Defining the Audience

Defining the Audience:

-Rather than seeing audiences as masses or in simple numerical terms, it is common practice to find ways of segmenting the audience
-This segmentation can be achieved both by demographics and psychographics
-Mass produced - made for the mass of the people - there is a downside to this, of course, in that it can also be interpreted as 'commercial' and 'trashy'
-Niche - a small target audience that is highly specific
-Alternative - outside of the mainstream - going against dominant ideology includes minority groups, perhaps with subversive values

Demographic Segmentation:

-This is where an audience is segmented according to various significant social criteria e.g. gender, class, race and sexuality
-We looked at the demographics of our target audience, however this has proved difficult as our main demographic is at school
-We solved this by turning to social media to reach a wider range of demographics and hear their views as well

Psychographic Segmentation:

-Also known as lifestyle profiling
-Combines a psychological profile of the consumer, with ideas about how they conducted their life in the market-place
-The various attitudes, values, beliefs and 'lifestyle' choices are sorted into a number of distinctive categories which are used to predict consumption - VALS, the Value Attitudes and Lifestyles classification system is probably the best known of the psychographic profiling systems

Teenage VALS:

-Trendies - they crave the attention and admiration of their peers
-Puritans - who wish to feel virtuous
-Innovators - who wish to make their mark
-Rebels - who wish to remake the world in their own image
-Groupies - who just want to be accepted
-Drifters - who are not sure what they want
-Drop-Outs - who shun commitment of any kind
-Traditionalists - who want things to stay as they are
-Utopians - who want the world to be a better place
-Cynics - who have to have something to complain about
-Cowboys - who want easy money

Risk Assessment

Risk	Danger	Procedure	Prevention	Rating
Equipment could be stolen	Equipment could be taken/stolen causing property loss	Call police if occurs	Always have some with equipment to ensure it is always watched	Low
Falling over equipment	Actors/Crew could trip on cables for the camera/lighting	Make sure the person is ok/call ambulance	Put tape over cables and tell actors where/not to wall	Medium
Electrical Fire	Cables/Equipment/Chargers could cause fires	Call the fire brigade and get away from the set	Make sure all the electrics are in perfect condition, make sure nothing is being overloaded	High
Falling down staircase	Actors or cameraman could fall down staircase	Check for injury and call ambulance if injured	Ensure all watch and walk carefully down stairs	Medium
Drowning in Water	Actors or cameraman could drown in the water on set	Call the fire brigade/ambulance and get away from the set	Ensure all watch and walk carefully around the area with water	High
Sickness/ Illness	Actor could fall ill or sick on set	Call ambulance and give him/her necessary medicine	Make sure all actors are well and ok to perform before the day of the shoot	Medium
Slipping on wet grass	Actors or crew could slip on the grass when running	Check for injury and call ambulance if injured	Wear very good grip shoes and step carefully	Low

The band members auditions

This is Caleb's audition to be our bass guitarist, we chose Caleb in the end due to the fact he is in the target age range and will attract that age group, this together with his ability to play the instrument so well in actual settings showed that his talent would come in use very well and be appropriate for the performance we were seeking in our video.

This is Alex's audition to be our singer, we chose Alex in the end due to the fact he is in the target age range and will attract that age group, this together with his ability to lip sync very effectively as seen in the video and the fact he comes across as someone that could be in a band allowed us to exploit this look and make it appear as if the band is real.

This is our guitarist George, he is in the target age range and will attract that age group, his appearance provides a classic rocker look and will make him stand out in the band, as he can actually play the guitar this is a useful actor to have in the video as it makes the guitar playing more authentic and provides the appearance of a band that can play well together and perform well.

 

This is the drummer Ben, he is in the target age range and will attract that age group, he is a self taught drummer who as seen by the video is very talented, he has a classic drummer look similar to other modern bands like the red hot chili peppers, we felt that Ben was the perfect fit for this role and provided the necessary skills we needed to make the video the best it could be.

Music Genres

The preferred genre that I think is more of an expressive art form is indie and this combined with the rock genre, this mix of genres allows the artist to show his own style along with an element of difference as modern music is just lots of sounds and as little words as possible, this genre not only focuses on an actual band playing the music but also allows for the singer to project his voice without the constant autotune or sounds in the background.

Lyrics to the song

Play the game - Kodaline

lyrics:

Say I'm crying breaking up inside
See my heart is sinking to my knees
Tell me brother what is it you need?

I don't wana be a pretender
I just wanna be me

Nobody
Nobody
Nobody's gonna carry you
Try harder
Get smarter
Dream bigger
Play the game

Oh you're blaming everybody else
Stop complaining and do it for yourself
Feed your body, your spirit and your mind
Oh my brother just enjoy the ride

I will never be a pretender
I'm just gonna be me

Nobody
Nobody
Nobody's gonna carry you
Try harder
Get smarter
Dream bigger
Play the game

Everybody's got a story to tell
When you're looking up at heaven but you're stuck in hell, come on
You gotta play, play the game

Play the game

Nobody
Nobody
Nobody's gonna carry you
Play the game
Try harder
Get smarter
Dream bigger
Play the game

Nobody
Nobody
Nobody's gonna carry you
Play the game
Try harder
Get smarter
Dream bigger
Play the game

Final Idea

Shot by Shot List

Shot times	Lyrics for shots	Shots	Description
00:01-00:03		Very close-up shot of drums	White powder on drums
00:03-00:06			Band member 1 walking towards camera
00:06-00:11			Band member 2 walking with guitar
00:11-00:17			Band member 3 walking
00:17-00:43	Oh my world is turning inside out, Say I'm crying breaking up inside, See my heart is sinking to my knees, Tell me brother what is it you need		Band member 4 standing up from bench and starting to walk – eye level from follow
00:43-00:48	I don't wanna be a pretender		Band member 2 looking up and around at tall buildings whilst walking
00:48-00:53	I just wanna be me	High angle track	Band member 1 looking at skyline/walks down stairs
00:53-1:04	Nobody, nobody, nobody’s gonna carry you	shot from behind or above+fast slow-mo	Band member 3 running down street
1:04-1:16	Try harder, get smarter, dream bigger, play the game		Band member 4 singing and walking down barbican
1:16-1:25			Band member 2
1:25-1:36	Oh you’re blaming everybody else, stop complaining and do it for yourself		SINGING band member 4
1:36-1:41	Feed your body, your spirit and your mind		Band member 3
1:41-1:46	Oh my brother, just enjoy the ride		Band member 1
1:46-1:57	I will never be a pretender, I’m just gonna be me		SINGING band member 4
1:57-2:02	Nobody, nobody		Band member 2
2:02-2:08	Nobody’s gonna carry you, play the game		Band member 3
2:08-2:23	Try harder, get smarter, dream bigger, play the game		SINGING band member 4
2:23-2:28			Band member 3
2:28-2:40	Everybody's got a story to tell, When you're looking up at heaven but you're stuck in hell, come on, You gotta play, play the game		SINGING band member 1 – radio
2:40-2:50	Red lights weren’t coming around, You got a one way ticket and you’re holding it down, come on, play the game		SINGING band member 2 – radio
2:50-2:56	Nobody, nobody		Band member 1
2:56-3:01	Nobody’s gonna carry you, play the game		Band member 2
3:01-3:11	Try harder, get smarter, dream bigger, play the game		SINGING band member 4
3:11-3:22	Nobody, nobody, nobody’s gonna carry you, play the game		BAND
3:22-3:33	Try harder, get smarter, dream bigger, play the game		BAND
3:33-3:37			BAND
3:37-3:43			BAND
3:43-3:54		Last shot – sunset time-lapse	With band

At some point before they all come together, we will have their areas split into different parts of the screen so the audience can see that they are near each other, in the same location and will be excited to see them come together.

Final Song Choice

Play The Game by Kodaline

Influences on our Narrative

We would use a similar idea to this with having the four different members in their parallel stories that eventually intertwine into one, this is a good likeness to what we want to create as it shows how different people who are separate can easily find their way over long distances and locations to finally arrive at the same place, this helps to sell the idea of four screens as it not only shows their youth as they have time but also shows their desperation to find their end goal which is each other. This idea helps us as the young people in the band seem to be lost and allow others to sympathise with them and become more involved in the narrative so the viewers get increasingly hooked on the story and enjoy following their journey.

Lip Syncing exercise

the song we used - we used the song Mr Boombastic by the artist Shaggy:

Overall it is clear to see that this attempt at lip syncing was extremely poor, the words were badly synced and the overall track was a bad choice due to it being difficult with both sound and pronunciation. The final clip we have produced here not only switches from a portrait to a landscape layout which is unprofessional as it is confusing. Overall the quality and lighting of this clip is poor, this combined with the lip syncing has taught us exactly what not to do in the final idea and music video as we can see what does and does not work in final stages and how we can produce the best music video possible.

Different styles of music videos

- Music videos include all different kinds of styles and genres. These aspects help make the videos interesting and unique compared to others. There are six types of music video categories. These include:

1. Narrative
2. Interpretive
3. Parody
4. Pastiche
5. Performance
6. Surreal

1. Narrative - A narrative is a music video that tells a story throughout the video and describes a sequence of non-fictional or fictional events, normally shown as a short story or film. Narrative music videos are normally very popular they engage the audience by getting them to follow the story as the story can often relate to the audiences experiences for example, a breakup, death in the family etc. A large range of artists now include narratives into their music videos as its different to the normal type of music video that is done and the story that the artists chooses to project, may be a special topic for them or something they feel strongly for which makes the video even better as it is something the artist is passionate abut. For example a music video about the misuse of drugs, music video on gangs etc.

An example of this is Eminem's song Beautiful:

This video is an example of a narrative music video. The song describes his own struggle to rebound from his depression and addiction. He feels trapped in by his addiction which is driving him further into depression and sees no way out. As the video progresses so does the story, resulting in a clear idea of what the character is going through. This video is very effective as it clearly shows the struggle he is going through at the time as he wants to feel better but he doesn't know how he will recover, it's almost as if he is confronting his fears to try and get help but also to show he isn't ashamed about it and that he wants everyone to understand his situation.

      2. Interpretive - Interpretive means something that looks like something else, but has a different meaning. Interpretive music videos normally want the audience to make their own interpretation of what they think the music video is about.

An example of this is Sia's song Elastic Heart:

This video is sung by Sia and is called Elastic Heart. This video is a prime example of an interpretive music video as the video doesn't have a clear meaning giving the audience time to interpret it in whatever way they choose to. The video is about a man who appears to of been placed inside a cage, he is trapped supposedly with one of his inner states e.g. his inner child. This means that the audience has to interpret their own meaning on the video as it isn’t made clear where he is or why he is there but he is just dancing with a child with creates the question of what it is actually trying to depict.

3. Parody - A parody is a spoof, in current usage, is an imitative work created to mock, comment on, or trivialise an original work, its subject, author, style, or some other target, by means of humorous, satiric or ironic imitation. Parody music videos aren’t the most popular way in which an artist chooses to promote his or hers music however it is becoming more and more popular and is usually very popular amongst the audience.

An example of this is by You Tube channel the Key of Awesome who created a parody to the song Grenade by Bruno Mars:

This video is an example of a parody music video. This video was created by a You Tube channel called The Key of Awesome and features the various regular people lip syncing to an adapted version of the song Grenade. As you can see from the name of the video, this parody music video focuses on the song Grenade. This video is very successful as it features various people that are making fun of the lyrics by adapting them to make a humorous song. What also makes this video interesting is the fact that nearly every word is changed but it still mimics the style and beat of the original, the lyrics provide the fans with a comedic element and allow you to laugh at the video compared to the original which is more sad and depressing this has more humour.

4. Pastiche - A pastiche is a literary or other artistic genre or technique that is an imitation.

An example of this style is the song Last Friday Night by Katy Perry:

This music video is an example of a pastiche music video. This video is called Last Friday Night by Katy Perry. This video uses a 80s themed party, with retro clothing, in a modern environment. This video is made interesting as the main character is portraying an unpopular geek but clearly tries to make the most of it. Also toward the end of the video the artist is showing her true colours and what she is really all about. This also gives the video more appeal and makes it unique.

5. Performance - A music video that features a live performance or footage from a live performance.

An example of a this is the song Incredible Thoughts by The Lonely Island:

This is another example of a performance music video by the band The Lonely Island called Incredible Thoughts. This video features the band playing in a concert as well as cutting to the band talking about their performance. This is very effective as it gives the video more of a story and engages the audience more as there is more going on. There are 3 different types of performance music video. These include band, dancing and singing. This particular video is a band and singing performance music video. This video is very effective of advertising its message as it makes the audience realise the amount of randomness and effort that lyrics create but together with the right message they can be a success.

6. Surreal - Surreal is something that is so strange you cant believe its real. Mostly animated music videos fall under this style.

An example of this is a song by Coldplay called Up and Up

This music video is an example of a surreal music video. This song is called Up and Up sung by Coldplay. As you can see this video uses real visual images and well as animated combined into one by using different viewpoints and real objects to distort your sense of reality. This video is made surreal due to the message of the song and the way the band is trying to show the way they see the world. I feel that this video is very successful and appealing to the audience as its different compared to most music videos, its unusual and original.

Feedback on initial idea

Overall this feedback was generally positive, however it also helped us see that this idea while good and liked by the target audience is unfeasible. Due to many locations needed as well as props, it would be difficult to film such a difficult video with the access we have and therefore our idea must change to suit what we are able to do.

Initial presentation on music video ideas

The purpose of a music video

There are 5 categories for why music videos are made:

1. Promotional - To sell the song and ensure the audience has a reaction that makes them remember the song, to allow the audience to better understand the song, to entertain the audience and allows the artist to showcase their talent, to sell their music to the public by creating memorable visuals and for marketing purposes as it enhances and expands the artists image
2. Extension of income - To help promote the song long after it has been released e.g. Kanye West's song Famous only had a music video months after the song had been out, as well as the fact some artists are only remembered for their music videos rather than the song
3. Extension of outlets - Compared to the past where music videos were usually on TV on channels like MTV but now has been changed as there are multiple platforms for release such as YouTube, Facebook, Twitter and Google. This enables audiences to look for any music videos they want and encourages word of mouth as the more out there the video is the more it spreads due to its memorability. The use of controversy on media outlets gains massive publicity for an artist and their music due to people's fascination with anything remotely entertaining or controversial.
4. Synergy - Where two areas of media work together, examples of this include celebrities appearing in videos e.g. Bad Blood, or the artist may use a movie clp as it means that their song will be featured in a movie e.g. See you again by Wiz Khalifa and Fast and Furious 7, this increases the potential viewing numbers and expands the audience awareness, product placement also helps the record company and artist to make money as major labels get paid lots of money to use certain products, 
5. Producer's strategies - Vevo is an example of this as they have a partnership with Sony and Universal, they host music videos on YouTube and use adverts at the start of each music video to create revenue, this allows companies to regulate their online distribution and to make money from it, this also allows a wider audience to have access as Vevo has different platforms such as Ipad and certain applications

Star Image

Richard Dyer:

• British media theorist, who discussed a star's special place in the audiences' lives
• he suggests that a star's image impacts on the consumption by the audience
• he argued that the star image is manufactured and that individual stars have their own unique selling point (brand values) in order to grab and hold our attention - for example - Justin Bieber's hair, Amy Winehouse had her tattoos

A stars image relies on:

• rebelliousness
• youthfulness
• anti-authoritarian
• sexuality
• passion
• being artistic
• difference
• talent
• confidence / youthful swagger
• style

Dyer suggests that a star must be represented simultaneously as, just like us (the audience / regular people), but also at the same time possess something we do not have and something that makes them special, different, extraordinary... They are idealised versions of humanity.... idols

His key paradoxes that he discusses in his central idea are that a star should be both ordinary and extraordinary, a star should be present and absent.

A star image needs to change over time, for a star to maintain their celebrity status and their target audience they need to constantly re-invent themselves as their audience grows up and grows older.

E.g. Miley Cyrus

• started as a synthetic pop star working for Disney and had a star image of being clean cut and wholesome
• as she grew up and her audience aged he attempted to re-invent herself as a more mature artist
• she started to act more rebellious and anti-authoritarian around the time of her song wrecking ball  in order to sell herself and rebrand her image
• this included the twerking incident in 2013
• since this point she has also tried to show herself as different by working with the band the flaming lips and coming out as bisexual and gender neutral
• ultimately Miley Cyrus has played with her image in order to widen and change her target audience and also to rebel against the industrial system she was packaged to be a part of
• examples of how she had transformed can be seen in the video below:

Analysis of artist's CD cover:

Disc-overy by Tinie Tempah:

Narrative Structure of Rihanna

BBHMM by Rihanna:

Equilibrium - Attractive women is going through daily routine of getting ready in bright lighting and soft touch focus, this compared to the villain who is in a dark setting and lighting shows the binary opposition being established through the lighting to show how Rihanna the villain is the different to the attractive women.

Disruption - occurs in the lift as the song kicks in and there is a low shot of her dragging the trunk with the woman in further showing her as the antagonist, camera pans around her showing her expression as calm over the situation

Acknowledgment - Rihanna finds out she is not going to get her money so she smashes the phone and then there is a dutch tilt to show her setting fire to the car, this alongside of the slow motion of her walking away enhancing the idea that she is covering her tracks

Attempt to restore balance - by killing people and getting justice as she has a dead body under the water seen by the tilt to under the pool, she is now going for the husband, there is a slow zoom to the truck to show her getting ready and the the eyeline match to the tools for killing shows her determination, quick cuts after the knife show that a crime has been committed

New Equilibrium - Rihanna in the trunk as the camera pans across and zooms in to show her naked and covered by her money and blood to represent that even though she did get her money it turned her into a killer

Laura Mulvey 1975:

Discussed the ways in which the camera assumes the position of a male spectator and therefore encourages the audience to view films / music videos from the male perspective.

This is referred to as the male gaze and situates men as objectifies to be identified with whereas women are shown to be objectified. Think like a man, but look / gaze at the women.

The camera more frequently uses slow motion shots, panning and tilting around female character as a means of objectifying them to the male gaze.

Rihanna encapsulates the male gaze through the conspicuous close ups of naked women. The slow zoom around the trunk reveals Rihanna to be naked in the trunk, slow motion shots of naked bodies, slow pan across the swimming pool as the girls sunbathe in their bikinis