Storyboarding

Katy Perry's Pop Videos

Katy Perry: how do her pop videos appeal to her target audience while simultaneously reflecting her private life?

In many ways, Katy Perry has taken over the role of Britney Spears as the icon for young girls aged 14-17. In order to reach out to this audience, Katy Perry must play the role of the older sister and friend. To create the more personal connection, she must also reflect some of the anxieties young girls have for example break ups, insecurities etc. The audience must also be able to admire Katy as a role model 

appear sexy in a non-threatening way).

Brief recap of Goodwin's theory:

1. Music videos demonstrate genre characteristics

• e.g. stage performance in metal video, dance routine for boy/girl band

2. There is a relationship between lyrics and visuals

• either illustrative (the video helps convey the meaning of the song)
• amplifying (the video repeats or exaggerates an effect, moment or phrase from the song)
• contradicting (the video completely ignores the song)

3. The demands of the record label will include the need for lots of close ups of the artist and the artist may develop motifs which recur across their work 

• i.e. a visual style: think Michael Jackson’s white shoes or glittered glove
• Gaga’s wacky and frequent costume changes
• certain poses, dance moves etc

4. There is frequently reference to notion of looking and particularly voyeuristic treatment of the female body

• screens within screens, telescopes, looking into the camera etc
• the "male gaze" 

5. There is often intertextual reference

• to films, TV programmes, other music videos etc

Hot N Cold (2008)

Elements of Goodwin's theory can be applied to several Katy Perry videos. "Hot N Cold" is a narrative music video with dance routines and bright, colourful, trendy costumes which reflect the genre characteristics of pop music. The narrative is about a young man who imagines leaving Katy at the altar- a universal fear among women. The idea of the man being "hot and cold" mirrors issues in every day relationships and provides an example for many young girls who may be going through similar issues. Katy rises against this with her thuggish gang of "bridesmaids" which is an example of female empowerment. However, the video maintains its fun, comic feel by returning to the original scene and seeing that the man actually says "I do". It is almost as if Katy has enough dominance in the relationship to make him stay which sets a positive example to young girls who may feel passive and weak in a patriarchal society. Moreover, her clothing remains relatively modest in comparison to "California Gurls" where her image changes entirely due to changes in her personal life, which means that a voyeuristic approach to filming is not necessary. As a result, her target audience of young girls aged 14-17 is maintained.

Firework (2010)

Two years on, Katy's "role model" image is maintained however it is clear that she has grown up along with her audience. While she wears white, symbolising purity and innocence, there is a more important, underlying message to this song. Social issues such as insecurities with weight and homosexuality are displayed in this music video along with the message that everything can be resolved as long as we face our fears and overcome them. For example, the overweight girl who refuses to enjoy herself at a swimming pool party eventually joins in after Katy encouragingly sings "you're a firework" and "after a hurricane comes a rainbow". Also, the boy who gets attacked due to his sexuality proves that he doesn't need to hide away after two white doves explode from within him. Katy is trying to say that whatever our interests are, they are all natural and should not be hidden by singing: "come on let your colours burst". After resolving their issues, like Katy, they all emit fireworks from their chest, spreading light and optimism to others. In terms of Goodwin, this music video is amplifying because it returns to the main characters on several occasions, tracking their quest to find themselves as individuals. Also, the motif of fireworks suggests light, freedom and confidence which adds to this amplifying effect. Among the various storylines in this music video, there are multiple close-ups of Katy as she sings the song from a roof top, reminding us that she is the one sending the message out.

California Gurls (2010)

California Gurls was made while she was dating Russell Brand and so she takes on a more sexy image with nude scenes and changed lyrics. The lyrics are no longer about issues directed at a young teenage audience, instead Katy attempts to appeal an older, male audience. Unlike her previous music videos, she opts for the male gaze to reveal her body and image in a different light- before, she would wear less low cut clothing in order to symbolise youth and innocence to act as a role model for young girls.

Wide Awake (2012)

In this video, we see Katy leaving the set of California Gurls and returning to her dressing room to take off her wig. This action signifies an artificiality about this image which symbolises the purpose of this song and video: she is apologising to fans for her "shock" behaviour. It also reinforces how she moves her career along with her personal life as this occured during/after her break up with Russell Brand. There is a Prince Charming-like character that she punches away, revealing that her relationship has come to an end. It also shows a return to her image of female empowerment by having the strength to say "no". A recurrent theme in Katy's videos is that they are all illustrative which amplifies the meaning and sincerity of the lyrics.



Roar (2013)

Roar, released in 2013, had high production values with special effects throughout. There is intertextuality at the beginning as it mirrors the look of old films. The overall message is similar to the Firework video with the positive message of self empowerment encouraging women to live independently by not relying on men. At the same time, she incorporates this comic, humorous feel again through elements of being sexy solely for herself, not to attract a man. After years of struggling, it is like the original Katy Perry is back, along with her original target audience of young teenage girls.

Promotion: Creating a Brand

There is a contrast between artists/groups on how music videos impact their "brand". Often artists are sold as a brand and the music video acts as a product of the brand. The aim is for the audience to be inspired to “buy into the brand” i.e. buy records/merchandise etc. The Spice Girls are a good example of this. Other times it is the song and the meaning of the song that is sold, and the artists ‘image’ has little to do with the sale of the song. Very often the contrast between these two types of artist is organic and synthetic.

Lady Gaga vs. Adele

Lady Gaga

Adele

First Production Meeting

Today I held my first production meeting (alone!). I enjoy working independently, I feel that I can work at creating a good music video this way. I spent some time in lesson thinking about what I actually want to have as an outcome. After finding my song and artist, I immediately had ideas in my head as to what I want to achieve- and luckily, I had two people that can perform in mind too. I have chosen to use two friends, Danielle and Michael as my "artists" and plan on filming them in my living room, at a local nature reserve, near a brick wall and possibly in some drama room/studio space. It is important to put consideration into locations as filming a scene for a music video in a house (i.e. a cluttered bedroom) is not ideal because it doesn't look realistic. Therefore I need to set up some test shots in my living room before actual filming starts to experiment with the mise-en-scene. This should also be done with the other locations to check the framing and to get more ideas for various shots down. I also began to plan a shot list and started to sketch out these various shots on a storyboard.

In terms of props, I have decided that I will need to use good lighting for shooting in my living room. I am thinking to use lamps, and possibly experiment with the colour of the bulbs as I don't particularly want harsh bright lighting . Red would be effective to set the mood as it has connotations with passion. I also have a fog machine and fairy lights which can add to the subdued feel I want to achieve. I am also thinking of using candles scattered around the room with Polaroid pictures on the wall to contribute to the look and feel of a room belonging to an older teen/young adult (my target audience). As I have previously mentioned, Rihanna's "We Found Love" video has greatly influenced my choice of location and props. Nevertheless, I am yet to decide whether the use of props is necessary for the outside locations. The drama room shoot should only require a chair as I envision myself producing something similar to The Weeknd's video for "Rolling Stone" where he is sat on the chair with the woman circling around him. The drama room is a good space to use as it has a plain black curtain as the background. For the costumes I want Michael to wear dark clothing, possibly all black with a youthful, urban touch by adding trainers or accessories like a gold chain. I am yet to decide on Danielle's costumes but I hope to maintain this dark, youthful, urban look.

Permission to use track

There are always issues with copyright when using someone else's track so I need to ask permission from the artist in order to do so.

Star Theory

Richard Dyer

Richard Dyer, an English academic, and proposed star theory which is an idea that artists are manufactured by institutions for financial purposes. Dyer believes that artists are constructed through artificial images such as advertising, films, magazines and music in order to appeal to a target audience. As a result of this record labels have to market different artists to cater for certain target audiences as there are both ‘niche’ and ‘mainstream’ markets. Island Records have mainstream artists such as Ariana Grande, Drake and Disclosure while also catering for a niche market with artists: Gotye, Half Moon Run and Bombay Bicycle Club.

Ariana Grande, evidently has a target audience
of young teen girls.

Half Moon Run, a typical look for an alternative rock band-
more emphasis on the music than on their appearance.

He also claims that consumers prefer artists to not be groomed by record labels who try to create fake/artificial images for them. It is better for the artists to convey their true emotions themselves as the audience can then identify with them. A “real” artist can use this as their unique selling point. An example of this is Adele, who is not 'image' focused.

Promotion - Ideology And Culture

Another one of Dyers beliefs within his Star Theory is that artists become trendsetters in the sense that audience members will imitate hairstyles and artists clothing styles. Artists may also have certain religious beliefs and cultural values that audiences may also pick up on if shared by the artist. The growth of the internet and the proliferation of hardware has meant that audiences now have far greater, quicker access to the “personal” lives of stars. Social network sites such as Twitter and Facebook are often bombarded by fans/fan pages that follow, promote and communicate with the official page of the artists.

Stars support hegemony

Artists support the ideas of hegemony, proposed by Gramsci, which describes how society uses cultural institutions to maintain power in capitalist societies. They are presented as 'real' human beings, just glorified versions of 'us'.

Representation in music videos

Music videos offer signs and symbols that send out specific messages relating to race and gender identities. American hip-hop artist, Drake conforms to the stereotypical African-American rap which focuses greatly on a "rags to riches" type lifestyle. His song "Started From The Bottom" conforms to this racial stereotype and gives the audience something to look up to.

Drake as a young boy, succeeding in 'soccer' at school

Drake working at a local supermarket, a typical first job

Drake now wearing expensive chains with a sports car, 

a display of his wealth and success

Deconstructing Britney Spears (1998)

Britney Spears raises interesting issues regarding female identity in pop music. Spears was initially viewed as a role model for the teen girl market. From a gender perspective, Britney’s identity is placed securely within a male-dominated industry that manufactures limited stereotypes of femininity.

Early videos:

- Surrounded by ‘girlie iconography’ for example: bedroom culture, dolls, dressing up with friends, hanging out, applying make-up

- Teen pigtails to complete the image

- Choreographed dance routines create the desire to be part of ‘her gang’.

However, is this music video purely about a young girl having fun with friends? Is it exploitative and empowering? We can view this music video using Laura Mulvey's theory about the "male gaze". Britney Spears is viewed as an object of male erotic desire as she wears a low-cut top and skirt which both show a considerable amount of flesh. Likewise, her choreographed dance routine shows off her body in a sexual manner. The lyrics can also be interpreted in this way. This contrasts the cute 'girlie' image that she is conveying on the surface. Although she is the active character in this music video and has the most agency, the audience is forced to identify with the male gaze when taking the mise-en-scene into consideration. Mulvey's theory displays how music videos reflect patriarchal society as well as cinema does and reveals Britney Spears, the young, "innocent" teen, in an exploitative way.

Nevertheless, Britney’s songs and video narratives express teen girl identity, the concerns and reflections. By 2000, we see Britney in a different light. She ultimately 'grows' with her audience therefore her image changes with time.

"From The Bottom Of My Broken Heart" shows Britney leaving home and having troubles in her love life like most typical teenage girls as they enter adulthood.



A year later, with “I’m Not A Girl, Not Yet A Woman” (2001) from film “Crossroads”, she is constructed as role model. The music video quite literally explores tensions of growing up and passage journey from childish innocence as a "girl" to realities of adult life as a "woman". But yet again, Britney remains an object of male erotic desire:

1) Representation of Britney Spears as a girl. She wears white which represents innocence and youth. The top does not reveal any flesh and her facial expression is soft and youthful.

2) Representation of Britney as a woman. She wears a similar white blouse but she falls under the male gaze again because it is low cut - she wears low cut denim shorts to match. Her body language and facial expression is open and sexual.

As she continues to move on in her career, her image is changed from "innocent schoolgirl" to "empowering woman". "Overprotected" (2002) is empowering to women in the sense that she is no longer a girl and should not be told what to wear. She made the music video in response to watching a news report on her wearing few clothes. She felt that it should not be a criticism but rather an act of empowerment and feeling confident in body image etc.

Modern Britney

When it comes to gender debates, her music videos are a polysemic text. Her career has evolved from ‘Teen Princess’ with connotations of innocence and girliness to a half naked woman who performs for a male audience in FHM and Loaded. Both identities are stereotypical visions of femininity as presented in a range of media texts. The effect of these evolving images is shown in Britney's more recent videos, in particular: "Hold It Against Me" (2011). She literally banishes these images with different colours of a paint-like substance as she rises up on a platform in a long white dress. The white dress represents the new, 'fresh' image in contrast to the artificiality of the media on the numerous screens surrounding her. As she rises up above the screens she is stating that she is either bigger than the media or that she can take over and manipulate it with ease. There is a conflict scene at around 2:45 where we see her fighting with a twin version of herself. I interpret this as an internal conflict; she is attempting to rid herself of the past in terms of her career and personal life.

Creating an Image (Moodboard)

Using PicMonkey I have created a moodboard that reflects the brand identity of IYES. I have used stills from music videos including:

Rihanna "We Found Love"

Most of my inspiration for the music video comes from Rihanna's video because although the genre of music is different, I feel that the content of the visuals reflects the more alternative or "indie" subgenre that I'm aiming to bring across in my own music video. I particularly like the youthful feel to the to the video as I feel that my target audience can identify with the messy student accommodation/first place look. On the moodboard you can see the typical "Tumblr" bedroom look with Polaroid pictures on string, fairy lights and a still from Rihanna's video of the stripped, undone bed. It is also very fresh and urban; I feel the image I should create for IYES is urban and alternative. It shouldn't be too glossy and "Hollywood" as the subgenre of music simply doesn't correlate.

The Weeknd "Rolling Stone"

The Weeknd released several videos similar to this with a minimal, chiaroscuro effect- this again gives it that gritty, alternative feel. The background and props are very simplistic in comparison to Rihanna's which has quick sharp cuts from one scene to the other which reveals new locations and props each time. However in terms of using photos for my digipak later, I want to produce something similar to The Weeknd's brand identity across these particular videos.

"Wicked Games"

I also included some images of The XX and Banks. Both I feel are similar artists to IYES in many ways in terms of vocals and instrumentals so I think that influence from both Banks and The XX will create a good brand identity for IYES. The XX often wear dark clothing that is like a modern 21st century take on 90s grunge. Nevertheless I want my female singer's appearance to look more like Banks' by remaining grunge but sustaining a sense of femininity. This can be achieved through the makeup using glitter as I associate the glittery eye look with indie festivals and therefore youthfulness.

Artist Profile (IYES)

Age: 20 (Josh Christopher) and 23 (Melis Soyaslanová)

Gender: Male and female

Number of band members: 2

Genre/subgenre: Electronic

Core Target Audience: Teens/Young adults (15-21)

Narrative Theory: Syd Field and Claude Levi-Strauss

The Three Act Structure 

Writer, Syd Field identified that Hollywood films are structured in "three acts":

1. The Set-Up is the first act and happens in the first twenty to thirty minutes before the character experiences a "plot point" that gives him/her a goal to achieve. This "plot point" can be compared to Todorov's theory during the process of disruption where enigmas are created. In Eminem's "Stan", the first major plot point that is worth noticing is when Dido finds Stan's 'secret' basement filled with Eminem posters/pictures. It is at this point that the issues escalate and enigmas must be solved. The protagonist's main goal is to hear back from his idol, Eminem.
2. The Confrontation period is the second act whereby half the movie's running time must be taken up with the character's struggle to achieve the goal. This time is spent watching Stan writing another letter to Eminem asking for a response and talking about previous experiences at his concerts/backstage etc. However, Field also suggests that there is a "mid-point"; a more subtle turning point that happens in Act II (the confrontation) which often has an apparently devastating reversal of fortune for the character. This happens when the fan mail goes missing and Stan becomes frustrated because he is expecting a response. 
3. The Climax occurs in the final quarter of the film, it is the third act. This act depicts a climatic struggle by the protagonist to finally achieve (or sometimes, not achieve) his/her goal. It also displays the aftermath of this struggle. If the protagonist does not achieve their goal then it can be said that is is a closed text according to Barthes. In the music video, Stan takes out his anger on Dido and drives the car off of a bridge and into a river.

Claude Levi-Strauss and Binary Oppositions

Levi-Strauss argued that a structure of narrative was a dependance on binary oppositions. He said that there was always a conflict between two qualities or terms- the dominant and the subordinate.

Dominant

Middle-aged

Men

White

Able-bodied

Middle/upper class

Regional identity: the South East (i.e. London) 

Heterosexual

Subordinate

Young/old

Women

Ethnic groups i.e. black/asian

Disabled

Working class

Regional identity: the rest of England

Homosexual

In terms of "Stan", the powerful character is a white, able-bodied, heterosexual man whereas the evidently weaker character, Dido is a woman and is therefore subordinate. However the character that is mostly in control (Eminem) falls under most of the characteristics of the dominant group in society which is why he has such an effect on Stan and his life/relationship.

Narrative Theory: Barthes and Propps

Roland Barthes 

Barthes described all texts as complex 'bundles' of meaning which can be unravelled to create a whole range of meanings. He suggested that texts can be open, closed or polysemic.

Open texts:

Open texts have numerous 'threads to pull'. Examples of open texts include Christopher Nolan's Dark Knight Rises and Inception as the endings are left ambiguous - the audience are unsure as to whether the protagonists have survived.

Closed texts: 

Closed texts have only one obvious thread to grasp. The resolution is clear and so many films use a closed text.

Polysemic:

Polysemic texts can be read in numerous ways and the audience often form several interpretations of the text. Examples of Scarface interpretations include:

• A glorification of violence
• "Rags to Riches" story
• A critique of the values of the 1980s, the issues of greed and consumption

Narrative codes

The 'threads' that Barthes referred to are known as narrative codes. The most significant of these codes us the enigma code with his constructed to attract and hold the attention of the audience. This is normally done by creating a mystery or puzzle that the audience want to see solved. It is usually introduced in the disruption phase of Todorov's narrative model.

Applying the theory to "Stan"

"Stan" by Eminem can also be analysed using Barthes' theory. It is a closed text because we see the clear resolution of "Stan" driving his car off of a bridge and into a river, killing both him and his partner. Their deaths are confirmed with a scene in a cemetery and a scene of a news report at the end of the music video. 

Propps

Vladimir Propps analysed folk stories and identified eight key character roles. At times, characters may exhibit traits of just one or even several of these roles.

1. The Hero (Protagonist)
2. The Villain (Antagonist)
3. The Donor (Provider)
4. The Helper (Assistant)
5. The Father Figure (Gives advice and important information)
6. The Dispatcher (Sends hero on the missions)
7. The Princess
8. The False Hero

An example of a film that provides characters for each of the roles is Star Wars.

1. The Hero - "Luke Skywalker/Han Solo"
2. The Villain - "Darth Vader"
3. The Donor - "Obi-Wan Kenobi"
4. The Helper - "R2D2, C3PO, Chewbacca"
5. The Father Figure - "Obi-Wan Kenobi"
6. The Dispatcher - "Princess Leia"
7. The Princess - "Princess Leia"
8. The False Hero - "Han Solo"

With Eminem's "Stan", it can be said that the roles between the hero and villain vary. For Stan, Eminem is his hero however when the fan mail goes missing and Eminem does not receive it, he becomes a villainous character in Stan's eyes. It can therefore be argued that Eminem is the false hero. For Dido, the villain is Stan and Eminem at the same time because he mistreats her and neglects their relationship due to his obsession. In my opinion, the provider, donor, helper, father figure, dispatcher is Eminem because he (unintentionally) causes Stan to behave in certain ways and guides him through his actions. Although I do not think there is a princess as such, it could be said that Dido is the princess, needing help and attention from Stan.

Narrative Theory: Todorov

What is narrative?

Narrative is the way the story is organised. It is often associated with the words "story and "plot". There are several elements of narrative which include time, closure and enigma. Time refers to the time spanned across the earliest chronological moment to the last chronological moment. Closure is the end point/resolution of the text. Enigma is a problem that needs to be solved.

Classical Hollywood Narratives

Classical Hollywood narratives are often linear where the events take place in a chronological order. They have a tendency towards closure and include few, if any, sub-plots within the narrative.

Theories of Narrative

Todorov, Propps and Barthes have proposed individual theories to explain a typical structure of narrative.

Todorov


Tzvetan Todorov suggested that all narratives have different phases. Firstly, the audience are presented with an equilibrium where everything appears to be safe and at ease. However, there is a disruption which throws the narrative into disorder which then presents a number of enigmas. There must then be a resolution in order to solve the problems caused by the disruption. Once resolved, Todorov explains that a new equilibrium is put into place whereby the characters' situation has changed and so represents what they have learned as a result.




The Outlaw Josey Wales

The opening of this film can be briefly analysed using Todorov's theory as it begins with a normal, calm family day with the father and son farming in the field. This can be described as the equilibrium.

The next phase of disruption is first heard with the sound of birds frantically flying out of the trees- shortly followed by the sound and a close-up of horses running through the woods. We then see a large cloud of smoke which we then identify as the main character's house on fire. A shot of an unfamiliar group of men dragging his screaming wife out and his son's still body in a sack lead to the enigmas.

The enigmas that are presented are:

1. Who killed his wife?
2. Why did they burn his house down, take his wife and kill his son?
3. What is the main character going to do about it? 

The last shot in the scene is a shot of him holding a gun which indicates that he is going to resolve the situation by finding the group of men and murdering them.

The new equilibrium would reveal the main character either having resolved or accepted the enigmas.

"Stan" by Eminem

Equilibrium:

Dido in bed

Stan bleaching his hair

Disruption:

Bathroom scene

Stan's obsession

Lost fan mail

Dido discovering the root of Stan's issues

Resolution:

Stan driving the car into a river

New equilibrium:

Younger brother at Stan's grave

Eminem realises

The Pop Video: The Key Features and Processes

The Process:

Firstly, a 'commissioner' from a record label sends a track to five to ten directors who then submit a treatment - this stage is unpaid. After, the director who has submitted the 'best' treatment is then commissioned to make the video and this is when the director is paid.

Different Styles

Music videos vary and range from being primarily performance-based, narrative-based or concept-based. But sometimes they include elements of each. Narrative and performance-based videos often work closely together. As a result, we usually only tend to get a gist of the song's actual meaning and then naturally form our own ideas of what is being told.

Nevertheless, Goodwin suggests that music videos should ignore common narrative as it is in important in their role of advertising. Artists should aim to produce music videos that have a consistent repeatability in order to enhance their brand identity as this makes it easier for the audience to continue watching without losing interest. The artist acting as both narrator and performer helps to increase the authenticity however the lip syncing and other mimed actions remain the key elements of music videos. The audience need to be able to believe that it is real.

Will Young “Leave Right Now” 

Will Young features in his music video as both the narrator and performer. He lip-syncs and performs the song while being involved in a party which ends up in a fight.



An artist must also ensure that the music video is memorable as this will improve sales and audience numbers. There are different methods of doing so:

1) Talking Heads and Sia both make an artistic statement in their music videos. Sia, a modern example, uses American sign language. She says, "I’ve always been obsessed with the beauty of sign language. ... To ignorant hearing me, the movement and expression appears as a dance — a beautiful, emotive dance. But the real beauty is the communication hidden within these perfect shapes."

However, more recently Sia has released another artistic music video with her new single, "Chandelier". This has boosted her audience immensely as it has aired on mainstream television and radio and has gained 238,805,050 views on YouTube since it was published in May 2014.

People recognise these artistic elements of the video which makes them particularly memorable.

Talking Heads - "Once In A Lifetime"



Sia - "Soon We'll Be Found"



Sia - "Chandelier"

2) OK Go show how concept-based music videos can gain a large following. "Here It Goes Again" had one million YouTube hits after six days of initial posting. It is visually compelling and quirky, we see the band dancing on treadmills with a basic background, yet also key for promotion and marketing. It helped promote the band as it also won "Grammy Award for Best Music Video" in 2007. The band then used this similar theme in "White Knuckles" (2010) which sustained this one take performance with minimal props including dogs and plastic containers. While the two ideas seem entirely distant, OK Go's ability to draw the two together in a creative way interests the audience and makes them want to watch it over and over.

"Here It Goes Again" 

"White Knuckles"



Lady Gaga - "Born This Way"

Lady Gaga is known for creating controversy through her 'personal branding'. Her music videos often have underlying meanings to them that are expressed conceptually. They are successful because this style is maintained in all aspects of her career- they make up what we associate "Lady Gaga" with regardless of whether we enjoy the music or not. While watching her videos, it feels more like an art short movie than a music video which makes them intriguing to watch and as a result, it makes the audience want to watch them over and over.

A Historical Perspective: "Bohemian Rhapsody"

Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody" was created in 1975 by Bruce Gowers. It is regarded as an important music video because it was the first music video to have a great impact on sales: after the video release, the song went to number one. Also, it is the first to be seen as a work of art in its own right.

Andrew Goodwin's Key Features of Music Video

In "Dancing in the Distraction Factory" (1992), Andrew Goodwin suggested that there were several key features of music videos.

He suggested that music videos demonstrate genre characteristics. Rock and metal acts will often use stage performance in their videos while boy/girl bands will perform dance routines. A band like Bring Me The Horizon frequently uses performances as a band whereas boy band JLS uses dance routines in their videos. I think alternative music artists use stage performance because they tend to be organic and prefer to focus purely on the music. On the contrary, boy bands are often made synthetically with the purpose to attract a young female audience and create a brand through their image. Other examples of metal bands include Metallica and Iron Maiden. Blue, New Kids on the Block and Spice Girls are further examples of boy/girl bands.

Rock/metal- BMTH

Boy bands- JLS

Goodwin also explained that there is a relationship between the lyrics and the visuals which can either be illustrative, amplifying or contradicting. These are the three ways in which a music video works to promote an artist.

An illustrative music video is one that gives a literal meaning to the song's lyrics in a visual form. An example of this is in Coldplay "Paradise" when the elephant holds up banners with the lyrics written on them ("When she was just a girl, she expected the world...").

Amplification is the enhancement of a concept while still maintaining the link to it. The best example I could find of a music video that is amplifying is Beyonce's "If I Were A Boy". The narrative goes exactly with the lyrics of the song but the message is made even stronger by Beyonce putting on a persona of a typical disloyal male in a relationship. She does this by working in a stereotypically male environment, hanging out with mates instead of coming home to her partner and openly flirting with other men. One example of the "amplifying" effect occurring is at the point where Beyonce sings: "'Cause you’ve taken her for granted, and everything you had got destroyed", and in the music video there is a shot of the boyfriend leaving her at the party after seeing her act unfaithfully.

Kanye West's music video for "Diamonds From Sierra Leone" is good example for a music video that is contradicting. While the lyrics' materialistic content is typical to most American rap, the music video touches upon a meaningful topic about blood diamonds.

Goodwin also said that the demands of the record label will include the need for lots of close-ups of the artist. One Direction, part of Simon Cowell's record label, Syco, often show close-ups of Harry Styles as he is the audience's main attraction. In "Story of My Life", there are close-ups of all of the band members but Harry Styles evidently dominates. This has also happened in Take That with Gary Barlow.

 The artist may develop motifs which recur across their work (a visual style). Nicki Minaj is famous for flaunting her curves while Lady Gaga is recognised for her wacky and controversial style. She is shown below next to Nicki Minaj wearing a dress made of slabs of meat for the MTV Video Music Awards. The extent to which this particular outfit, among many, is discussed in this BBC News article: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-11297832.

In addition to this, he outlined that there is frequent reference to the notion of looking for example, screens within screens, telescopes etc. With a particularly voyeuristic treatment of the female body; Mulvey's "male gaze" can be applied here. Music videos tend to view women as an object of erotic desire- this is very true in rap and RnB videos.

An old example of 50 Cent's "P.I.M.P." video demonstrates the typical features of a rap video: a luxurious pad, cars and alcohol but most importantly, a group of barely dressed women purposely shown in a voyeuristic way. 

Finally, Goodwin explains that there is often intertextual reference to films, TV programmes and other music videos, etc. A music video that I have previously discussed is the best example to use for this point. The Wanted, "Walks Like Rihanna", includes imitation of Take That "Back For Good" and Backstreet Boys "I Want It That Way".

The Wanted and Backstreet Boys:

The Wanted and Take That:

Brand Identity

Lady Gaga - Bad Romance

With the arrival of MTV in 1981, music artists had the real opportunity to present themselves to the public. The new visual element of the music video allowed artists to go beyond the music and portray an image for themselves. Music videos could either make or break an artist's single, or even a new artist's career. For example, Lady Gaga uses her visuals to attract an audience as opposed to relying purely on her music- many of these music videos are controversial. "Bad Romance" is possibly suggestive of sexual exploitation yet is glamourised to suit her brand identity. She dances in underwear or skin-tight, revealing dresses with outrageous platform heels so we are easily distracted from the harsher subliminal message. Or PSY, with the single, "Gangnam Style", who performs a dance routine which is recognised worldwide. Although he lacks musical talent when compared with artists such as Emeli Sande or Adele, his image is what is recognised when we hear his name.

PSY - Gangnam Style



There has been a decline in the popularity of the music video on mainstream television yet it still remains one of the most powerful promotional tools for artists. Online platforming is now key; improvements in web technology has enabled artists to link their image in places other than music videos. With social networking, they can now reach up to millions in just minutes with a single tweet on Twitter or a shared video from YouTube onto Facebook. However it is not a simple process, they must carefully consider that they maintain their brand identity on all of these platforms. The small details like colours, images, text and font are maintained to ensure that the artist is successfully promoted with this one image across all media platforms.

Brand Identity - Jessie J

Jessie J maintains her brand identity through a variety of platforms including album and single images and tour date posters. The striking appearance is maintained: her neat black bob hairstyle, bold makeup, similar facial expression with the mouth open. Together, they are all relatively masculine yet the open mouth is seductive and sexual. Her positioning is very central which is reflected in her personality and performances as she comes across very bold and confident. The sleek font is gold, sometimes black or silver, which is glamorous and typical of a pop/RnB artist. As it is repeated on a variety of platforms, we immediately recognise the font as Jessie J's font. The gold, silver and black theme is Despite the dark, masculine style which reflects videos to songs like "Do It Like a Dude"- the softer, pastel coloured image matches, "Price Tag".

"Do It Like A Dude" (very clearly reflects the masculine yet seductive image)




"Price Tag" (matches the more playful, pastel coloured poster and album cover)