VIDEO KILLED THE RADIO STAR

AN INTRODUCTION TO MUSIC
VIDEO

FOR YOUR A2 COURSEWORK YOU WILL PRODUCE :

A MEDIA PORTFOLIO , COMPROMISING A

MAIN AND TWO ANCILLARY TEXTS

60 MARKS

20 MARKS

RESEARCH AND PLANNING

EVALUATION 20 MARKS

MAIN TASK
A

PROMOTION PACKAGE FOR THE RELEASE OF AN ALBUM , TO INCLUDE :

A MUSIC PROMO VIDEO

40

MARKS

PLUS:

A DIGIPAK CONSISTING OF AT LEAST SIX PANELS (CD PACKAGE)

10 MARKS

A MAGAZINE ADVERT FOR THE DIGIPAK (CD PACKAGE ) 10 MARKS

YOU

WILL THEN BE REQUIRED TO ANSWER

TWO

QUESTIONS IN YOUR

2015

EXAM ON YOUR COURSEWORK .

QUESTION 1 A (25 MARKS) WILL FOCUS ON YOUR SKILLS DEVELOPMENT

FROM AS TO A2. Y OU HAVE ALREADY BEGUN PREPARATION FOR THIS DURING
YOUR A2 INDUCTION LESSONS
QUESTION 1B (25 MARKS)

WILL ASK YOU TO ANALYSE

ONE

OF YOUR

PRODUCTS IN RELATION TO ONE OF THE FOLLOWING KEY CONCEPTS

NARRATIVE
AUDIENCE
GENRE
REPRESENTATION
MEDIA LANGUAGE

THE PURPOSE

OF A

MUSIC VIDEO

A music video is a short film or video that accompanies a complete piece of

music/song. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a [marketing]
device intended to promote the sale of music recordings. Although the origins of
music videos go back much further, they came into their own in the 1980s, when
MTV based their format around the medium, and later with the launch of VH1.
The term "music video" first came into popular usage in the early 1980s. Prior to
that time, these works were described by various terms including "filmed insert",
"promotional (promo) film", "promotional (promo) clip" or "film clip" (Wikipedia)
TASK 1
1.WHAT DO YOU THINK ARE THE MAJOR ELEMENTS OF AN ALBUM MARKETING
CAMPAIGN (THE DIFFERENT WAYS IN WHICH A BAND /A RTISTS IDENTITY IS MEDIATED
TO AN AUDIENCE)?
I think that there are many ways to successfully promote and market an album; this
can be through the media & social media, billboards, adverts etc. For me I believe
that social media is biggest, this is because over the years there has been a huge
increase in the use of social media to promote and market key products and
campaigns to target audience. As right now today most bands and artist promote
through social media, whether this be Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or any other form
of media. For example Disclosure uses both Twitter and Facebook to promote new
singles and albums, as well as upcoming tour / gig dates and music videos. Another
key way that artists use to market and promote an album or song is the TV. This is
another important way of marketing as it reaches your target audiences straight
away, because millions of people all round the world watch television every day and
so any promotion that are presented on there as adverts are seen by most people.
However there is a slight issue with promotion on TV as you tend to only see adverts
about really famous artists and popstars such as Kanye West and One direction. This
then means that up-coming artists or less well known such as the Maccabees and the
XX have to use social media and sites such as youtube to promote their new
releases. The reason to why it tends to be the bigger stars as such, promoting their
new releases on the television because they are multi-millionaire stars meaning that
they are promoted on a much larger scale as they appeal to more viewers of the TV
than those who are have a much small budget and scale.

2.WHERE HAVE YOU ENCOUNTERED THESE ELEMENTS IN YOUR DAILY LIFE?

I encounter these elements very regularly in my daily life, mainly through social
media. This is because I am constantly coming across promotions and adds on
Twitter and Facebook, but not only that also when I watch TV in the ad-breaks there
is most usually an advert or music artist / band promotion. I believe that social media
is the most effective way of marketing and promoting new releases ETC, because
most people nowadays especially teenagers / you adults use social media. A great
example of this again is disclosure as they are always releasing previews and little
snippets of their songs and music videos before the actual release date. Another
example too on Facebook and Twitter is the Maccabees posting mini clips from their

Glastonbury performance, which again encourages people to watch which then when
they like what they see they go and buy / download their music.

3.WHAT FACTORS MAKE YOU LIKE A BAND AND THEREFORE DOWNLOAD THEIR
MUSIC , BUY THEIR ALBUMS OR ATTEND THEIR CONCERTS? H OW DO YOU DECIDE
WHICH BAND IS COOL AND WHICH IS NOT?
Me being a person who takes great pride in my fashion and the clothes hat I
chose to where, is also one of the main elements to why I would be interested
in a certain band, by their style. Overall I do listen to a wide range of genres,
however my favourites would have to be indie and electronic/DJ, including
artists such as Jamie T, the Maccabees, Jamie XX, Disclosure. I list to
mainstream music as its always played on radio stations however I wouldnt
necessarily chose to myself in my free time book to see them at a concert
and I wouldnt class their music as cool. I would much rather listen to bands
and artists who have a unique twist to their music and make them stand out
from the crowd and the similar competition genres. If a band or artist were to
produce music I didnt enjoy I simply wouldnt bother listening to any other of
their material and I would imagine Id find that too very unappealing. When it
comes to describing cool music as such, I would like to think in my opinion
that the music I listen too is cool, as long with the way in which I dress too. I
would class it as cool because its different, its not the same as
everyone/thing else, and it has an individual touch that makes it stand out
and more appealing. You also tend to find the way in which the artists dress
and their styling is cool too, which again influences their music. I am also
heavily influenced by my brother and like to follow in his footsteps, as so
what he sees as cool I do too. He listens to similar genres as me which I was
first introduced to by him, and even now he still introduces me to new artists
and bands, which I then listen to and begin to like.

WHAT MAKES THE MUSIC VIDEO UNIQUE ?

THE MUSIC VIDEO IS DESIGNED FOR MULTIPLE VIEWINGS; IT HAS TO BE INSTANTLY

MEMORABLE YET INTERESTING ENOUGH TO WARRANT WATCHING AGAIN AND AGAIN .

UNLIKE THE FILM TRAILER IT IS NOT DESIGNED TO BE VIEWED ON A LARGE SCREEN

NOR IS ITS AUDIENCE CAPTIVE.
1.WHERE AND WHEN DO YOU WATCH MUSIC VIDEOS?
After I busy especially from school I like to just relax and scroll social media,
and then watch music videos. I tend to use links that are placed on social
media or the actual Youtube site, this is because its quick and easy and also
free. I enjoy watching music videos at home or when on journeys such as the
car or plane, I find it relaxes me and takes my mind of any daily
issues/problems that I may have.

TASK 2
IN THE SPACE BELOW LIST AS
VIDEOS THAT YOU CAN THINK

MANY FEATURES/ CONVENTIONS OF

MUSIC

OF .

Performance/Narrative
Lighting
Lip-syncing
Makeup / costume
Variations of different shots
Panning
Storyline (narrative)
Relationship between the lyrics and the scenes within the video
Mise en scene (budget depending)
Instrument

Analysing Music Videos :

1. Genre Categories:

Illustration either a straightforward performance video or a simple

narrative video (or mixture of the two) that illustrates the meaning of the
lyrics and visualizes the music in a straightforward way. It could be called
music video denotation. A good example of a classic mixed
narrative/performance video is Pulps Babies.

Amplification the conventions demonstrated by the music video

auteur or creative director. S/he may use both performance and
narrative, however, rather than simply illustrate the lyrics or sounds this
director will amplify both with creative interpretation, unusual ideas and
surrealistic approaches. There is still a direct link to the song, whether it
be the beat, sound or connotative link to part of the lyrics or song title.
See Spike Jones video for Fat Boy Slims Praise You or Michel Gondrys
video for Kylie Minogues Come Into My Life.
Disjuncture also created by auteur directors these videos are
completely abstract and have no obvious link to the music, lyrics, song
title or artist. In this sense they are a point of disjuncture from the song.
See Spike Jones video for Daft Punks Da Funk or any Radiohead video.

2. The Narrative Video Codes and the Performance Video Codes:

Narrative Video:

Narratives are rarely complex for two reasons:

1. They need to market or advertise the band/artist and song so must

feature repeatability In other words the narrative code must be loose or
simply suggestive rather than realistic or detailed. This is because
music video audiences need to be able to watch videos repeatedly and a
tight realist narrative would prove too boring after the first couple of
viewings. Musical Synaesthesia only requires the musical or lyrical mood
to latch onto to develop a narrative concept.

2. Musical Synaesthesia the two elements of the song which determine

the visual subject matter or overall concept

a) Roland Barthes theory of the grain of voice whereby the vocal

sounds can be understood as music in themselves e.g. Michael
Jacksons yelp or the tone of voice of the words which are the song
title themselves e.g. Bjorks Its Oh So Quiet

b) The dominant musical arrangement that dictates the overall mood.

This could be a key guitar sound (the lead guitar in Get Lucky Daft
Punk) or a particular beat (Uptown Funk Mark Ronson)
Once the director has identified what he/she thinks is the key vocal or
musical element then this may be used to tap into the audiences sense of
shared cultural history or intertextuality e.g.

The steel guitar = the American Deep South and desert plains
An rnb beat or bass line = an urban environment
A group of choral voices = a place of religious significance e.g.: church or
graveside etc.

Performance Video:

1. Conventions of the band performance: a degree of authenticity of

the performance is sought by the band and the director so we find
lip-sync close-up, mimed playing of instruments, repetition of chorus
shots to enhance repeatability, unusual camera shots and angles
e.g. the micro camera shots attached to the neck of a guitar,
sweeping crane shots to film audience reaction to the band playing
etc (see number 4)
2. Conventions of solo artist performance: many of the above plus
choreographed dance routines to enhance repeatability, a first
person mode of address directly engaging the viewer through the
camera which involves many close up shots of eyes rolling and
gesturing (see how these conventions have been adopted by Pop
Idol contestants in a bid to appear professional and authentic)and if
the video is a hybrid form cutting between performance and
narrative then the solo artist or band lead singer often becomes part
of the narrative story, acting as narrator and participant at the same
time (see Jarvis Cocker in Pulps video for Babies)
3. Star Image only 1 in 10 artists promoted by a major record
company will actually make that company any substantial profit.
This is why certain select profit making stars are manufactured,
manipulated and marketed by the record labels artist and

repertoire (A&R) division so aggressively. The star image of

individuals such as Michael Jackson and Madonna through their
videos is a vital component of this process. This is why we can
identify the meta-narrative of stars through their videos whereby
the record label manipulates and changes the artists image with
each new video release to increase sales, consolidate target
audiences and broaden appeal to new fan bases. The best case
studies are Madonna and Michael Jackson. Trace their image
manipulation through videos over the past 30 years.

3. Audio-Visual Technical Codes Needed for Analyzing a Music

Video:

Speed is the Essence:

Camera Shots: jumping directly between long shots, close ups and
extreme close ups. Primarily the close up on the singers face is the main
generic convention for music videos. Also the extreme close up on the lips
for lip synching.

Camera Movement: whip pans, fast dolly track shots and fast overhead
crane shots to follow the running, walking or dancing of performers. Also
fast vertical tilts and horizontal pans.

Editing: various terms: jump cutting, MTV style editing or montage editing.
Creating the visually de-centred experience of jumping from location to
person to instrument without any normal narrative continuity. Instead it is
often the beat or the rhythm of the track which provides the organising
principle for editing movement. The editing moves so fast it creates the
need for viewing repeatedly. There are exceptions though. Some
continuity editing used such as atmospheric dissolve shots such as in
Sinead OConnors Nothing Compare to You

Post-production digital effects: see i-movie for split screens (see Michel
Gondrys video for Kylie Minogues Come Into My World for split screens
seamlessly bled into each other) colourisation slow motion etc These

are now conventional for music videos. Please look out for other
innovative effects.

Lighting: Expressive lighting a key feature of music videos. Extreme

artificial light to create the bleaching effect on pop stars faces (making
them seem ageless). Also the use of switching from colour to black &
white or sepia to indicate a shift from chorus to verse. Also lighting effects
such as strobes or flashing needs to be identified. This obviously links into
the use of CGI in dance music videos to enhance the atmosphere.

Mise-en-scene: look for the overall artistic concept in a video. Is there a

theme such as the historical period e.g. the sixties (Madonnas Beautiful
Stranger with its intertextual link to the Austin Powers film) or the
seventies (The Beastie Boys Sabotage video which parodies the Starsky
& Hutch 70s TV Cop genre...also an intertextual link). Does the videos
mise en scene follow the need for authenticity in performance videos by
using the concert hall or rehearsal studio setting. Or is there an intentional
parodic setting to exaggerate star image as in many rap and r&b videos
with a focus on glamorous icons such as exotic locations, beautiful cocktail
bars and stunning beachside houses with infinity pools (see Rick Ross
Here I Am).
TASK 3
TEXTUAL ANALYSIS OF MUSIC VIDEOS
ALL ON SCREEN SHOTS ARE CLEARER ON MY BLOG!

TASK 4 A NSWER ALL

OF THING YOU LL NEED

THE QUESTIONS BELOW

THIS

IS EXACTLY THE SORT

TO DO WHEN EVALUATING YOUR OWN COURSEWORK.

1. Why did you choose the text you are analysing?

I chose it because I enjoy the song
2. In what context did you encounter it?
From liking their previous songs and seeing it on social media
3. What influence do you think this context might have had on
your interpretation of the text?
A positive one, it makes you feel good and so gives off good vibes
4. Which conventions of the genre do you recognize in the
text?
They are an indie alternative band, and so the clothing in which they are
wearing during the video is your typical indie/cool style clothing, shirts,
jackets etc
5. To what extent does this text stretch the conventions of its
genre?

The props used, the styling and the setting all link well together and fit the
indie category
6. Where and why does the text depart from the conventions of
the genre?
It being filmed in a busy place with lots going on, which differs from your
usual typical indie music viewed. The camera use too is different as its
mainly sped up which again you dont expect to see in an indie video
7. What sort of audience did you feel that the video was aimed
at (and how typical was this of the genre/style of music)?
Late teens young adults, this is because the style of the video and song
is more appealing to people in this age category as its the way in which
they dress and so may look up to them as inspiration. Both man and
women also.
8. What sort of person does it assume you are?
Young, different, cool, trendy young adult.
9. What assumptions seem to be made about your class, age,
gender and ethnicity?
Middle to high class, your typical English background, probably from a city
such as London.
10.

What interests does it assume you have?

11.

What relevance does the text actually have for you?

Its a good tune, that wont be over-played therefore will less likely
become boring
12.

What knowledge does it take for granted?

That you understand their style of music and what a typical big city is like
on a daily basis - busy
13.
To what extent do you resemble the 'ideal reader' that
the video seeks to position you as?
I am an older teen, who has a good taste in music, is cool, and dresses in
a indie and alternative style who has a keen interested in music

14.
Are there any notable shifts in the video's style (and if
so, what do they involve)?

15.
What responses does the video seem to expect from
you?

16.
How open to negotiation is your response (are you
invited, instructed or coerced to respond in particular
ways)?
Very, you can interpret the video however you wish, with the part
performance and narrative video; you take from it what you see. I believe
this again links with their unique style in genre and singing and so their
videos reflect this.
17.
Is there any penalty for not responding in the expected
ways?
No not at all
18.
To what extent do you find yourself 'reading against
the grain' of the text and the genre?
19.
How typical do you think this video is of Music Videos?
Very unique and has an individual touch to it which is different to what we
are used to seeing.