Creating a brand

Blog 6 - Key Features

Relation of Visuals to Song

Illustrative

These music videos use a plot or a series of images that relate to the lyrics of the song This is shown throughout Karmin's video for 'Acapella'. Several examples include 

"...all that I got was bread"                                    "..if the magic ain't right"   

                                                 "Use to be a baby"

Amplification 

Beyonce's music video for 'If I were a boy' is a great demonstration of this. In this video we see Beyonce use a creative performance take on the meaning of her song as she transforms into a male character. 

Disjunctive  

These music videos ignore the meaning of the lyrics; clearly demonstrated by Paramore's 'Still Into You'. Despite the lyrics relating to being in a relationship that still feels like puppy love the video contains strange scenes such as being in a room filled with candle lit cakes. 

Looking for an artist

Things that need to be taken into consideration while choosing music:

Copyright

The artist's music is protected and owned by copyright which means that if we were to use it without permission we could face legal action for copyright infringement and may become liable to pay damages and costs.

Genres 

The genre of music does not particulary matter, however there are some genres that would be best to avoid. This includes:

Rap: The speed and precise lip syncing that would be required to successfully complete this video would be incredibly difficult.

Country: I believe that our surroundings and budget limit us to the video that we can do. As well as that, this genre is slightly stereotyped.

House/Dance/Dubstep - The lack of lyrics would not give us an efficient amount of time to lip sync.

Where to find music 

Unsigned artists are the ideal target for this music project, as there it will be easier to contact the and obtain permission to use their song. Websites to consider include soundcloud, unsigned.com, and youtube. 

Potential tracks

Jet Black Alley Cat: Poison

Cherri Voncelle - Stole my heartbeat
Marian Hill - One Time

Audience Theory Example: Rihanna Shut up and Drive

I will use Rihanna's music video to show how Laura Mulvey's audience is evident in music videos.

The video

Rihanna is dressed provocatively, in tight and short clothing. 

Rihanna is supposedly working in what seems to be a garage. Despite stereotypes of this being a male dominated environment, all of Rihanna's co-workers in the video are female.
However, instead of being dressed for the job they are also wearing outfits such as bikinis and shorts to work. 

Instead of working, Rihanna completes a series of poses and stretches to accentuate her figure.

The Triple/Male Gaze

Within the narrative, the male characters direct their gaze towards female characters. The audience is forced to view Rihanna through a male perspective.

Agency

Although it's Rihanna's music video she does not get to race but instead it the men who get to play the main characters.

Erotic Desire

Instead, Rihanna is left to play the object of erotic desire. 

Audience Theory

Feminist Film Theory and Audiences

Laura Mulvey

• British feminist film theorist 
• Professor of film and media studies
• Published essay in the influential journey screen entitled 'Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema'

Laura argues that we live in  patriarchal society and therefore cinema, television and other media cultures reflect a patriarchal society. 

The male gaze

The gaze of the camera is the male gaze. The male gaze is active, whereas the female gaze is passive. Within the narrative male characters direct their gaze towards female characters. 

This clip clearly shows the active male gaze and also provides an example of the triple gaze...

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The triple gaze 

The spectator is made to identify with the male gaze.

Audience -->  Camera --> Male --> Female 

The Audience

The audience is constructed in such a way that they are compelled to 'gaze' from a male point of view. Women are forced to look at the text as though they were a male member of the audience; thus linking back to suture. 

Agency

Unlike the passive female character, the male protagonist has agency in classical hollywood cinema. He is the active and powerful agent around whom the dramatic action unfolds; as he moves the plot forward. The female character however, is only the object of desire for the protagonist and the audience. 

There have only been a few rare occurances where the agency rule is broken, including the example of Katniss Everdeen from the Hunger Games. 

 Erotic Desire

Mulvey also argues that women have two roles in classical cinema

1. As an object of erotic desire for the characters 

2. As an object of erotic desire for the audience

Not only is this seen in films but can also be used to describe music videos.

Audience Theory

Reception Theory - Stuart Hall

This considers how texts were encoded with meaning by producers and then decided by audiences 

The Producer encodes meaning in the text 

--->

The meaning/message is interpreted 

-->

Audience decodes 

-->1. Dominant or preferred 2. Negotiated3. Oppositional 

Suture 

Sutures audience to preferred reading in classical hollywood (narrative). It unconsciously manipulates the audience through editing, sound, and mise-en-scene. 

Styles of Music Videos

There are many different music videos that are used by music artists.

Narrative

This type contains a story line which progresses as the music does.  It usually refers back to the song, however the artist doesn't need to be included.  
K.Will - Please don't 

Cinematic:

This is usually compared to a mini film as it as high production values.  There is good use of cinematography and mise en scene.  
Michael Jackson - Thriller 

Studio-based:

This is a music video that is set in one location and could be shot in a studio. 
Estelle - American Boy

Intertextuality:

This type of music video refers to other texts, however it is not like a parody as it does not make fun of the texts being used. 
All Time Low - I feel like dancing 

Parody:

This is a video that makes fun of another text. 
Blink 182 - All the Small things

Pastiche:

This works seriously with another genre/time frame. 

Animation 

This is when animation is used to make the video. There are many examples such as Junior Senior - Move your feet.

As Live:

This is a music video which uses live footage from a concert. 
Justin Bieber - All around the world

Key Features

Ciara - like a boy - relates to lyrics

JB - somebody to love - to do with lyris?

Will Young - Leave right now

Andrew Goodwin's Key Features

After reviewing hundreds of music videos Andrew Goodwin published the book 'Dancing in the distraction'. This 1992 release included several key features that he identified within music videos.

Genre Characteristics 

Each individual genre is has their own representation. For example, rock bands are characterised for playing rock bands and boy/girl groups are known for dancing. 

Good Charlotte, a band are shown playing their instruments in the music video. This video proves Goodwin's point as the whole focus of this video is just watching them play their instruments and sing. The fact that there is no characteristics of another genre such as group dancing that would be shown in a pop genre.

Female Girl group Destiny's Child can be seen having a dance battle between themselves.

South Korean Boy Group Exo - use a series of camera work and editing to highlight their dancing 

Relationship between lyrics and visual 

The visual in the music video is either illustrative, contrasting or amplifying to the lyrics.

Common's music video is illustrative to his lyrics. "Be on the treadmill like, uh 'ok,go'" - we can see a female on the treadmill. 


Pharell's happy video amplifies the lyrics of happiness as we see numerous people smiling and ecstatically dancing. 

Demands 

A record label will often demand certain things to be included into the music video, This can be a need for several close-ups of the artist. This can also include the artist's motif; which is a visual style that the artist has created that recur across their work. 

The notion of looking 

There is a frequent reference to the notion of looking in music videos. This includes screens within screens, binoculars, telescopes. As well as that the voyeuristic treatment of the female body which  

Laura Mulvey has confirmed through her theory of the male gaze. Mulvey believes that the audience is forced to identify with the male gaze as we watch women become objects of male erotic desire. In these videos the men are active, whereas the women are passive. 

NSYNC - Pop video, the female is seen looking at the screen with one of the members on it

Intertextual reference 

There can be references to films, tv shows and other music videos . 

Iggy Azalea's music video references the film Clueless