As a group we have decided that indie is the genre we are currently most interested in. This is because it is the genre of music we all listen to the most and after watching some music videos individually, we agree that we appeal to this aesthetic the most. Also, we feel like the codes and conventions of the genre are something we feel comfortable conforming to and challenging in a creative way.
Due to this decision, I will now be doing more real text research into the indie genre and indie artists in particular. This will help me and the rest of the group understand the codes and conventions of the genre and help us decided what we want to include in our music video.
Tuesday, 5 September 2017
Monday, 4 September 2017
Sven E Carlsson's Theory Analysis
Sven E Carlsson’s theory states that narratives are driven by binary opposition. He also states that there are two categories of music videos: contemporary and conceptual.
A performance clip is where the videos main focus is on the artist for example, following them dancing, singing, walking etc. There are three further types of performance videos: song performance, dance performance and instrumental performance. In each of these types of videos the following theories are commonly used.
Commercial exhibitionist: In this clip of Nicole Sherzinger's 'Try With Me', Sherzinger is used as a commercial exhibitionist as she is used as the selling point of the music video as she is represented as something the audience will aspire to be. For example, the high key lighting throughout creates a flawless appearance on her skin which females especially desire. Also, the use of golds and whites throughout the video represents her as important and pure which people again aspire to be. Singers can utilise themselves as the commercial exhibitionist as existing fans look forward to seeing the artist themselves and it helps to promote the brand.
Another type of performance clip is the electronic shaman. The electronic shaman uses iconic alter egos to represent the artist or band. The alter ego usually has special powers or desirable qualities that are often supernatural. This reinforces the importance of the artist or band and again makes them desirable. For example, in ‘Get lucky’ by Daft Punk, Daft Punk are represented as the desirable characters amongst a universe of ‘ugly’ creatures. They also are represented as the heroes yet are robots and have futuristic costumes again suggesting they are more important than everyone else. The fact they look ‘cool’ makes them appear to be desirable which conforms to the electronic shaman theory.
Televised Bard: the televised bard theory means that the artist acts like a story teller and uses images on screen to anchor their story. The artist can either be part of the story or be the ‘narrator’ of the story inserting images to back up what they’re saying. For example, in Radiohead’s ‘Just’, Radiohead are the narrator of the story but don’t get involved in the narrative. Instead the narrative is visually emphasising their lyrics. Another example would be Rihanna’s ‘What’s my name?’ in which she is narrating a story but she is part of the narrative. A conceptal music video is where something else is shown throughout the video that illustrates the music. It has symbolism and displays the artists meaning. He categorises conceptual music videos into two main groups: narrative videos and artistic videos.
An example of an artistic video is seen in ‘Teardrop’ by Massive Attack. The music video is very abstract with emerging shapes, to show a baby in a womb. The artist isn’t present and it is only their voice that anchor the visuals. The visuals switch between multiple shapes, and this compliments the music. A variety of shots have been used such as extreme close ups followed by emerging darkness. There are visual binary oppositions throughout such as high key then low key tone. There are also conceptual binary oppositions throughout such as life (developing baby) and death (all black screen symbolising death). There is visual narrative instead the visuals are symbols and representations.
An example of a narrative clip would be Ed Sheeran's ‘The A Team’. The music video has connotations of an old fashioned silent movie but has a musical background which describes the ‘movie’ which makes it a narrative clip. The story is easy to follow and contains no lip-synchronisation. The narrative in this video is about a women who's life is troubled and she sells love to men for money for drugs. The video is in mainly low key fitting the upsetting storyline.
How has this helped me?
After analysing the different types of music videos, this has helped me as I now have a better understanding of what type of music video conforms to the codes and conventions of the indie genre. For example, out of the videos I analysed, the music video that conforms to the indie genre the most would be: the narrative video, the artistic video and the commercial exhibitionist video. This is because the indie genre appeals to audiences who enjoy abstract aspects of the genre (artistic). This also allows the producers to have more creative freedom and to challenge the codes and conventions of music videos. Also, the performance and narrative videos would be suitable as it allows us to feature the artist we will create within the video. This allows us to develop their brand image/identity.
A performance clip is where the videos main focus is on the artist for example, following them dancing, singing, walking etc. There are three further types of performance videos: song performance, dance performance and instrumental performance. In each of these types of videos the following theories are commonly used.
Commercial exhibitionist: In this clip of Nicole Sherzinger's 'Try With Me', Sherzinger is used as a commercial exhibitionist as she is used as the selling point of the music video as she is represented as something the audience will aspire to be. For example, the high key lighting throughout creates a flawless appearance on her skin which females especially desire. Also, the use of golds and whites throughout the video represents her as important and pure which people again aspire to be. Singers can utilise themselves as the commercial exhibitionist as existing fans look forward to seeing the artist themselves and it helps to promote the brand.
Another type of performance clip is the electronic shaman. The electronic shaman uses iconic alter egos to represent the artist or band. The alter ego usually has special powers or desirable qualities that are often supernatural. This reinforces the importance of the artist or band and again makes them desirable. For example, in ‘Get lucky’ by Daft Punk, Daft Punk are represented as the desirable characters amongst a universe of ‘ugly’ creatures. They also are represented as the heroes yet are robots and have futuristic costumes again suggesting they are more important than everyone else. The fact they look ‘cool’ makes them appear to be desirable which conforms to the electronic shaman theory.
Televised Bard: the televised bard theory means that the artist acts like a story teller and uses images on screen to anchor their story. The artist can either be part of the story or be the ‘narrator’ of the story inserting images to back up what they’re saying. For example, in Radiohead’s ‘Just’, Radiohead are the narrator of the story but don’t get involved in the narrative. Instead the narrative is visually emphasising their lyrics. Another example would be Rihanna’s ‘What’s my name?’ in which she is narrating a story but she is part of the narrative. A conceptal music video is where something else is shown throughout the video that illustrates the music. It has symbolism and displays the artists meaning. He categorises conceptual music videos into two main groups: narrative videos and artistic videos.
An example of an artistic video is seen in ‘Teardrop’ by Massive Attack. The music video is very abstract with emerging shapes, to show a baby in a womb. The artist isn’t present and it is only their voice that anchor the visuals. The visuals switch between multiple shapes, and this compliments the music. A variety of shots have been used such as extreme close ups followed by emerging darkness. There are visual binary oppositions throughout such as high key then low key tone. There are also conceptual binary oppositions throughout such as life (developing baby) and death (all black screen symbolising death). There is visual narrative instead the visuals are symbols and representations.
An example of a narrative clip would be Ed Sheeran's ‘The A Team’. The music video has connotations of an old fashioned silent movie but has a musical background which describes the ‘movie’ which makes it a narrative clip. The story is easy to follow and contains no lip-synchronisation. The narrative in this video is about a women who's life is troubled and she sells love to men for money for drugs. The video is in mainly low key fitting the upsetting storyline.
How has this helped me?
After analysing the different types of music videos, this has helped me as I now have a better understanding of what type of music video conforms to the codes and conventions of the indie genre. For example, out of the videos I analysed, the music video that conforms to the indie genre the most would be: the narrative video, the artistic video and the commercial exhibitionist video. This is because the indie genre appeals to audiences who enjoy abstract aspects of the genre (artistic). This also allows the producers to have more creative freedom and to challenge the codes and conventions of music videos. Also, the performance and narrative videos would be suitable as it allows us to feature the artist we will create within the video. This allows us to develop their brand image/identity.
Sunday, 3 September 2017
Goodwin's Theory Analysis
To help me understand how Goodwin’s theory is applied to music videos, I decided to do real text research into how the aspects are integrated. Goodwin’s theory suggests there are seven key aspects within music videos. These are:
There are often intertextual references to other media texts.
This is often seen within Lana Del Rey’s music videos. She often refers to other famous people/significant figures in history or historic events. This is seen in ‘Young and Beautiful’ inn which Lana represents herself as Marylyn Monroe. This is done through use of costume as she was often seen wearing white. Also the red lipstick and iconic hairstyle Lana is wearing again conforms to Monroe’s iconic style. Not only this but the filter used to make the screen narrower and to appear of a more vintage quality, makes the viewer feel like they are watching something from the 1950s; when Monroe was alive. Practicing this theory is beneficial to an artist as it allows them to target pre-existing target audiences. For example, Marylyn Monroe’s target audience are more likely to watch this video, creating a mass audience for Lana Del Ray.
Voyeurism often is a major aspect of a music video, especially in relation to females.
This is more common within the R&B and pop genres. This can be seen in Rhianna’s ‘stay’. For example, throughout the video, there are two characters however the majority of the camera time is focussed on the female. Also, when Rhianna is undressing, slow motion is used to emphasise the act which can have sexual connotation. There are also a series of close-ups or her body which also have sexual connotations eg. Her neck and lips. However, this is not the case for the male. This can be beneficial to an artist as it makes them seem desirable to an audience. Also, because they are seen as ‘stars’, the audience aspire to be like them and the artist becomes a role model. However, in male artist’s videos, females are often still sexualised for the benefit of the male artist. Stereotypically, females are seen to be ‘chasing’ the male characters and the sexualised women are seen through point of view shots of the male characters. It allows the male artist to display and conform to ‘lad’ behaviour, so again their male audience aspire to be like them. It also creates pleasure for the male audience.
There is a performance that supports the narrative of the song.
This aspect of the theory is typically more prominent within pop videos. There is usually a dance routine accompanying the narrative which often doesn’t relate to the narrative. Instead, in pop videos, the performances used to make the artist the commercial exhibitionist to appeal to their fans whose main appeal is the artist themselves. However, in indie music videos, the performance is typically a narrative that also features the artist themselves, but the focus is more on the narrative as opposed to them. This is because indie music videos often feature symbolic and semiotic meanings to appeal to psychographics of enjoying finding hidden meanings. This can be seen in Hozier’s ‘Someone New’.Throughout the music video, the performance is a mixture of live performance and narrative performance intercut into each other. The narrative of the song is about Hozier’s opinions on falling in love. He says ‘there is no right way’ and that he ‘falls in love everyday with someone new’. He addresses the song to someone who fell in love with him but he warned her that ‘she knew who he was’ and that he isn’t the type of person to stay with one person. Therefore, the narrative performance throughout the video is of the female he addresses, showing the behaviour the narrative explains. She is shown through a series of quick cuts to be in intimate situations with numerous people. This allows the narrative to be explained in more detail.
The consistencies between the sound and the visuals helps to create a relationship between the two.
An example of this would be when cuts are accompanied by a beat. This can help to emphasise certain aspects of the audio or the visuals. It builds tension and create drama when leading up to the climax. This is often more frequent closer to the main chorus; the instruments used are more layered and become louder/faster. This can be seen in The Arctic Monkeys 'Snap Out of It'. When the song begins, a dominant drum beat is introduced before the lyrics begin. This helps to establish a strong presence and create a dark tone. This also conforms to the Arctic Monkeys brand identity as they are consistently represented as strong and rebellious male characters and this conforms to this as it sound intimidating. Throughout the video, there is also a strong drum beat which is used to emphasise the cuts surrounding the female in the narrative. She is represented as ‘crazy’ and ‘emotional’ conforming to the female stereotypes. The series of cuts is emphasising by the drum beat to make her seem unstable and all over the place. There is also a piano introduced in some parts of the music video. This is used to help emphasise that she is ‘hypnotised’ as explained by the lyrics. The piano helps to create a different tone to the rest of the video, suggesting she is different and away from the normal. It creates a disorientating effect to the listener. This appeals to the Arctie Monkeys target audience as the males are represented as being normal and the desired gender which would appeal to the male audience who enjoy the idea of being dominant.
There is a relationship between the lyrics and visual aspects of the video.
Similar to the performance theory, the lyrics also help to explain the narrative within the music video; they narrate the events. An example of this would be in the Lumineers ‘Sleep on The Floor’. At the start of the music video, there is a minute of narrative unaccompanied by lyrics. The narrative uses establishing shots to introduce two characters that appear to be unhappy through the use of facial expressions. When the lyrics begin, they begin to narrate the story of the couple moving away. The lyrics say ‘pack your favourite blouse’. This is accompanied by a two person long shot of the two characters buying tops from a shop. The lyrics continue to say ‘if we don’t leave this town’ as an over the shoulder shot shows the two characters in a car with a clear sky and open road in the background to suggest they are leaving. This can appeal to audience who have psychographics of simple narratives as the events are explained to them; there is little symbolic meaning throughout.
How can this help me?
This research into Goodwin's theory has helped me understand that there are consistencies throughout music videos. It has also helped me begin to understand the generic codes and conventions which will allow me to challenge and conform to them when I decide what genre and music video I want to produce.
There are often intertextual references to other media texts.
This is often seen within Lana Del Rey’s music videos. She often refers to other famous people/significant figures in history or historic events. This is seen in ‘Young and Beautiful’ inn which Lana represents herself as Marylyn Monroe. This is done through use of costume as she was often seen wearing white. Also the red lipstick and iconic hairstyle Lana is wearing again conforms to Monroe’s iconic style. Not only this but the filter used to make the screen narrower and to appear of a more vintage quality, makes the viewer feel like they are watching something from the 1950s; when Monroe was alive. Practicing this theory is beneficial to an artist as it allows them to target pre-existing target audiences. For example, Marylyn Monroe’s target audience are more likely to watch this video, creating a mass audience for Lana Del Ray.
Voyeurism often is a major aspect of a music video, especially in relation to females.
This is more common within the R&B and pop genres. This can be seen in Rhianna’s ‘stay’. For example, throughout the video, there are two characters however the majority of the camera time is focussed on the female. Also, when Rhianna is undressing, slow motion is used to emphasise the act which can have sexual connotation. There are also a series of close-ups or her body which also have sexual connotations eg. Her neck and lips. However, this is not the case for the male. This can be beneficial to an artist as it makes them seem desirable to an audience. Also, because they are seen as ‘stars’, the audience aspire to be like them and the artist becomes a role model. However, in male artist’s videos, females are often still sexualised for the benefit of the male artist. Stereotypically, females are seen to be ‘chasing’ the male characters and the sexualised women are seen through point of view shots of the male characters. It allows the male artist to display and conform to ‘lad’ behaviour, so again their male audience aspire to be like them. It also creates pleasure for the male audience.
There are characteristics that artists portray through
consistent iconography and style throughout their videos.
An example of this would be Amy Winehouse; throughout all the
music videos, the iconography is consistent. For example, the iconography of the consistent
makeup and styling of Winehouse is the same creating a unique and iconic style
that is recognisable instantly to her brand identity. Also, the dark tones she
creates throughout the music videos is also consistent. This is done by using
low key lighting and multiple close ups to create shadows across her face. This
creates a dark theme and makes Winehouse seem more ‘damaged’ and mysterious.
The enigma codes creates through this create intrigue from her audience into
her life. This also makes her instantly recognisable and means her brand
identity becomes widely known.
The star character (protagonist) is shown through lots of
camera movements, shots and angles etc. to give them more camera time making
them the centre of attention
An example of this would be in Arctic Monkey’s ‘R U mine?’. Throughout
the whole music video, the artists are the only people featured. They are shown
through a variety of shots and take up the vast majority of the camera time.
This would appeal to their target audience as avid fans want to see them and
invest in their lifestyle. This type of music video maximises this.
There is a performance that supports the narrative of the song.
The consistencies between the sound and the visuals helps to create a relationship between the two.
An example of this would be when cuts are accompanied by a beat. This can help to emphasise certain aspects of the audio or the visuals. It builds tension and create drama when leading up to the climax. This is often more frequent closer to the main chorus; the instruments used are more layered and become louder/faster. This can be seen in The Arctic Monkeys 'Snap Out of It'. When the song begins, a dominant drum beat is introduced before the lyrics begin. This helps to establish a strong presence and create a dark tone. This also conforms to the Arctic Monkeys brand identity as they are consistently represented as strong and rebellious male characters and this conforms to this as it sound intimidating. Throughout the video, there is also a strong drum beat which is used to emphasise the cuts surrounding the female in the narrative. She is represented as ‘crazy’ and ‘emotional’ conforming to the female stereotypes. The series of cuts is emphasising by the drum beat to make her seem unstable and all over the place. There is also a piano introduced in some parts of the music video. This is used to help emphasise that she is ‘hypnotised’ as explained by the lyrics. The piano helps to create a different tone to the rest of the video, suggesting she is different and away from the normal. It creates a disorientating effect to the listener. This appeals to the Arctie Monkeys target audience as the males are represented as being normal and the desired gender which would appeal to the male audience who enjoy the idea of being dominant.
There is a relationship between the lyrics and visual aspects of the video.
Similar to the performance theory, the lyrics also help to explain the narrative within the music video; they narrate the events. An example of this would be in the Lumineers ‘Sleep on The Floor’. At the start of the music video, there is a minute of narrative unaccompanied by lyrics. The narrative uses establishing shots to introduce two characters that appear to be unhappy through the use of facial expressions. When the lyrics begin, they begin to narrate the story of the couple moving away. The lyrics say ‘pack your favourite blouse’. This is accompanied by a two person long shot of the two characters buying tops from a shop. The lyrics continue to say ‘if we don’t leave this town’ as an over the shoulder shot shows the two characters in a car with a clear sky and open road in the background to suggest they are leaving. This can appeal to audience who have psychographics of simple narratives as the events are explained to them; there is little symbolic meaning throughout.
How can this help me?
This research into Goodwin's theory has helped me understand that there are consistencies throughout music videos. It has also helped me begin to understand the generic codes and conventions which will allow me to challenge and conform to them when I decide what genre and music video I want to produce.
Saturday, 2 September 2017
Friday, 1 September 2017
Deborah Holstein's Theory
Deborah Holstein’s theory focuses on three aspects:
1. The star of a music video is represented as a fantasy.
2. The star is represented as being a political commentator.
3. The star is perceived to be a mediator during harsh times of social conflict.
To help me explore this theory, I will analyse James Bay's 'Best Fake Smile'.
1) Throughout the video, Bay is represented as ‘fantasy’. This can be seen through the use of the guitar as a prop. For example, throughout the video, Goodwin’s theory is used (the visuals have a relationship with the audio) as the diegetic sound of the guitar is emphasised through Bay over dramatically playing it. This can represent him as fantasy as it highlights how talented Bay is at playing the guitar and makes his talent seem desirable and something to look up to. Furthermore, he is shown to be fantasy through the use of location. Bay is playing with his band in his garage. The fact the character of a young boy is used who wants to be like Bay, can conform to the typical dream of young males who have psychographics of being interested in music. This situation would be appealing to any musician who wishes to start their own band and this therefore makes Bay seem like a fantasy as it’s something people want, but typically don’t have. Furthermore, the use of high key lights, glitter and a glitter ball help to to create a sense of excitement and thrill (backed up by a series of high speed cuts) again helps to make this situation seem out of the ordinary but something that could be fantasised about.
2) Bay is represented as a political commentator through his lyrics. Bay sings about not having to ‘wear your best fake smile’ throughout the song. This can create the social message that it is ‘okay to not be okay’. The verb ‘wear’ when speaking about a ‘fake smile’ again suggests that it shouldn’t be a costume that you have to wear to hide your real feelings; you should speak about your emotions. Furthermore, the fact he is a male saying this, challenged male stereotypes that they are emotionless, as he is encouraging other males to speak out about their feelings and emotions. This can relate to mental health issues which, at the time of the songs release (March 2016), was a common feature in controversial news articles. He also says ‘you don’t have to’ do things ‘if you don’t like it’ again, creating the message to the listener that their happiness and instinct are the most important thing.
3) Bay is represented as a mediator throughout the video through the relationship he is seen to create with the young male character. He is represented as a role model (through the use of low angle shots, appearing to make him an authority figure) who is trying to help the young boy do what he wants to do and show his emotions, as shown through his lyrics. The boy is seen to be sad and angry, through the use of facial expressions, until he enters the garage with Bay. Here, Bay is shown to be singing to the boy, through a long shot, which encourages the boy to join in with the band. Furthermore, the juxtaposition of head and shoulder shots in the beginning of the video around the boy, to the close ups at the end, can help to connote how he is more open with his feelings. This shows Bay as the mediator as it suggests to the audience that if you follow his advice, there will be a positive outcome.
How will this help me?
1. The star of a music video is represented as a fantasy.
2. The star is represented as being a political commentator.
3. The star is perceived to be a mediator during harsh times of social conflict.
To help me explore this theory, I will analyse James Bay's 'Best Fake Smile'.
1) Throughout the video, Bay is represented as ‘fantasy’. This can be seen through the use of the guitar as a prop. For example, throughout the video, Goodwin’s theory is used (the visuals have a relationship with the audio) as the diegetic sound of the guitar is emphasised through Bay over dramatically playing it. This can represent him as fantasy as it highlights how talented Bay is at playing the guitar and makes his talent seem desirable and something to look up to. Furthermore, he is shown to be fantasy through the use of location. Bay is playing with his band in his garage. The fact the character of a young boy is used who wants to be like Bay, can conform to the typical dream of young males who have psychographics of being interested in music. This situation would be appealing to any musician who wishes to start their own band and this therefore makes Bay seem like a fantasy as it’s something people want, but typically don’t have. Furthermore, the use of high key lights, glitter and a glitter ball help to to create a sense of excitement and thrill (backed up by a series of high speed cuts) again helps to make this situation seem out of the ordinary but something that could be fantasised about.
2) Bay is represented as a political commentator through his lyrics. Bay sings about not having to ‘wear your best fake smile’ throughout the song. This can create the social message that it is ‘okay to not be okay’. The verb ‘wear’ when speaking about a ‘fake smile’ again suggests that it shouldn’t be a costume that you have to wear to hide your real feelings; you should speak about your emotions. Furthermore, the fact he is a male saying this, challenged male stereotypes that they are emotionless, as he is encouraging other males to speak out about their feelings and emotions. This can relate to mental health issues which, at the time of the songs release (March 2016), was a common feature in controversial news articles. He also says ‘you don’t have to’ do things ‘if you don’t like it’ again, creating the message to the listener that their happiness and instinct are the most important thing.
3) Bay is represented as a mediator throughout the video through the relationship he is seen to create with the young male character. He is represented as a role model (through the use of low angle shots, appearing to make him an authority figure) who is trying to help the young boy do what he wants to do and show his emotions, as shown through his lyrics. The boy is seen to be sad and angry, through the use of facial expressions, until he enters the garage with Bay. Here, Bay is shown to be singing to the boy, through a long shot, which encourages the boy to join in with the band. Furthermore, the juxtaposition of head and shoulder shots in the beginning of the video around the boy, to the close ups at the end, can help to connote how he is more open with his feelings. This shows Bay as the mediator as it suggests to the audience that if you follow his advice, there will be a positive outcome.
How will this help me?
After analysing Holstein’s theory, it has helped me
understand the three main ways in which an artist is represented in their own
music videos. For example, similar to Goodwin’s theory, there is always a link
between visuals, lyrics and sounds that helps to represent the artist in a
consistent way. I believe that this theory in particular is relevant to the
indie genre as typically, indie artists discuss current controversial and
sensitive topics. This allows them to become the mediator and commentator
within the situation they are discussing.
Thursday, 31 August 2017
Audience Feedback: Genres
To help me gain an idea about what genres people like and specifically what aspects of the indie genre people like, I created a short survey on Survey Monkey to gain some generic information. I decided not to ask for the person’s gender or age as at this time we haven’t decided who our target audience is, therefore I kept it very general.
The first question was 'What Is Your Favourite Genre?'. Out of all the options, 'indie' was the most popular with 10 out of 21 people picking that option. the other favourites were: 'pop' with 5 responses and 'rap' with 2 responses. I was surprised with this result as I expected pop to gain the most votes as it is the genre you hear most on a daily basis eg. on the radio. However, this could be linked to trends within the music industry.
When I was looking at the other answers, I decided to filter the results to just view the people’s responses who had chosen indie as their favourite genre as this is the genre I hope to film in.
The second question was 'Do You Prefer Bands or Single Artists?'. Out of the 10 respondents that chose indie as their favourite genre, the most popular option was 'single artists' with 6 responses and the rest went to 'bands' who got 4 responses. I expected this as the indie genre is currently dominated by single artists as opposed to bands in the past. This again can indicate trends within the industry.
The third question was, 'Do You Prefer Female or Male Artists?'. The majority of the responses were for the ‘female’ option with 5 responses. However, the rest of the votes were split fairly evenly between the 'males' and 'either' options. This makes it clear to me that people prefer female artists. However, this could also be because there is a chance that the gender of the people that completed the survey has an effect on the choices eg. Female people prefer female’s artists. Therefore, if I chose the indie genre, I will ensure I do another survey like this and see if there is a correlation between genders and their preferred genders. This will also help me to target my primary audience more effectively; if my primary audience are females, I can look at their responses and not focus as much on the males.
The fourth question was, 'Who is Your Favourite Singer/Band?'. In this response the indie artists that were named were: 'Two Door Cinema Club', 'The Kooks', 'Amy Winehouse', 'Birdie', 'Lorde', 'The Smiths', 'The Arctic Monkeys' and 'Lana Del Rey'. However, there were also artists who are pop but can vary into the indie sub-genre: 'Selena Gomez' and 'Arianna Grande'. There was also a response of 'I don’t really know'. Overall I expected these sort of artists, however I was surprised there was a significant lack of males. Also, conforming to the previous response that they preferred single artists to bands, this is shown again here as only 3 out of the 10 responses were bands.
The final question was 'Do You Prefer Popular Artists or More Niche Artists?'. Overall, there was an equal response for the options 'niche' and 'popular' with 3 responses each. However, the 'either' option was most popular with 4 choices. This showed me that people in general, don’t mind whether the artist is mainstream or niche.
How has this helped me?
This has helped me as it has helped me understand what people, in general, like within the indie genre. It has suggested that:
• People prefer single artists to bands.
• People prefer female singers to male singers.
• People don’t mind if the artists is mainstream or not and the artists I should focus on within the indie genre are: Amy Winehouse, Lana Del Rey, Lorde, The Arctic Monkeys, The Smiths and Birdie.
• Also it has shown me that using survey monkey, I can conduct further research and filter the responses to suit my primary target audience. For example, If I am conducting research into the brand identity of my artist and their primary audience are 16 year old females, I can only look at those responses. This ensures I am gaining the correct feedback and it allows me to make effective decisions to suit them.
The first question was 'What Is Your Favourite Genre?'. Out of all the options, 'indie' was the most popular with 10 out of 21 people picking that option. the other favourites were: 'pop' with 5 responses and 'rap' with 2 responses. I was surprised with this result as I expected pop to gain the most votes as it is the genre you hear most on a daily basis eg. on the radio. However, this could be linked to trends within the music industry.
The second question was 'Do You Prefer Bands or Single Artists?'. Out of the 10 respondents that chose indie as their favourite genre, the most popular option was 'single artists' with 6 responses and the rest went to 'bands' who got 4 responses. I expected this as the indie genre is currently dominated by single artists as opposed to bands in the past. This again can indicate trends within the industry.
The third question was, 'Do You Prefer Female or Male Artists?'. The majority of the responses were for the ‘female’ option with 5 responses. However, the rest of the votes were split fairly evenly between the 'males' and 'either' options. This makes it clear to me that people prefer female artists. However, this could also be because there is a chance that the gender of the people that completed the survey has an effect on the choices eg. Female people prefer female’s artists. Therefore, if I chose the indie genre, I will ensure I do another survey like this and see if there is a correlation between genders and their preferred genders. This will also help me to target my primary audience more effectively; if my primary audience are females, I can look at their responses and not focus as much on the males.
The fourth question was, 'Who is Your Favourite Singer/Band?'. In this response the indie artists that were named were: 'Two Door Cinema Club', 'The Kooks', 'Amy Winehouse', 'Birdie', 'Lorde', 'The Smiths', 'The Arctic Monkeys' and 'Lana Del Rey'. However, there were also artists who are pop but can vary into the indie sub-genre: 'Selena Gomez' and 'Arianna Grande'. There was also a response of 'I don’t really know'. Overall I expected these sort of artists, however I was surprised there was a significant lack of males. Also, conforming to the previous response that they preferred single artists to bands, this is shown again here as only 3 out of the 10 responses were bands.
The final question was 'Do You Prefer Popular Artists or More Niche Artists?'. Overall, there was an equal response for the options 'niche' and 'popular' with 3 responses each. However, the 'either' option was most popular with 4 choices. This showed me that people in general, don’t mind whether the artist is mainstream or niche.
How has this helped me?
This has helped me as it has helped me understand what people, in general, like within the indie genre. It has suggested that:
• People prefer single artists to bands.
• People prefer female singers to male singers.
• People don’t mind if the artists is mainstream or not and the artists I should focus on within the indie genre are: Amy Winehouse, Lana Del Rey, Lorde, The Arctic Monkeys, The Smiths and Birdie.
• Also it has shown me that using survey monkey, I can conduct further research and filter the responses to suit my primary target audience. For example, If I am conducting research into the brand identity of my artist and their primary audience are 16 year old females, I can only look at those responses. This ensures I am gaining the correct feedback and it allows me to make effective decisions to suit them.
Music Genre Mood Board
To help me understand the codes and conventions of different genres, I decided to create mood boards for the genres of music videos I am most interested. This will help me see if there are any consistencies in terms of their general aesthetic. I used a variety of different artists and music videos from each genre to gain the best understanding possible.
First of all, I decided to look at country. After looking at the mood board, I realised that the general colour scheme throughout the videos were greens, browns and reds. This was because of the setting used in most of the videos. They were often outside in green locations or inside wooden barns and buildings which created this colour scheme. Also, in terms of props throughout the videos, there were a lot of tractors, cowboy hats and wooden guitars used, which are all related to the countryside. In terms of characters in the videos, there was a consistency in terms of the artists were present but were nearly always accompanied by other characters. The other characters were typically dancing, socialising or playing instruments along with the artist.
The pop mood board was the most varied in terms of colour schemes. Many vibrant colours were used to make the videos seem more lively to accompany the music. The artist was also the main feature of each video; there were no significant narratives. Instead of this, in nearly every video there was a dance routine or some sort of dancing. In terms of costume, it was either simple ‘every day’ costumes or it was unique and at times controversial.
R&B was the most controversial genre in terms of narratives. In all the videos, women were sexualised and wore highly revealing costumes. When the artist was male, the females were represented as dependant and obsessed with the male characters and when the artist was female, she had a male ‘chasing’ after her. The lighting and colour schemes were low key and used a lot of blacks, whites and blues to create a sense of intrigue around the artists.
How has this helped me?
This has helped me as I now understand the general aesthetic between the genres. This means when I decide the genre I want to create a music video for, I have a better idea of what props, colour schemes, lighting and characters I should use.
When I looked at the indie mood board, there was an obvious low key colour scheme using blues and blacks. Low key lighting with spotlights and black lights were also commonly used to conform to the mysterious tone that was created around the indie artists. There were also filters used commonly through the videos.
There was a mixture of videos with just live performance of the artist and with a live performance and then a narrative accompanying the song. When there was a narrative, it wasn’t a typical love story, there were often semiotics used to give connotations and act as symbolism for certain events. This was the most complex genre in terms of narrative.
This has helped me as I now understand the general aesthetic between the genres. This means when I decide the genre I want to create a music video for, I have a better idea of what props, colour schemes, lighting and characters I should use.
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