Our Pitch

Our Pitch

Our Genre

Indie Folk

Indie Folk emerged during the 21st century when artists from indie rock began merging through the use of folk to influence them.

Indie- The short form of 'independence' or 'independent' and may refer to games, music and television. Their clothes may include retro themed fashion or tight dark clothes for the males, however females would use bright colours within their retro themes.

Folk- Includes both traditional music and the genre that evolved from it during the 20th century folk revival. A consistent definition of folk music is elusive.


Indie Folk- Hybridises the acoustic guitar melodies of traditional folk music with contemporary instrumentation. 

Examples

• Ben Howard

This music video shows typical conventions of the indie folk genre and has mid shots of the sunset and establishing shots of the location which we want to use in our piece. The tone of this song is peaceful and relaxing which is contributed to by the acoustic guitar in the background, another typical convention of indie folk.

• Of Monsters and Men

On the other hand this video has a different take on indie folk as it is filmed in a slightly cartoon sense. It illustrates an unrealistic narrative and is not correlating the visuals with the lyrics. However, the acoustic guitar is also played in this song representing it as a common instrument used in this genre.

Features

Typical Instruments- Acoustic Guitars, piano, drums, violin and banjo

Clothing- They tend to be laid back people with a relaxed attitude about them. Their clothing type tends to be cool and fresh yet worn a lot to create a sense of realism. 

Conventions

• Shadows
• Heavy Lighting- Mainly low key with high key elements included
• Close up shots of the artist as well as the instruments
• A black and white filter is often used to help portray the emotions
• Camera tilting
• Establishing shots to represent the location

Angela Mcrobbie Theory

Angela McRobbie

She believes that the representation of gender roles in the media is how we look at each gender differently, each gender has specific traits because we are told by the media that all men or all women are a certain way. Videos pursue this through showing artists and actors as being obliged to follow stereotypes of their gender.

• Was born in 1951 in the UK
• She did most of her research in the magazine industry and the content of magazines
• Her theory mainly looks at the way in which gender roles are portrayed in different media platforms
• She discusses that the media influences us in what we should and should not do
• The media 'Socializes' us into our gender roles.

Men are portrayed as...

• Masculine 
• Aggressive
• Powerful

The media refers to males in an extreme stereotypical manner. An example of this is Robin Thicke's 'Blurred Lines' where the main artist is portrayed as dominant and powerful as he is always shown in the centre of the other actors. His costume is also very overpowering as it is a smart but casual suit signifying  his authoritative and powerful figure throughout.  The way the women act around him also represent his dominance inferring that the females in his video are obeying his ideal visions of how they should treat him. 

Women portrayed as...

• Weak
• Subservient to men
• Traditional roles played include mothers, nurses and careers in general

Again portraying females in an extreme stereotypical way. This is also shown in Robin Thicke's song blurred lines. The still shot of the women bending down with the car rolling down her back demonstrates they are inferior as they are only used to look attractive and pleasing to the eye. In this video the womens Mis-en-scene is very sexual and reveals a lot of their body. The colour pink is also very consistent in the background which may connote the stereotype that womens typical favourite colour. This can also be portrayed as femenism as the video is targeted at women who struggle for equal rights in society. 

Challenges...

McRobbie does accept the fact that in some media platforms women are demonstrated as sexual roles, she explains this is a good thing. However, other feminists argue that the suggestion is demeaning to women. Angela, on the other hand, thinks that some roles have the chance to empower women and demonstrate them as sexually powerful and authoritative. 

Supports

Taylor Swift supports McRobbies theory of how women are perceived in music videos. The popular song 'Love Story' is a clear representation of a typical stereotypical teenage girl. She is showing a narrative story of a girl who likes a boy however has no courage to tell him. Most of Taylor Swift's ,music fits into this theory as it is a clear illustration of her personality.

Against

An artist which does not support the theory is Katy Perry as she represents herself as a dominant and powerful individual. For example her music video 'Roar' demonstrates her being scared at the beginning however, by the end she is superior to her fellow 'citizens'. This does not support the theory and therefore goes against Angela McRobbie.

The Music Video Industry

• How are music videos generally made?

Performance videos- these music videos are usually made through the artists/bands lip syncing and playing along with the song to illustrate the narrative as personal and showing how the facial expressions show their feelings.

Narrative Videos- Are much more complex as a storyline will need to be thought up by the artist, writer or creative director. The story will also need to correspond well with the lyrics as well making it a long and difficult process.

Example

1. Once the lyrics are written a storyline will be thought up
2. A shooting schedule is made and the crew is brought together to discus what shots and locations are needed to represent the narrative
3. The production is filmed and edited 
4. Final touches are made and the date is decided when the song will be released

People Needed to create a music video

Director- to be in control of everything and make sure everything is in order and ready for the next stage of the process. They are also in charge of meeting deadlines to make sure the song is ready for audiences pleasure.

Writer- They are responsible for writing the concept of the music video and are mainly needed for a narrative video

Producer- is essentially in charge of the music video production as they relate the shooting schedule and sort out the finances

Location Scout- finds all the different locations that the artist has discussed

Camera Man/Women- In charge of filming the music video and making sure they have all the necessary shots needed

Sound Man- If the production has any sound effects included then this crew member will be needed

Makeup/Hair Artist- To make the artist/band represent themselves as the best they could look for in front of the camera

• Purpose of a music video

Music videos are generally made for promotional purposes and the individual song will be released before an album so audiences are more likely to buy it as they appreciate the key song.

If music videos are successful they may become viral on websites such as Youtube and Vevo. For example Psy's 'Gangnam style' ....

Also, TV channels like MTV and 4 Music also show up to date music videos on a daily basis through chat form.

The more promotion a music video gets the more money is made for the artist/band.

• Famous music video directors

Some of the notable music video directors include..

1. Spike Lee- Lady Gaga's 'Paparazzi'
2. David Fincher- Madonna's 'Vogue' and Michael Jackson 'Who is it'

These videos are so popular due to the large budget they could invest into it. The best directors will only pick artists who they believe will create money with their debut single. Their is a lot rising on the video as this will determine the outcome of views.

        

The length of Lady Gaga's video also demonstrates why it needed so much money put into it.

• How much money is usually spent on music videos

On average a music video will cost a minimum of £50,000 but it can reach around £500,000 or even more. For example, Michael Jackson's music video of 'Scream' cost $7,000,000 to make due to him being a huge pop star and therefore are likely to make a profit due to the huge audience. New artists will not make as much because they aren't well known and will not have a huge audience. 

• Main difficulties/Challenges

The difficulties with making music videos tends to be the budget. For new singers trying to make yourself known can be difficult as the money needed for a major music video is vast. Also, trying to hire all the necessary equipment and cast requires a great management team and new artists will not have access the these necessities. 

Intertextuality in music videos

Intertextuality in Music Videos

Intertextuality is the way in which one media text references another.

Examples

              Lady Gaga- 'Paparazzi'

• This video features newspaper headlines and articles throughout the video showing a sense of intertextuality.

              Taylor Swift- 'Love Story'

• The main lyrics in this song are based on Romeo and Juliet and is illustrating a modern version of Shakespeare's classic stories. 

Applying Theories


                Gwen Stefani- 'what you waiting for'

• According to Andrew Goodwin's music video categories this falls under Amplification as it included sequences of shots of her which added extra meaning
• Also includes intertexuality as the video jump cuts into Alice In Wonderland with the singer playing multiple roles of the narrative
• Includes a linear narrative at the beginning of the video

                  Jessie J- 'Price tag'

• Goodwin's categories show this as an illustration video as she is directly singing the lyrics with no storyline behind it
• The whole video uses jump cut editing of her singing 
• Her video also does not follow Laura Mulvey's Male gaze theory as she is not shown as either a  virginal innocent character or a sexy 'whore'

They might be Giants- 'You're on fire'

• This is a representation of Goodwin's Disjuncture category as we don't ever see the band in the video 
• There is also only a minor link between the video and the song lyrics 
• The video also uses a famous actress which expands the audience and therefore more people are likely to watch it

Miley Cyrus- Wrecking Ball'

• This represents the illustration category as she sings the lyrics and includes a literal narrative of the song title 'Wrecking Ball'
• Miley Cyrus demonstrates Laura Mulvey's theory as she is shown as a sexy 'whore'.

Narratives in music videos

         



              

Hybrid Genres

Example Songs


    

This song is the hybrid genre 'Folk Rock'. The music used resembles the typical folk sound whilst incorporating the stronger beat of the rock instruments. Artists within this genre have a very distinctive style and are very individual through showing off their own original style. This includes laid back shirts and jeans incorporating the rock genre with shoes like Doc. Martins. The typical location is usually sub-urban areas like streets and countrysides. This connotes that this hybrid genre is not included in a mainstream culture. It isn't very conventional to see performing elements in folk music videos but it is in rock so it shows a vast contrast. The basic props you see in these videos are the instruments the artist plays to show the audiences the talent and realism the artists have. Props can help develop the narrative further  which help the audiences understanding of the storyline increase. The various cinematography used includes extreme close ups, mid and long shots to represent the band members individual facial expressions whilst also the band altogether. Secondly, establishing shots are also used to show the location and its relevance to the narrative. Conventional camera movements consist of tilts, pans and zooms which all help to keep the audience engaged.

    
Gabrielle Aplin's 'Power Of Love' is also a great representation of the hybrid genre 'Folk Rolk'.



   

Queen's bohemian rapsody is from the rock pop hybrid genre. This is also known as Alternative rock. Typical conventions include the band/artist performing in these videos which often includes cutaways of the narrative. Within the stroyline the band is either portraying themselves and showing their own experiences or are fictional characters. The narrative sometimes links to the lyrics of the song or it is more random and isn't necessarily based on what they lyrics are saying. The story is mainly based on real life issues such as love/relationships and everyday life as it helps to show the target audience what the band has encountered in their life. Lastly, by showing videos of the band performing it helps draw in the audience making them feel a part of the music video.
The conventional clothing in pop rock music videos is fashionable and up to date but not as revealing as in other videos. The colours are usually quite dark such as navy blues, blacks and greys which resembles the rock genre in the video. The clothing is quite casual which denotes the artists being laid back but, in contrast, their facial expressions are quite intense showing how passionate they are for their music. The conventions within the editing include naturalistic lighting and colour filters to simply show the audience the realism in it. Lastly, the locations seen are usually in a studio/stage and sometimes outdoors.

Student Work Analysis

Without You

           

Narrative
This video represents a non linear storyline as it connotes flashbacks and flash-forwards of different events. This makes it more of a concept based video it includes many different shots which don't connect together in an obvious manner.

Locations
A wide variety of locations is used which is a typical convention of music videos. At each location there is also a different outfit worn by the actress/artist which also represents the narrative of the video whilst also keeping the audience engaged.

Camera
Most of the camera shots are used in the perspective of someone else. For example, one of the shots used was the artist holding another personas hand and that person was holding the camera. This makes the music video have a sense of realism so that the target audience can relate to the ongoing events throughout. Also, pans of the location and artist are shown to establish the setting which helps to express the feelings of the artist which come across as happy and well off in life. The most common shot used in the video is a medium shot as there are very minimal close ups used. This may be because they are not trying to express the actresses emotions but instead to show the audience a bigger picture.

Mis-en-scene
Throughout the video the artist is always wearing very laid back, casual clothing which signifies the naturalistic feel to it. This helps to attract a wide range of audience as the costumes contrast well with the variety of locations.

Editing
Most of the video includes slow and blunt editing which sticks with the realistic sense which is being shown through the other elements. However, at one point in the song the editing speeds up and the shots flash up very quickly almost like they are blurred into one. This could denote that the video is representing one persons life and sometimes everyday gets fixed into one memory. This partof the song could also help to keep the audience attracted.

Target Audience Description

Target Audience

Age-
We feel our music video would be suitable for females aged 15-24. This is because our theme is a love/relationship story and therefore people of this age would find this type of video appealing to watch.

Gender- 
The typical gender of people who watch music videos based on a love story are female and that is why our target audience is.

Social Demographic Group-
Our video is aimed at people from B-C2 as the song we have chosen is less mainstream and so would appeal to people of a lower class. Secondly, these groups are more likely to enjoy alternative songs like ours.

Occupation- 
We feel students and people in the art and performance industry would be more likely to enjoy our song as they're most likely to be signed up to music apps such as spotify in order to see the latest music. Similarly, these types of people are fans of this music and would be aware of a new song if they enjoy Birdy.

Hobbies- 
People who are into art, playing acoustic instruments and performing arts will appreciate this music video as it includes dancing and artistic elements. Also people who are into photography will be interested in the video.

Style- 
The song style will be Alternative as it isn't very mainstream and not many people have heard of the artist.

Media Grouping-
Film: 'The Fault In Our Stars'

This is the clip from the film with Birdy's song 'Not about Angels'. It provides a message which relates to the visuals of the film. It shows that death is okay and turning into an 'angel' is not the worst thing in the world. This song was a great way for Birdy to expand her audiences and make herself more renown as this film reached masses of audiences from teenagers to adults.


          'The Hunger Games'

Tv: 'Made In Chelsea'
      'Vampire Diaries'

Uses&Gratifications-

To Entertain,Escape and Identify
The video would be enjoyable to watch from an audiences perspective as it will include a minor narrative story hidden within the song. .Als it would help audiences to escape as the video will be unusual compared to other mainstream videos.

Solutions-

Boredom- Our video will provide entertainment for this audience which can allow them to become interested in it.

Friendships- If your struggling with friendship groups this video will provide hope for this audience as the lyrics show how its okay to be alone.

Relationships- If you are going through a break up then this video will also provide an interesting storyline for the audience.

     

Rick Altman's Theory

Rick Altman

Rick Altman was a professor in cinema and comparative literature at the university of Lowa.


Theory

• Film/Genre has proposed the semantic/syntactic approach

• Semantic- is concerned with conventions of the genre that communicates to the audience such as characters, locations, props, music, shooting style and signifiers. for example in a pop music video the semantic elements would be the lead singer standing behind a microphone to represent themselves. Also, it would include breaking the 4th wall through interacting with the audience as well as extreme close up shots. The majority of music videos would also use stereotypically attractive people to attract a wider range of audiences to their music videos.

• Syntactic- aimed at the relations between these elements and structure of narration in genre. They are often themes such as the overall mood or emotion of the video. 

For example Taylor Swift's video is said to be based on a relationship theme and this is shown through the separate shots of the male an female and therefore are not seen together to show a break up. Similarly the female is shown in natural lighting outside whereas the male shots are taken in a dark bedroom to represent both their contrasting moods. This also signifies he characters being Taylor Swift (the artist) as the protagonist and the male actor as the antagonist allowing the audience to sympathise for her.

He expanded his approach to include these elements by proposing a semantic/syntactic pragmatic approach and this can be applied to texts and videos.

Example

Nicki Minaj- Super Bass

Semantic- The bright colours and high key lighting used stand out and engage the artist. It also represents a typical convention of the artists style. The location is constantly changing as well as the outfits making the whole video very fast paced and engaging for the audience keeping them hooked.

Syntactic- The hidden meaning behind this song is shown through the use of 'he' throughout. The words resemble singing about men being true to their feelings no matter what they are. For example these lyrics “Excuse me, you’re a hell of a guy You know I really got a thing for American guys I mean, sigh, sickenin’ eyes And I can tell that you’re in touch with your feminine side” represent the song is about drag queens. However, as this is not visual not many audiences will pick up on this.

In our music video we are going to try and use syntactic and semantic elements allowing the audience to create their own view on the story line adding a sense of enigma. The semantic elements we will include  will be a variety of camera shots, movements and different locations sticking with the typical conventions of the Indie Rock genre.

Lyric Analysis

This is a rough draft as we jotted down ideas of what shots and props we would need throughout the song. We also made shots correlate with the lyrics. We also decided our video would be a combination video as it has a narrative story line as well as someone as the artist.

Genre Conventions of music videos

Laura Mulvey's Theory

The Male Gaze Theory

• Laura Mulvey came up with this theory in 1975.
• She believes that people watching music videos are in the perspective of a heterosexual male
• She states that women are portrayed as objects rather than possessors
• Therefore the male emerges as the powerful figure
• The women are either represented as the virginal innocent character or a sexy whore and Laura calls this the virgin/whore discectomy
• Also relegates women to the status of objects

The Male Gaze theory focuses on three main elements:

1. Empathising female curves
2. Females secondary characteristics
3. Displaying women how men think they should look

Traditionally.. 

•  Men play active roles which drive the narrative whereas women play passive roles which are seen as erotic and slow down the narrative.
• Female roles are always seen as side lined and show less importance than the male characters
• Lead roles for women are scarce

Changes in Society

As women's roles are changing so does the media representation. Mulvey explained that we now live in a patriarchal society due to the influence in the media. She stated that men act as the dictators as they always have the final say when discussing rules and instructions as they have their own ideal visions on how women should behave and therefore dominate them. However, society is changing and therefore women in music videos are nowadays sometimes seen as...

• Career Driven
• Intelligent
• empowered

Facial Expressions

Women

• Invitational
• Romantic or Sexual
• Super-Smiler 

Majorie Ferguson (1980)

Men

• Carefree
• Practical
• Comic
• Seductive

Trevor Millum (1975)

Examples

Music Videos which include women in revealing clothing represents the male gaze theory as it demonstrates how males think they should should look as well as emphasising their secondary characteristics.

In Robin Thicke's 'Blurred Lines' this image demonstrates that men show authority and power towards women and are treated like objects. It also demonstrates women are there to do all the work which is a typical stereotype in society.

Criticism

Some people criticise Mulvey's theory as some women enjoy being looked at for example in beauty pageants where they exhibit themselves in order to win a crown for being the prettiest. 

John Stewart's Theory

John Stewart

• John's theory says that music videos have the aesthetics of TV commercial, with lots of close-ups and lighting being used to focus on the protagonists face. They may also come across as fa short film as with using no lip syncing it comes across as if it was made that way.

• He also says the clever lighting creates a setting or different mood 

• John Stewart also sees visual references in music videos from different elements with the most frequent being cinema and fashion.

• Stewart describes music videos as 'incorporating, raiding and reconstructing' and is essentially the key feature when it comes to intertextuality. By using something with which the audience may be familiar with to create new meanings and associations.

• He states that music videos allows more access to the performer than a stage performance can through the mis-en-scene to emphasise their 'inspirational lifestyle'.

In my opinion I agree with John Stewart's theory as music videos to have similar elements to things such as TV commercials. If music artists decide not to have lip singing involved but a narrative only video, then it may come across as a short film and audiences will not engage as much with the video.

For example, the video 'high hopes' by Kodaline is a narrative story about a person who already decided to move on with his/her broken love but the memory keeps returning. Therefore, as no lip singing is included, it comes across as a short film. However, i feel if audiences are fans of this band they will still engage with it as most of Kodaline's videos are narrative only. Lastly, videos with such a strong meaning like this attract a wider range of audiences as they may relate to the storyline.

       

Artist Profile

Andrew Goodwin Theory

Andrew Goodwin

Andrew Goodwin states that there are 5 key words aspects to a music video:

• Seeing what the lyrics mean in your head
• Relationship between the song and visual effects
• Narrative and performance of the song
• The technical aspect of the music video
• Lots of camera shots making the protagonist centre of attention

In general, Andrew Goodwin explains that it is important if the artist is involved in the music video as it represents their brand well. It also allows the song to become more realistic creating more connection through the audience and the song. Secondly, the protagonist has to be the centre of attention as, according to Andrew, it is the 'vital aspect' of the video and therefore helps to promote the artists image towards the public. Another key aspect of music videos is the relationship between the lyrics and the visual effects. This allows the audience to pay more attention to the lyrics itself as the visuals coincide well.

In my opinion, I believe Andrew Goodwin's Theory is very useful for artists to follow when creating a music video. It has a clear and concise list of elements which helps to hold the music videos together and represent them as the high standard that they should be.

Examples

• A relationship between the lyrics and visuals
  
  
  
  
  

He stated that music videos will be edited in time with the lyrics and pace of the song. The colours and filters may also project the mood of the song and what the artist is portraying. 

• The protagonist as the centre of attention

Which helps to promote themselves as 'all good' and worth listening to.

• The demand from the label for lots of close ups

Used to create the star image and therefore promote a good and recognisable image for the band itself.This is mainly seen in female artists videos in order to sexualise them to the audience. 

• Demonstrates gender characteristics

This helps to establish the genre of the music video and creating a 'Trademark' and typical convention for the audience to notice. The locations and Mis-en-scene also help the audience identify what genre the music video is. 

Challenges

These videos challenge this theory

For example Narrative only videos challenge Andrew Goodwin's theory. This is because the artist does not promote themselves through the video as they are not in it and therefore they are not seen as the star or protagonist in it for attention.

A less well known singer called Frances also uses narrative only videos. This allows her narrative to tell a more meaningful story which features a deeper meaning. Audiences also have a chance to connect with the storyline in a more personal aspect.

Ed Sheeran uses various narrative only music videos as he is quite a reserved and shy individual and feels more comfortable if he was not in it. This therefore stops from selling himself through the videos and is only shown to his public and fans in a minimal amount of his videos.

Categories Of Music Videos

There are 3 main categories of music video:

• Performance Based Videos where the band or star performs in the song

Beyonce

Little Mix- DNA

JLS

These types of videos would appeal to the intended audiences as if they're fans of the artist it creates a personal relationship between the audience and the artist. Also, if they are singing directly to the camera it creates a connection between them. The videos that mostly use performance based visuals are from the 'Pop' genre as this is the typical convention of these videos.
On the other hand, they don't have a narrative to them which may make it hard for audiences to truly engage with the genre. These videos contain shots of the artists performing through either a live stage performance or a studio. There can also be a particular visual style that goes with the artist (a motif) which could differ from clothing to types of images. This category is popular to audiences as it allows the artist to connect with them creating more publicity for themselves. As their eye line is directly towards the camera it allows audiences to see their emotions and therefore they can engage with them more.

• Narrative Based Videos where there is a story for the audience to follow

Taylor Swift- Love story

Ed Sheeran- Thinking Out Loud

Frances- Don't Worry About Me (Narrative only artist is not involved)

Narrative videos help to emphasise the artists are more interested with their music rater than portraying themselves as the centre of attention. If the artist is included in the narrative visuals, this may tell the audience more about the person allowing them to connect more with the sing lyrics and storyline. However, most narrative videos are very costly for the record label to produce.

• Concept Based Videos where there is no real story or performance, but simply some unusual or strange images or visuals.

Take Care - Drake

Redo Hot Chilli Peppers- Californication

A successful concept based video is one which will keep the audience entertained into what can be seen on the screen. They usually contain unusual elements joined together to form the video.

However, these videos are usually hard to understand so audiences may not appreciate them as much.

Conventions Of Music Videos

            

Students Work

Changes

Georgina Huggett has now joined my group as we feel we could create a much higher graded piece if we worked together and we know we have great team working skills.

Analysis Of Music Videos

Christina Perri- Human

             

Music Video Copyright Letter

Dear Copyright Holder

I am an A level student currently studying at Overton Grange Sixth Form and I am writing to request your permission to use the song _____ in my A Level media course work.

The task involves creating a music video to a track of our choice in order to show our filming and editing skills to be able to be graded at the end of the course; we also must produce an album and a magazine advert for the artist of the chosen track.

The track would only be used for educational purposes and will be viewed by my media class, my teacher and the OCR exam board only. The track will not be released to anyone else.

Recognition for the track itself would fully go to your company and the artist throughout the pre-production and final video itself. 

I look forward to hearing from you,

Kind Regards

Isla Reid

Preliminary Task Evaluation

Evaluation

Strengths- 

• We were very organised in planning to film this and managed to get all the footage we needed in the same day
• We all worked well as a team and each had roles to play
• The group tried really hard to re create this exactly how the music video was through using similar costumes and location as well as the same camera shots.
• Lip syncing was good as we were able to match the singing with Natalie's (Our actress) mouth.

Weaknesses-

• As we were unable to film some of the shots in the section we chose, our prelim only came to 22 seconds which is shorter than it was supposed to be
• Also, as we were short of time to edit it and we missed out the shot of the lamp as we had no way of filming it so that would be an improvement for next time
• We were unable to copy the costume completely as we had to film it in the summer whereas Ellie Goulding's video was created in Autumn. As a result we were not able to get a location that matched exactly.
• Some shots seem to be aimless as Natalie was wondering on the spot making it look less professional.