Blog 9: Katy Perry- How her pop videos appeal to her target audience and her private life

Katy Perry- How her pop videos appeal to her target audience and her private life

Blog 8 Star Theory Britney Spears

Star Theory- Britney Spears

 Richard Dyer has a theory that artists are created through artificial images such as music, films, advertising, and magazines. He says that consumers prefer the artist to show their true selves and not the groomed image created by their record labels who are attempting to create a false image of them. Dyer believes that the artist can use their "real" selves as a unique selling point. He thinks that stars are made purely to make more money for their record labels and that they do this by cleverly appealing to target audiences. This means that record labels have to market different artists to cater for the various target audiences as there are niche and mainstream markets.

 Dyer also believes that artists are responsible for setting trends like hairstyles and clothing styles, and if they portray their religious beliefs through their music then that can be picked up by their audiences. The internet has given fans the opportunity to follow their idols personal lives'. 

 Stars support the idea of hegemony as they think it shows them as "real" human beings and that it makes glorified versions of themselves. Within the music industry, it is seen as necessary to create and promote artists within a clearly defined genre and these genres show signifiers that relate to genders and races.

 Britney Spears raises various intriguing issues surrounding her personal life and her image regarding her female identity in female pop music. She was first seen as a teenage girls role model with her single Hit Me Baby One More Time. However, she is very much placed within a male-dominated industry that creates few stereotypes of femininity. She has very much changed over the years as she was first shown with "girlie iconography" and she is very much remembered with pigtails, a hairstyle that tends to be for younger females. The carefully choreographed dance routines give the impression that makes people think they are welcome into "her gang". 

 Laura Mulvey is responsible for the male gaze theory within classical Hollywood cinema, but it can certainly be applied to pop videos, in particular, Britney Spears. In many of her videos she is very much the object of male erotic desire and she is in a patriarchal society. However, she challenges the idea that women do not have agency as she often comes out on top in confrontational moments with men. A good example of this is her video for the song Toxic, and the video for the song Womaniser. In her song Hit Me Baby One More Time, there seems to be an underlying naughtiness within her sexuality. The video seems to imply an innocence with her wearing a school uniform and being in a school, therefore young and innocent. However, just listening to the lyrics immediately changes your perception on the song and question the extent of this "innocence". The title first and foremost cannot possibly be innocent can it? It implies a sexual reference that the male audience will enjoy hearing and can then imagine.
 In the video From the bottom of my broken heart, you can see dolls and childish, girlie things in her bedroom. This very much shows the "innocence" of Britney Spears. Her song I'm not a girl, not yet a woman shows tensions of growing up and moving from childish innocence to the realities of adult life.

Storyboard

Audience Research

Audience Research

 I must do some audience research to find out the following things about the public:

• Type of music videos they like?
• Type of music they listen to?
• Do they watch any videos?
• Age of the audience?
• How do they listen to music?
• Where do they listen to music?
• How do they watch music videos?
• Comment on the music?
• Identify the target audience?
• Possible wider audience?

 There a few ways to go about finding this information. I could use a survey on Surveymonkey, I could use a questionnaire, I could use a personal interview, or I could use a focus group. However, I have decided to use a vox pop.

Vox Pops

 Vox Populi, Latin for Vox Pops means the voice of the people. This is done by interview. The interviewees tend to be in a public place when shown, and they are supposed to be giving spontaneous opinion in a chance encounter. Each person is asked the same question, with the aim being to get a variety of answers and opinions.

 In preparation for when I ask the questions in the Vox Pop that I am going to carry out, I need to first think of the relevant questions to ask. I have decided on 7 questions. These are:

• What is your age?
• Which type of music do you listen to?
• Do you watch any music videos?
• What is your favourite music video?
• How do you listen to music?
• Where do you listen to music?
• How do you watch music videos?

Blog 10 Case Study 1: Jamie Thraves

We are studying Jamie Thraves, the director of many music videos. I know that:
•Made short films at University
•Used award-winning short film as a ‘calling card’ to get a ‘foot in the door’ with the video production company Factory Films
•Began by shooting three very low budget music videos – cost about £5,000 each

• As can be seen for many directors in the business it is a precarious existence where their livelihood is dependent on each commission
• Jamie Thraves submitted treatments for his two best known videos and each was accepted
  
  

Charmless Man- Blur


Just- Radiohead
•£100,000 budget
•Shot in three days


Toes Across The Floor- Blind Melon


Money On My Mind- Sam Smith



Somewhere Else- Razorlight



9 Crimes- Damien Rice


The Scientist- Coldplay
•£200,000 budget
•Shot in three days


Dirtee Disco- Dizzee Rascal

• Jamie has used the music videos to get into the film business
• Has so far shot three features:
• The Low Down
• The Cry of the Owl
• Treacle Jr
  
  
  • Jamie’s Tips
  • Use the lyrics but try not to be too literal
  Most importantly – go with the emotion of the lyrics
  
  

Blog 5 Andrew Goodwin Part 1

Blog 5 Andrew Goodwin Part 1

 Andrew Goodwin identified 5 key aspects of music videos that the audience should look out for. These are things such as: thought beats which means seeing the sound and the idea that the voice of the artist may demonstrate the meaning of the song lyrics in a different way depending on how the sing them, and narrative and performance, which means that people understand the gist of the song but often interpret the meaning in our own way and this is assisted with the indirect association of the music video.
 Another of Goodwin's five key aspects is the star image which he described as the progression of the artist over time and how they play an important role in the production process. Goodwin also said that the relation of visuals to song is important. This is how music videos use images to relay the meanings of the song and lyrics. His final key aspect was the technical aspects by which he meant the effect and the uses of the camera angles and shots as well as the lighting and mise-en-scene of the music video. 

Andrew Goodwin said that pop videos consist of dance routines or stories whereas rock videos show performances. This is true as can be seen in the videos of the "Foo Fighters" compared to "Ariana Grande".