diversity of music videos

Diversity of music videos

Chris Cunningham and Michael Gondry are both directors, which produce diverse types of music videos, which often go against the conventions of a stereotypical music video. Most of the time the music videos, which they produce, do not conform to the stereotypical characteristics of typical music videos.  Reasons why they may do this is to make their music videos look different this could mean that people that watch the video is likely to remember it.

    The first music video, which I wanted to analyse, was ‘Frozen’ by Madonna; this song was made, directed and produced by Chris Cunningham.

1.      Typically Madonna is a pop artist, some of the stereotypical conventions of a pop artist is to have bright colourful videos, and might have woman in revealing clothing, close ups of the artist to portray innocence. They are usually quite fun and light hearted, thus meaning that the music could then appeal to a much younger audience, Often the artist is featured in the music video, this is usually done to help build a fan base for their music, and this is sometime accompanied by for form of a dance routine somewhere in the song. Most of the locations, which are used, are mostly quite fun and bright locations for example the beach or a friends house. In order to help the song relate to their audience a little bit more it is common to have teenage scenarios for example having a crush, which usually is in relation to the song so that then the lyrics and the visuals match up. I think that a good few example of where this has been used is in the video by Taylor Swift ‘Never Gunna Get Back Together’ this uses most of these conventions throughout the music video. Other artist which have also conformed to this have been Lady Gaga, Britney Spears, and Christina Aguilera these artist have all conformed to these conventions at some point.

    But Madonna has not conformed to these stereotypical conventions of a pop music video. The typical conventions of a pop artist are not represented through the video. Compared to having a pop music video Madonna has chosen to go against the typical conventions of the pop video. One of the ways this is shown is through the tribute to a tribe which she has on her arm; this is shown throughout the music giving this a type of intertexture reference to it, as it is shown so many times which further suggests that this is a tribute as she has various close ups of this which suggest that she wants people to see this, and almost want her fans to wonder what it is. instead of this video having a fun, bright theme to it is comes across to be a lot more gothic, and dark; but I think that in this case the visuals do match the lyrics of the song and the beat of the music as it is quite slow. But this is still major change to the typical type of videos which Madonna does usually produce. I think that there is only one relation to the pop genre in this music video but I think that it has a much different meaning than what the meaning would be in a pop video. This is the use of the close-ups throughout the music video; this is off Madonna’s face, and other parts of her body such as her hands and arms.

 But in the pop genre this usually makes the artist look quite innocent and convey how harmless they are, but I think that the reasons of the close ups in this video is a lot different as it is much more dark, almost evil look on her face, as throughout the video most of the time when Madonna face is shown through a close up it is emotionless. I think that this could then be seen as taking the fun out of the video, as when a close up is used it shows some kind of emotion but this is not the case here as, as the close up just shows Madonna to be very pale, this is further enhanced through the use of the dark hair as well which then make her look even more pale, I think that this almost gives her this type of witch look about her, as she also has the patterns on her arms as well which could also make her look like a witch.          

2.      I also think that Goodwin’s theory is evident throughout the video, I think that not all but some of the features are the relationship between the visuals and the music, the close ups which are used to express the artists and star image motifs, in the video Frozen.

    I think that the relationship between the music and the visuals are evident throughout the song, as the editing matched the visuals of the song as when the song picks up more of a stronger beat, so does the action of the visuals as it also speeds up. One example of where this has been used is during some of the cape scenes, where Madonna has this big black cape and she is letting it wave around everywhere this matches the editing, as the gets faster the song, the cape also picks up speed as well so that it all matches and graphically looks really good. The speeding up of the song as well as the speeding up of the cape I think makes the audience thinks that something fast is going to happen, as this is a way of building suspense through the video, as the cape changes it start to turn into different things some of which being a black dog which is formed from the cape. Another example of where this has been used is when Madonna says ‘give yourself to me’ this is a close up but then moves out to a mid shot and then a long shot of Madonna but as the camera zooms out there’s another two Madonna’s I think that this links together well as it is like saying there ‘give yourself to me’ and she has started with herself and all of her different sides of her have come out. I also think that this is a way of showing how she is different. I also think that the use of having her there three times also shows that she has a range of different sides to her for example the conventional pop music video side to her, this new gothic side to her, and then another side to her, this could be a more flirty side to her, I think that this has been conveyed a little bit through her choice of clothing as her has got a low cut dress on, and I think that this could have some sexual connotations, and then the close ups would then show the more pop side to her.

 

    The other feature of Goodwin’s theory which I think is evident through this music video is the close up used to express the artists and star image motifs. I don’t think that this has been used loads but where it has been used it is quite obvious. The first being the tattoos which are on Madonna’s arms and hands, as she make a point of showing these throughout the whole music video, this could be new style which she has decided to adopt and is something which she wants people to see. She may think that the main way for her to be able to get this out to her fan and get people to see this new style might be through one of her music videos and that the repetitiveness of the hands throughout the music video is likely to get people to notice them. I also think that this could also link in with the idea that Madonna’s star image has also changed over time and this is one of the changes which she has had to make in order for her to keep up with the ever changing demand of the music industry. She may have also chosen to adopt this style to get her music noticed a little bit more and get people talking about her music and encourage them to listen to her music because it have changed so much.

I think that this could also then link in with the idea that Madonna is helping to change the music industry a little bit as she is an established artist she will already have fans who will still be listening to her music therefore she would be able to experiment which all different types of music as she knows she still has fans. I also think that another reason why she may have done this is because she may have wanted to diversify into a new music market and she may have believed that this is the market to get into. I think that this could then encourage people to want to listen to her music and make her music video stand out as people would have seen it and then it may stay in their minds and make them want to watch the video again, I also think that through the use of dynamic effects this could get people talking about her music and could therefore maybe encourage them to want to listen to her music as well.     

 

3.      The style of this music video is very much a performance based video this is because Madonna is singing to the camera and is very much aware that the camera is there and that she is performing deliberately in front of the camera. I think that there are also some concept based elements in this video as well some of which being the use of the dog and the birds at the start and near the end of the video. I think that this is performance based because Madonna keeps into the camera making the audience watching aware that she is looking into the camera. I think that she has picked a way which doesn’t conform to the stereotypical way of having a performance based video; I think that this is due to her choice of location, the way that she is dressed and the way in which she portrays herself. I think that this would then mean that people are more likely to remember the music video because it doesn’t conform to the conventions and would therefore stay in the audiences mind a lot more. I also think by having a performance based video Madonna is able to show her passion for the song and convey her emotions and the message for the songs and how it connects to her on a more personal level compared to in a narrative, where this is done through a more visual way. As through the use of the performance based videos the audience is able to see what Madonna is feeling when she sings each individual word of the song. Madonna also doesn’t do much during this video as she spends most of her time just swaying and moving to the beat of the song to match the flow for the humming which she is creating. I think that this also has a connation of itself as well, for example the use of the humming and the swaying with the lyrics of the song, can almost make is seem like Madonna is mediating, and trying to connect with herself a little bit deeper. This could also be seen as she has been lost in the music and the fame, and now she just wants to reconnect with the person she use to be.

    Birds juxtapose what is going on, she is saying come to be, and the birds are flying away this could show that there may be a reason why people don’t want to go to her. But then it’s the cape which transforms into the birds which was Madonna to start for with this could then means that she is the birds which are flying away. There were also a lot of birds, what looks like more than ten, this could then have connotations that she has meant different sides to her, and each bird is a different side to Madonna, and different personalities, this could then link in with the change in the genre which this song has to it. As it is not part of the stereotypical conventions which she usually conforms to, being a pop artist. I think that there are also other connotations to use of the birds as well as they are ravens, these are birds with are known for stealing, thus acting as an oxymoron in the song as Madonna is talking about ‘coming to her’, so the use of the bird and them flying away might be that they have flown to her, but have taken parts of her, thus transforming into her. So instead of staying with her, they have flown off, and this could be one way of illustrating why she wants the people to go to her, so that they get to know her more and understand her more.

    I also think that the use of the tattoos on her hands and arms also suggest that she wants the people which go to her to become part of whatever it is that she has joined, hence her saying ‘come to me, come into my arms’ as the print is on her hands and arms, so she could metaphorically be transferring the same believes onto that person. I think that this is further enhance through the video where there are a Varity of close up shots of Madonna and her hands, suggesting that the pattern on her hands means something and that she want the audience to understand this as well.    

 

4.      I think that Madonna has presented herself in a very different light to which she is usually in. This may be because Madonna is an established artist and therefore has loyal fans, this could then able her to experiment with her style more. She may have also wanted to standout from all of the competition which may have been in the market at the time, this would then attracted more attention to her, so that even people who aren’t her fans will want to see how she has changed her style, and what it has now become. In this video she is shown to be very stripped back, in terms of appearance, as she is not wearing any makeup and her hair hasn’t really been styled that much for this video and her clothing is very dull. I think that this then shows her style to be very different I think that she has done this to stand out more. I also think that Madonna is represented as being a different person and making herself look different and make herself stand out.  

    The second music video, which I choose to analyse, was ‘Come Into My World’ by Madonna; this song was made, directed and produced by Gondry.

1.       Kylie Minogue is a conventional pop artist, even this song is a pop song, and this is evident through the beat of the song. Kylie herself also has all of the typical conventions of a pop artist in terms of her style and the way she portrays herself as an artist. But the nature of this video, is not a conventional pop music video, this is shown by what she is wearing, and what is happening in the music video. Some of the conventions of a pop music video, some of the conventions of a music video are; to be very colourful and bright. They are also spouse to be quite fun and light hearted, there’s spouse t be close ups of the artists face, they are usually in a good mood, this is usually reflected through the locations, they usually appeal to a teenage audience. These are the main conventions of a pop music video, some of the artist which usually shows this in their music video is, Britney Spears, Taylor Swift, Christina Aguilera, and Lady Gaga. These are all artists which has a series of different videos which conveys them conforming to conventions. I think that a good example of where this has been used in a music video is in Lady Gaga’s ‘Just Dance’ where there are a lot of close ups and a whole range of different colour used throughout. I think that in this music video that there are not those main conventions which have been conformed to in this music video. This is evident through the fact that most of the music video is filmed in long shots of Kylie, walking. I think one conventions which may be seen as similar to the pop genre would be the use of the continuity editing. This happens from the start to the finish of the song where the camera just follows Kylie throughout the whole video. This could then be seen as similar to the pop genre as they too usually follow the artist throughout the music video.

       This is why I think that in this sense that this could be seen as a characteristic of the pop genre which is featured in this music video. I think that it is clear from the choice of location that Kylie has chosen for this music video that it doesn’t conform to the pop genre, as the setting of a pop video is usually very bright, and a fun place to be like at a friend’s house, at a party and so on. but instead the setting which has been chosen can be seen as interesting but, it is quite boring and I would almost say negative, as some of the narratives which are going on in the background are a couple who are arguing, and the woman in the couple is through the males clothes out of the window, there’s commotion being caused, when one man causes one of the motor bikes to fall over then they all fall over, these are a few examples of some of the negative incidents which happen during this music video. I think that this can connect to the lyrics of the song more, and play a little more to the narrative instead. This then helps to link the lyrics to the visuals to the song and shows the audience Kylie’s world. I think that this could almost be a way of Kylie conveying to the audience the life style which Kylie may have come from before she became famous and her life changed. Thus conveying how she uses to just live a normal life as well and she wasn’t some big celebrity. This is conveyed the most where she hasn’t got paparazzi following her around, and no one has noticed her at all while she is just walking through the streets and no one has stopped her. I think that there is something which stands out even more than that which shows that she is not famous and that is that Kylie is holding her own dry cleaning and has gone and picked it up herself. I think that this is just a few aspects which Kylies has used to try and show that she is the same person as she was before the fame and that she would go and pick up her own dry cleaning. I think that this portrays the fact that she still sees herself as being the same person as she was before, and that she has no intension of changing the person she is.

       But I also think that this is a good way of Kylie illustrating that she has always had this voice, even before she became famous, and that it is just part of who she is. I think that this could thus portray that this is the tool which has made she famous, and is one of the reasons why she has managed to get to where she is today. But I think that the main message is that she has always had this, I think that this is shown through the in the video where she is just wearing normal clothing, conveying that she is still lives her life the same way. Just like there is the repetition in the music video there is also repetition in her life, this could be like the routine in her life, I also think that this also show that she also has a routine and structure to her life just like everyone else and I think that one way of showing this would be through the use of performing normal jobs which other people have to do. I also think that through the use of her singing shows that she has always had this voice and that through singing.  

2.      I think that Goodwin’s theory is evident through this music video, I think that there is a mixture of them, but there’re not all of the theories there. these are; the relationship between the lyrics and the visuals, intertextual references, and the notion of looking.

    The relationship between the lyrics and the visuals. This is because the Kylie is talking about people coming into her world, I think that one of the main messages which she is talking about its having a male come into her life, and making sure of her as a person, so someone to use her lip and someone to use her heart. But the way she is saying it, is like she wants someone to come and change her life, and make her feel different, and make a change to the routine to the life that she is living. I think that by the use of the setting kylie is showing the audience just how boring her life currently is and how she just wants someone to come along and change that for her and make her life more interesting, and break the routine which she is living. I think that this is conveyed the most every time she walks past the dry cleaner and another Kylie is generated, I think that this could show that she has a lot on her mind, but every time another Kylie it is like she is coming up with another thought with is on her mind about someone new coming into her life and making a difference, in the video come into my world.      

    I think that there is also an intertexual reference in this video as well, I think that this it Kylie showing that beneath everything she is a normal girl. Conveying that she is just like another one else. I also think that this video could be like a way of showing that everyone has a talent of their own, and it’s not all about being glamorous and having loads of money. I think that this is a way of showing that everyone could have a talent about them and that you don’t have to be glamorous to show this.

     There are also certain aspects of the notion of looking though the video as well, this is evident where Kylie is walking through the street and she is just singing. I think this is the main point where the notion of looking takes place, as no one in the music video is looking at the camera and everyone was doing their own this. Examples of where this was used was where the men are carrying the table into somewhere and there’s a man just putting displays up on the walls, he actually puts something on the wall it says ‘Ensembles’ this means a groups of different people, different groups of people which do different things all come together to make something good. I think that that’s the case here that Kylie is trying to show that a whole range of different people have come together to make something, in this case it has been to help make the song but I think that this has connotations of its own which could mean that a whole range of different people could have come into Kylies life which has made this whole prospect of her life a lot more fun. I think that she is also trying to say that if people come into her life that she will be able to create something better than before when she was on her own.

3.      The style of this music video is both concept and performance based videos. I think that the performance aspects come into this where Kylie starts to acknowledge the cameras and starts to sing into them. I think that this could have connotations to it as it could show that as she has become more famous she has started to notice the camera more in her life, and she has noticed that the more famous that she is getting the more people want to see her and the more the camera are coming into her life. I think that can also be linked to the multiplication of the number of Kylies as it could show how she is juggling her life, and how she has to make a whole range of sides to her to accommodate this live which she now lives where there’s cameras everywhere and somewhere where it’s important to have a whole range of different sides for where she is in the spotlight, when she is at home, and when she may be with her family, for each side she may need a new side to her and I think that’s portrayed well through the use of the performance part of the video, where at least one of her is looking at the camera at one time and shows how she has to be paying attention to it at some point, I think that, that camera which she is paying attention to could be seen as the one which could connote her life in the spot light. There are also some stages of the song where the all of the Kylies are staring into the camera I think that this could then show that’s the more famous she is getting the more time she is spending in front of the camera and being in the public eye. I think that the concept based part of this music video is also very obvious as this is where          the same bit of action is being repeated over and over again. As I think that this makes it more obvious to the audience what is going on and understand why this part of the music video continues to be repeated. This is used to convey the constant routine in her life and how much she wants someone to come into her life and make a change, to change some of her life and how she’s wants for tit to be changed and she wants for someone to come into her life and excite her and make her happy.

4.      In this music video Kylie is not being represented as the artist who she is known for being in all of her other songs and her other albums. Instead of making herself look interesting and fun. She has deliberately made herself look boring. But I think that at the stage which this song came out that Kylie was able to experiment more with the type of music videos which she is producing that is why I think that she may have done this. I also think that this also makes her look like a boring artist in terms of her style and her image. But then on the other hand I also think that this could almost be like a way of Kylie saying that it’s not all about how people look, it’s more about the skill and the talent which a person has. So I think it’s almost she’s stripping herself back of all the glamour and showing that she is just a normal person just like anyone else and that it all about her voice not about what she is wearing or what she looks like.

I think just like any music video there are going to be good aspect and back aspect bout the video and I think that this is the case here. Due to the diversity of music videos they tend to stand out more compared to other music videos which are also in the market. I have discussed two artists above where I have spoken about two famous directors to see how they have put their spins on music videos in order to make them different. I think that this then makes it obvious that there are some advantages and some disadvantages to this, some of which being;

    Some of the advantages of having a more diverse music video could be; the first that it then makes that artist music video more memorable and stand out more against the other music videos.  thus encouraging people to want to watch the music video again to see more of the video, as the viewer usually doesn’t get the concept of the music video the first time, this then encourages them to watch it again which then leads to them liking the song more. Another advantage would be due to the song being stuck in one persons head from watching the video then they may recommend it on to someone else to watch. I think that another advantage would be that this is the type of music video which is going to get people talking, and spreads the word about the music video again this will make people want to watch the music video even more. I think that there is also another main advantage here and that would be that when an artist changes their style slightly that they are then opening themselves up to target new markets. I think that this could be a potential effect on the artist this could then be better for them as then more people would want to listen to them, they would then have a larger audience, and that could create loyalty between the fans and the artist. I think that these are the main benefits which come with having a diverse music video.

    By their also some disadvantages to having a diverse music video and some of these are; the first one being that some people may find the nature of the music video boring or if some people find the music video too disturbing to watch therefore they may not watch it, this could then spread a bad word about the music video and people may not want to watch the video. thus leading the song not to do very well, this could also then lead to the artist damaging their own reputation as well in the process. I think that there is also another main disadvantage which is if people don’t want to watch the music video then that would have been a waste of money for the record label, as well as being something which could potentially damage the reputation of the artist as well as if they get tarnish for having a bad music video then that will stay with them. They could also lose fans because of this as well this would also be bad for the artist, as then people may not want to listen to the music as a consequence of this.

I think that for the chosen genre which I have chosen to base my music video on, which is dance that I might be able to use a few of  the elements which have been used in the music videos which have been produced by Cunningham, and Gondry. But I did find that I didn’t really

like the Diversity of music videos used in the music videos above. As I am aiming to conform to the codes conventions of dance e.g bright colours, and club settings I don't think that I will be creating a diverse music video.  

 

Planning the location

Planning the location

1.       Location I have chosen more than one location to set my music video, the first being a street of London, a local street, a house, and a club.

    The first setting is the street in London; I have aimed to base this scene somewhere near Liverpool Street as I want to create that kind of busy, city life. I decided that there was no better place to base this setting that London as there is such a diverse range of people which pass through Liverpool Street station, as I also think that it is quite a famous location as it’s a station which people often use to exist London, it is also in the heart of London. It terms of reflecting the artist I don’t really think that it matters that much in this video as the artist doesn’t appear in the video.

I think that this also plays a big part in reflecting the message of the song and the video itself. As the song is about saving the world, and how just the little thing and little changes can still save the world, and even though it may not be a major change to the world itself it is still a change to the someone life or a change to a certain situation which improves it to what it was before. That is why I think the choice of my locations this is reflects the song, as the setting of which it would be used is where the tramp will be sitting as he is homeless and can’t afford anything to eat, then as he thinks all hope is lost he then gets greeted by someone with a burger which gives him something to eat. This is one way of showing how something simple can change someone world. I chose a street because it is a very stereotypical place to see a homeless tramp and I also think that it seems more world related to set this outside as people would then feel sorry for the tramp and this would then connect with the audience with the tramp and make them feel sorry for them. I think that this also helps to connect the visuals to the song as well, as I plan to have certain lyrics playing while the street is on.

 

    The second setting which I plan to use is a local street this is one location which will cross over with another one of the settings which I will be using. This is the settings of the house and the local Woodford Street. This is because the street which I will be using will have the house in it. the narratives are also related of both of those settings will often cross over as the antagonist will be outside while the protagonist will be based inside until she is outside, this will then be where the house will no longer be used but still plays a major part in the narrative. This helps to reflect the message for saving the world as when the girl is inside she is considered to be in her own world, where she is save and the use of the house is quite iconic way of showing this. As a house is somewhere where people feel save and where a lot of people spend a lot of their time and are safe and happy. The local street outside of the house then juxtapose with the house as it is somewhere which is considered to be unsafe compared to the house which the girls are in. I think that the main reason for this is because when someone is inside their house they think that they are safe because they know who else is in the house with them and things like that. Whereas outside is different because even on a local street no one knows who else is out with them, and how dangerous someone can be. This is then reflected in this narrative, where the girl is happy inside her house but then when she leaves to go out she then gets attracted by the by a man who steals her phone from her when she leaves the house. But it not long before he gets run over while he is trying to get away that he then gets ran over by a car, the protagonist is shown to be get than the antagonist where the protagonist gets back her phone and call for help to help out the antagonist where he has just been ran over. I think that this then helps to show that the protagonist is also saving the world as she is saving this man’s life I think that this helps to link the lyrics as I plan to have something like ‘who’s gunna save the world tonight’ over this scene. Thus linking the lyrics and the visuals together, this then also makes it easier for the audience to understand what is going on and the message which is being conveyed through the song.

    The final location which I will be using is a club setting this is in a club, the reason why I have chosen to have this as one of the locations is because it helps me to conform to the conventions of a dance music video. I also thought this would be a good to have during the video during the faster parts of the song. As I thought that this would be something to just mix the song up a little bit and convey some of the stereotypical dance music video. I also think that this would suit the faster sections of the song better as I could get to use some really good editing. I will be using high angle shots for this as well as low angle to really get a good effect on the clubbing fast scene. I also think that will help to connect the lyrics and the visuals, and it is usually like a wave of nose going on in a club, that why I think that this will work well with some of the lyrics of the song, the more faster lyrics of the song. I think that this will then also help the audience to see that the two different realities of the world which the people live in. This will also help them to see how while one side of the world is living live to the full, while the other is also living on the edge, but in a different way, all the while the world is being saved.

 

2.       During the Liverpool street location, I will be having the tramp wondering around, looking up at the sky wondering if there is any good in this world and wondering how his life has come to this. This will be one of the main narratives as during this scene the main will be walking around he will then find a burger wrapper it is at this point where he feeling like something has finally got right and there is actually some hope but then he finds that actually just empty. At this point the tramp thinks that he is hopeless and that there is no point in living but then, while he is sitting down he looks back up again and see someone offering him a burger, this is one example of the world being saved.

    In the local area and the house setting will be where the protagonist is getting ready to go out and then when she leaves the house she gets attracted and gets her phone stolen and then the antagonist which steals the protagonists phone then gets ran over, the protagonist will then go over and help the antagonist by calling for help and making sure that he is okay. This is yet another way of saving the world, and changing someone’s life.

    For the last setting which is a club this will be where there will just be people clubbing and having a good time, from the start I will have people from the outside queuing to get into the club, then once they get into the club it will just be having a really good time and show the typical dance setting.

 

3.       I think that one limitation which I may be faced with while filming during in some of my locations might be the club setting due to the times which I will be able to film there because of the opening and closing times of the club as well as the times which the club will be full. I will also be limited to the peak times which I will be able to go and film at the club. But this is not the only problem which I will be faced with as I will also be because of my age I will be left with the issue of if I will be let into the club to get into club this could potentially mean I may have to change the video. I think that this may be my main hassle and limitation, another limitation I think might be trying to find the right time to film at Liverpool street because it is a very busy place therefore I will have to think about the right time to film there. If I am unable to find a time where the place won’t be as crowded then, this may mean again that I will have to edit my music video slightly to have a few people in the video if I need to. I think that the final limitation which I will be faced with will be the hours which I will be able to film as I will need to wait for the sky to get dark before I am able to film as I am trying to achieve low key lighting throughout the music video therefore I may only get a few hours of the day to film. I think that another issue which I may be faced with is the crew which I have recruited to be in the music video as I will have to make sure that they are able to film when we need them, and that they are able to film during the hours we need them. I think that these are the main issues which I may be faced while I am trying to film in these locations.

4.       I think that one of the healths of safety risks which I think that I may face would be the risks of giving one of the crew member’s food the health and safety risk as we might have to check that they are able to eat that food. I think another health and safety hazard might the hazard of making sure that I don’t get people who I haven’t authorised to be in my music video in the music video. I think it is also important that I take care of my cast and make sure that they are able to get to the locations okay without me if I am unable to go with them.

5.       I think that the weather could also affect the filming which I am doing as it a lot of my filming will be done, as if it is raining on one day but then clear skies on another day then this could mean that it may make my music video look bad if I am unable to get the right weather on each day I am filming as my filming will be done mostly outside so it’s really important that the weather it right otherwise this could then affect the scenes in my music video which may mean that I have to change some of the footage. One place where I don’t think that this will be an issue will be in the club setting because this will be filmed inside so as long as I can get the outside footage all in one go this shouldn’t really be an issue. Also in the indoor scenes for the protagonist in the bed room because there maybe be some window scenes it’s important that the window looks the same every time, so for example no rain.        

Swedish House Mafia magazine advert analysed

Swedish House Mafia magazine advert analysed

Representations of music artist

The artist who I have chosen to base my music video on is the artist Swedish House Mafia, as they produce dance music, which is the genre of music, which I am producing my music video on. The artist in this advert is represented as being quite bold artist. This is conveyed through the effect, which has been used on the artist, which makes them appear this way.  The artist of Swedish House Mafia are not really shown that often, as they are DJ’s and don’t really appear that much in their own music videos. The artist on the from of this tour date advert makes the artists look very metallic feel to the image, thus providing quite a very hard image. This has various connotations of itself, as it makes the artist look much sold, as the metallic which is used looks quite a lot like a metal, and with the connotations of metal being very hard, shiny, cold, and stands out a lot. This is then transferred onto the artists, as this is how they are then portrayed. This then has connotations of making the artist stand out just like the metal. Although there is another side of this metal look as the metallic feel the artists can almost perceive the artists as looking very man made, just like some type of metals are man made, and to give a metallic effect to something is also something which is man made and is not a natural process and is something which would have to be created. I found that this then links in well as is create a link as this relates the artist to their music, as their music can be man made, as one of the main sources of materials, which are used to produce their music, is technology, and DJing and using other secondary material to help them produce theirs. By putting a range of different sounds and voices into their music they are able to make it there own, but of course this then makes this process more man made. I think that this then relates back the to picture of them on their tour date advert where they look very metallic and man made like some metal. But then I think that the shape of the people then brings the idea back that these artists are still people, and the shape of people which they have in their songs and signify the vocals which they have in their music videos, this helps to progress the idea that behind their music there is a voice.  I think that the connotation of metal also comes up again, as I think that there is another way of looking at metal in relation to the artist. As raw metals are naturally sourced and this could then come into relation to the artist, conveying that they are rear, and a natural type of metal almost like they are a new artist, like a new metal with fresh music, and a new look and sound. Metal is also sourced from the ground, which conveys how natural they are and how connected they are and how down to earth they are, thus portraying how new they are like a unique new metal.  

 Connotations of the advert

I think that one of the main connotations of this advert is the statue, which the words are written on. This is clear from the positioning of the artists in the way in which they are standing, that it looks like they are posing and the colour which is used for the statue as it makes them look like a they are statues. This links in with the end of their time as a group, and this is their ‘one last tour’. Just like when legends and very famous people can sometimes get statues makes of them to mark the progresses and the changes which they may have helped make to a certain industry, so that it is there to be seen as everyone of hundreds of years to mark how important they may be to an industry or a market. This is almost like what Swedish House Mafia have done, as they have become so significant in the music industry and have had such an impact on the dance and house industry, the progress and the impact which they have had on the industry is evident through the fan base which they have generated and the more popular they have become. Then one way of them displaying themselves as being legends is by putting on a tour and this advertisements is a way of promoting themselves as legends, this would then encourage people to watch to go and watch them, as they are recognised as such legends and may think that they are so popular that they are worth going to see on tour this is mainly portrayed though the way in which they are posing. They are all standing at different angles; this is a way of displaying the different in personality and characteristics within the group. This is also a way of showing that even though they are all part of the same group they all have their own personalities and their own style. This is clear a one member is standing face on to the camera on the left hand side, while the artist in the middle has chosen not to face the camera at all, and the artist on the right, has chosen to stand side on, but has his face towards the camera. This could show a whole range of different things for example, the artist on the left may like to feature in their music videos; this idea is taken from the way he is looking directly into the camera and could therefore show out of all three members, he my like to be in the spotlight the most. The artist in the middle could be trying to portray that he is the more subtle member of Swedish House Mafia, as well as the more modest member this is shown as he is looking away from the camera. This could then portray that in comparison to the artist on the left that maybe he doesn’t really like to feature in their music videos. Then the artist on the right suggests that he too also carries his own personality, as he is standing at a different angle to the rest of his group members. Thus portraying that he likes to be recognised by his audience, this is clear as he is also looking into the camera.           

Colours and connotations 

The colours which have been used on this advert all have various different connotations. There is only one primary colour which has been used on the whole advert, and that is red. This is also the most minimal colour which has been used on the whole advert. This is because it has only been used to show which of the tour dates has sold out. One of the reasons why the colour red may have been used to convey how quick the tour dates are running and to encourage people to quickly buy their tickets. Red also stands out the most and therefore this is one of the first things which the audience would notice when they first look at the advert. This could then alter the fans which are looking at the audience that they are selling out really quickly and that they should book their tickets. This is also the brightest colour which is used on the whole poster I also think that this is used to show that the fact that the tickets are selling out fast means people should buy tickets.        

 

    One of the main colours which have been made is white and silver; I think that both of these colours help to illustrate flashing lights. This then links to the fame of Swedish House Mafia and helps to portray just how far they have come up until now; this almost acts like a snap shot of Swedish House Mafia in the fame which they are in. This makes it seem that the white lights have been generated through the flashing of a camera so this like the flash while someone’s taking a picture of them, this could be a fan or paparazzi this. This is further influenced by the way the artist are standing as they look like they are standing quite naturally, and that they are not really posing for the camera. This would then relate to them, being on tour and all the pictures, which would be taken them. The colour white then use helps to show this as when a picture is taken the flash is usually a white colour. Then the use of the colour silver which has been mixed in with then with the colour white as it helps to convey the status of the group. The colour silver could show that the group has planned this to be one of their best tours. This also shows that they have more to give as artists, and that they are just at the silver stage of their career. By choosing the colour silver, it shows that they have achieved a lot as they are better than bronze, and they have achieved silver, and that by them performing this tour they are able to achieve that gold reorganisation. The colour silver also looks very cool; this shows them as artists that they are cool artists. I think that this use of colour is just one way of them showing how good their music is.            

 Design and layout 

The design which has been used for this advert is very simple and is not to over the top. There is a few colours used, which are white, grey, silver, black and red. It’s also clear that apart form one colour which is red, which the rest of the colours are very much similar, and all blend in well together with each other. The main graphic which has been used on the whole advert is the image of all three artists. This is because the poster is promoting them and their music, therefore it makes sense to have them on the front as then without having to read the actual advert the audience or anyone who looks at the advert will know that the advert is about Swedish House Mafia. Swedish House Mafia are the type of artists which don’t normally appear in their own music video, therefore it makes a change to have such a large image of them on the front of the poster. It think another reason why they have chosen to have themselves on the front of the advert is because it would be harder for them to just put a picture of anything on the poster, as if people saw the advert in a rush, they are unlikely to realise that it is Swedish House Mafia which is on tour, because it would just be a random image. For example if they were to have one of the dogs from ‘Save The World’ in their video instead of having themselves or something just as similar to this then people wouldn’t notice that the poster was advertising them, therefore I don’t think that would be a good way for them to promote there tour, as there wouldn’t be that instant recognition of who they are, when people would initially see them. I think that the only way something like that would work would be if they had something iconic to them, which was related to there trade mark or swag as artists. For example if they had a certain something which they had appear in every video which would then become iconic to them, and would be something which would be recognised by everyone.  There is also a structure to the website this comes in the order of size through each graphic which has been used on the poster. This structure goes down in the order of the size. So the biggest graphic is the artists and they are at the top of the advert, and are the biggest products on the page. then as the advert moves down the page there is the name of the artists which is also quite big, and then the name of the tour which is bigger this is used to stress the that this is the last tour suggesting that they will not be doing another one. Below this there is then the next line of text which is telling the audience that the tickets are now on sale this too is also quite big but is much smaller than the ‘one last tour’ line of text. This is also a change in font on this section, this is very simple. Then below this there is the tour dates these are there to tell the audience where they will be playing and again this is another type of font phase, from the line of text above it. As the poster is very simple it is
 important to maintain a large range of different fronts this is to keep the poster looking interesting and make sure that it is appealing to the eye. The Structure also Like magic, the first time they are revealing themselves, showing the magic and the creators behind the music, and this links back to the idea of them being like legends and them having achieved some much at this stage of their career. It’s like they have decided that they have left their fans in suspense for long enough that now they feel that they should reveal who they are and what they look like. But even then they haven’t given too much away as they have presented themselves in a metallic form this could show that they might not want people to see exactly who they are but they want them to see the type of people they have presented themselves as. It is also like they have shown an outline of themselves, but then the inside is metallic this could show that the music is part of them and that they are so into their music that they are part of their music, just like their music has to be manmade and put together using different sounds. That is almost like them, as it takes more than one of them to create this music, so they are also a mixture of different personality, but then the metallic of it shows that they all have the same idea and want to create the same thing. The metal could also represent them as it’s like they need each other to make this good music, this is further enforced by the different angles which all of the artists are standing at.  

 White is the dominant colour, then the black is added in after, black could show where they have let their mark. And they were a blank canvas and have customised themselves to makes them different.

 

Choice of images

There is only one image which has been used on this poster. This is the image of the artists, all standing next to each other. This is a large image, which is the largest graphic which is all over the poster; this will instantly catch the attention of the audience. This is used so that the audience know who the tour is for. In the image all of the artists are all wearing jackets which look black, and they are striking their own pose, I think this is a portrayal of the artist’s personalities. The image is bigger than all of the fonts which have been used, this then gives the illusion that there’s not that much text on the poster this could then encourage people to want to read the poster. This also helps to catch the attention of the reader more than if someone was to see just a block of writing they may be less likely to want to read the advertisement. The image which is used is also quite bold and simple, this is so that it is instantly clear who the advertisement is about thus encouraging people to want to read the advertisement and find out where there ticket are on offer. There has been a very simple effect used on the artists this is the metallic effect this is used to try and connect the artists with their music and convey the group’s style through the image of themselves as their music is very manmade, this is almost how they have made themselves look.

    There is also another graphic used this could also be considered as a graphic, this is the three circles which are behind the artist’s there is one circle behind each of the artists. This is iconic to the group Swedish House Mafia as up until now in their music career this is something which Swedish House Mafia would be able to just have on its own and most people mainly fans would know what is symbolises. This is a graphic which the group has been used a lot for example on the front cover of their albums, and at the start and the end of their music videos. It is like a circle per person, this is a very simple way of conveying the artists and making themselves symbolic through using a very simple graphic. The circle very much juxtaposes the nature of the music which Swedish House Mafia produces, as to create the diverse range of music which they produce. The circles is very simple, and the music is very diverse and different this could then show that even though the music may take a range of different factors, the music which they create is simple and appeals to a mass market. This symbol has been placed behind the artists this then illustrated that each circle is used to represent each of the artists, also by having the artists on top of the circles shows which order the artists might places themselves in.        

Typography

There is a range of different fonts used on this poster even though there is very little text used on the poster itself the parts where the text is used the font varies depending on the type of information it is presenting. For example the main front which is probably seen as the most iconic in this occasion is the font which the font which the groups use to present their name and the name of their album. This is the same font which they have used from the start of their music career, this has therefore become iconic to them as well, as if someone were to see that font they would be able to make out what it means and know straight away that there could be a chance that whatever the text is about that it could be talking about could be Swedish House Mafia. This is because this is iconic to the group and is something which all the fans would be able to recognise that the advertisement is in relation to the group. On this occasion the font has been used to display the name of the group and the name of the tour, this is because after the picture this would be the next thing which people would see. The font its self is very simple, bold, sophisticated, and reflects the artist and their type of style and the type of dance music which they produce. I would say that the font that they have used is different from the typical font which is used in the dance industry. As the typical font is quite bold solid, and usually quite fun and colourful, the fonts tend to be all next together so that they are touching, and all in upper case. But the font which has been used here tends to challenge the conventions more. As there is a mixture, of thin lines and thicker ones which make up the letter this could show that they are different artists and tend to move away from the typical conventions, thus portraying that there music is more unique and made the want they want it and the way in which they know that their fans will like as well. I think this is expressed through the lettering, as the thicker lines might be the group of people and the mass amount which listen to their music. While the thinner lines convey the more of the niche which they also cater for as well as showing the individual tastes of Swedish House Mafia. This also shows how their interest in music and their rare talent manages to interest so many people which is represented through the thicker line, these lines which gradually get thicker showing how over time they have got better and better and have developed more and more fans.     

    There are then another two fonts used on this poster, these are both fairly basic, simple, conventional dance fonts, the first is thin, straight and all upper case. While the second is also thin, but looks a lot like the type of fonts which is used for the words ‘Swedish House Mafia’ in terms of the edges and so on. This makes this in a way keeps some consistency in the type of fonts which they use as even though they don’t aren’t the same they look very similar. I think that one of the reasons why the same font hasn’t been used is because this is already a very simple advertisement   so it makes it more attractive to have more than one font used on the advertisement. The last font which has been used very much conforms to the conventions of dance music as it is simple, all the letters near enough touch and it was all upper case. This is very simple as the words and the text which the font is being used is also very simple as it is just ‘TICKETS NOW ONSALE’ this is a very simple font as it is convey something very simple. This font also helps to break up the similar font on the poster.  

Style of language

The style of language which has been used is very basic, simple and easy to read. This is so that information can be passed through to the use as quickly as possible and so that they consume the information quickly. For example if this was situated at a train stations where there’s a lot of people and there is a lot of congestion people don’t have time to read a lot of information. It is also quite common for people not to want to read lots of information, as that is the type of thing which puts them off and makes them unlikely read whatever is on the poster. Therefore the amount of text which is quite limited this is so that the message can get to the user as quick as possible with them having to read that much. Also not that much text is needed just like on this advert, there is just the name Swedish House Mafia, then the name of their tour, three words telling the user that tickets are not on sale, and the dates. Other than this nothing else is needed to tell the user that the group is on tour, other than the date which is also on advertisement as well. The style of language is also very basic and straight to the point; this is so that the audience reading the advert is able to get the information they need quickly. This advert could be design for people that are always on the go, and therefore may not have a lot of time to be reading loads and loads of writing of the page.   

How does the advert promote the artist?

This is a good way of promoting the artist as it makes the audience aware that Swedish House Mafia are going on tour, and alters all fans and people who might be interested in going to see them live, and wants to know what dates are available for them to go and see Swedish House Mafia live. I think that the artists are made to look really cool, up to date, modern, and unique. This is portrayed through the metallic colours which are used on the poster which make the artist look like they are worth going to see. Then the use of the circles makes it more obvious who the advert is for and might encourage people to go and watch them live. On the advertisement there is also a list of all the available locations where people are able to go and watch the artists live. But I think something else which could also be seen as a scene of promoting an artist is the red text which says ‘sold out’ this standouts out the most I think out of most of the written towards the bottom of the text. this then tells the audience that three venues on certain dates are already sold out, this then makes the audience aware just how fast the tickets are being sold out. This could then make the audience want to book their tickets when they see just how fast the tickets are being sold out. Thus making the artist look really good as so many places have been sold out and might make people want to buy tickets themselves.   

How does it promote the music genre?

I think that the use of the dark colours help connect the poster to the dance genre. As the use of the blacks, greys, whites, and the little flicker of red helps this poster conform to the dance genre. I think this is because these are all colours which are used in clubs and most party scenes. So I think that this then helps to connect the look and theme of the poster to the dance genre. Because it is usually quite dark in clubs, which would then relate to the black, as it is usually dark in clubs and this black colour has been used, which helps to relates to parties and people going out. I think that this also relates to when people go to party islands and they go out at night when it’s dark to parties and clubs. The black also relates to the unknown which comes with going to a party and having a good time when people don’t know what the night holds; just like people don’t know what is going to happen which then relates to the black colour and the unknown which the colour black and darkness of a party. I then think that the colour white relates to the stereotypical dance conventions of fun videos and bright colours which are often used, for example on David Guetta CD there is a lot of white used on the front; it also helps to connect the conventional dance genre. As white is a very fun and bright, I think that this then helps to balance out the black and the white which is used on the poster. I also think that the white also conforms to the conventions of a stereotypical dance video where the video is based on more of a dance routine type of video. I think the red can be related to the strobe lights in clubs as well as the bright colourful outfits which get worn by men and women when they go out. I think that other conventions used might be the use of the one of the fonts which were used to convey the dance genre, and is something which is often seen on dance related signs.    

How does it attract the target audience?

I think that one way that Swedish House Mafia has attracted their audience is through the use of the images of themselves. As this would then encourage people to want to buy tickets to go and see them live as the image of them is more like a taster which illustrates how good they are live and that people should really good and see them live. I also think that the words ‘sold out’ also attracts the audience a little bit more as it brings it home o the rest of the audience which hasn’t already booked tickets, to go out and book then before they all run out. I also think that the choice of wording and the size of the font used helps to convey that this is the last chance which anyone is going to get to see Swedish House Mafia live ever because I think that the word ‘Last’ suggest that this is the last tour which they will be going on tour but if this is the last time that they will be going to tour. I think that this will be the last opportunity that people would get to go and see Swedish House Mafia and would therefore attract the audience to go and see Swedish House Mafia on tour. 

This is the advert from my chosen artist which is ‘Swedish House Mafia’ I have analysed the advert and have looked at the connotations of the advert and how this relates to the artist. I have also looked at what the artists want to show about themselves and how they have done this through the varied use of colours, designs, choice of fonts and through images as well. I have discussed how this makes the artist conform to the conventions of dance and what devises they have used to do this.