In What Ways Does Your Media

Product Use, Develop or Challenge

Forms and Conventions of a Media

Product? This slide share will analysis in relation to the theory of how my music video and complementary products (Digipack and Website) incorporated into my music video ‘LRRH’ theory and conventions, as well as challenging them in a constructive and beneficial manner. When creating my music video I set out with the intention to create a sophisticated, symbolic and socially confrontational music video that was open for interpretation and captured the imagination of the audience.

Context

• 1. Definition of a Music Video• 2. The importance of theory• 2. Narrative, Intertextuality & Literature • 3. Representation• 4.Music Video; Connecting/ speaking to the Audience• 5. Creating an Identity• 6. Types of Signs; Iconic, Indexical, Symbolic.• 7. Visual hooks; Scopophilia, Synesthesia • 8. Music Video• 9. Digipack • 10. Website

Music Videos History to Present

• The first ‘real’ music video was Queens ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ released in 1975. This was then the start of a major industry and component of the music video.

• Music videos are used for two main significant purposes; As well as being a promotional product they’re also an artistic product.

• Music videos have adopted and created music theories and representations.

• In recent years the music video industry has exploded phenomenally. Due to the accessibility and affordability of music videos and the increasing amounts of money in the music videos there has been a huge hike in creation of videos ranging from a professional to amateur level.

• Scale of production has increased dramatically there are far more sophisticated and Hollywood style music videos i.e. ‘Payphone – by Maroon 5’

• As a result of the advancement of technology and social networks. Music videos are far more accessible to wider and audiences. i.e. Gangham Style – By PSY broke a world record for most views getting 1 billion 200 million hits..

Importance of Theory

• Theory stems from people thinking analytically about texts, institutions, culture ad products of the music industry.

• Theory informs production, this is essential when creating a successful music video.

• Theory and presenting it in your product to the audience creates frameworks to explore and can and influence thought to a desired effect.

• Audience theory is another important aspect as gives awareness to the producer how audiences interpret your texts and product.

• It most importantly gives an understanding of the industry and its history.

• By using theory like I have in my video it has enabled me to create an effective and powerful music video.

Understanding of the audience

• When creating my media product I appreciated the importance of understanding my audience.

• One theory I found to be a major contribution to my music video was ‘Synesthesia’. Synesthesia is “the images that audience have with the lyrics and instruments of the song”. This is an essential theory when creating a music video that is an amplified video (video not having a direct relation to the lyrics). I used selected members of my intended target audiences and listened to the results from their synesthesia study and incorporated it into my ideas.

• Another important theory is Richard Dyers. He published a book called ‘Entertainment and Utopia’, one theory in particular I wanted to challenge in my Music Video, the theory is ‘stars and constructions’ he highlights that “stars are artificial images.. It helps them have a USP”. This made me have the urge to try and create real characters in my video. Characters that people could relate to and share emotions with.

• I also continued my research looking at audience expectations. Lawrence Bell founder of Domino Records believes the “key to a successful band Is to create an honest image and true emotions that people can relate to”. This inspired me to create an emotionally honest video in the hope that others could connect with those true emotions.

Intertextuality & Literature

• My music video’s narrative challenges the typical conventions of a music video. The idea of the video was to alter a children's book classic ‘Little Red Riding Hood’ in the story the wolf is deceived as the baddie and the girl is rewarded full innocence. I felt that in my video I would challenge this piece of Literature.

• I researched into this and looked at other audiences who have reinterpreted the story to their own perspective such as – Bruno Bettelheim, used this as a basis to create my video. Using this literature and my own imagination I was able to create a video that needed thought to understand, the story. I hoped this would stir up discussion and debate amongst fans.

• I found that literature helped to provide intertextuality , to my video as I created layers of the video that had, deeper meanings. Ie the role of the woods.

• John Fiske came up with the term Semiotic democracy, a quote from his that “Audiences interpret media and give their own meanings, these often differ from what was intended by the creator” This made me desire to leave windows of possibility in my video. I used an open for interpretation ending, following this theory that audiences will create their own ending.

Narrative

• Music videos are not obliged to conform to the stages, I took full advantage of this. I incorporated levels of incoherence so that only people who could relate with the characters would understand. I was able to do this by deciding that I wanted to create an artistic music video and not a purely profit purpose video.

• I was inspired by Russian, Sergei Einstein. He came up with the term for montage in film. As the song is about love and coexisting I used montage to express emotion and reactions. I also used it to show two stories and effect of the woman on the mans life showing her obliviousness.

• I also used amplification. Amplification is “visuals introducing new meanings that do not conflict with the lyrics yet add layers of meanings. This was an important theme and optional convention that I chose to introduce in my video as it made it more dynamic and sophisticated to the audience.

Synesthesia• In 1992, Andrew Goodwin wrote a book Dancing in the Distraction factory, he referred to

synesthesia s the images associated with music. It is an advancement on V.N. Volosinovstheory in “Marxism and the Philosophy of Language’.

• Synesthesia was defiantly the most important theory I incorporated into my video. It helped me to source ideas from the ideas of the audience in my first research and created the structure for my video.

• I incorporated to some scale all of the themes they heard. See below an example of the result of my synesthesia and how I incorporated the ideas. This had a further advantage of giving the audiences what they expect.

Use of Representation

• Ferdinand de Saussure describes the science of signs as semiology. Highlighting the importance and power of image. This representation I found as a great benefit as it helped me to understand what meanings the audience would understand of my project.

• The main feature of his theory I decided to use was ‘Symbolic’ representations.

• Symbolic definition: “The connection with the object is a matter of convention rule or cultural knowledge/ agreement which is learnt”.

• Examples of this are; The woods, I used it as a location where you would expect to find wolf but its symbolic meaning is the representation of social exclusion, isolation and being lost and distant from the rest of the world. Another example is the wolf; it represents a usually stereotypically scary character, yet we learnt his personality through the use of symbols, iehis calm nature.

• Objects and clothing played a role in doing this. I made Little Red Riding Hoods coat was important in this as it signified danger and love.

Creating an Identity

• When creating its important to create a identity of the video and digipack and website.

• I did this by creating a unique piece

• I also used themes to connect all the projects.

• Themes connecting the texts; Love, Drug Dependency, Unrequited Love, Depression, Childhood, Darkness, Desire.

• The Little red riding hood theme I reinforced on all my projects.

Actors• I incorporated ‘Judith Butlers’ ideas of “Star Representation”. She suggests that

“cultural configurations of sex and gender proliferate and become intelligible”. I applied this by creating actors that would appeal to western cultures in looks and fashion, as well as them being physical attractive.

• This helps to develop a strong fan base and create an iconic music video.

• This is replicated in my Digipack and Website as I use woman seductiveness to sell.

• I also used young actors to appeal to a younger audience.

We Media

• A new concept and convention that has come about as a result of the boom in technology and its advances is called we media.

• Given the term by Dan Gillmor, it refers to the creation of media by the people and not institutes.

• This was an important part of the creation of my video as I was working with out an institutions creative influence, therefor I could explore and experiment and create a piece I wanted to make and I felt would be popular with my target audience.

Releasing The Track

• The reason that I chose to release the single ‘Angels’ – that I renamed ‘LRRH’ was due to it was a song that I could connect to. Another reason is as a result of its appeal to an audience that I felt I could relate to and understand.

• The track also didn't’t already have a music video so is completely unique for the song.

Secondary Research

DigipackMy intention with this front cover was to create an eye catching and unique front cover that appeals to both genders. I also wanted to reintroduce my theme in the album over seductiveness of woman. I feel it further could become and iconic feature that could trend with fans of 'The XX', they might upload pictures of them doing the pose etc. It also follows the results of my market research, a very large majority of the best selling albums for the last decade have all had an attractive woman on the cover of the CD. I comply with the typical nature of the genre creating a simplistic cover.

I decided to reinforce my music video in a way with out using pictures from my video. I came up with the idea of using a black board & chalk - this has significance because it has the aim to tell the audience that there be learning in the album about relationships and people. I used the finger puppets of the story of Little Red Riding Hood to reinforce the story line of LRRH (the song i made the music video for) as its the heart of the album. I gave them thoughts to show their character and to give the audience something to think about.

Digipack ContinuedFor my back-cover I wanted to create a unique style finger drawing. Finger drawings are trending on social networks, with people creating their own and publishing them. So I took this into account and wanted to create an original one that would capture the attention of the consumer of the product and my target audience. I used the black background to draw peoples attention to the drawing. I also added conventional features such as a song list of the songs on the album. A logo of the record company and a barcode.

Inspiration stemed from a mixture of very successful CD covers such as Beyonce and Lana Del Ray and copied their ideas about seductive and powerful woman. I also looked and attempted to copy the simplicity and key features of other similar genre and artists CD covers such as the XX, Frank Oceans and James Blake’s.

WebsiteWhen creating my website page I found research and planning to the most important part of creating a marketable and popular webpage. The website is fundamental to get correct. I wanted to have a balance of artist integrity, with art and just for the band and fans to interact ensuring popularity of the website. I also wanted to make sure that it woudencourage music sales, concert sales and merchandise sales. I researched artists such as 'Tyler the Creator' who releases all his songs for free and makes money on tours and merchandise. I chose to represent this with his encouragement of free tickets and competitions (a band members - Jamie XX birthday party free tickets), I also copied his and many other artists such as SBTRKT's store option this is one of the add on pages of my website. I copied the ideas of other growing artist to show their latest single on the front page and having it play automatically draws people to it. This will increase the amount of people who see the video. I also incorporated Crystal Fighters idea to promote themselves with a news feed of whats going on with the band and having the twitter live stream on the home page.

Website ContinuedMoreover it was important to have a connection and a relationship with my video and digipack as a part of creating a brand for the band.

I learnt that through my research the most loyal and devoted fans where from bands that interacted with their fans "Arctic Monkeys" this is why incorporated a friendly style of language, trying to create a website for the readers that was very personal.

Design was the last and crucial factor. When looking at other websites I found that you only have 30 seconds maximum of the website visitors time. Therefor I wanted to create visually impressive images and pictures as well as small pieces of dialogue to keep the viewer interested with the intention of continuing to look through the website. I made sure that the colour theme and font themes continued throughout the website to have a more professional look.