**Research into Chosen Music genre

We have selected Rihanna who produces pop and Rnb genre music which is mainstream and therefore attracts a vast audience, making it easier for us to appeal to a large audience. Rihanna is an international, successful current artist and represents independence as a strong feminist figure. She is often discussed and highlighted through the media, attracting publicity through her controversial music videos, and although people may disagree with her provocative state, it expresses her confidence and self belief to do what she wants without having to be concerned about anyone else, her strong following helps support this. However in order to be successful in capturing the interest of these audience we have to conform to similar conventions of Rihanna, many of her videos are narrative based with elements of performance...


We all admire and listen to Rihannas music,  this was a relevant artist to select as we will be enthusiastic to produce a music video as we know her music well and have an idea of how to connect lyrics to visuals. We are selecting an artist what attracts majority our own age group; teenagers, therefore we can develop a better understanding of what will fulfil their needs and interests.


An artist which consists of many similarities to Rihanna would be a recently new successful pop artist; Rita Ora. Her image is almost identical to Rihanna as she is styled in similar or the same accessories, two examples below show this from her beanie hat to the crop 'peace' top.

She may have similar features to Rihanna but could have been styled as an individual music artist icon, however due to the UK not having a major influential pop/RnB female in the industry Rita Ora can fit into this persona well. She also portrays similar characteristics as she is strong willed by the ways in which she does have attitude which is also emphasised by her image which appear to make a statement. Not only this is also conveys the typical pop conventions in attempt to express the superior star image through excessive jewellery,such as gold watches and necklaces. The hats, snapbacks, sunglasses and at times high top  worn  As Rihanna is extremely popular throughout the UK people with an interest to her would probably want to support Rita Ora too due to her relating to Rihanna and being an artist with an Americanised image but being British.

Another artist which has similarities to Rihanna is Beyonce as she is also considered as one of the most influential artists. They are often compared due to being extremely successful with large fan bases and Rihanna expresses that 'they are different performers with different styles'. The majority of Beyonce's music videos are performance based as she is an incredible dancer, some have elements of narrative 'If I were boy' for example. Although Rihanna's music videos are the opposite, involving narrative, people may look at them similarly due to them both being talented singers and dancers.

Before going into depth on my chosen music genre I have simply looked at artists in the pop genre such as Rihanna and Rita Ora and formed a comparison between them, looking at similarities and differences when analysing a music video of theirs, this will later allow me to incorporate significant and evident stereotypes throughout the pop genre. I have analysed Rihanna’s ‘Cheers’ (Drink to that) video with Rita Ora’s ‘Roc the life’ music video. Both videos use a handheld professional camera in order to entice the audience into their luxurious, unordinary lifestyle from a point of view in which we are literally by their side. It is as if we are experiencing this famous lifestyle and profession of a singer with them, further connecting the audience to themselves as artists, making them feel like they personally know them and can understand their luxurious life. Developing and revealing a ‘backstage life’.

Both music videos include emphasised diegetic sound of echoed chanting of voices from the fans as they wait for their idols backstage, instantly offering us an insight into a gig or concert beforehand from their perspective as they psyc themselves up, instantly expressing loyalty from the fans and this idea of inspiration and admiration combined with a feeling of excitement. Rihanna combines and incorporates scenes through parallel jump cuts of singing and performance to her luxurious lifestyle, evoking her Barbadian roots through  long-shot scenes of the beach and various scenes with water and swimming pools. This is then combined with her ‘cheers, drink to that’ chorus as characters are revealed raising their glasses in a cheers manner/gesture as they consume alcohol. As a result this relates to Goodwins theory, typically further portraying the theme of celebrations, further emphasising that ‘life’s too short to be sitting down miserable’ ‘people gonn talk whether youre doing bad or good’ Rihanna has clearly adopted the attitude of being care free with elements of nihilism in order to achieve a happy future with close friends and family alongside pleasing her audience, developing the attitude that you cannot please everyone. Examples of nihilism are the pushing into a swimming pool on a skateboard with evidence that this has probably been inflicted due to alcohol consumption. On the other hand ‘Roc the life’ doesn’t achieve this as successfully as the scenes appear to simply express and portray Rita Ora’s attitude through close ups of her facial expressions or scenes of her dancing in order to convey her confidence and carefree attitude but does not represent a parallel split life between fame and spare time. As a result of these scenes drawn together it shows us as their ‘finished product’, the preparations for make-up, allowing both Rihanna and Rita to be who they are and how we see them, glamorous, or untouchable. Rihanna has the status and wealth to fly in her own private jet which is revealed, where as Rita Ora beforehand may have been working towards this. It serves a purpose of symbolising success and the ability to do what you want and freely travel the world and explore once you have worked your way up.  

This is further enhanced by a close up shot of Rihanna starring into a camera as if taking a picture of us and an over the shoulder shot of Rita Ora being filmed. While Rihanna’s lack of seriousness introduces us to a sense of humour and personality as she messes around it reflects her constant life of being watched, while Rita Ora’s shot places us in a position as if we are behind the scenes offering us a further insight into the chaotic, demanding lifestyle of an artist and how they are continuously in the lime light, ‘wanted’ and idolized continuously by fans. Shots also express how they are respectful to fans as they interact and show affection through hugging them in order to show appreciation, in attempt to show they are good role models and are not too far removed from reality..

Both of these music videos challenge the typical conventions of a pop video, however it evidently represents their characters and iconography for a start. These music videos stand as an example for depicting a star image, which relates clearly to Dyer’s theory and corresponds with Adorno. For instance both characters are fashionably styled, uniquely to show diversity, vivid colours are used to  draw attention causing the individuals to stand out, while their figures are emphasised through tight clothing or cropped tops etc. Alongside this accessories play an important role in firstly highlighting wealth and personalising themselves to their own significant identity. Both characters wear evident necklaces, rings and jewellary Rihanna contrasts glamour with attitude where as Rita Ora simply connotes attitude through the use of gold, gold clothing is also often used to represent value, foreshadowing successful, ambitious future.  Through styling differently but fashionably at the same time, fans look at this as a role model, wanting to adopt this specific image in order to lead or wish to lead this successful, wealthy lifestyle. Initially creating the thought of ‘I want that, I want to be like Rihanna’ etc. A common convention to the pop genre are sunglasses both artists wear these in their music videos which i have looked at. It has a symbolic meaning representing a successful bright future, as if ‘seeing stars’, on the other hand it allows artists personas on the outside/physical outlook to be perceived and admired while their emotions and who they are inside are untouched, as they represent being a pop star. 

Generally pop genres are also narrative based in order to identify further emotions and express feelings, a feeling of attachment to the audience as they relate to common themes such as 'heartbreak' or 'rejection', conforming to Adorno's theory as the audience buy into this persona and as a result feel closer to these characters and reassured as they are easily relatable and have experienced similar problems/ life like events.

(camera examples)

 (Being Idolized, looking up to physically and mentally)

Evidence of meeting fans 'role model'

Sub-Culture

A sub culture is a group of people who unite for a certain value, specific to them. Following a specific belief or interest through clothing/products/music or politics at a variance to the larger culture. This could rebel against mainstream culture forming a gang in order to perhaps standout or for expressing different beliefs. These groups can either be distinct or hidden depending on how many people support or follow, differentiating them from the larger group of which they belong.

Theory 1: C.C.C.S (Centre of contemporary cultural studies)
The CCCS was what became known for the Birmingham School of Cultural Studies, emphasising, researching and highlighting how cultural texts and mass produced products are used, developing and researching further into how groups in the mass media such as subculture are evaluated and the effects and interpretations of these representation of their audience. The CCCS assume that all subcultures evolve from one mainstream image/interest. They therefore ignite and connect through similarities and interests. Deliberately creating a different culture by depending on the mainstream and adapting individually. Without a mainstream focus they are suggesting that there would not be a specific subculture genre and need to be different as it would be ordinary to just style etc how you want.

Theory 2 Mc.Cracken
This suggests that the post modern world is influenced and full of diversity, focusing on being dynamic and creative in order to be your own person and express yourself freely, how you want to. He argues that you cannot look at mainstream and just associate and generalise the subculture because it is all different. There appears to be different values to that  subcultures believe so therefore it is different to mainstream all together.

Theory 3: Hebdige came to the conclusion that although some people may think subcultures are different because they appear to be due to the image or belief conveyed and are therefore separate individual groups. When analysing closer Hebdige believes that the subcultures are just smaller beliefs which are less well known about and less popular so people associate them as trying to be different and diverse.
The majority of people knew Rihanna very well and had an interest in her music, however older people or teenagers which was not interested in mainstream music could not even name one of her songs. We identified people that are interested in different music genres which may appear less popular, and although know Rihanna, due to her being played generally on the majority of large music channels and radios are aware of her but have no interest in her. The subculture did have an influence on our questionnare results because everybody clearly has a different point of view, but there were people we interviewed which appeared increasingly diverse. To an extent all theories can be applied as people choose to appear different and unique as we live in a diverse post modern society and they want to stand out because they have the option to, even if it is simply through listening to different music to differentiate themselves from the majority of people. Due to people having such different interests for example; in music I agree that we cannot really generalise a whole group however if there was not a mainstream fashion or trend to follow then perhaps would have as much stress or emphasis on 'standing out from the crowd', or intact following it because being an individual would just be normal, no-one would really look at each other differentiating each other, the CCCS theory does have some significance.  The mainstream sets the base/ all most ordinary for people to then decide; "what can I do differently?'. Peoples responses, reactions and body language highlighted that they did not particularly have an interest in Rihanna or like her, their opinions and beliefs may be not as well known to people in general but that therefore makes it different!
The results were important in highlighting peoples different interests in music so we could gain a greater understanding of how to perhaps capture people that do not quite enjoy Rihannas music videos. Due to this being a pop video however we probably will have some conventions such as considering the iconography and styling to reveal to the audience this is a pop genre video. However perhaps we can interest people with a capturing narrative which they may find unusual and entertaining regardless to the song originally.

       Include your evaluation

·       Apply the sub culture theory to your results

·       Start to consider a possible narrative, performance, concept for your music video   

Censorship

Should Music Be Censored?

Censorship causes a huge debate as there are reasons for and against censorship, however one advantage of why music should be censored is for it to appear relevant to all audiences and ages.

Ofcom; The office of communications is a government approved system for  regulating broadcasting, televisions shows, telecom, mobiles and postal services. They are responsible for promoting competition and protecting the public from harmful, offensive material; which may include drug and sexual references. Ofcom have authority over the rules of licensing, research, complaints competition and protecting radio stations etc from abuse.

Artists which are well known for exploiting controverse topics which may include drugs, sex or relation to violence are Rihanna and Eminem. Rihanna has had videos banned as well as well as censored such as S&M which was originally removed from airplay and only played after the watershed. As well as this Rihannas other music video which was released in September 2011 was suggested to have potrayed self destructive behaviour and has even been banned in France before 10pm. This may particularly be due to the reference to drug taking, promoting the effect through careless and reckless behaviour, bright colours and the idea of removing yourself from reality, as if promoting the consumption of drugs, this may cause a younger audience to appear curious and want a similar experience.  Rihanna shows irresponsible behaviour also through alcohol as well as drugs and highlighting a provocotive sexual relationship which is enhanced through drugs and further portrayed through the title "We found love in a hopeless place".  Drugs are revealed positively as if promoting them in order to be rebellious and experience/experiment. It has specific reference to drug taking and even reveals techniques such as 'shot gunning', this is exploited through a close up of Rihanna lighting about 20 cigarettes in the males mouth enhaling and exhaling smoke into her mouth.
Rihannas S&M video exploits an  inappropriate provococtive sexual nature with "chains and whips" ...

On the other hand Eminem is censored and also at times critisised, due to his explicit language or promoting a lifestyle through violence and drug abuse through lyrics. Various videos Eminem has created are a parody of other celebrities which  is always prone to critisism and is deemed as offensive. However Eminem expresses that "music is just entertainment" which could imply that his songs are exaggerated for entertainment even if he does reveal realistic experiences.

In order to form a debate and a better understanding which would not be biased from our own point of views we researched into the media industry to explore whether they have any specific evidence which would suggest that they perhaps support or encourage Eminems music. Firstly we looked into radio stations and music channels such as Kiss, MTV and Radio one. This prevented us from generalising the debate as Radio one have a larger, diverse audience where as MTV and Kiss mainly appeal to teens; therefore forming different results. I discovered that radio stations such as Radio One do play Eminems music, evidence for this was Eminem performing at the Radio One live lounge live, however to make this appropriate his swear words were censored and skipped. This evidence supports using music as a form of entertainment and fulfilling their target audiences interests in genre and taste, as Radio1 play diverse music and current chart music regardless. Therefore if Eminem is in the charts Radio 1 clearly do not have a problem in airing it, having him on the live lounge could further suggest that they do too perhaps enjoy and support him as an artist, although radio stations appear unbiased. Kiss are another radio station which play Eminems music regularly but also have to censor his lyrics due to bad language and to minimise and prevent complaints or offending the public. Kiss have a broad target demographic who tune in to specifically listen to remixes, rnb,hiphop, rap and pop therefore seeing as Eminem fits into this category they will play his music.

Other companies such as MTV are more cautious when airing Eminems music on tv, unlike radio stations which play a selection of his songs. MTV do not play Eminems music videos as it is said to perhaps create or develop conflict with other artists as he mimics them. MTV may at times prevent playing his music due to risking losing viewers, they might believe that the audience may find it offensive although contradictively I would argue that MTV have a very similar audience to kiss whom do not suggest it is offensive and therefore do play it. However I have realised while watching MTV myself that they do have Eminem music if he is in the charts which is very rarely today. For example perhaps they allow him to be on MTV more so when he is featuring with another artist such as Rihanna - "Love the way you lie", because this was played many times. On the other hand it is suttle and involves less bad language in comparison to his older albums. From research MTV appear to be a lot more cautious with which Eminem songs they play, this is not just specific to Eminem either, as MTV regularly skip music videos stating that it is too 'inappropriate' for viewing, again Rihannas S&M video.  This could be due to MTV being such a huge, popular well known company which wants to allow anyone to switch on and enjoy the current music, the emphasis is also on pop music other than rap which is perhaps more appropriate, rap is only played when making the charts so has less relevance than it being played on Kiss.

To understand how Eminem impacts positively or negitivley through his music, we developed a ten year olds point of view, this was important in making sure that the debate covered and considered all ages to see how Eminem impacts on different lives. As a ten year old would could have an extremely different perspective as they could be more easily influenced as he looks up to his idol. However he may admire Eminem but he understands right from wrong and just simply enjoys his music. Agreeing that if parents don't wait their children to watch it then they should not give them access to the internet but regardless children will be influenced and would just "watch it round a friends house anyway."

However there are many people that disagree with younger children listening or it even being accepted and played in the UK. People against suggest Eminems music is unacceptable as they believe it is racist, evoking a stereotypical image of white women appearing superior to black women.
 "Blacks and whites, they sometimes mix/ But black girls only want your money, 'cause they're dumb chicksNever date a black girl, because blacks only want your money/ And that sh-- ain't funny." Eminem however suggests it was just lyrics made out of anger during his teenage years as he had just broken up with an African American girlfriend. People further argue that it is still not acceptable as he is still highlighting segregation between races. People therefore create petitions in order to boycott his music.
 A 21 year old fan would disagree with this by suggesting that he is an inspiration to people as he came from nothing with a tough upbringing; highlighting that he could have remained as nothing while being brought up with a single parent- his mum, and dealing with his uncles suicide.
Eminem himself is strongly against seeing himself or being classed as an artist which is a negative role model and bad influence to specifically children. Eminem expresses that he is just voicing views through music and it is simply freedom of speech, further suggesting that it is in someones nature to be an influential character and he should not be blamed for this when the audience have an option whether they want to listen to his music or not. Therefore it is not his fault, suggesting that if someone is capable of committing murders it is down to them already being psychiatrically unstable beforehand in order to commit such a crime, as his music would not physically impact someone to do this. He concludes his point of view by saying 'music is just simply entertainment', which implies that it should just be accepted and not be taken literally or seriously as all music is elaborated, this is part of the media. However contradictory to this if music is just for entertainment shouldn't it be subtle and suitable for all in order for everyone to be entertained? Considering this is should not be, as this is what differentiates Eminem from other artists, and he is admired for, attracting his specific individual target demographic, he is simply doing his job and in order to be successful in that he needs to portray a persona through music which is going to allow him to stand out from different rappers in order to be successful. Therefore he is going to create controversy, attracting publicity. His music videos such as "We made you" is similar to a parody of other artists, people suggest that this is offensive but when observing his behaviour he is not serious and wants it to be viewed as humorous, to some extend he is speaking the truth but perhaps does cross the line. People do not seem to realise that just because he is highlighting what comes to his mind in terms of entertainment it does not mean he is taking a serious dislike to a character; black humour is created. This is portrayed through the 'Just lose it' when Michael Jacksons nose drops off, although eminem was criticised by this he sort of gets away with it due to being known and familiar for this, people will begin to admire and like him  because it's different.
Eminem owns his record labels called Shady Records which started up in 1999 with his manager named Paul Rosenberg, since this it has signed nine acts and is part of other businesses in radio stations such as Shade 45. Their record label is already exploited and current in the media and, people are aware of Eminems record label as they are only conveying reality, they will be spoke about regardless; if Eminem was not being mentioned the focus would be on someone else, which is a reflection of fame and the industry.

On the other hand parents points may vary, its difficult to express the views of every parenting figure, as views would be extremely diverse. The majority of parents would agree that if children have the correct upbringing the videos and lyrics will not effect the children. However they can and will be influenced by other people around them as this is part of lifes process, in growing up and learning, but rappers are not to blame for this. Their music is generally treated too seriously when its freedom of speech. Some parents on the other hand would disagree with this and would not like their children to listen to lyrics with swearing etc, people have extreme views.


To conclude, I agree with Eminem, music is just a simply a form of entertainment and if you are brought up correctly with morals and grounded you will know right from wrong. For example I grew up listening to Eminem from the age of seven due to my older brother listening to it all the time, I used to sing and know his songs. However if he did make us a CD he would make sure the swearing was censored. Eminem has managed to successfully express himself through his lyrics as he raps about his lifestyle; in a sense potryaying stronger more powerful emotions than other artists which attempt to portray a deluded fabricated unrealistic lifestyle. His music may be controversial and portrayed as offensive, perhaps outrageous or inappropriate but this is typical to the conventions of a rapper, as part of their persona. Why should Eminem  be considered any different incomparison to Lil Wayne or Kanye West?

Acknowledgement of censorship laws throughout the UK.
Laws - Guidelines and regulations which must be taken into account when producing, distributing a music video.

• "Programmes generally should not include smoking and drinking unless the context veracity requires it"
• "Particular care is needed with programmes likely to be seen by children and young people"
• "Care needs to be taken to avoid any impression that illegal drugs are an acceptable feature of modern British society. Particularly in programmes of special appeal to children and young people"
• "Caition should be applied to solvent abuse, and detailed deomonstrations of methods of illegal drug-taking that could easily be imitated should be avoided"
• "Drug and solvent abuse should not be shown in wish a way as to appear problem-free or gmalerous"
• The UK emply the use of a watershed which is a set time in which adult content can be shwon openly on television, lasting from 9.00pm to 5.30 am

• Summary

 

Questionnaire

Questionnaires are important when considering a target audience as it allows us to further understand peoples general opinions on the artist. We thought that forty was an accurate number of people to ask as it allowed us to produce diverse answers, confronting big fans of Rihanna's and others which perhaps were less of a fan; making it appear more accurate and realistic. Due to this being quite a heavy work load we divided up the tasks to complete the work promptly. Two people in my group designed mixed questions while me and Selina collected the information, forming the charts, I also created questions on Rihanna to give us a deeper insight into what the audience look for through her work and what sort of conventions and images they prefer. We chose to record the answers onto bar charts and piecharts as they are simple and easily interpreted, perfect for showing gathered information.
The questionnaire allowed me to gain a greater understanding of how they each individually view the artist. It benefited me when producing the questions as some research was carried out which  let me find more out about the artist, for example finding out about Rihanna's first two albums which I did not have an interest in when younger.

The video footage of asking a mixed aged audience on their thoughts of Rihanna was extremely interesting as opinions are very mixed. Many females saw Rihanna as a strong successful feminist, where as others may have disliked Rihanna due to the illuminati provoked or the way she dresses provocotively expressing sexual references. However it's interesting in seeing peoples opinions and arguably proves that people are not influenced by artists in a negative way they just enjoy the persona created and perhaps admire it. One person in particular did make a valid point expressing that it may not be as appropriate for a younger audience- they could perhaps be influenced by drugs etc more so as they could feel encouraged or curious, I think with a stable upbringing children should know right from wrong and many still listen and enjoy her music.


All of the information collected is relevant and important in allowing us to understand what people admire about Rihanna and why they enjoy her music; when looking at the positives. We can use this to develop our ideas when planning a music video, people seemed to like the fact that Rihanna represents a strong, independent female, perhaps this is a trait we would like to portray throughout our music videos as we are four females.

Overall the  questionnirre was successful, people were wiling to participate and express their honest opinion, suprisingly it was rather one sided as everyone had positive opinions, this took us longer than expected as we had to find people that perhaps did not see Rihanna as positively.

MTV

The average target audience ranges between 12-25 year olds, mainly appealing to teenagers. Due to such a large audience MTV have various subsidiary labels in order to capture and entertain more specific interests in genres of music such as base, rock, dance, hits and classic, this also allows them to target specific  groups of people with different interests . Although their main focus is originally teenagers through their music and television programmes.  An example of this would be MTV Hits which appeals to teenagers/youth as it plays the official charts, focusing on current music which is largely influenced by pop with RnB and rap.  These artists target audience are also teenagers as teenagers aspire to be like them as they reflect the wealthy lifestyle influenced by money and materialistic item such as cars, clothes, jewellery, shoes and mansions. This is used as a form of branding as music videos allow the artists to promote themselves. Teenagers will see artists such as Chris Brown, Rihanna, Justin Bieber, and Katy Perry and be influenced by the lifestyle they evoke and aspire to have the wealth and image they have. The traditional logo is simple and indicates what the channel promotes, however it also has various animated logos which have used as a way of advertisement throughout adverts, websites etc. This characterises the music channel, making it appear increasingly fun through the vibrant colours which attract our attention, again appealing to a teenager audience.

VH1

VH1 can appeal to a mature audience the majority of the time through music shows such as ‘80s music’. This makes their channel more specific to certain ages as a teenager probably wouldn’t watch 80s music as they would not know any of the songs and it would probably appear extremely dated. However it attracts a niche target audience of teeangers by also airing chart music. This offers diversity to their music channel, varying it and making their channel more popular and well known as teenagers make up the percentage of the music channels watched. Due to this more teenagers will tune in and be captured to watch VH1 if they also play this type of music. There would be advantages and disadvantages to this, it could to some extent attract more people because they can listen to the specific music they want, however it could disengage people that are not of these time eras and therefore cause them to have a drop in views.

BOX

The target audience for box television would range between teenagers and young adults. This is because they play mainstream music which consists of pop and RnB which would compete with a channel such as MTV as similar programmes are played such as ‘Uk top 40’, attracting the same audience. However they are slightly varied as they do have more of electro or hiphop music which is also popular. Artists which appear on Box television vart between Rihanna, Taylor Swift to Snoop Dogg.  Box television have their own website and radio station to further extend and reach out to more people, making it more accessible during the day. The logo is simple with the word ‘box’ clearly in boxes; this is bold but at the same time gives it a cartoon like effect making it appear more friendly, suitable to their target audience. The wordiing is less serious incomparison to the ‘television’ font which is basic. The attention is focused on the word ‘box’ to make it appear basic but perhaps apparent/quick, quirky.

SCUZZ

Scuzz is a channel which focuses on a rock based genre therefore catering for a smaller more niche demographic in comparison to mainstream. It plays this particular music to reach out to people with an interest in rock inparticular, varying itself and producing a different audience with different music interests all together. Therefore it does not have to compete with channels such as MTV because it plays different music. The target audience for this channel would probably consist of people in their 20s-30s, with teeangers which do have an interest in rock, however rock is a very mixed genre. Scuzz are clearly aware of their diverse viewers and poprock is played for their younger audience but heavy rock is also played for their audience or younger people which may also enjoy this. Due to Scuzz having a smaller audience they do not have a website or radio station, only reaching out via television. However their logo brands itself well as the font with sharp edges and silver shades look like cut out pieces of metal, connoting heavy metal. It looks gothic and spiteful conveying the more rock like stereotypes.

KISS

Kiss target an audience of probably, majority older teens and young adults from 16 plus however some 15 year olds and various other, younger teens may listen to it. Kiss play mainstream music which consists of mainly remixes of urban, RnB and pop based music. Artists such as Drake are often played, Rihanna, Kanye West and even remix of Carly Rae Jepson to make it appear clubby/dance. Kiss reach out to their audience in many ways, firstly they have a website and radio station and they even have ‘KISS’ apps such as ‘kiss cube’ which can be downloaded on smartphones and played. This also suggests that they cater for an audience of young people as a lot of young people have smartphones. The logo is light blue which making it vibrant and lively. The logo is basic with a cut out triangle of a square appearing as if it is an open mouth  similar to pacman which relates to the word kiss more.

Analysis of a music genre- Drake,Rap

Drake is a Canadian  rap artist who released his first single 'over' in March 2010. ..  Rita Ora plays the role of the character with a love interest towards him, this was when she was attempting to form a successful career herself.

Drakes music video develops a focus on him, through midshots and close ups and the mise en scene, which portrays his emotional state, giving us an insight into his fast moving mind. An example of when  close ups to midshots are used is when drake is sitting on a bed or standing up in this minimalistic room, which allows us to focus on him. The room appears to evoke emptiness and loneliness as he sits on the end of a double bed. The mid shot of him standing up allows him to clearly express himself, emphasising his body language and actions as he points towards the camera, this creates power and is stereotypical to conventions of rap as artists focus on their body language to enhance the meaning of the lyrics. This is an element the audience would look for and expect to allow us to relate and understand their 'pain'.

The surrounding and background emphasises the concept based video as even when he is rapping the mise en scene appears to stay relevant to evoke his emotions, an example of the pathetic fallacy used is instantly at the beginning when a non diegetic thunder sound echoes over.  .There are also projections of the city and sky moving quickly across the room and over him which could suggest time moving quickly as he sits and reflects, as well as this there is fast paced editing which reveals the city and of people passing by which conveys people walking in and out of his life, this makes him appear lonely as if there is no time for him in the world as time constantly passes, the room implies this through the low ceiling and caved box shape making him look isolated and trapped, perhaps in his mind as the room reflects his thoughts. "I know way too many people here right now that I didn't know last year". ..The low key lighting sets and supports the atmosphere, emphasising loneliness.

However as the music video progresses specific edits have been used to emphasise and portray the confident big egoed persona of a rapper, which is a convention of this genre. The mirror/reflection effect which is an enlargement of himself shows reassurance as if he does not need anyone else and is a strong individual who does not need guidance. Rappers are generally portrayed as strong characters with problems and struggles in their life, which they get strength from. This causes the audience to admire this attitude and see them as an inspiration as they as they get strength from their problems, this causes the audience to be attracted to this specific music as they look for this in rappers, a character that mirrors a realistic, challenging world, perhaps exaggerated at times. The lyrics "who the fuck are y'all" suggests that he does not need anyone and even looks down on others as his enlargement is practically looking down. The hand gestures further imply confidence and power and engages to the lyrics, as he says "riding through the city" he uses hand gestures which also portray passion and their emotions, and their strong characters further expressing what they believe. This matches the convention of rappers expressing their lifestyle and their emotions, as their hand gestures reveal their character and at times connect the pain of the lyrics to them. 


    "riding through the city" hand gestures.

Summary

How do the micro-elements vary in different music genres consider examples?

Elements vary to differentiate genres however through analysing, many conventions do relate as they attempt to convey a somewhat similar image. For example rap music and pop as the materialistic image is extremely important, excessive jewellary,  cars and designer clothes are used throughout. This is to make the artists appear unique as an individual creating the impression that they lead a life which no one else has; differentiating and attracting the public as they look up, aspiring to live this life and follow what they do not have. A rap artist is generally reflected as an individual, independant character with strength and attitutde to connote that they do not need anyone else. This is reflected through  various screen shots and specific editing, such as midshots and mirrored effects, to elaborate their arrogance and perhaps lack of consideration in order to potray their self importance as if 'I'm bigger and better than you ' and therefore superior. Rappers generally highlight a struggled upbringing which is revealed through their lyrics and emotions, allowing an understanding as to why they perhaps behave the way they do, depicting the idea of coming from nothing.  This adds to their attention as it again begins to highlight an individual charactter , adding to their persona and image. Ironically rappers mention their vulnerability and struggle through life in order to sugges their growing anger and now strength.
On the other hand genres such as rock vary completely, apart from perhaps genres of rap my have slight elements of performance based footage. Rock generally focuses on performance based music videos, suggesting that they are not highlighted as a superior character but focus on more their music than persona and life background. Stereotypes to a rock genre consist of dark/black clothing, heavy makeup with dark instruments and items such as their amps. Some rock bands portray a more rebellious attitude as in 'breaking rules' and being distruptive by mashing their instruments. As the rock genre music videos are majority performance based, they do not have a specific concept and do not relate lyrics with visuals, the focus is on the atmosphere and experience created through their instruments and music. This is very different to genres such as pop or rap as rock will evolve around numerous close ups of instruments, other than just a main focus on the artists. This must be taken into account as there is more than one focus, rock genres usually involve a band, although there is a specific focus on the singer, the conventions are extremely different. Pop music engages with the audience through body language and direct reference to the camera such as pointing, this is less common to a rock genre as they appear to be enhanced in their music, this could be suggested by their actions through playing an electric guitar or facial expressions as there is a close up showing emotions or perhaps aggression. Rock genre doesn't focus on having this idealised image of perfection but more a gritty, different image consisting of leather, studs to differentiate themselves from other genres.
Micro elements vary throughout genres and even within each genre as many music videos attempt to create diversity in order to provoke independence, stand out and capture the interests of those in which they may not instantly appeal to, however this must be considered carefully as artists want to continue to capture and appeal to their demograhpic.



What ideas/inspirations can you take from your analysis for your own video.

Analysing various music genres has given me a better understanding of the conventions used to market and conform to specific expectations in order to please and capture the audience. After looking at music videos I realised that camera angles are extremely important in building a relationship and connecting with the audience, these must be considered and planned out well in order to be successful as they help convey emotion, connecting the audience to the song lyrics.

Depending on what song we decide, the audience must be considered and questioned, as all music genres have a specific audience, we must take this into account in order to produce a good peice of work. As well as this it is also important to include conventions to that genre, unless we later plan to challenge conventions, however the music videos I have analysed conform to conventions which is more common, due to this I have been influenced to produce a music video which conforms to specific conventions as it is easier to convey. Looking at these videos has inspired me to explore varied editing processes, hopfully we can use fades or mirror effects, this is also important in connecting to the audience, mirrored effects allows the artist to  familiarise themselves with the audience; this would be important if they are less known. A fade edit is relevant to use especially when attempting to set the tone, as it further evokes the atmosphere; I realised that this is generally used through music videos which are focused on relationship problems. If we decide to base our project on the song 'Love me' I think this would be rather appropriate.

I also discovered that personally I find narrative videos most effective because it makes the lyrics appear more relevant, engaging us and connecting us to what is being sung. I think it adds to the emotional states and mind of what he artist is feeling or trying to show even if it is through actors. However it is also important to perhaps include some elements of performance based conventions to break it up and show the artists expressions.

It is important that we take into account the very basic equipment we have in comparison to filming a professional music video  and make sure we try to use this to the best of our ability, therefore it is important to consider the camera angles to prevent it from just looking like a very, very basic home made video.