Planning artist image

Planning artist image

Why is an artist's image important within a music video?
An artist's image is one of the most important elements of a music video. Not only does it help identify the genre of music the artist creates, but it portrays their values in which they are seen to be role models for their target audience. Dyer's star theory also suggests that the star must be simultaneously ordinary so that they are relatable, yet extraordinary for the consumer. This is something that we considered when discussing our artists image. However, some artist's portray a diverse image in order to stand out from other artists of the same genre. A diverse image may promote certain ideologies. An example of this is Rihanna, she wears diverse, wacky outfits which in turn starts a fashion trend and her fan imitate similar clothing. Also different colours are used to connote different meanings for example, the colour red would be worn in order to symbolize love or evil etc. The colour white connotes the idea of innocence or even vulnerability.

How is you artist going to be represented in your music video? costume hair etc
In order for the target audience to be able to build a relationship with are artist, they need to be able to relate to them. Therefore we decided as a group that the artist will be represented as an ordinary person. Through mise-en-scene elements such as costume the artist will appear to dress like an 'ordinary' person through their casual clothing. This is also a convention of a pop music video, therefore the music video will be following stereotypical genre conventions. The artist will be seen wearing outfits such as jeans, checked shirt and converse. The male target audience will therefore be able to relate to the artist as this is something that they would wear themselves. Throughout the performance within the music video the artist will be seen wearing various designer items of clothing. For example when the artist is seen to be singing at Dover, he is wearing a Superdry jacket. This connotes the artists status to the audience and showing that he is fashionable and follows the stereotypical trends.

How is the image conventional to your music genre?
The image is conventional to the music genre as pop artists are often shown to look like ordinary people in order to allow the audience to relate to them. Our music video also conforms to Richard Dyers Star theory as the artist is presented ordinary however extraordinary for the consumer through the use of designer items of clothing. It symbolizes that the artist is wealthy and sets a fashion trend in which the target audience then goes on to imitate.

What effect does this have with creating a relationship with your target audience?
The artist image is effective in allowing the target audience to build up a relationship with the artist as they are able to relate to him. By making the artist look ordinary through the use of casual clothing, the artist is not presented superior to the audience in anyway are are seen as the 'person next door'. The target audience therefore positively respond to the artists down to earth approachable nature as they feel they are able to relate and understand where they are coming from. Diverse artists prevent the audience from building up a relationship with them as they are unable to relate to the narrative and cannot empathize with them.

Research into chosen artist

Research into chosen artist

      As a group we decided to create a music video using a recently established artist James Arthur. He is a upcoming artist who is the winner to one of the most watched talent shows, theX factor. James Arthur is a artist that we all like as a group and is a pop artist; this is the genre of music that we decided wanted to create a music video for as we all listen to the music genre. Due to winning the X factor, he released a winning single 'Impossible' which is going to be the song choice for our music video. 

      James Arthur was born on the 2nd of March in 1988. He is a British singer who won the ninth series of one of the most watched talents shows The X Factor. Following his victory, James Arther was signed to Simon Cowell's record label 'Syco' in which he then went on to release his debut single 'Impossible'. This reached number one in the UK singles Charts within the first week of release. The song also peaked at number one in Ireland, two in Australia, New Zealand and Switzerland, and eight in Slovakia. Overall he sold 2.5 million copies of this single making him the second best selling The X Factor's winning single of all time. He then went on to release his album which featured another one of his singles 'Your nobody 'til somebody loves you'.

James Arthur - 'Your nobody 'till somebody loves you'

        

Artist music video analysis
      In the music video 'Your nobody 'til somebody loves you' the artist is seen to be represented as an ordinary person. This is done through mise-en-scene elements such as costume. The artist is seen to be wearing a shirt, jeans and some boots. This is effective as the audience view him as an ordinary person and therefore they feel as though they can relate to the artist. However the artist is further represented as extraordinary as he is seen to be positioned above the rest of the community on stage with a band. Therefore this connotes that the artist has a higher status than the rest of the characters in the video making him appear extraordinary for the consumer. Therefore the music video is seen to conform to Dyer's star theory.

      Genre characteristics are shown through the style of the music video. The video consists 60% is performance based and 40% is narrative based which is a generic convention of a pop music video. This is evident as the artist is seen to be singing on stage with a band and backing singers. Close ups and mid shots are used throughout the music video enabling the audience to see the artists emotions through his facial expressions; this in turn allows them to build up a relationship with the artist. There is evidence of a narrative as when the artist is seen to start sing on the stage, different members of the community gather around to watch his performance. This further portrays the artists image as a friends, welcoming, community person to the target audience. It also shows that he doesn't perceive himself to be better than them people due to his fame.

      There is evidence of Goodwin's theory as there is voyeuristic treatment of the females body. Through the narrative, a number of camera shots are used to show images of female members of the community. Mise-en-scene elements such as costume shows the women to be wearing tight fitted crop tops, or low cut tops. This is effective in attracting a broad audience as not only does the artist have a female fan base, but it attracts a male target audience. There is further evidence of Goodwin's theory as there is evidence of a relationship between the lyrics and visuals. When the artist is seen to be singing 'Stone cold heart' a mid shot is used to show two females standing over a fire. The effect of this is that the audience are able to gain a better understanding of the connotations and hidden meanings of the song.

     The target audience of the music video ranges from young teenagers to adults. This is visible as the characters used in the music video vary from this age group. Therefore the same aged target audience are more likely to relate to the people in the video and the narrative. The artist is seen to be wearing black which is not a gender specific colour, therefore it suggests that the target audience is broad in terms it attracts both males and females.

      Common camera shots used through out the music video is long shots. This is effective as it highlights the positioning of the artist. When the artist is seen to be performing he is seen to be standing in the centre of the stage. This is effective as it allows the audience to focus of the artist and connotes his status. A tracking shot was also used at the beginning of the music video that contributed to this. The artist was seen to be walking down the street towards the stage. Slow pace editing was used to focus the audiences attention on the artist and highlight his presence through the neighborhood.

     The research into my chosen artist I conducted will assist me with planning my own music video as it is evident that the artists music videos conforms to the stereotypical conventions of a pop music video. Therefore this is something that I will  consider when I plan my music video. I have also gained a better understanding of the artists image and how he is represented as a ordinary person. This is also something that I would like to use when creating the music video as it is effective in allowing the target audience to relate to the artist.

Planning lighting and colour

Planning lighting and colour

Why is lighting and colour important within a music video?
Lighting is important within a music video as it connotes the different moods and atmosphere of the song. Like Goodwin's theory suggested,  music videos should display a correlation between the music and the visuals. If the song is positive, upbeat and the lyrics are portraying the artist to be happy then it is conventional for high- key lighting to be used. This is because it creates a feel good atmosphere for the audience, which coincides with the beat and lyrics of the song. However if the song is slow and has negative connotations then low key lighting is used to symbolize the artist emotions. This therefore creates a dull atmosphere the is parallel to the music. One artist that conforms to this is Bruno Mars. He used low-key lighting to connote his emotions of sadness.

Colour is also important with in a music video as different colours display various connotations of the characters and implies hidden meanings. For example female are often shown to be wearing colours of red in order to connote promiscuity, passion, danger etc or even display values such as rebellion. One artist in particular that uses this is Miley Cyrus. Miley Cyrus is often seen to be wearing bright red lipstick to coincide with her rebellious, sexualised image.

What styles of lighting will you include and why? What effect does it create?
At the beginning of the music video, we are going to use low key lighting to establish the artist. Various camera shots will be used to show the artist sitting in a simplistic dark room under a spotlight. We decided that it would be more effective to use low-key lighting as it enables the audience to focus of the artist rather than the location and therefore see the artists talent. This would immediately show the artists image representing him as an ordinary person through his clothing enabling the audience to feel as though they are able to relate to the artist. However, through long shots the audience will be able to see the artist playing the guitar; this conforms to Dyer's star theory as the audience will therefore see that he is extraordinary. Through close ups and mid shots the audience are therefore able to build up a relationship with the artist through his facial expressions.

However, in the white cliffs of Dover scene we are going to use high-key lighting. The reasoning for this is because we are going to show flashbacks of the couple when they were together. The lighting will therefore connote that the couple were happy which is a convention to a pop music video. This scene will also consist of the artist performing where naturalistic lighting will be used. This is so that it connotes that the artists is reminiscing over the memories he once had at that location.

Another scene that is going to be used in the music video is where a tower of cards is going to be set on fire. This will be done in a dark room which will be effective in creating a contrast between the fire. The connotations to the low-key lighting will show the emotions of the artist. The fire is symbolic for the pain and hurt felt between the characters and that their relationship has fallen apart.

What colours will you include and why? effect?
Different colour are used as they all have different connotations and hidden meanings. In our music video the female will be seen to wear elements of black. This is effective as it forebodes that she is the reason to why the relationship will as the narrative reveals that she cheated on him. When the couple are shown to be in a flash back that is in an indoor setting, the female will be wearing an element of red. This will highlight to the audience the connotations of love and passion, as the couple are happy, however it will also symbolize danger or even anger.This is conventional in a music video as the characters other than the artist are often portray to be the 'bad guy'. This is because the artist is represented as the role model as Dyer suggested, and therefore the audience are able to relate to what the artist is shown to go through.

The artist however is going to be seen wearing elements of white. This will connote to the audience the artist innocence. This is also effective as it is not a gender specific colour. Therefore when attracting the target audience it doesn't limit it to a certain gender. This is conventional to see in a music video as the artist wanted to get the largest target audience as possible in order to increase their popularity.

How does it help to build a relationship with your target audience?
The target audience are therefore able to build up a relationship with the artist as they are able to relate to the emotions shown through various colours.  The colours used all have hidden connotations and therefore they are able to get a better understanding of the characters and the narrative making the music video seem to be realistic.

Planning setting & iconography

Planning setting and iconography

What is the purpose of settings and iconography?
The purpose of settings and iconography in a music video is that is conveys the style of the video and helps portray different meanings/connotations to the lyrics. These mise-en-scene elements are massively effective in helping the audience get a better understanding of the message of the song as it gives them some context. It also helps identify the genre of the song and artist in which the settings and iconography either conforms or subverts.

Settings are a significant feature in a music video as it gives the audience firstly some context, and secondly could help show the relationships between the characters.Like Goodwin's theory suggests, most music videos will display a relationships between the lyrics and the visuals. Therefore certain locations connote the emotions felt by the artist which is portrayed to the audience. For example locations such as a beach is a conventional location that is used to show a young couple spending time with each other. This highlights to the audience the significance of the location and it could show the artist emotions of being happy or in love. Settings are also important as the audience want to be able to relate to the narrative, therefore realism is created through the choice of conventional locations in the music video.

Iconography is significant in music videos as it is used to connote certain representations. In some music videos, iconography is used to establish the artists image and the genre on their music. It also can be used to show whether the artist conforms or subverts the genre of their music and gives the audience a better understanding of the narrative. One example of a pop artist who is diverse is Lady Gaga. Through the use of iconography, she used coke cans as rollers for her hair following the narrative that she is in prison. This is unusual and subverts generic pop conventions and therefore the audience can see how she differs from other pop artists.

What settings will you include and why? 
The of the most significant setting that we decided to use in our music video is the white cliffs of Dover. We chose this location to show elements of both performance and narrative based. The artist of our music video will be show to perform on the cliffs of Dover in which a flash back will be used to show some narrative. This will represent the significance of the location as it will show the the artist the female at the same location when they were happy. The connotations of the white cliffs will be used to symbolize the couple when they were in love, which will show a contrast to the present day which the artist is shown to reminisce over the fond memories the couple once had.

Another location that is going to be used in our music video is a simplistic dark room. This is going to be used to establish the artist at the beginning of the song. Mise-en-scene elements such as low key lighting is going to be used to focus the audience attention on the artist making him the main focal point. The effects of the room being simplistic means that the audience are able to reflect on the artists talent and through close up camera shots, the audience will in turn build up a relationship with the artist.

A further location that will feature in our music video is a bedroom. This will be used to show the context of the music video through some narrative. The artist and female will be shown in a flashback happy playing cards in the bedroom. This location is significant as it shows the positive close relationship between the characters, whilst showing the contrast between couple when they were happy in the past. The use of the bedroom will also be effective as it will show voyeuristic treatment of the females body, therefore conforming to Goodwin's theory. This is going to be shown through close up camera shots of the female that will feature in the music video.

What iconography will you include and why?
The most prominent elements of iconography that is going to be used in the music video is cards. This is going to be shown when the couple are in the bedroom playing a game of cards. Different cards such as the king and queen are representations of the male and female characters in the music video.  The cards are shown to be symbolic of the relationship. The female plays the artist by cheating on him as if the relationship is a game. Further along the video the cards are going to be set on fire, symbolizing the relationship falling apart and how the love has burned out. This is significant as it shows connotations of the artists emotions. IT portrays the pain and hurt felt from the relationship allowing the audience to relate to the narrative.

A Further piece of iconography that will be used in the music video is the artists guitar. This is effective as it is a generic convention of a pop music video which highlights the artists talent. Close up camera shots are going to be used throughout the performance element of the music video showing the artist playing the guitar. This is significant as it shows the artist be ordinary and extraordinary, therefore our music video will conform to Dyer's Star theory.

How is your settings and iconography conventional to your music genre?
A convention of a pop music video is that through the narrative, context is shown to give the audience a better understanding of the lyrics. One theory in particular that suggests this is Goodwin's theory. He believed that a music video should show a correlation between the lyrics and the visuals. Therefore through various flashbacks our locations will show a contrast between when the couple were happy and in love to when they were playing each other. Connotations and symbolism of the iconography is conventional to the music genre as it gives the audience a better understanding of the song and the emotions felt by the artist. Therefore the settings and iconography that is going to be used in our music video is conventional to the music genre as they conform to generic pop conventions.

How does it build a relationship with your target audience?
Mise-en-scene elements such as location and iconography are effective in allowing the audience to build up a relationship with the artist. The scene in the dark room allows the audience to focus on the artist and his talent as it consists of low key lighting. Close up camera shots will be used to show the artists facial expressions conveying the emotions felt by the lyrics to the audience. Therefore they are able to relate to these feeling and build up a relationship. Close up camera shots also focuses the audiences attention on the artists talent which also grips the audiences attention.