VIDEO KILLED THE RADIO STAR

AN INTRODUCTION TO MUSIC VIDEO

FOR YOUR A2 COURSEWORK YOU WILL PRODUCE:

A MEDIA PORTFOLIO, COMPROMISING A MAIN AND TWO ANCILLARY TEXTS 60 MARKS

RESEARCH AND PLANNING 20 MARKS

EVALUATION 20 MARKS

MAIN TASK

A PROMOTION PACKAGE FOR THE RELEASE OF AN ALBUM, TO INCLUDE:

A MUSIC PROMO VIDEO – 40 MARKS

PLUS:

A DIGIPAK CONSISTING OF AT LEAST SIX PANELS (CD PACKAGE)10 MARKS

A MAGAZINE ADVERT FOR THE DIGIPAK (CD PACKAGE)10 MARKS

YOU WILL THEN BE REQUIRED TO ANSWER TWO QUESTIONS IN YOUR 2015 EXAM ON YOUR COURSEWORK.

QUESTION 1A (25 MARKS) WILL FOCUS ON YOUR SKILLS DEVELOPMENT FROM AS TO A2. YOU HAVE ALREADY BEGUN PREPARATION FOR THIS DURING YOUR A2 INDUCTION LESSONS

QUESTION 1B (25 MARKS) WILL ASK YOU TO ANALYSE ONE OF YOUR PRODUCTS IN RELATION TO ONE OF THE FOLLOWING KEY CONCEPTS

NARRATIVE

AUDIENCE

GENRE

REPRESENTATION

MEDIA LANGUAGE

THE PURPOSE OF A MUSIC VIDEO

A music video is a short film or video that accompanies a complete piece of music/song. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a [marketing] device intended to promote the sale of music recordings. Although the origins of music videos go back much further, they came into their own in the 1980s, when MTV based their format around the medium, and later with the launch of VH1. The term "music video" first came into popular usage in the early 1980s. Prior to that time, these works were described by various terms including "filmed insert", "promotional (promo) film", "promotional (promo) clip" or "film clip" (Wikipedia)

TASK 1

1.WHAT DO YOU THINK ARE THE MAJOR ELEMENTS OF AN ALBUM MARKETING CAMPAIGN (THE DIFFERENT WAYS IN WHICH A BAND/ARTISTS IDENTITY IS MEDIATED TO AN AUDIENCE)?

A music video is very important, as it helps to promote the song and also tends to convey the style of the artist/band to the audience through the style of the video itself, through mise en scene and perhaps through any performance element used.

Interviews regarding their album on the television or another medium (such as online, or on radio) can help raise awareness of their album and can also illustrate to an audience the personality of the band/artist, and they can portray their style and image through these interviews.

Performances at events (such as festivals, on television programmes, gigs, etc) help to once again raise awareness to a wider audience of songs from their album and their image, style and identity.

I believe that social media is also key in an album marketing campaign, for example tweets (or Facebook status’, etc) can be used to promote the album and encourage people to buy it. Social media is a very helpful platform, as it is accessible to an extremely large audience, and promotion of the album can be spread throughout this audience via people sharing, retweeting, etc, about it. Through social media you can also get a feel of the artist/band through what they say in their tweets, status’ and so on, the images they may post of their day-to-day happenings, for example their promotion tour of their album- this can make an audience feel involved and more interested in the artist/band, like they have first hand, exclusive knowledge of things related to their new album and therefore they may be more likely to buy it.

The styling of the artist/band usually is associated with their genre of music and this can subsequently help to relate their identity to an audience, and the audience can perhaps judge whether the band/artist’s style of music would be something they’re interested in.

2. WHERE HAVE YOU ENCOUNTERED THESE ELEMENTS IN YOUR DAILY LIFE?

Many of these elements mentioned in the last answer I encounter in my daily life, for example on social media you can easily see the promotion of a band/artist’s album as it may get shared by one of your friends or you might follow the band/artist yourself. Music videos can be suggested to you by YouTube itself if you listen to similar music, so this will draw you in. Performances at events can be seen on television, talked about by people on social media, or talked about elsewhere, so you are likely to encounter this. Interviews of the band/artist can also be seen on a variety if mediums, so it is likely that you will come across this band/artist in some dimension, in all of which they are promoting their album so you are bound to become aware of it somehow- and perhaps more interested in purchasing it.

3.WHAT FACTORS MAKE YOU ‘LIKE’ A BAND AND THEREFORE DOWNLOAD THEIR MUSIC, BUY THEIR ALBUMS OR ATTEND THEIR CONCERTS? HOW DO YOU DECIDE WHICH BAND IS ‘COOL’ AND WHICH IS NOT?

I think the factors that make me like a band include elements such as their personalities, style, genre of music, and overall attitude that they portray. If these things appeal to me then I am probably more likely to be interested in buying their music.

WHAT MAKES THE MUSIC VIDEO UNIQUE?

THE MUSIC VIDEO IS DESIGNED FOR MULTIPLE VIEWINGS; IT HAS TO BE INSTANTLY MEMORABLE YET INTERESTING ENOUGH TO WARRANT WATCHING AGAIN AND AGAIN. UNLIKE THE FILM TRAILER IT IS NOT DESIGNED TO BE VIEWED ON A LARGE SCREEN NOR IS ITS AUDIENCE CAPTIVE.

1. WHERE AND WHEN DO YOU WATCH MUSIC VIDEOS?

I would say that I tend to watch music videos on my phone, either when I’m on my own or whether I’m with a group of people and I want to show them an interesting/a music video that I like. Furthermore, I watch them on television, when there is little else to watch I’ll switch on a music channel. Also, I’d say that I watch music videos if there is one in particular that many people are talking about in person/online and I want to feel involved in the hype.7

TASK 2

IN THE SPACE BELOW LIST AS MANY FEATURES/CONVENTIONS OF MUSIC VIDEOS THAT YOU CAN THINK OF.

Parties Large houses Beautiful scenery Glamorous mise en scene Make-up Beautiful women Good-looking men

Nice clothes Physical fitness Nice cars Performance An interesting narrative An opening & ending dialogue A link between the lyrics and visuals A relation between the visuals and the music Close-ups of the artist/band Artistic branding Voyeurism (the audience see something that they usually shouldn’t see) Intertextuality Repetition A comedy element A dramatic element

Analysing Music Videos :

1. Genre Categories:

Illustration – either a straightforward performance video or a simple narrative video (or mixture of the two) that illustrates the meaning of the lyrics and visualizes the music in a straightforward way. It could be called music video ‘denotation’. A good example of a classic mixed narrative/performance video is Pulp’s ‘Babies’.

Amplification – the conventions demonstrated by the music video ‘auteur’ or creative director. S/he may use both performance and narrative, however, rather than simply illustrate the lyrics or sounds this director will ‘amplify’ both with creative interpretation, unusual ideas and surrealistic approaches. There is still a direct link to the song, whether it be the beat, sound or ‘connotative’ link to part of the lyrics or song title. See Spike Jones’ video for Fat Boy Slim’s ‘Praise You’ or Michel Gondry’s video for Kylie Minogue’s ‘Come Into My Life’.

Disjuncture – also created by ‘auteur’ directors these videos are completely abstract and have no obvious link to the music, lyrics, song title or artist. In this sense they are a point of ‘disjuncture’ from the song. See Spike Jones’ video for Daft Punk’s ‘Da Funk’ or any Radiohead video.

2. The Narrative Video Codes and the Performance Video Codes:

Narrative Video:

Narratives are rarely complex for two reasons:

1. They need to market or advertise the band/artist and song so must feature ‘repeatability’ In other words the narrative code must be ‘loose’ or simply ‘suggestive’ rather than ‘realistic’ or ‘detailed’. This is because music video audiences need to be able to watch videos repeatedly and a tight realist narrative would prove too boring after the first couple of viewings. Musical Synaesthesia only requires the musical or lyrical ‘mood’ to latch onto to develop a narrative concept.

2. Musical Synaesthesia – the two elements of the song which determine the visual subject matter or overall concept

a) Roland Barthes theory of “the grain of voice” whereby the vocal sounds can be understood as music in themselves e.g. Michael Jackson’s ‘yelp’ or the tone of voice of the words which are the song title themselves e.g. Bjork’s ‘It’s Oh So Quiet’

b) The dominant musical arrangement that dictates the overall mood. This could be a key guitar sound(the lead guitar in ‘Get Lucky’ Daft Punk) or a particular beat (‘Uptown Funk’ Mark Ronson)

Once the director has identified what he/she thinks is the key vocal or musical element then this may be used to tap into the audience’s sense of shared cultural history or intertextuality e.g.

The steel guitar=the American Deep South and desert plains

An r’n’b beat or bass line=an urban environment

A group of choral voices=a place of religious significance e.g.: church or graveside etc.

Performance Video:

1. Conventions of the band performance : a degree of authenticity of the performance is sought by the band and the director so we find lip-sync close-up, mimed playing of instruments, repetition of chorus shots to enhance ‘repeatability’, unusual camera shots and angles e.g. the micro camera shots attached to the neck of a guitar, sweeping crane shots to film audience reaction to the band playing etc (see number 4)

2. Conventions of solo artist performance : many of the above plus choreographed dance routines to enhance ‘repeatability’, a first person mode of address directly engaging the viewer through the camera which involves many close up shots of eyes rolling and gesturing (see how these conventions have been adopted by ‘Pop Idol’ contestants in a bid to appear professional and authentic)and if the video is a hybrid form cutting between performance and narrative then the solo artist or band lead singer often becomes part of the narrative story, acting as narrator and participant at the same time (see Jarvis Cocker in Pulp’s video for ‘Babies’)

3. Star Image – only 1 in 10 artists promoted by a major record company will actually make that company any substantial profit. This is why certain select profit making stars are manufactured, manipulated and marketed by the record label’s ‘artist and repertoire’ (A&R) division so aggressively. The star image of individuals such as Michael Jackson and Madonna through their videos is a vital component of this process. This is why we can identify the ‘meta-narrative’ of stars through their videos whereby the record label manipulates and changes the artist’s image with each new video release to increase sales, consolidate target audiences and broaden appeal to new fan bases. The best case studies are ‘Madonna’ and ‘Michael Jackson’. Trace their image manipulation through videos over the past 30 years.

3. Audio-Visual Technical Codes Needed for Analyzing a Music Video:

Speed is the Essence:

Camera Shots: jumping directly between long shots, close ups and extreme close ups. Primarily the close up on the singer’s face is the main generic convention for music videos. Also the extreme close up on the lips for lip synching.

Camera Movement: whip pans, fast dolly track shots and fast overhead crane shots to follow the running, walking or dancing of performers. Also fast vertical tilts and horizontal pans.

Editing: various terms: jump cutting, MTV style editing or montage editing. Creating the visually de-centred experience of ‘jumping’ from location to person to instrument without

any normal narrative continuity. Instead it is often the beat or the rhythm of the track which provides the organising principle for editing movement. The editing moves so fast it creates the need for viewing ‘repeatedly’. There are exceptions though. Some ‘continuity editing’ used such as atmospheric ‘dissolve shots’ such as in Sinead O’Connor’s ‘Nothing Compare to You’

Post-production digital effects: see ‘i-movie’ for ‘split screens’ (see Michel Gondry’s video for Kylie Minogue’s ‘Come Into My World’ for split screens seamlessly ‘bled’ into each other) ‘colourisation’ ‘slow motion’ etc These are now conventional for music videos. Please look out for other innovative effects.

Lighting: Expressive lighting a key feature of music videos. Extreme artificial light to create the ‘bleaching’ effect on pop stars faces (making them seem ageless). Also the use of switching from colour to black & white or sepia to indicate a shift from chorus to verse. Also lighting effects such as strobes or flashing needs to be identified. This obviously links into the use of CGI in dance music videos to enhance the atmosphere.

Mise-en-scene: look for the overall artistic concept in a video. Is there a theme such as the historical period e.g. the sixties (Madonna’s ‘Beautiful Stranger’ with its intertextual link to the Austin Powers film) or the seventies (The Beastie Boys ‘Sabotage’ video which parodies the ‘Starsky& Hutch’ 70s TV Cop genre...also an intertextual link). Does the video’s mise en scene follow the need for authenticity in performance videos by using the concert hall or rehearsal studio setting. Or is there an intentional ‘parodic’ setting to exaggerate star image as in many rap and r&b videos with a focus on glamorous icons such as exotic locations, beautiful cocktail bars and stunning beachside houses with infinity pools (see Rick Ross ‘Here I Am’)

TASK 3

TEXTUAL ANALYSIS OF MUSIC VIDEOS

NAME OF TRACK: SOME NIGHTS

ARTIST: FUN.

TASK 4 –

FEATURES OBSERVATIONS EXAMPLES

GENRE

CHARACTERISTICS

INDIE POP: THERE IS A FILTER OVER SOME PARTS OF THE VIDEO, WHICH IS TYPICAL OF THAT OF AN INDIE POP VIDEO, TO MAKE IT LOOK QUITE OLD AND VINTAGE, ALMOST LIKE A MEMORY.

THERE IS A MIXTURE OF NARRATIVE AND PERFORMANCE, AND THE NARRATIVE ELEMENT INVOLVES A THEME. THE BAND THEMSELVES ARE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ACTION, INTEGRATED INTO IT IN A WAY. THE LEAD SINGER IS SINGING TO THE SOLDIERS TOWARDS THE START OF THE SONG.

THERE ARE A LOT OF CLOSE-UPS ON THE BAND AND THE LEAD SINGER, EMPHASISING THAT THE AUDIENCE SHOULD FOCUS ON THEM.

RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN LYRICS AND VISUALS?

THERE IS A STRONG LINK BETWEEN THE LYRICS AND VISUALS- FOR EXAMPLE THE NARRATIVE OF THE VIDEO SHOWS THE AMERICAN CIVIL WAR, AND TWO LOVERS SEPARATED BY IT. THE LYRICS MENTION THINGS SUCH AS ‘THIS IS IT BOYS, THIS IS WAR’ AND ‘I MISS MY MOM AND DAD FOR THIS?’, CLEARLY LINKING TO THE NARRATIVE OF THE VIDEO.

RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN MUSIC AND VISUALS?

THERE IS A LOT OF RELATION BETWEEN THE MUSIC AND THE VISUALS, FOR EXAMPLE THE DRUMMING AND BEAT AS THE SONG KICKS IN (‘MOST NIGHTS, I DON’T KNOW ANY MORE...) IS REFLECTED BY THE SCENES OF SHOOTING AND MARCHING WE SEE IN THE VIDEO. ALSO THE BEAT HAS ALMOST A WAR LIKE FEEL TO IT, LIKE THE SOUND OF MARCHING WHICH REFLECTS THE NARRATIVE ITSELF.

WE SEE THE BAND PLAYING IN TIME WITH THE MUSIC, AND THE LEAD SINGER LIP-SYNCING. ALL OF THEM ARE MOVING ALONG IN TIME WITH THE MUSIC.

THERE ARE FAST CUTS WHICH REFLECTS THE FAST PACE OF THE MUSIC.

THE SONG SLOWS DOWN AT ONE POINT (COME ON... COME ON...) THIS IS ILLUSTRATED IN THE VIDEO WITH THE ACTION

ANSWER ALL THE QUESTIONS BELOW – THIS IS EXACTLY THE SORT OF THING YOU’LL NEED TO DO WHEN EVALUATING YOUR OWN COURSEWORK.

1. Why did you choose the text you are analysing?I chose this text as I love the song and the music video is very powerful, and full of interesting narrative and energy.

2. In what context did you encounter it?I was listening to one of Fun.’s other big hits, We Are Young, on YouTube and this video came up in the suggestions.

3. What influence do you think this context might have had on your interpretation of the text?I was probably expecting it to be as good as the We Are Young video, so I was thinking positively before I even watched it.

4. Which conventions of the genre do you recognize in the text?Sometimes in indie pop music videos they film with a certain filter in some parts of the text to make it look old, and have a vintage sort of feel, almost like that of a memory. Furthermore, it is usual for there to be a mixture of narrative and performance and this is evident in this text, with the band being clearly integrated into the action. Also, the band are styled in a way in keeping with clothes associated with their genre of music, in quite a cool, stylish way, but they are also in keeping with the mise en scene and the action taking place around them in the text. There are also close-ups of the lead singer and the band, as they are the main draw for the audience; it is their song so they themselves as a band/individuals are key in selling it. Furthermore, there is a love story in the video and a beautiful woman and a good looking man are the actors portraying the couple, all of which are ordinarily conventions of indie pop music videos. The video opens with the title of the song in capital letters, which is quite a regular feature of indie pop videos (opening with the title), and then there is an opening sequence to the text which does not have any music to it, setting up the narrative, which is also usual for indie pop.

5. To what extent does this text stretch the conventions of its genre?There isn’t really any notion of looking, sometimes in indie pop videos men can be dressed in a way that’s more revealing; however this is more focused on the energy of the band, their style and the narrative of the video. Although, the men are still styled in a nice, attractive way so the text only stretches the conventions slightly.

6. Where and why does the text depart from the conventions of the genre?I would say that it is quite unusual for an indie pop video to be inspired by a particular historical event (except for perhaps National Anthem by Lana Del Rey), especially one of war. I feel that they have done this in order to make the text more meaningful, to be more powerful and to relate to the lyrics of the song more.

7. What sort of audience did you feel that the video was aimed at (and how typical was this of the genre/style of music)?I feel like this was aimed at a variety of people, but perhaps young adults in particular due to the energy of the band in the video that I feel would appeal more to a younger audience. Also, I feel that young female adults are targeted due to the storyline of the young couple that would stereotypically appeal to women. However, young male adults are targeted, stereotypically, due to the war element to the video. Although, I do feel like the messages conveyed through the video are quite universal and would relate to everybody. However, I think that indie pop is generally aimed at teenagers/young adults in particular and this video is quite evident of this to a certain extent.

8. What sort of person does it assume you are?Perhaps a person that is quite sensitive and can empathise with the storyline in order to make it more powerful and effective, also, a person that is exhilarated by the band’s energy when they are performing in this text.

9. What assumptions seem to be made about your class, age, gender and ethnicity?As explained in the answer to question 7 I feel that they have assumed that the majority of the audience are young adults, and perhaps are females. I would not say that it’s aimed at a certain class or ethnicity, as it seems to have quite a universal appeal to it as mentioned before.

10. What interests does it assume you have?An interest in a strong, powerful narrative that is quite dramatic, and also it assumes you have an interest in a cool, indie pop band as you can clearly that Fun. is one through their styling and energy throughout the text.

11. What relevance does the text actually have for you?I think the text is quite relevant to a modern day audience as there are still wars taking place across the world, and it features the hardships of war and how it can affect relationships and people. Also, the relationship in the video is quite relevant for someone my age, as it features young love so you feel that you can relate to the couple.

12. What knowledge does it take for granted?That you will be able to relate to the characters of the narrative and therefore the video will draw you in from the beginning, so that you will watch the rest of it. Also, the makers of the video will be aware that some people will either be suggested to watch it on YouTube or will already like the band, so they will probably already have an interest in this genre of music and will watch the video because they like the song.

13. To what extent do you resemble the 'ideal reader' that the video seeks to position you as?I think I resemble the ‘ideal reader’ to a full extent, as I already liked Fun. before I watched this video and their genre of music, also I’m what I consider their target

audience; a female teenager. I can also relate to the narrative, and can empathise with it. Furthermore, I really enjoy the performance element of the video.

14. Are there any notable shifts in the video's style (and if so, what do they involve)?There aren’t really any notable shifts in the video’s style, other than in the middle 8 where the cuts seem to slow down as does the action slightly.

15. What responses does the video seem to expect from you?To enjoy it and to dance along to the beat, however it also expects you to feel quite touched by the characters, in particular the man we see with the horse towards the end and the young lovers.

16. How open to negotiation is your response (are you invited, instructed or coerced to respond in particular ways)?In certain ways I think that you are invited to have an emotional response and also the response of enjoying the performance element of the video, as the song has a contagious beat to it and the text has a strong, wonderfully filmed narrative that integrates well with the video- so that you are intrigued into watching it and having a response. However, in other ways you could say that you are coerced into it in some ways as there is a lot going on within the video and you are almost bombarded with the narrative and the infectious performance element, both of these features convince you to like the text and have a certain response.

17. Is there any penalty for not responding in the expected ways?Not particularly, I think that you can still enjoy the song without being that interested in the text.

18. To what extent do you find yourself 'reading against the grain' of the text and the genre?In a way I do find myself reading against the grain of the text as I try to work out the meaning that the video is trying to convey, within the text itself and in relation to the connection between the lyrics and the visuals. I do not however find myself reading against the grain of the genre.

19. How typical do you think this video is of Music Videos?I think this is quite typical of music videos as it has a strong performance and narrative element, and has characters that a variety of audiences can relate to, yet also it manages to target a specific audience simultaneously.

TASK 3

TEXTUAL ANALYSIS OF MUSIC VIDEOS

FEATURES OBSERVATIONS EXAMPLESNAME OF TRACK: LITTLE LION MAN

ARTIST: MUMFORD & SONS

GENRE

CHARACTERISTICS

INDIE FOLK:IT IS A PERFORMANCE VIDEO WITH MANY CLOSE-UPS ON THE BAND PLAYING THEIR INSTRUMENTS.

THERE ARE ALSO A LOT OF CLOSE-UPS ON THE BAND MEMBERS THEMSELVES AND THE LEAD SINGER IN PARTICULAR.

THE VIDEO IS FILMED WITH SOFT LIGHTING & WITH A CERTAIN FILTER THAT MAKES IT LOOK QUITE VINTAGE AND OLD.

THE BAND ARE STYLED IN CLOTHES THAT ARE ASSOCIATED WITH THE GENRE TO MAKE THEIR IDENTITY CLEAR TO THE AUDIENCE.

THE SET IS VERY BEAUTIFUL AND ATMOSPHERIC, WITH AN OLD SORT OF LOOK ALMOST TO MATCH THE STYLE OF THE GENRE.

THERE IS LIP-SYNCING AND EXAGGERATED INSTRUMENT PLAYING.

RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN LYRICS AND VISUALS?

AS THIS IS SOLELY A PERFORMANCE VIDEO THERE IS NO NARRATIVE TO LINK TO THE LYRICS, SO THE ONLY LINK TO THE VISUALS IN TERMS OF LYRICS ARE THE BAND LIP-SYNCING ALONG WITH THEM.

SEE ABOVE FOR EXAMPLES OF THESE OBSERVATIONS.

RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN MUSIC AND VISUALS?

THE MUSIC LINKS WITH THE VISUALS IN TERMS OF PACE, WHEN THE PACE GETS FASTER SO DOES THE CUTS- WHEN IT IS SLOWER THE CUTS ARE SLOWER.

THE MUSIC ALSO LINKS WITH THE VISUALS IN TERMS OF THE BAND OVER-EXAGGERATINGLY PLAYING THEIR INSTRUMENTS ALONG WITH THE SONG.

ARE THERE CLOSE-UPS OF THE ARTIST AND STAR IMAGE MOTIFS?

THERE ARE A LOT OF CLOSE-UPS OF THE BAND AND THERE ARE PARTICULARLY A LOT OF THE LEAD SINGER.

IS THERE REFERENCE TO THE NOTION OF LOOKING?

NO.

ARE THERE INTERTEXTUAL REFERENCES?

NO.

IS THE VIDEO CATEGORY ILLUSTRATION, DISJUNCTURE OR AMPLIFICATION? HOW MUCH OF EACH?

THIS VIDEO IS SIMPLY AN ILLUSTRATION TEXT AS THE MUSIC IS VISUALISED IN A STRAIGHTFORWARD WAY ONLY THROUGH PERFORMANCE.

1. Why did you choose the text you are analysing?I love Mumford & Sons and this song, so I thought it would be a good choice to analyse.

2. In what context did you encounter it?Similarly to the context for ‘Some Nights’ – Fun. I think that I was listening to their other songs on YouTube and this came up on the related videos section, so I thought that I’d see what it was like.

3. What influence do you think this context might have had on your interpretation of the text?Given that I was listening to their songs already as I like them, as I pressed on this video I was probably expecting it to be something that I liked also as it is one of their songs. Therefore, I approached the text with a positive and possibly already influenced attitude.

4. Which conventions of the genre do you recognize in the text?Indie folk texts tend to incorporate performance into them as the usual audience of this sort of music like to see the authenticity of the band playing and their skill, and really feel the music, and this text is in keeping with this convention as it is solely a performance video with many close-ups on the band playing. There are also many close-ups on the band members themselves and Marcus Mumford (the lead singer) in particular, these close-ups are key in selling the song, the band are the main draw for the audience and are so especially in this video that has no narrative so focuses entirely upon them.

Other conventions of indie folk texts include soft lighting, which is in keeping with the nature related feel of Mumford & Sons music and indie folk music in general, and a colour scheme and filter that has quite a vintage, old feel to it- which once again often relates to the styling associated with indie folk artists/bands.

Furthermore, the band are styled in clothes that are usually associated with the genre- this conforms to conventions and helps to make the band’s style and identity clear to the audience. Also in the mise en scene the set is used to a beautiful and atmospheric effect, with an old look about it, this matches the style of the genre once again and conforms to conventions.

As in most indie folk texts and performance videos in general there is lip-syncing used and exaggerated instrument playing, to once again appeal to the target audience and infect them with their energy.

5. To what extent does this text stretch the conventions of its genre?In my opinion, this text does not really stretch the conventions of its genre; it conforms to the majority of them. The only challenging of conventions that is notable is that many indie folk videos usually integrate both performance and a narrative aspect to the text; however this video focuses solely on the performance element.

6. Where and why does the text depart from the conventions of the genre?It does not really depart from the conventions of the genre at any time.

7. What sort of audience did you feel that the video was aimed at (and how typical was this of the genre/style of music)?I feel due to the energy used throughout the video in the band’s performance and the modern, yet vintage style used in the mise en scene that the video is aimed towards young adults more than others, however I feel that it can appeal to a wide ranged audience that would appreciate the skill and energy of the band. Although, for videos such as this to be aimed at young adults is quite usual within this genre of music as they tend to be the main listeners- and stereotypically they are more likely to use YouTube than those of a more mature age, so they can spread the word about the video.

8. What sort of person does it assume you are?One that is exhilarated by indie folk music and that is going to enjoy watching the band play, and therefore will be interested in a whole video that is solely performance based.

9. What assumptions seem to be made about your class, age, gender and ethnicity?As mentioned before in a previous answer the video assumes that you are a young adult and will be exhilarated by the energy of the band in the video, also I would say that perhaps it is aimed more towards females due to them stereotypically maybe appreciating the beautiful mise en scene more, with the pretty lights used. I would not say that any assumptions are really made about ethnicity. Regarding class, I feel that is aimed more at a middle-class audience, only as I feel that the band’s clothing and styling within the video is something that the middle-class would perhaps stereotypically wear and would stereotypically appeal more to them.

10. What interests does it assume you have?Although the band are not actually playing live, as it is a performance video you still do get this ‘live’ feel to it, and therefore I feel that it assumes that you are interested in live performances, and also that you are already interested in indie folk in order to watch the whole video that is solely performance, with no narrative to grip you.

11. What relevance does the text actually have for you?

I think that is relevance to me is the energy that they use throughout the video that makes you enjoy it, and therefore will make me want to watch it again.

12. What knowledge does it take for granted?That you may be watching this video because you have heard the song elsewhere, like it and want to watch the video for it, therefore you will watch the whole thing no matter whether it is only performance based or not. Or that you may already like their music and therefore are likely to like this song and watch the whole text. There are many reasons similar to this, such as YouTube suggesting the video to you that the producers of it are able to take into consideration that they know are going to happen and take for granted when making the video.

13. To what extent do you resemble the 'ideal reader' that the video seeks to position you as?I would say that I am completely the ideal reader of this video, as I am a young female, who already likes indie folk music and their music before watching the video, and I am likely to appreciate their energy in their performance and their skill with the playing of instruments.

14. Are there any notable shifts in the video's style (and if so, what do they involve)?No, the video’s style remains constant throughout.

15. What responses does the video seem to expect from you?As mentioned before, just to enjoy the music and performance and to feel exhilarated by it, and therefore want to share it with others and/or watch it again.

16. How open to negotiation is your response (are you invited, instructed or coerced to respond in particular ways)?I would say that your response is invited, as it is subjective whether you like the text or not as to whether you like the performance and songs within it. However, I suppose you could say that you are coerced in a way as they are already expecting you to like it as they assume that many members of their audience will already like indie folk and will appreciate the contagious performance element, and will therefore have the expected response.

17. Is there any penalty for not responding in the expected ways?Not particularly, however you will not perhaps get anything out of the video. If you don’t enjoy the performance element then there is nothing else really to gain from the text.

18. To what extent do you find yourself 'reading against the grain' of the text and the genre?I do not really find myself ‘reading against the grain’, as with this video I feel that there is no deeper meaning and it is solely a performance to enjoy.

19. How typical do you think this video is of Music Videos?There are many music videos out there with a similar vintage, old style to them, and that that only have performance within them, so it is quite a typical music video with nothing very unique about it.

TASK 3

TEXTUAL ANALYSIS OF MUSIC VIDEOS

TEXTUAL ANALYSIS OF MUSIC VIDEOSNAME OF TRACK: BLANK SPACE

ARTIST: TAYLOR SWIFT

FEATURES OBSERVATIONS EXAMPLES

GENRE

CHARACTERISTICS

POP:

LOVE STORY

A BEAUTIFUL WOMAN

A HANDSOME MAN

GLAMOROUS CLOTHING

MAKEUP/HAIR

EXTRAVAGANT HOUSE

BRIGHT COLOURS

NICE CARS

REPETITION- THE VIDEO CIRCLES, WITH ANOTHER MAN ENTERING SWIFT’S HOUSE AT THE END IN THE SAME MANNER WITH USE OF SIMILAR SHOTS

RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN LYRICS AND VISUALS?

IT IS AN ILLUSTRATIVE VIDEO AND THEREFORE VISUALISES THE LYRICS CLEARLY ON THE SCREEN- FOR EXAMPLE WHEN SWIFT SINGS ‘NICE TO MEET YOU, WHERE YOU BEEN?’ THE MAN IS GETTING OUT OF THE CAR

ANOTHER EXAMPLE IS WHEN SHE SINGS ‘GOT A LONG LIST OF EX LOVERS’ AND SHE IS IN A CORRIDOR THAT IS LINED ON THE WALLS WITH PAINTINGS OF HER EXES

RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN MUSIC AND VISUALS?

THE CUTS REFLECT THE PACE OF THE MUSIC

THE SHARP, HIGH FAIRYTALE LIKE ECHO IN THE MUSIC IS REFLECTED IN THE TWISTED FAIRYTALE LIKE NARRATIVE

ANOTHER EXAMPLE IS WHEN SWIFT CUTS THE MAN’S SHIRT IN TIME WITH THE MUSIC

IN THE MIDDLE 8 THE STYLE OF THE VIDEO SLIGHTLY CHANGES TO SOMETHING A BIT DIFFERENT IN COMPARISON WITH THE REST OF THE VIDEO, TO REFLECT THE DIFFERENT SOUND OF THIS SECTION OF THE SONG

ARE THERE CLOSE-UPS OF THE ARTIST AND STAR IMAGE MOTIFS?

THERE ARE MANY CLOSE-UPS ARE SWIFT THAT APPEAL TO THE MALE GAZE AND SHOW HER BEAUTY

1. Why did you choose the text you are analysing?I love the song and think that the music video is really creative and interesting to analyse.

2. In what context did you encounter it?I heard the song and was interested in seeing what the music video was like, so I looked it up and watched it.

3. What influence do you think this context might have had on your interpretation of the text?As I already thought that the song was great, I was expecting the video to match the standard of the song, therefore I went into watching it with a positive attitude and this perhaps influenced my interpretation in a positive way.

4. Which conventions of the genre do you recognize in the text?There is evidently a love story within the text which is a common convention for that of a pop video, as it can relate to a wide audience. Furthermore, there is a beautiful woman (Swift) which is a normal feature of the genre and appeals to the male gaze. There are many close-ups of Swift as she is the main draw for the audience and is key in whether they purchase the song or not. There is also a handsome man to appeal to the female gaze.

There is glamorous mise en scene, including the clothes used, the scenery (the house and grounds, etc) makeup, bright colours and nice cars. This makes the video a big production, a spectacle, and more visually pleasing, allowing it to appeal to a wide audience. This kind of mise en scene is often used in pop music videos, as it is a large market in comparison to some other genres and they tend to have a lot of money to create extravagant texts.

Repetition is also a convention that is often used to make the video catchy as well as the song, and for people to want to watch it again. The repetition used in this case is quite clever and makes the text more interesting; the video opens and closes in a very similar way using similar shots- with another man arriving for Swift to victimise.

5. To what extent does this text stretch the conventions of its genre?It is relatively unusual for artists to self-parody themselves in their music videos, but this is what Swift does in this text as she is mocking the fact that people think she has many exes and that she goes quite crazy after she breaks up with them- therefore Swift stretches the conventions slightly.

6. Where and why does the text depart from the conventions of the genre?I would not say that the text departs from the conventions of pop videos at any point.

7. What sort of audience did you feel that the video was aimed at (and how typical was this of the genre/style of music)?

I can infer that the video is perhaps aimed at female young adults/teenagers in particular, due to the bright colours and pretty, extravagant scenery used that would stereotypically appeal to females and a younger age group. Furthermore, the video features a love story of sorts in it and therefore would also stereotypically appeal to girls. Also, Swift and the man are young adults themselves and I feel that they would relate more to a similar-aged audience. Young females tend to be the main listeners of and therefore the target audience of pop music, so this video is in keeping with this.

8. What sort of person does it assume you are?I think it assumes that you are someone that would be interested in a strong, humorous narrative, and stunning visuals that are used in the text.

9. What assumptions seem to be made about your class, age, gender and ethnicity?As answered in a previous question, I believe that it assumes that you are a young female teenager/young adult, and I do not think any assumptions are made about class or ethnicity. This video, as much as it could be said does have a target audience, can appeal to a wide audience with the themes within it, bright visuals and the humorous narrative.

10. What interests does it assume you have?As mentioned before, it assumes that you are interested in a humorous storyline, with an interest in beautiful visuals and an appreciation for a star that can ridicule themselves, and not take themselves too seriously in a music video.

11. What relevance does the text actually have for you?I think that the relevance it has for me is the entertaining, fun feel to it, the humour and the modern vibe also.

12. What knowledge does it take for granted?That as Swift was already a huge star before this song, so many people will already have heard her music, or know of her, or have heard this song itself, and therefore will be more likely to want to watch the video. Also, a wide audience like pop music so they are probably expecting you to like the contagious song and expect you to want to watch the text.

13. To what extent do you resemble the 'ideal reader' that the video seeks to position you as?I would say that I completely suit the ‘ideal reader’ of the video, as I am a young female and therefore the video appeals to me, and I also enjoy pop music.

14. Are there any notable shifts in the video's style (and if so, what do they involve)?The only notable shift is of that in the middle 8 where the visuals change slightly to reflect the change in the music.

15. What responses does the video seem to expect from you?I think the extravagant, humorous, creative, contagious nature of the video means that it expects you to respond in a very positive way, by possibly replaying it and/or sharing it via social media.

16. How open to negotiation is your response (are you invited, instructed or coerced to respond in particular ways)?I think that you are almost coerced into responding in this way as there are so many features of this video that can appeal to a wide variety of people that many people will enjoy it and react in the expected manner.

17. Is there any penalty for not responding in the expected ways?There is not necessarily a penalty for not responding in the expected way, however if you do not enjoy the video then you won’t gain anything by watching it.

18. To what extent do you find yourself 'reading against the grain' of the text and the genre?Once again, I do not find myself ‘reading against the grain’ of the genre, however within the text I can clearly read between the lines and realise the statement that Swift was trying to make by self-parodying herself and in the narrative of the video in relation to, as I mentioned earlier, how people believe she reacts when a relationship she is in ends.

19. How typical do you think this video is of Music Videos?I think that the video is quite a typical music video as it is quite extravagant like other pop music videos and features many ordinary conventions of this genre, and furthermore it uses both illustration and amplification which is prevalent in other music videos.