Post 4: Representation

With most popular dance music videos in the recent times, representations of all ages, genders and race has been prominent. There has been many positive, as well as negative representations of these issues throughout the years.

Examples of this include:

Sia - "Elastic Heart"

Despite the lack of dancers, the emotional performance is still effectively portrayed by an older man and a young girl. This is due to the exaggerated dance moves and facial expressions paired along with the song lyrics, which conveys the true intentions behind the video adequately. This defeats the controversial idea upon the video's initial release, as many people felt that there was a "perverted undertone". The older man in the video was meant to represent "the embodiment of thought and reasoning", which is linked to adulthood, whereas the young girl represents "the embodiment of freedom and carefree nature", which is associated with childhood. We see that they are both trapped in the cage, which is meant to represent how the characters are trapped within their minds. This abstract way of representing common issues allowed the music video to be nominated as the best female video at the VMA awards in 2015.

Lady Gaga - "Bad Romance"

In popular music videos, representations of females may vary due to the intentions of the artist/ producer. In this case, Gaga is presented in a number of ways for example, she is seen as a stereotypical emotional female, crying due to relationship issues, which is emphasised when the lyrics is heard, and is therefore seen as vulnerable. On the contrary, in the same music video, she is also seen as empowering and in control of the situation, which is also evident in many more popular music videos, as it has become a significant topic in recent times. This is supported by the narrative of the music video, as Gaga has overwhelmed the people who tried to kidnap her. This was also one of Gaga's intentions as she wanted to "project the tough female spirit". 

Van Zoonen believes that "the media portray images of stereotypical women and this behaviour reinforces societal views". Although this was not Gaga's intentions to present images of scopophilia, there are still some shots that appeal more to the "Male Gaze", where she is seen wearing minimal clothing whilst performing. 

Logic - "1-800-273-8255"

The representations of different sexualities has also been prevalant in the media, as well as music videos. The video at first shows the father, proud of having a son, however when he grew up, the father did not know how to handle the situation when he found out that his son was gay. Although after taking time to reconsider the situation, he was able to accept the fact that his son was gay, and therefore supporting the idea that made him happy. In addition to this, the music video also depicts the struggles of a teenager, representing it in a positive manner, as they are reminded that there will always be support, in this case the teacher in the video providing support when necessary. This therefore spreads a positive message to teenagers about being able to express their sexualities without being judged, as well as "delivering a message of hope", which was the intention of the artist. The title of the song itself is a suicide prevention hotline, where everyone is reminded that they will always receive emotional support. 

Sigala - Sweet Lovin' 

There is a wide range of representations within this music video; including race, gender, age and sexuality. However this was done in a positive manner, as the music video reinforces happiness of everyone. The music video begins with a female performer on skates leaving a trail of pink/red smoke, which causes anyone she passes by to feel a sudden burst of happiness and therefore breaking into their dance moves. 

The positive and active lifestyle represented within this music video are both ideas I plan on incorporating into my own music video. This is done by quick cuts from LS to CU of the constant upbeat performance whilst taking place in bright daylight, connoting positive vibes throughout the video. Sigala is well known for making upbeat music videos, as this represents their brand identity, therefore I plan on using this as inspiration when creating my own fictional artist. However, I will add a twist at the beginning of my music video, representing emotional struggle of being in relationships but will the mood will lift with the beginning of the performance, showing the positive way to cope with breakups. 

  

Post 3: Codes and Convention

In order to make an identifiable music video, there are many codes and conventions that must be followed, such as the fragmented structure/ narrative, group or solo performances, the artist lip synching and the use of CU/ beauty shots.

Examples of popular music videos that follow these conventions:

Taylor Swift - "I knew you were trouble"

Beginning of the Music Video

Middle of the Music Video

End of the Music Video

This is an example of non-linear editing, as the music video shows Taylor on the ground at the beginning of the video as well at the end, however in the middle of the music video, we can see that she is relaying her past experiences to the audience. We can tell that the experience between the two characters are positive due to the high key lighting when they are both in the shot. In contrast to this, the lighting, paired with the setting when she is alone represents that she is "deserted" due to the dimmed lighting whilst alone in the desert. There are quick cuts between the happy memories and the disastrous aftermath, which further supports what she sings about and allow the audience to recognise what she is feeling. This is therefore done in a fragmented fashion, as we do not see a clear introduction, climax and resolution. 
As Vernallis states, "The video is a visual response to the music" and also that "There may be a narrative or theme running through the video, but in a montage style", which are all demonstrated in the Taylor Swift music video.

Zara Larsson - "Lush Life"

Many music videos with lyrics will feature the artist or band lip synching to the song. This allows for a more emotional performance and establishes a connection between the artist and the audience. The emotions of the song is emphasised through the direct address of the artist as well as the occasional CU shots, as this is typically used to portray what the character is feeling. This therefore drives the narrative forward, as we understand what the artist is feeling when they certain lyrics. 

  
Sigala - "Easy Love"

Another common convention amongst upbeat, popular music videos is the fast paced editing to the beat of the music. This is paired with a range of shots cutting from CU to a LS makes it effective, as it retains the audience's attention. The dancing within the music video is also exaggerated by the fast paced editing and movement of the camera, as this gives the effect of constant movement, so the video is never dull. The use of slo-mos also emphasise the particular action done by the performer, as it adds dramatic effect, therefore engaging the audience more.
Vernallis also states that we may expect to see "Jump cuts, fancy edits or cuts or extreme jumps in time". This therefore captures and retains the audience's attention onto the video. Furthermore, repetition of editing is also common as it establishes a certain pattern which can be picked up by the audience throughout, for example; constant use of quick cuts in certain parts of the music video. This may be rewarding for the audience, if they are able to recognize the pattern.

Sigala - "Give me your love"

Sigrid - "Strangers"

Including graphics or titles of the name of the artist within the video, either at the start or the end, is also a common convention. This is promotes the artist and allows the audience to recognise their own unique graphics, so that there is consistent branding across all platforms. For example the same graphics would be used on their social media, website or album cover to distinguish themselves from other artists, whilst being able to express their own branding.

The genre of the song that I will be doing is dance/ electronic, which is broken down into; dance-pop, tropical house and funky house. These type of tracks are typically heard in party environments, DJ events and festivals, due to the upbeat nature of the song, which encourages people to dance.

The websites of these artists also promotes their new music, as well as allowing their audience to interact by purchasing tickets, listen to the songs on different platforms ( Spotify, apple music or google play) and buying merchandise like shirts or hoodies. Furthermore, the websites also link to the artists' social media platforms, so that they are able to keep up to date with events. The theme of the websites resemble the artists due to the clear sense of branding with the consistent use of colours and fonts, as well as logos which the fans would recognise straight away.

Furthermore, artists' websites also typically include "News" pages or "Tour" pages, in order to provide up to date information about the artists, so that the fans will not miss out on any crucial events or giveaways. This therefore allows for fans to interact, by entering competitions to win a chance of meeting the artist or winning tickets for their favourite artist's concert.

In order to fulfil the criterias of the brief, I plan on creating 1 home page and 1 news page in order to promote my artist. Within my home page, I plan on including the artist's social media link to Twitter, Instagram and Youtube. I also plan on a small section dedicated to tours, with information on whereabouts they will perform and when this will happen. The brief also states that I would require "original audio or audio-visual content appropriate to the artist's webpage". I have therefore planned on creating a behind the scenes blooper video for my webpage. 

Post 2: Industry

Universal Music Group

Universal Music Group is the record label for my artist and has commissioned my independent production company in order to make a 3 minute music video to promote my song.
Universal Music Group is an American based company that is a subsidiary of the French media company, Vivendi. Universal Music Group, along with Sony Music and Warner Music Group are all part of the "Big Three" record companies. This title is obtained, as they make up 80% of the music market in a year. 

Vevo announced their partnership with Universal Music Group to launch the music video platform on April 9th 2009. This therefore also promotes the feature where the fans can favourite their tracks with the "Click-to-buy" option. 

Independant compared to Mainstream production

Mainstream music production is led by major record lables and they promote their artists through big radio stations. On the other hand, independant production companies release their music internet radio stream, blogs or podcasts. This therefore highlights the difference in which companies' artists gain more recognition, as they are able to reach a wider audience. Furthermore, the distribution of the independant company happens on a much smaller scale compared to the major companies, which have a national distribution system for the products.
There is also a huge differnce in the budget for the production of the music videos. For example, the average studio music video budget was $200,000 - $500,000 as of 2010, whereas for the independant production, it can range from anything between $200 - $2,500. As a result, the quality of the music video may not always be as high quality as the mainstream production.


Difference between Vevo and YouTube

Vevo is dedicated to only music videos from artists that are under a certain record lable whereas YouTube is a platform for sharing any type of videos. Vevo is only available in the UK, US, Canada, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand, whereas YouTube is available worldwide. Although Vevo does have a YouTube channel. Vevo is owned by Warner Music Group, Sony Music Entertainment and Universal Music Group. Furthermore, Vevo also has a partnership with YouTube.

Youtube Policies

Youtube has reinforced policies on the content that can be posted onto the site as it is available to everyone with an electronic device worldwide. "Youtube requires account holders to be 18+, but a 13 year old can sign up with parental permission. Despite this, there are still large, growing numbers of children under the age of 12 that has access to social media networking with or even without their parent's consent." 

Streaming Services

The most common music services; Spotify, Deezer, Amazon music and Apple music all require a subscription fee of £14.99/month. Despite this, it still generates very little revenue for the artist as, Spotify is said to pay about $0.006 to $0.0084 per stream to the holder of the music rights. This amount is also split between the record label, producer, artist and song writer.
A new concept from Youtube emerged in mid-2018, where for £11.99/month, people can get access to their new music streaming service, Youtube music. This allows people to view the videos with no ads, downloads for offline and background play on Youtube music and Youtube, which was a highly demanded feature. This therefore allows Youtube to compete between the music streaming services, as it provides the same, if not more features than the existing music services whilst being cheaper.

Current Trend

So far in 2018, the top music videos, to name a few, include; The Carters - "Apes**t", Childish Gambino - "This is America", Drake - "God's Plan" and Justin Timberlane - "Say something". The Carters' music video was a success as it tackles existing problems and portrays it in a dance performance. According to Esquire, an online lifestyle site, Beyonce and Jay Z  "analyse cultural institutions that fail to include black artists."This was achieved by having black performers, along with the band, in front of the white artwork in the Louvre, Paris. Similarly, Childish Gambino's music video also addresses the problems within the culture, particularly in America. His video showcases the race issues and violence, and how it is normalised in today's society, through the  mise-en-scene, lyrics and performance.

Predictions for the future 

The music industry is something that is constantly changing in order to satisfy the audience. Technology also plays a big part in where the industry stands and where it will be, as 65% of the world owns some form of device with access to internet and this number is expected to increase. Streaming is also expected to take a turn in the future as due to the increasing numbers of consumers, more options for streaming will be available. With this all available to the audience, the artists can therefore see the trend in what is popular and try to reach that standard in order to gain more revenue and cater to a wider audience. 

Post 1: Audience

The target audience for my music video consist of people who are culturally sophisticated and in the class AB demographic, from 16-25. 

After asking some questions to people within the culturally sophisticated, 16-25 AB class demographic, I have constructed a personal profile that best suits them below:

Anthony Milhov

• Male 
• 21 Years Old 
• He is in the second year of university
• Goes to a lot of parties and clubs
• Likes early 2000's dance music 
• Also likes to go to museums 
• Enjoys watching comedy movies
• Trendy fashion sense and likes to buy expensive clothes
• Very competitive i.e. when he plays sports 
• Has a moderate online presence as he uses social media, such as Snapchat and Instagram. (Uses the story feature on both platforms to share his experience)

Emma Montagu

• Female 
• 17 Years Old 
• Attends college
• Likes to party and go to festivals 
• Likes modern dance/ pop music 
• Enjoys watching drama/ romantic films
• Goes shopping a lot in places like Oxford street 
• Has a strong online presence due to daily usage of social media. She uses platforms like Snapchat, Instagram, Twitter and Facebook to keep up to date with celebrity gossip, as well as any other major events, like celebrity meet ups or giveaways. 

Tasha Croft

• Female 
• 22 Years Old 
• She is in the third year of university
• Studies English Literature
• Prefers staying at home rather than going out 
• Likes to go to art galleries and theaters   
• Reads many classic books
• Has a weak online presence, as she rarely uses social media. She prefers watching crime/ thriller TV shows or films. 

After creating a few lifestyle profiles from the people within the target audience, I am therefore able to understand what satisfies them, so using this information I am able to make my music video and website more appealing to the people within the target audience. For example, one of the most common trend that I found was that they would usually have a very active social life, due to going out clubbing or partying. I plan on appealing to that aspect by including upbeat dancing within the music video in order to relate to their lifestyles and therefore they are able to identify with the people in the music video. The process of creating lifestyle profiles is very important, as the content creator is able to see what gratifies the audience's needs and create a product that is appealing to them to increase view count. 

Year 12 NEA Music Video Task

My Music Videos:

Since starting the mini-NEA on 18th June, I have acquired many skills due to receiving performance training, studio training and website training. In addition to this, I also developed my directing skills, communication and teamwork, which proved to be useful on the shoot day.

So far, I have put together the shots to the beginning and the end of "Sigala - Give me your love", and have tried to match the lip syncing of the performance to the lyrics. I was also able to direct shots for other people as well as starring in their shots. Furthermore, I also had the chance to take some pictures for my promo shots whilst also taking promo shots for other people. Moreover, during the pre-production, I had planned my costume and persona to feature within the video.

In the future, I plan on continuing with my current idea, however I plan on shooting more appropriate shots, such as performance shots, CU shots of singing and include more movement within shots, which will be done in September. This can be shot in the studio as well as in other specific locations in order to have a narrative within the music video. I thought that the current project was a good starting point as well as a learning activity, in which I am then able to develop the skills to obtain more shots after summer. In the next shoot, I plan on exaggerating my movement and singing in front of the camera in order to make my lip movement and performance more natural.

13. Closing Post

Dear Examiner,

My research and planning work can be found under the "AS Research and Planning" tag on the right hand side of the page. Thank you for reviewing my work and I hope you enjoy my blog.

This blog is now closed.

12. My Final Production

Below are both of my adverts.

Wave Advert 1

Wave Advert 2