Genre -

When set the task of deciding upon a genre for this project, there was only ever once choice, and that choice is 'Indie Rock'
I have chosen this particular genre as some of my favourite artists feature within the category itself. By choosing a genre that features artists and music i both understand and enjoy, i am hoping to create a professional video, which is entertaining, realistic and does justice to both the song and the band/artist.

Another factor which lead me to this genre is the amount of freedom you have. As this genre is so vast, there are so many different artists and different styles to choose from, both musically and visually. This particular factor played a defining role whilst i was deciding on which genre i wanted to use, as it allows me to view different music videos as well as different musical sounds. I am hoping to emulate elements from different styles of music videos to arrange and create something new and unique.

In my opinion, this genre is the ideal one to choose. As mentioned before, i am a fan of artists from this genre and i feel as if i understand and enjoy the music which features in this particular category. Also, as i watch a large amount of indie rock music videos, i feel as if i have a good understanding of what elements and techniques i need to use whilst designing and creating my very own music video. Indie rock is not only my favourite style of music, but my friends' as well. Having friends who enjoy this genre is extremely helpful, but having friends who look like they could be in an alternative rock band is fantastic, as they will be able to star in the video, this particular factor played a huge role whilst i was deciding upon the genre.


My favourite bands/artists from this particular genre are -

- Oasis
- Kasabian
- Arctic Monkeys
- The Courteeners
- Ian Brown
- Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds
- Jake Bugg

Oasis

Kasabian

The Courteeners

Jake Bugg

Arctic Monkeys 

Music Video analysis 3 -

Name of track -
Step on

Artist -
Happy Mondays

Relationship between lyrics and visuals -
After analysing this video, i have not been able to discover any sort of relationship between the lyrics and the visuals.

Relationship between music and visuals -
The only relationship between the music and the visuals features midway through the video, when lead singer Sean Ryder mimes in time with the song.

Are there close ups of the artists and star image motifs -
This video does in fact feature numerous close up shots of each band member, but the majority of the close ups are on lead singer Ryder.

Is there reference to the notion of looking -
Once again the notion of looking features throughout this music video, as band members Ryder and bez look straight down the lens of the camera whilst singing or dancing in time with the music. As mentioned before, this creates a personal relationship between the artists and the audience, this technique also allows the artists to portray their personalities, which is how and why the personal relationship or bond is created.

Are there intertextual references -
Unfortunately no intertextual references feature in this video.

Is this video category illustration, disjuncture or amplification, How much of each? 
Due to its lack of synchronisation, this video falls into the category of disjuncture. The reason for this is simple, the video is completely random and neither the visuals nor the lyrics match the action which is taking place on screen. Not only that, but this video does not contain any form of intertextual reference.

Music Video analysis 2 -

Name of track -

Stellify

Artist -

Ian Brown

Relationship between lyrics and visuals -

There is in fact a relationship between the lyrics and the visuals in this particular video, although it is not immediately obvious. The song is called "stellify" which simply means 'turned into a star' therefore as Brown repeats the words 'stellify' he is announcing the fact that he has been turned into a star. The visuals match these particular lyrics as Brown strolls through the city streets with a hige brass band behind him, people are standing and staring and flags are being waved, all of these factors suggets that Brown is in fact a star and that he has been fully 'Stellified.' 

Relationship between music and visuals -

Throughout this video there is a clear relationship between the music and the visuals. This particular song features the sounds of brass instruments in the background. therefore there is a clear music and visual relationship as throughout the video a brass band are walking behind Brown. 

Are there close ups of the artists and star image motifs -

Throughout the video a variety of close ups are used to create a somewhat personal relationship between Brown and the audience. 

Is there reference to the notion of looking -

The notion of looking is used constantly during this video. As Brown and the band are walking towards the camera, the notion of looking is consitent, as brown is singing directly down the lens. As mentioned before, this technique is used to create a personal relationship or bond between the artist and the audience. 

Are there intertextual references -

There is a form on intertextual reference in this particular music video. This particualr reference features at the very end of the video, when the camera pans up and focuses on the sky, this is a clear link to the songs lyrics, as throughout the song brown mentions the sky, stars and angel, and so it seems apparent for the sky to feature in the video. 

Is the video category illustration, disjuncture or amplification? How much of each?

In my opinion, this video comes under the category of 'amplification.' This reason seems apparent as the visuals do not fully match the lyrics, yet the audience is still able to understand both. 

Music Video Analysis 1 -

Name of track -
Morning Glory

Artist -
Oasis

Relationship between lyrics and visuals -
This particular video does In fact portray a relationship between the lyrics and the visuals. In the video, the band are in a dark flat, and all appear to have a 'lazy' posture. Also, outside shots of people knocking impatiently on the door enter the frame, these visuals clearly match with the lyrics "need a little time to wake up" as both suggest that the band are carefree and are in no rush to open the curtains or answer the door.

Relationship between music and visuals -
This particular song has a fast and upbeat pace to it, however, the video portrays the band as being lazy and so they are sat virtually still throughout, suggesting that there is no relationship between the music and the visuals. However, as the video progresses, this appears to change, and the visuals start to match the pace of the music, as the band begin to play football and mess around.


Are there close ups of the artists and star image motifs -
As is usually the case with bands, the lead singer is the main attraction, and this video depicts that point perfectly. A large amount of the shots used are close ups of frontman Liam, this allows the viewer to see who is singing the song, which adds a sense of reality to the video. However, as mentioned before, shots of the entire band, and the outside world are used also, to show which band members are playing which instruments and to add different perspectives to the video and keep the viewer interested.


Is there reference to the notion of looking -
The notion of looking is used throughout this particular music video, particularly by lead singer Liam and lead guitarist Noel. This particular technique is used to make the audience feel involved in the video, as a personal connection is made. By using the notion of looking, the band members are able to portray their arrogance, as by looking straight down the lens of the camera, they are able to show their lack of fear as well as their confidence whilst performing.

Are there intertextual references -
although this video is extremely unique and various characters feature throughout, there is no specific or obvious intertextual reference.

Is the video category illustration, disjuncture or amplification? How much of each?
In my opinion, this video comes under the category of 'illustration.' This reason seems apparent as the visuals illustrate the meaning of the song and the lyrics.

Summer Homework; Features and Conventions of Music Videos -

From watching and analysing a variety of alternative music videos i discovered that a range of techniques are used. These particular techniques featured in nearly, if not all of the videos which i watched and analysed. The techniques which featured in the particular videos are -

- A clear shot of the band/performing and the playing of instruments.

- Repetitive shots of the lead singer.

- Random settings and items are used to add a certain uniqueness to each video

- A variety of shots are used e.g. close ups, pan shots, long shots etc.

- Suitable clothing/costumes which matches the genre of both the artist and therefore the song.

- Each video has a beginning a middle and an end.

- Some of the videos i watched had a specific story line which clearly matched the lyrics.

- Other videos were completely random, or were specific in the fact that they did not match the lyrics.

Summer Homework -

Task 1 -

What do you think are the major elements of an album marketing campaign? (The different ways in which a band/artist identity is mediated to an audience)

The first major question an artist needs to ask when advertising a new album is "can the audience hear it?" The most important thing for an artist is that their target audience can listen to the music which they have created. To make this possible, artist need to use highly popular music sites such as Spotify and Itunes in order to get their music heard by their intended audience. Not only does this create an immediate bond with the fans, but it also allows the artists fan base to grow, as these particular sites allow audiences to discover new music, meaning more sales and therefore, more popularity.

The use of online sites leads straight onto the second point, an online presence. The second question an artist needs to ask when advertising a new album is "Does the audience know who we are and can they discover more about us and our music?" By having an online presence, the artist can allow their audience to discover more about the e.g. band itself, widen their knowledge on the bands music and more importantly, discover new music (the most recent album) By having an online presence, a huge amount of people are able to view the artist and can gain a clear understanding of their genre and style, as well as discover where they can see them perform live; which leads on to element number three.

Element number three enables the band/artist to promote their music to a vast, live audience. By going on tours and playing at festivals, the band/artist is able to play in front of thousands of fans, and are able to promote their music to others; this once again allows their fan base to grow. By announcing a tour, the band is immediately recognised by audiences, and many often listen to the band/artists songs before watching their shows, this is another great marketing technique, as many member of the audience feel inclined to listen to the bands music before watching them at gigs or festivals.

Another fantastic way of advertising new music is for the band/artist to release their own merchandise. By doing this, they are automatically noticeable, as fashionable items such as t-shirts and hats etc. can be viewed by vast amounts of people. This particular technique may also allow the bands fan base to grow, which will in turn boost the bands popularity and therefore boost album sales.


Task 2 -

Where have you encountered these elements in your daily life? 

I have encountered elements such as the ones listed above on numerous occasions. As a user of sites such as twitter and spotify, i am able to discover new single/album releases almost instantaneously. By using sites such as these and following my favourite artists i am able to see the album itself, research further into by using the internet, and most importantly listen to the songs which feature on it. A recent example of this occured when The Courteeners released their new album 'Concrete Love.' I discovered that the album had been released whilst on twitter, as Courteeners front man Liam Fray confirmed in a tweet that a new album was to be released shortly. After reading this, i immediately searched for the album on sites such as google to find out further details about the new album. Eventually, the album was available to stream on spotify and i was notified immediately. After reading this notification i was able to see the album cover as well as every single song, which i then added to a playlist.


Task 3 -

What factors make you like a band and therefore download their music, buy their albums and attend their concerts? How do you decide on which bands are cool and which bands are not? 

There are many factors to consider when listening to a band or artist for the very first time. The first, and most important for me is the bands music. The music is key; not only does it suggest the bands genre and style, but allows you to understand their backgrounds and personalities. When listening to a new band, i often play their most popular tracks and can therefore decide if i enjoy listening to their music and if i like their style. If their music grabs me and i find myself enjoying their songs, then i opt to discover more about the band and begin to listen to their less well known stuff, in order to further my knowledge and understanding about the particular group. Another crucial factor to consider when discovering a new band is their personality. The bands i usually listen to contain huge, influential characters who make the bands what they are. For example, the likes of Liam and Noel Gallagher were key to Oasis' success, not only because of their musical talent, but because of their quick witted humor and freedom to do, say and wear what they wanted. This brings me on to another crucial factor, the bands image. For me, the bands image is extremely important, as it relates to their style of music and culture. For example, if a band wears clothing which i like or wear myself, i am immeiatley attracted and feel as if i am part of their culture and so should listen to their music.


Task 4 -

What makes a music video unique?

From my experience of watching music videos, the most unique are the ones which are inexpiable, ones which have no meaning and no sense of reality, ones which simply do not make sense.  In my opinion, these are the most unique as they are ones which automatically stand out, and can not be recreated or copied in any way. For the video to be unique, it has to be different from anything else, whether it be past, present or even future.