Audience Research 1

Do you prefer videos that are more performance based/narratively based or a balance of both?

Looking at the results gained through my questionnaire, we can clearly see that the mass majority of my participants prefer to watch music videos that contain a balance between both narrative and performance elements. The results show that similarly both extremes (mainly performance/mainly narrative) are equal suggesting that these extremes appeal to a niche market, and could potentially make our video less popular if we adopted either of these approaches. The fact that 10 of 20 people selected balance, suggests to me that   if we want to have a successful music video we should create a video that contains both elements equally in order to appeal to the majority; this may also be an effective method of ensuring the audience doesn't experience viewer fatigue.

The purpose of Indie Rock is to ... ?

Initially looking at the bar-chart we notice that one of the options is incredibly unpopular (show off) and suggests to me that this is not what people expect from the genre Indie rock, and thus we will avoid to portray this in our video. We then see a moderate difference between the options (chill out, to excite, to send a message), this suggests to me that perhaps all of these options have to be catered to when creating our video. This suggests that people tend to expect a message from Indie videos (perhaps expressed through the narrative) and so we will definitely consider trying to implement this. The other two contrasting options, are literally down to how different people see the genre, and i feel our video would also achieve a mixed response in this sense; as it is hard to influence every viewer in the same manor.

Gender ?

Looking at the pie chart here we can see that there is an equal gender ratio of 1:1. This means that my results are reliable and generalisable. This is important as it is vital that our video appeals to both genders and doesn't ignore one in particular as this would greatly effect our videos popularity.

Do you enjoy the implementation of humour in music videos?

I originally created this question in order to determine what path our narrative would follow, (a care free, humerous narrative representing and celebrating youth), or a more serious narrative connoting a message etc. Looking at this results we notice that the two main responses are yes and sometimes. This suggests to me that we should deffinatley cater to the majority, and we should attempt to feature humorous elements. The sometimes response also suggests to me that we will have to implement this carefully with our song choice, ensuring that the narrative doesn't clash with the overall feel to the song; as this could lessen our popularity.

Which band is your favourite from the group below?

Initially when creating this question i attempted to note my favorite indie groups that i believe can be catagorised into different versions of indie. These bands also tend to evoke different emotions from their viewers e.g. (The Maccabees are considered to be a chill out band of the indie genre while The Libertines are considered to be more upbeat and excitable.) The results show that the majority of participants favour The Kings of Leon. This has greatly impacted my initial ideas, as I was unsure whether or not to go down the (You Me At Six, generic indie theme), but now that i have seen that this is actually quite unpopular among indie fans. The majority vote in this question suggests to me that the quality of the overall music hugely effects whether or not a music video is successful, as The Kings of Leon are considered to be one of the most well established bands in the genre, while less established bands of the genre e.g. Bombay Bicycle Club are less established in the genre, making them significantly less popular among the majority of listeners.

Magazine Advert Analysis

Record Label Research

Fiction is a British record label specialising in endorsing Indie and Progressive rock bands/artists. Today Fiction records are responsible for owning popular indie artists such as: Kate Nash, The Maccabees, Snow Patrol, Crystal Castles and Elbow etc... founded by Chris Parry in 1978 it is best known for being the home of The Cure for over 20 years. Formerly independent, the label is now owned by Polydor, a subsidiary of Universal Music Group. the imprint achieved its first #1 record in The Cure's album Wish, which reached the top of the charts in the United Kingdom. We could potentially use this as our record label if we choose to go down the route of contemporary Indie music.

Epitaph Records is a Hollywood, California based independent record label owned by Bad Religion guitarist Brett Gurewitz. The label was originally just a logo created in the 1980s for the purpose of selling Bad Religion records, but has evolved into a large independent record label. It is responsible for holding bands/artists such as: Weezer, From First To Last, New Found Glory, and previously Nirvana. This would be a good record label to use if we decided on a more grunge/punk influenced indie band.

Domino Recording Company, generally known as Domino, is an independent record label based in London. This record company are responsible for branding such artists as: The Arctic Monkeys, Animal Collective, The Kills and Franz Ferdinand. Domino celebrated their first UK #1 album in October 2005 with Franz Ferdinand's You Could Have It So Much Better, and their first UK #1 single with Arctic Monkeys' "I Bet You Look Good on the Dancefloor" later that same month. We could use this label if we decided to choose a more progressive Indie band/Artist.

Genre Research 2,3,4 and 5

Conventions of Indie Rock

Conventions of Indie Rock by 06wattsj on GoAnimate

Animated Presentations - Powered by GoAnimate.

CD Cover Analysis

Colour

The colour in this particular cd cover is incredibly simplistic and void of colour. It could be said that this represents the genre perfectly, as the artists are very much about the musical side, and are typically quite unelaborate in their attire and their attitudes. This cd cover almost has been tinted with a sepia tone, giving the appearance that this cover is dated. This represents the genre of indie rock as they are typically quite old fashioned in terms of their fashion sense. It also shows the roots of which indie rock emerged from (classic rock.) The font also represents these ideas, as it is a simple design with a lack of colour again.

Layout

This particular cover shows the band, performing in a practice room. Our inital impressions of the cover tell us that the kooks must infact be the main focus, as everything else is essentially colourless, and sumbmissive. Each individual member of the band is represented through this layout, although some are more than others. Here we see the drummer in the background, while the two acoustic guitarists (main vocalists) are at the front of the cover. This is typically what we would expect as they are likely to be the most recognisable members of the band.

Image

In terms of iconogrophy this band is very much what we would expect of an indie rock band. We see each member entirely focused on their music, and that is the impression we gain from watching most indie rock music videos (prominantly performance based). This markets them greatly as they are attending to what fans of indie rock music would expect of the genre. We are presented with a series of objects we would also link to indie rock. In the forground we see a guitar amplifier, and a series of unelaborative guitars, again linking to the importance of the music.

Colour

This again represents our ideas about indie rock music. Although two door cinema club could be described as more elaborate in terms of their attire when compared to most bands of the genre (shown in undercover materyn), they have again refrained from using a series of colours in their cd cover. The colour of the title stands out greatly against the background which helps promote the band, this is further enhanced by the cats eyes. We are drawn to this particular image as it is the only form of colour actually in the cover, this means that we are constantly looking at the bands title.

Layout

The layout of this particular cover is more focused on promoting the band. Although the band aren't actually present in the cover, the band name is the most prominant feature of the cd cover, this shows the importance of the band, and the fact that no particular members are focused on in this video, it represents the whole band, which indie rock bands are very determined in doing.

Image

This particular image is quite humerous, and "quirky" and this could represent Two door cinema club quite well. They could be described as a more upbeat group belonging to the genre in terms of their attire and their actual attitudes. This is shown through the vibrant colour in the cats eyes and the font. This suggests to us as an audience that two door cinema club are different from the rest of the bands belonging to the genre, and suggests to the indie rock bands that they are a refreshing change.

Colour

Like the other images this image is void of colour, suiting the typical indie rock mise-en-scene (low key, classy look.) This simple colour scheme could also be due to the fact that Artic Monkeys are perhaps the most well known band in the genre of indie rock today, and so they dont feel as though they have to endorce themselves with a bright cover and random images (such as the cat in two door cinema club.)

Image

The image on this cover does nothing but present this man to us. Previously this cd cover has been critisised and slandered for its content, as smoking is seen as something not to be promoted in todays world. Personally i feel as though this image could actually do the band justice in appealing to their market. It reminds one of the stereotypical working class man, and they are the roots of The Artic Monkeys, thus making them relatable. I also feel that the simple choice of costume (white shirt) shows this man as being an everyday blue collar,  worker, which also makes the band relatable, as this male can be genralised.

Layout

This particular layout is incredibly simple. The male with the ciggarette is shown to us centre frame, and appears to almost be making eye contact for us. This is a drawing factor, as it is almost as though the audience are being addressed. We then notice the small Arctic Monkeys logo above this male, a bright white contrasting the dull teal green or the garage door. This shows the importance of the band, and could attract potential buyers. This cover is typically what we would expect of indie rock because it is subtle and discreet, and not an "in your face cover" such as "The Current Will Carry Us" by Counterparts

Genre Research 2

Genre Research 1

An Introduction To Indie Rock

Analysis of the genre

Ideas for potential songs

Vampire Weekend - A Punk

The Arctic Monkeys - R U Mine



The Libertines - Time For Heroes

Kings Of Leon - Closer

Carol Vernalis - The Kindest Cut

Vernallis believed that when watching a music video, our interpretation of the video's narrative and overall message actually shapes how we hear the music. Music videos are unconventional when compared to film, as they are they will shift more freely between shots, and the narratives are sometimes staggered, and revealed incompletley.

In the majority of music videos, the person we would consider to be the main star/artist, would be revealed slowly to us, through a series of closeups. In this example "where have you been" - Rhianna. She is slowly revealled shot by shot as she comes out of the water. The use of closeups, and quick cuts create this sense of discontinuity, and mystery, as we build frame by frame this image of Rhianna. This is called 'Phantasmagorical editing.' This is the process of revealing the artist to us through a series of staggered shots, the ultimate aim usually being to sell the artist, and to create sex appeal.

This example of phantasmagorical editing, shows a series of closeups, building an image of Kylie Manogue, with short time duration between cuts. She is eventually fully revealled in quite a sexual pose, on top of the bar. This is a prime example of how phantasmagorical editing can be used to create sex appeal.

Discontinuity - This is when a pop video draws us away from the narrative by foregrouding other structures or elements. For example the artist/star; where as in film, continuity draws us into the narrative. Here is an example of how these methods have been applied to other genres. This example is from "engine 45" by The Ghost Inside, and it is essentially the opposite of pop, but this method of editing is still applied, and is incredibly effective.

The implementation of visual hooks can also be found in this segment of the video, as the use of shot reverse shot reverts back and fourth between images of the narrative and the band at a realitively fast pace. The Pile of bricks, and the blood would be considered as the visual hook in this particular example.

Andrew Goodwin's Music Videos - Theory 2

Illustration

An illustration video can be described as the simplist way of constructing a music video. It is probably the method used mostly in todays music videos, especially in the genres of pop and rnb, as the artists try to avoid being somewhat controversial in an attempt to gain a larger market. An illustration video will simply cut to the beat, giving the audience a non suggestive steady pace matching the music. The lyrics of the song will typically reflect what the artist is doing in this narrative, and the overall concept will be simple and easy to grasp for anyone watching.

This particular video is called Rebecca Black - Friday. This song is almost so much of an illustration video it becomes humerous. This clip depicts Rebecca getting ready for school, while the lyrics describe her getting up eating cerial and going to the bustop. This is a great example of an illustraion music video.

Amplification

Amplfication is considered to be a step up from the illustrative method. During this method the band/artist will design a concept based around the lyrics and will use this concept to construct a narrative. These videos are more suggestive and open to interpretation than illustrative videos. During these videos we will sometimes the the band/artist, but they will often take on a fictional role in the video. The lyrics are also sometimes projected with the music videos. This method is used to promote the band and help establish their particular genre.



This particular video is called Parkway Drive - Sleepwalker. This video is a great example of an amplification video, as the whole narrative is based around the lyrics, and the overall mise en scene (crumbling city) reflects the concept of the lyrics. We can also see the lead vocalist (Whinston) take on a fictional role at the end of this clip.

Disjunction

Disjunction music videos are probably the most profound, they follow no particular formula, and can be completley unrelated to the lyrics. They are often just a full narrative, with no performance elements involved, and the band are rarely; if ever included in the video. This method is rarely used in popular music such as pop, rap and rnb as these artists typically try to improve their popularity by promoting themselves. This method however is usually adopted by artists who are already well established, and have no desire to promote themselves. These videos will also sometimes have a serious underline theme, and the band will aim to convey this message, without featuring in the video, as they feel the message is most important. This if not done correctly can be seen as a badly made music video however.

This particular video is Skrillex - Ruffneck Bass. This video is a perfect example of a disjuncture video, as the theme throughout this video is entirely random and farfetched. The actual themes have nothing to do with the music what little lyrics are actually featured in this song. Skrillex himself doesn't feature in this video, as he is probably the most well established artist in the dubstep sub genre, and so he doesnt feel he has to visually promote himself. This also features the typical humerous undertones found in Disjunction videos.

Bordwell and Thompson - Theory 1

The main 4 areas of editing suggested by Bordwell and Thompson are: Graphic, Spatial, Temporal and Rhythmic

Graphic
Graphic editing is centered around psychical shapes, colours and volume. It is the process of using similar shapes to link shots together, creating a subtle flowing continuity while giving the viewer an interesting variety, helping to refrain from viewer fatigue. This editing technique can be used within one location, meaning it is a valuable method of linking shots. This method has been incorporated with some of the most classic pictures of all time, the most famous example probably being "psycho."

This famous shower scene contains a nice flowing movement of graphic match. We see the image of the plug hole, followed by a cut to the victims eye, followed by a worms eye view of the showerhead. All of these images have the same structal shape, making the images flow seemlessly with continuity.

This example of graphic match is used in Parkway Drive's music video Sleepwalker. This graphic match shows a whitewash effect between a males hands with a black background, to the males hands deterierating. The use of these two similar images allow the audience to make the obvious assumption that both these images show the same man's hands.

Spatial
Spatical editing concerns the actual film space (setting location) and relation between manipulation of different points, through similarity, difference and development. This editing is very useful in keeping a music video busy and interesting, while the band are performing in a single location. A variety of shots are offered to the viewer in quick succession, in order to help refrain from viewer fatigue, and to keep the audience focused on what is happening.

This video, created by For The Fallen Dreams is called Resolvent Feelings. The performance elements of this song apply greatly to the principles of spatial editing, using a variety of differet shot types and distances to keep the viewers attention, while they are in a single location.

This video: Parkway Drive "Dark Days" again shows alot of performance elements in this one location, while using spatial editing to keep the audience entertained, and to promote each individual member of the band.

Rhythmic
Rhythmic editing concerns the duration of a series of shots. What the pace is suggesting to the viewers, and if steady, just a flowing natural way of contructing a music video. A steady rhythm would suggest the audience that the story is building, and nothing is being conveyed. Steadily lowering the shot duration, would suggest to the audience that something is building and creates a form of tension.

This video: P.O.D "Goodbye For Now" is a great example of a steady, slow paced music video. The shot duration is similar, and cuts on the final beat of each bar, with a few slight variations. The editing fits the pace of the song perfectly, as the song is all about reflecting upon past experiences.

This video: Chelsea Grin "My Damnation" is a completley contrating genre to P.O.D, and so the editing used is completley different. Towards the end of this song the editing becomes snappy and frantic, suggesting to the audience that this male (shown in the narrative) is unsafe, and we eventually have this confirmed. This is a great tool in building anticipation, and fits the crushing breakdown section of the song perfectly.

Temporal

Temporal editing concerns the actual time of action, and the contribution to other plots within a single music video. It shows manipulation of story time, in order, duration and frequency. This method is sometimes used in music videos, when we see a close up of our character in the narrative reflecting of thinking, before his thoughts are conveyed on screen. This is an example of temporal editing. This is often used in upbeat music, and the thoughts conveyed are often humerous.

This particular video Foutains of Wayne "Stacy's Mum" features a particular scene where temporal editing is used. We see this child, hallucinating over Stacy's mum, this is a manipulation of time and the plot, as this clearly isn't actually happening in this situation.

Low Budget Ideas

Breathless

This particular video displays the use of low budget effects brilliantly in order to show both a narrative and performance while conveying the typical features of their chosen genre.

- The first low budget effect that caught my eye was the silhouette effect. This effect can be easily created by filming someone infront of a bright light; in a dark room. This effect creates a sinister look and would be ideal for the genre of metal or heavy rock.

- The second effect used by this group gives the illusion that this female is teleporting to different areas of this one location. This could easily be achieved by filming one long steady shot of a location with someone in the frame... one captured the shot would be paused and the person in frame would move to a different area in the same location, giving this supernatural effect.

- The next effect gives the effect that this female is a spirit, this is achieved through the use of either editing layers on photoshop, or by simply experimenting with the effects in imovie. I am very interested in this particular effect and i will consider trying to replicate this effect.

- The next effect is essentially a quick adjustment of colour filters, and an increase in contrast, giving the mise en scene a warm/cold/dark/angelic look depending on the users preferences. This is interesting as it could prove vital in adjusting the mise en scene and the overall feel of the piece.

Just Got Paid

This particular video impressed me with two vital elements of creating any music video: props/costume and location:

- The first picture shows how effective and professional a frame can be made to look, if the band/artists actually represent what is expected of the genre, in terms of costume. In this case the costume is very classic boy band, which fits the N Sync vibe greatly.

- It could be said that these boys were incredibly lucky, in having contacts who were able to set them up in such a suiting, professional looking location. But essentially all that is required is planning and thorough research. This video reminded me just how important location is in helping establish a certain style and genre.

Conventions of a music video

Conventions of a music video on Prezi

Analysis of a pop song 3

Justin Bieber - Boyfriend

Analysis of a pop song 2

Carly Rae Jepsen - Call Me Maybe

This song by Carly Rae Jepsen has all of the conventions bared by a typical popsong, and it doesn't differ in the music video. This video opens with a close up showing Carly central of the frame, conveying her importance to the potential narrative we are bound to be presented with. This is very shortly confirmed as we see her staring lustfully at an "attractive" male character. This is the introduction of probably the most common ingredient of a typical pop narrative, and that is love interest. However in this case the stereotype is tenuously altered so that she is pursuing the male character. The element of performance is then introduced in typical fashion, as we see the "popstar" taking centre stage, owning the majority of the shot time, while the other band members are barely introduced, This increases the stars appeal. As the song continues we see the implementation of what i would call safe humour. The girl begins making a fool of herself while attempting to gain this males attention. This use of safe humour is incredibly common in pop music videos, as they tend not to be controversial, thus appealing to the masses as a pose to a niche audience. After this short interval we again see the performance aspect of the video. The picture during this scene has been feminised with delicate colour filters, making the background seem almost misty while the singers attractive features (Lips and eyes) stand out amongst the background. This is incredibly typical of pop music videos, especially those with female stars. This whole music video is essentially one big cliche, as it ticks all of the boxes for a video in the pop genre over the last 7 or 8 years