Andrew Goodwin has identified a number of key features in music videos. They are:
- A relationship between the lyrics and the visuals, with the visuals illustrating, amplifying or contradicting the lyrics.
- A relationship between the music and the visuals, with the visuals illustrating, amplifying or contradicting the music.
- Genre-related style and iconography present.
- Multiple close-ups of the main artist or vocalist.
- Voyeurism often plays a major part, especially in relation to females.
- Intertextual references to other media texts may be present.
We will be taking these ideas into consideration when analysing music videos.
Tuesday 19 October 2010
Monday 18 October 2010
Genre
Our project is focusing alot on the genre of music that we have chosen to use. A major part will be looking at the codes and conventions of existing media texts, and to not only use them, but to challenge them, twist them and change them to fit how we like.
There are a few theories that relate to genre that can be used in the pre-production stages of our video.
-Rick Altman said that genre is a set type and a group in which any medium can be classified within. When applying this to music, examples of which are reggae, jazz and drum 'n' bass etc. In each case the acknowledgement of genre depends on the acceptance of the generic conventions. Genre can change over time, and become to mean something completely different, it's open to manipulation, it's not set hard. Altman also said that viewers pre-read media texts, and they become passive viewers which ultimately restricts genre.
-Richard Maltby said that the success of Hollywood is dependent on the combination of predictable elements with slight variations. This suggests that as producers we should follow the codes and conventions of our chosen genre, but also add some variation within our piece so that the audience does not become bored, and so that the media text is not predictable every time.
-Jon Fiske said that any one type of media will display main characteristics of it's genre, but it is likely to include some characteristics from other genre's. Categorizing a media text into one genre would mean deciding which characteristics are more important. This theory can be applied to our project. Our genre of music is pop, but because pop music is such a wide spread genre there are alot of characteristics from different genre's such as R&B and soft rock. When looking at existing music videos and media packs we will have to consider focusing our research on artists that are very similar.
There are a few theories that relate to genre that can be used in the pre-production stages of our video.
-Rick Altman said that genre is a set type and a group in which any medium can be classified within. When applying this to music, examples of which are reggae, jazz and drum 'n' bass etc. In each case the acknowledgement of genre depends on the acceptance of the generic conventions. Genre can change over time, and become to mean something completely different, it's open to manipulation, it's not set hard. Altman also said that viewers pre-read media texts, and they become passive viewers which ultimately restricts genre.
-Richard Maltby said that the success of Hollywood is dependent on the combination of predictable elements with slight variations. This suggests that as producers we should follow the codes and conventions of our chosen genre, but also add some variation within our piece so that the audience does not become bored, and so that the media text is not predictable every time.
-Jon Fiske said that any one type of media will display main characteristics of it's genre, but it is likely to include some characteristics from other genre's. Categorizing a media text into one genre would mean deciding which characteristics are more important. This theory can be applied to our project. Our genre of music is pop, but because pop music is such a wide spread genre there are alot of characteristics from different genre's such as R&B and soft rock. When looking at existing music videos and media packs we will have to consider focusing our research on artists that are very similar.
Saturday 9 October 2010
Audience theory
When thinking about audience and how the audience effects our music video production, it is important to remember audience theories.
Below are some audience theories.
The Hypodermic Syringe
The hypodermic syringe theory suggests that mass media messages are injected straight into a passive audience which is immediately influenced by the message. This theory expresses the view that the media is a dangerous means of communicating an idea because the receiver or audience is powerless to resist the impact of the message. There is no escape from the effect of the message, the population is seen as a sitting duck.
An example of this is, if you are a man and you see another man wash his car. You, in theory, should feel the need to wash your car.
There are other theories that have a different idea and oppose this view.
The Culmination Theory
The culmination theory suggests that while no one media text will have an active effect on the viewer, years and years of watching violence may make you less sensitive to violence.
Two Step Flow
The two step flow theory suggests that information from the media moves in two distinct stages. First, individuals pay attention to the mass media and recieve the message. These individuals then discuss the message and their own interpretations with others, this discussion influences people's opinions and behaviour.
Uses and Gratification Theory
The uses and gratification theory suggests that we decide what media we consume, we also expect certain things, we expect to be gratified by what we have watch. The types of gratification are:
1.Information
2.Entertainment
3.Personal identity
4.Social empathy/social personal interest
5.Escapism
This is slightly more relevant to film and television program, most music video's also contain a narrative, as ours will.
Below are some audience theories.
The Hypodermic Syringe
The hypodermic syringe theory suggests that mass media messages are injected straight into a passive audience which is immediately influenced by the message. This theory expresses the view that the media is a dangerous means of communicating an idea because the receiver or audience is powerless to resist the impact of the message. There is no escape from the effect of the message, the population is seen as a sitting duck.
An example of this is, if you are a man and you see another man wash his car. You, in theory, should feel the need to wash your car.
There are other theories that have a different idea and oppose this view.
The Culmination Theory
The culmination theory suggests that while no one media text will have an active effect on the viewer, years and years of watching violence may make you less sensitive to violence.
Two Step Flow
The two step flow theory suggests that information from the media moves in two distinct stages. First, individuals pay attention to the mass media and recieve the message. These individuals then discuss the message and their own interpretations with others, this discussion influences people's opinions and behaviour.
Uses and Gratification Theory
The uses and gratification theory suggests that we decide what media we consume, we also expect certain things, we expect to be gratified by what we have watch. The types of gratification are:
1.Information
2.Entertainment
3.Personal identity
4.Social empathy/social personal interest
5.Escapism
This is slightly more relevant to film and television program, most music video's also contain a narrative, as ours will.
Saturday 2 October 2010
Questionnaire analysis
The results of our questionnaire can help us decide what to put into our music video. Our results show that our target audience would like us to use, pop music with a female artist, using a mixture of narrative and performance. The settings must be bright in natural sunny settings.
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