Music Video - Behind The Scenes:

Below is a video from my group's filming day which we uploaded to YouTube. It shows an insight into how we filmed with Lois, who plays the main female character in our music video. It also demonstrates how useful the storyboard which we created was to us as it inspired us to create scenes and use close-ups of Lois getting ready and doing her make-up. This is to emphasise that she cared about her boyfriend, put time and effort into pleasing him, but is continually let down which creates a sense of catharsis for viewers. Discussions and evidence of this can be seen in the video below:



The second YouTube video below is made up of more different clips that myself and my group member, Amber, also filmed during the days we have used to create our music video. Some of the footage won't be used in our actual A2 production, as they may be referred to as bloopers, however, it's interesting to analyse and learn from to see what we have done during our production stages. For example, by viewing the video below you will be able to see more evidence of how my group has took planning for our production seriously, so there will be noticeable links between these outtakes, our final production and our ancillary tasks.

Music Video Storyboard:

Creating a storyboard is an important part of planning when creating a media production like my group's music video. It provides with guidelines and ideas with what you want to achieve. This is why we drew what scenes we thought we would like to film and wrote what camera shots and other details we would like to include in them underneath the pictures. The different sections of my storyboard can be viewed below:

Music Video Risk Assessment and Shooting Schedule:

Risk Assessments are an important part of planning for any media production. This is why my group completed one for our music video. By using it we were able to assess any threats we could face and how we would get rid of them and reduce the chances of them ever occurring. For example, if we are walking on slippery surfaces, such as a boggy field, we need to wear sensible clothing. The assessment can be viewed below:

 








We also filled in a shooting schedule. This is another example which proves planning is important. It provides you with an insight into what you want to/need to/should do and directs you to 'fill in the lines,' which you have put into place. In this case, my group knew we wanted the music video to focus mainly on our female character so having locations like her bedroom and a dressing room, as well as props like her clothes and make-up were important to use in relation to mise-en-scene. The schedule can be seen underneath:

Music Video Location Scouting and Props:

                                                                      Locations:

My group thought a lot about what locations we should film at and include in our music video in order to establish the mise-en-scene. We considered locations including our houses, our bedrooms, parks and fields. Since my sister was away for a while, with her permission, I thought her bedroom would be most convenient to film in to represent our female character's bedroom. I also thought it would be good to film my parents' dressing room where we could retrieve close-ups and mid-shots of female character getting ready. Since we decided my house would be really useful to feature in our music video I also suggested filming the views from my house, filming scenes in my garden, and in a park or field near by. Below are some of the shots I captured of my house which may be featured in our A2 media production:

My sister's bedroom.

My sister's bedroom.

My parents' dressing room.

My parents' dressing room.

Views from my house.

Views from my house.

My garden.

Props:

We also considered different props which would look really effective and create different links within our music video.  I knew I had a lot of different decorations and ornaments in my home which have connotations of love and the loss of it. As a result, I thought they would be perfect for our video. Pictures of these are featured below:

Time may be important to include.  

A link to the name of 'our' song, "Desire." 

Connotations of love and life being like a box containing unknown surprises.

Heart decorations linking to love.

Metaphorical design: Lack of love.

Light can symbolise hope. Blowing it out: the loss of it and the end of the characters' relationship.

One Page Pitch for our Music Video:

Overview: 

Our song choice and themes: 

 My group member and I's song choice is Years & Years' song "Desire." We think that this will be a great song because it can connote a multitude of things whilst revolving around the central theme of love which we think every type of viewer could relate to. This is why I think that we could create an interesting narrative following the journey of a main female character who is going through a confusing time and different emotions due to her relationship. Lyrics from in the song including, "Is it desire?" Or Is it love that I'm feeling for you?" would, therefore, fit really well with these ideas.

Target audience:

I think our A2 media production will be aimed towards a relatively young, active audience. Due to the pop/dance/electronic song and a narrative which explores a relationship/the breaking down of a relationship we think our music video will be aimed towards teenagers and young adults. These are people between the ages of sixteen and twenty-four. Because of this, I think they would share the video with their friends on social media, which would mean more people would view it and hopefully become our ‘fans’ if we were real artists. I believe that this is the case due to also fitting into this age bracket and asking people I know about how they would view and ‘use’ my group’s video.

Filming and Editing Skills we need to use:

My group would like to create a modern, vibrant and high-quality production reflecting situations today’s youth can relate to, as my group are a part of it. To do this we would really like to work with good quality cameras which we can use and develop our skills with in order to film footage to the best of our abilities. We would also like to include a range of camera shots, like establishing shots, close ups, extreme close ups, mid shots and others which relate to our video’s narrative. Since we have analysed real media products like Calvin Harris and Disciples’s music video for their song, “How Deep Is Your Love,” we would like to incorporate colourful, vibrant and therefore, eye-catching scenes, especially since they reflect the conventions of our song’s genre. This would mean we would have to work with green screens and use features in Adobe Premiere Pro as part of editing to change the colour schemes of our footage because we really like Gigi Hadid's colourful scenes in their video. 

Our One Page Pitch Video:

Music Video Ideas:

I used www.mindmeister.com to create a mindmap which describes our ideas, thoughts and feelings about what I think we could use in our music video. These ideas relate to our potential audience, the characters, the narrative, camera shots, editing and mise-en-scene. The mind map can be viewed below:

  

Music Video Ideas: by Calum Mc

Calvin Harris Music Video Analysis:

An analysis of the music, mise-en-scene, camera shots and editing used for the music video, "How Deep Is Your Love." This can be viewed below. An explanation for why and how it relates to my group member and I's project as well as the evaluation can be viewed in the presentation below the music video:

 

Calvin Harris & Disciples - How Deep Is Your Love (Music Video Analysis): from CalumMc

Years & Years Website Analysis:

In order to create our website I thought it would be best to study more artist's websites. The group I chose was suitably the artists of our single choice, Years & Years. I thought it would be beneficial to learn from them and see what strategies they use in order to advertise their brand and their music to existing fans and news fans. To do this I created a presentation on www.powtoon.com:

Single covers comparisons:

Years & Years' single cover for their song Desire is really interesting as it is a combination of colourful, morphed illustration. I think the alternate and fragmented illustrations show different emotional depictions such as screaming and sadness. Since this makes it look like a type of uneven jigsaw, I think this shows the painful separation of people who are in love and therefore the effects of gaining/losing 'desire.' Since it is also a multitude of different colours I think this also shows the different 'shades' of desire which links to the different emotions people can feel. The colour of the typography is also of significance too since it is red, this may connote a sense of danger that desire can lead to as well, which is emphasised by it being bold.

I really like Discloure and Lorde's single cover for their song "Magnets." I think it's interesting because it combines a simple three/four tone colour palette (black, white and two shades of blue) within and outside the boundaries of a symbolic and iconic illustration. This illustration is a drawing of the featured artist Lorde. What is iconic about the cover is the white drawing of the "Lorde's" face. In fact this is the same face used for Disclosure's single and album covers. It has become their trademark. What I find interesting about this, is it's symbolism. 

The colour blue symbolises sadness whilst the colours black and white are binary opposites. This therefore symbolises opposition which links to the song as it is about the separation of people in a relationship. The colours therefore connote a sense of sorrow as a result of separation which the song is about. It's also important to consider that the 'face' lacks character, it is anonymous and involute, it could reflect anyone and could BE anyone. This makes the cover and therefore the song so real, interesting and intriguing. I also like the different typography used, especially the swirled font used for the name of the song. This is something we could take into account in making our album cover, in order to make it look more interesting.

When creating our single and album covers I think it would be important if my group partner and I to consider both of these covers even if we didn't use one of these tracks for our music video. This is because both of these covers are really interesting and connote really thought provoking and intriguing meanings. I'd like it if we morphed different images and created some sort of collage a bit like Years & Years have done, but also think about the colour scheme and typography like Disclosure and Lorde did too. This research has definitely been useful and inspirational.

Single choice comparisons:

Years & Years – Desire:

Desire is the band's fifth single. It was written by the group's members and singer-songwriter Kid Harpoon. As well as also being produced by the group, it was produced by music producer and songwriter Two Inch Punch. The song was recorded and released in 2014. It's official release in the UK as a digital download was the 23rd of November. It successfully peaked at number 22 on the UK Singles Chart. It's length is 3:25, which means, as it is reasonably long our music video needs to be interesting and captivating. It could possibly involve scenes connected to someone's personal journey and their gain/loss of love.

As the track is connected to the synthpop/electronica genre it means it is a dance track which needs to be reflected in our music video if we picked this track. Therefore, the video should include elements typical of music videos for these genres, which include fast-cuts, quick transitions and scenes which are morphed together. We chose to consider this track as we are fans of the group and this song’s catchiness.

Disclosure & Lorde’s – Magnets:

"Magnets" is a single by Disclosure and features Lorde's vocals. It was released from the group's second album Caracal as their third promotional single. The date of release was the 23rd of September 2015 under Disclosure's record labels Island Records and PMR Records. The song was written by these artists as well as singer-songwriter Jimmy Napes. The single became Disclosure’s most successful song in New Zealand and Australia. This could possibly be because of Lorde who is from New Zealand and became a worldwide viral sensation with her single "Royals" in 2013. Their collaboration peaked in these countries at No. 2 and No. 14. This meant it became their highest charting song in these countries. It was also a noticeable success in America as it became their first single to make an impact on alternative and adult alternative radio.

As it is also quite long since it is 3 minutes and 19 seconds long and is linked to the deep house, UK garage, synthpop, tropical house genres my group partner and I would also need to consider creating a music video suitable for this dance track. Since the song contains lyrics which have connotations to the loss of love, such as “melting magnets” which connotes the slow separation between people it could also contain quick transitions between scenes showing someone’s sad, personal journey. I am a personal fan of these artists and this song and thought it would be worth comparing for our choice of track.

Textual Analysis - Years & Years' "Desire" Music Video:

I created a textual analysis using Microsoft Powerpoint and uploaded it onto www.slideshare.com. It was really useful as it allowed me to explore the aspects of sound, mise-en-scene, camera shots and editing which are apart of the video. Since my group may want to use Years & Years' song for our A2 media production this is an important part of research as it has helped to expand our knowledge on how real artists create music videos cleverly and professionally. Due to this, it has influenced our thoughts and opinions about how we will create ours. My Slideshare presentation can be viewed below:

"Desire" Music Video Analysis: from CalumMc

Years & Years Case Study:

Years & Years are an all-male trio who were founded originally as a five piece, British electronica band in London. The band is made up of the keyboard playing frontman and lead singer Olly Alexander, Mikey Goldsworthy who plays bass guitar and Emre Türkmen who also plays keyboard. The two past members are Noel Leeman and Olivier Subria. Their music has been thought of as being electropop, whilst being mixed with 1990s house and R&B sounds. Genres attached to the them include synthpop, indie pop and electronica. This is a result of their influences who include the dance music producers Flying Lotus, Diplo, Jai Paul and Radiohead.

Years & Years have become more successful with each music release. After releasing three singles, the band impressed Polydor Records, a britsh record label and company operating as part of the Universal Music Group. This resulted in them signing to the label and relasing their fourth single under them, "Take Shelter." This resulted in their EP reaching number one on the iTunes UK Singles Electronic Chart.

In January 2015, their sixth single called King was previewed on BBC Radio 1. One of the radio hosts Zane Lowe named it the Hottest Record of the day. In the same month they also won a prestigious award, the BBC Sound of 2015 award. In March of that year, their single was also a success as it reached number one on the UK singles chart. Then on the 18th their success grew with an announcement of their first album, "Communion." It ended up also reaching number 1 when it entered the UK Albums Chart. They have also won many awards including MTVu's Artist To Watch Award in 2014 and Gaffa's Best New International Artist Act and Attitude's Album of the Year awards in 2015. 

Textual Analysis - Disclosure and Lorde's "Magnets" Music Video:

Since Disclosure's and Lorde's song "Magnets" is a potential song chose for my A2 music video I thought it would be beneficial to also analyse their music video for it. By creating a textual analysis where I was able to evaluate the song, camera shots, editing and mise-en-scene I was able to learn more about the song and how it links to the video. I really liked that these features create contrasts between the characters in relation to love and the loss of it. This has inspired me and made me think about what my group will do to create an interesting and professional looking video. My powerpoint which I made on Microsoft Powerpoint, which I then uploaded on www.slideshare.com can be seen below:

"Magnets" Music Video Analysis: from CalumMc

Lorde Case Study:

Ella Yelich-O'Connor is now better known by her stage name Lorde. She is a New Zealand singer-songwriter. The genres of music include art pop, dream pop, indie pop, electro pop and indietronica. In her early teens, she signed with Universal Music Group and was later paired with the songwriter and record producer Joel Little, who has co-written and produced most of Lorde's releases.

In the middle of 2013, Lorde released her debut single "Royals". It became an international hit and made Lorde the youngest solo artist to achieve a US number-one single on the Billboard Hot 100 since 1987. Later on in 2013, she released her debut studio album, Pure Heroine. The record topped the charts of New Zealand and Australia and reached number three on the US Billboard 200. Its following successful singles include "Tennis Court", "Team", "No Better" and "Glory and Gore."

Lorde would be an exciting artist to study, as I'm a fan of her, as well as Disclosure and their song. I think that her achievement of becoming so popular at such a young age is inspirational and something that may be important to learn from. As a group, thinking as an artist is important in creating a music video and website. Therefore, my choosing a catchy song and thinking about the audience(s) who would like it is important, as if we were a real duo, we could replicate Lorde's blueprint of also becoming young, mainstream artists. I also like that in her and Disclosure’s music video for their single, she appears, acts and lip-syncs in it. This shows that artists who combine theatre with music are popular, with examples such as her, Gaga and Madonna also proving this.

Disclosure Case Study:

Disclosure are an English electronic music duo consisting of brothers Howard and Guy Lawrence. The siblings grew up in Surrey. Their music which is related to genres such as house, deep house, UK garage, future garage, UK funky and synth-pop has reached international success. This has been helped by acts they’ve worked with such as Sam Smith, AlunaGeorge, Eliza Doolittle and Jessie Ware.
Their debut album, "Settle," which was released in 2013 was nominated for Best/Electronic Album at the 2016 Grammy Awards. They most recently released a second studio album, "Caracal," on 25 September 2015 which was also nominated for best

Disclosure could be a captivating duo to study as they are really unique and different to other artists and duos which exist and have existed. I think that my group may be able to learn beneficial lessons from them in terms of how to market singles and create music videos. For example, I think that it's interesting that the pair are rarely in their music videos, yet they are still popular and are a mainstream success. Therefore, although the may not have famous faces, their artist name is.

Artist and Single choice Ideas:

In order to explore which artists and which of their songs my group could choose for our project I thought it would be best to create a mind map of ideas. This was created on www.bubble.us and can be viewed below.  

Analysing The Dance Music Industry:

Below is a Prezi Presentation about the research I  have found about the dance music industry. Some of this research can be found from the following website: Dance Music Industry Information.. I feel that this information has been beneficial learn about as the song choices my group have been thinking about, like "Desire" by Years & Years relate to the dance music genre. From what I have learned I think that if we were real artists, we would be able to to gain a large audience for it, since dance music is growing in popularity, especially if we had a record label as that would be beneficial to help promote it. As well as this, the use of social media and music sharing platforms online also seem incredibly important. When creating our ancillary task in the form of our website, I think it would, therefore, be important to include social media links so that we can gain and maintain a growing fandom.

Marketing Music Videos:

The research I found out about the marketing of music videos is useful as it will help my group in completing tasks for the A2 part of my media course. It helps us understand how beneficial a music video is in promoting a track. As part of the course we also need to create a website. This research suggests that websites are also really important for artists as it helps to promote artists and their songs. If an artist is signed to a record label, they would help them create one so they reach a wider audience. When we create the website, we will have to bear in mind these things so we know how to promote "our" brand and "our" song. Realistically, artists could offer outlets for listeners to listen and stream a song like on Spotify, iTunes and Beatport so we need to bear this in mind too.

I found out that the marketing process by some record labels can affect an artist's album artwork, single artwork and music video. Examples of this include Hussle Recordings, Monstercat and Spinnin' Records. They are record labels which use their logos on artworks for albums as a way of promoting their brands. This is a great tactic as it allows audiences to see their label when new music from them is released which allows them to become more easily recognised and music of the genre relating to the label becoming more well known. This is something which my group should consider as we would want out track and music video to be promoted successfully.

Other ways artists market, promote and advertise themselves and their media products which I have researched about are stated below:

Marketing, Promotion and Advertising: by Calum McDermott

Music Video Regulation:

The British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) regulate music videos. They do this through the use of age ratings. An age rating is a guideline for an audience and the guardians of viewers as a suggestion for what is or isn't suitable for someone for their age group.

The associate editor of the Sunday Times, Krissi Murison, was interviewed about music video regulation on Radio 4's Today Programme. She said that to regulate music videos it could work with parent supervision if it was constant, although she's not fully convinced.

Full censorship?

Alternatively, full censorship of music videos could be introduced. However, it seems that there are loopholes to the recent introduction of this as it is a problem for artists since censorship can reduce their exposure. For example, when Rihanna's music video for her song Bitch Betta Have My Money was released it was censored so much that only users with a YouTube account who had verified they were aged 18 or over could view it. This meant normal internet viewers could not see the music video or hear the song whilst watching it. This resulted in the eventual introduction of warning signs added before the video which allowed normal users to see the video. Although there is an element of censorship it makes it pointless since anyone of any age can still watch the video.

One example when censorship has been implemented to the extreme was on the music video for M.I.A's song Born Free. It included the mass genocide of ginger people. This resulted in the video completely being banned from YouTube, which meant it could only be seen on Vevo. This could be because of it possibly being viewed as having racist themes.

The blurred lines of regulation:

Another example of extreme censorship was in relation to the very controversial music video for Robin Thicke's, T.I.'s and Pharell's collaboration "Blurred Lines." In the uncut version of the video it featured topless models. This resulted in it being removed from YouTube as a result of it violating it's terms in relating to nudity. However, it was later restored, but with an age restriction proving once again that censorship can be devalued. A second clean version was also uploaded on Robin's YouTube channel, possibly as a result of the backlash.

Lily Allen responded to Blurred Lines with her music video for her first single from her most recent album called "It's Hard out Here." Many see this as a feminist anthem rebelling against misogynistic views such as those expressed in Robin's video. In response to his balloons featured in the video which spelled “Robin Thicke has a big dick,” she used satire to express her negative views on it by including balloons in her video which spelled "Lily Allen has a baggy pussy."

Lily Allen also caused controversy in relation to censorship for herself later on for the music video for her third single, "Our Time." This is because MTV said they wanted a clean version of it. Lily responded to this by saying, "MTV want to ban the 'Our Time' video during the daytime, unless they get a clean edit that shows you a) NOT DRINKING FROM A FLASK and b) NOT DISPLAYING ANTISOCIAL BEHAVIOUR FROM DRINKING BY FIGHTING WITH THE HOT DOG. I told the label we are NOT making a clean version of the video."

My thoughts:

I agree with what Lily is saying because compared to other music videos it only shows mild taboo in a comical and satirical light which most people are used to anyway. I think that this research proves complete/extreme censorship is impossible. This is usually because of the artist's rebelling against it. Although there are certain themes in music videos like nudity I wouldn't want younger people seeing so I feel like age restrictions should be strict. I think this would be a suitable solution.

Peter Fraser’s 10 steps to Music Video success:

In an article named "10 Steps To Success" in the MediaMagazine, Pete Fraser, the principle examiner, wrote about the 10 crucial steps which help to make a successful music video for the A2 course. This article is really useful because it explained in detail what I should and shouldn't do so that I can make an original and really good music video. I will therefore need to consider these steps throughout the creative process for it which are labelled and explained on the mind-map I created on www.mindmeister.com below:

Ten Steps to Music Video Success: by Calum Mc

The Making of Music Videos:

Below is a detailed Powtoon presentation inspired by information from: The Making of Videos Information. The article is a step by step guide to making a successful video. I am now informed of each stage I should take, any issues which could occur and things I hadn't previously thought about like legal issues. This was really interesting to learn about as it helped to inform and inspire me and my group member in thinking of our ideas for our music video. Hopefully, it will be beneficial for us.

Audience Theory and Textual Analysis - Male Gaze Theory and "Baby Baby Baby" Music Video:

Laura Mulvey’s Male Gaze theory is a type of deconstructive theory. This means it is a completion of ideas which analyse why and how people behave. In 1975 she created it from noticing women in music videos are filmed indifferently to men. She believes they have different expectations of what they should look and act like. For example, the media focuses on the weight of women and see being thin in a positive light and being bigger negatively. As a result, she explains that when we are watching music videos which focus regularly on the bodies of women when they are in them, we are watching them through a heterosexual male’s perspective which is called voyeurism.

The main features of ‘The Male Gaze’ theory include:

1. The representation of women as a sexual fantasy and from a heterosexual male point of view
2. Scopophilia: The pleasure involved in looking at other peoples bodies
3. Objectification of female characters
4. Representing a patriarchal society
5. Showing an active male and passive female: Meryl Streep, a part of the film Suffragette said only 15% of films have lead female characters. Until recently it wasn’t unusual for the actors and make-up artists to be the only females on set
6. Men are shown as being dominant and controlling
7. Women as an image
8. Men do the looking and women are there to be looked at
9. Meeting the needs of the male ego

An overview of this Theory which I made on www.mindmeister.com:

The Male Gaze Theory: by Calum Mc

An example of a music video where this theory can be applied:

Make The Girl Dance's "Baby Baby Baby" Music Video which is mentioned on the mind map above shows features of the Male Gaze theory as it includes naked/semi-naked females who lip-sync along to provocative, French lyrics. Theorist Andrew Goodwin who says that the imagery and lyrics of music videos connect to one other would be proven right in this instance as the women’s sexualised appearances are emphasised through this connection. Due to the fact they sing in French, it could be implied that an immediate, stereotypical association between lyricism, women and sex can be made because of the popular, previously released song “Lady Marmalade,” in which sleeping with someone is a sung about topic in this language. This connection between the viewers and artists is known as a “spectacle,” which links to the objectification of these women.

Mid-shots are used to focus on the women undressing in public places, where men can be seen taking long stares at them. It is evident that Mulvey’s Male Gaze theory can therefore be applied as we view these women in a stereotypical, heterosexual view. This is highlighted by the fact the women walk towards the camera as they undress which feeds into the sexual fantasies of these men and also represents the women as a man’s object who are there to be looked at and enjoyed. Interestingly, this can be seen in the music video, since the reaction of men imply that they like seeing these undressed women, whilst other clothed women look shocked when they see them.

Audience Theory – The Life Matrix Theory:

A market research tool known as The Life Matrix is used to put different types of audiences in one of ten different categories like people described as "tribe wired" or "free birds." The categories can be viewed below on the mind-map I made using www.bubbl.us:

Applying it to my group's audience

I have applied this to my group's potential song choice ideas like our current favourite Desire by Years & Years. Due to the genre of the song which is classified as synth-pop I believe our audience for this song would be people who fit into either the tribe wired or fun/atics categories. This is because the song is connected to the young generations and modern, digital era since it is a relatively new development to the pop music sound stereotypically associated with mainstream pop music. Since this song could also fit into a dance music genre it may appeal to young people since they are stereotypically associated with partying, which fun seeking people may like, especially if they like dancing in clubs.

Audience Theory – Goodwin’s conventions of Music Videos:

Goodwin's Conventions Theory is about genre conventions and their stereotypical attributes. 
It looks at seven factors:

1) Links between lyrics and visuals

2) Characteristics of visuals

3) Intertextual references

4) Concepts of looking; similar to the Male Gaze theory

5) Voyeurism - the enjoyment of looking at the artist

6) Record label demands

7) Performance, concept or narrative based music videos.

I have researched into music videos which have tracks relating to at the synth-pop music genre like the music video for the song choice we’ll think my group will use which is "Desire" by Years & Years. In comparison to other music videos, it is noticeable that a different style of conventions are used. In their music video, a narrative is used which focuses on Olly Alexander, the main singer of the band performing. This means the video is mostly focused on him. Although there are therefore shots of the main artist, as well as other members of the band, some aren't very clear and other shots show scenes of different people. This shows that viewers don't always have a voyeuristic approach and there aren't always links between the lyrics and visuals. Since the lyrics and visuals occasionally don't match when the band is shown, there are links when scenes are used to show a couple going through a rough time due to their 'desire.'

Other artists with music videos of the same genre tend to follow the same conventions. They often have intertextual references for their niche viewers, there may be some links to visuals and lyrics, although there's usually a dependence on lip syncing to the lyrics. Graphic matches are also used a lot. For example, Eurhythmics are another synth-pop group. Their music video for their song "Sweet Dreams," like "Desire," follows concepts of looking at the artists as well as inconspicuous links between the visuals and lyrics. Although, due to the camera shots like fading shots and dissolving transitions used, a dream like state is created which does provide a link. 

Audience Theories – Uses and Gratifications Theory and The Dependency Theory:

I have researched and learned about the Uses and Gratifications Theory and the theorists who helped to create it, Blumler and Katz. Some of the information I used and was inspired by is from: Uses and Gratifications Theory Information. Information about it can be viewed below on the presentation I made on www.prezi.com:

The Dependency Theory:

Since Katz and Blumler's thoughts were considered, other uses and gratifications have been created due to the increase of different media forms such as the internet and video games. This can be explained by The Dependency Theory. It is a theory which is often associated with the Uses and Gratifications Theory since, in a sense, it as an extension of what is described. In 1976, Sandra Ball-Rokeach and Melvin DeFleur first described the theory. It helps to explain the correlating relationship between media content, the nature of society and the behaviour of audiences.

According to this the theory, it believes that people in urban societies have become dependent on mass consummation to help them receive the information they need to go about their everyday lives. Stephen Littlejohn explains it more in his ‘Theories of Human Communication’ book, “First you will become more dependent on media that meet a number of your needs than on media that provide just a few.” As everyone is different, what they depend on is different too. As a result, if a person finds something that has functions which fulfil their desire, they will be want to continue to use it.

These theories relate to the creation of my music video because they help us to understand how and what people who view it will respond to it and what they will they do with the messages it provides to them. The Uses and Gratifications Theory is beneficial because it has raised my awareness of how my music video may have important functions for people. For example, it will hopefully be a form of entertainment used to be enjoyable by viewers. As Blulmer and Katz stated, it may also be used as a diversion technique because of this.

The Dependency Theory has also informed me that since it will be uploaded on YouTube it may have more chance of becoming popular because there are people who depend on the internet as it helps them meet their needs too. Therefore, in relation to these theories and my knowledge, I can see that YouTube is a popular video-viewing platform which could be used by viewers as a form of diversion since it offers unlimited videos to watch and enjoy. This means mine could be one of them and people may use it for their uses and gratifications as well as depend on it to do so.

Audience Theories – Hebdige's Subculture Theory and Hall's Reception Theory:

Hebdige's Subculture Theory:

Hebdige is a theorist who created a theory about cultures in 1979. He researched into the evolution of cultures, subcultures and counter cultures. His theory identified sub and counter cultures mainly like the Punks and Rockers and the reasons behind their creation. These included their class, regional identity, ethnicity and background. Hebdige said that these counter cultures can be viewed as a symbolic type of resistance against mainstream culture and can be looked down on.

An example of this were the developments of raves in the 1990's. They were created as a result of young people gathering in places such as field where they played music and took drugs. The mainstream media judged this and laws were made to reduce these "problems."

This theory can be related to the audience of our song/music video as they may appeal to fans of pop and dance music. Although this music is considered to have a mainstream audience, older viewers may see them as being a counter-culture as it may be made up of younger generations. Because of this a negative stigma may be attached to younger people.

Hall's Reception Theory:

Hall's reception theory is how the audience view the music video and it's messages. These two theories can therefore be related to one another as it helps to broaden our knowledge about who and how people will react to music videos and my group's in particular. There are three readings that the audience may have to a music video:

- Dominant = the viewer accepts the points made in the video.

- Negotiated = the viewer partly accepts the points but may question elements of the video.

- Oppositional = the viewer totally rejects the points made in the video.

Audience Theory – Two Step Flow Theory:

Below is a Powtoon presentation which explains what the Two Step Flow Theory is and how it is important and beneficial to me in relation to my A2 media project:

Audience Theory – Media Reception Theory:

This is a theory which focuses around the concept that audience members are active. My research about it was inspired and collected from this website: Media Reception Theory Information. Information about what I have learned can be viewed on the Powerpoint Presentation which I uploaded onto www.slideshare.com below:

The Media Reception Theory: from CalumMc

Audience Theory – Hypodermic Syringe Model:

This model dates from the 1920s. It attempts to explain how mass audiences can react to mass media. It suggests that they are heterogeneous which means they passively accept what they view. It is believed that information is directly injected into everyone's minds from media texts somewhat like a syringe. Therefore, it is thought to be transmitted without any attempt to challenge it. 

Politicians, pressure groups and parents are often thought to agree and share beliefs connected with this theory in order to explain why groups in society should not be exposed to certain media texts such as horror movies and rap music. This is done out of the fear that when people listen to or watch them they will act upon the violent behaviour they see or hear.

“Evidence" to support this theory include an investigation by the psychologist Bandura and the Jamie Bulger murder case. Bandura conducted The Bobo Doll Experiment. It was an experiment involving children who watched a video of an adult violently attacking a clown. After this, the children were introduced to Bobo Dolls where they began also attacking them. This is believed to be proof of the model as it shows how people can act upon the violence they see via the media. 

Another example of this is the murder of a two-year-old boy named Jamie Bulger. He is believed to have been murdered by two ten-year-old boys after one may have watched a horror movie. This film was Childs Play 3, a movie famed for it's violent themes.

This is really interesting to learn about as it informs me that themes in my music video could have a big effect on viewers. After learning about this information I don’t think it’s always the case that violence in the media has an effect on viewers and if it does they are usually young. However, I don’t think it would be appropriate to include violence in my music video anyway. Although, it is still important to consider that the less potentially harmful themes I include in my video could still affect my viewers in different ways.

"Amy" – Audience Theory Links:

I’ve recently seen Asif Kapadia’s documentary “Amy” on the life and death of global superstar Amy Winehouse for the second time. The director combined footage and clips of her, her family and friends to reveal how her life was moulded from an unhappy childhood, to a chaotic media frenzy, to a tragic death. It is a tragic fact Amy has become part of the “27 Club,” which are group of celebrities such as Kurt Cobain, Jimi Hendrix and Jim Morrison died at the age of 27.

It documented how her intertwined addictions to love, drugs and alcohol resulted to her downfall. The power of the media was viewed within this documentary as it showed how her gradual rise to fame occurred and reached to the point that paparazzi followed her every move. This led to the media, such as newspapers and TV Shows like Jay Leno mocking her and her controversial habits.

We Media and theoretical links:

This is a case study for We Media. This is because, We Media, which is the phrase used to describe the relationship between the public and media, had evidently impacted Amy Winehouse's life.

Theorists can also be linked to it. For example, it could link to two Audience theories, one being the Cultivation Theory. This is a collection of ideas which suggests attitudes towards a certain person can be changed. How they are viewed, can be repetitively used to construct a reputation which the person in question may then feel the need to live too. As Amy is known for her frequent use of alcohol and drugs, it may be evident that the pressure of this constructed persona may have resulted in her living up to it more. Richard Dyer's Star Theory can also be applied to it. His theory was split into three categories:

1) Audiences and Institutions:
Stars are made for money purposes alone. Increasing the brand identity benefits the institution as they become a household name increasing sales in all of the media platforms they are in.  The institution then models the artist around the target audience they choose. For example, in Amy Winehouse's case she could have been moulded into a jazz singer, to a mainstream artist, to someone used purely for headlines.

2) Constitutions:
This is similar to the audience and institution part of his theory. 

3) Hegemony:
This is also known as "culture." It is the idea that the audience relates to the star because they have a feature they share or admire with the star. Some fans may attempt to replicate the star's image and behaviour. But, this could also be a negative impact as some stars may act controversially. In Amy Winehouse's case, many fans replicate her beehive hairstyle which has become an iconic representation of her. Many, may have also seen Amy's alcohol and drugs as something 'cool' at the beginning of her exposure too.

What I have learned:

It is evident that the public and media can become obsessed with people in the public eye. This obsession has resulted in the constant following of paparazzi which seem to constantly catch and scrutinise the behaviour of celebrities and their downfall. A tragic example would be Princess Diana’s heart-breaking death. She was continuously followed by the media until the day she died in a car crash. This was on such a large scale that their following was even considered to be a contributing factor in her death.

In the case of the musical world, another pop star to be considered would be Britney Spears’ and her “breakdown” in 2007. As a result of being a famous singer, she gained attention from paparazzi, but when her emotions ran high, mood swings developed and questionable actions were seen as a result of her, conveniently unmentioned bipolar disorder, they were constantly scrutinised as a result of the on growing media attention she constantly got.

In a recently released interview with NME, Justin Bieber revealed he watched the documentary on Amy. He compared himself and how he is viewed in the media to her and her maltreatment. Like Amy, the press mocked him and he faced a lot of backlash for his actions. Like Britney, he was caught lashing out, which became a viral obsession. J

Justin said of the documentary that he, “watched the Amy Winehouse documentary on the plane and had tears in my eyes because I could see what the media was doing to her, how they were treating her. People thought it was funny to poke her when she was at rock bottom, to keep pushing her down until she had no more of herself. And that's what they were trying to do to me". I thought this was really interesting as it shows how the media reacts to famous people and their actions. Although, I also believe it’s really sad they have the power to manipulate how celebrities are viewed, which is really cruel and an ongoing part of society. For example, Amanda Bynes’s controversial actions as a result of her bipolar disorder have recently come under scrutiny.