Research into music labels-Miss Georgiou (Updated)

Research into music labels
01/11/24
Vasil

A record label is a brand/trademark that is associated with the marketing/distributing of music recordings/videos. The record labels are usually separated into Major record labels and minor record labels.

Major record labels are large companies in the music industry that own smaller record labels (For example Sony owning Sony UK). These music labels are known as the three major record labels (Universal Music Group, Sony Music Entertainment and Warner Music Group). 

The first one to be analysed is Sony Music Entertainment. The company is known with artists such as: Britney Spears, Miley Cyrus, Justin Timberlake and others. A part from its own branches (Sony Music UK, Bulgaria, etc.) the record label owns smaller companies such as J Records and Arista. Arista is responsible for artists such as: Avril Lavigne and Whitney Houston, while J Records is responsible for: Maroon 5 and Christina Aguilera. Sony itself is involved in more than one type of entertainment (Playstation, Sony games and others). This leads to the company having several types of links within the media world. These links involve: television, movies, mobile phones, computers and as previously said, gaming consoles . 
 

The other music company is called Warner Music Group. The record label also owns Atlantic and Warner Bros Records. Atlantic is famouys in the music industry for being responsible with the following artists: Ed Sheeran, Wiz Khalifa and other misc celebs. Warner Bros Records is further responsible for stars such as: Jason Derulo and the infamous band; The Veronicas. The Music Group is part of the largest media conglomerate (Time Warner) which similarly to Sony Music Entertainment, has links with other types of media.

The final majour music group is the Universal Music Group. This Music group is known for introducing artists such as: Lady Gaga, Katy Perry and others to the music world. The record label is in control over several small music companies such as Def Jam (the company is responsible for artists such as: Jay-Z, Rihanna and others) and Island Records (artists such as: Jessie J, Nicki Minaj and others). The Universal Music Group is also partly responsible for the development of the Vevo music channel. The website allows for free, ad-supported streaming.

Thus we are now left with the UK`s Independent Music Record Labels. An independent record label is a music label that operates without funding. Some artists and bands begin their music career being signed to an independent record label. These record labels are equally successful as the big record labels, however, they work on a smaller scale and promote less mainstream music genres such as dubstep, house, electro and others. Bellow are the 3 majour UK independant music labels.

Rough Trade records were in command of Arcade Fire and The Strokes. This UK Independent record Label is one of the most popular ones. The company was formed 1978 with the main genres being: punk or indie pop. This means that this record label would be very appropriate for our song (Blue Jeans). Furthemrore, the founder successfully promoted and sold records by early punk bands such as The Smiths. However, in the late 80's Rough Trade experienced severe cash problems, which landed the label in bankruptcy. Nevertheless it found new sources from success in the late 90's with bands like The Libertines and The Strokes with which the label was restructured and remains active to this day. Currently it is known for representing indie and rock artists such as: Destroyer, Arcade Fire, My Morning Jacket, The Strokes, The Libertines and The Hold Steady. Sadly, this record label would not be able to aid as although music genre is more diverse, it is still more popular with more major record labels.

Another independent record label is Warp, which was founded in Sheffield in 1989. The record label the label was commonly referred to as Warp Records. It is an independent British record label, that specialises in electronic music. It was founded by Steve Beckett and the late Rob Mitchell from their experiences working at the FON record shop. With Robert Gordon, the label soon became home to artists who would be influential in the electronic music industry. They are responsible for successful artists such as: Aphex Twin, Darkster, Red Snapper, Seefeel and TNGHT. This record label would be perfect for our music video as our music genre is a mix between electro house and indie. It does give us hope as we are aware, that many of the majour record labels prefer to be secure in what they are releasing and currently, pop or dance are the most-successful music genres to sell.

Currently, the label is a dubstep, 2-step garage style record label that is run by Ammunition Promotions, out of the Truman Brewery, East London. The company was created in 1999. Tempa is now widely considered to be one of the founding labels of the dubstep sound as they have managed successfuly to promote other artists such as: Skream, Benga, Kode9 and DJ Hatcha. Nevertheless, I still believe that we will experience problems, promoting our product in this company as they do not support our music genre.

I believe in polytheism, rather than monopolism. However, a very different picture is painted by the 3 majour record labels as they mainly support mainstream music (Pop, Dance, RnB). And as the 3 music companies are the most important ones in the music industry, they control most of what can go on the music market. This means that some artists will be unable to play the songs they want or the way they want as they might not get subsidised by the companies. Nevertheless, with the aid of the UK`s independant music labels that I have listed, an artist should have a slightly better chance at entering the music industry. This is why for my music video, I would 

In Conclusion, one believes that the major record labels are likely to be more successful than independent record labels. This is because they have extreme power within the industry compared to the Independent music companies. This would therefore attract upcoming artists to try and sing for a major record label. Another reason that an artist would rather sign to a major record label is because they manage artists that are extremely popular in the music industry, and in turn they would believe that by signing to a major record label their chances of success will increase.

Research into chosen music artist-Miss Georgiou

Research into chosen music artist

02/10/2014

Vazl

 

There are several interesting artist that my group battled over. And from them, we decided to use Lana del Rey`s "Blue Jeans". However, as the song was slightly humdrum, we decided to find a remix for it. Thus the "Blue Jeans RAC remix" was chosen.

Lana Del Rey ( or Elizabeth Woolridge Grant) was born on the 21st of June 1985 in New York City. Her songwriting career started at the age of 18 and she signed her first recording contract with 5 Points Records in 2007. Her first digital album was released in January 2010. Miss Del Rey bought herself out of her contract with 5 Points Records in April 2010, by signing a joint contract with Interscope, Polydor, and Stranger Records in July 2011. Following that, she
released her second studio album “Born to Die” in January 2012. It debuted at number two on the U.S. Billboard 200, and was the fifth best-selling album of 2012. The same year, miss Del Rey released her third extended play of the song “Paradise” in November. Three of its tracks were featured in her short film, named “Tropico”. The film was premiered in December. Her third studio album “Ultraviolence” was released in June 2014. Miss Del Rey's music has been noted for its cinematic sound and its references to various aspects of pop culture, particularly that of the 1950s and 1960s American.

Previously to her proffessional Albums, Miss Grant had registered a seven-track compact disc On April 25^th, 2005 under her original name: Elizabeth Woolridge Grant. The application title was "Rock Me Stable" with another title "Young Like Me" also listed. The track titles are currently unknown. Between 2005 and 2006, the album “Sirens” was recorded under the name "May Jailer" and leaked in May 2012. At her first performance in 2006 for the Williamsburg Live Songwriting Competition, Miss Del Rey met Van Wilson (a Representative for 5 Points Records).

Thus the first music video of Miss Del Rey which I will analyse is West Coast. "West Coast" is a song is from her third studio album “Ultraviolence” (2014). It was released on April 14, 2014 by Interscope Records and Polydor Records as the lead single from the record. The music video subverts Dyer's star theory as Lana is presenting herself as an ordinary person in many of her videos (A part from Blue Jena s where we can see her in a pool of a very nice house, being eaten by a crocodile). The reason why one has categorized her as subverting is that the artist has to be both normal and at the same time not normal. And as we can see one scene being repeated over and over, we (The Audience) can see that she does not evoke any extraordinary qualities. Although the video is very recent it is made on a very similar format as from the videos in the beginning of her music career. Nevertheless, she is also a down to earth individual and it is easy for her fans to relate to/idolise her as she illustrates qualities of a regular young woman that is very independant. It should be also added that a remake was later made which fulfilled Dyer`s theory (Caution!!! Spoiler Alert!!!), as we could see Lana in flames at the end of the video in flames. This made her look more extraordinary.

Throughout “West Coast”, Lana is presented as a young and fallen in love woman. This illustrates to the audience that she is warm and comfortable in the style she writes and also the style she produces her music career as she resembles the fallen in love young woman. She is therefore relatable to girls of the age range 17-25 as during to this period, they have discovered how to look but have started to develop more advanced tactics to flirt and bag themselves someone from their (+-1 year) age. Thus they would be very interested in her music and also she would warn them of the dangers of some relationships (in a more improved way than Rihanna). Therefore we (The audience) can see Lana as a figure to look up to  and learn from about some aspects of life.

Throughout West Coast, elements of Andrew Goodwin's theory can be seen incorporated to be more conventional to the Indie genre. There is a clear relationship between the lyrics and visuals in the music video. The lyrics “I can see my baby swinging” and the long shot provide the audience to see the seaside and Miss Del Rey snuggling and dancing in a circle with her loved one. By having this element of Goodwin's theory present in the music video it allows the performance element to flow consistently. In turn the audience will be able to understand the lyrics more clearly and enjoy the surroundings that are also very conventional for the indie genre. The use of the seaside and the rebellious look given by her clothing (jeans and a leather jacket), provide the audience with the information that they need in order to look similar to their favorite artist. There are a large number of close up camera shots of Lana to present her to the audience. This further kindles, Goodwin`s theory as this way the artist can further promote himself and the clothing he uses. There is a vague link between the music and visuals as when the music speeds up, the tempo of the video also increases. Thus we can see her from snuggling in a slow manner to quickly having a twist. In the song she is mainly seen performing in her own way (twirling and snuggling) and therefore the viewers are given the opportunity to build a relationship with her. Lana`s West Coast music video is primarily performance based and therefore allows the viewers to witness Lana dancing. An indie convention that she is subverting to as usually Indie Artist sit on a chair in the park (Or a studio as it is cost effective and the audience could concentrate). This results in the audience to further relate with her as they also like to go to the seaside with their loved one or dance.

The main location in West Coast is the beach in California. The beach looks very empty, However as the editing effect has made it look like black and white and the camera has focused mainly on her, we could conclude that she possesses a simple but enigmatic personality. This would further intrigue the audience as they would want to see more from Lana to understand the compatibility that they might have with her. As the beach is very clean and empty the artist might imply to the audience that she has started a brand new relationship. Throughout the music video Lana is centrally positioned within the camera shots near the edge of the water/sand border. Although it filmed to let the audience see something else than only the artist, it might actually imply that she is thinking of carrying on with her relationship in a further manner. Thus she is soon thinking of stepping away from what she knows at the time to more about her loved one (Presented as the ocean). Thus she might imply that she would want to find out more about her loved one and go out if the comfort zone she has established with him.

Throughout West Coast, the most common camera shots are close-up and handheld shots. These shots present Lana to the audience and allow them to reach to her personality and fashion as they are given a detailed insight from the performance and the messages that are given by the body language of the artist. These specific camera shots allow the audience to witness her talent and build a relationship with her based on it.



"Video Games" is from her second studio album, Born to Die (2012). The song was produced by Robopop, while the lyrics are attributed to Del Rey and Justin Parker (author of the songs: "Blue Jeans" and "Born to Die"). It was first released on June 29, 2011 via the internet. Musically, "Video Games" is a pop ballad (there`s something unconventional for an artist such as Lana). It lyrically refers to a girl that, despite being ignored by her boyfriend, resolves to love him regardless of anything (very conventional for an indie genre). The song was a commercial success, peaking at No. 1 in Germany and Luxembourg and then reaching a top 10 position in Belgium, France, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom. The song's music video was directed and edited by the singer herself, combining scenes of Miss Del Rey performing the song filmed on a webcam with clips of archive footage.

      Lana`s music video to this song Subordinates with Dyer's star theory. This is because she has presented herself as a star that is incomplete. As she is experimenting with other genres such as pop and love balads, she shows to the audience that she is trying to fulfill her image of a star by trying new genres which insures to the audience the want to see more from her and her experiments. Also during an interview about the song, the singer stated that she used lower vocals for "Video Games" because she felt that the public did not see her as a serious artist. Lana`s music video does follow elements of Goodwin's theory. The music video relates to Goodwin's theory as a high number of close up camera shots are employed of the artist. The close up camera shots included of Lana presenting herself performing in a very fashionable, retro style. This allows the audience to learn more about Lana based on the visuals they are provided with. The style of the music video is directly split between elements of concept (50%) and performance (50%) as we can see jump cuts of her singing in different dresses and archive footage.

Throughout Video Games, Lana is presented to the viewers as an enigmatic individual (Surprise Surprise). Throughout the video we can see cuts of her looking very serious while performing in front of the webcam and then in the archive footage, we can see women that are very happy and cheerful. This highlights how she is both an enigma and a down to earth girl that has fallen in love (Again) with someone. This is unusual for a love ballad, but it is normal for an artist in the music industry that is trying to find where he is best at. From the personality we could see, she is targeting mainly females but invites males to see her beauty.

The main location of her music video is her bedroom. In this location the viewers witness Lana singing about her feelings in front of a video camera. This suggests that she might be keeping a video journal and that just like any other girl, she is common. Another location incorporated is many of the sites seen from the archive footage. This is trying to suggest to us that she likes to explore new places with her loved one. This is a convention of the indie genre and therefore enhances the visual experience of the audience and the likelihood they have of connecting with Lana as they too like to go out on romantic places and parties with their loved one. Lana is seen dressed in several vintage dresses throughout the video. This illustrates how she is quirky and likes to look more vintage than mainstream. Throughout the music video Lana is seen performing by singing. This type of performance is very conventional for the Love balad genre as the artist is making the audience concentrate only on them. We can also see the artist looking straight towards the camera, making the audience feel involved by her story.

Throughout Video Games, the most commonly used camera shots include mid-shots and close-up shots. The mid and close up shots are employed of Lana to present her as an artist and at the same time a woman that is sharing her thoughts in a video journal to the viewers. Within these camera shots she is mainly seen singing and therefore the audience get to learn more surrounding the lyrics she is seen singing. The use of specific camera shots (From the Archive footage) means the audience can see the locations in detail that she and her loved one might have visited or leave the audience to interpretate their own ideas surrounding the significance of these particular locations.

IN Conclusion, from the research I have conducted, the use of several elements will assist me with the planning and filming of my music video. A lot more detailed insight has been given to me from them music videos from Lana. From the research I found that Lana likes to create music videos with a personal element to them as she uses locations that she has went to alone/with her boyfriend. Her personality is highlighted as being enigmatic to the audience through the use of various elements in the music video including the locations and the clothing used. Therefore this has bonked me on the head to include personal elements to the artist in my music video and the same personality of my character as her one is. From the research I also discovered the extreme amount of close up shots incorporated to present the artist to the audience. In turn I will incorporate close up/mid shots in my music video to allow the viewers to build a relationship with the artist as they get an intimate insight into her personality.

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 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. 

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.