VIDEO KILLED THE RADIO STAR

AN INTRODUCTION TO MUSIC
VIDEO

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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

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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)?
There are many ways in which a company may market an upcoming album.
To begin with hints need to be released to build up excitement about a new
album. This would create a buzz and build an audience which will eventually
purchase the album. Singles from an album are commonly released before an
album is fully released. This would mean that the artist/band will already be
gaining support and fans as they will have heard aspects from the album.
Singles are usually accompanied with a music video as another way of
marketing the new music. This is intended to promote the sale of music
recordings and to build up a fan base for the artist/band. Social media is
heavily used to advertise an upcoming album. Artists countdown to singles
or albums on social media to create a buzz. As well as social media, TV is
used during marketing campaigns. This is a good way of targeted a mass
audience.
2.WHERE HAVE YOU ENCOUNTERED THESE ELEMENTS IN YOUR DAILY LIFE?
Social media is where I have encountered most marketing campaigns. Catfish
and the Bottlemen released Soundcheck before their second album The
Ride. They created a countdown to this which did create a buzz and
excitement for their fans and new fans. This marketing technique resulted in
the single being very popular. They went on to release '7', 'Twice' and finally
'Glasgow'. For each single the band counted down on social media. This
allowed a mass audience to be aware of their upcoming album. The use of
singles to promote their album meant that many people already new that
they wanted to hear the rest of the album- making them purchase it when it
was released.
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?
The main thing that it comes down to when deciding if I 'like' a band is the
music. If a band produces good music them I will like them pretty much

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automatically. 'Good' music could mean that a song has good lyrics which are
either relatable or just clever. Also if a song has a good beat then it will make
me 'like' it a lot more. However other factors do make me prefer bands over
some others. Personality is a big factor. If an artist or band member's
personality shows that they are a genuine person who actually has a
personality, I am more likely to like their music. This making me want to go to
their gig and buy their albums. Style definitely separates the 'cool' bands
from the others. Stylish clothing/hair makes a band seem a lot more put
together, making their overall image a lot 'cooler'. Catfish and the Bottlemen
have a 'cool' fashion sense. They don't try too hard and they never dress the
same. This allows the four members personalities to come across in their own
style. Van Mcann (lead vocalist) has an infectious personality and singing
voice. This put together with his fashion sense makes the overall band very
popular and 'cooler'. This making fans want to buy their albums and attend
their gigs.

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?
Majority of music videos that I watch are at home. I'm listening to music a lot
of the time when I am at home, therefore I just get YouTube up on my laptop
and watch different videos. I find this entertaining as you get to enjoy the
music as well as watching the video. Music channels on TV are also a way in
which I have watched music videos. I don't tend to do this that often
anymore, however in the past this was the main way that I would watch
music videos. Overall, I watch music videos online at home majority of the
time as it is enjoyable and will help me think of ideas for my own video.

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

MANY FEATURES/ CONVENTIONS OF

OF .

Actors/artists/band members
Instruments
Costume/hair/make up
lighting
Mise-en-scene interior/exterior
Performance

MUSIC

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Colour eg black and white

Narrative
Vocalist/s
Camerawork
Editing

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:

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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,

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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.

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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).

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13

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.

CARRY ME- BOMBAY BICYCLE CLUB

1. Why did you choose the text you are analysing?
I am a big fan of the band and how unique their music videos are. I
thought that this video in particular is very interesting due to the
simplistic style that has been achieved. I thought that there would
be a lot to talk about- which there was.
2. In what context did you encounter it?
I heard about the band from word of mouth and decided to watch
some of their videos on YouTube. That is the way that I came across
the carry me video.
3. What influence do you think this context might have had on
your interpretation of the text?
Due to hearing about the band from a friend, I already knew that
their music must have been good. This made me a fan of their
music/videos straight away.
4. Which conventions of the genre do you recognize in the
text?
The video is largely performance based which is a common
convention for indie music videos. The video follows a simplistic
style which is also common as a lot of bands just have them
performing the song, as they would at a gig.
5. To what extent does this text stretch the conventions of its
genre?
The video doesnt have a lot of narrative throughout it- it is mainly
performance based. A lot of indie videos follow some sort of plot. For
example Catfish and the Bottlemen- Cocoon.
6. Where and why does the text depart from the conventions of
the genre?
The lack of narrative during the text departs the video from the
conventions of the indie genre. Most indie videos have a strong plot
throughout. The Carry Me video does not follow this common
convention.
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)?
I feel that the video was aimed at a younger audience due to the
song itself. The video is appropriate for a vast audience however,
the simplistic style would appeal to a younger audience.
8. What sort of person does it assume you are?
The video assumes that you are an individual that likes a
sophisticated and minimal style. The relationship between the
visuals and music make the video very satisfying to watch- this
bond assumes that you like professional videos.

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9. What assumptions seem to be made about your class, age,

gender and ethnicity?
Not many assumptions seem to be made about class, age, gender
or ethnicity. I think all genders would be associated with this video
and band. The type of music would probably assume that you are in
the younger generation. The indie genre is associated with younger
people in general so therefore this video assumes that you are in
the younger generation.
10.
What interests does it assume you have?
It assumes that you have an interest in music. The video is primarily
performance based and therefore an interest in music is assumed. A
big interest in the bands music is also assumed.
11.
What relevance does the text actually have for you?
I really enjoy listening to the bands music, I think it is quite different
to other indie bands. The video itself is also very unique due to the
minimal style and colour. This interpretation of the indie genre is
quite inspiring for me.
12.
What knowledge does it take for granted?
The relevance of the dancers during the video is vague when the
meaning behind the lyrics is unclear. Due to this I think it assumes
that the audience would understand the meaning behind the lyrics
clearly.
13.
To what extent do you resemble the 'ideal reader' that
the video seeks to position you as?
I love the bands music so therefore I am the ideal reader. However
because of this, I am in a position where I am guaranteed to enjoy
their videos.
14.
Are there any notable shifts in the video's style (and if
so, what do they involve)?
The video stays consistent throughout the whole time. The minimal
style continues throughout the whole video which means that there
arent many notable shifts in style. As the beat gets faster, the
visuals match however the simplistic style still remains.
15.
What responses does the video seem to expect from
you?
The video expects a calm response. The unique minimal style,
including a couple dancing, initiates a calm and tranquil response.
16.
How open to negotiation is your response (are you
invited, instructed or coerced to respond in particular
ways)?
Due to the style of the video, a response isnt guaranteed. It is very
simple so therefore most viewers would respond in the same way.
17.
Is there any penalty for not responding in the expected
ways?

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There is no penalty for responding in a different way- music videos

are there to interpret and respond in the way in which you choose.
18.
To what extent do you find yourself 'reading against
the grain' of the text and the genre?
I do not find myself reading against the grain as I believe that the
music matches the visuals in a straight forward way.
19.
How typical do you think this video is of Music Videos?
It is typical in the sense that it is very minimal and is just
performance based, however because it is so simplistic it is not
typical.
Falling- Haim
1. Why did you choose the text you are analysing?
I choose this text as I love the band and the style of video that
they create. The filter that has been placed over the top of the
Falling video and just the video itself is very inspiring for the style
of video that I desire to create.
2. In what context did you encounter it?
I already knew about the band and had seen their videos on
Youtube.
3. What influence do you think this context might have had
on your interpretation of the text?
As I already knew the bands style and liked their music I may
have been biased towards the video. I might have automatically
liked it.
4. Which conventions of the genre do you recognize in the
text?
The fashion side of the video definitely follows the conventions of
the indie genre. They are wearing casual but cool clothing which
fits the style of music well. The narrative also follows the
common conventions of the indie genre.
5. To what extent does this text stretch the conventions of
its genre?
They havent followed the stereotypical performance side of an
indie video. A lot of indie bands have highly performance based
videos. For example Catfish and the Bottlemen. However Falling
doesnt conform to this style.
6. Where and why does the text depart from the
conventions of the genre?
The video is most narrative which slight aspects of performance.
The lack of performance means that the text departs form the
conventions of the genre.
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)?

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I feel that the video was aimed at a younger audience due to the
style of music that Haim release. This audience is quite typical
for the indie genre as older generations might not enjoy listening
to alternative music as much.
8. What sort of person does it assume you are?
The video assumes that you are quite girly/feminine. This would
be because of the overall look of the video, the filter which has
been placed over the top makes the video seem a lot more
feminine.
9. What assumptions seem to be made about your class,
age, gender and ethnicity?
The video would assume that the audience would mainly be
younger females. This would be because of the overall look of the
video. Most males would find the videos cheesy so therefore
females would stereotypically watch this video. The video doesnt
make any assumptions about class or ethnicity, but
stereotypically the indie genre is liked by white and then eg hip
hop is liked by blacks.
10. What interests does it assume you have?
It would assume that you enjoy chilling out/going on adventures
with your friends. This is shown in the video which is why this
would be assumed. Also a love of the bands music would also be
assumed.
11. What relevance does the text actually have for you?
I love the band and that is my relevance to the video. I would
love to go to a gig of theirs to see them perform this single.
12. What knowledge does it take for granted?
It takes for granted that the audience clearly understand the
lyrics as the visuals dont explain the meaning behind the lyrics.
13. To what extent do you resemble the 'ideal reader' that
the video seeks to position you as?
I am the ideal reader for this video as I fir into Haims target
audience and am a big fan already of their music.
14. Are there any notable shifts in the video's style (and if
so, what do they involve)?
The style stays continuous throughout the video, however the
lighting does change towards the end which makes the
atmosphere seem a lot darker.
15. What responses does the video seem to expect from
you?
I would expect people to respond in a positive way to this video.
It is supposed to make you feel happy and positive.

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16. How open to negotiation is your response (are you

invited, instructed or coerced to respond in particular
ways)?
The video is very happy, the storyline is just about adventure
which would make the audience satisfied and content.
17. Is there any penalty for not responding in the expected
ways?
There is no penalty for not responding in expected ways.
18. To what extent do you find yourself 'reading against
the grain' of the text and the genre?
I do not find myself reading against the grain however
others might as the lyrics arent explained in the visuals.
19. How typical do you think this video is of Music Videos?
I dont think this video is very typical. Its a very stereotypical
Haim video but is still unique to their band.
Houdini- Foster the People
1. Why did you choose the text you are analysing?
I chose this text as I am a fan of the band and found this video
very unique and interesting.
2. In what context did you encounter it?
I was introduced to the band by a friend. After that I was
interested to have a look at some of their videos, which is how
I encountered the text.
3. What influence do you think this context might have
had on your interpretation of the text?
As I already was a fan of the band, I was more likely to like the
video.
4. Which conventions of the genre do you recognize in the
text?
The performance and narrative convention of an indie music
video have been followed in the Houdini video. A lot of indie
bands have a narrative during their video- Foster the People
followed this convention.
5. To what extent does this text stretch the conventions
of its genre?
The narrative is a very strong one which is very unusual. The
actual plot stretches the conventions of the indie genre.
6. Where and why does the text depart from the
conventions of the genre?
The plot for the narrative departs away from the convention of
the genre. It is a very uncommon storyline which has been
been seen before in an indie video.

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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)?
I felt that the video was aimed at a large audience however
mostly the younger generations. Primarily teenagers.
8. What sort of person does it assume you are?
It assumes that you can take a joke and dont take things too
seriously due to the plot of the narrative.
9. What assumptions seem to be made about your class,
age, gender and ethnicity?
When it comes to class, gender and ethnicity I dont think any
assumptions have been made. However I do think the
assumption that the younger generation would watch this
video the most has been made. This being because older
generations may not find the video as entertaining.
10.
What interests does it assume you have?
It assumes that you have an interest in music and going to
gigs due to the plot throughout the video. The assumption
that you enjoy the bands music is also made.
11.
What relevance does the text actually have for
you?
I enjoy the bands music which is the relevance to me.
12.
What knowledge does it take for granted?
The knowledge about knowing what the lyrics actually mean
has been taken for granted as the meaning has not been
explained through the visuals.
13.
To what extent do you resemble the 'ideal reader'
that the video seeks to position you as?
I think I do resemble the ideal reader for the video as I would
fit into the bands target audience as well as already liking
their music.
14.
Are there any notable shifts in the video's style
(and if so, what do they involve)?
There are no notable shifts in style throughout the video.
15.
What responses does the video seem to expect
from you?
I think it expects you to find the video funny as the plot is
quite comical and unusual.
16.
How open to negotiation is your response (are
you invited, instructed or coerced to respond in
particular ways)?
You are invited into the video as an audience is shown. Due to
this your response would be positive.
17.
Is there any penalty for not responding in the
expected ways?

13

There is no penalty for not responding in the expected ways.

18.
To what extent do you find yourself 'reading
against the grain' of the text and the genre?
I do find myself reading against the grain for this video as
the meaning behind the lyrics are not explained through the
visuals. Therefore it is hard to understand what the song
means.
19.
How typical do you think this video is of Music
Videos?
The video is very unusual and not typical at all. The plot is so
different to any other music video, it makes it very unique to the
band.