Audience

Media texts are a product usually made to make money and generate revenue for the institution that has produced them. In our case music videos and their artists been the product make money and generate revenue for the artist music label/institution.All products need audiences to gain what the institution wants. The institution needs an audience to target so they can construct the product to appeal to them. We define a target audience using GRASS:

Gender

Race

Age

Socio-economic Status

Socio-economic Status is essentially what class a person belongs to depending on their job/occupation/family here is a chart to explain the different categories, these are the six standard socio-economic groupings in the UK:

Group                                          Description

A           Upper Class                            Buisness proffesionals

B           Middle Class                            Middle management

C1         Lower middle Class                 Trades and supervisory jobs

C2         Skilled working class                Blue collar workers

D           Lower working class                Manual workers

E           Subsidence                               Pensioners/unemployed

This is the socio-Economic scale used in marketing today, these are the six standard socio-economic groupings in the UK.

Audience profiling can be divided in to two broad categories:

1.Demographic profiling techniques

2.Psychographic profiling techniques

Demographic Profiling

Following World War 2 media industries grew, there was a need to identify and target different audiences in order to market their product to the 'types' of people who would buy the products. The first type of audience profiling developed was demographic which involved grouping the audience into smaller groups based on variables such as sexuality, religion, class, economics, age, gender, geographical area etc. This method of profiling is good as it groups people according to the lives they live or/and their economic or social status in society.

There are of course problems with demographic profiling as people are not all the same just because they have the same job, income  etc. People with the same race or gender don't share the same interests, everyone is different, so it is hard to find out specific audiences through this profiling method. Due to these problems research has moved to Psychographic Profiling, the method which categorises consumers of products in terms of needs rather than characteristics.

Psychographic Profiling

This method of profiling just assumes the audience to be complex and have certain needs which are to be fulfilled. The method aims to appeal to the audiences' emotions and psychological needs, different audiences of obviously having different psychological needs and emotions. Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs addresses audience segmentation this way.


Maslow's Hierrachy of Needs
Maslow developed his theory of needs whilst he was researching the behaviour of monkeys. He discovered that all living creatures have basic needs that must be fulfilled to enable survival. However Humans are more complex, therefore are more unique than other species. There is a diagram of a triangle which illustrates his theory. The way to read the theory diagram is to start from the bottom and move up. The first four sections below 'self actualisation' are known as the 'deficit' or 'D-needs', if these needs can't be achieved a person cannot gain 'self actualisation' at the top. The levels of need are known as:

• Physiological needs- ie need for basic survival. These are required to be able to move up the diagram. They include water, oxygen, food etc
• Safety and Security- this is the need for shelter, warmth, protection
• Belonging needs- ie social needs. Maslow describes this need as everyone has 'an innate need for love and affection of others. Its what Humans need in life.
• Esteem needs-this is split into two levels, lower and higher self esteem. Lower self-esteem is gained through appraisal of others, if people like a person the person often feels better about themselves, however if a person isn't liked by someone it creates a person to be low or sad or hurt. HIgher esteem is much more difficult to achieve but when achieved is much more stable/long-lasting, it is self respect and genuinely feeling good about oneself

If all the D-needs are met then 'Self-Actualisation' is achieved. Self-Actualisation is when a person realises our full potential of their Human Being status. Self-Actualisation is made up of 'being needs', which include: perfection,beauty, diplomacy, uniqueness etc, not survival needs.


Here is Maslow's theory:

The aim of our group is to appeal to our target audience, young people who like indie/pop punk music, and we are going to try and achieve to give them their needs in our video and our band 'Funnels' image. Other studies that we concern ourselves with are Young and Rubicam's Cross-cultural Consumer Characteristics. This psychographic profiling approach characterises people in terms of their personal aspirations/needs. Rubicam and Young said there were four categories of audience based upon there  aspirations/needs:

1. Mainstreamers-which is 40% of the market, largest section of the market. This group seek for security in conformity therefore tend to buy well known brands. ,for example popular mainstream Hollywood films.

2.Aspirers-This group are people who are motivated by status. They buy smart high fashion goods. For example the newest best equipped televisions.

3.Succeeders-This group consist of people who have already climbed the ladder and want to keep control of what they have. For example car adverts promoting 'power' etc are aimed at this group of people.

4.Reformers-This group of people are those that want the world to be a better place. As in educated people such as teachers and doctors who apparently are more likely to buy eco-friendly and health products.

In 1988 a new group emerged the 'individual', this group responds to advertising and marketing that emphasises quirkiness or individualism. This is the group we essentially want to appeal to our target audience. Hopefully our product, our video will appeal to our target audience because of the mise-en-scene-, the narrative and editing to match the song. We did a questionnaire which Pete carried out and from this we determined what elements we will put forward on our video..




Jane Keegan

Popularity of Genre

The genre that we have found that Funnel best suits was Pop-Punk/Indie, as they have the same three-chord sound as many punk bands in some of their songs but they also have material that would fit into the genre of indie and new wave. In recent years there has been very few punk sounding songs that sound similar to Funnel in the pop charts. the most recent and popular songs that would come close to a similar sound as our band would be from the more indie and new wave sounding bands such as

• The White Stripes
• The Gossip

These were the closest sounding to 'Funnel' that i could find that have been a success within the pop charts for the last 10 years, this is because bands such as these can be placed into many sub-genres, this causes music to be lost as no one knows how to access this music as easily as commercial pop songs. There is little demand for this type of music.

Equipment we will be using.

Hardware/Software that will be used to create and document our media project.


Hardware: The Apple iMac is a necessary tool when doing this project, we will be using it to import the footage, store it, edit it and also use it to upload our project. It is easy to use, fast and has a lot of storage space so it is vital for our group.

The MD235 will be the video camera we use to shoot the music video, it was supplied through the college for our group. It is hand held and compact yet it is a very good video camera,  it has a 45x Zoom, this will help the cameras shots seem smooth and also helps the camera from shaking/becoming blurred. When in inadequate lighting conditions the LCD video light will be useful if shooting close up shots, in addition to this the video camera also has a high resolution meaning it will look crisp and clear on a large screen if it was to be played on DVD. Having the option to shoot using wide colour EVF means that battery life can be easily conserved, this a good back up if there was not a spare battery on hand.

For the ancillary tasks, we will be using a digital camera to take pictures of the location(s) we will be using, the digital camera will be supplied by college. It is a Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX3, some of its features include a 'MEGA O.I.S (Optical Image Stabiliser) ' , Manual exposure and focus options and is 10 mega pixel camera. It's ability to zoom in does not affect the image's quality and i feel it will be very useful in our ancillary tasks. 

Software: To edit our film we will be using Final Cut, which is one of the most popular and successful pieces of software that was created for Apple Macs, it allows the user to create professional looking films and sequences and is even used in TV studios for actual shows. It is compatible with most formats used in video cameras, such as HV, DV and AVCHD. It has the editing features that you would expect and that are essential to any video editing software yet it is more advanced and allows the user graphics, titles, mix your audio tracks and adjust audio and video filters. To give it a more professional feeling Apple added more filters, transitions and effects to it, Final Cut is being constantly improved and being released with more updates, it truly is essential for our project.

Peter Field

Music Labels

The labels that would be candidates for the management of Funnel would be those of which who have helped produce bands such as - No Doubt who signed a "big" recording contract with Interscope Records in 1991, they are an American rock band from California, They formed in early 86 and attempted to create a ska-pop sound, their first album, No Doubt(1992), failed to take off and make an impression on the world. However their second album Tragic Kingdom went on to launch the new ska revival of the 1990s.

Patti Smith who was signed with Sony BMG music group. She is an American songwriter and a poet and in 1975 with her debut album 'Horses' became a big player in the New York Punk circle, she is now seen as 'the godmother of punk'. Her unique technique was mixing 'beat poetry' with generic 'three-chord' rock/punk. She is seen as a highly influential artist of the 70's (heard in the sound of 'Funnel') and has worked with other artists such as Bruce Springstein and has been nominated for a Grammy award for 'Best female vocal rock performance'. 

Here are the links to the two music labels that i have said to be the likely companies to take on our focus band - 

http://www.sonymusic.co.uk/artists/

http://www.interscope.com/artists/default.aspx

It is apparent through listening to the music of Funnel that the writers of the songs has been influenced by these two bands or music from the same genre, there is also a resemblance with the distinctive voice of Joe Hesketh - Funnel. 

Lewis Holgate

Narrative and Representation

We are creating a music video for the band Funnel. There are two different things going on in the video, which are reference to the lyrics. One story is Joe (the singer) of the band singing into the camera saying the lyrics as if they are coming from her, the other story going on is following a group of young bohemian styled friends on a day out. The meaning behind this idea is to reflect the artists image, bohemian and quirky. At point of the video the group throw cake at eachother, the title of the song been 'Cake' another refernce to the song itself.

Again our brand image is bohemian and quirky, therefore our 'characters' in our video's costume and actions need to reflect this. We will be taking photos of the band/lead singer and their image will be clear.

Jane Keegan

Planning

Here is the very beginning of our planning process as i have thought up some rough ideas for shooting, costume and props that we will be needing on the day of the shoot.
Casting - Our video will have two totally contrasting videos within them, one of which will feature Joe Hesketh, the artist and lead vocalist of our focus band 'Funnel'. The other side of the video will be shot using a vintage film effect over it and will feature a group of our friends who are yet to be confirmed.
Costume/Props - The look that we are going for in Joe's section of the video is a crisp and clean look using modern fashionable dresses and make-up. the other side of the video's costumes and props will consist of

• Vintage dresses and suits mixed with far out modern trends that are commonly seen in music videos.
• Throw-over robes and big scarves
• old/vintage rugs and picnic blankets
• a picnic basket full of cakes only
• long colorful ribbons
• confetti
• a guitar that will be being played in the video

We will also be requiring a small amount of equipment to assist us in the shoot including our video camera and an i-doc to play the track on to ensure that the miming and acting can be done in sinc with the song.

Set/Location Ideas - As an initial idea we though that setting Joe's part of the music video in an ally-way  in an industrial part of Great Harwood, but we realized that this would not fit the image that Joe and Funnel would try to achieve in reflection to the sound and emotion of their music. Now it is looking like a better idea to use an inside location and by using sheets of fabric and rugs we could create a more accurate indication of the bands image, we also thought that by keeping this within the vision of Funnel we would keep up the morale of the artist we are working with therefore heightening the quality of the end result. There is also the plan that is 99% sure and that we will be going through with and that is to use some woods near to where i live in Clitheroe. The woods also has a small stream running through with a pebble beach and would be a perfect place to film our friends day out sequence.

Lewis Holgate

Feedback - 6/12/09

Good group - very well chosen case studies and good research on branding and music video. However other groups have alot more on their blogs - are you working on this as homework?

- remember to sum up the brand image of your artist also.

Research - which record label might distribute your artists - link to website etc...

- is your genre of music popular? Look at some album charts from the last few years?

- You maybe also need a little more on the conventions of indie music videos - more detailed analysis

- outline in detail your target audience (demographics and psychographics) also use Maslow to discuss how your product appeals to its audience ( get an image of the pyramid on the internet.) Also include some graphs/charts on your questionnaire findings.

Planning needs to be done now - see the last two pages on the 'before you blog' sheets. See me if you need clarification of what you need to do.

Miss McNulty

The Conventions of a Music Video

"(A) Music Video is not primarily a commodity form but a practical one" (A.Goodwin 1992). 
Andrew Goodwin’s Theory From the book Dancing To Distraction (2000)

Through using Andrew Goodwin's theory we were able to see the typical elements that are used in many popular music videos, below are the conventions of Music Videos/Promos. (Goodwin) 

1. Visuals either illustrate, amplify or contradict the lyrics and music.
2. Genres often have their own music style/iconography (the typical depiction in images of a subject, and related senses.
3. Close-ups should always be included.
4. The artist/band might want to develop their own star iconography, which becomes their star image (identify).
5. Voyeurism (the sexual interest in or practice of spying on people engaged in intimate behaviors, such as undressing, sexual activity, or other activity usually considered to be of a private nature) is a common theme within music videos.
6. Intertextual references are also popular.
7. Goodwin argues that the female performer is frequently objectified principally for display purposes, often through a combination of camerawork and editing with fragmented body shots emphasising a sexualized treatment of the star.

He has six points concerning the conventions of a music video:

-Genre characteristics

-Visuals/lyrics

-Visuals/music

-Need to sell artist

-Intertextuality

-Voyeurism 

-There is a relationship between the lyrics and the visuals (with the visuals either illustrating, amplifying or contradicting the lyrics.

-There is a relationship between the music and the visuals (again with visuals either illustrating, amplifying or contradicting the lyrics.)

-Particular music genres may have their own music video style and iconography (such as live performances in heavy Rock.)

-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, in and out of videos, which over time, becomes part of their star image.

-There is likely to be reference to voyeurism, particularly in the treatment of women, but also in terms of 'looking' e.g. screens within screens, cameras etc...

-There are likely to be intertextual references, either to other music videos, films or texts.

Here i have looked at a music video to convey how Goodwin's theories are true and that they are frequently used. This music video is of Lily Allen with her single "22" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tWjNFC-FinU

There are many close ups of Lily Allen, so we can easily identify her as the protagonist in the video and also the main artist to focus upon, the use of close ups amplify her star persona.

The lyrics relate to the visuals clearly here, as the camera displays the singer as youthful and glamourous, however the woman looking into the mirror is the complete opposite and this is the reality, she appears to look messy.

Goodwin's theory of voyeurism is very clear here, in this shot we see the couple dancing, yet the shot is hidden away from behind a set of sinks so it appears to be like we are watching them yet they are unaware of the camera's presence. 

Also in this video, the artist has clearly developed her star image through the mise en scene like her dress she wears she appears to have changed from her previous image.

Pete Fraser has his own theories on the conventions of music videos and promos. which are similar to Goodwin's in a way. 

(Pete Fraser Teaching Music Video 2005)

Music: A music video tends to make use of the tempo of the track to drive the editing.
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 to all the lyrics of a song.



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 etc.) 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 images impossible to grasp in the first viewing - ensuring multiple viewings - some videos do use slow pace and gentler shot transistions/cuts to establish mood.



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.



Intertextuality: "Music video as incorporating, raiding and reconstructing" (J.Stewart)



Music videos often use something which the audience will be familiar with to create nostaligia 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 scene 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 a 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.



Conventions of an Indie music video



We are inspired by indie music videos for our own production, i researched various music videos based around the Indie genre and discovered the general codes and conventions.



-Usually the video is performance based and shows simply a band playing at a gig or on stage.
-Sometimes the video can be narrative based and have a short story which in a way can relate to the lyrics.
-The pace of the editing usually fits the pace of the music.
-Traditional indie bands such as The Strokes are well known for the vintage quality to the music videos, such as their early work, some of their earlier videos intentionally reject the conventions of a typical high budget rock video. 

This video by The Strokes is of an early single by the band called "Hard To Explain". It is as if almost the whole video is produced with vintage racing and sci-fi movie footage in a montage editing style, the clips shown have almost no relevance whatsoever to one another yet the occuring theme of travel is consistently conveyed through the use of the speeding cars, bird's eye view of large cities, and camera shots of travelling through space.



A few minutes into the video we see various shots of band members performing on stage at small gigs, as previously mentioned, shots of bands performing is a typical convention of an indie music video.



The editing of the opening shot matches the rythm if the music, this is often used and I feel it is very effective,  as the song nears the end the pace is increased slightly and at the same time so does the editing of the cuts in the video; i believe that the shortening of time between the cuts allows the ending of the video to seem more climatic.

By Peter Field