Our group first contacted the artist through email asking for permission to use the song 'Candles' in our promotional music video. The screen shot below shows this:
After receiving no response from the email sent we decided that it would be better to try and contact her through Facebook which is a platform she often uses to promote her new music. Below is the message sent asking if we could use her song 'Candles':
After not receiving any response from this message also, we have decided to continue to use her music anyway. After these messages were sent we decided that we liked her song 'Gem' more than the song 'Candles' because it had lyrics which we could interpret different meanings for and we also loved the style of her music and had already created some interesting possible narratives and ideas which matched the lyrics. We decided it was not necessary to try to contact the artist again after the song change because it seemed unlikely that the artist would respond to further messages. Rather than having the artist send us the MP3 for the song as there was no communication, I purchased it on iTunes ready to use it later for our music video.
I deconstructed the lyrics of the song and marked where the song started and began. This allows us to create ideas for the song which matched the narrative of the lyrics and will also be very useful while we edit our promotional video. Although the overall length of the song is 5 minutes and 30 seconds, the first 27 seconds is an instrumental drum beat and the last 20 seconds is fading music and silence which we may edit out or use to create a monologue at the end of the song during our editing phase.
1. What basic qualities do you enjoy in a music video?
Becky Boyfield - "I enjoy narrative and performance"
Jessica Shea - "Seeing what stories they come up with"
Mrs Conley - "I like to see a lot of performance, particularly if it's flamboyant"
Georgina Stevens - "It has to be really good recording with proper equipment, so you get a clear image"
Callum Thompson - "If it's entertaining and keeps me wanting to watch it"
Miss Yemc - "Something a bit different...something that I've not seen before...interesting story, interesting visuals"
Kuziva Mutisi - "Something that grabs my attention and is memorable"
Aaron Bailey - "Something that's eye catching and keeps your attention all the way through"
From the responses to question one it is clear that most people want a music video which is going to keep them entertained and is eye catching. A common answer was also that narrative is an important factor which would contribute to how entertaining the video is while the quality and how clear the shots are is also very important. To achieve this my music video will have aspects of both narrative and performance and also have very interesting visuals while also making sure the shots are still of a high quality.
2. What style of music video do you like, narrative or performance?
Becky Boyfield - "Both"
Jessica Shea - "I like both but I think I prefer narrative"
Mrs Conley - "Performance, I don't like it when they have a film in the front with all the talking. I can't stand anything with cartoons in"
Georgina Stevens - "Narrative because I think you can get more into a music video when it's telling a story"
Callum Thompson - "Narrative"
Miss Yemc - "Narrative but possibly a mixture of both. A purely performance one wouldn't interest me"
Kuziva Mutisi - "Performance"
Aaron Bailey - "Narrative
The most common answer to this question was narrative however many people also responded that having both narrative and performance in a music video is very effective. Although two people preferred only performance based videos, the conclusion can be drawn that a music video with both performance and narrative caters to everyones taste and can be very effective.
3. When you think of the indie genre, what comes to mind?
Becky Boyfield - "Acoustic guitars and a country side, homely location"
Jessica Shea - "Quite laid back and relaxing"
Mrs Conley - "The Stone Roses"
Georgina Stevens - "Small scale bands, so things like 'The Little Comets' and 'The Foals' that progress into a more mainstream style"
Callum Thompson - "Alternative rock and stuff people don't normally listen to"
Miss Yemc - "Something a bit different, so an interesting visual style, something memorable, something that I've not seen before"
Kuziva Mutisi - "A lot of guitars, very bright and creative"
Aaron Bailey - "More casual than most genres, lots of guitars"
From the responses to question three it is clear that people believe the indie genre is very unique and different compared to other niche genres. Many answers were that indie is a humble genre in which the artists have a link to their upbringing or past while also being relatable and accessible to a range of people, indicated by words such as 'homely location', 'small scale bands' and 'laid back and relaxing'. Acoustic instruments were also a favourable answer, particularly guitars. It is clear from the range of answers that the indie genre means something different to different people as there are so many sub-genres and hybrid genres within it. To use this information in my music video I will use a variation of aspects from the different answers to touch on different forms of the indie genre.
4. How do you usually discover your music, print or web?
Becky Boyfield - "The web, on YouTube"
Jessica Shea - "Usually on the web, so on Youtube"
Mrs Conley - "Never print...there's a really good website called 'Bandcamp where you can explore new music videos and artists and music festivals"
Georgina Stevens - "Mostly the web"
Callum Thompson - "Online"
Miss Yemc - "Definitely the web"
Kuziva Mutisi - "Web"
Aaron Bailey - "Web"
It is quite clear from the answers that the most favourable method of discovering music is the web and most notably YouTube. With this in mind, the digipak we create will be digitally based while the music video will be uploaded to YouTube.
5. What's your favourite music genre?
Becky Boyfield - "Indie or Alternative"
Jessica Shea - "Mostly pop, a bit of rock as well"
Mrs Conley - "Rock and a bit pop"
Georgina Stevens - "Indie"
Callum Thompson - "Classic Rock"
Miss Yemc - "Dance Music, electronic and indie a little bit"
Kuziva Mutisi - "R&B"
Aaron Bailey - "Indie"
The range of answers highlights the variety of people questioned by us however the indie genre was mentioned by three different people suggesting its growth in interest in recent times.
The artist we have chosen to use for our promotional music video is Natalie Lungley, whosemusical style is indie or alternative. Genre is defined by the conventions of the music such as rhythm and tone as well as the songs themes and lyrics. There are many musical sub-genres such as for Rock music e.g. punk rock and alternative rock. However there are also hybrid genres which combine two existing genres together such as indie rock.
The band Nirvana, an inspiration for Natalie Lungley
in her formative years
The genre of indie music covers a wide range of styles and concepts because it is 'independent music'. This means that the main reason for an artist being considered 'indie' is because their music is very unique and unusual making it difficult to place into regular niche category (such as 'Pop'/'Rock'/'Hip-Hop' etc).
The term 'indie' traditionally refers to independent art (music/film/literature or anything that fits under the broad banner of culture) created outside of the mainstream and without corporate financing. Generally indie music artists are inspired by folk music or singer/songwriters and many have been inspired by the likes of Elvis Presley and The Beatles who began to not conform to the normalities of the 50s and 60s and became more independent artists. In terms of more modern artists, many indie artists are inspired by the likes of Nirvana, The Kooks and Florence & The Machine. Lana Del Rey is an alternative artist who has drawn inspiration from artists such as Amy Winehouse as well as having a fascination with old Hollywood which has moulded her unique style with elements comparable to Marilyn Monroe. For example the image below shows Marilyn Monroe during her famous beach photoshoot and one of Lana Del Rey's music videos 'Blue Jeans':
The selling point of an indie artist is their individuality. If their songs are easily recognisable as one of their own because it is distinctive and has unusual content then they are a successful indie artist. The alternative and indie genre has emerged recently as a combination of many different musical styles and genres and has rapidly grown in popularity in the last few years. The target audience for indie artists is usually very particular and includes people who prefer not to listen to mainstream and chart music because it can be thought to all be very similar and not have deeper meanings. This is a key concept for indie/alternative music because the lyrics are usually formed from personal experience and contain ambiguous meanings or metaphors as well as strong emotive lyrics. This creates an artist who an audience feels they can understand and attracts an audience who is different from that of mainstream music as these artists tend to be seen as 'untouchable' and their music generic. Indie rock & indie pop artist St. Vincent believes that artists should 'forget the idea of making money out of albums' and concentrate on the messages and quality of the music they are creating.
Indie rock & indie pop artist St. Vincent
The audience age for indie music is usually mid-teens and above because they relate to the unique looks indie artists have and take inspiration from them while also relating to the way indie artists have strong opinions and generally rebel against higher powers. The target audience gender for indie music is usually both genders depending on the artist. For example Arctic Monkeys and The Beatles have an audience who are equally male and female stereotypically males being fans for the music and females more for the members of the band. However indie/alternative artists such as Florence & The Machine and Lana Del Rey have an audience of more females because of the themes of their music and their fashion influences. The background and class of indie music listeners tend to be of a lower class and a humble background due to the themes and lyrics being from the personal experience of the artist who is usually of low class themselves as they are signed independently and not with a major record label. The video below is of the indie artist Birdy performing the song 'Wings':
Indie music generally uses acoustic instruments and are more slow and meaningful in their sound. The sound evokes strong emotion, sometimes being nostalgic for the audience. It can create a sense of synaesthesia when the sound of the music creates a mental image. Alternative music is similar however the instruments used are more varied and has a sound relating to rock music using instruments such as an electric guitar. Lana Del Rey is an example of an alternative artist who uses a variation of alternative pop and alternative rock music too.
A key indie/alternative artist from the last decade is Nirvana. Usually indie and alternative music does not amass much popularity on mainstream radio or TV because the songs do not appeal the masses compared to how mainstream pop music and R&B does. Nirvana is an exception of this with their breakthrough album 'Nevermind' soaring to the top of the charts in the 90s with arguably their most well known songs 'Smells Like Teen Spirit' and 'Come As You Are'. This created a turning point for alternative music and allowed many more artists to be recognised by the mainstream scene which resulted in greater popularity. From then onwards, indie music expanded to cover a range of different music styles from dance to folk with every artist maintaining individuality and a certain unusual edge to their music.
Florence & The Machine is an example of an indie artist with sub-genres tied into some of her music such as indie pop and indie rock. She debuted in 2007 and has remained a popular indie artist since. Her music is a perfect example of how indie artists use metaphors and ambiguity in their lyrics. The song 'Ship To Wreck' which opens her 2015 album 'How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful' begins with the lines 'Don't touch the sleeping pills, they mess with my head' which many believe is Florence explaining that in this new album she is pure and adulterated much like how many perceive the indie genre compared to mainstream music. All of her songs contain intricate lyrics which express her emotions and they are very open which is a key convention for indie music. Natalie Lungley is very similar to Florence in this way and falls into the indie genre through her emotional and metaphorical lyrics and her unique melancholic sound.
Florence & The Machine - Ship To Wreck (Music video)
The appearance of an indie artist varies greatly due to one of the conventions of an indie artist being that they have something unique which separates them visually and aurally from other artists. Usually indie artists dress in a casual way and without any costumes or extravagant makeup as associated with the pop or rock genre. Some indie artists may follow the latest fashions or choose a decade as the influence for their style as that would just be their preference because in modern terms an indie artist in an artist who is producing music independently from major record labels because they are quirky or unique in some way. Below are examples of indie artists album covers and styles:
Arctic Monkeys:
Arctic monkeys are an English rock band whose much style alternates between indie rock and psychadelic rock. Their band style as whole is influenced by the 50s decade which visually makes them unique. The album cover on the right hand side is their first album titled 'Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not'. This album cover represents their musics 'grittiness' and imperfect nature as the black and white filter makes the image less clear while the man on the front of the album is smoking a cigarette which seems quite casual and careless. A Scottish health official said the photo 'reinforces the idea that smoking is okay' to which the bands product manager replied, "You can see from the image smoking is not doing him the world of good". This and the bands title shows that the band is rebelling against those of a higher power and has their own opinion which is a convention of traditional indie artists.
Regina Spektor:
Regina Spektor is an American singer-songwriter and pianist and her music alternates between indie folk and indie pop. Her style is influenced by the 60s and 70s which is what makes her a visually memorable indie artist. The look of an indie artist is very important as not being signed by a major record label company means they need to make themselves noticed and memorable to the audience. Regina Spektor's album cover is very impressionable and the hat she is wearing is a fashion piece inspired by 1960s pillbox hats and army hat detailing. The albums title 'What We Saw From The Cheap Seats' also relates to the conventions of indie music because it rejects the mainstream artist stereotype of being untouchable and instead relates to the audience due to the word 'cheap' indicating that she could not afford good seats for a show.
The above examples suggest that indie music artists are heavily influenced by past fashions and music styles and use intertextuality in their work often.
Below is a 'Prezi' analysing indie artist Lana Del Rey's promotional music video 'Summertime Sadness' and linking it to the indie genre:
The name of the artist we have chosen is Natalie Lungley who is an unsigned artist and the song which we have chosen to create a promotional music video for is 'Gems':
Biography of Natalie Lungley
Natalie Lungley grew up in South London
She developed a passion for photography wanted to capture the magic she found in nature
She always had a passion for music, listening from artists from Fiona Apple to Deftones
Her singer/songwriter and producer brother Matt discovered her talent after hearing her singing in her bedroom
Natalie and Matt have started writing and arranging together and have now had over 6 million views so far with a worldwide fan base with their covers and unique original songs
The Seattle grunge scene led by Nirvana was a major influence on her formative years, as well as bands like The Smashing Pumpkins and Pixies
She is currently working on an unreleased debut album and she also co-wrote 'Broken You' one of the songs on the new James Walsh album
Why we chose Natalie Lungley and the track 'Gems'
Lana Del Rey's 'Summertime Sadness'
Our group is extremely interested in the artist Lana Del Rey and came across Natalie Lungley by looking at YouTube videos of unsigned artists covering Lana Del Rey songs. Natalie has posted videos on her YouTube channel covering songs such as 'Born To Die' and 'Videogames' and we liked the similarity to the melancholic and haunting voice which Lana Del Rey possesses. Our group was inspired by the video 'Summertime Sadness' by Lana Del Rey and after listening to some of Natalie Lungley's original songs, we could imagine an original and unique music video for her song 'Gems' created by us with twists of Lana Del Rey's homemade video style. The strong filters and colour patches such as in the video 'Summertime Sadness' are inspiring to us and suit the dark and haunting style of Natalie Lungley's original songs.
Musical Genre, Artist Image and Audience
The music genre which Natalie Lungley belongs to is indie however her music sounds much darker and melancholic than most popular music. The rhythm is very much the same during the track 'Gems' however you can hear the changes in her voice while she sings and the tone of the music is very serious and pensive. The lyrics could reflect an abusive relationship with the line, 'The blood dries in your hair, we were all so unaware', and the line, 'No they don't want you, beware the ones with poisoned minds' could equally represent a man or woman who was not really loved by their abusive partners. The image which Natalie Lungley presents greatly reflects the introspective and somber tone of her music with all of her videos being in black and white, while the EP she released has album art of her name in a typography which is floral and reflects nature and the green underlining of her name reflects this also. This relates to her interest in photography and capturing the beauty in nature mentioned in her biography above. The audience for Natalie Lungley's music spans from mid-teens to thirty years old and can be attractive to both males and females due to the lyrics being interpretational and the sound being very unique and not placable in a niche category.
Below is a video I created about the target audience for Natalie Lungley's music:
Artists name is very large and dominant which is important as it catches attention of audience and current fans
The album name is also prominent but stands out less than the artists name
A clear image of the artist to attract an audience who may have seen an interview or past albums of the artist and then wants their new album
The is synergy between the new album and the advert e.g. typography/colours/artists pose or stance which means that fans of the artist can recognise the album in shops easily if they have seen an advert in a magazine
Website of the artist so the audience can find out more about them and previous albums released/tour dates etc
The release date of the new album or single so that the target audience can buy it on the day of release (possibly setting records for the artist such as 'biggest number of singles sold on day of release')
Any singles previously released are advertised on the advert for the album so that it encourages an audience to buy the album if they liked one of the singles
Other websites of the record label company and places the album or single can be bought or pre-ordered
The record label logo is usually in a corner so that the audience can recognise the artist is signed to a good and successful company
The first image above shows a Music Magazine Advert of Olly Murs' album 'Right Place Right Time' compared to the second image of a Film Magazine Advert of the movie 'Bad Neighbours'. One of the big differences between the two adverts is that the music advert has the artists name very dominantly at the top of the advert, because an audience buys music for the artist, whereas the albums name is smaller. However the movie advert has the name of the film as the largest writing on the advert and the actors in the film in smaller writing above it. This is because the advert is selling the film and not the actors however the producers know that some people will go to watch a film because their favourite actor is in it so the names are still an important inclusion. Both adverts include when the product is going to be released as this is very important so that the audience can buy the product as soon as possible to create records and figures for the companies and it also creates buzz and excitement leading up to the product release. Both products use synergy with the typography and colours so that all the advertisements and products are recognisable to the audience.
Olly Murs 'Right Place Right Time Album' and Bad Neighbours DVD case and disc:
Both adverts use a similar technique to attract an audience. The Olly Murs advert uses examples of singles to attract buyers who like one or two songs he has brought out and then are persuaded to buy his whole album because of this. The 'Bad Neighbours' advert uses a star rating and quotes from critics to attract an audience and let the audience know that it is a great film to go and watch. In a similar way to the Olly Murs advert naming singles which suggests the albums musical tone or themes, the movie advert also has a catchline saying "The Battle For The Street Begins" which gives the audience an idea of the films plot and intrigues the audience.
Intertextuality is when a media text references another media text. It can be used to create pleasure for the audience at recognising the reference as it privileges them because they are 'in on the joke' while it can also create a nostalgic effect for the audience. It can be used as both a serious or humorous effect. Intertextuality is reflected in the fluidity of genre boundaries and the blurring of genres.
This image is referencing the white rabbit from the book 'Alice's Adventures in Wonderland' by Lewis Carroll.
This screen shot above references the Metro-Goldwyn-Meyer trademark lion however it is replaced with Robbie Williams wearing the white rabbit costume for comical effect.
Both screenshots above and below are from Taylor Swift's music video 'Love Story'. The screen shot above is inspired by the Shakespeare play 'Romeo & Juliet' as shown by the costume and also the storyline of two lovers forbidden to be together by their families is also a intertextual reference from Romeo and Juliet. The music video uses a modern day storyline in some sections (shown by the screen shot below) to contrast the 1500s mine-en-scene.
This music video was inspired by the 1953 film 'Gentlemen Prefer Blondes' which featured Marilyn Monroe:
The whole music video is a homage to the film mostly obvious from the strong miss-en-scene links. The red setting, the men in tuxedos, the blonde hair, the hot pink dress and the abundance of diamonds. The intertextual link is mostly used to express that Madonna is a 'material girl' due to her seductive nature which she uses to get men to buy her jewellery.
Music is categorised into genres based on their sound, lyrics, music-beat and their image
Artists can be defined by one genre or my many which creates 'sub-genres' e.g. Alternative Rock
Three popular genres of music are Rock, Pop and Hip-hop
Rock conventions:
Mostly use performance shots or sometimes videos can use disjuncture
Themes of instruments used include electric guitars/drums which make strong/loud sound
Their lyrics tend to be meaningful however are based on modern concepts
Dark lighting/colours/clothing are commonly used which represents the tone, mood, atmosphere and content of the artists music and the colour red or religious imagery is commonly used
An example of a rock music video which follows conventions is: Nirvana - 'Heart-Shaped Box'
Pop conventions:
Music videos range from performance, amplification, illustration and disjuncture
Quirky outfits or the latest fashions are worn as well as bright and eye-catching colours
Videos are commonly choreographed, especially those of boy bands and girl bands
Locations can also range widely but are commonly urban
An example of a pop music video is: Ariana Grande - 'Problem'
Hip-hop conventions:
Mostly use performance, amplification or illustration in videos
Videos show wealth by promoting cars, fashion and objectifying women
Darker lighting is common is some videos which are about darker themes however Hip-hop videos about aspiration are commonly filmed on beaches or mansions and places of wealth
An example of a Hip-hop music video is: Jay-Z - 'Dirt off your shoulder'
The different styles of music videos can be summed up using Andrew Goodwin's theory suggests that music promos can interpret or use meaning created in song lyrics in different ways:
Illustration: illustrates the idea of narrative in song lyrics e.g. Eminem - 'Stan'
Amplification: Uses a key idea/image from lyrics and develops into a concepts within the promo. A link remains between the lyric and the promo e.g. Beyonce - 'Grown Woman'
Disjuncture: The promo bears no resemblance to the lyric or it's meaning; abstract, often seen as unconventional/ 'arty' videos; creates a new range of meaning for the song e.g. Franz Ferdinand - 'Can't Stop Feeling'
However there are three other ways a music video can be 'styled':
Performance - This can be when an artist is shown on stage performing their song with a band or it could be when an artist is 'acting' but miming the lyrics to the song. A good example of performance without a band or instruments is Jordin Sparks & Chris Brown - 'No Air'
Narrative - This is very similar to illustration as the music video uses a narrative, usually conforming to Todorov's theory of narrative to express the meaning behind the songs lyrics and feeling. A good example of a music video using narrative isGoldfrapp - Jowhich is from the murderers point of view as they stalk and kill a woman named Jo
Concept - This is similar to disjuncture as it is based around a single idea which is unusual or obscure. It will also attract a wide audience and the video will make the audience constantly look at the unusual images on the screen. A good example of a conceptual video is Red Hot Chilli Peppers - 'Otherside'
Music videos include many long shots, close ups and mid shots which allow the artist to be shown consistently and shows their emotions to add tone to the song; it also adds interest of the surroundings.
Camera Movement
The camera movement usually tracks the artist or band while they move and usually uses crane, tracking, pans and tilts for a variety of shots which change on screen and keep the audience interested. The music video 'Skyscraper' by Demi Lovato uses many different camera shots such as long shot, close up and mid shot while also being a good example of camera movement such as crane shots, pans, zoom in and tracking shots:
Mise-en-scene
This is the arrangement of the artist/band and props on stage or a scene and also includes technical aspects such as the make up, costume and lighting. Mies-En-Scene is extremely important as it all adds to the tone and understanding of a song and the video. For example a black and white video may create a dreamlike idillic atmosphere or could equally be used to create tension and a dark mood while props are essential in music videos that use amplification or a conceptual style to maintain understanding for the audience. An example of strong mise-en-scene is Lady Gaga's - 'Applause' as it demonstrates wacky costumes, dance numbers and artistic settings demonstrating her artistic and performing nature that links to the songs name 'Applause' which follows her performances:
Editing
The shot most commonly used in music videos is a jump cut because it allows the shots to follow each other swiftly and in time with the music however other editing transitions such as fade or dissolve are also used depending on the songs beat and the emotions the artist is aiming for the audience to feel. The song 'Girls and Boys' by Blur demonstrates cutting to the beat well:
Other conventions of music videos:
Most music videos contain either performance clips or conceptual clips (narrative/artistic) or both
Usually the performer is shown in one or more settings with instruments or a band
Performance settings usually include concerts or smaller gigs, household settings, streets/bedrooms or an artistic background
Narrative clips usually have a visual story that is easy to follow
