The specification brief has asked to create a music video for a band which is bringing out to a niche audience asthey would not be able to spread out their music over a wide area as they are unknown. To be able to attract a wider audience, the band needs to have a certain image which could allow them to attract a certain genre, for example, to be able to gain a certain image, the band could use certain websites like UK tribes to be able to gain an image so they know how to attract that certain band.
No matter how a certain artist will attract their audience, they will try to make every advertising campaign they use will be specific towards the audience they want to attract and will adhere to a certain genre. Genre is a major point in how an artist will attract their audience to listen to their music, by using advertising aids like posters or even albums will tempt a certain audience to want to buy their music but this will differ between the genres, for example, a rock genre band will most likely use themes towards to what usually rock bands would write their songs about but however there is not a specific element to their songs.
Many music artists instead of using the original CD albums, they would now release their music on a more digital level because music is now widely accessible because of the synergy of the internet and music. However, music artists still do use CD's to sell their music as their are easier to access like many digital albums but also, to give the audience more content, many bands/artists would use digipaks to other more to their audience and allow them to gain a more mainstream audience because it allows the bands to offer more content like concept arts of the band.
To research into target audiences, we used a number of research methods to gain the information by using questionnaire's to gain information to know what our specific target audience, which is the younger generation of 14-30 year olds, would like to see from bands or artists and what they would want to see in music videos.
From the questionnaire results which asked 7 questions ranging from what happens in music videos and what type of music they like. The results show that the target audience that we are trying to attract for the unsigned bands first album and promotion show that this group would say that their prefered music genre would be Indie music, this may represent that our target audience are much more likely be interested in the new band if they do this type of music. With music videos, the target audience are much more likely to be interested in music videos which have a distinct storyline or narrative much like those of Fire by Kasabian and the complete opposite to the Arctic Monkeys I Bet You Look Good On The Dancefloor, however all of those who did the questionnaire did say that they would want to see singing in the music video. The music video was an important part for the target audience as they said that the music video would have to have a comdeic feel to it and they felt that the music video's location had to be very interesting or quirky to get them interested in the music.
Bands like Kasabian, a British rock band, will posters to be able to attract the audience who will most likely listen their music, these would most likely to be the younger generations and those who come from their hometown which is Leicester.
This poster which was taken from the bands latest album release uses quite a dark setting for the poster using very bland colours and usually are very dark, this will be converged as the album artwork which is very dark and as the album name is Velociraptor!, the poster will most likely use elements from that album to be able to promote it. For example, the tag line for the poster "Can you feel it coming?" is taken from one of the singles of the new album, this would mean that this single will be a unique point of how the band would want to promote the album to their target audience and this single will most likely be the one of the many singles that they would release to a mainstream audience as a band of Kasabian's stature will be able to release many different singles from one album and create music video's for them however artist's like Seasick Steve, who has only recently gained a lot of acclaim from many audiences even though he is for quite a niche audience which would be the traditional American 'Hobos' and from his first album "Cheap" could only create one music video for that album as he does not have the type of audience compared to that of Kasabian. Also with the album being Velociraptor!, what can be connoted is that the album may have something to do with a dinosaur type theme which in terms of genre would be typical to see for a rock band as these are the types of themes which would be seen in a rock bands album.
One of Kasabian's earlier albums was released into a digipak format which has now become much less the norm as now in the more modern society, audiences would much more likely purchase their music through the use of digital downloads which creates easier access for audiences to be able to get their music but in the past couple of years, these sales have increased which means that the sales of artist's CD's through the regular plastic casing or the use of digipaks have decreased. The digipak for one of Kasabian's albums would represent a very rock type album as again through the use of darker colours connotes a rock type album. On the front of the albums cover shows a warning advisory sticker which shows that the songs on the album would most likely show very indecent songs for younger audiences also, throughout the digipak, the images have what could be represented as being a playing card which would usually be represented with being with very adult type games like Blackjack and Poker connoting that the band's music would most likely be more suitable for an audience who where older. Like many digipaks, it offers many added extras which the target audience for the band would defiantly feel as if that it would be apart of what the band would include into one of their albums, like the concept art of what looks like two of the band members, showing that the band feels as if the digipak sales may increase if they include extras to tempt audiences to buy these types of CDs.
Kasabian- Club Foot Evaluation http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lk5iMgG-WJI
In this music video, there is a representation that the setting could be shown as a 50s Soviet Union nation by the use of what could be connoted as being Russian words on banners and posters, also throughout the music video, there is decrepit buildings which could be represented as it being attacked. This setting then sets the mood of a very hostile area and that it may have been caused by an area which is ravaged by war, this could be representative of many rock bands as they would create many different songs to do with war and the use of this type of setting could be typical of what to be seen in a rock band's music video. To be able to show that the music video involves the idea of war, there is a tank which roams throughout the music video therefore this represents that the music video does use the setting of a war as there is a weapon which is primarily used in war. As the whole music video is done completely in black and white, there could be the representation that the music video could be represented with the 50s as this was when televisions did not have colour, this could also represent a cheaper development as this was one of the band's first songs and music videos, it is unlikely that they would spend a large amount of money producing one music video. The woman that is seen in what is represented as being as an army uniform connotes that she maybe against certain stereotypes of women as they are usually seen to be weaker and being connoted as being involved with the army shows that she is against this stereotype also this is again shown as she steps in front of the tank, showing strength and bravery. At the beginning of the music video when the music starts playing, it try to familiarise the audience with all of the band members who are in the video as there is a use of quick cutting between each member of the band, this is done as the beats of the music is changing , for example, a shot will change when another note is played, this is typical in many music videos as it is a very conventional idea amongst many music ideas as it allows a narrative in the video to carry on. The light bulb in the radio room not only represents that the radio station is now live but it could also represent that the music is about to start, as it shows this when it turns on and the radio station is one of the main parts of the music video as the rest of those who are included in the video are listening to it, this could connote that the music that is being played is something that should be listened to, this would then attract a certain audience to want to listen to this type of music as it makes the band seem more accessible to certain audiences and demographics which is usually those who could be considered late teens or young adults. The woman that is represented as being something to do with the army is connoted to be much more richer compared to those who are around her, who could be represented as the stereotypical poorer generation who were seen in the Soviet Union. Throughout the music video, it seems that it only concentrates on two of the band members, who are shown to be the lead singer and the lead guitarist, this represents that these two band members may be the ones who are shown to be the most important in the band also, there are shown to be one of the important "characters" in the music video as they are shown the most and are the ones who the other characters go to. This music video is stereotypical of a lot of music videos as it has a clear narrative, however this is unconventional compared to many rock bands video's as stereotypically they are usually showing just the band playing their instruments and singing. This music video adheres to Andrew Goodwin's theory about music videos because throughout the whole music video, it is shown that there is a constant relationship between the music and the visuals in the video, for example, during the chorus of the song it can be heard that the lead singer is making the sound of what could be interpreted as a bomb and this in keeps with the visuals of the music video as it is about post war country showing decrepit buildings which could be represented as being 'bombed'.
Kasabian's website could be represented as being continued of what the band has released, for example, the use of feathers throughout the website is a continued theme from the recent release of the band's album and is a unique point which is seen throughout their merchandise and advertising so that their audience are able to represent that the website would have been with a certain band. As the band has now gained critical acclaim, they are now able to sell merchandise which will allow them to be able to gain a much wider audience from the generic target audience that the have, for example, they sell DVDs and Blu-rays which generate a much wider audience as it gives the opportunity for fans to watch the band without having to go to the places where they are playing, this could also mean that this audience could introduce even more people so the band can then gain a much more wider target audience. Through the website, it shows that the band has introduced it's music to a global audience as in the top right hand corner of the webpage, it shows that the website could go into other different languages showing that the band does now have an international audience because it gives the options which allow them to show their music to a wider audience. With the introduction of social networking sites, it allows people to discuss many different themes and the website allows people to share the website on these sites, this then allows the band to attract a much wider audience.
A contrasting band compared to Kasabian is a folk-rock band Mumford and Sons who use the representation of very pre-modern types of instruments and attire to connote an image that the are very basic and use the Folk image to attract a much different target audience compared to other Folk-rock bands. However, with this band, the target audience would be represented as being the generic rock type audience instead of what would be connoted as being the very niche Folk audience of those who would be represented as being above the regular young audience, but Mumford and Sons could be represented as a more mainstream which could be shown because of the advertising of many niche bands allow them to become more mainstream. For example, artists like Seasick Steve or Imelda May are only allowed to create only one music video for their first album, this is because they are less well known and only attract a niche audience, however with Mumford and Sons who do attract a bigger audience are able to produce 4 music videos for one album as it is now cheaper to be able to produce them by using digital video recordings allows them to produce more than any other artists because it is more cheaper.
This advertising poster shows the band's name at the top which is in the same font as the albums cover art which shows that there is continuity between them showing that this is advertising the band, this is further represented through the use of the album's cover art at the bottom left hand corner showing that this is the main idea of the poster to show that the band does have an album out even though that the major advertisement it the band's tour dates. This poster shows how the band are now quite mainstream even though that this is one of their earlier album releases as they can tour in all parts of the world, even though this may be only for 3 nights, it would be represented that they are going to sell because of the cities where they are going to take place, for example, one of the nights is in Sydney which is a major city within Australia. Also as the album cover is at the bottom of the poster, it is most likely that these songs will most likely going to be played there which means that there may be more people going to the concert as many of the songs which would be released would be from that album. The attire which all the band members wear are all very similar and conventional to what could be seen as a Folk-rock band with very smart types of clothing like ties but mixed in with casual or could be represented as working clothes like the dark shirts showing that the band may attract a certain audience which is different from the original representation of the more older generations. With the attire of what they are wearing, it shows that each band member has there own personality within the band, for example, one of the band members is wearing a hat showing that he has his own personality and is probably shown to be more casual compared to the others. Also, the way that the band are placed on the poster could show how the band could be represented as being casual or just seen to be quite normal is that they are all sitting on a sofa, except for the one of the floor and this band member could be represented as being one of the lead band members as he is showing his own individuality by not being with the rest of the band. The colours of the poster could be represented as being quite calm, for example the light greens and blues this could represent what type of music they might play and this is typical for many Folk bands to play quite mellow music and this is represented in what type of colours are used in the poster.
Mumford & Sons- Winter Winds http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m_-nYA5BWDA
The music video to Winter Winds starts with what could be represented as all four band members running out of a forest after coming from a party this can be represented as one of them is holding some balloons also the party could be connoted as being quite patriotic towards Britain as each band member is shown to have a Union flag on their attire connoting that this band is most likely British and trying to cater for a British audience. The use of slow motion in the first shot slows down the sequence for the audience to be able to see the character which are included in it, this then starts the music which is at quite a slow tempo which is then contrasted with the slow motion showing the pace of the music, this is like a technique which is used in many music videos as the music videos shots change when the beat of the music starts to change, which keeps the narrative of the music video going. It can be connoted that a narrative may be used in the music video as all of the band members come out of the forest, it could be represented that they are running away but having fun with it as this is connoted because they are shown to be laughing. The next couple of shots cut between the running scene which is now in a normal pace to another shot of each individual band member in slow motion carrying an item and an instrument, this could be represented that the band may be travelling to a venue way they might play, for example, one of the shots shows one of the band members carrying a guitar and a chair connoting that they may play some music whilst doing it in a casual way. The camera that is used to film the music video adds to the casual nature of the band as it is shown to move deliberately when the band moves and especially when one of them sings, this may represent that what the band is playing is meant to be listened to in a more relaxed manner. The music video could be represented as being used as a video diary by the band, for example, there are many shots which do not adhere to how the music is being played because there are shots of the band having a group hug and when they are in a recording studio representing that this point of the video is showing shots which the band took themselves showing the casual nature of what songs they may play. As the song is called Winter Winds, there may be a representation that the music video may contain themes which would be stereotyped to what would be involved with winter, for example, as the band walk towards to where the camera is, there is heavy winds and leaves which have lost their colour showing that the video does use themes which are involved in the winter. The target audience of the band is represented as being not the stereotypical older generations as in the music videos it is shown that there are people who would be shown in the younger generations showing that the band is now more mainstream. The band could be represented as making music which could be stereotyped as being in the genre of Folk-rock as they use old and more modern instruments like banjos and electric guitars showing that they are more mainstream but still use instruments which can be connoted in their genres roots. At the end of the sequence, it shows the bands record labels which are 'Universal-Island records', this may represent the band as being more mainstream and connote that they do attract wider audiences as they have a record label which is more likely to use music artists who would attract a more wider and mainstream audience.
Even though that audiences are more likely to purchase their music through the internet, Mumford & Sons have used the very niche digipak to release their album 'Sigh No More'. On the left panel, it can be represented that the album which has been created can be shown to be dedicated for a specific person because on this panel there are the words 'For Francois', this shows that the album is dedicated to this specific person, this is typical to be used by many bands or music artists because the albums are represented to mean specific things which would be understood by the person the album is dedicated to, however, the dedications for albums are usually put into the added book in the album but this album goes against the norm of the mainstream bands and music artists and this may connote that the band are quite niche in their ideas but their music is enjoyed by a more mainstream audience. In the middle panel, it shows what could be connoted as being the band members at each window of a building, this could be represented as being the added extras which are usually added in many digipaks because they can hold more information. The middle panel could be represented as looking quite calming and relaxing and may show what music the band plays because of how the casual nature of the band members are at each window. The third panel shows the CD which is quite typical of many digipaks because this is where the CDs would normally be at because this is the only place left for it to be. However, the use of more plastic CD casing which are normally used by the regular CD casing compared to what usual digipaks use like the cardboard material which allows the band to include more content into the album because the material would be more changeable, but this could show that Mumford & Sons may not have a lot of extra content because they are using a plastic casing.
The Vaccines- If You Wanna http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uQKjI6395iU&list=UURd8sfwQCmp6Y6W7tm1wBAw&index=20&feature=plcp
The music video for If You Wanna for The Vaccines could be represented as be represented as being a traditional music video because the establishing shot of the video shows all of the band members in a long shot, this then shows that the people in the music video are those who are to be focused on as they all take up the same amount of room in the shot showing that each band member is important in the music video. The music video could then still be shown to adhere to Andrew Goodwin's theory by having certain types of shots which will gain more publicity for the record label, for example the use of close ups, medium and long shots this will then allow the band to create an image for themselves which will allow them to use that same images for any of the band promotions they do in the future. The band may be represented as being mysterious and in another sense as being cool, this would be shown through the use as many close ups shows each of the band maybe take up most of the shot, showing that they are the focus of the shot also as they are not looking at the camera, it shows that it is a convention of many music videos as they are not trying to create a narrative like other music videos so there is less chance to use many music video conventions which are used in other videos, also as they are not looking at the camera it may represent that the band member may not care they are being put on camera showing that the band members could be seen as being cool creating an image about them which then goes with Goodwin's theory that music videos try to create an image for the band so they can become more mainstream compared to many other Indie Rock bands. The conventions in the music video are stereotypical of those in many different videos, like the change in shots whenever there is a change in guitar notes or beats in the music videos, however which may adhere to many conventions but is not in many music videos, in the backdrop of the music video, the change in colour may signify the change in mood, for example at the start the backdrop is shown to be red and yellow but changes to light blue and black, this could connote that the mood of the music video was changing which could be seen as cheery to a very sad scene, but when it changes to the black backdrop it signifies that the music is not playing, showing that the use of colour shows that it is very important in the music video, this could adhere to Goodwin's theory that the lyrics will match what is going on with the video by having very cheery lyrics and the cheery red backdrop supports Goodwin's theory that music videos try to create relationships between many of the conventions in the music video. However, when it has the darker backdrops, the lyrics are still shown to be quite upbeat which then may be against Goodwin's theory as there is not the same balance in the video as the lyrics don't match what it doing on in the music video. The shot variety in the video shows that it is quite conventional of many niche audience music videos as when the camera goes in for a close up shot of any of the band members, it does not use steady cameras showing that the music video may give an insight into what the band want the audience to think about the video as it may seem that it may give the representation that it is a separate person looking at the band when doing the music video, this shows that the camera could be seen as the audiences eye.
Questionnaire Analysis and Results
To be able to gain a better idea of what we would to include in our music video production, we gave out a questionnaire to different members of our class population about what they would like to see in a music video and the questions would span from asking how long do they listen to music for to what genre of music do they listen to. The questions that we asked were:
What is your gender?
How long do you listen to music per day?
What is you favourite genre?
What do you expect from a music video?
How often do you listen to music?
Do you enjoy a narrative in music videos?
How long do you listen to music per day?
What is you favourite genre?
What do you expect from a music video?
How often do you listen to music?
Do you enjoy a narrative in music videos?
GoAnimate video about audience feedback
http://goanimate.com/videos/0ocd6546X7tw?utm_source=linkshare
This is a link to a GoAnimate video in which one of the group members has created to be able to show some audience feedback.
A packet of sweets, a cheeky smile, Camron is a peadophile
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