a music video which is something the band are recognised for, which is being unique. The body language of the band is fairly plain and they don't show much expression, this relates to the lyrics as the lyrics aren't happy, this shows the band has emotion. 

 What common camera shots do the music videos use?
Mostly mid-shots are used in this video and one high angle shot. This is because the concept of the video is to follow the performance of the band in  a circle and the mid shot is a basic shot to go with the concept of the music video, the close-ups break the consistency of the mid shots and also show the expressions of the artist.

Tame Impala- Solitude is bliss

 How is Goodwin’s theory used?

Goodwin's theory isn't used in this video, the band are not shown perfoming the song at any stage, this shows that they are not very worried about following conventions used in the pop genre to try and gain larger audience, this could be as the music they make is for a genre that isn't mainstream, so they want to make music for people that like the genre and not people that like pop music.

 How is the artist represented?

The artist isn't represented at all in this video, this goes against most conventions as the music video fr a song is where the artits are usually shown, this can give them a larger audience, but for this video they didn't decide to show themselves performing the song at any stage.

 Who is the target audience?

The target audience for this video would be 16-35 the usual age for Tame Imapala's music, this is because people that enjoy their music would appreciate the unique qualities of their videos which is shown in this video.

What is the style of the music video?

This video is all narrative and concept, this music video doesn't include the band performing at any stage, the use of the narrative and concept based video is conventional to some music videos in the phsycedelic rock genre as there are other bands who choose to use narrative based music video for every song they make.

How is mise-en-scene used?

They used a character, with different actors and props, they also used a location to set the theme of the video. The use of the main character was important as it helped the narrative have a better storyline, the audience can be more engaged in the music video if they can follow a main character. The location of this music video is outside a city, and the location looks like the city is in ruins, this adds more effect to the video and shows the audience that the video is made well and is realistic this adds to the experience of the music video.

 What common camera shots do the music videos use?

There is a varied range of camera shots used in this video, the main shots are mid shots, to set the scene of the video. The use of low angle shots and high angle shots of the artist show the audience that the character is in trouble of worried. These shots are not conventional of music videos, but the narrative and concept of this video means that for the audience to be engaged by the storyline the camera angles need to help enhance the experience the audience get from the storyline.



4) Summary
Explain how your research on your chosen music artist will assist you with planning your own music video

our research into our chosen music artist will assist us when planning our music video as we are aware of the success they have and the size of their fan base, this shows us that they re successful so the music video is important or maintaining the image they have. The research into their previous music video has shown me that they are unique when making their music videos and do not follow typical theories like Dyers star theory, which is very common. From this we are aware that we can be more creative with our music video if we want, which is what Tame Imapala do with their videos, or we could be more conventional of the genre and follow theories like Goodwins theory and Dyers star theory which might get the song more publicity as it is what is popular, and the bands music isn't popular in the mainstream.

Research into chosen music genre- Miss Georgiou

The chosen music genre that we have decided to make a music video for is psychedelic rock. The interest in this genre is that we like some music from the phsycadelic rock genre specifically Tame Impala and their song 'it feels like we like we only go backwards'. The Physcadelic rock genre is interesting to me as it is very different to pop music and this allows the artists to be more creative with their music and music videos. I first heard of phsycadelic rock music on the radio and I then found more bands that make the same style of music.

The Black Angles- You're mine

1) Analyse a music video and identify codes and conventions

The main codes and conventions in this video are the different styles of editing such as fast editing, also use of colour filters and also a main female character. These are all conventional of the physcadelic rock genre, specifically the use of colour filters. The conventions are typical of the phsycedelic rock genre, this is appealing to the artists target audience who are fans of the genre.

2) Discuss how miss en scene is used

The video shows a different range of props, costumes and sets used, this shows the band have used mise-en-scene to show their audience that they are creative and talented. The mise-en-scene used in this video is directly included by the artists to show the audience they are part of the genre, which helps them gain fans as the fans of the genre will recognise that this band are part of the genre.

3) Explain what the main camera shots are

The main camera shots used are close ups and mid-shots, these are seen throughout when the girl is shown and it typically shows the top half of her body, these are mainly used in this video to show the mood of the female character as the narrative is her being chased and the lyrics in the chorus are 'you're mine' and this is about the female character. Overall the range of camera shots make the narrative of the video more entertaining for the audience.

4) Explain what the main editing styles are

The main editing style is fast paced editing showing lots of shots one after the other, this is used in the video to focus on the main female character, of her being chased, as well as different shots to break up the narrative for example there would be a shot of a member of the band performing the song. This isn't conventional to the genre as lots of artists prefer a slower paced video which suits the pace of music. The editing styles used do not make the audience see the video as less of a conventional video which is good as if we want to use the faster editing style we know we can without the audience feeling that the video isn't conventional.

5) Define the target audience

The target audience for this video is 18-35 year olds, as this video has some adult features such as the sexualisation of the female body, for example women being show without clothes on. This isn't necessarily conventional to the genre, but the genre is diverse in nature so it still fits into the genre.

6) How is the artist represented

The artists are represented as a bit strange, for example when they are shown playing their instruments they have a straight face and don't seem to be enjoying themselves, this is conventional for the genre of music the video is for. The artists are represented as talented especially as they are shown playing instruments which is conventional for the genre of music they make, it shows their fans that they are talented at making music.

7) What is the style of music video

The style of the video is mainly narrative and concept with some performance being shown. This is conforming to conventions of the genre, as lots of videos in the genre have strong narratives, although an equal mix of the three elements is also popular in the genre.

8) How is good wins theory on music video characteristics used

There are some characteristics from Goodwins theory on music videos in this music video, like the music video showing some genre characteristics such as they artists playing their instruments and the use of multi-coloured filters. There is a relationship between the lyrics and visuals in this music video for example when the chorus of 'you're mine' come on the girl character is shown to be chased or targeted, this is also shown with close-up shots. There is a small relationship between music and visuals in this video this is seen when there is a fast guitar solo and the shots are changing faster, also this is seen when there is a beat on the drums is generally when the shot changes. Another element of Goodwins theory that was met in this video is The demands of the record label will include the need for lots of close ups of the artist, this is seen when the band are shown performing, it isn't as obvious as in pop videos but there close ups were still included in this video. There is frequent reference to notion of looking, examples of this is the main female character, and also the other female characters that are shown with little clothing on.  

Animal collective- My Girls

1) Analyse a music video and identify codes and conventions

The main codes and conventions in this video is the use of colour effects and themes, another convention shown in this video is the band playing instruments, this is still unconventional of any video as they are not directly shown playing their instruments, they are just shown as outlines and their instruments are clear. The video is conventional in that it uses bright colour effects and themes, which we have thought of as inspiration for our own video,

2) Discuss how miss en scene is used

Mise-En-Scene is used in this video when the bands instruments are used, this is the only main use of mise-en-scene as the video is very abstract and is mainly just colours in cartoon for and this doesn't allow for actors, props or sets, which other bands use in their videos. The use of instruments is conventional of the genre and the target audience would enjoy seeing this as it makes the artists look talented at what they do.

3) Explain what the main camera shots are

The main camera shot used in this video is mid shots of the instruments and band as well as close ups of the instruments, this is because the video mainly shows patterns and colours instead of conventional actors and band members preforming. This is conventional especially the effects used. In our own music video we would like to use these effects but would still focus on the narrative, performance and concept.

4) Explain what the main editing styles are

The main editing styles used in this video is quite slow paced editing as there is times when there is about ten second between each shot, this isn't conventional of the genre as some video can have fast paced editing styles used. the slower paced editing styles are conventional of the genre and suit the music this is popular with the target audience.

5) Define the target audience

Again the target audience for this video would be about 16-35 year olds as a younger audience might not appreciate the artists vision for his music video and how he's trying to be creative. Also this target audience age is typical of the phsycadelic rock genre.

6) How is the artist represented

The artists are represented as strange as they are not shown in this video just outlines of them, this won't make them marketable as people won't know what they look like, apart from this the artists are represented as conventional for the rock genre as they play instruments.

7) What is the style of music video

The style of this music video is concept based with some performance, and there is no narrative style used. This fits into the diverse nature of the genre but doesn't conform completely to the stereotypes as most videos have a narrative element.

8) How is Goodwins theory on music video characteristics used

Goodwins theory isn't hardly used in this video although there are elements of the music being related with the visuals, when there is a change of beat or the chorus shots the shots change most of the time, and also they this Goodwins theory that the video conforms to genre characteristics, this is seen with the use of instruments and and the different themes and colours that are used, they are conventional o the phsycadelic rock genre.

Summary.
The research that I have carried out on my chosen music genre will help me when making my own music video for this genre as I can see the conventions that are good for the genre, this will give some inspiration for our video. Also from this research I am now aware that this music genre is very diverse and not every video follows conventions and Goodwins theory, but it still meets the criteria that makes it recognisable as a phsycadelic rock music video.

Target Audience Results and Vox pops- Miss Miller

Intro – why was research carried out? Why did you ask 40 people? How will you use results to create your music video?
We needed to carry out research to get a better understanding of what peoples opinions are of the music industry. We asked 40 people as this is a large number and will allow a accurate mixed feedback from our questionnaire. We will use these results to create our music video by seeing what people like and dislike in music videos and what they expect to see, and then we will use this information to get ideas and inspiration and see how our original ideas can combine with the audience feedback to make a good music video. 

The 10 questions used for my questionnaire were: 

1. How old are you?

This cart tells us the age of the people who answered our questionnaire, from this we can see that the majority are 15-19 years old. We can use this information when planning our music video as we know who our target audience is and to include conventions they enjoy in music videos.

2. What genre of music do you listen to frequently?

This bar chart tells us the genres of music that the people who answered our questionnaire listen to. We can see that the majority listen to pop music, but the second highest is rock, which is helpful for us as we know that we have an audience of people who listen to rock music. Our music video will be for a psychedelic rock song. From this we know we can follow some conventions from the rock genre in our music video and we will still have an audience for the video.

3. Do you prefer Concept, Narrative or Performance based videos?

This chart shows us that the majority of people prefer narrative based music videos. From asking this question we can plan our music video to be narrative based with concept and performance being less important as the audience we are making the video for enjoy narrative based video better. For our music video we will make it more narrative based to please our audience.

4.  Have you heard of psychedelic rock?

From this chart we can see that the majority of people we asked if they had heard of psychedelic rock said no. This tells us that our music video will not have a big audience. The people that had heard of psychedelic rock will want to see conventions that are typical of the genre as they know about the genre and what the conventions are. This will help us when planning our music video as we know that we have a specific audience that isn't very big to make our video for.

5. What makes a music video enjoyable?

From this chart we can see that the majority of people find the sexualisation of the female body to be the most enjoyable part of the music video they are watching. This is a convention that is used in music videos in the psychedelic rock genre, so when planning our music video we should consider including this convention as the audience like that in music videos.

6. What makes a music video un-enjoyable?

From this chart we can see that people found unconventional themes to be the most un-enjoyable thing in music videos. We can take from this that our music video cannot be too unconventional from the genre of music it is made for, this could possibly limit the amount of people that would want to watch and like our music video. For our music video we will not include too many unconventional themes.

7. Do you prefer your artist to be in the music video, why?

From this chart we can see that people prefer to see the artist of the song in the music video. We will take this into account when planning our music video, and we will try to include the artists of the song in the video. This could benefit us as its what people like to see and they will enjoy the video we make more.

8. What do you think of Tame Impala's music?

From this chart we can see that the majority of people we asked didn't like Tame Impalas music, although more than a quarter of people do like their music. This is expected as the majority of people like pop music and psychedelic rock isn't a popular genre so there is a limit to the amount of people who would listen to them. We will still make a video for the people who like their music and be sure to include conventions that are typical of the genre as that is partly a reason why they like the band.

9. What do you think of their music videos?

This chart shows us that the majority of people haven't seen their music videos, this could be a benefit to us as we can include unconventional feature that Tame Impala don't use in their videos and the audience might like them as they don't know what the typical conventions of the genre are. Another 13 percent didn't previously like their videos. This definitely shows that we can be different to what Tame Impala do on their videos and our target audience might like our video.

10. Do you prefer the use of CGI and special effects in music videos?

This chart shows us that people prefer that music videos do not use CGI effects, this is close with people that do prefer CGI effects so, we will need to decide when planning our music video weather or not to include CGI. The use of CGI effects isn't conventional for the phsycedelic rock genre so as a group we may choose to leave CGI out of the video.

Conclusion – explain what you found useful within the research; how you will incorporate your results into your music video, and what you might do differently if you were to carry out the research again

From this research I found some answers useful such as the type of music video people prefer and finding out what makes a music video un-enjoyable. From these results we can plan our music video to fit ideas that people like, for example a strong narrative in a music video, this will help us create the best music video possible for our target audience as we can see what they like from music videos. If I were to carry out this research again I would have asked for more detail on questions and I would have asked what their favourite music video is, this would give us an idea of what music videos our target audience like so we could use that along with our other feedback to make the best music video. Specifically I will plan to include the artist in the music video, this is due to our research showing that that is what our audience prefer when watching music videos.

Vox Pops.

We made a vox pops questionnaire as it has relatable information regarding our music video, we asked people of different age ranges questions about a music video made by Tame Impala and we asked for some opinions on it, then we also asked questions about how they would improve the music video and what they did and didn't like about it, this gives us a greater idea about what specific ideas people like in music videos, this can be related to our own music video.  Vox Pops are unique as they are more detailed questions that give more detailed answers on what we will plan on including in our music video, this is because it has the people we are asking the questions answering questions on our specific genre which we can apply directly to our music video.

The 5 questions used for my vox pops were:

1. Do you like Tame Impala
2. Did you enjoy the Feels Like We Only Go Backwards music video, why?
3. What elements did you enjoy about the video?
4. What elements didn't you enjoy about the video?
5. What improvements would you make?

All five videos are in video above.

We looked at three different subculture theories one theory from Grant McCracken which says 'The postmodern world is full of diversity, dynamism and creativity'

McCracken says that 'if we look at the array of values, and ideologies then we can’t say all sub cultures come from one culture.' The next theory we looked at was from CCCS (Centre for Contemporary Cultural Studies) their view on subcultures goes against McCrackens view, it assumes that all subcultures come from one culture. The third theory we looked at was from Hebdidge, he came to the conclusion that although some people think subcultures only appear to be different but deep down they are the same, he says 'if you look deeper, there is enough richness to warrant renaming ‘subcultures’ as ‘little cultures’.

Looking at these theories has been useful for our group as we have a better understanding of sub-culture and how they effect society and the specific music genres. As a group we have chosen to apply Grant McCracken's theory to our music video as our music video is being made for a song that is part of a small sub-genre of music so we feel that the idea of sub-cultures being unqiue is true and we can apply individual conventions and ideas to our music video that are part of conventions from the sub-genre of phsycedelic rock, we can apply this theory in our own music video as we want our music video to be different and diverse, which is relating to our genre which is unique, this will help create a good music video that has a diverse narrative.

Analysis of a star and Dyer star theory- Miss Miller

Intro – Explain why artists may feel the need to reinvent themselves
Some artists feel that they need to re invent themselves they do this as they feel it will have a positive impact on there careers, this is because that if an artist changes their style they will get a larger audience especially if they are making music with a larger target audience, this will increase the artists revenue. The artist could be changing genres to be more creative, and they want to make music they like, this would be the reason for Snoop dog who changed his name to snoop Lion and started making  a different genre of music. Miley Cyrus may have felt that she needed to re-invent herself as she grew up being an actress on the Disney channel, this means that people and her fans associate her with that, so to get away from the label of being an actress she needed to make her own brand edgy and unique, this makes people pay attention to her and she loses the label of an actress.

What is Richard Dyers theory and the two paradoxes?
Dyers theory is that the term 'star' refers to the semi mythological set of meanings contructed around music performers in order to sell the performer to a large and loyal audience. Dyer made a list of values that are common of 'stars'.
-Youthfulness
-Rebellion
-Sexual Magnetism
- An anti-authoritarian attitude
-Originality
-Creativity/Talent
-Aggression/Anger
-A disregard for social values relating to drugs, sex and good behaviour.
- Conspicuous consumption, of sex, drugs and material goods
- Success against the odds.
another element o Dyers star theory is that a star is an image not a real person that is constructed out of a range of materials. Stars are commodities produced and consumed on the strength of their meanings. Stars depend upon a range of subsidiary media- Magazines, TV, Radio, the Internet- in order to construct an image which can be marketed to their target audience. The star image is made up of a range of meanings which are attractive to the target audiences. The star image is coherent incomplete and open. The star image is based upon two paradoxes:
Paradox one
The star must be simultaneously ordinary and extraordinary for the consumer.
Paradox two
The star must be simultaneously present and absent for the consumer 

Miley Cyrus

Miley Cyrus-Party in the USA, this video shows the way that Miley Cyrus used to be like. In this video she is following typical conventions of  a pop star such as performing her song and following elements of Goodwins theory such as inter textual references when she name drops artists and that their songs are 'on' in the song. The purpose of doing this is to gain a larger audience, as when the song is played and fans of other artists hear their favourite artists names on the song they might be more likely to listen to Miley Cyrus too. Another element of Goodwins theory that she meets on this is that there are lots of close ups of the artist, this is usually a demand set by their record label, the purpose of this is to gain the artist a larger audience and for her brand and face to become recognisable. Again another element of Goodwins theory is used in this video, for example there is a link between the lyrics and the visuals, this is seen with the American flags and the Lyrics about a 'party in the USA'. The artists image in this video is normal as she is still being conventional to her genre of music and following typical conventions of that genre in her music videos. 

Miley Cyrus-Can't be tamed. This video is 

Miley Cyrus-We can't stop. This video shows that she has changed her style and her character, from how she used to be normal and follow conventions that are expected of teen stars such as making videos that please her target audience which this video doesn't for some as they don't like the way she acts and how drastically she changed from her old character. Goodwins theory is used in this video with the sexualisation of the female body, this is seen during most of the video with her dancing and choice of clothes, this might have been included to show her target audience that she is more grown up, especially as this is one of her first videos that really showed the changes she has made to her appearence. Goodwins theory is used again with the reltionship between the lyrics and the visuals, for example the lyrics say 'its our party we do what we want' and then they are shown to be acting in a rebellious manor, Miley Cyrus might have chosen to include this in her video as it is showing her audience that she is this new adult un-responsible person. This would benifit her as she is trying to attract a new audience, that might enjoy this side of her better.

 

Genre and generic conventions – What is the genre of this artists and the three videos analysed. Is it conventional?

The genre of Miley Cyrus is generally Pop although she has appeared on some Hip-Hop songs more recently. The three videos that I looked at were pop songs as they used pop conventions such as a catchy chorus. This is conventional to the artist although it is the way that she now acts and the songs which are different than what she used to be like, but the genre of music is the same as before.

The artist

Target audience – Who is the artist’s target audience at each stage? Has it changed/stayed the same? Why do you think that is?

Her target audience when this video was released was typically children and young teenagers for party in the USA, it has since changed from the Wrecking ball and We cant stop videos as they were made to attract an older audience especially with conventions such as promiscuous dancing and swearing in the lyrics of the songs. The target audience that Miley Cyrus once had would have now grown older and maybe changes their preferences of music to music that Miley Cyrus now makes, so what Miley Cyrus has done is keep relevant to her loyal audience and keep them happy with her music, this now means that she no longer targets a child and young teenager audience and a more older teenager and young adult audience.

Messages and values in the music video and also of the time –  What messages/values is artist portraying? Have they changed? Why is that? Is it in accordance with the era?

The messages and values that Miley Cyrus shows in her videos has changed massively over the years, this is evident from her lyrics in her videos which used to be about enjoying her self and having party's now they are more serious, such as relationships and adult themes like drugs and rebellion. This could be due to her growing up, or her being told by her record label to change her style to be more relevant to current conventions in the Pop genre such as rebellion and drugs, which are also pat of the Hip-Hop and rap genres which Miley Cyrus has appeared in some songs from. This makes her change in accordance with the era of music she is working in and to become successful she knows that she needs to follow popular conventions.

Summary - on the main points that you have identified, explaining why you think the artist made certain choices and decisions to reinvent their image and their career.

In summary, Miley Cyrus has changed her appearance and style to fit into conventions of the current era and to gain a larger target audience and bigger following of fans, this level of fame for her could have died out if she carried on making songs that her old target audience liked as they were also growing up so the music wouldn't be sustainable for her as the music wouldn't have a audience. This is why I believe that Miley Cyrus decided to change her appearance and style, to become more popular. Which has allowed her to re invent her career, and get more fans than before.

Explain how your research will help you to decide on an artist and also discuss why it is important to identify and maintain a target audience.

This research that I have carried out on Miley Cyrus will help me decide on an artist to make a video for as it has shown me how important the appearance of an artist and videos they make are. As the target audience need to be entertained. It is important to identify a target audience as that is who you are making the video for, so the conventions of the music genre and artists they listen to need to be looked at and met in certain ways so the music video is relevant to them and the genre we will choose. It is important to maintain the target audience that the artists has as re-inventing you're self to get a different target audience is risky and doesn't always work, so maintaining a target audience is a good options as they will b loyal to you.

Using your analysis of a star task answer the
Following questions:

žHow does the video represent the artist?
The first video before she changed representsd the artists as a normal star that wants to party and enjoy herself with her friends, she followed typical pop conventions at this time. But in the more recent videos, she has completely changed from her old self and the videos represnt her in a different way to different audiences, for example older audiences that arent her target audience might be put off of her music by her actions in her music video. But her target audience might like her new style, so her change has been worthwhile for her as she is gaining publicity with her new edgy style and a larger following of fans.

žCan the artist be viewed as a product?

The artist can be viewed as a product in some ways as she is playing up to her stereotypes in the wrecking ball video of being outrageous and different to others in her genre, and she is also playing up to typical Goodwin's theory conventions and points from Dyers theory such as showing a anti-autharoitarian attitude, and showing some sexual magnetism along with other points of Dyers star theory.

Is the artist both ordinary and extraordinary?

I would say that Miley Cyrus can be seen as ordinary and extraordinary, for example she shows some signs of being ordinary within her videos, this is seen sometimes when she sings about normal themes of her genre and life in genreal such as love, pain, enjoying herself and adult themes, apart from  this she is mostly seen as extraordinary as she acts in a different way from normal people in her music videos, and this would be seen as strange to normal people if it happened in public, so this shows her to be extraordinary. 

Do the videos place fans for or against hegemony?

The videos place fans for hegemony as Miley Cyrus talks about serious themes in her songs such as drugs and sex. She also references popular themes in society in her songs, and her audience like the artist and person that Miley Cyrus is so they respect her opinions, and the way she acts, the way that Miley Cryus is possibly going to try to be re-inacted by her fans, as they are influenced by her. And as a result if enough people follow her actions then t will be a normal thing to do in society such as act in a overly sexual way and dress like her.

ž

You need to:
1) Change either Wrecking Ball or We Can't Stop to something like 'Can't be Tamed'- the other two are from the same transition point in her career so show no change
2) Apply Goodwin's and Dyer's theory to each video throughout the analysis
3) Talk about who the target audience is for each video and how they have changed over time
4) Explain the messages and value of each video and how they have changed over time
5) Use micro-elements to support points made about generic conventions etc.
6) Analyse video by video rather than point by point as it is unclear what video you are referring to throughout
7) Include a conclusion stating how this research has helped you understand the importance of an artist's image and helped you decide on your artist and target audience