The artist my group and I have chosen is Avicii. We decided to
choose this artist as the songs he produces generally fall under the dance
genre which is a genre we all have a common interest in. The genre is also
targeted at our age group which is why we enjoy it and why we feel it would be
a good experience to create a music video to this genre, as we can put our own
input and expectations in as well as our audiences. We specifically chose to
use Avicii as our dance artist as the songs he releases perform quite well in
the chart and many teenagers and young adults are a fan of his songs and can
relate. Avicii has many hits however we chose to use the song ‘Wake me up’
which he released in 2013. We chose this song as we all personally enjoyed the
song and the reflection of positive vibes, when both watching the music video
and listening to the song inspired us to have that effect on people when they
watch our own music video. Also we were aware that the song had been #1 in most
European countries and was also described as a ‘summer anthem’.
Avicii (whose real name is actually Tim Bergling) is a Swedish DJ, and music producer. He produces music for the dance genre and is signed to ‘universal island’ record label which is a subsidiary of the universal music group. Avicii has previously been very successful as he was ranked #6 on the top 100 DJ’s list for DJ Magazines in 2011 and #3 again in 2012 and 2013. Avicii’s popularity really began to grow in 2011 after his official release of ‘Levels’ which became a huge mainstream hit. Between then and present he released many other hit record such as ‘Sunshine’ in 2012 which nominated for the Grammy’s under the category for best dance recording. At the beginning of 2013 he also release ‘3 million’ which marked his 3 millionth fan on his Facebook page and also made history for being the first DJ to headline the world famous Radio City music hall in NYC.
'Silhouettes'
The first music video by Avicii I will be analysing is ‘Silhouettes’. Even though the song is produced by Avicii, the music video does not aim to portray him as the audience only see him feature once visually in the music video. Instead the video aims to portray a story and follows the style of concept and narrative. As well as the lyrics, visuals and mise-en-scene is used throughout the music video in order to portray the narrative to the audience which allows them to find the concept behind the music video.
The narrative starts off with a panning shot of empty glasses and alcohol bottles and then shows a close-up of a young man waking up. The young man appears to be disorientated and unhappy which is evident through a series of close-ups of his facial expressions as well as reoccurring mid-shots which portray his body language as very closed in as he has his arms crossed and shoulders shrugged forward. The narrative then goes onto show the young man making his way to a hospital to have an operation, portraying the same emotion. The young man then goes into his operation. Meanwhile, mid shots are shown of a young women partying and enjoying herself! As the narrative goes on, the women is seen getting with a man at the party and taking him home to the same apartment where the young man had earlier woke up, the audience may think at this stage that the women is cheating on the boy who has had the operation however the close-up of the women’s face show that in fact she is the man seen earlier in the music video after he has had a sex change. Throughout the music video the man is seen unhappy whilst the women’s facial expressions show happiness. The woman is also seen turning over a picture of the man at the beginning of the video so she no longer can see his face. The music video ends with the women smiling and looking relieved that she is finally happy. This narrative helps portray the lyrics and forms the concept of ‘never looking back’, ‘leaving the past behind’ and youths being more open minded. For this reason I believe that the music video is aimed at 16-21 year olds because this age group is the one which will shape our future culture and traditions, and the music video is showing that age group that we must accept change and not look back and live how we want to live which is more open minded than how people have lived in the past.
Although Avicii is not directly represented to the audience I feel the importance of the narrative and concept his music video portrays, represents him as a down to earth ordinary human being who knows about the battles life can bring and is aware of what goes on around him in the world and cares about it. This representation of Avicii also follows one paradox of Dyer’s theory which is the star seeming ordinary whilst simultaneously being extra ordinary to the audience as the narrative his music video portrays is important for society and makes him seem that he is like ordinary people and cares for society rather than being self-centred (which many artists are stereotyped as). However he is also extra ordinary to the audience through his talent and success amongst his fans in comparison to ordinary humans who live a normal everyday life. The music video does not follow Dyers other paradox of Avicii being simultaneously present and absent as he is only seen once within the music video for short amount of time therefore the audience do not have a chance to build a relationship with him.
Throughout the music video, elements of mise-en-scene are used in order to portray this narrative. Some elements of mise-en-scene also follow the characteristics of the genre which is the first point of Goodwin’s theory.
Setting and iconography are the first elements of mise-en-scene used within the music video. The music video begins with a panning shot of empty wine glasses and alcohol bottles follows the conventions of the dance genre as alcohol is associated with partying and having fun, and also portrays to the audience that the characters within the music video have had a good night which also conventional to dance. The panning shot then fades into a scene where the main character of the narrative is in the middle of the frame, sitting on a bed with his back facing the camera, this is called the positioning of a character, another element of mise-en-scene which allows the audience to understand who the narrative is about. Facial expressions and body language are the next elements of mise-en-scene which are seen throughout the music video. When the music video begins the young man is seen as disorientated, sad and very self-conscious as he has his hands folded, this changes as the music video continues and shows the women being very happy and relieved as she is shown smiling and having a good time. When the man is seen as disorientated, the audience also see him taking hormonal drugs, which helps the audience understand the narrative more as towards the end of the music video they can see why he was taking these drugs. Another piece of iconography which is used to portray the narrative of the young man having a sex change is used when Avicii features in the music video, a shot of Avicii on TV acting as a chef show him chopping a cucumber in half, I feel this represents Avicii trying to be light hearted and humorous about the subject of sex change as he seems to be open minded about it as well as also helping portray the narrative, as an audience watching may make a connection between the iconography used and narrative. Lighting and colour is another element of mise-en-scene used throughout the music video, at the beginning of the music video when the young man is represented as being unhappy, there is very low key lighting however the life of the women after his sex change consists of low key lighting however this lighting is part of a club setting where there is also bursts of bright flashing lights which connotes having fun therefore this low key lighting is successful in portraying the women as being happy. The happiness of the women after the sex change is also shown when she wake up and smiles towards the end of the music video as the natural bright sun light is shining on her which may connote new beginnings and happiness. There is not much make-up and costume to comment on as the boys is just seen as very dull however when he transforms into a women, the clothing she wears is seen as giving her much more confidence, as she’s wearing baggy tops with no bottoms and seen in a nice dress make-up which again connotes the narrative of the man having a sex change and being happy about it. The use of mise-en-scene also contributes to the target audience; the party scene in the second half of the music video will help appeal to the ages of 16-21 as that is the prime age to start wanting to go out and enjoy yourselves, therefore they will be able to relate to the lifestyle which is portrayed.
The music video follows some point of Goodwin’s theory starting with his first point which states that music videos generally follow genre characteristics. This point is displayed through the elements of mise-en-scene being conventional to the dance genre for example, alcohol, club setting showing people having fun and happiness which is displayed at the end of the video where the man is finally happy (as a women). Also the concept of being open minded and positive about society follows the genres characteristics as dance is all about positive vibes and expecting people.
The second point of Goodwin’s theory is also followed. The lyrics display the visuals when a camera shot of the women shows her turning over the picture of the man she used to be, this shot matches the lyrics that say ‘We’ve come a long way since that day, and we will never look back at the faded silhouette’ as she is not looking back at who she used to be and looking forward. Not many other visuals match the lyrics as the narrative is quite complex in comparison to simply repetitive lyrics. However the concept shown through the visuals does match the lyrics as it is all about never looking back, being open minded to new things and changing society to also share this attitude ‘Straight ahead on the path we have before us, day by day soon the change will come’.
Goodwin’s third point which states that the music matches the visuals is also only partly followed. The music is very upbeat, and only shares a relationship with the visuals when the chorus is repeated the second time and displays the women having fun in a club. Other than this scene the visuals do not really share a relationship with the music, instead they contrast as slow editing such as re-timing and making the shots slower is used throughout in order to help the audience understand the narrative.
The music video fails to follow the last 3 points of Goodwin’s theory in any detail. The record label did not feel the need to add lots of close ups of the artist (Avicii) as he did not feature in the music video as the main character, this may have been because Avicii and the record label felt it was more important to focus on a narrative people will take seriously to some extent rather than focusing on him as the DJ in a performance style music video. The music video also did not really use voyeuristic treatment to the female body, other than a close-up of the female’s legs when she was introduced into the music video. This again may have been because the producers wanted to focus on the importance of the narrative rather than superficial things such as how women look. The last point which states that a music video sometimes contains intertexual references was also only followed to some degree as anyone who was of the drinking age could tell which type of alcohol used in the music video however as someone watching it from the audiences point of view I do not feel this was to promote a brand or give insight to the artists lifestyle, just iconography in order to make the music video more realistic.
'Hey Brother'
The second music video I have chosen to analyse is Avicii’s most recent release called ‘Hey Brother’. The song falls under the genre of dance however the vocals within the song means it also falls under country music, as the vocals are sung by a country singer. This is an unusual combination as dance music is typically very upbeat, giving off a positive vibe whereas country is usually more relaxed, giving off a more emotional vibe. However as this music video also follows the style of narrative and concept, I feel the combination works well together and creates an emotional narrative which would appeal to a very wide target audience.
The narrative accompanying the lyrics is very emotional. The music video starts off with pictures of soldiers, medals and American flags which all work together to symbolise that the music video is going to be about war. As the music video progresses, the audience see a young boy and his older brother spending quality time together. They are seen at camp fires, catching fireflies, camping together, eating from a barbecue and just generally playing and laughing together. These sequences of the brother and war go back and forth throughout the music video showing men fighting in the war, then again showing the brothers bonding. Half way through the music video the young boy is lying with his brother where he says ‘Dad, do you have to leave?’ the boys brother is actually his Dad, however they were so close that the young boy felt like his Dad was more of a brother or best friend he never had. The scene then switches to the young boy carrying the American flag through a cemetery, to pay his respects after his Dad had died in the war. More flashback of the boy and his Dad bonding continue throughout the music video, making it even more emotional as the audience begin to realise how close the boy was to his father and how much his father we be missed. I feel the concept behind this narrative is to show the audience that soldiers who fight for our countries actually have loving families, who must deal with their loved one going to war and risking their life. Perhaps Avicii has the up most respect for soldiers and is trying to portray this to the audience through his music video. I also feel that the music video highlight the concept of how important family is, as the boys Dad is the only family he has and is devastated when he loses him.
The target audience for this music video is very wide. This is because two very diverse genres are combined into one, leading fans from each genre’s to enjoy the song. Also I feel the concept of family and the war narrative also bring a huge audience as many people, old and young may be able to relate to soldiers going off to fight for their countries and sometimes not coming back, which is devastating whether it is family, friends or just someone who was willing to fight for their country. Therefore I feel the target audience would range from any age from 14 onwards, as people this age and above would be able to understand the importance of the narrative. Also I feel the song would appeal to anyone who enjoys the dance and country genres.
Avicii does not feature as any of the main characters within this music video, or many other music videos of his as a majority of them a narrative and concept base, and Avicii is a performer. However, Avicii features in this music video very briefly, as he did in the music video for ‘silhouettes’. I feel this may be because although he wants to portray a narrative within his music video, he also wants to try feature slightly in order to please his fans. The quick mid-shot where he is shown in the ‘Hey Brother’ music video does not really represent him in anyway however I feel this doesn't affect the music video or fan base and the emotion and importance of the narrative alone shows he is a very respectful, caring person which is what his audience like about him, and why they look forward to his narrative style music videos.
This music video doesn’t directly follows either of Dyers 2 paradoxes, however I feel when you look into the concept and narrative, the audience would feel that Avicii is ordinary as he cares about the world and people as much as a normal person would however extraordinary as he is a very talented DJ, which follows Dyers first paradox of the artist being simultaneously ordinary and extra ordinary. The audience may also feel that Avicii is present as he features at the end of the music video, or they may feel he is present as he is writing about something which they are affected by, which may make them feel as though they have a connection with him however Avicii is also absent as he is not physically in their lives helping them through issues such as loosing family member’s dues to war but only present in the media and through his music. His follows Dyers second paradox of the star being simultaneously present and absent in the consumers life. Therefore although the music video does not directly address Dyers theory I feel the narrative and concept Avicii wanted to portray does.
The mise-en-scene used within the music video goes against Goodwin's theory which states that the music video usually follows the conventions of the music genre. The music video resists following the typical conventions of the dance genre as the music video is set in a variety of locations such as camp sites, junk yards, fields, war and a cemetery rather than a conventional setting which would be a club or party. However the emotions connoted through the boys facial expressions and body language within the setting such as the camp sites, junk yards and fields show the audience that the young boy and his father/brother are really getting along and bonding as they are seen laughing together and smiling at each other when they are messing around, which gives the audience positive vibes. When the narrative changes, negative and emotional vibes are given off to the audience as the young boys facial expressions and body language show that he is very upset over his loss as his head is looking down at the floor and eyes are watering, although this doesn't follow the conventions of a dance genre music video, it does follow the conventions of a country music video and also follows the style of a concept music video. The lighting and colour also goes against the first point of Goodwin's theory as the music video uses low key and natural lighting throughout. The low key lighting used in scenes of the funeral connotes dark moods such as sadness which is a contrast to the low key lighting in a typical dark setting which would connote having a good time as there would be flashes of bright lights. The natural lighting however did slightly follow the conventions of the genre as it was used in scenes which connotes happiness such as the brother/dad walking the dog with the young boy and fixing bikes together. The positions of the characters do not really follow or go against the conventions of a dance genre as the young boy is centred throughout which simply lead the audience to gain a better connections with the character and understand his emotions more clearly.
Goodwin's second point 'lyrics share a relationship with the visuals' is followed throughout the music video as the lyrics talk about a sibling relationship with his brother and discovering things with him and doing everything he can for him. 'hey, brother. There's an endless road to rediscover.' 'Ohhhh, if the sky comes falling down. For you. There's nothing in this world I wouldn't do.' These lyrics share a relationship with the visuals as the music video portrays a relationship between a young boy and his brother who go on walk together and discover things together. The close relationship they share also connotes to the audience that they would do anything for each other.
Goodwin's third point which states that 'the music shares a relationship with the visuals' is also followed. Examples of this point being followed are when the soldiers are marching in time with beat and also when the ex soldiers are playing trumpets in honour of the fallen ones, this matches the music as you can also hear trumpets being played, some fast editing is also used when shots of the army in action are re-timed to to look faster. Other than these few shots the other visuals and part of the narrative do not match the music as it aims to focus more on representing the characters and their story to the audience.
The rest of the points within Goodwin's theory are not followed as there are no close-ups of Avicii as the record label did not aim to portray him within the music video, women are not really portrayed within the music video therefore there is no need for voyeuristic treatment and also there are no intertexual references within the music video.
Common camera shots used within both music videos I analysed where panning shots, mid shots and close ups. I feel that as Avicii's music videos follow the narrative and concept style these camera shots are bound to be used. The panning shot helps set the scene and tell the audience where the characters are which is essential for the audience to gain a better understanding of the narrative. Whereas the mid shot and close up camera shots help the audience understand why they are there and how they are feeling. Which is also essential in helping them understand the narrative and concept in more detail.
This leads me to my summery. After analysing both music videos of the artist I have discovered that Avicii likes to portray an important concept to the audience through narratives which will make them experience emotions of happiness or sadness. He focuses on elements such as creating a meaningful narrative rather than following conventions and letting his fans see him performing. This has inspired me to also create a narrative and concept based music video as I feel this would have a greater and more emotional effect on my audience rather than them just watching a performance based music video and liking what they see. However, as well as creating a meaningful narrative and concept based music video I would also like to follow the conventions of the dance genre rather than challenge them. This is because I feel it would appeal more to my target audience of 16-25 if I included some element of dance as it is a scene and genre they know well and experience, especially in their night life. I also want to aim to portray my DJ artist's Jake and George throughout the music video however I will not represent them as famous people, but people who are just like my target audience. This is similar to Avicii's music videos as he portray regular people however I'm going to use my artists in order to do this. After watching my music video I have decided to follow Dyers Star theory's which is something that Avicii only followed to some extent, I will also aim to follow Goodwin's theory in more detail than Avicii did. I feel it is necessary to do this as my artists have not yet built up a fan base and are new to the music industry therefore it is important for the target audience to enjoy the music video and build a relationship with my DJ artists, unlike Avicii who has built up a loyal fan base who will watch his music videos regardless of their content.
After watching a variety of Avicii's music videos I have decided to create my music video to Avicii's single 'Wake me up' this is because I feel I can portray the meaning of the lyrics through a meaningful narrative whilst using the up beat music to incorporate conventions such as a party setting. Avicii's 'Hey Brother' music video has inspired me to portray my two DJ's as very close friends within my music video, almost like brothers. This is because when watching the video I felt that seeing a connection between two characters really gave off a positive vibe, which is something I also want to do as it is a conventional characteristic of the dance genre. As well as friends, I also want to highlight the importance of family in order to create a meaningful narrative as the audience will see that although you can have very close friends, nothing will ever be as close as your family and they will always be there when you get home. This idea within my music video will be contrasted with George and Jake as George will go home to a family and have a rather fulfilled life with his family and friends whereas Jake will go home to no family and feel that there is something missing in his life as George is the closest thing he has to family. Hopefully this will make my audience consider how important their family really is, as stereotypically teens are very socially orientated with their friends rather than being family orientated which I feel is important to change. As mentioned earlier, I will also aim to include some conventions of the dance genre like Avicii does within his 'Silhouettes' music video. I will include shots of alcohol and the boys enjoying themselves at a party with all their friends before going home and realising the importance of their family. I feel this is important as teen are very socially oriented within their friendship groups and will be able to relate to George and Jake going out and enjoying spending times with their friends. It will also help me display Goodwin's theory as bright lights, alcohol, dancing. happiness and positive vibes will be connoted through theses party scenes in order to display the conventions and the fast pace of the party scenes and fast editing this will allow me to use will help me create a relationship with the music and visuals. I will also create a relationship between the lyrics and visuals as between the scenes of George and Jake at the party and going home I will show them waking up from their drunken night out in the middle of London, they will then aim to find their way home. This will connote the lyrics of the boys making silly mistakes while their young and acting slightly too irresponsible by getting to drunk however it will also show them realising what's important and learning from these mistakes and beginning their life journey "I cant tell where the journey will end, but I know where to start" "So wake me up when its all over, when I'm wiser and I'm older, all this time I was finding myself" "wish that I could stay forever this young"
Avicii (whose real name is actually Tim Bergling) is a Swedish DJ, and music producer. He produces music for the dance genre and is signed to ‘universal island’ record label which is a subsidiary of the universal music group. Avicii has previously been very successful as he was ranked #6 on the top 100 DJ’s list for DJ Magazines in 2011 and #3 again in 2012 and 2013. Avicii’s popularity really began to grow in 2011 after his official release of ‘Levels’ which became a huge mainstream hit. Between then and present he released many other hit record such as ‘Sunshine’ in 2012 which nominated for the Grammy’s under the category for best dance recording. At the beginning of 2013 he also release ‘3 million’ which marked his 3 millionth fan on his Facebook page and also made history for being the first DJ to headline the world famous Radio City music hall in NYC.
'Silhouettes'
The first music video by Avicii I will be analysing is ‘Silhouettes’. Even though the song is produced by Avicii, the music video does not aim to portray him as the audience only see him feature once visually in the music video. Instead the video aims to portray a story and follows the style of concept and narrative. As well as the lyrics, visuals and mise-en-scene is used throughout the music video in order to portray the narrative to the audience which allows them to find the concept behind the music video.
The narrative starts off with a panning shot of empty glasses and alcohol bottles and then shows a close-up of a young man waking up. The young man appears to be disorientated and unhappy which is evident through a series of close-ups of his facial expressions as well as reoccurring mid-shots which portray his body language as very closed in as he has his arms crossed and shoulders shrugged forward. The narrative then goes onto show the young man making his way to a hospital to have an operation, portraying the same emotion. The young man then goes into his operation. Meanwhile, mid shots are shown of a young women partying and enjoying herself! As the narrative goes on, the women is seen getting with a man at the party and taking him home to the same apartment where the young man had earlier woke up, the audience may think at this stage that the women is cheating on the boy who has had the operation however the close-up of the women’s face show that in fact she is the man seen earlier in the music video after he has had a sex change. Throughout the music video the man is seen unhappy whilst the women’s facial expressions show happiness. The woman is also seen turning over a picture of the man at the beginning of the video so she no longer can see his face. The music video ends with the women smiling and looking relieved that she is finally happy. This narrative helps portray the lyrics and forms the concept of ‘never looking back’, ‘leaving the past behind’ and youths being more open minded. For this reason I believe that the music video is aimed at 16-21 year olds because this age group is the one which will shape our future culture and traditions, and the music video is showing that age group that we must accept change and not look back and live how we want to live which is more open minded than how people have lived in the past.
Although Avicii is not directly represented to the audience I feel the importance of the narrative and concept his music video portrays, represents him as a down to earth ordinary human being who knows about the battles life can bring and is aware of what goes on around him in the world and cares about it. This representation of Avicii also follows one paradox of Dyer’s theory which is the star seeming ordinary whilst simultaneously being extra ordinary to the audience as the narrative his music video portrays is important for society and makes him seem that he is like ordinary people and cares for society rather than being self-centred (which many artists are stereotyped as). However he is also extra ordinary to the audience through his talent and success amongst his fans in comparison to ordinary humans who live a normal everyday life. The music video does not follow Dyers other paradox of Avicii being simultaneously present and absent as he is only seen once within the music video for short amount of time therefore the audience do not have a chance to build a relationship with him.
Throughout the music video, elements of mise-en-scene are used in order to portray this narrative. Some elements of mise-en-scene also follow the characteristics of the genre which is the first point of Goodwin’s theory.
Setting and iconography are the first elements of mise-en-scene used within the music video. The music video begins with a panning shot of empty wine glasses and alcohol bottles follows the conventions of the dance genre as alcohol is associated with partying and having fun, and also portrays to the audience that the characters within the music video have had a good night which also conventional to dance. The panning shot then fades into a scene where the main character of the narrative is in the middle of the frame, sitting on a bed with his back facing the camera, this is called the positioning of a character, another element of mise-en-scene which allows the audience to understand who the narrative is about. Facial expressions and body language are the next elements of mise-en-scene which are seen throughout the music video. When the music video begins the young man is seen as disorientated, sad and very self-conscious as he has his hands folded, this changes as the music video continues and shows the women being very happy and relieved as she is shown smiling and having a good time. When the man is seen as disorientated, the audience also see him taking hormonal drugs, which helps the audience understand the narrative more as towards the end of the music video they can see why he was taking these drugs. Another piece of iconography which is used to portray the narrative of the young man having a sex change is used when Avicii features in the music video, a shot of Avicii on TV acting as a chef show him chopping a cucumber in half, I feel this represents Avicii trying to be light hearted and humorous about the subject of sex change as he seems to be open minded about it as well as also helping portray the narrative, as an audience watching may make a connection between the iconography used and narrative. Lighting and colour is another element of mise-en-scene used throughout the music video, at the beginning of the music video when the young man is represented as being unhappy, there is very low key lighting however the life of the women after his sex change consists of low key lighting however this lighting is part of a club setting where there is also bursts of bright flashing lights which connotes having fun therefore this low key lighting is successful in portraying the women as being happy. The happiness of the women after the sex change is also shown when she wake up and smiles towards the end of the music video as the natural bright sun light is shining on her which may connote new beginnings and happiness. There is not much make-up and costume to comment on as the boys is just seen as very dull however when he transforms into a women, the clothing she wears is seen as giving her much more confidence, as she’s wearing baggy tops with no bottoms and seen in a nice dress make-up which again connotes the narrative of the man having a sex change and being happy about it. The use of mise-en-scene also contributes to the target audience; the party scene in the second half of the music video will help appeal to the ages of 16-21 as that is the prime age to start wanting to go out and enjoy yourselves, therefore they will be able to relate to the lifestyle which is portrayed.
The music video follows some point of Goodwin’s theory starting with his first point which states that music videos generally follow genre characteristics. This point is displayed through the elements of mise-en-scene being conventional to the dance genre for example, alcohol, club setting showing people having fun and happiness which is displayed at the end of the video where the man is finally happy (as a women). Also the concept of being open minded and positive about society follows the genres characteristics as dance is all about positive vibes and expecting people.
The second point of Goodwin’s theory is also followed. The lyrics display the visuals when a camera shot of the women shows her turning over the picture of the man she used to be, this shot matches the lyrics that say ‘We’ve come a long way since that day, and we will never look back at the faded silhouette’ as she is not looking back at who she used to be and looking forward. Not many other visuals match the lyrics as the narrative is quite complex in comparison to simply repetitive lyrics. However the concept shown through the visuals does match the lyrics as it is all about never looking back, being open minded to new things and changing society to also share this attitude ‘Straight ahead on the path we have before us, day by day soon the change will come’.
Goodwin’s third point which states that the music matches the visuals is also only partly followed. The music is very upbeat, and only shares a relationship with the visuals when the chorus is repeated the second time and displays the women having fun in a club. Other than this scene the visuals do not really share a relationship with the music, instead they contrast as slow editing such as re-timing and making the shots slower is used throughout in order to help the audience understand the narrative.
The music video fails to follow the last 3 points of Goodwin’s theory in any detail. The record label did not feel the need to add lots of close ups of the artist (Avicii) as he did not feature in the music video as the main character, this may have been because Avicii and the record label felt it was more important to focus on a narrative people will take seriously to some extent rather than focusing on him as the DJ in a performance style music video. The music video also did not really use voyeuristic treatment to the female body, other than a close-up of the female’s legs when she was introduced into the music video. This again may have been because the producers wanted to focus on the importance of the narrative rather than superficial things such as how women look. The last point which states that a music video sometimes contains intertexual references was also only followed to some degree as anyone who was of the drinking age could tell which type of alcohol used in the music video however as someone watching it from the audiences point of view I do not feel this was to promote a brand or give insight to the artists lifestyle, just iconography in order to make the music video more realistic.
'Hey Brother'
The second music video I have chosen to analyse is Avicii’s most recent release called ‘Hey Brother’. The song falls under the genre of dance however the vocals within the song means it also falls under country music, as the vocals are sung by a country singer. This is an unusual combination as dance music is typically very upbeat, giving off a positive vibe whereas country is usually more relaxed, giving off a more emotional vibe. However as this music video also follows the style of narrative and concept, I feel the combination works well together and creates an emotional narrative which would appeal to a very wide target audience.
The narrative accompanying the lyrics is very emotional. The music video starts off with pictures of soldiers, medals and American flags which all work together to symbolise that the music video is going to be about war. As the music video progresses, the audience see a young boy and his older brother spending quality time together. They are seen at camp fires, catching fireflies, camping together, eating from a barbecue and just generally playing and laughing together. These sequences of the brother and war go back and forth throughout the music video showing men fighting in the war, then again showing the brothers bonding. Half way through the music video the young boy is lying with his brother where he says ‘Dad, do you have to leave?’ the boys brother is actually his Dad, however they were so close that the young boy felt like his Dad was more of a brother or best friend he never had. The scene then switches to the young boy carrying the American flag through a cemetery, to pay his respects after his Dad had died in the war. More flashback of the boy and his Dad bonding continue throughout the music video, making it even more emotional as the audience begin to realise how close the boy was to his father and how much his father we be missed. I feel the concept behind this narrative is to show the audience that soldiers who fight for our countries actually have loving families, who must deal with their loved one going to war and risking their life. Perhaps Avicii has the up most respect for soldiers and is trying to portray this to the audience through his music video. I also feel that the music video highlight the concept of how important family is, as the boys Dad is the only family he has and is devastated when he loses him.
The target audience for this music video is very wide. This is because two very diverse genres are combined into one, leading fans from each genre’s to enjoy the song. Also I feel the concept of family and the war narrative also bring a huge audience as many people, old and young may be able to relate to soldiers going off to fight for their countries and sometimes not coming back, which is devastating whether it is family, friends or just someone who was willing to fight for their country. Therefore I feel the target audience would range from any age from 14 onwards, as people this age and above would be able to understand the importance of the narrative. Also I feel the song would appeal to anyone who enjoys the dance and country genres.
Avicii does not feature as any of the main characters within this music video, or many other music videos of his as a majority of them a narrative and concept base, and Avicii is a performer. However, Avicii features in this music video very briefly, as he did in the music video for ‘silhouettes’. I feel this may be because although he wants to portray a narrative within his music video, he also wants to try feature slightly in order to please his fans. The quick mid-shot where he is shown in the ‘Hey Brother’ music video does not really represent him in anyway however I feel this doesn't affect the music video or fan base and the emotion and importance of the narrative alone shows he is a very respectful, caring person which is what his audience like about him, and why they look forward to his narrative style music videos.
This music video doesn’t directly follows either of Dyers 2 paradoxes, however I feel when you look into the concept and narrative, the audience would feel that Avicii is ordinary as he cares about the world and people as much as a normal person would however extraordinary as he is a very talented DJ, which follows Dyers first paradox of the artist being simultaneously ordinary and extra ordinary. The audience may also feel that Avicii is present as he features at the end of the music video, or they may feel he is present as he is writing about something which they are affected by, which may make them feel as though they have a connection with him however Avicii is also absent as he is not physically in their lives helping them through issues such as loosing family member’s dues to war but only present in the media and through his music. His follows Dyers second paradox of the star being simultaneously present and absent in the consumers life. Therefore although the music video does not directly address Dyers theory I feel the narrative and concept Avicii wanted to portray does.
The mise-en-scene used within the music video goes against Goodwin's theory which states that the music video usually follows the conventions of the music genre. The music video resists following the typical conventions of the dance genre as the music video is set in a variety of locations such as camp sites, junk yards, fields, war and a cemetery rather than a conventional setting which would be a club or party. However the emotions connoted through the boys facial expressions and body language within the setting such as the camp sites, junk yards and fields show the audience that the young boy and his father/brother are really getting along and bonding as they are seen laughing together and smiling at each other when they are messing around, which gives the audience positive vibes. When the narrative changes, negative and emotional vibes are given off to the audience as the young boys facial expressions and body language show that he is very upset over his loss as his head is looking down at the floor and eyes are watering, although this doesn't follow the conventions of a dance genre music video, it does follow the conventions of a country music video and also follows the style of a concept music video. The lighting and colour also goes against the first point of Goodwin's theory as the music video uses low key and natural lighting throughout. The low key lighting used in scenes of the funeral connotes dark moods such as sadness which is a contrast to the low key lighting in a typical dark setting which would connote having a good time as there would be flashes of bright lights. The natural lighting however did slightly follow the conventions of the genre as it was used in scenes which connotes happiness such as the brother/dad walking the dog with the young boy and fixing bikes together. The positions of the characters do not really follow or go against the conventions of a dance genre as the young boy is centred throughout which simply lead the audience to gain a better connections with the character and understand his emotions more clearly.
Goodwin's second point 'lyrics share a relationship with the visuals' is followed throughout the music video as the lyrics talk about a sibling relationship with his brother and discovering things with him and doing everything he can for him. 'hey, brother. There's an endless road to rediscover.' 'Ohhhh, if the sky comes falling down. For you. There's nothing in this world I wouldn't do.' These lyrics share a relationship with the visuals as the music video portrays a relationship between a young boy and his brother who go on walk together and discover things together. The close relationship they share also connotes to the audience that they would do anything for each other.
Goodwin's third point which states that 'the music shares a relationship with the visuals' is also followed. Examples of this point being followed are when the soldiers are marching in time with beat and also when the ex soldiers are playing trumpets in honour of the fallen ones, this matches the music as you can also hear trumpets being played, some fast editing is also used when shots of the army in action are re-timed to to look faster. Other than these few shots the other visuals and part of the narrative do not match the music as it aims to focus more on representing the characters and their story to the audience.
The rest of the points within Goodwin's theory are not followed as there are no close-ups of Avicii as the record label did not aim to portray him within the music video, women are not really portrayed within the music video therefore there is no need for voyeuristic treatment and also there are no intertexual references within the music video.
Common camera shots used within both music videos I analysed where panning shots, mid shots and close ups. I feel that as Avicii's music videos follow the narrative and concept style these camera shots are bound to be used. The panning shot helps set the scene and tell the audience where the characters are which is essential for the audience to gain a better understanding of the narrative. Whereas the mid shot and close up camera shots help the audience understand why they are there and how they are feeling. Which is also essential in helping them understand the narrative and concept in more detail.
This leads me to my summery. After analysing both music videos of the artist I have discovered that Avicii likes to portray an important concept to the audience through narratives which will make them experience emotions of happiness or sadness. He focuses on elements such as creating a meaningful narrative rather than following conventions and letting his fans see him performing. This has inspired me to also create a narrative and concept based music video as I feel this would have a greater and more emotional effect on my audience rather than them just watching a performance based music video and liking what they see. However, as well as creating a meaningful narrative and concept based music video I would also like to follow the conventions of the dance genre rather than challenge them. This is because I feel it would appeal more to my target audience of 16-25 if I included some element of dance as it is a scene and genre they know well and experience, especially in their night life. I also want to aim to portray my DJ artist's Jake and George throughout the music video however I will not represent them as famous people, but people who are just like my target audience. This is similar to Avicii's music videos as he portray regular people however I'm going to use my artists in order to do this. After watching my music video I have decided to follow Dyers Star theory's which is something that Avicii only followed to some extent, I will also aim to follow Goodwin's theory in more detail than Avicii did. I feel it is necessary to do this as my artists have not yet built up a fan base and are new to the music industry therefore it is important for the target audience to enjoy the music video and build a relationship with my DJ artists, unlike Avicii who has built up a loyal fan base who will watch his music videos regardless of their content.
After watching a variety of Avicii's music videos I have decided to create my music video to Avicii's single 'Wake me up' this is because I feel I can portray the meaning of the lyrics through a meaningful narrative whilst using the up beat music to incorporate conventions such as a party setting. Avicii's 'Hey Brother' music video has inspired me to portray my two DJ's as very close friends within my music video, almost like brothers. This is because when watching the video I felt that seeing a connection between two characters really gave off a positive vibe, which is something I also want to do as it is a conventional characteristic of the dance genre. As well as friends, I also want to highlight the importance of family in order to create a meaningful narrative as the audience will see that although you can have very close friends, nothing will ever be as close as your family and they will always be there when you get home. This idea within my music video will be contrasted with George and Jake as George will go home to a family and have a rather fulfilled life with his family and friends whereas Jake will go home to no family and feel that there is something missing in his life as George is the closest thing he has to family. Hopefully this will make my audience consider how important their family really is, as stereotypically teens are very socially orientated with their friends rather than being family orientated which I feel is important to change. As mentioned earlier, I will also aim to include some conventions of the dance genre like Avicii does within his 'Silhouettes' music video. I will include shots of alcohol and the boys enjoying themselves at a party with all their friends before going home and realising the importance of their family. I feel this is important as teen are very socially oriented within their friendship groups and will be able to relate to George and Jake going out and enjoying spending times with their friends. It will also help me display Goodwin's theory as bright lights, alcohol, dancing. happiness and positive vibes will be connoted through theses party scenes in order to display the conventions and the fast pace of the party scenes and fast editing this will allow me to use will help me create a relationship with the music and visuals. I will also create a relationship between the lyrics and visuals as between the scenes of George and Jake at the party and going home I will show them waking up from their drunken night out in the middle of London, they will then aim to find their way home. This will connote the lyrics of the boys making silly mistakes while their young and acting slightly too irresponsible by getting to drunk however it will also show them realising what's important and learning from these mistakes and beginning their life journey "I cant tell where the journey will end, but I know where to start" "So wake me up when its all over, when I'm wiser and I'm older, all this time I was finding myself" "wish that I could stay forever this young"
This demonstrates a proficient understanding of your chosen music artist and the conventions within the music genre. You have analysed the two music videos well and have focused on the target audience, conventions, Goodwin's theory, style and micro elements well, which helps to demonstrate your understanding.
ReplyDeleteHowever, you need to relate your points to still images from the music video, to extend and support the points that you have made.