Research into codes and conventions of relevent genre to my music video (Indie Rock)

Through numerous amounts of research into my music video’s genre of Indie Rock I have noted a number of codes and conventions throughout the genre, followed by most bands however like anything they are on occasion also subverted which is to be expected. For example in cinematography I have found it common that the shots used often feature the band with empathises on the lead singer.

You can denote this in the picture below of the Arctic Monkeys performing ‘I bet you look good on the dance floor’. They used a close up on the lead singer (Alex Turner) connoting his dominance while we can just about see the drummer over his shoulder. Focussing on the lead singer is also a common trait I have noticed while watching and analyzing indie rock bands.

Another convention of Indie Rock music video’s is that bands often make performance  video’s however it is not unheard of  for an conceptual video to be made, a good example of this is another Arctic monkey’s song titled ‘fluorescent adolescent’. While the music video is conceptual at parts the song lyrics are amplified through the on screen actions for example the song is about the past and during the video it cuts back to two old friends and how they used to be.

Indie Rock videos also tend to stick to basic but effective shot types as they are mostly used so the audience can denote the band instead of other music video’s with narratives that try to evoke emotion from the spectators. The shot types used across the Indie Rock genre consists of mainly close ups, mid shots, wide angle shots and panning shots moving across the band.

Throughout this research I have also noticed some codes and conventions within the editing of Indie Rock music videos. Indie Rock songs often have a change of pace during the tracks which enable a mixture of fast and slow pace editing to match the tracks tempo, this helps to keep the audience interested in the video and offers play-back ability as the audience may not notice everything the first time round. Another trait of editing within the Indie Rock genre videos is that the camera happens to cut between shots frequently keeping the audience entertained.

The mise en scene conventions of Indie Rock are probably the least challenged as this micro aspect offers the look and identity of the band. For example Indie Rock bands are known for casual clothing with limited costume changes during their videos normally numbering zero.

Another convention of Indie Rock videos is the use of low key lighting creating shadows. This creates a sense of enigma for the audience and also connotes them being isolated from other music genre’s it also connotes them as being different from your typical boy band.  This is also a convention of Indie Rock music to stand out and be different from other mainstream genres.

Props also play an important role in Indie Rock videos as the band member are commonly seen playing their instruments while and not to do so would subvert the audience expectations. A reason why Indie Rock bands like to be seen playing their instruments is because is connotes them as being real musicians instead of industry made stars who offer none to limited musical talent.

While it is common for these videos to offer a number of locations, conventionally the bands are only seen performing in one location however this changes depending on the actually video. They are also typically made on low budgets which links back to the idea of them being independent (“indie”) and different from the big labels however since the 00’s a number of bands have crossed over to the majors with the increase in internet helping their exposure, the first most notably band to do this was the Arctic Monkeys.

Gender Representation in Music video's - Keri Hilson,The you love me

How do the representations conform or subvert typical gender representations : 

In this video Keri Hilson conforms to gender stereotypes through a number of different shot types for example at 4:12 in the video there is a mid shot used on Keri where you denote her licking her lips and also her upper torso as she's wearing a revealing costume exposing her breast, this connotes her as being a sexual object through her provocative costume and dance routine.

Another time this can be denoted in the video is during her dance routine at 1:29 in the video as she uses a suggestive stance while also rubbing her body this links to her lyrics at the time, 'The way you love me you got me going crazy'. This shows her in a passive light sugesting that she needs Male love or attention which connotes her being inferior to males a common stereotype in music videos.

However at times through this video Keri Hilson subverts some stereotypes of females in modern music video's, a good example of this is during the opening sequence to the video at 0:06. Here she is denoted as being dominant and powerful through the establishing shot of the room, you can denote this because of her being between the camera's power points but also through her body composition as she has her legs resting upon guns on the top of the table. You can also denote her dominance in this shot as all the other characters are withtin the shadows, most notably the one male character Al Jamal in the foreground.

The stereotype of women being inferior in music video's is subverted again at 5:28. In this shot two women are not only holding but pointing guns at Rick Ross the featuring artist on this single. This subverts their stereotype because guns connote masculinity and their expected to be feminine because of their sex, it also connotes authority which is also normally a male role.

How are the Micro/technical aspects used to create the representations :

The micro elements such as cinematography and mise en scene in this video are used stereotypically portraying Keri Hilson as passive and inferrior.

For example throughout the video there are a number of close ups on her body, you can denote this at 4:40 this close up of her legs panning up her body, this connotes her as being a sexual object. A common representation for women in R&B and Hip Hop video's.

Another way the music video director has created representation is through the mise en scene used in the video with specific reference to Keri Hilson's and the rest of the dancers costumes. They wear short, sexually provocative outfits conforming to the typical expectations of a music video.

Can you apply the theories of The Male Gaze or female gaze ?

You can apply elements of The Male Gaze and Sexual Objectiontification theory by Laura Mulvey ,1975. However there are valid points to argue agaisnt it at the same time. For example the difinition of Voyeurism is the erotic pleasures gained from looking at a sexual object who is unaware of being watched, while people may gain erotic pleasures from watching this video Keri Hilson knows she is being watched as a large part of the video is of her dance routine. On the other hand the presence of the other women besides Keri Hilson in the music video is solely for display purpose as they do not play a part in the small narrative of the video. Another point that conforms to the theory is that the females on display in the video are passive and objectified but in the same video they are also shown as strong and dominant which subverts stereotypes of women in music video's. Another point that goes agaisnt the theory is the Voyeuristic treatment of the female body in 'male' videos, the reason this goes agaisnt the theory for this video is because its a females video which only features a male artist as a side act. While this video conforms to the basic ideas of the Male Gaze theory you cannot apply it because its based around Male video's and this is Keri Hilson's video who is female but you can agree it has correct criteria to fit into this theory.

What genre is the video and how does the representation alter due to this ?

What is the star persona of the artist ? 

In this video we see Keri Hilson in two ways one being a strong women subverting stereotypes for instance at the beginning of the video and the other side of being passive and inferior to males throughout the majority of the video. Overall i would say she conforms to the stereotypes of women in music video's as she only subverts stereotypes when she's with her partners or 'bad bitches' as she put it, suggesting she can only be strong and seem superior with back up.

Intertextuality Study - Blink 182,All the small things

Blink182's ' music video 'All The Small Things' is a parody of a number of pop music videos of the time most notably boy bands such as the Backstreet Boys,NSYNC and westlife but also other popular pop genre artists of the time such as Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera. The difference between a Parody and a Pastiche is a parody is a imitation that mocks.

The band were well known for their humour and this is shown through this music video, while this video is a paraody the bands mocking style is critically acclaimed, with them winning several awards for the video, connoting that the parody was popular and liked at the time. It also appealled to their audience as they are stereotypically opposed to the audience of boy bands.

The whole mise en scene in this video is taken from various other artists and twisted into it being funny, through the bands winks and looks to the camera you can denote it's not meant to be taken seriously and also allows the audience to feel a a part of the joke.

• In these two pictues you can see the imitation through the costume used as Blink 182(Left) our wearing the same as Nsync(Right) was. This is just one example of the parody but it continues throughout the whole video.

Intertextuality Study -Robbie williams,Let me entertain you

 The key intertextual reference in this video is to the rock band Kiss, particularly with Robbie referencing the style of their lead artist Gene Simmons.
This is achieved through mirroing different aspects for example their Dress code of sequins, lycra, black and white colour scheme and boots another way Robbie imitated them was by using their iconic face make-up style of white face with black lips and eyes he also copied the Hairstyle of being big and hairsprayed.
 
Lead performance style and facial expressions also added to the references towards Kiss you can denote this through numerous close ups during the music video, a good example of this is the first shot used as it connotes our stereotypes of Kiss and instantly reminds us of them while subverting our ideas on Robbie this will broaded his fan base as he's branching out into other styles another example of his reference to them is the used of 'Flying V guitars' which was often was opted style used by Kiss.

These references change the predicted audience of the video as it attracts male,masculine rock fans over the previous target audience of Robbie Williams which consisted prodominantly of teenage girls and young womenand other pop fans.
Therefore, this music video broadens his image and identity from mainstream pop singer to someone who experiments with style and isn't just a tool of a major label.

• You can easily see the references between Robbie on the left and Gene Simmons on the right in these two photo's. Another obvious comparsion used which i didn't mention earlier is having the chest area showing which you can denote in both pictures.

Types of Music video: Conceptutal



Cinematography: For cinematography there is a variety of shot types in this video which makes it intertesting as the shot being used it forever changing keeping us focused on the video. For example there is a lot of close ups and long shots on the puppets from numerous angles, this gives the video a sense of identity as its like watching a real gig another strong element of the cinematography is it kept cutting away from the performance to see the reaction from the audience with there facial expressions often confirming how we feel ourselfs as the video is very conceptutal and hadn't really been done before.

Editing : A lot of editing has gone into this video

mise en scene :

This video is set within a villages pub with the performance coming from a punch and judy stand which the children are watching. A number of props are used throughout the performance given by the puppet version of coldplay for example at 4:13 with the use of the helicopter however a lot of props are still used outside of this with all the rooms interrior plus food and added table,chairs etc. For costume however there isn't a single change between the characters on the other hand the costume their using is very detailed and looks good

Relationship between the music and the type of video :

Firstly the lyrics themselves contradict each other as at first they sing ' There's a cold world coming...baby its a violent world' but later sing 'every road is a ray of light' followed by singing  'still its a beautiful night' this connotes that even though theres stuff going wrong and it can be dangerous, the world is a beautiful place. When you put the song lyrics and video together it connotes foreshadowing the children's life telling them life isn't always great but its always worth it. The song and video denote inspiration through the lyrics and also throughout the video too. You can denote this when the drummer drops his drum sticks into the little girls hands this represents the passing over of the task of inspiring and making people enjoy music. 

Types of music video : Narrative

Cinematography : Throughout the video a lot of Close ups are used on the characters as this allows us to denote their feelings at the time, the first close up is during the shot reverse shot when our characters meet, it forshadows happiness as everyone is smiling however this idea is shown to be wrong later in the video through a number of flashbacks and song lyrics. During the video depending whos in the shot Gwen Stefani or the male actor are always between the power points of the screen and when both in the same shot they often share the centre of the screen together this connotes their importance while it always connotes the males partner is inferrior to Stepfani and her relationship towards the man. This is shown numerous times throughout for exmple at 0:45.0:56,2:2. In this video there is a variety of shots mostly consiting of close ups and long shots, overall the shot types used are basic but effective.

Editing : At the begining it cuts between Gwen Stefani and a couple walking when Stefani opens the door a shot reverse shot is used to show the emotion between the trio. This technique(shot revser shot) has been used throughout the video a number of times each time denoting the feelings of the characters used in them it is often a shot reverse shot between Stefani and the male actor playing her Ex in the video, through these shots we connote that she still has feelings for him which contradicts the chorus of the song as she sings 'I know we're cool'. Another technique used throughout is flashbacks between the pair (Stepfani and the Man) this links to the lyrics as shes singing about history of what they ust to have and how they are now however through the flashbacks used it just conforms more to the contradiction of her Chorus to what were seeing as it shows them always having a good time together.

Mise en scene : props,costumes
There are a number of different settings used in this video for example at the starts two characters are walking on a large estate which then changes to the inside of a building and from there through numerous flashbacks takes us all the place for example at 0:57 they are infront of a river and at 1:02 they are in some feilds. The number of settings for this video is a real strength of it as it shows the pair (stefani and the male actor) have history which links in to the songs lyrics. As far as props go besides the interier of her house there isn't many which is a disapointment however because of the narrtive in the video being based around her and the man props aren't crucial unlike other videos. A number of costumes are used during the video as it shows time has moved on from each flashback and that its a different day.

Relationship between lyrics and video :
While the lyrics and video conform to Gwen Stefani's predominant genre of pop, which can be denoted through the visual images and colours used as they are all bold and bright connoting happiness and joy a basic stereotype of the pop genre. The actually lyrics when compared to the video however tend to subvert each other and cause a contrast effect reflecting real life slightly as sometimes we have to pretend were happy for other people's happiness. I think this point allows people to relate to the song and video which is a key selling point for any artist.

Types of music Video: Performance video

 Cinematography -In this video the shot types used are very basic. The composition of the shots are all based around Beyonce with the camera on her at all times this denotes her dominance in the video. Even though the cmaera shots used are basic the movement from the camera is very good and dosen't stay still for long periods of times often giving the illustion of the dancers moving when infact its the camera. It also used a number of Zoom,panning and tracking shots throughout the video giving you views from loads of angles but mostly with beyonce in between the power points, once again connoting her importance and dominance within the video.

Editing -The whole video is shot in black and white, when changing shot type or shot angle in the video they often use a quick fade effect to make the video look smoother and avoid annoying jump shots which would ruin the visual imagery on screen, causing you to lose focus with beyonces performance.

Mise en scene - In the video Beyonce and her backing dances wear black leotards throughout with black heels as their only costume which is unusual for a mainstream music video. During the video there is one main overhead light on them at all times with fades introduced when the shop angle is changed. The back drop to the video is white however at times its dark and has shadows depending on the rest of the lighting. While the Mise en scene in this video is basic its also effective in what it does as it draws your attention to the performance strickly and not the background which is a positive as its a performance video.

Relationship between music and lyrics and type of video -

It is mainly a dance video without many relationships between the lyrics and the actually video footage however when she sings "put a ring on it" she references her hand by pointing towards it connoting she means wedding ring. Another  link between the video and the lyrics can be denoted when she runs to the other side of our screen when she sings 'And like a ghost our be gone' this action connotes that she won't wait around  and will just move on symbolizing she's a strong modern female which she tries to show through her newer video's including this one.

Music Video Analysis - Ed Sheeran , Lego House

Cinematography - In this video a number of basic shot types are used predominantly consisting of Mid and Long shots allowing the audience to denote his isolation throughout the video. The video seems as its shot with omniscient narration throughout however we later find out that the protagonist is actually a stalker making the begining of the video restricted, when we find out he's an stalker it further connotes the idea of loneliness. The mid shot at 3:11 allows you to denote all the puppets he has made to give him a sense of friendship connoting loneliness once again. The song lyrics are amplified at times during the video for instance at 1:41 when he hangs a picture on the wall and the lyrics sing 'If things go right we can frame it and put it on a wall'.

Editing -

Mise en scene - In this video there are no noticeable costume changes by any of the characters. However there are a number of different locations used throughout this connotes loneliness as he's always by himself in very isolated areas for example the long corridoor at 0:18 or when he was sitting on the bench in a field at 1:02 writting by himself.

Genre - Ed Sheeran is known for a number of different genres such as Folk rock, acoustic, Hip-Hop and Grime. However the song Lego House, the third single lifted from the debut studio album '+' is recognized as Folk and Soul.

Target Audience - Ed Sheeran has a wide target audience as he craters for multiple genres which you can see throughout his mixtapes and new debut studio album. His primary audience age is between 15-25 with him appealing to both males and females. He is was mainly self promoted and grew his own fan base by doing as many gigs as possible and by uploading videos of himself onto YouTube for people to view he also flew to Los Angles unsigned and after doing a few gigs was spotted by Jamie Foxx who invited him to stay at his house

Music Video Analysis - ColdPlay, Fix you

Cinematography - This is a performance video, you can denote this as the lead singer or other band members are shown throughout the video between the power points. The video also amplifies the lyrics at times for instance at 1:12 he sings ' The lights will guide you home' as he turns into a tunnel with light leading to the exit. Another instance of this is when the tempo speeds up and he starts to run connoting energy and excitement.

Editing - During the video it appears that the footage has been slowed down at numerous points for example the beinging of the video denotes this.

Mise en Scene - A number of locations are used in this video across London including the arena. As the majority of them are avaerage streets in London it connects them to their audience as people can draw similarties with them connoting them to be down to earth people. Also the costuming for this video is basic as they don't change clothing once this also connotes them being down to earth people.

Genre - ColdPlay are an alternative rock band from Britain, the Song 'Fix you' is of the alternative rock and Post-BritPop genre an Sub-genre to alternative rock. It reached number four in the UK's singles chart and was played live at the Steve Jobs memorial/celebration-of-life event 2011.

Target Audience - ColdPlays originally primary audience was of 12-17 year olds however when researching i found this surprising and noticed that it has changed since they started. They now have a much wider audience range of 15-40 as over the years their original fans who grew up with them and have aged leading to an explantion in audience as younger listeners have become part of it.

Music Video Analysis - Big sean , My last Ft. Chris brown

Cinematography - During the video the camera cuts to a mid shot of Big sean multiple times on a balcony over looking the rest of L.A this connotes dominance and also suggests he's better then the rest as he's above the city. Throughout the video Big Sean or Chris Brown are found between the power points of the camera connoting their dominance an power. However at times it cuts to a close up on a womens face, this is often used in the Hip-Hop genre and numerous others worldwide and conforms to the male gaze theory it also connotes his authority again by having 'beautiful' women in his video further backed up by a two shot showing him walking a way to another women denoting he's not bothered about women and that he can pick and chose when he wants connoting dominance and superiority over women.

Editing - Throughout the video there are numerous flash backs to Big Sean's past denoting the big changes that he has made in his life and music career. In the video their is a shot reverse shot between him and a lady sitting in the opposite chair, the scene ends with Big Sean walking off to talk to another girl this connotes he see's women as sex objects that can be replaced a common stereotype in the Hip-Hop genre.

Mise en scene - The location for this video is set in a modern apartment/house in Hollywood over seeing the rest of Los Angles from this you denote the artists wealth this conforms to the lyrics of the song, a good example of this is in one of Chris Brown's verses 'I work to hard to be balling on a budget' once again connoting back to their wealth. The costumes in this video are very Urban which connotes to their background and genre giving them a connection with their target audience.

Genre - Big Sean is a young, up and coming Hip-Hop artist while Chris Brown is a well known R&B/Hip-Hop artist. However this song is considered to be Hip-Hop with it reaching number one in the Us billboards Rap section. Sean described the song as a "real great party song."

Target audience - Big Sean and Chris Brown have different primary audiences but share some similar elements in their tracks as they both make music for the Hip-Hop genre. For example as Big Sean is primarly a rapper, he attracts young males from 14 to late 20's while Chris Brown is a singer giving him a primary audience of teenage females streatching to late 20's as his original audience ages. This is why this track works well because Big Sean and Chris Brown bring their different elements of the Hip-Hop genre together making it a enjoyable song for both audiences.

Analysis of past students work - Bird Song,Hurtwood House

Use of conventions : This is a performance video because she is the only person to feature in the video, through the mise en scene it also amplifies the lyrics of the song for example being in a bird cage and singing about a bird.

Technical aspects :  The cinematography and edited on this video are very good. There are numerous shot types throughout the video for example she starts the video on a high angle zooming in another shot type used often in this video is a panning shot across the artist allowing you to denote her feelings. The close up on the guitar showing the strings vibrate is also a very good innovative shot as its unusual and adds another dimension to the video then typical basic shots. For edit the slow motion used when the feathers are blown past her is very effective.

Mise en scene : This video has a really good mise en scene section with the props and location for instance she uses a bird cage as shes singing about a bird and also has feathers blown past her once again linking to the song lyrics. Her costume for this video is a white dress connoting purity and innocence which subverts the lyrics as shes singing about injuring a bird because of what it might sing about.

Star persona : Through her costume she is portrayed as innocent as she's wearing a white dress which connotes purity and innocence. You can also denote innocence from the first shot as we see her spinning on the swing connoting she's innocent as this is what we associate with children. These ideas are backed up through the lyrics at first as she sings 'a bird flew by so i set up a nest outside' this connotes she's caring and affectionate, however these ideas are subverted later in the song when she sings 'Trapped him under a carboard box stood on him to make him stop' this subverts are originally ideas about her and connotes that she actually not innocent. For location she is in a cage which connotes she locked up whichi connotes danger. Through the whole video we see her in two different lights so its hard to decide on one.

Analysis of past students work - Fluorescent Adolescent ,Hurtwood House

Use of conventions : A convention used in this video is the band being in shots throughout the video making it a performance video. Another convention used is the use of women in the video connoting a love interest which links them into the songs lyrics, on top of this is the amount their used as they normally feature between the power points connoting their importance in the video which is also a convention.

Technical aspects :  During this video they use a mixture of IStop Motion and  basic but effective camera shots to create meaning and convey emotion, the most typically used in this video is a close up shot.

At points Istop Motion and the camera shots used on the band come together for example the close on the the guitarist playing next to the dresser top has numerous items move across towards him, this works well because it looks as hes still playing the guitar normally. What helps this video is the actual performance by the lead singer as it looks realistic and keeps us more focused on the video then we would'ave been.

Mise en scene : One limitation of this video is its all shot in the same room however they have used the room very well, for example the props in the room change serveral times along with the wallpaper giving you a feel of a changed location. They also change their clothing in the video as they change the room walls from black to white, their clothing changes in a similar sense from dark coloured casual wear to light coloured polo's and shirts representing a change in attitude backed up by the tempo speeding up connoting energy and joy.

Star persona :

Through the song lyrics and music video itself it promotes them as a lively stereotypical group of young teenage boys who like to have fun you can denote this through the close ups on the beer cans and also the lyrics 'Remember when all the bars were electric'. I would say there predominant fan base would be teenage and young women with a smaller secondary audience of young men this is because through the video and lyrics they would be able to identify with them as this is what they do or recently did for the aging adult taking them back to enjoyable memories which would help sell the artist.

Analysis of past students work - Young Love,Hurtwood House



Use of Conventions : There are a couple of conventions used in this video, the biggest convention for this video is having the band/artist feature in it between shots we often see this in mainstream videos as it helps to promote and sell the artist. The other convention used was having a love interest in the video who their singing about. Another convention used was the lyrics used in the music video as they represent him as being a sweet and caring person a typical trait for lead singers in the pop genre

Technical aspects : Throughout the music video they use IStopMotion, i like this because its unusual and adds something different to the video as it allows you to be more creative for example without it they wouldn't of been able to do the Egg scene. However the cinematography used during the video on the band i thought was a little boring as it was mostly close ups or long shots and got repetitive, they also didn't look as if they was actually singing so that aided to ruining the shots.

mise en scene : I thought the props used in this video was the strongest part of their mise en scene, a good example of this is the metal biscuit cutter used when frying the egg as it was in the shape of a heart denoting love which amplifies the lyrics to the visual images. Another aspect i liked was the locations used because it made it more interesting then being in the same place for a whole video. A let down for the video however was the costume used as it was bland and didn't add to the video.

Star persona : From the representation of this video i would call them a young band with a predominant target audience of teenage girls you can denote this when he's walking around shirtless connoting hes comfatable with his body and also conforming to the stereotype of young pop/rock groups. Throughout the video he is also shown as a sweet hearted boy from the song lryics but also on screen images for example he brings a girl breakfast in bed connoting he's a nice person and knows how to treat a lady which will broaden his fan base another exaple of this is when he sings ' If i only knew your name i'd go from door to door' connoting he's ready to treck the streets non-stop for his love.

Marketing Re-Branding an Artist

Mike hough presentation Luke final

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Editing and creativty Challenge Task

This was our Creative challenge in media. we chose to use Istop motion for this task as none of us had it used it before and we wanted to boarden our knowledge of media techniques. We was inspirsed to use this program after watching some artists videos on youtube such as Plan B. The music in this video is Example-Kickstarts where we got the idea of shoes dancing as at the start of Examples video he has people tapping their feet to the beat.

An advantage of this program is that you can be very creative and do things you wouldn't be able to do otherwise with it.While a disadvantage is that it is very long to do as you need numerous shots which change only slightly each time.

An area for improve for us would be to do it to the beat next time as we shot the footage and then tried to edited to the beat which was a mistake and will do it different when it comes to our main Music video

RichMix Music Video Workshop

The Richmix music video workshop was a valuable lesson for me.

• It gave me a oppurinty to hear and ask questions about  the making of professional music videos
• It also gave me a chance to better understand what really goes into making a good video
• For example  i learnt that everytime you shoot a scene you should go through the whole song as it makes it easier when later syncing with the real music also it looks better if your actor actually sings the words otherwise it can look fake and ruin the feel of the video
• It was really interesting and worth while to see a video be made and also great experience as i took park in shooting the video at one stage
• I was a little disappointed that they didn't go into much detail about editing and feel that could be an area to improve for the course other than that everything was great
• As we was helping to make a remake of one of Robbie williams videos, we was encouraged to have our face painted similar to his face in the video. It was a good expernce as it gave you a insight into how someone your filming could feel meaning i can relate to them and hopefuly make a better Music video myself because of this.

Overall i felt it was a benficial day for me and everyone else who attened. I think because of this i will be able to produce a better video for my work then if i didn't attend the workshop