PLANNING: Pitching my Music Video

I have laid out the reasons behind picking the Arctic Monkeys, as well as my plan for the music video in terms of key elements, as well as how I think the target audience will respond, below. Just press play to hear my pitch...

RESEARCH: Alternative Forms of Marketing and Media Convergence

CD sales are on a continuous decline. With the boom in download sites such as itunes and online streaming sites such as Youtube, it is far more economical to download the one song you want for 0.79p than buy the whole album. As a consequence bands/artists are finding new ways to market themselves, whether it be embracing the download market or offering free 'added value' packages to woo fans. CD album sales in dropped by 3.5% in 2009 to 128.9 million, the fifth year in a row they have fallen. But the fall was eased by a 56.1% rise in album downloads to 16.1 million, now accounting for one in eight sold. Such statistics are hard to avoid, bands can no longer rely on traditional methods of marketing, they have to reach the masses, most of whom are armed with computers and Internet access. This is particularly important given that my music video is for an Arctic Monkeys song, and the band first achieved success through social networking sites such as Myspace before they scored their record deal with Domino. However where Arctic Monkeys method varied from others is that their Internet effort was created by fans, who in 2004 created a profile for the band to get their music out there. By the end of 2004 Arctic Monkeys had become the first of the Myspace Phenomenons and had a huge following not on the internet. As a consequence of online effort Arctic Monkeys were able to self market and manage their growing fan base, so that by the time it came to accepting record deals they had their own pull as the label was guaranteed an already strong fan base, thus producing revenue. Due to artists taking the hands on approach to marketing, when they do sign deals the marketing department is usually unneeded, as they have a strong group of fans who, by word of mouth, can promote for them.

Arctic Monkeys' Myspace as it is today with its 185,000 friends

Lady Gaga, 'queen of the provocateurs' was recently offering fans the chance to own some of her very own DNA, by giving away a lock of her hair if they bought her GaGa Super-Deluxe Fame Monster Bundle. With services such as Twitter and MySpace giving music lovers an ever more intimate glimpse into their favourite stars' lives, fans want more than membership to a fan club and some novelty badges. "Artists are engaging more than ever with fans. This is an extreme extension of the meet and greet." - Stuart Dredge editor of Music Ally industry Bulletin. Radio 1 DJ Scott Mills said the marketing ploys were a necessary evil that work if done well. "You expect something like this from Lady Gaga, it's funny. But it is one thing selling a limited edition box set and another selling your life. Selling everything takes away the magic of pop and rock stars." With the ever growing proximity to the lives of the rich and famous via the internet, bands and artists have to work harder to either market themselves as within reach and attainable or in the opposite direction. Arctic Monkeys, with the exception of Myspace tend to remain private, as they are notoriously avert from interviews, and instead market themselves as enigmas, with their music the only outlet and link between them and fans. Therefore, though my music video would be distributed via the internet and social networking sites, it would be the sole representation of the song.

Convergence is the process by which a range of media platforms are interrogated within a single piece of media technology. A good example of this is Apple's IPhone. The Iphone's primary purpose is to be a phone, but also includes an MP3 player, FM radio, and a web browser. When music videos first took off, it brought together the two largest industries - film and music, this convergence was due to the need for professional editing, which was very much only applied to feature length films at the time. The production of a music video is horizontally converged by the film/music industry, but when it comes to distribution it reaches vertically down almost all media platforms. When the music industry promotes it's products it has many choices, popular choices include convergence with radio, television and online sharing, engaging in a poly-platform infrastructure. As technology advances there becomes more and more available platforms for convergence, music can now be distributed via the internet, music TV channels, download sites, the radio, as film soundtracks, live performances and through social networking sites. This is far from the limited reach in the 50s, where music was primarily promoted through live performances, and occasionally radio broadcasts (although most radio stations adhered to more classical music, and pop/rock received little air time.)

PLANNING: Initial Ideas (Song Choice)

I thought it was important for my choice of song to reflect current trends within the music industry and the present attitude towards music. Therefore I have chosen to create a music video to the song : The Jeweller's Hands by Arctic Monkeys. This song does not have a music video which I felt would allow me artistic license to interpret and present the song in a new way to the audience. Despite Humbug's success The Jeweller's Hands remains one of the lesser known tracks given it has never been released as a single. As a result of my song choice, I emailed Arctic Monkeys at Domino Records to request permission to use the song for my video.

I have yet to receive a reply from the label, but decided to proceed, making sure Arctic Monkeys and Domino Records were credited throughout the whole process.

RESEARCH: Interactive Media and Audience Theories

http://www.youtube.com/doritosuk

(above is the link for the full interactive version of the Pro Green video)

As piracy escalates and CD sales fall in favour of downloads, the whole music video experience is changing in favour of interactivity. Labels can no longer rely on passive audience theories, such as the hypodermic needle theory, instead they have to engage with fans and offer them something new to keep revenue streams high. Basically, the Hypodermic Needle Model suggests that the information from a text passes into the mass consciousness of the audience unmediated, ie the experience, intelligence and opinion of an individual are not relevant to the reception of the text. This theory suggests that, as an audience, we are manipulated by the creators of media texts, and that our behaviour and thinking might be easily changed by media-makers. It assumes that the audience are passive and heterogenous. If media organisations want to bring in new customers they can no longer produce for a passive audience, instead they have to engage with the fan base, and a large step in this direction is the advancement in interactive music videos. For example, Doritos Late Night produced interactive music videos for Professor Green and Rihanna, where the audience can choose in which direction the camera faces, thus allowing a 360 view of the surroundings. In a way the audience has the ability to fashion their own music video, based on the areas they wish to see at any one time. This approach prevents the audience from being passive, instead they have to physically get involved, increasing the likelihood of further investigation into the merchandise or music of the artists. Doritos Late Night are one of the few organisations to introduce this idea, so instead of releasing videos into the mainstream, they are only accessible if a customer has bought a packet of Doritos and gained the code. This creates a level of exclusivity to the videos, making them seem exciting and new, thus the videos act as a reward for Doritos customers and boost the sale of the product, and also the knowledge of the artist.

Given that music videos producers are heading in the direction of interactivity, and realise they need to engage their audience to keep up revenue, they are consequently using active audience theories as a model to follow when deciding how best to draw audiences in to the full music video experience. An example of an active audience theory is the 'Audience Reception Model'. This theory points out that meaning of any text is created by the audience - not the producer. Meaning is encoded into the text but it is up to the audience what they take from it depending how they decode the signs within the text. Broadly speaking the audience can arrive at one of three readings:

• The Preferred Reading - Audience understands and accepts the ideology offered.
• The Negotiated Reading - Audience understands the ideology offered, accepts some aspects of it but rejects other aspects.
• The Oppositional Reading - Audience interprets the ideology offered in the opposite way than it is intended.

This theory has not only been utilised by commercial video producers, online streaming sites have also taken in to account the audience's need for engagement with a video to maximise the involvement in the band/artist/subject of video. Consequently YouTube has created a feature whereby video producers can place clickable links on the screen, allowing the audience to follow the link trail to other videos or points of interest. This prevents audiences from watching passively as they have to get involved to get to the next part of the video. This is a vital step for amateur filmmakers who post their work online, as audiences can easily get from their video to other videos or websites they may be interested in, thus building a close relationship of mutual interest between the video maker and the audience. I imagine that this ideology will filter more heavily into the production of music videos, as it would allow bands/artists to tighten the link they have between them and their fan base. Undoubtedly if fans feel they have strong personal ties to the band/artist they will be willing to purchase their merchandise, or trust the band/artist's opinion on what they may be interested in (such as their other music videos or websites, or recent interviews).

Above is an example of an interactive YouTube video, whereby viewers can quiz themselves (in this instance on video games), by clicking on either of the options, which will then lead to another video that will tell the viewer if they are right or wrong and the next question.

RESEARCH: Arctic Monkeys' Video Style

Arctic Monkeys are heralded as one of the first bands to come to public attention via the internet. Rather than the usual marketing methods of online promotions and advertising, Arctic Monkeys formed a cult following through the formation of fan sites and word of mouth via social networking sites. It was their debut album Whatever People Say I Am That's What I'm Not which remains the fastest selling debut album in UK Chart History, that firmly placed them on the map as one of the most successful indie rock bands in UK history. Despite their ongoing success (their second album Favourite Worst Nightmare had all 12 songs in the top UK 200 on April 29th 2007 and Humbug their third album has received critical acclaim) the band have remained signed to independent label 'Domino Records'. Their aversion to mainstream ideals has had a large impact on their style of music videos, ultimately as their fame grows they hone their cult appeal with each music video emulating the rough and ready message of their lyrics.

Arctic Monkey's latest album Humbug (2009) has released threes singles. The three videos are primarily performance based, a method I have ruled out as I think it would be ineffective without the correct equipment, and I feel with a more concept based video I have creative license to interpret the song in various ways. 85% of participants in my Questionnaire said that continuity between videos was unimportant, however I feel that to a degree my video should be in keeping with the style they are notorious for. Arctic Monkey's earlier singles' videos were often based on a concept or a narrative rather than a performance, this is likely to be a result of the band's notorious reticence, hence allowing me to adhere to the conventions of an Arctic Monkeys video whilst maintaining my initial idea for a piece that is solely conceptual.

Though all three videos released from Humbug are performance based 'Crying Lightning' is noticeably based around a concept. The whole band are pictured performing on a boat, before being faced with 'seamonster' versions of themselves. The video ends with the last section of the song being performed by the giant sea like versions of themselves. Undeniably it's a very abstract concept, but what makes the video seem most loyal to the band's style is the combination of slick professional shots and amateur style shots and scenery. For example the boat they are performing demonstrates the rough and ready Arctic Monkeys synonymous with their early videos, for example 'Teddy Picker' which had been shot handheld in the studio during a recording session. It is these references back to their earlier work combined with their retaining of 'indie' status that allows them to keep such a cult following. No matter how famous or successful the band have become they have refused to look to 'done' and instead sustain the image that initially got them noticed. However the evolution of the band in this album has been noticeable, both in the sophistication of the music style and the performance aspect of their music videos. In Crying Lightning this is demonstrated via the special effects of used when the figures emerge from the water. It is this combination of amateur and professional that has evolved with this album. I hope to emulate this theme in my video.

'Cornerstone' is a very unique video, focusing purely on front man Alex Turner singing the vocals into an old voice recorder. The whole video is filmed from one angle in one take. This is a video of incredible simplicity, however it remains engaging as although the camera is stationery the subject is moving allowing the focus to remain firmly on Alex Turner. Both 'Crying Lightning' and 'Cornerstone' were directed by Richard Ayoade, a face made famous by The Mighty Boosh and IT Crowd. From a marketing point of view a famous name directing a video increases its appeal (for example Michael Jackson's Scorsese directed Bad video) particularly as Richard Ayoade's feature film debut is set to come out this year (for which Alex Turner has written the music). Both the IT Crowd and Mighty Boosh have a cult following and appeal to the same demographic that Arctic Monkeys do, thus once again demonstrating the link between music and television and further suggests that Arctic Monkeys have been so successful in utilising new media not only by themselves but by association. As a result of Ayoade's input in Humbug videos and indeed the solely narrative based Fluorescent Adolescent I hope to adapt his themes and conventions to suit my piece and create a look that is familiarly Arctic Monkeys.

RESEARCH: Applying Media Theories

Goodwin's Theory

Where I will apply Goodwin's theory in the planning of my music video, is via links between music and visuals. As my piece is concept based there will be no strong tie between lyrics and visuals (unlike Arctic Monkeys When the Sun Goes Down, which follows a clear narrative, and the story told through the lyrics is amplified by the visual narrative.) Therefore to make sure my piece conforms to typical conventions of a music video, I will edit it so that the shots compliment the music. For example, when the music increases tempo, the cuts will be quicker to mirror this. Similarly when the song reaches it's peak in both tempo and volume the cuts will amplify this to emphasis the clear tie between the music and visuals.

Which of these is objectifying women more? (The image of Snoop Dogg in Drop it Like it's Hot being waited on by a scantily clad dancer, or the strong, confident dance routine of three women in Beyonce's Single Ladies?)

Another important characteristic of Goodwin's theory, is the 'male gaze' which usually resonates in the objectification of women. This is applied more to the genre of RnB or Hip Hop, however it can be more subtly applied in indie music videos. For example often all male bands will have women dancing in their music video, though perhaps not provocatively, it still captures the 'male gaze' consequently the characteristic could be applied to my music video. As I plan for much of my piece to follow a female dancer, in this sense I am utilising this particular convention of music videos. However where indie videos tend to differ in the use of female dancers from RnB or rap videos, is that the women often do not appear in shot with the artist. Subsequently this gives less of an impression of women being objectified and moreover the dancers appear powerful and in control. I aim to recreate this idea in my video, with a change of costume. At the start the dancer may appear to conform much more the the characteristics of the 'male gaze', in a white outfit, dancing in a much less self assured way. Whereas by the end of my piece she will be dressed in black, and be a much more commanding presence.

RESEARCH: Questionnaire Results

I asked twenty people to participate in my Questionnaire, I aimed to gage the opinions of only my target audience, thus of the twenty people who took part, 25% were between the ages of 15-16, 50% were between the ages of 17-18 and 25% were between the ages of 19-20 and overall 50% were male and 50% female. I received some very interesting feedback, particularly when I asked for further explanation as to why they had answered the way they did.

1. The first question I asked was general, I simply aimed to establish a basic understanding of which video was preferred on first viewing. The results came out in Hurts' favour (45%), Arctic Monkeys (30%), and Gaga (25%). I also received some feedback on this question, with one person suggesting they preferred Hurts' video to the others because, 'It was simple and clean cut, it looked consistently high quality and professional.'

2. The second question did not come out in the way I expected at all. I asked how important it was that the images corresponded to the song lyrics and the majority of people said it was not important (50%), moderately important (35%) and important (15%).

3. To further explore the idea of imagery relating to the lyrics, I asked which video the participants thought had achieved this most successfully. I should note that Arctic Monkeys' video is based on a concept rather than narrative and consequently the lack of votes in unsurprising. Hurts (35%) and Gaga (65%).

4. I am very much interested in finding out whether an audience is leading the institution or the other way round, because if the latter is true, each new video would surprise the audience in one way or another by straying from what they had previously done to reveal new ideas. Therefore I asked whether an audience likes a level of continuity between a band's videos or prefers a completely different mood each time. However, I do realise the some bands have build their cult appeal on continuity, for instance Ok Go! Only 15% said Yes they favoured continuity between videos and 85% preferred not.

-- HURTS --

5. I then moved on to asking specific questions about what the participants thought each individual video did well, what and how could it be improved etc. Firstly I asked an open question about what appeals most about Hurts video? 'Despite the long drawn out shots, it didn't get boring or predictable', 'The whole video seemed really polished, and the location and dancers were perfect for the mood of the song.'

6. The importance of location is another aspect I wanted to gage my audience's opinion of. Hurts tend to set their videos in sweeping rustic landscapes and Stay is no different, consequently I asked how effective the audience felt the location was. Very effective (45%), quite effective (35%) and ineffective (20%).

7. I was quite surprised at how many people thought the choice of location in Stay was ineffective, therefore I am glad I chose to ask whether the audience though it'd have been just as effective shot indoors. 20% said yes, and 80% no, which is consistent with the statistics of the last question.

8. I wanted to find out what my target audience favoured in a music video, for example did they prefer an ongoing narrative, concept or a performance? As Hurts are featured in their video both in the sense of a performance and as protagonists in a narrative, I asked participants if they though the video would have been as successful if the band had not been featured in it. Only 35% said yes, and 65% said no.

-- ARCTIC MONKEYS --

9. I asked participants what it was about Arctic Monkeys' Fluorescent Adolescent that appealed to them most, and the feedback mostly reflected the amateur style of the video. For example 'this is the perfect definition of organised chaos' and 'this video is brilliant to watch because you spot new things each time, and find a different narrative for the images each time.'

10. As the video follows a war between two rival groups of clowns, there is a heavy emphasis on costume and I wanted to see how important participants thought the use of costume was. Unsurprisingly the majority of people thought it was very effective in creating the mood (70%), quite effective (25%) and not effective (5%).

11. In contrast to Hurts' Stay, this video is shot in a amateur-esque way, which is synonymous with their indie, rough and tumble appearance. I asked if the video may have been more effective if it had been shot in a more professional manner. For example with more emphasis on lighting and steady camera shots, this question seems even more relevant given that Hurts' Stay received the most number of popularity votes and that is shot in a way completely different to Fluorescent Adolescent.

12. Finally, I wondered if this video many have been more successful had the band themselves been featured. 40% said yes, and 60% said no. 'As the video follows a chaotic narrative it may have been easier to follow had it been intercut with imagery of the band' 'I would have liked to have seen the band purely from the perspective that it may have made it feel more like a music video rather than short film.'

-- LADY GAGA --

13. I aimed to find out what it was about Lady Gaga's Beautiful Dirty Rich, and it turns out it was purely the elaborate nature of the video. 'Lady Gaga's videos always show an alternate lifestyle that many aspire to but will never get the chance to experience' 'She's so widely extreme and the video is unpredictable and widely colourful - just generally fun to watch.'

14. Just like the use of costume in Fluorescent Adolescent and the location in Stay, the use of props in Lady Gaga's video is an integral part of the video. I think they are used very effectively to show the excess of the lifestyle trying to be portrayed. The participants also saw the effectiveness of the use of props with 71% saying they were used very effectively, 24% moderately effective and only 5% ineffective.

15. The lighting in Lady Gaga's video is used to heighten the suggestion of an elite and exclusive world, mainly due to the vignette setting. Lighting will be very important to make my video look professional and clean cut. Consequently I questioned the effectiveness in Gaga's video, 'the lighting adds to the video in making it appear more upmarket, however it is a style that can be achieved by amateurs, for that reason I don't feel that it adds a great deal to the overall feel of the video.'

16. Lady Gaga features heavily in her videos, which is fitting with her infamous daring fashion sense, and behaviour, consequently I wondered how well the audience would react if she wasn't to feature in her own video. 30% said it would be just as effective, 70% said it would have been ineffective.

My Questionnaire has given me lots of interesting feedback, that I hope to utilise to my advantage when creating my own video. Most notably is that I have been able to distinguish as o what balance people prefer music videos to shot in, for example whether they prefer a performance based piece or narrative combined with performance or a conceptual video. This will allow me to further plan my piece with the knowledge that it will reflect the likes of my target audience.

RESEARCH: Questionnaire

I have constructed a questionnaire to gain some insight into the typical target audience for music videos - teens and young adults. I wanted to gage thier opinions on three different music videos, from three very different bands/artists that fall under the genre of pop (Hurts and Gaga) and indie (Arctic Monkeys). Once I have gathered a substantial amount of data, I hope to use the information to further plan my video planning so that I can be sure I am pitching in the right direction - one which will appeal to my target audience. Some of my questions are open ended, I did this to ensure I not only received statistical answers but responses that would allow me to investigate different aspects of the music video that appeal to my target audience.

Comparison: Hurts Stay
Arctic Monkeys Fluorescent Adolescent
Lady Gaga Beautiful, Dirty, Rich

Disregard any prior knowledge of the songs and focus on the video itself rather than the artist/band.

1. On first viewing, which of the three videos most appeals to you and why?
a. Hurts b. Arctic Monkeys c. Lady Gaga
2. How important do you think it is that a music video’s images correspond to the lyrics of the song?
a. Very important b. Moderately important c. Not important
3. Which video do you feel is most successful in relating the lyrics to the imagery?
a. Hurts b. Arctic Monkeys c. Lady Gaga
4. Do you like there to be a level of continuity between a Band/Artist’s various music videos? (For example OK Go!)
a. Yes b. No
If yes, then why?

These questions refer to Hurts Stay

5. What about this video appeals to you most?
6. How effective do you feel the choice of location was in creating the mood of the video?
a. Very effective b. Quite Effective c. Ineffective
7. Do you think this video would have been as successful had it been shot indoors?
a. Yes b. No
8. Do you think the video would have been as effective had the band not been featured?
a. Yes b. No
If yes, why?

These questions refer to Arctic Monkey’s Fluorescent Adolescent

9. What about this video appeals to you most?
10. How important do you think the use of costume was in creating the mood for the video?
a. Very important b. Quite important c. Unimportant
11. The video has an amateur feel – do you feel it would have been as successful had it been shot in a professional manner? (With more emphasis put on lighting and steady camera shots)
a. Yes b. No
12. Do you think the video would have been more effective had the band been featured?
a. Yes b. No
If yes, why?

These questions refer to Gaga Beautiful, Dirty, Rich

13. What about this video appeals to you most?
14. How important do you think the use of props was in setting the scene for this video?
a. Very important b. Quite important c. Unimportant
15. To what extent do you feel the lighting used in this video adds to the overall video quality?
16. Do you think the video would have been as effective had the artist not been featured?
a. Yes b. No
If yes, why?

Thank You for Partaking

RESEARCH: Pop- Culture References in Music Videos

CASE STUDY: Lady Gaga's Telephone

Hurts' Wonderful Life

Hurts' Stay

Christina Aguilera's Candyman

Audiences are no longer content with watching their idol dancing around and miming the lyrics to their song in the same fashion as a fan. Though the four music videos I intend to analyse run from the long established Aguilera, through the infamous Lady Gaga to the relatively new Hurts; the principle remains the same - integrating artists/bands into popular culture via pop-culture works. However the method in which the Music Industry is applying this theory is inherently reliant on the band's image. For example, Hurts who have been marketed with a cool minimalism which has been maintained fluently via their music videos, image and how they conduct themselves. Therefore the label has tapped into the typical fan base for such a band to create music videos that reference cult imagery that would be recognised by their audience. In the same way Lady Gaga's telephone is a 'sort of "all-you-can-eat" buffet for those who dine almost exclusively on popular culture.'1 The video glimpses an eclectic mix of snippets from popular legends and cult films to adverts and well-known comics. This is a crucial example of audience manipulation where the viewer can get more involved in the video through the use of recognisable iconography which may potentially be associated with that particular artist/video in the future. Christina Aguilera's Candyman plays on this also. It follows the stylised fashion that Aguilera's music videos always portrays however it is set in post WW2 America, encapsulating 1940s/50s imagery of returned soldiers but also drawing from popular war propaganda and was 'inspired by The Andrew Sisters’ “Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy.”2

The Hurts' Wonderful Life video shows a scene of Theo Hutchcraft floating in a swimming pool that looks typically 1950/60s LA and is indeed reminiscent of Sunset Boulevard (1950) a cult film. Though the film is sixty years old, a shot like this typically adheres to a student audience who are likely to be aware of such references. Therefore this is a classic example of a film reference being used as a method of association, as Hurts project a very 'old-world' image and take heed of 50s iconography moreover expresses their minimalistic old fashioned image.

Hurts' video Stay references Grant Wood's famous painting 'American Gothic'. The reference appears relatively upmarket an perhaps splits viewers in terms of those who will recognise such references however it is a response by the label as to who is the band's likely audience. In this case it very much adheres to students who are likely to be knowledgeable on popular culture, the arts and film references.

The colours, the bold font, everything about this title screams Tarantino. It's a clever link to make as Tarantino is one of the most influential directors in modern film making and the outlandish violence, and heaving swearing in his movies make his audience predominantly the younger generation (those most likely or expected to respond to the humour and content of his movies). Therefore to begin a Gaga music video with a title sequence that is completely unarguably reminiscent of Tarantino's work is a strong way to ensure the younger audience, who is likely to be Lady Gaga's desired following , respond positively.

Two girls driving off into the unknown, it's incredibly evocative of Thelma and Louise (1991) and a reference to a well know American adventure film like this is very important. It will not only be familiar to those who have seen the movie, but the end of Thelma and Louise is one of the most well known endings and therefore leaves the audience questioning the fate of the two protagonists in Telephone. The music label is exploiting the audiences knowledge of pop-culture and merging it into one to create a music video that fulfils all the criteria. Thus this Gaga video has already become a well known piece of pop-culture simply by emulating existing trends.

The large comic strip writing tops off the stylised imagery in Telephone. Comic strips, though lacking in popularity, are one of the oldest forms of visual entertainment and the 'SMACK' and 'WROOM' in Gaga's video emphasise the pop-culture atmosphere that is created in this video.

As Candyman is set in the 1950s it caters to the typical iconography associated with that time, for example the classic American diner, which ties in the video with well known films such as Grease (set: 1959). It therefore provides a familiar standpoint for a fan base that is likely to be predominately young teenage girls, as Grease is generally associated with the same demographic.

Aguilera's Candyman draws from popular WW2 Propaganda (above: a 1940s poster to encourage Women to join the war effort.) It has become a popular piece of iconography from the time and symbolises the 'go-getter' attitude that many Women had during WW2, therefore it is relatively in-keeping with Christina Aguilera's usual message of 'girl power' that comes across in her music videos. This is a clever piece of marketing as it advertises Aguilera as a strong independent woman whilst drawing from popular imagery of the time to maintain the feel of the music video.

To conclude, the music video market is growing rapidly, thus so are the demands of the audience. Though original ideas are crucial to making any good music video and indeed promoting any band/artist successfully; audiences also want to be able to familiarise with the music video. This may be the reason why so many strive to not only promote an artist as an individual but integrate them into already successful popular culture by referencing cult films, iconography and images relevant to the feel of the specific music video. There is something inherently satisfying about spotting a shot in a music video and knowing the thinking behind it, therefore this strategy works to grab consumers' attention with the familiar but but a different spin on it. It keeps the audience focused on the music video and can also help to promote the artist/band in a certain way. This may be a tactic I employ when filming and editing my music video as it will make it successful in terms of audience participation but also will be good to show a certain period in history or convey a certain look to hold the viewer's attention.

1.MTV article (Lady Gaga’s review)

http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1633858/20100312/lady_gaga.jhtml

2. KOVIDEO (Candyman review)

http://www.kovideo.net/candyman-video-christina-aguilera-242063.html

RESEARCH: Minimalism vs. Elaboration

CASE STUDY: Hurts Wonderful Life, Lady Gaga Beautiful, Dirty, Rich

There are two major routes towards making music videos that labels are currently following. You have relatively unknown bands like Hurts who are making stark minimalist videos that reflect the 'what you see is what you get' attitude of the band. It's a far cry from the dripping decadence of a Lady Gaga music video that is less music video and more feature film.

When Lady Gaga releases a new single, no one hopes for an accurate depiction of everyday life. Though her work isn't entirely surrealist and it usually has a fluent narrative throughout the video, it represents a lifestyle that is unknown and exotic to your average-Joe fan. Each video becomes an almost fulfilling prophecy; each one out does the previous as each has a bigger budget, thus her fame grows and each video gets more hype and popularity. At the other end of the spectrum is Hurts who despite being a relatively new band have built an image on cool minimalism that is displayed not only via their music videos but through their clothes and how they carry themselves.

Hurts' Wonderful Life relies on lingering shots of seemingly still images. The video reeks of 1950/60s LA, with the whole thing being shot around a pool, with all the cast wearing black or white. Though the pool location is exceptionally tried and tested - there are no bikini-clad women, instead the choreographed element to the video seems to centre on a synchronised swim team. Continuing Hurts' tradition of a long drawn out introduction the song doesn't get going until 15 seconds in. Though the in between shots are that of still figures, the eye is not drawn away from the perfect shapes silhouetted by the dancers or the contrast between the blue of the pool and the grey sky.

When the song gets going, the shots are edited in time and it switches between a narrative (presumably a man who has lost someone) and the duo performing. Though the main colour palette for the piece is grey, the way in which it is shot appears expensive, and the stark minimalism appears plush.

In stark contrast, Beautiful, Dirty, Rich begins in the typical Gaga manner; an extreme closeup of shocking red lips that is instantly identifiable as the artist herself. From then we see a slow moving group walking towards the camera, cut in time to the music. The camera position in correspondence to the figures is hugely important, as the group (headed by Lady Gaga) walk towards the camera in a way that signifies authority and power, instantly drawing the eye to the artist who is miming the lyrics. To tie in the title, there is money being thrown about and it is shot in a lavish mansion; everything to submerge the audience in a lifestyle that is completely unknown. There is something intriguing about getting a glimpse into the Hollywood lifestyle, and this video plays it to the maximum, with money being burnt, mansions being trashed, to suggest frivolity and carelessness.

The video continues along the general theme of being 'filthy rich' as Gaga and co. sit round a table counting/burning money. Not one shot lacks colour or eccentricity, as is expected from a Lady Gaga video - there is nothing mundane about her costumes, make up or presentation. A distinct feature of a Gaga video is ECUs of her face, here used to emphasis the lavish atmosphere, e.g Gaga eating money. One feature of this video that is especially interesting is the lighting, although it is bright in the centre of the screen, the edges are darkened to draw the eye only to the object/person in question. This lighting hints at exclusivity as though the audience have been ushered in for a glimpse of the high life. Everything about this video screams decadence and superficiality and it is this elaborate story telling that makes Gaga's music videos some of the most expensive and sought after. It is this 'more is more' approach to music videos that make them an incredibly interesting medium - they're usually less than five minutes long and Lady Gaga's label crams the five minutes full of every notion of the prolific lifestyle to provide a means of escapism for an audience most likely made up of average teenagers.

The two videos launch the viewer into an unknown world, both provide a glimpse of the unfamiliar, from Gaga's decadent surroundings to the old world glamour of the Hurts. Though Hurts goes for a 'less is more' approach in their filming, the video doesn't appear any less professional than one that has clearly required a volume of props, hair, make up, costume etc. Therefore, what I can draw from these two videos is that to get a clean, professional finish, I will need to put serious thought into my lighting and location. The location needs to reflect the theme of the song, much as it does in these two videos. The lighting will be exceptionally important, and I will experiment with different techniques such as vignette, so that the edges fade off for the same exclusivity that Beautiful, Dirty, Rich emulates. I will either chose to go down the lavish route, where the eye is drawn to the brilliant, eye catching costumes and strong imagery, or via the minimalist route where shots are drawn out to accentuate the narrative of the piece.

RESEARCH: Performance, Narrative and Concept Music Videos

Performance

Arctic Monkeys' Teddy Picker is a purely performance based video. It focuses on the band during studio time, whilst recording the song. The idea of shooting in the studio is not new in any sense (Band Aid 1984), however what is inventive about Arctic Monkey's performance is the extended introduction where the listener is seemingly immersed in their rehearsal, with lines from the song being sung by front man Alex Turner and motifs from the song being rehearsed. There are definite positives in shooting a purely performance based video, for example, the sound quality and the professional environment they are recording in coupled with the amateur style they are shooting in, make the piece appear unpretentious and fits in seamlessly with the band's 'rough and ready' approach. As the market for recording music is declining, there has been a boom in live music popularity and the industry is valued at '£743m in the UK, up 8% on 2006'1 therefore a video like this is very clever as it gives a taster of the band's live music performance at the same time as promoting their tour. The video is also very personal, and allows a glimpse at the character of the group. It upholds the band's indie reputation, as despite being a well known and incredibly popular group, they remain signed to independent label - Domino Records.

Narrative

Guns N' Roses' November Rain has been described as 'the grandaddy of all narrative music videos'2 and follows the wedding Axl Rose and Stephanie Seymour. The reasons behind this video's fame results from the continuous story that is followable throughout the 9 minute piece, however to keep the crowd guessing, the video is left on a cliffhanger. How did Seymour die? Was she trampled by wedding guests? Did Axl kill her? Or was it suicide? Quintessentially, this held the same effects of a short film and the iconic faces of Guns N' Roses just furthered the videos cult appeal. The narrative stance is in effect an opportunity for storytelling without the burden of speech, thus allowing the audience to draw thier own conclusions from the images. The video had a huge budget of about $1.5 million, with the dress worn by Stephanie Seymour worth $8,000. It is one of the most expensive music videos ever made.3 This video has become an icon of 1990s music videos and is heralded as one of the best ever, ultimately the band produced a video that not only promoted thier music but provided a short film that further displayed the bands willingness to entertain via thier videos.

Concept

Genesis' Land of Confusion is an elaborate feat of puppetry, that characterises many famous and controversial faces from the 1980s. The video was widely played at the time of its release an parodies, much like Team America did in 2004, political figures, who at the time were unable to resolve the military tension resulting from the continuing Cold War. The video particularly centres on Ronald Reagon who has dozed off into a nightmare, where puppet heads of Cold War figures are seen being uprooted from a swamp. The video shows Mussolini, Khomeini, Gorbachev and his aides as Frank Sinatra's Rat Pack characters and Reagon donning a superman suit whilst ironically, the lyrics suggest him to be completely uncapable of saving the nation from the grips of Cold War. The video received critical acclaim and was immensly influential in exposing the politcal shortcomings of the time. Quintessentially, this video is a detailed commentry derived from the mass of political and military tension at the time and the music is used to further emphasise the issue. Concept videos when exercised correctly are incredibly good to watch, as so often they become a narrative of current affairs, which may be why Genesis' video even today is still heralded as one of the best concepts as it exposes the reaction to the events of the 1980s through the seemingly light hearted medium of music.

1. The Guardian http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2007/nov/17/musicnews.music

2. http://ihatewheat.wordpress.com/2007/10/17/list-best-narrative-videos/

3. Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/November_Rain