Analysis of a Star and Dyer`s Star Theory-Miss Miller (Updated)

Many artists who start out in the music industry at a young age going through drastic changes to adjust their image to a specific audience they want to appeal to as they start to grow up. Other artists that have been for a long period on the stage (Such as: Madona, Britney Spearse, etc. ) may feel the need to reinvent themselves in order to create a larger target audience (make their music more appealing for the mainstream.). The easiest way is by changing/mixing the genre to/with another one in order to create some news about themselves in the press.

By "reinventing" themselves, the artist can once again become a 'star'. Dyer believes that there are a number of methods with which  the artist can cause a  music stardom...they are: youthfulness, rebellion, sexual magnetism, creativity, anti-authoritarian attitude, originality, aggression, success against the odds, disregard for social values and conspicuous consumption of sex/drugs/material goods.
Dyer also states that stars are commodities rather than people. He believes stars are constructed through media areas such as magazines, films and advertisements and are produced and consumed based on the individual stars success.

In addition to this Dyer expresses how the star image is based upon the individual being ordinary and extraordinary for the consumer. An artist is as an ordinary person with an extraordinary talent which allows them to benefit from performing their talent. Also Dyer states how a star must be present and absent for the consumer. If an artist is absent due to a break in their career by releasing a new album it allows them to become present in the industry once again, therefore promoting the artist once again.

Within this post I will be discussing Miley Cyrus and how she conforms to both of these ideas.

Best of Both Worlds (2006)

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uVjRe8QXFHY

The Best of Both Worlds music video presents Miley Cyrus as the beginning of her career as she took upon the role of Hannah Montana. The music video demonstrates genre characteristics as Hannah Montana is seen performing a dance routine on stage with her backing dancers. The dance routine is typical of a teen pop star and therefore appeals to children and teenagers.

Throughout the music video a relationship between the lyrics and visuals is only present a small number of times. Hannah Montana is seen performing on stage and performs a dance move which suggests she is soon becoming a star. This directly links to the lyrics "but on stage you’re a star". During the on stage performance Hannah Montana is seen performing another dance move with her arms that links to the lyrics "mix it all together". This portrays her as the teen star she was trying to become as her dance moves related to her lyrics which was a typical characteristic of teen pop stars as it appealed to children and teenagers. A further relationship between the lyrics and visuals is apparent when the backing dancers perform dance moves such as the air guitar and fist pumps which links to the lyrics "rock out the show", which further highlights her teen pop star image. The image that Miley Cyrus has perceived at the start of her career follows the idea of Dyers theory stating that stars follow the common value of youthfulness which is apparent through the aspect of Miley being a young teenager. This therefore gives her the opportunity to build a fan base from scratch and be given an innocent representation from the audience.

Throughout the Best of Both Worlds music video the music directly links to the visuals of Hannah Montana and her backing dancers. They are seen performing dance moves to the exact beat of the music. This is a typical characteristic of a teen pop stars performance and appeals to the target audience as children are kept entertained by the dancing and can even learn the dance moves to be like Hannah Montana. The persona of Hannah Montana further follows Dyer's theory as she is portraying a talent which is the reason that she is gaining such a high level of fame at a young age.

There are various close ups of Hannah Montanas' face which presents her to the audience. At this point she was just starting out her career so the close ups allow the audience to become familiar with her as a person. In a number of the close ups the audience can see the expressions on her face. They are very cheesy and smiley which evokes how she is young, excited, and enjoying her performance. This also represents Hannah Montana as fun and childlike, which entices children to be her fans and listen to her music.

Consistently through the Best of Both Worlds music video there are no references to voyeuristic treatment of the female body. This is because Hannah Montana is a teen pop star with a target audience of young children/teenagers, therefore the music video produced must evoke innocence, also as Hannah Montana was a young teenager herself.

During the Best of Both Worlds music video the only intertextual reference is to the Hannah Montana television programme itself. This is because the music video is aimed at young children/teenagers so there is no need for advertising or branding. Also Hannah Montana is owned by Disney who minimise their advertising due to their young audience. The aspect of Miley Cyrus becoming the persona of Hannah Montana follows Dyers star theory. This is because the theorist states that stars are commodities and are constructed through media which is evident with Hannah Montana. Miley Cyrus gains fame from the public due to the media exposure as her alter ego Hannah Montana.

The music video is primarily performance based, which is evident due to the fact the music video is of one of her on stage performances. This is because of it being the beginning of her career and a performance based music video is more likely to appeal and attract the young audience members as they would find it exciting and enticing.

The music video follows the generic conventions of a pop music video as Hannah Montana is seen performing on stage. Throughout the duration of her performance she is seen dancing a full routine with her backing dancers, which is a typical convention of a pop artist. The dance routines attracts their target audience and allows them to build a relationship with Hannah Montana which was a market tool of Disney as Hannah Montana was only just being exposed to the public.

As Hannah Montanas’ career was just beginning the public had no perception of her. This music video allows her image to be seen as innocent, young and 'living the dream'. It allows the young audience to idolise her and aspire to be famous just like her. The image of her portrayed in this video allows parents to feel comfortable to allow their children to watch/listen to her songs. The messages and values evident throughout the whole music video is the idea of innocence and child fame, which many children aspire to have. This further relates back to the idea of youthfulness in Dyer's star theory.

Can't Be Tamed

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sjSG6z_13-Q

 Soon after becoming Hannah Montana,Miley Cyrus started branching off of her image to reveal her own persona. She started releasing music under her own name, creating a new image of herself that is completely diverse to that of Hannah Montana. She released the music video for her song ‘Can’t Be Tamed’ which portray her as her own individual persona to the public.

The ‘Can’t Be Tamed’ music video demonstrates genre characteristics of a Pop song. Throughout the video Miley Cyrus is seen performing a dance routine with backing dancers and by herself. This is a typical element of a pop video as it evokes an element of performance into the music video which entertains the audience watching. The performance element is also heightened by the camera shots which present Miley Cyrus singing into the camera. This presents the audience with the fact she has a huge singing talent and is an all round performer. A further genre characteristic of the music video is the over the top costumes. Miley Cyrus herself and her backing dancers are seen wearing costumes which resemble a bird. This also adds to the performance element of the music video, and could be significant of Mileys’ attempt to branch away from her Hannah Montana persona so she has more of a ‘typical teenager’ image. Due to the substantial level of performance throughout Miley Cyrus's 'Can't Be Tamed' music video it illustrates to the audience her talent which follows the idea of Dyer's star theory.

A relationship between the lyrics and visuals is evident consistently in the music video. When the lyrics ‘I Can Get A Bit Crazy’ are heard by the audience the visuals are of Miley performing an action which is suggestive of her ‘being crazy’. This link allows the audience to understand the image and persona Miley is trying to present to her fans. The lyrics ‘I Can’t Be Tamed’ which is the title of the song, link with the fact Miley is wearing a crazy, bird like costume. This link between the visuals and lyrics signify that nobody can change who she really is. This could be a clear message she wants to send her fans, further deviating away from her innocent, child like persona. The costumes follow the idea of originality from Dyer's star theory and allow Miley's music video to be extremely appealing to the audience as it is unique within itself. In addition to this the idea that Miley is trying to change how she is perceived evokes the idea that she is rebelling to gain a complete reverse representation which further supports the idea of Dyer's star theory.

A relationship between the music and visuals is also present through the duration of the music video. The tempo of the music increases during the chorus, and the dance routine is seen on screen. At this point the visuals speed up as the transitions between shots become fast. This can be noteworthy of her fierceness and the idea that nobody can change her and therefore she ‘can’t be tamed’. Further relating to the idea of her rebelling against the representation she already has. Also in relation to the dance routine, various dance moves performed by either Miley herself or her backing dancers are directly in time with the beats in the music. This allows the performance to flow and therefore become more entertaining to the viewers. Towards the end of the music video the camera shots change in time with the music. The camera shots at this point are dark, and she is surrounded by people in costumes also. These shots reveal Miley as almost aggressive as the different shots are powerful, further revealing a dark side to her personality.

During the performance factor in the music video, close ups of Mileys’ face are employed when she is in her bird like costume which presents her performing and singing towards the camera. This adds a personal factor to the music video as the audience can build a relationship with her. Close ups of Mileys’ face are also present when she is lying on the peacock feathers. This shows her without the fierce make up on looking more natural and almost innocent. This almost represents another side to her as she has gone from a black bird, representing fierceness to a peacock, representing innocence and calmness.

As Miley has only just begun deviating from her innocent representation, voyeuristic treatment of the female body is barely evident in the music video. It is only slightly presented through an ariel shot employed when she is laying on the peacock feathers. The dress she is wearing is skimpy and reveals her cleavage, showing how she is becoming a woman and further edging away from the innocent Hannah Montana image she is most known for. This aspect therefore supports the concept of Dyer's star theory where he believes that stars adopt the common value of sexual magnetism which Miley is evidently beginning to take on. This allows her representation to be fully reversed therefore allowing her to appeal to a different audience.

Throughout the music video no intertextual reference is evident. This therefore shows how the music video was created for a purpose of changing fans perceptions of Miley as a person. The music video is primarily performance based which is evident through the dance routines throughout the video with Miley and her backing dancers. This presents Miley as an all round talented performing, dancing and singing towards the camera. This is also because the music video has no prominent storyline to it.

The Cant Be Tamed music video follows generic conventions of a pop video. This is evident through the various dance routines that are present consistently in the music video. This adds an extra element of entertainment as the video is performance based which will encourage fans to continue watching the music video more than once. The Cant Be Tamed music video allows Mileys’ image to slightly alter from her representation as innocent and child like being Hannah Montana. The music video allows her to deviate from the representation audiences already have of her and presents her as the real, teenager she is. The target audience for her Cant Be Tamed music video is teenagers. This could be already fans of Hannah Montana who would be able to form a relationship with Miley Cyrus herself and begin to grow up themselves alongside her. The message present throughout the music video is the idea that nobody can change who she is. Therefore it allows her to influence and provide children with the idea that they should be who they want.

Wrecking Ball

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=My2FRPA3Gf8

 The Wrecking Ball song is of the pop genre. However the music video does not demonstrate many genre characteristics. This therefore shows how Miley is trying to create a new image for herself by breaking typical conventions. However there is a performance element evident throughout the music video as Miley is seen singing towards the camera with passion.

A relationship between lyrics and visuals is evident through the Wrecking Ball music video. The lyrics ‘Don’t you ever say I just walked away, I will always want you’ are directly linked to the extreme close up camera shot of her face. This shot presents to the audience that she is crying and shows that the lyrics and song have meaning, which could be significant to the relationship she is currently in. An ariel shot and a long shot are included of the wrecking ball smashing down the walls. This is in direct relation to the lyrics ‘all I wanted was to break your walls’; this could further be significant of the relationship she was in. The element of the wrecking ball smashing could relate to the aspect of aggression in Dyer's star theory. This aggression may have stemed from the relationship Miley was in and therefore she portrays that through her music to allow the audience to build a stronger relationship with her. A medium, long shot is then employed of Miley swinging on the ball linking with the lyrics ‘I came in like a wrecking ball’. This relation could be representative of Miley causing some sort of damage to her relationship, that of which a wrecking ball could. Another relationship between the lyrics and visuals is evident when Miley is seen with a hammer hitting the walls, as the audience are presented with the lyrics ‘I never hit so hard in love’. This could be significant of the effort Miley believed she gave to her relationship.

A relationship between the music and visuals is also present in the Wrecking Ball music video. The music is at a continuous, soft and slow pace as the song begins, and Miley is seen singing into the camera, this shows how everything is calm and normal. Camera shots then present Miley sitting, standing and walking whilst holding a hammer, which could signify that chaos may happen, representing the calm before the storm. Once the chorus come in the music becomes more powerful with the drums being used. The audience then see’s Miley lift the hammer above her head, portraying how she may use it. She is then seen walking, dragging the hammer against the wall. Further presenting this. The idea that Miley is holding a hammer signifies how she is rebelling against herself and maybe her ex partner which is an element of Dyer's star theory. The wrecking all then appears breaking down the walls and the rubble is seen surrounding her, illustrating that drama and havoc has occurred which continues throughout the song. The fast pace, powerful music is present when the damage is being made, whereas the slow pace, soft music is before and after it has happened. This could be significant of Mileys’ relationship starting, then hitting a rough patch, then slowly coming to an end.

There are a number of extreme close ups of Miley singing into the camera with a white background. This is so the attention is all on her and the audience pays attention to the lyrics as they are meaningful. Some close ups are present where she is seen holding a hammer. It is employed to present to the audience her new image i.e.; she now has short blonde hair, the signature red lip and the use of the hammer which shows how she has changed to a completely different person. A significant shot throughout the music video is a sequence of close up shots which slowly reveal Miley ‘licking’ a hammer. This could be viewed as extremely inappropriate and sexualized, as it could be significant for something not suitable for younger fans to view. This relates to the aspects in Dyer's star theory where he states that stars will have common values of sexual magnetism and also have a disregard for social values such as drugs and sex. This therefore allows Mileys representation to be completely changed and therefore attracts a new, older audience to her and her music.

Throughout the duration of the Wrecking Ball music video, there is frequent reference to voyeuristic treatment of the female body. A long shot of Miley walking with the hammer shows she is in knickers and a skimpy top that shows she is not wearing a bra. This shot helps to reveal her new transformation as she has worked on her body, and also the idea that she has become more sexualized. There are then various medium shots of Miley swinging on the wrecking ball in this outfit, which further presents her as sexualized. Then a medium shot is presented of her singing into the camera in front of a white background which shows she is not wearing any clothes. This is then continued as another medium shot is employed which shows Miley naked performing ‘sexy’ movements on the wrecking ball, presenting the audience with an intricate insight into her figure. This would immediately change the public’s perception of her as she is usually seen as innocent and child friendly. This shot is then further followed by another several shots of her swinging naked on the wrecking ball. A zooming out shot is then included which begins as a medium shot presenting her face and breasts (as she is still naked) and then slowly reveals her whole body naked on the ball. This presents her complete transformation to become a more sexualized individual which caused complete controversy to the general public. Miley Cyrus' new transformation follows a number of values in Dyer's star theory. Miley rebelled against her old representation and therefore became a sexual figure which in result became a success against odds. If an artist tried to branch out to the extreme like Miley Cyrus in the past years they would have been slaughtered for it and therefore would have lost their fan base. However, the sexualized transformation has somehow worked in Miley Cyrus' favour bringing her an array of media attention and in turn increasing her fan base.

The only intertextual reference throughout the whole music video is branding of the Dr Marten Boots she is seen wearing. The use of this footwear will encourage her fans to buy the exact product increasing their chances of being just like her.

Miley Cyrus is seen singing to the camera various times throughout the music video with shows the performance side to the video. However the concept of love is present throughout as the passion she has for the song is evident and is presented through the use of the setting, props and her facial expressions. For example a wrecking ball is used to demolish the walls and she is seen crying in a close up, which signifies her relationship she is currently in.

The Wrecking Ball music video breaks the typical pop music video conventions. Miley is seen as being extremely sexualized and is dressed provocatively which is inappropriate for a typical audience of pop music. However Miley still puts on a performance through her music video by singing towards the camera, which allows viewers to build a relationship with her and understand the meaning behind the song.

In this music video, Dyer's star theory applies as there are two paradoxes. The first paradox is that the star must be ordinary and extraordinary (this links to Miley in the Can`t be tamed music video as she gains fame from Hannah Montana, however sings a song that is relatable to her older immage). The second paradox is that the star must be present and absent for the consumer in order to make him want to feel tension and research more about the artist (this paradox relates to Miley in the years 2012-2014 when she wasn't in the press and then suddenly came back with songs such as We Can't Stop and Wrecking Ball which gained both positive and negative publicity).

The Wrecking Ball music video completely changed the public’s perception of Miley. In the music video she is presented as extremely sexualized wearing very minimal clothing and performing provocative moves. This therefore presents how she has changed from the innocent Hannah Montana persona she is known for, therefore meaning that she is no longer ideal for younger audiences. The target audience for the music video is older teenagers, young adults. This is due to the explicit images presented throughout the duration of the music video. The message and values present are only that of Miley trying to change the public’s perception of her as she tries to deviate from her typical innocent image.

Furthermore, Miley is identified as a product throughout the three videos. As Hannah Montana, she was part of a Disney show, meaning she couldn't be herself. However, within We Can't Stop we see a growing star in front of us as she does not fully complete the profile for a 13 or less year old singer. Cleverly, she is following her original target audience which grows with her, rather than stay with every new 13 year old that has started to watch Hannah Montana. Finally we see her complete change, confusing the audience and causing us to ask if she is fitting to the social standards and overdoing with the rebelling against authority. I should also note that since that music video, Miley Cyrus has vanished in the ground as we do not hear anything off her in the news. This  should show us that she follows Dyer`s theory as she is both missing and with us. 

To conclude, I believe that Miley has reinvented herself mainly to rebel against her Hannah Montana days as all of her earlier merchandise and dvd`s are still on sale till today. Ideas that are given by Dyer can be seen in the music videos. For example, she has litterally growing up herself and is making her new, independant way in life, even if it is slightly extreme. This can be seen through examples I have listed from her videos and the ideas within Dyer's theory as she shows "star" qualities such as: sexual magnetism, anti authoritarian attitude, aggression/anger, disregard for social values (drugs/sex/good behaviour) and conspicuous consumption of sex/drugs/material goods.

I believe that the research that I carried out will help me in deciding the appropriate artist as I would want to follow Dyer's two paradoxes within my chosen performer. It is important to identify and maintain a target audience as they are the people purchasing your products. However it is also good to experiment in some areas slightly less extreme as I do not wish for my performer to be the same as what Miley is known known as.

Research into chosen Music Gnere-Miss Georgiou

Research into chosen Music Genre
23/09/2014
Vasil Nikolov

Originally my group had decided to do a song by Lana Del Rey. Originally, I wanted a song that was upbeat and enjoyable to listen to. Thus the song that we chose is "Blue Jeans". I know, that the song is slightly quiet and depressing. However, we agreed to search for a remix  of the song that can make it upbeat and more pleasuring to listen to.
The result was the RAC Remix of the song (Lana Del Rey-Blue Jeans RAC Remix). As it is a remix we now have the task to understand the indie and house genre. This then sounds interesting as most indie songs have the convention to have a love story for their video. Meanwhile, the House/Electro music genre has the convention for the use of bright colours and be more diverse. This is why the songs I have chosen are Ellie Goulding`s "How long will I Love You" and Route 94`s "My Love".  Personally, I don`t like pure indie songs as they are always slow, depressing and tell the story of a girl in a relationship that went bad. This is Why I prefer indie rock such as The Keiser Chiefs. Nevertheless I must analyse the pure indie genre so I have to listen to Miss Goulding and her lovy dovy story.

So let us start with the conventions for the Indie genre. The first one is that indie artists like to use studios, cities, parks or tunnels as they are low budget. The other reason for using such a setting is so their audience can concentrate on the artist (Them) and watch them sing or perform. And here we can see miss Goulding performing on a guitar in a studio. This follows the convention as indie artists use low budget places so their audience can watch mainly them. As said the reason for choosing such a low budget location is so they can make their audience listen to them and not get distracted. Another convention that will be seen later on is that the song is mainly performance based (and slightly narrative). Speaking about it, the use of a mainly performance in a video is another convention that ellie Goulding is following. During several shots (Including the cover picture for the video) the audience would spot Miss Goulding, performing on a guitar. This follows dyer`s theory as it suggests that the artist can do multiple things with which they can impress the audience. And by playing and singing at the same time, Miss Goulding tells the audience that she has more than one tallent, which makes her more than ordinary.

The piece that makes her ordinary is the clothing that she uses, which is very ordinary. This is trying to imply, that she is a down to earth person. Another part from Dyer`s theory which states that "the artist has to be ordinary and at the same time extraordinary". This is further proven in the first 25 seconds of the video in which we see the artist having a mental block while trying to write some lyrics. This suggests that similarly to ordinary people she has problems but it is alsowhy she uses another indie convention which is to use another actor that can help with the narrative side of the story. The convention is also used to promote the use of a sky-blue Volkswagen MK1 Golf GTI and the use of a NOKIA Lunia series. The use of these two products prove one of the parts of another theorist`s view, which is that the artist is used by the record label to promote merchendise and advertise products that have sponsored the production of the video. In this case the audience would be a witness to the use of the Nokia Lumia series, that has the 10 megapixel camera, but also to car fans, the use of a very trendy convertible from the 80`s (The Golf GTI). This would lead to many fans wanting to look cool and not mainstream. The target of any indie artist. I mean if she wanted to have a quirky convertible, she could have had a Mazda mx5, but they are too mainstream. Hence she uses an old convertible which was cool in its own period.

Some people might ask why there is narrative in the video. And the answer is that recent indie artists like to add a narrative snippet to their music video in order to create a relatable for the audience story. The lyrics would be linked with hte video and in my case it does. When she sings "How long will I need you", the male character always helps with something in order to suggest that he will always be needed as he is all she needs.

Interestingly there has been the use of several close-ips on the iconogrpahy used (The VW and Nokia), in order to promote the products. Also the artist has used black and white camera effects when she is performing and standard colours for memories. This links to the convention that indie artist like their videos to be slightly divers. Normally the black and white effects are used for a meomory while current cut is with a normal effect. A part from that, close-sips and mid shots of  the artist have been used to promote the artist (very conventional once again) as they fulfill Goodwin`s theory that the artist should be used as a promotional tool for merchendise.

The target audienec would be mainly females at the age range of 15-19 as they would be experimenting with relationships at the time and would like to wathc a song that talks about relationships. Menahiwl, malles of the same age would be either interesyed in a rap song where the artist is rich and ahs all the girls and cars or be different and listen to rock, indie, rock or electric house. As earlerly mentioned, the artist is represented as being puzzled as she does not know what to do with her relationship. I mena yes she is happy but for how long? When will the next more exciting piece show? This way she becomes an enigma and continues to interest the younger ages, while  older aged music  listeners would not listen to it as they had different values and had a more simple choice of music during their time.

And  now comes the second side from our music video, which makes me happier as I prefer this genre more than the previous.

The music videos for House music are famous for containing voyeristic immages and refferences to the use of illegal to several ocuntrie substances. The audience becomes a withness 13 seconds from the start of the video. They become a withness to a normal clubbing night in which at 0:28 they see a girl swallowing an odd pill shaped object and at 0:34 a clubber enjoying his drink. Thus from the start we can assume that the target audience is aimed at both genders in the region of 18-25 as they like to go clubbing at that age and such music is very possible to be played by the dj. Usually as the proven in the song, there is a steady bass level while the audience  gets used to the immages that they will see. Also at 0:37 the Dj is seen maintianing the tempo. He is probably used to further prove the idea that the performance part of the video is happening in a disco/club as otherwise, the place looked like a big store depot.

Another code&convention of a House music video is the use of voyeristic immages (seen here at 0:47; 0:55) during the performance. This is partially used to intrigur the male audeince and partially to relate to a club where the ladies are usually dressed in a more attractive manner than on a Monday morning on the way to work. The house music video also contains the convention of having several dance moves ( in a freestyle way), that are usually portrayed in a circle(0:43) and people watching them showcase which supposed to motivate the set audience to dance. And in "My Love", the audience could see a quick low angle shot, portraying a pillar upon which the said circle is danceing followed by a paning shot that displays the clubbers dancing in a similar freestyle way. These two points can relate to Goodwin`s theory as allegedly what the video is trying to say at this point of the song is that if you listen to this band, you will have a lot of fun at the club. This is probably the second reasoon, why the Dj was seen ealrier on.

Interestingly has not followed the convention to use a female to read his lyrics (Just like Disclosure`s F For You ft Mary Jay) and has decided to subvert and use a male artist to sing the lyrics. The most obvious reason is so the osng can also appeal to the female audience as they would be attracted by the way the artist is singing. This supports Dyer`s theory that the audience should want to see the artist one more time and be able to understand him. Thus by using a male voice, the artist opens up his field of vue by trying to intrigue females as well as males to listen to his music.

Another convention that has been followed by the artist is the use of bright colours (Through the use of edditing and in particular the use of special shades) on a dark blackground. As said in the blog in which one analysed "Depeche mode" (similar genre music), the use of bright colours hould be used in ordeer to display hope to the audience and hiddenly to promote the concept that love isi strong. For example (1:55 minutes into the video) before the main character gently ravished the girl, he was snuggling her during a short rain sequencein which rather than the colour of her body to chsnge to a more dark colour such as: brown, it stayed at banana yellow and her nose to tangerine orange (it should have been blue or green as the nose is usually the coldest part of a face). This is used to promote to the audience, the idea that love is like a flame and when maintined it can burn for a long time without it being stopped. Furthermore it should be said that it creates an enigma as the audience would want to watch the video once again in order to fully understand the idea behind the video.

The Mise-En-Scene used (In particular clothing) by the character is very conventional for a house based music video due to have him wearing a sensible set of clothes. Interestingly though, the video goes against Goodwin`s theory that the artist is a marketing tool as the clothing brands cannot be recognised. The main editing styles were a close up on the characters to display how emotionless they were. This is to portray the artist as being relaxed and used to going clubbing. This might suggest that he is equal to each one of us, yet  being able to produce such a good song. This is where he is fullfiling Dyer`s theory more than Goodwin`s.

The iconography that has been used is taboo in many countries but seen in many video clips and movies from America. The use of alcohol, drugs such as pills and medical marijuana suggest that the artist is fullfilling the convention of the use of drugs and alcohol in his video. They would not be unknown to such environment, as clubs these days have the immage for containing such substances. Furthermore, no product placement has been used in the video as once again, the camera filter is simply not allowing the audience to see what their icon is wearing, drinking or smoking.

The video is a mix between performance and concept as we see shots that show people dancing, and then the ones in the rain; against the wall and on the couch.


In Conclusion, from the research of these two music genres, we should be able to easily find our target audience and what elements to use. For example icinigraphy would probably be an Apple product, clothing will be chique but simple, there might be product placement such as a vehicle. Then from the camera shots, we could use the close-ups and then shot reverse shots in order to suggest how the artist or secondary character feels. Most important would probably be the use of filters for when the meomory sequence is innicuated and to use bright colours on a gloomy coloured environment in order to suggest that all is well. Further points might be added once the plan is completed.

Research into Copyrights-Miss Georgiou (Updated)

Research into Copyrights
18/09/2014
Vasil Nikolov

Applying for music copyright

(Research into music videos)

The copyright law can be seen when an individual/company creates a work (Film/Music/System-Windows XP). The law protects them from having their work copied and or used without their consent. It also made to assure the artist that if someone else uses his song, he would also receive a said by him % from the overall money that the user has been paid. The employment of a copyright law on an artist`s work, allows him to have full control over their own work and therefore means the artist fully benefits from any use of their work.

The song that my group chose to create a music video on is called 'Blue Jeans' by Lana Del Rey. She belongs to Polidor UK Records and Interscope Records. However, we decided to use a remix of the song as the original tonality of the song was slightly depressing. This is why the full title of the song is “Blue Jeans RAC Remix”. This meant that we had to apply to the fellow that did the remix as well. We emailed Polidor to acquire permission to use the song, as requiring permission was a necessity before beginning the production of our music video. The only problem was that Polidor had an incorrect e-mail. Thus we sent one to the other record label and to the studio that made the remix.  This is why, we agreed to contact the record label early on so we can be more vigilant if there was a problem with one of the record Labels.

Below are the two emails that one of my group members sent to request copyright permission. We sent it on the 18th September 2014 at 11:46pm.

We are still awaiting a reply from the record label, However we will continue to send emails on a regular basis to hopefully gain a reply sometime soon. As we have not received a response from both record labels, we have decided to continue filming and are continuing to contact them in order to receive a response. We are aware that record labels are very busy and we completely understand them. Nevertheless, we will continue to film in order to be on time with our filming schedule. 

Music Video Inspirations-Miss Georgiou (Updated)

Music Video Inspirations

15/09/2014

Vazl

Music Video Inspirations

Music Video inspirations are important for everyone involved in the music video industrry. Thanks to them, an artist could make his video stand out and look more appealing. Another way would be that he can use it to see what he needs to stay away from. The songs that I have chosen are Keiser Chief`s Ruby, U2`s Elevation and The Fratellis Chelsea Dagger. The reason why all three songs are chosen are because: A) They are displayed in a diverse way, which is how I would like the video that me and my group would film and B) They are all upbeat and energetic which is the type of song one would like to use for their music video.

The Fratellis are an indie rock band from Glasgow, Scotland. The band consists of lead vocalist and guitarist Jon Fratelli, bass guitarist Barry Fratelli, and drummer and backing vocalist Mince Fratelli.

The use of shot reverse shot when the lyrics give questions and answers show to the audience how in what way the artist would accept them and that they are very relaxed. The setting is a small stage in what looks like a small theatre involving can can dancers. 
The main appeal about this video is probably the performance part where all the males  can see voyeristic shots, while the girls can get acquiainted more to the members of the band. The mid shot`sd used are in the style of an interview or a date,as the audience is able to see how the band reacts to some q`s and a`s.
The video itself is mainly concept based with segments of performance (Via the girls shacking/dancing or the band playing) as it states that some girls are just meant to be flirted with. With this song, It is more about the energy that creates frookm the lyrics and visuals than the video itself. This is why I have chosen it. It is how they have given the image to the audience that they are boyish and that they can not be taken seriously. 
This is why from their song, I would like to use the concept and some of the shots such as the reaction shot. 

Music Video 2- U2-Elevation
The clothing used by the band is once again simple but very stylish. The use of leather jackets and sunglases remind the audience of themselves as when they were being rebelious to society`s norms. This way they also look acceptable for an older type of audience (Unlike Miss Cyrus).

U2 always make songs which really mean something, emotionaly or politicaly or whatever but with Elevation, Bono is just saying "hey!!! we are a rock band and we can sing about whatever we want!" He is just proving they are not serious all the time. The reason why I love the song is that even though it does not make a lot of sense, there is a small message that the girl he likes gives him the power to do anything. The message might be that love is a strong power in life or just nothing but U2 successfully manage to create an enigma and create interest in the audience.

The lyrics match the visuals which allow the audience to see that this music video is narrative and performance based that the setting always changes and is never the same. As the song was used to promote the new Tomb Raider movie (At the time), it was a very effective way to be used as amotivational song during work out. Tyhe use of new places creates interest in the audience, which in turn leads to more views which would be lovely news for us.

Through editing and the use of a freze frame, Bono is implementing that he wants everything to stop and a hand from the sky to lift him to his loved one.The reason why I would like to implement it in our song is because it is cool.

Music Video 3- The Kaiser Chiefs-Ruby

Iconography is also used when the bolt form the drum set is made to look large compared to the small world in which it fell. this shows the dimensions of size between the two and how important the song is for the society.

The song is also quite upbeat for a diverse love song. Through the use of slow editing, the audience would receieve that he is relaxed about how Ruby is not answering to his plea and that she should reconsider her decision. I would further like to use the jump cuts for the instruments used (Mainlt the guitar piano shots). This can show that the members of the band are very talented and therefore I am inspired to do the same in my own music video.

I also like the way that the music video switches between the artist singing and how society evolves around listening to the song (represented via the small people walking and building around the artist). This shows that this music video is mainly performance and narrative based as there is an equal usage of the two.

The video inspiration behind Ruby is quite simple. I would like to use the video shots from this video as it very easily can display the clothing used (Which is both affordable and quite stylish). The connection made between the artist and the audience is quite visible and it makes the audience feel quite comfy with listening to him and his story about a girl named Ruby. 

I plan on sharing my ideas to my group by explaining the advantages such as the ease to follow the conventions.

Music video 4-Lana Del Rey-Video Games

Video Games, gave me the inspiration to use editing affects such as the special filters from this Lana Del Rey music  video. The video clips would involve memories of her favourite times with her love interest. The use of such effect is conventional to the indie genre as the artist is sharing her story with the audience in order for them to understand the world from her eyes. Furthermore, we would wish to incorporate the use of the artist expressing her feelings in front of a video camera for one segment of our music video (Where the audience could see her singing to them). This is conventional for the indie genre as it allows the artist to create a strong bond with her audience as they would believe that she is telling her problems/story straight at them. This is why, It was helpful to use this video as a reference as it helps us to make sure that the Artist is represented accordingly to her style of music.

Music Video 5-Calvin Harris ft. Ellie Goulding - I Need Your Love

I took inspirations from Calvin Harris and Ellie Goulding's music video both as they are from different genres. This makes the music video more versatile as it fits to both genres. This results in a more varied audience, making the conventions used more clear for me to include in my own music video.

Thus the editing techniques that I will use will be from the songs:
-Video Games-For the filters that split the past from the present and the faced pace editing that was used.
-As an idea, the use of a freeze frame from U2`s "Elevation", would be an appropriate technique as it would show to the audience extra time in which the artist would be able to portray his/her feelings and form an emotional bond with the audience.
-Lastly, the shot reverse shot and the slower editing from Ruby would supply our artist with more ways to entertain his audience and promote both himself and the products he is using (clothing, hair, etc.)

As the style of the music video (which is narrative and concept) is used throughout, the use of such a videowould be more helpful to my group as it would allow us to develop a romantic story being the two characters that we will introduce. Furthermore, we can portray one of our artist in a more indie character while our second to be more of  the electronic music genre. They are both represented as a normal young couple in love which provides realism towards the audience as it can be relateable to many people.

The cinematography used consists of many two-shots of the two artists/characters which is effective in showing the audience the relationship between the characters.
The mise-en-scene used includes clothing worn by Ellie Goulding that is conventional to the Indie genre such as baggy shirts and hoodys. Howeve, for our artist we will use more vintage clothing as they are also conventional (by making him stand out from the mainstream fashion).

In Conclusion, the use of such insipirations aided both me and my froup in creating the music video as it aided us with conventions that we can use. 

Analysis of music genre-Miss Georgiou

Analysis of music genre

8/9/14

Vasil

Within the music industry, there are 3 key music genres: Rap, Dance and Electronic music. In this case for Dance I will use Flo Rida`s "Club Can`t Handle Me"; for Rap I will use Drake`s "Over" and for Electronic music I will use Depeche mode`s "Enjoy the Silence".

Firstly, Dance has several key concepts that are implemented into it. A dance video would usually consist of back up dancers and/or Backup singers. Usually the video is located in a Club setting where the viewer would see plenty of Good-looking girl s that performs a set Dance routine. Sometimes there are Teenagers. However, there is always a Fun atmosphere full of Bright lights. Also the performers/artists are wearing very flashy or expensive clothing.

Throughout Flo Rida`s "Club can`t handle me" the viewer will straight away spot the standard convention for a Dance music video. The convention is the use of an Establishing Shot with the use of iconography (The Lambos) that portrays the materialistic side of the artists. The convention carries on by also displaying new clothes and new jewelry. This is conventional to a dance music video because the artists like to show off to others the amount of money that they have. This is why, they would show off their status by turning to a club in the shiniest car they own.

In this picture, cinematography is used (specifically a high angle shot) on the artist which, shows him singing up facing towards the camera. The camera further shows the club setting in which all the people are dancing and looking like they are having fun time. Once again, the picture shows a very conventional shot for a dance genre as firstly, the dance music video is set in a club and secondly, it adds with another convention by showing everyone in the background, having a good time.

Another Cinematography shot (In particular a close-up) is used to portray another concept. The close up is used on the artist in order to show him performing on a stage. This is to give the idea to the audience that he is the centre of attention and that he is bigger compared to others. Once again, it is conventional for a dance genre as the artist is meant to be important in the song as he is singing about himself. 

 In this music the audience would also spot video editing techniques, such as: fast editing as the fast paced music is synchronized to the different scenes in the club. This matches the tempo and allegedly represents the artist`s lifestyle. This is conventional for the dance genre because dance music videos usually contain back up dancers that are performing a set dance routine whit which they emit the pleasure of dancing in the club with the artists in Flo Rida.

The second editing technique that is used is slow editing which can be seen in the beginning of the music video. The audience would see the two Lamborghinis slowly opening their doors and then the group entering from the Lambos in the disco. It is conventional for a dance music video to show a slow build up from the beginning to the main part of the song as they try and show how important the entry to a disco/club is and that once there, everyone will freak out of joy. Therefore this is seen as an introduction to the music video and the correct song for entering the disco/club. 

However, unlike Dance Music Videos, Rap music videos contain conventions in which the rapper is usually dressed in casual clothing under which wearing jogging bottoms and differently colored t-shirts is counted as casual. Nevertheless, this genre of videos is usually themed with violence, sex and drugs. Nevertheless the artist has to carry around a microphone and jewelry and produce songs containing angry lyrics. Sometimes they might be passionate but they are always set either in the ghetto or in a room of a miserable apartment. Also unlike the Dance music video genre, the cinematography used is mainly close ups and mid-shots.

Thus we can begin with this genre by analyzing the song “Over” by a Mr. Drake. In his music video, he uses a miss-en-scene technique known as clothing. The artist is wearing upon himself pair of jeans and a hoodie. This is slightly unconventional for a rap music video as artists usually wear more relaxed clothing such as tank tops and some kind of trousers. Nevertheless, Drake`s style still falls under the convention for casual clothing (But probably under the European branch of this convection). Furthermore, the lyrics of the song would not be able to be supported from the clothing he is wearing if the clothing was flashy. This would result in the audience loosing the point which he is trying to send to them.

 A second micro-element, known as Cinematography (In particular the close-up) is used while the artist is rapping on his bed and looking towards the audience. This way he is following a very similar convection to the Dancing Video one. The only difference is that the Rap artist would want the audience to be able to see only him in order for them not to be distracted while he is giving his message to them. This way his personal convenience is sent across the audience and both sides would be happy. This is conventional for a rap music video because there is a connection within the audience and the artist, further building the relationship between these two groups.

Finally comes in the editing of the video. The first very cool video editing technique used is a filter that swaps the artist`s body-line with a flame. Unlike Dance music videos which contain mainly slow editing for the intro of the song, rap videos use such a filter in order to visually express the feelings within himself, which can be translated as passionate or warm towards the subject (In this case a female lady) that he allegedly has. From earlier times said, it is conventional for the audience to see in a rap video the artist raping about his feelings. 

The second editing technique (can be spotted by the first picture of this video) used is a straight cut which is used at the beginning of the music video. The shot shifts after he looks up at the camera from an angle to a full faced shot of him sitting on the bed. As explained in one of the earlier paragraphs, it is used to make a positive relationship between the artist and the audience. This technique is used to maintain that relationship while there is a transition between the two shots. 

Now, when it comes to strobe like effects and the use of electric piano, people think about the house video music genre or the disco music genre. And when fun upbeat atmosphere scruffy hairstyles are heard they would jump for either a Dance Music Video or a hip-hop music video. And then when someone says that the music lyrics create a down to earth atmosphere and send a message to the crowd about love, drugs or other taboo themes, they would assume that the music video genre is RAP. Well…what will they say if I can give them an example of a music video genre that has all of those convections in it`s self? Some might argue that there is no such thing. However, little do they know how wrong they actually are. During the 1990`s, one of the best Electronic House bands produced a pure gem of the Electronic house video genre. This is where my choice for the representative of the music video genre comes. 

Depeche Mode`s “Enjoy the Silence” was and is the perfect example for this music video genre as not only does it show all of the above mentioned connotations but adds more.

To most fans of the video, it is still hard to listen to the song without picturing David Gahan (The man with the crown on the bottom side of the paragraph), walking about the countryside in a crown and robe. And this is where my first point comes, which is from the M-E-S sector of clothing. While the band conforms to the standard convection of wearing casual clothing and scruffy hairstyles (which can be seen by the picture on the left) it does repeal with the main singer wearing a crown and robe. Although one might say that it is unknown why he is wearing it, he does contribute to another convection which is that the video should be hard to understand. This category of music videos usually falls under the diverse music video flag and does it in quite a successful way (more on it later). Therefore both convections are being conformed by the band in order for the audience to find the music video remembering and possibly wear the clothing which is worn by their idols.

 Another convection being followed is the use of Cinematography (In particular a Close-up). Similarly to RAP artists, Depeche Mode used the close-up on their main artist to reach to their audience and make them remember their message "Enjoy the Silence". Interestingly, the song is a love song. The reason why we see him at the end with a black screen behind him is because he asks us for is silence, because "words are meaningless and forgettable," and that when words crash into him, they might create pain. This is why at the end of the song, the close-up with the last 3 word of the lyrics are without sound. This fully follows the code for an electric house music video in order for the audience to receive the message.

The use of a Panning shot (Of how he is walking in the countryside wearing a deck chair) while the chorus is pleading "All I ever wanted/All I ever needed/Is here in my arms" is used to intrigue the audience with his pain and problem while the music becomes more upbeat. While, this sounds confusing to them and supports the clause with the idea of a diverse music video, the artist is using it to create a compassionate relationship with his audience. The first time, I saw the video, I thought that he was having relationship problems and that he wants to be isolated on a hill where only the wind could listen to his problems. This made me realize that there are two sides to a relationship. Thus the use of Cinematography further reinforces the convection that the artist has created a down to earth atmosphere and that the artist has introduced the theme of love via his lyrics and at the same time video.

Finally comes in the editing whit which the video is so memorable and representing the convection for such a genre. The first editing technique used is the 7 jump cuts in the first 19 seconds of the video. If the viewer is bored enough to pause on each jump cut, he would see a set of roses in differently coloured backgrounds. While some may say that the reason for them is to intrigue the audience, they are actually used to conform to the style of this type of music video. During the 90`s Electric House Music Videos had the convection for containing bright colours in order to liven up the scene. They were used to show when the fun or upbeat part was coming and with this technique this type of music was quickly separated from house and could not be mistaken for a RAP video (As they are also placed in dark settings). Furthermore the iconography used (A rose and some other flowers) reminds us once again that it is a video song with the theme of love. Roses usually give the connotation of Love or Romance. Thus while the audience might be confused, they would now know why this type of flower is used in the video.  

Another editing technique used is the Reaction shot which is used in the first fragment of the video. The audience would notice that when a flower was shown, one of the members of the group would leave the group. This might suggest to the audience that they have experienced a bad relationship and they do not want to talk about it or that the background colour is their favourite colour...Who knows? One of the most obvious reason for their behavior is that they are an enigma. Although not initially listed, music videos of the house or electronic house genre tend to be very diverse with hidden messages. And for a successful diverse music video, the use of an enigma aids further the interest in the band as the audience would want to know more about the artist. This is why this video can also be used to proove Andrew Goodwin`s theory. Nevertheless, the use of shot reverse shot as a method to create an enigma for the audience and create an interest in the band is very effective and conventional for such a music genre.

In Conclusion, several varying Technical elements have been used in different music videos as they appeal to the set music genre audiences. If the all the music videos had the same technical elements, then the music video would not fit in to the particular genre. However, it should be said that even the elements that are from the same type vary in the way that they deliver the wanted message by the artist. For example, Flo Rida`s Close-up showed everyone happy and dancing and it was promoting the artist. Meanwhile Drake`s Over showed him and displayed his emotions and that he wanted to make sure that the audience would hear his message.
Furthermore Music videos appeal to a set type of audience. The style of music used by Drake does not make me want to download his album as he looks too depressed for me. Meanwhile Flo Rida, would be the one I would download/purchase as it is more cheerful and up-beat. And while fans of Drake would argue with me that his music is moody, I would still prefer to purchase/download Depeche Mode`s album as they can create a better moody song that is with an unconventional story.
For my video, I would personally like to use the upbeat dancing from Flo Rida, as I find that it would be a lot more popular for the audiences. I would also like to use the approved clothing by either Flo Rida or Depeche Mode as both groups have a very fashionable taste.