This is the questionnaire that we asked several people to complete.
The results were interesting:
From this we can see that our target audience is a small percentage of the full market for music. We asked 10 people to fill out the questionaire, and from the results we found this out. We asked questions that we thought would refer to out research, like 'what genre of music is your favourite?' We tended to ask questions which would get straight to the point, so then we would be able to concentrate on the answers which mattered most to our research.
This is a music video for the band Blink 182 they are a successful pop-punk band and they have broke into the mainstream market. In this video we can see clear typical conventions of this genre. They had a brand image of anarchy and having fun. I think they definitely follow this in the video. Punk videos are very similar to rock and indie videos as they usually consist of a live band performance and also a narrative that overlap and cut between each other. This is very common of rock and punk genre.
Whilst researching the conventions of music videos we found the work of Andrew Goodwin very useful. He said there were 6 points...
- there is a relationship between the lyrics and the visuals. - particular music genres may have their own music video style and iconography -there is a demand on the part of the record company for lots of close ups of the main artist/vocalist. -the artist may develop their own star iconography -there is likely to be reference to voyeurism - there are likely to be intertextual references
We also discovered the work of Pete Fraser he said :
(Pete Fraser Teaching Music Video 2005)
LYRICS: Tend to establish a general feeling or mood rather than offering a coherent meaning. Key lines may play a part in visuals associated with the song but very rarely will a video mirror all the lyrics of a song.
MUSIC: A music video tends to make use of the tempo of the track to drive the editing.
GENRE: While some videos transcend genre, others can be easily categorised. These features may be reflected in the types of mise en scene, themes, performance, cinematography and editing style.
CINEMATOGRAPHY: As with any moving image text, the way the camera is used has a significant impact on meaning. Camera movement, shot and distance all need to be analysed.
Camera movement may accompany the movement of performers (Walking, dancing) but may also be used to create a more dynamic feel to stage performance e.g. consistently circling the band as they perform on stage.
The close up predominates music video, partly due to the size of the screen but also due to the desire to create an intimacy for the viewer. It also emphasises the commodity on sale – the artist and voice.
- EDITING: Although the most common form of editing used is the fast-cut montage- rendering many of the imaged impossible to grasp in the first viewing- ensuring multiple viewings- some videos do use slow pace and gentler shot transitions/cuts to establish mood.
- INTERTEXTUALITY: “ Music video as incorporating , raiding and reconstructing.” (J.Stewart)
Music videos often use something with which the audience will be familiar with to create nostalgia and associations with e.g. Beastie Boys Sabotage and TV Cop shows, Madonna's Material Girl and Marilyn Monroe’s film Gentlemen Prefer Blondes. It is not unusual that many videos draw on cinema – as this is usually where film school graduates start in music video.
NARRATIVE AND PERFORMANCE: Narrative in songs, as in poetry, is rarely complete and fragmented. Music videos tend to suggest storylines and offer fragmented non-linear narratives- leaving the audience with a desire to see them again.
The video allows a more varied access to the performer than a concert can. The mise en scène in particular can be used …
As a guarantee of ‘authenticity’ of a bands musical virtuosity by showing them in a stage performance or rehearsal room.
To establish a relationship to familiar film or TV genres in a narrative based video
As part of voyeuristic context by suggesting a setting associated with sexual allure, such as a sleazy nightclub or boudoir.
Or, as John Steward suggests, to emphasise an aspirational lifestyle, as in the current emphasis on the latest gadgetry.
Music and moving images have long gone together. Since the beginning of film in the 1920's and 30's films were always accompanied by music. As well as this the development of the musical as a genre for example: Singing in the Rain.
1960's Promotions
In the 1960's many Bands created films which included the Beatles. They released a film called HELP (right) which promoted the Beatles and in turn made them even more successful.
1970's Promotions
Top of the Pops began to use music videos while the bands were away on tour but they were still very experimental.
The Beginning of MTV.
Artists began to see the need for promotions on each new release and changes in technology created a gap in the market and this led to the boom in music promotions in the 1980's.
The growth of genre based channels such as MTV BASE, MTV DANCE and several others.
This led to the music video being a useful way of promoting bands and musicians and is used widely throughout the industry.
On the 17th of November, we attended a seminar by the Creative Director of Poison Pen Films. (Paul) http://www.poisonpenfilms.com/
It was an exciting insight into the production of music videos both and high and low budget. We watched several videos that he had directed and he told us how he came up with the ideas and then produced and edited the final video. This helped us understand the pressure and difficulties of working in the music industry. We learnt about how music video budgets are becoming considerably lower due to illegal downloads and music piracy. We were also told about the 'triangle', where basically there are 3 factors in creating a music video, money, time and quality and as long as you have two of the three factors you can create an effective music video.
This is Danny, Beth and their friends outside Bradford National Media Museum. We enjoyed our trip and found it very useful and a great insight into the world a music video.
A brand is not the same as a product. A brand is the particular make of a product. for example instant coffee is a product but Kenco, Nescafe and Tesco's Own are all different brands of coffee.
... competitive branding became a necessity of the machine age - within a context of manufactured sameness, image- based difference had to be manufactured along with the product (Naomi Klein, No Logo). Consumers have so much choice with each product within a category for example coffee that companies have to give the product a different personality to make people want to buy that particular make and not any other. A brand often refers to many products. For example the quality and freshness of Kellogg’s cereals is highlighted across a range of products including chocolate bars. Branding is about creating an image for a product or for a band that people link to a particular product and compels them to be loyal to this product and buy it over and over again.
We going to create a brand image for Middle Finger Salute so that the fans will instantly know that this is Middle Finger Salute and this will in turn boost the success of the band and the notoriety.
Here are a few examples of Band Branding in the Punk genre:
The Sex Pistols were a controversial Punk Band in the late 1970s and they often tackled Taboo subjects and they had a definite brand image of anarchy and that they generally didn't care what anybody thought about them. Just by looking at these images we can see this brand image and we will know what to expect from their music. We can tell that they are pursuing the image of anarchists as one of their posters contains taboo language and the 'God save the Queen' Poster is instantly showing that they don't care what the public think about them as the queen is a recognised and loved public figure and they have blatantly de-faced he. As well as this the same logo has been used throughout which instantly lets us know that it is the same band and we know what to expect from the music. The music video video that I have used is again showing that the Sex Pistols had the definate brand image of anarchy.
These features have made a controversial yet very effective and successful brand image.
This is the questionnaire that we asked several people to complete. 
