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.