DS: Music videos - Commerical, Porn or Art?

Much debate circulates around music videos questioning the actual purpose of them. Are they to advertise the band and their production? Or are they are a tribute and an individual production to be admired alongside the music itself? Or perhaps they’re a provocative representation of the human body in an attempt to sell more records? Each of them is represented by artist’s individual styles, constructed by their own unique motifs. The answer is unknown, but every music video is unique and more or less falls under one of these three categories.

Commerical:

• Visual motifs and meta-narratives are used in music videos to set up an overall band image
• The band image is designed to advertise the band and not just the song, as the meta-narrative is the overall description of the band and not just their music 
• Narrative fuzz is then created, whereby the band can return to their narrative and even incorporate just a small part of it, and it will still be understood by their audience as their meta-narrative has already been explored and advertised
• Another feature of a music video being commerical is the actual shots within the video. Close ups of the band members and their instruments known as 'meat shots' help put the band in the best light. This combined with giving the band prevelance helps to put the artist in their best image and sell them.

Porn:

• The main technique which can portray music videos to be porn is the objectification of women
• Ways in which this is done according to Erving Goffman:
• Women being made to look artificial is often done in music video and their image doesn't properly reflect women in reality
• Dismemberment of the female body in music videos by focusing on parts of the women such as her legs or lips, which give sexual connotations
• Commodification where women are represented as objects to men for their own pleasure and consumption
• Laura Mulvey talks about the 'Male Gaze' where in music videos the audience is forced to view the text in the eyes of a hetrosexual man
• The concept of voyuerism is used a lot in music videos where the camera focuses on the sexual aspects and actions of a woman to be viewed by the audience

Art:

• These videos are generally art in the respect that the visuals of the video are used to create a story that corresponds to the track
• Advances in technology mean that people's imaginations are now able to be expressed through the music videos, and are no longer just clips focusing on the band, but short storys illustrating the song's meaning, just the way a piece of art does
• Music videos are now a new outlet not to assist making money for the track. but to make money by the videos production on it's own
• The fact music videos are becoming more like films means track can be sold largely based on the quality of the video, not just the actual music 

Conclusion:

To conclude, I personally believe music videos to be commericals. This is because even if a video is portrayed as slightly pornographic or as a piece of art, those concepts are created for a reason, to sell records. The music video accompanies the track, not the other way round, so regardless of the type of music video I believe the sole purpose of it is to give people a better understanding of the song, and help them paint a picture in their head if they struggle to do so. The music video gives a song more potency, enabling it to become more popular and consequently sell, regardless of it's defined as porn, art or a commerical.

AS: Print Analysis

DigiPak - The Kooks - Inside In Inside Out

Front Cover (Top Left): 

      The same font is used on all sections of the cover in order to create a consistent feel. Furthermore, the font and the album cover are relatively simple. This suggests that The Kooks are a band which are not interested in mainstream gimmicks, and prefer to focus more on the actual music rather than advertising.

      This idea makes them a conventional indie rock band, and helps them relate to their target audience. Furthermore the picture of the band members shows them looking away – could be seen as suggesting they’re not arrogant and rather hard working.

      The band’s hairstyles and clothing (skinny jeans) reinforces their Indie genre, as does the fact that they’re sitting round and playing their instruments together as a group.

     Back Cover (Top Right):

      The photo on the back seems to have been taken from the drummers perspective – this gives their target audience an insight into what it is like when the band are creating music together. This helps to make it feel more personal and seems to encourage the audience to relate to them.

      

     The track listings for the album are in the same font as the band's name on the front of the Digipak, this helps to create a connection between the band and their songs and connotes that the band have written and made their own album.

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      Lastly, the theme is also the same on the back cover as it is on the front - which creates a feel of consistency.

      Inside Panels and CD Case:

      There is a consistent band of three colours – red, black and white. This once again reinforces that The Kooks are not too elaborate or complex – just a simple group of friends who make music.

      The CD itself is bright red, which contrasts well with the writing in the colours of black and white. This attracts the audience's attention to the CD effectively because it stands out from the rest of the inside cover.

      On the inside panel there is also a picture of The Kooks. But unlike the front and back covers, on the inside panel they're actually looking towards the camera. The mise en scene in the image - their indie clothing for example (checked shirts and indie hairstyles), helps to the band image of indie rock that they're trying to create.

HL: Print Analysis

• The print doesn't evidently show the genre of the album, however the with help form the quote 'techno genius' people are able to infer. The genre (psych - pop) is shown by the use of a colourful hypnotic wheel, which is juxtaposed with a colourless background.
• Symmetry paired with a binary opposite colour scheme,is used to create an ascetically pleasing image with focus spent on the postion and precition of the layout. The rule of thirds is also present with the artists name/album name both placed in the top corner, however the use of different text informs the readers which text is which.
• In this print we are also show the use of some linguistic devices, mainly in the form of quotes which are too symmetrically placed in a specific order again to make it ascetically pleasing. The quotes them self also give antoher dimension to what the artist is about. The use of evocative words such as 'dazzle' and 'intense' add a sense of depth to his music creating a taking point for consumers.
• The print also helps how the product with be received, this is mainly down to the artwork which is also used on the album cover, this iconic image with allow the consumer to link the image with the artist 'Caribou' as well as the album 'Swim'.
  
  

Group: Pre-Focus Group

Audience Research

Focus Group Task

Chosen Track:  I’m God – Clams Casino

1.    What kind of colours and/or locations would you associate with this sound?

2.    What sort of character would you associate with the track?

3.    What storyline/ narrative would you link with this track?

4.    What words would you describe this sound? (Choose 5 words)

Additional feedback should be filled out after the question have been completed, please hand in your written feedback once the focus group is complete

Group: Location Reccie - Planned Locations

Location Ideas:

In our video we plan to have two contrasting sets of locations. We wish to have one set where we portray the protagonist's troubled lifestyle, and the other where we show the dream state and where he pictures himself in his ideal world. Below are some planned locations where we wish to film.

For the Dream State:  locations that demonstrate where the protagonist wishes to escape to.

1. Brighton Beach

• This location introduces the idea of relaxation and escaping from the hardship the protagonist is experiencing.
• This location provides a good contrast between the urban location the video begins with him in - helping to reinforce the idea that to the protagonist, the locations seem worlds apart.

 2.  Ashdown Forest

• This forest can help to also deliver a break on behalf of the protagonist - this picture especially shows how there are wide open spaces that can help to empty a persons mind.
• The tranquillity of the location means that it is a good symbol of relaxation and peacefulness

3. Countryside Locations

• These locations also provide a start contrast with the urban location
• In particular, lakes provide a chance to 'get away' and 'escape'

Reality:  locations that help to demonstrate how the protagonist is stuck in a vicious cycle of drugs and crime in an urban location

1. The Sort of Housing our Protagonist would live in

• The housing gives a cramped feel that connotes the protagonist being a small and vulnerable person who lives in a far bigger and depressing society.
• The inner city environment that these sorts of building are found in are where we want to illustrate the protagonist going about his everyday misfortune, depression and severe state.

2. The Busy Environment where the protagonist finds himself

• The picture above symbolises what we want to try and portray - the fact that this individual is stuck in a big society where he feels small and isolated.
•  The nature of the environment means that we would be able to represent him as being just another person - but one which the audience is positioned with.





AS: Chosen Track and Tracks of the Same Genre

Our chosen track - Clams Casino - I'm God

About Our Artist:  

Clams Casino is an electronic musician and producer of hip hop music and his productions often sample spacey female voices.

This track belongs to the 'Chillstep' genre. A definition of 'Chillstep' is:

A musical genre composed of dubstep tracks with chill undertones. Low bass, slow beats, and usually a female's voice.

Tracks from a similar genre:

1. Tycho - A Walk

• This track has an ethereal feel to it - in the same way that our chosen track has. 
• The music is relaxing but has heavy bass as well - both common conventions of the genre.
• When listening to the track the audience are encouraged to envisage 'soothing' or 'calming' thoughts, and this means that the intended purpose of the helping the audience to unwind.
• The video creates an image of sunrise, with a way of making the audience feel as though the track is one which should accompany them when they wake up.

Images that may be associated with the track:

   2.  Darius - Maliblue

• Once again, this track is thought provoking and relaxing - encouraging the audience to take a more ambient viewing of the song.
• This song gives the audience the feeling that they want to 'sit back' and forget about their troubles in life whilst the song is playing - making this aspect a unique selling point of the video.
• Like the previous two, this track gives the feeling that the audience should look after themselves and 'take it easy'.
• Tycho's track was focusing on sunrise, and this video also relates to that in a way because here the focus could be perceived to be 'by the sea' - and therefore both are comparable scenarios and locations.

Images that may be associated with the track:

3.  Sierra Leone - Mount Eden Dubstep

• This track is from the same genre as the other videos, but is more aggressive and has heavier bass.
• The title of the video - 'Sierra Leone' is notoriously a country for civil war and conflict - so the track could be seen to represent the girl who we hear in the video wanting to fly away.
• The blindfold on the image that accompanies the track is also related to the conflict in Sierra Leone, because it is seen to be shielding her eyes what she has seen previously.
• The track could be seen to encourage calmness whilst the conflict is still going on - a means of escaping.
• The female voice is a known convention of 'Chillstep' and this is one of the most prevalent aspects of the track.
• Although this track isn't as relaxing as the other two, it is still an example of how heavy bass and a female voice are both apparent - known conventions of the genre.

Images that may be associated with the track:

Suffering such as this is what the female on the track cover could be shielding her eyes from

Recollection or Praying which some may see to be the influence of the track



AS: Pre Production Planning

Character:

· Protagonist - followed throughout the video. The picture below would represent the kind of world he imagines himself being in in his dreams.

Locations:

•  We want to create a symbolic and powerful video, through the inclusion of powerful shots, in memorable locations with scenery that the audience can relate to.
• We are thinking of having one central shot that the video cuts back to throughout. Emphasising the idea of symbolism and following our character through the repetition of thi shot.
• Our ideas centre around the notion of ‘escaping’ ‘peacefulness’ ‘ambience’ and ‘emotion’ and themes we will be looking to base our video around are time and the concept of journeying.




 



Both of the above images demonstrate peacefulness

 Other Shot Ideas:





This boy is something we will be looking to replicate - with the filter that connotes a dream state



Flowers symbolise peace, the binary opposite conflict where the young boy finds himself. Therefore this is likely to be a prominent feature of our video.