1 Genre Research /
In this post, I am going to undertake research into the genre of my chosen brief. The main reason for doing this is to highlight and analyse codes and conventions of a range of media texts, in order to help me produce an effective media product of my own.
The genre of the text as described in my chosen brief is conflict in music videos and I'll be looking at the conventions of similar media products that are of the same genre.
Music video genres include variations in the way in which the music is presented as a visual demonstration for the audience/ consumer. From performance based to narrative based and even hybrid (combination of styles and genres) or concept music videos (like OK! Go! music videos - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LWGJA9i18Co), artists from around the globe re able to successfully present hidden meanings within a new storyline of their song through the visual effect that their music videos have in combination with their piece. Adding a music video to a song is essentially like adding another sense for the consumers to take in the artists work, and the use of video footage and graphical work has come a long way within the last few decades.Examples of music videos:
Here is a list of a few music videos which fit into the different genres. This has helped me to pick out the different aspects of key themes that are used and has assisted my development and understanding of what to expect in each genre type.Alt J: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rVeMiVU77wo
Concept video:
Narrative and performance combined (hybrid) music video:
Sea girls - violet: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GC1h7mJSd2w
For my chosen brief, I decided to look further into different codes and conventions embedded within a variety of protests songs. To assess the diverse songs available to me, I created a playlist on Spotify to listen to the songs which I believe showed protest, whether this was for the right to be able to express your sexuality, a fight for race or a song for awareness. I filed my playlist to 5 songs with music videos that I decided to assess. These were the following:
1) Take Me To Church- Hoizer /
2) Same Love- Macklemore & Ryan Lewis ft. Mary Lambert
3) Bridge Over Troubled Water - Artists for Grenfell
4) Woman- Kesha ft. The Dap-Kings Horns /
5) Where Is The Love?- Black Eyed Peas
The link to my full Spotify playlist is here (Also below. Copy and paste into browser).
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5WBOBwLe5mWngvZIwwc7pm?si=3SDXr8kPQzCHPOGVF-PvPw
Typical conventions I found in my chosen protest songs:
- A story line continued from beginning to end, which unfolds as the song progresses.
- The camera tends to shake in order to make it seem as if you are seeing the video with your own eyes- 1st person view/ witness.
(woman)
- A range of camera angles for perspective including close ups, long shots and the rule of thirds to keep these in proportion.
-Mies-en-scene is used in all of the videos to create an appropriate setting and character to match with the music/
storyline.
-Multiple shots of the same setting to show perspective all round
-The use of colour enhancement and/ or reduction to cover and express mood is used throughout
(editing)
- Editing was a key part of the majority of the 5 videos that I chose, with some using slow motion to allow the audience to really take in what was happening while listening to the music at the same time. On the other hand, some videos used fast paced movements and transitions as this was more suited to the story being told, for example in 'Take Me To Church', where we see the two men running away from the attackers.
Some music videos such as 'Where Is The Love?' include figures such as children to bring in a sense or innocence to tie in with the disruption of the world and its problems, creating a sense of vulnerability, before ending with an old black woman to show that these issues across the world have effects on everybody, and that everyone is in a state of vulnerability due to others' actions.
(children and woman @end)
To conclude my research and findings, I believe that there is a high importance within the music industry for the 'music video', as this holds meaning and give the song a story, from the eyes of the storyteller, or the artist. Similar to a book, which can be interpreted in a variety of ways through the eyes of thousands of different readers, a song can be interpreted in different ways, and at times not appreciated for its intended meaning. When a book is created into a film like The Jungle Book, the audience are gifted with another piece of sensory material, in oppose to just reading through the eyes, and they can now listen, see and feel the emotion of the story. The same goes for a song, where before the release of the music video, listeners are able to fir the song to their own lives and become the main character through their imagination, but with the added music video, it is made possible to learn what the lyrics mean to the artist through a choreography.Looking at music videos within the same genre as my coursework has opened my eyes to the different codes and common similarities between the emotions being displayed, which I believe will help me with creating my own music video later on. It has been interesting seeing the differences too between music videos, which at times is solely done to the directors and choreographers of each video, as styles differ between people, but also seeing the different ways that artists choose to present their story through their lyrics. As a generation who are becoming more reliant on visual content, the importance of music videos in terms of advertisement and almost branding has become an essential part of the music industry, which fans admire. The additional content allows artists to release 'behind the scenes' clips for fans to preview, which rather sneakily is actually a form of advertising, which entices consumers of the music to want to become an almost subscriber to the artists content. This therefore has encouraged me to look further into how social media has a big influence on our music, and also, why artists use Meise en scene as a costume that can be sold as merchandise for their fans, and why march is such a big thing in current day society.
- If you chose music video to a protest song - Look at 3 music videos and highlight conventions that are typical of that genre of music, e.g. extensive use of close ups? Is there always a narrative? Use screen grabs.
Key words and concepts to be used in this analysis:- Mise-en-scene: props, settings, hair, make up, performance (body language), lighting (low/high key).
- Camera work: type of shot, camera movement and angle.
- Sound: diegetic, non-diegetic, sound effects, etc.
- Editing: slow motion, fast pace, slow pace, transitions (cuts, dissolves).
Recommended software:PowerPoint, Prezi, emaze.---------------------------Task 3 - Conclusion / Summary of research.
Write a short conclusion of your findings.
How did the research help you with your idea?
What elements of the existing texts you looked at would you consider adapting to your ideas?
How has your idea developed after conducting this research?
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