Macenzie Collins
RESEARCH
Qustionnaire
Results of questionnaire
The reason for listening to music can vary for different people. This question can help with the production of our music video as we can change and alter aspects to suit the most popular reason for watching music videos. In this case the favorited answer was escapism. Escapism, is way for people to relax and enter a world of imagination which denotes a narrative or performance based video would be best for this. These types of videos are also massively entertainment based which suits the second most popular answer.
The genre of music is an important aspect for someone's enjoyment of a song. The most popular answer was pop. This was expected as pop is the most mainstream genre and is consumed by everyone on a daily basis whether this be on the radio, in shops or music streaming services. The next most popular answer was indie which is a genre that is quite close to pop but is usually not seen in the charts and are not as well know as the great pop hits.
The most popular music video that people enjoy the most is narrative. A narrative video easily connotes a story linking back to the main reasoning for people watching music videos being escapism. A story being told with in music video can be emotive for the consumers creating escapism from the society they live in. It can also create entertainment as that is the main value for music videos as well as promoting their song.
Research into Genre
Indie Rock is an alternative rock genre that originated from America as well as the united kingdom in the 1980's. Indie rock is very diverse genre and is often crossed over with the alternative genre. During the mid 80's 'indie' was used to describe the music produced by punk and pop punk labels however, in the 90's punk/urban bands broke into the mainstream sectre which therefore was contradictory of the original meaning of 'alternative and 'indie'. These terns were used to describe something that was the outsider or something that wasn't deemed popular or mainstream. The term 'indie rock' was associated with bands that stayed with an independent label however, in the 2000's the progression/development of the internet as well as the change in the music industry it meant that indie groups were achieve a whole new level of success.
Does the genre/artist have any sub genres?
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With the genre being indie rock this means there are many different genres that can be coordinated into the main aspect of the artist or song. With the ‘imagine Dragons’ who sang ‘walking the wire’ they are mainly classed as indie rock however different songs such as demons come under the pop category as well. As well as this some of their songs have ended up in the main stream charts which goes against the concept of ‘indie’. They can also be classed as alternative which is closely linked with the indie genre.
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Could their musical style have been born out of a previous subculture?
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The style of their music very much intertwines with the solid rock genre as a whole and pop however they do not fit into either individually, which makes them a hybrid group of indie and rock. Through researching the band I have found that have previously been known or still can be considers as alternative rock, pop rock, indie pop and electro pop.
This is an example of an indie rock band in the 80s/90s to compare the a current indie rock band ‘Imagine Dragons’. As you can see, the image of the artist isn’t that different with dark clothing being a major element in the rock genre especially as well as the long hair that can be seen on one of the band members from the imagine dragons and all from the other. With this image being in black and white it denotes that is older however, when researching images of the imagine dragons a lot of these were also in black and white as this is a common convention that can be seen throughout the indie rock genre.
Another similarity between the present and past indie rock band is the use of facial expression. Both images portray a band with a bleak unenthusiastic expression however, the tone and tempo of indie rock music contrasts this completely. The use of different back grounds denote the progression in editing skills and software. For example, the band have been edited onto a flat black/purple toned background making the image appear professional and slick however, the other image that uses a natural background of wood gives it a more authentic and vintage feel denoting the older generation of indie rock.
CD and Digi packs
Cds and Digi packs both have elements which make the different from the other. A cd is usually made from plastic or acrylic and holds just one disc where as a digi pack is made out of a sustainable material usually consisting of cardboard however, it lasts longer than a plastic cd case as these can easily snap and break. Digi packs have multiple compartments which can carry more than one cd. An example of these in use could be for an artist who has had multiple albums but are releasing them again in one set or a musical trilogy that are releasing the songs used in each movie on cd for example High School Musical did this with their three films as they had a mass fan base and would make profit from the consumption. They also have more space for small booklets that can have additional advertisements for the artist or films as well as lyrics.
Artist Image
The artist is very reliant on appearance as it acts as an element towards their overall branding. For example, an artist like ‘Miley Cyrus’ doesn’t dress to conform to society but instead dresses in ‘out there’ clothing which is deemed a bit crazy and different. Although this isn’t what the average person would associate with it still has successfully become part of her brand. The artist I have created is male in gender and will be primarily dressed in very chic but rock/pop. This would involve ripped skinny jeans accompanied with a flannel shirt, boots and some sort of chain accessory. Of course this idealistic image would change and progress over the years however this would be the basis to the artists aesthetic. In addition to clothing, he will also have one ear piercing as well as tattoos however, not drastic for example a whole sleeve. As well as the visual image of the artist they will also have qualities and hobbies that are noticed and identified by consumers through their use of social media. Primarily this would be Instagram where they would share pictures of their travels as well as photography from tours. Another social media platform which would be used profusely is snap chat which will allow them to share in quick snippets what they were doing at that present time which therefore creates engagement with fans/consumers. A lot of what would be documented by social media would be social events i.e. going to awards, meals, nights out and red carpet events. This therefor would give them the party/social image which is very much associated with the indie/pop genre. This can be seen through present indie artists for example the band Imagine Dragons. Through researching this artist I have found that they use social media a lot as this is where the main consumer interacts and finds information. Therefore the artist I have created will use this platform to share the party/social image.
Here's a visual representation of artist image.
Potential artist name
Instead of using the name of the artist that is singing the song I am using in the music video I am coming up with a new one to compliment the image of the artist I have already created. ‘Imagine dragons’ is the original name for the band, the name originated from an anagram of their previous name however they are very secretive over why they are called what they are . Another band similar to Imagine dragons is Bastille who’s name derives from ‘Bastille day’ which is celebrated on the 14th of July the date of Smiths (lead vocalist) birthday. Every artists name has a story or reason behind them which makes It hard to come up with something that is innovative as well as original.
The Avenue
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Awakening
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TST
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Goodwins - Narrative theory
Abstract
Narrative
This narrative video uses a traditional title frame to introduce the video as well as who is involved for example, 'A Jonas Akerlund film'. The video is being referred to as a film as it follows a strong narrative as well as the aesthetic and representation of the film denoting it being set in an older era. A sans serif font has been used for the text which goes against the conventions of an indie rock genre video. Usually, a more innovative and bold typeface would be used however, because of the music video being set in a different time they have therefore used text that goes with the outlook of the video.
All clips throughout the music video are in black and white which through research of similar music videos I have found this is a regular convention that can be seen in indie/rock music videos. This technique has been used to heighten the atmosphere and aesthetic of the music video with it being set further back in history. The use of black co notates death and solidarity however this is contrasted by the use of a white dove on the title frame used to introduce the video. With the symbolism of a dove being purity and freedom this goes against the conventions of a black and white music video as these are usually seen when the narrative surrounds the idea of war or death.
The establishing shot, uses a medium wide shot giving a clear view of the main setting used through out the video. With in this frame, the magicians stage is positioned with in the second third denoting the main focus of the clip as well as including the magician and the magicians assistant. The gender roles of both of these characters goes against the stereotypical perception of magicians and their assistants. Instead the roles are reversed with the woman being the main entertainer with the man being used to create a sense of 'male gaze' instead of the traditional female gaze that is used regularly in music videos.
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Two medium close up shots were used harmoniously to denote the emotion of the two main protagonists in the narrative. Both the man and female share the same expression, with this being very emotionless and calm. This suggests the narrative surrounds an idea of sadness or expressionless which is later denoted through the new equilibrium nearing the end of the narrative with both of them gaining a sence of freedom both in different ways.
Throughout the video there are many clips denoting magic tricks both them being practised and being performed to an audience. This connotes a progression Is going to take place somewhere with in the video. In this case the progression from practising to putting them into context is denoted through the male magician getting rid of the 'villain' using magic that he is seen through out the video practising.
The use of a close up on the top of her arm showing the bruises which were created using special effects make up to denoted the suspected narrative that's is suggested to the audience. The shots then progress from close up to medium shots to long shots to denote her gaining freedom from her abusive relationship. The birds eye view shot used near the end is sued a s a symbolism for freedom as it links to the dove which denotes freedom and peace. This is link with the sh shot of the man being flown away suggesting the peace has been restored.
Performance
Ancillary Analysis
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Above is a set from the same band. It includes, a poster, website and Digi pack. I wanted to ensure I had one complete set when analysing as I wanted to be able to compare the impact of a singular product compared to them all together. This gave me the opportunity to see how all three products have to be able to fit together but also how one product from a set can stand alone and be just as effective.
