It is important to carry out a photo shoot as we must use images to portray the dance genre, and the dance artist in a way in which will appeal to the audience so we can promote the artists and their albums. It is important that we use our own pictures as if we should other peoples image they could sue us for copyright.
For the background of our magazine advert we decided to use a picture from our party scenes. Using a picture from a party scene meant we were following the conventions of a dance genre as dance music is typically played at places such as clubs/party's/ and festivals. The party scene connotes the fast paced genre as party's are also very past paced. The dancing crowd also present Jake and George as being good DJ's as they are capable of getting the crowd buzzing as they have a good time when listening to their music. Party scenes also portray the positive vibe that is common within the genre as it is full of people having fun with their friends, dancing and singing. This could help build a relationship with the audience, artists and genre as the image may lead to audience to want to have as much fun as the crowd are having and want to listen to Jake and Georges music.
The next images we wanted to shoot where images of Jake and George. We took some pictures of the boys laughing together and having fun, this again was to portray the positive vibes which are conventional to the dance genre as well as portraying Jake and Georges friendship which the audience may admire.
Although we wanted to portray Jake and George positively, we also took some shots of Jake and George side by side where Georges emotions portrayed him as being happy however Jakes portrayed sadness. We chose to experiment with these type of shots as it allows us to highlight out narrative where Jake and Georges emotions help portray their family life and how they feel at the end of the music video. Although this is not conventional and does not portray the artists in real life, we decided it would be helpful as it may lead the audience to understanding the narrative.
Target audience are
the people who will consume the products or services of an artist. The purpose
of a target audience is for the producers. If the producers know what group of
people they are trying to attract to their artist’s music video then they can
find out what common interests/needs or wants that group of people are looking
for and meet them. They may meet those needs by creating a music video in a
certain style, or follow certain codes and conventions which would attract that
particular audience. Hopefully making the music video more likely to be successful
as the producers are meeting a criteria rather than just randomly creating a
music video in hopes that it will appeal to someone.
My group and I decided to carry out primary research in the forms of
questionnaires and vox pops. We decided to carry out primary research as it
allowed us to ask exactly what we wanted to know and select who we wanted to
ask and reliable as we carried it out ourselves, also it meant we could share
the responsibility between us fairly. Questionnaires allowed us to ask multiple
questions, opened and close to a wider variety and quantity of people in a
short amount of time. We asked opened and closed questions in order to collect
quantative as well as qualitative results. We used the questionnaires to help us gain
information about what people would what type of music people listened to,
whether they liked dance, what codes and conventions they would like to see in
a dance music video and what style of music video they thought was most
appealing. We chose to survey 40 people in total, we felt it was important to
ask this many people as we could ask 20 females and 20 males to gain as much
information of each genders preferences as possible. It also allowed us each to
hand out 10 questionnaires between the 4 of us 5 being girls and the other being
boys. As we knew the age of these people it also allowed us to know which
different age groups knew of Avicii and liked dance in order to decide who our
target audience would be.
Our questionnaire’s where very successful and we were happy with the results we
got as it allowed us to gain understanding of the different view groups of
people held and allowed us to choose our target audience as we knew what they
expected in a music video in comparison to our own ideas and what we wanted our
music video to portray.
I felt question 4, ‘have you heard of Avicii?’ was quite important in helping
us create our music video. 30 out of the 40 people we asked answered yes, it
was important that the majority answered yes as it confirmed that Avicii was a
popular artist whose song would be able to attract an audience. If a majority
did not know who he was then we wold have changed our artist to someone who was
perhaps more successful as we wanted our target audience to be attracted by a
popular song. Swell as helping us find out if they knew of Avicii it helped us
find out that many had also heard and listened to the dance genre as it is what
Avicii’s songs come under.
This knowledge allowed us to continue planning our music video and the next
important question we asked was, question 7 ‘what typical elements would you
expect to see within a dance genre music video?’ As we had already had idea on
what codes and conventions to include, the results of this question confirmed
whether they were good or bad ideas. Out of the 10 options we gave, we got 5
answers. They were: club setting, strobe lighting, positive vibes, fast paced
editing and dancing. These where all codes and conventions we too (as fans of
the genre) felt should be included into our music video. However one answer we
was looking for they did not give was a deep meaningful narrative, I feel this
is because the people we asked thought that by ‘deep’ we meant very emotional
however we simply mean a positive message behind it which almost links in with
the positive vibes they expect to be conveyed through the music video. Therefor
we will go ahead with our idea of a positive concept behind the music video.
Another question I felt was important to ask was what editing styles the
audiences wanted to see within a dance music video (question 10). The results
displayed that the audience where preferred fast editing within dance music
videos, we also felt this was important to include as it is very conventional
to the genre and club setting we are going to include. Another editing effect
people we asked said they liked where colour filters, we are going to aim to
use bright colour and colour filters in the club setting rather than just have
low key lighting as it will also help us follow the codes and conventions and
also wants of our target audience. One editing style the questionnaire results
did not show much interest in where use of the split screen. We wanted to use
this editing style in order to contrast Jake and George’s family life
throughout the last minute of our music video however now we have re
considered. We will still use the split screen effect, however not for as long
and possibly only for one shot as we still want to manipulate the audiences into
comparing the boy’s family life.
The next form of primary research we carried out was vox pops. We decided to
carry out vox pops interviews as it allowed us to have a deeper understanding
with the people we were asking questions to as we could interact and discuss
their answers with them. Carrying out vox pops also allowed us to ask questions
we may have missed out in our questionnaires or needed people to elaborate on
as the questionnaires did not give us enough detail. As vox pops were a lot more
time consuming than the questionnaires we only asked 5 people. Through this we
aimed to ask people from different genders and age groups which appeared in the
results of our questionnaires.
The vox pops where successful as they confirmed for us that Avicii was a
popular artist who people liked and also gave us a greater understanding of
what they would like to see in our music video as we asked them what they would
expect and want to see in a dance genre music video. Through doing face to face
interviews we could see what type of person our music video could possibly
relate to and gave us more detail on them as we knew more about them and could
gain more detailed opinions from them. The results will assist us in creating
our music video as they confirmed that we wanted our target audience to range
from 15-25 years olds and also confirmed that the ideas and inspirations we had
for our music video would appeal to this target audience, as well as giving us
new ideas we can incorporate into our own. The research has also made us
realise that audiences are interested in the meaning behind the lyrics as they
are just as interested in concept and narrative as seeing an artist perform.
Avicii The key purpose of a
magazine advert is to promote the artist and present their image to the
audience, while at the same time giving the audience vital information they
need for the product and services they are also trying to promote, e.g. tour
dates or album release. In order to be successful of selling the artist (product)
and their services (concerts, albums) it is important that the artist is
represented in a way the target audience can appeal to, and also important to
ensure the magazine advert attracts the artists target audience. This may mean
following conventions through the way you portray your artist, colours used,
typography ect. In
order to create my own magazine poster I first decided to research and analyse
other magazine adverts from the same genre and artist. I chose to analyse this
poster from Avicii as he is the artist of the song I’m using for my music video
‘Wake me up’. This allowed me to gain a wider insight of what a dance magazine
advert may look like and what codes and conventions of the genre I should aim
to follow in order for my magazine advert to serve its purpose of promoting my
artist’s and album.
The purpose and connotations of this advert are to promote Avicii in order to
attract his target audience and current fan base and also get them to attend
his concert! Although one of the main purposes of the magazine advert is to
promote Avicii, I feel that this poster does not give the audience much
knowledge about him. This is because the image of Avicii is facing his back to
the consumers view, and they cannot see his face or much detail of him. However
the consumer of the magazine advert does get to see Avicii at work (DJing) The
image of Avicii facing the crowd with his DJ set up, waving his hand in the air
portrays that he is very interactive with the crowd and is enjoying what he is
doing. The image of the large crowd in front of him also helps to portray
Avicii as very popular in the music industry as many people have gathered to
see him. In the image, you cannot see the crowd clearly however Avicii’s body
language (waving his hand in the air) suggest that the crowd is enjoying
themselves at his concert and dancing. This shows Avicii as a typical dance DJ
as he is getting the crowd going and making them have a good time. Avicii’s
hair and clothing both represent Avicii as being normal in the image of him,
this may help the audience build a relationship with him as they would expect
him to be wearing all the greatest designer brands as he is famous however he
is wearing ordinary clothes which they would wear. The magazine advert also
allows him to attract and build a relationship with him through the codes and
conventions his representation follows. As Avicii’s music falls under the dance
genre it is very common for him to have traits such as being fun, happy,
sociable and loving to party which is what is presented in the image of him
interacting with the crowd, this will appeal to the audience as they are used
to seeing this within the dance genre and will accept him in fitting in to the
dance genre and being a good DJ, this may also help them build a relationship
with him as they see how he interacts with the crowd and how large the crowd is
and may want to be there sharing the moment with him! This would achieve the
purpose of the poster’s connotations and represent Avicii as a typical dance
artist/DJ which would attract his target audience and lead the audience to want
to attend the tour dates which are being promoted.
The colours used in this magazine advert are very subtle, the crowd starts of by
being a light colour and then slowly fades into a light blue colour which blends
in with the sky. Where Avicii stand it is very dark as his DJ equipment is
dark, this also fades into black at the bottom of the magazine advert in order
for the consumers to see the important information about tour dates they need.
The dark colours within the poster are conventional to the dance genre as
typically dance music is played in clubs where it is very dark I also think
that it was necessary for the bottom of the poster to be dark in order for the
tour dates to stand out and be seen clearly by the target audience to see. On
the other hand I think the light colours used within the poster are
unconventional to the dance genre, this is because usually in the dark clubs
where dance is usually played there are lots of bold flashing light such as
strobe lighting, lazer lights ect. The image here and colour used to not portray
this setting however I feel that the audience would understand that Avicii is
at a day time concert therefore there would be no need for the dark atmosphere
and flashing lights.
The typography, images used and layout all work well together within the
magazine advert. Avicii’s name is displayed at the top of the advert, as his
name is also his logo it is the same font as his logo, this is very bold and
unique compared to normal fonts. His logo is also in white and seems to be
glowing and stand out. This will attract the audience’s attention to his logo straight
away and know who the artist being promoted is. Below that there is the image
of Avicii and his crowd, this is showing the target audience what one of his
concerts are like and persuading them to go the crowd and Avicii appear to be
having a good time. Finally at the bottom there is all the important information
that the audience will need, this is important as it is what the advert is
trying to promote, so must be clear and bold for the audience to see. Overall
the layout, images and typography of the poster all follow conventions of the
dance genre. The layout is well thought out so the audience gets attracted to
the logo then the image which portrays the genre as fun which appeals to the
target audience and then te bold text which follows the conventions as dance is
very loud and bold. The poster also fulfils its purpose of representing Avicii
as a dance artist and promoting the tour dates so the audience will come and
see Avicii.
Calvin Harris Magazine Advert The
purpose of this magazine advert is to promote a date and venue where Calvin
Harris will be performing. The first thing the audience will see when they look
at this magazine advert is an image of Calvin Harris with his name under, this
will instantly let them know who the poster will be about. If the consumers are
fans of Calvin, this may grab their attention alone and they may carry on
reading. However if the consumer does not know who he is then there are lots of
elements within the poster to represent him. The image of Calvin simply shows
him looking into the camera, this is because he wants to grab the audience
attention and make them feel that he is engaging with them through eye contact.
In the image Calvin is wearing normal clothes; this represents him as being
laid back and normal like everyone else. The audience could like the idea that
he is still normal and still lives a normal life.
The advert connotes dance as there is low key lighting, with bright lights in
the background, it connotes dance as low key lighting combined with bright
flashing lights is very conventional to the genre. The consumers will instantly
recognize the setting in which Calvin Harris is surrounded by and associate him
with the genre which may lead to them developing an interest in him if they
already are a fan of the dance genre. Although the image in the background is
blurred it also looks like there are people partying/dancing. This also follows
the conventions of the dance genre and portrays Calvin Harris as a god DJ as
the image is portraying one of his concerts, and the people partying connote
good music and having fun. The design of the advert is very simple, the image
of Calvin is right in the middle so the advert is successful in promoting him
to the audience, just underneath is his name. The name in bold could inform
people on who he is if they are not already aware and perhaps lead them search
up his music. The writing underneath will let the audience know the important
information they need to know such as what date and where he is performing. The
writing is very bold and in white so it is clear for the audience to
understand, the style of language to inform the audience of these dates is
quite formal and to the point as the purpose of the magazine advert is simply
to let the consumers know the important information rather than interact and
entertain them.
I used the research I carried out on magazine adverts to gain knowledge of the
codes and conventions which can be followed. Avicii’s magazine advert has
inspired me to include a crowd within my own magazine advert as I want to
portray Jake and George as good DJ’s who are able to get the crowd buzzing.
However I do not want Jake and George’s backs to be facing the audience of my
advert as I want to be able to represent them within my magazine poster. I also
will not use natural lighting like Avicci’s advert as I prefer the atmosphere
that Calvin Harris’ advert portrays with the contrast of low key lighting and
bright lights. I will also aim to use bold typography which will stand out
against my chosen images and lighting I will use. Hopefully my advert will
attract my target audience as I will aim to portray the dance genre accurately and
show a crowd having fun on behalf of the DJ’s, Jake and George. Analyzing the
advert has also helped me with ideas on photo shop as I will aim to include
special effects such as adding in lighting and glow affects.
The music genre my group and I decided to use to
create a music video is dance. As a group we discussed what type of music we
liked and found that we all share a common interest in dance because of its
bright lights, party scenes and energy the videos have within them. As well as
sharing a common interest in the genre we all decided that we wanted to portray
a positive artist image and concept within our music video which would have an
optimistic effect on our audience. We felt that dance could help us portray
this as the songs are very upbeat, and the genres conventions all portray
positive vibes, having fun, friends, family and enjoying life. This was very
inspiring to us as we feel music should make you feel happy rather than sad
which is what effect some genres have (the indie genre is stereotypically known
for songs about heartbreak). Thinking About YouOne artists who is successful within the dance genre
is Calvin Harris, I chose to analyse his music video for ‘Thinking about you’ in
order to gain inspiration and ideas for my own music video.
Firstly the style of this music video is around 40% narrative, 30%concept 30%
performance. This is quite conventional to the dance genre as many music videos
within the genre show some footage of dance and party scenes however also show
a narrative as a music video showing just a party would bore the target
audience with a concept as the lyrics portray some meaning which must be
presented to the audience, in this case the concept is ‘thinking’ about people.
Although Calvin Harris wasn’t present throughout the whole of the music video I
feel the purpose was to portray the lifestyle he leads. The lyrics were also
portrayed throughout the music video however not in regards to himself but
others experiences problems or negativity, this could represent him as leading
a very problem free life as he is a dance DJ and is very positive about life.
Mise-en-scene was used effectively throughout the music video to represent
Calvin and his featuring artist, appeal to the audience and follow conventions
of dance. All the micro-elements of mise-en-scene were used at some point
within the music video. Hair, make-up and costume were used to portray the life’s
of those around Calvin including his featured artist who sung the lyrics of the
song. She is dressed in a glamorous bikini and has her hair and make-up done
very stylish and professional like all the other girls within the music video.
This portrays the glamorous life style and shows the audience that the people
within the music video can afford to look good with all the money they have. Glamorous
lifestyle are most commonly conventional to the rnb genre however can still be
conventional to dance as it is showing how a dance artist lives.
The next element which also portrayed a glamorous life
style lead by Calvin was setting and iconography, just as the music video
starts a longshot shows Calvin Harris pulling up in a BMW outside a mansion.
The iconography and setting both link in together in this shot to portray how
much money Calvin makes from being a successful DJ and also gives the audience
an insight in what kind of house he lives in and what kind of cars he drives. This
setting is not as conventional as usually there are lots of club or festival
settings, these setting aren’t as glamourous as the mansion as festivals and parties
can get quite sweaty and busy however it helps in portraying the lifestyle of
Calvin which his fans may be interested in therefor will still appeal to the
target audience. A club setting and DJ equipment is also used within the music
video, I feel that this type of setting and iconography is used to represent
the genre rather than the artist as the camera shot is showing what type of
setting the music gets played and how people listen to and enjoy the music. However
as the camera also shows Calvin playing on his DJ set, it portrays him within
his career and how much people enjoy listening to him. This setting is highly
conventional to the genre as dance musical is generally played at these types
of setting with a DJ. Facial expression and body language is also used to
portray the party goers as having a fun time as they are seen smiling and
dancing in the club to the music. This is very conventional to the dance genre
as the music is known for making people feel happy and makes people dance and
enjoy themselves. Although people are seen having fun negative emotions are
also conveyed within the music video when a boy is angry while beating up someone
else. Although this is not conventional to the genre because the emotions are
not positive it is necessary as it is part of the narrative that the producers
are trying to portray. The lighting and colour used within the music video
are also conventional to the dance genre, the club setting shows very low key
lighting with lots of bright flashing lights. This is conventional as a typical
club setting where dance music is played consists of low key lighting and
flashing lights.
The positioning of Calvin makes him centre of
attention throughout the music video. In the club scene he is shown above
everybody else on the DJ set. This shows the audience that he is the DJ and
everyone is enjoying his music and excited and happy over him. This is very
conventional as in many dance music videos the DJ is shown connecting with the
crowd making them have a good time, it portrays Calvin as a typical dance DJ
who loves what he does and making the crowd have a good time.
The two main camera shot used within this music video
are close ups and high angles. Close ups are used throughout the music video to
show people’s emotions for example the boy being angry and another of the girl
having fun at the club. Showing the emotions of the people within the music
video relates to the narrative (target audience) as the boy is angry at the
other boy who annoyed him and also shows people having fun which is
conventional to the dance genre. High angles is another camera shot that shows
people having fun as the shot is used in the club scene so that the audience
can see above the people clubbing. The audience will see all of the people in
the busy club having fun and dancing in the air and shows Calvin’s music having
a positive effect on people.
The editing techniques used within the music video are very conventional to the dance genre. There is lots of fast editing and straight cuts used within the music video. This assists the fast beat and makes the music video appear exciting and very fast paced. This appeals to the audience as they like the fast paced of the dance genre and it may lead them to wanting to go out to party.
The target audience for this music video would be anyone who enjoys the dance genre and the typical dance scene, which is going out partying ect. Also anyone who is a fan of Calvin Harris as it portrays his lifestyle as well as the dance genre. Many young peple enjoy the genre and many young adults are shown within the music video therefor I feel the producers are trying to especially target young people who are at the stage in their life when they want to enjoy themselves and go out every weekend. I feel that this target audience would be able to build a relationship with the image which Calvin Harris portrays of himself as they will like the fact that Calvin enjoys performing for his crowd and like seeing them enjoy themselves, the audience may want to go to one of Calvin’s sets as they want to experience the positive vibes he brings. Many points of Goodwin’s theory are followed within this music video. Genre characteristics are followed as the music video is set in a club strobe lighting ect showing many positive vibes and people having fun, this is followed in order to be successful of appealing to the target audience. The second is followed as the lyrics ‘thinking about you’ are shown throughout the narrative of people thinking about their partners. The music also has a relationship with the visuals as the fast editing matches the upbeat song. Both of these points also help appeal to the audience as they appeal to the audiences visual and hearing senses making them ‘feel’ the music.. Voyeuristic treatment of the female body is followed throughout as there are lots of half dressed women in the music video, this point may be followed in order to attract a male audience.
Sun Don't ShineThe next music video I chose
I analyse to gain ideas for my own was ‘Sun don’t shine’ by Sonnentunz.
Although the music video belongs to the dance genre it did not follow some of
the most common conventions such as having a club scene. However it did manage
to portray the genre characteristics accurately such as being positive feel
good music. I felt that this music video was mostly 50% performance and 50%
narrative as I didn’t feel it had a deep concept to it, it was simply a
narrative of a group of best friends waking up on a roof from the night before
and partying all over again which was the performance.
Mise-en-scene was used effectively throughout the music video to portray
the dance genre only. There was no representation of the artist within this
music video as he was not shown. Hair, make-up and costumes of the girls within
the music video was very subtle and festival like, with calm colours and loose
clothing, this may make the audience think that they had been to a festival the
night before as they were waking up at the beginning of the music video wearing
this clothing. This use of mise-en-scene is conventional to the dance genre as
dance music is likely to be played at a festival as a festival is full of
positive vibes and a place where people want to have fun and enjoy themselves.
The setting of the music
video did not necessarily portray the dance genre as the music video was set on
a roof top which is very calm in comparison to the busy festivals/clubs where
the music videos are commonly set. However it portrays being calm, happy and
chilled out which is also what dance music can bring to people. This setting
also helps set the narrative of the girls having a fun night out and waking up
content with life. Iconography used within the music video is conventional, at
the beginning of the music video as the beat begins to kick in the girl is seen
turning on the decks, which is a very conventional instrument to the dance
genre as it is what DJ’s use to play their music.
The facial expressions
within the music video represent positivity as there are no negative emotions
shown, just happiness. The girl’s body language also suggests they are happy as
they are all dancing together and enjoying the time they are sharing with each
other. The girls are seen as very care free and happy and are conveying
positive vibes, these traits are very common in people who enjoy dance as they
want to have a good time and enjoy life and not be negative. It highlights the
positive effect dance music has on them, and how much they love it as they get
up to party as soon as the beat kicks in.
The lighting which is used
within the music video is also very calm and natural. The sun shining relates
to the lyrics of ‘the sun don’t shine without you’ which is perhaps what the
girls think of each other as best friends. The sun rises also helps the
audience understand the narrative as it implies the girls are waking up as the
sun is rising after a night out together.
There are a variety of
camera shots used within a music video. Long shots are used to show the girls
dancing on the roof top, this represents the girls as being care free to the
audience as you wouldn’t normally find a group of young girls dancing on a roof
top. Close-ups are also used to show the girls emotions, the close-ups show
that the girls are feeling very positive about life and are happy to be where
they are. Both these camera shots are used to portray the dance genre as being
very positive as the girls are having a good time.
There are lots of straight
cuts within the music video. The editor has done this in order to maintain the
fast paced lifestyle that the genre connotes, also so it matches the beat of
the song as the beat is also quite fast. Straight cuts also add excitement as
they are always changing. Another editing style which is less conventional to
dance is slow editing. The editor has slowed down the footage of the girls
dancing to highlight how much fun they are having amongst themselves. Although
the editing style does not follow the conventions of the dance genre, the
purpose of it does as it it there to represent how much fun they are having
listening to the song.
The target audience for this song would be similar to the target audience of ‘thinking
about you’. Anyone who enjoys the dance genre would enjoy this song as it is
upbeat and gives off a positive vibe. However it is slightly different to ‘thinking
about you’ as it is of a calm song which can be played when relaxing as well as
partying as seen in the music video. I feel the music video would attract young
teens/adults as the girls are around 18 and also partying, being with your
friends, and being slightly rebellious is stereotypical actions of young teens
and adults.
The music video follows some points of Goodwin’s theory. It follows some of the
codes and conventions of the genre as listed above however not all of them and
is rather unique for a dance music video. Goodwin’s second and third points are
also followed. The lyrics and visuals share a relationship as the girls are
watching the sun rise as the lyrics play ‘the sun don’t shine without you’ as
they are all best friends and probably feel that their friends bring them
sunshine which connotes happiness. There is also a relationship between the
music and visuals as the girls are dancing in time with the beat and also the
editors have used fast editing styles such as straight cuts to match the fast
paced beat.
After carrying out the research I have and analysing the 2 music videos from
the dance genre I have gained many ideas and inspirations. Firstly it has made
me realise that my music video does not have to involve much performance which I
am pleased at as I wanted to make my video mainly narrative in order for me to interpret
a positive concept that I felt the lyrics portrayed. Therefore I will aim to
make my video mostly narrative and concept as I want to portray the positive
vibes through a positive message, I will still have dancing within my music
video however it will be part of my narrative and not in the style of performance.
The research also helped me gain ideas for my narrative. I like the idea of the
girls waking up from a night before and feel I could use this in my narrative, I
did not really like the narrative however as there didn't seem to be a beginning
and an end it was just about girl waking up and dancing and having a good time.
I also want to involve a party scene as I felt the dance scenes in ‘thinking
about you’ where very appealing to watch and made me want to dance myself
therefore I may incorporate both ideas for example having my character wakeup
from the night before but then have flashbacks throughout the day, as I feel a
party scene is the main setting where I could achieve the codes and conventions
of the dance genre such as flashing lights and people dancing and what would
relate to my target audience.
Many artists work with directors to create music videos which will attract a certain type of audience and promote them within their career. These music videos usually meet a certain criteria which usually follows the conventions of the genre or will relate to the audience they are aiming to target. However some artists and directors choose to be different and create diverse music videos which may not follow the conventions of the genre and possible attract a different audience with its originality. These diverse music videos may not be broadcasted by music channels like MTV and kiss as they tend to play mainstream videos which appeal to a wider audience. Examples of directors who helped artists create diverse music videos are Chris Cunningham and Michael Gondry. Chris Cunningham
Chris Cunningham, a British music video film director was born in reading in 1970. Chris first started working in the music industry after directing short films, he started off with music production and album cover artwork. He then began to direct music videos. These music videos reflected Chris' imagination as they were very diverse and did not follow typical conventions of a music video, 'come to daddy' and 'window licker' being his most known although he also directed Madonna's 'Frozen' which became an international hit and won an award for best special affects at the 1998 MTV music video awards. As I wanted to find out more about diverse music videos I chose to watch and analyse 'come to daddy' one of Chris' more known videos. Aphex Twin - Come to daddy
'Come to daddy' - Aphex Twin, is a song which belongs to the dance genre. The music video starts off in a derelict estate where an old lady is walking her dog. The music video then gets more intense throughout when the dog begins to pull the old lady aggressively and runs away after a face appearing on a broken tv. Once the beat kicks in young girls with male adult faces start running around after the estate searching for the face in the tv screaming 'come to daddy'. The beat is fast pace accompanying the pace of the freaky looking children running around. The children start to destroy the already rough looking estate until a straight cut shows a creature climbing out the tv screen as the old lady approaches. The creature then begins to scream into the old lady's face until another straight cut presents the creature evolving into a much bigger version of the little girls with male adult faces. The strong narrative makes the music video very diverse as music videos do not usually impact viewers when watching them, it is also diverse because it does not follow the conventions of a typical dance genre music video. The music video contains no scenes of happiness, dance, or lighting which is completely opposite to the typical club setting displaying people enjoying themselves. Instead these conventions are replaced with an old lady walking a dog which is stereotyped as being dangerous, freaky looking children who look like they could be in a thriller film and display of violent actions by the children and creature. However the fast pace visuals do stick to the conventions of a dance music video.
This music video only manages to follow one point of Goodwin's theory. As when the face in the tv screams 'come to daddy' the young girls search for the screen as if they are listening to him as their father. Although lyrics match the visuals, this music video would still not be shown on music channels such as MTV because of the thriller element added to it. It would not appeal to the younger or family audience of mtv as it may scare them.
The structure of this music video was narrative. Watching this music video in my opinion was more like watching a short thriller of an old lady being attacked as it made my heart race and had me anticipating what was happening next, this leads me to thinking that the narrative is very strong, despite the fact it does not make much sense, the behaviour, iconography and setting still have a strong affect on viewers watching it.
As the artist is not shown in the music video, there is no representation of him. Madonna - Frozen
The next music video which I will be analysing is again directed by Chris Cunningham however is sang by a more popular artist, Madonna. The song is called 'Frozen' and belongs to the electronic
music genre. The music video starts off with the camera panning across the
floor towards Madonna who is floating above the ground wearing a black dress. Throughout
the music video Madonna is swaying and making gestures with her hands towards
the sky. She then falls to the ground transforming into a flock of birds. Madonna appears again while the birds are flying off and she continues with
her swaying gestures. Later on in the music video Madonna appears to be tripled in the same shot. 3 of the same person are swaying around ending up on the floor and yet again Madonna turns into another animal except this time it is a black dog. After this the video becomes quite repetitive as again she is shown floating above the ground ans swaying and again appearing 3 times within a high angled camera shot. This is because the music video is performance based, there is no distinct narrative therefore the video does not really go anywhere or tell a story which can come to an end.
I feel this music video connotes unusual vibes just like the previous 'come to daddy' music video i analysed. 'Frozen' similarly has a dark atmosphere and surrealism as she is morphing into animals and back into herself. The dark unknown setting, black clothing, and slow music all help portray this dark atmosphere which connotes to the audience and element of gothic, mysterious and majestic witchcraft. Chris Cunningham knows that this type of music video is not very popular there for adopting the style in order to create diverse music videos. Chris does not follow the conventions of a pop music video as himself and Madonna create a 90% performance based video and 10% narrative based video which is very different in contrast to the typical 60/40 ratio of performance and narrative. The music video also goes against pop conventions as the video can be seen as more on the negative side with its dark atmosphere in contrast to a bright happy, fun loving video a typical pop song would go with.
What again makes the music video diverse is the fact is does not really follow Goodwin's theory showing that it is not the stereotypical song which can be categorised with the rest. The only point of Goodwin's theory which is followed within the music video is relation between lyrics and visuals. Madonna is singing about being 'Frozen' in which she is in an empty location with no growth or movement around her and everything seems 'frozen'. Visuals also relate to lyrics where Madonna sings about a melting heart and she begins to melt into a black liquid. Chris Cunningham does a very good job at representing Madonna as mysterious and emotional within her music video. through the dark colours and lack of colours which would have connoted happiness if they had been included. Michael Gondry
Many others aim to create a diverse music video in order to gain success. Michael Gondry, a French director also famous for creating diverse music videos was born on the 8th May 1963 in Versailles, France. Gondry’s career and
vision began with his emphasis on emotion, he started producing films after
creating a music video for the rock band Oui Oui. Michael Gondry went on to
create very diverse, films, music videos and even adverts. The music videos I will
be analysing today are The White Stripes – The hardest button to button and Kylie
Minogue – Come into my world.
The White Stripes - The hardest button to buttonThe music video which
accompanies the song ‘The hardest button to button’ falls under the genre of alternative rock, it follows and goes against many
conventions of its genre yet still manages to be diverse as it is different
from many other alternative rock videos. The music video starts off with the
band, (a girl drummer, and a male lead vocal and guitarists) in a park
performing their song. There are no other people within the camera shots shown
of them performing their song, just the 2 band members. This could equally go
against or follow the conventions of alternative rock as many videos show fans
at a gig with the band performing their music, enjoying themselves and many
just show the band playing in order to focus on the band more. The band members
are both wearing black and red, have dark hair, pale skin and dark eye make-up within
the music video; this is a very stereotypical convention of alternative rock as
black and red connote edginess, mystery, darkness and danger which are
conventional to rock lifestyle and may be how the band members want to portray
themselves to the audience. Conventions are also followed through the use of
instruments. It is very common within a alternative rock music video for the
artists to be playing their instruments, especially drums and the guitar. The
use of these instruments are highlighted through Michael Gondry’s editing
styles when in each new camera shot the image of the band repeats itself
through the beat of the song. For example, each time there is a beat on the
drum, the girl playing the drums repeats itself and each time the guitarist
finishes its beat, that image also repeats itself. This is visually emphasising
the use of the instruments as the visuals of the instruments link to the music
playing and shows the audience when each instrument is played, allowing them to
really feel the music. It is also these camera shots that make the music video
diverse. Each straight cut makes the video very jumpy and it does not flow
smoothly which is a common trait in a music video. The straight cuts allow for
special affects to be used, with a duplicate of the band appearing in every new
shot. Michael Gondry may have used this style of editing in order to match the
lyrics to the visuals (Goodwin’s theory) which may keep the audience intrigued as
it is uncommon to see. The audience may feel anticipated as to how long this
editing style will go on for however they also may get bored as the music video
is all performance and does not have a clear narrative or concept. Although
this may get boring for a typical audience to view, audiences who like the
genre may find it appealing as it is conventional for a band to play their
instruments the whole way through a music video with no concept.
The music video for ‘The hardest button to button’ manages to follow some
points of Goodwin’s theory of a typical music video yet still manages to be
diverse. The music video follows the genre characteristics as analysed above. It
also follows Goodwin’s point of the music matching the visuals, through the
quick editing style and jumpy straight cuts of duplicating instruments which
follows the beat. On the other hand the music video does not show a relationship
between the lyrics and the visuals, there is no demand from the record label
for close-ups to portray the artist, also there is no voyeuristic treatment of
the female body and no intertexual references.
This may come as a disadvantage to this music video as although Michael Gondry
has managed to create an interesting and diverse music video for the band,
there is no representation of the band members and also a lack of narrative and
insight to the artist’s lifestyle fails to help the audience relate to the band
members. Despite the lack of artists representation, audiences who enjoy the
genre may still like the music video as mystery, and lack of emotion is a
convention to alternative rock and seems to be what the band members where
trying to portray themselves as, mysterious and emotionless as they live a rock
lifestyle and must portray their hard image. Kylie Minogue - Come into my world The next music video I will be analysing produced by
Michael Gondry is Kylie Minogue's 'come into my world. The song comes under the
pop genre however the music video does not follow many of the generic
conventions a typical pop music video would. The music video is set in a town
in Paris and starts off with Kylie coming out of a shop holding her dry
cleaning. She is wearing casual clothing and blends in with the public
surrounding her, this is not very conventional to the pop genre as usually the
artists is seen wearing stylish clothes which other may admire and want after
seeing the artist wearing them. Kylie’s hair and make-up is very simply and
natural, although this does not conform with the conventions of recent pop, it
would have followed the conventions of pop back when the music video was made
as hair and make-up was kept very simply and stylish in those days. The video
then progresses and shows Kylie walking around town with her dry cleaning,
whilst other scenarios such as couples arguing and children playing are shown
in the background. This again is unconventional to the pop genre as generally
the camera shots are focused on the artist in order to build a relationship;
however within this music video there are many things to distract the viewer in
the background. Although this is unconventional to the pop genre, it is common
to Michael Gondry’s style of editing. Gondry tend to manipulate mise-en-scene
to create an unusual setting. In this music video he creates a very chaotic
setting and makes it progressively more chaotic as the song goes on, as Kylie
is walking around in circles and each time she passes the dry cleaners she is
duplicates and the scene repeats itself. This repetitive style was also shown
in the music video I earlier analysed by The White Stripes. Eventually there
are many duplicates of Kylie and her surrounding become even busier, although a
busy party scene could be a conventional pop genre setting, this busy town
scene where there is lots going on is not as it is not connoting many positive
vibes which a busy party scene would.
Kylie’s ‘Come into my world’ music video does follow some points of Goodwin’s
theory. The music video is not very conventional to the pop genre which it
falls under as shown above. The diverse style of the music video also fails to
follow the convention as it is typical for pop to follow what is popular and is
not usually known for being diverse, nevertheless Kylie may have wanted a
diverse music video to attract more of an audience as she is doing something different
for once. One convention the music video does follow is the style of music
video. The music video consists of 80% performance and 20% narrative; it is
common to have a more performance however some narrative as the fast beat of
the song needs some performance however the relationship needed between the
artist and audience can be built through the narrative that there is. The next
point of Goodwin’s theory which the music video follows is the relationship
between the lyric and visuals. Kylie repeating the lyrics ‘come into my world’
share a relationship with the visuals as the music video is showing her world,
and how her world is very repetitive and boring whilst everyone else has some element
of excitement to it, her lyrics appear to be asking someone, possibly a male to
come into her world and make her life more exciting. There is not much of a
relationship between the music and visuals however the fast editing does match
the beat of the song. The rest of Goodwin’s points are not followed within this
music video as there are not many close-up, no voyeuristic treatment of Kylie
and no intertexual references.
Although there are not many close ups within the music video, Kylie is still represented
as a normal girl within this music video as she is doing daily task any normal
person would do, collecting her own dry cleaning etc. She is also represented
as a normal girl as her lyrics connote that she is looking for someone to come
in to her life, possibly meaning romance or perhaps someone to help her or
bring some excitement. Both of these points help the audience build a relationship
with Kylie as the audience feel they can relate to her ordinary daily routine.
Her search for romance may also help them build a relationship with Kylie as
typically they may feel that Kylie must be able to get a boyfriend because she
is pretty and famous! However this representation of her lets the audience know
that she is just the same as them and is looking for the right man. There are many positives and negatives that may affect
an artist’s decision on whether they should have a diverse music video for their
song. Firstly a diverse music video would stand out from the rest of the
current music video as it would break conventions and trends rather than most
other music videos which would be aiming to follow them. This could either be
positive or negative, if the target audience liked the music video, it would
gain lots of positive publicity for being very creative and diverse. This could
lead to the music video attracting more of an audience as they want to see what
the fuss is about and if this audience to like the music video, then the
artists may gain a larger fan base. However if the target audience did not like
the music video and felt like they could not relate to it or did not understand
it then it might gain negative publicity meaning the music video would have
been a flop, wasting lots of money and time. This could also lead to the audience’s
interest in the artist to fall. Releasing a diverse music video could also make
it more memorable than a typical music video audience have seen and will see
again gaining the artist a greater reputation making the audience anticipating
for the next music video being released. I think an artist should decide on
whether to create a diverse music video depending on what type of song they are
going to use, if it was a very emotional song I feel that the artist should aim
to portray those emotions within the song even if it means following all the
conventions of a sad song, however if it is more of a fun song which audiences
wont relate to much than it is a good idea to create a diverse music video. Also if an artist has a loyal fan base then there is less of a risk of their fan base not liking the music video there for it may be a good idea to build hype up within the fan base, on the other hand if I was a new artist entering the music industry I feel like it would be a better idea to stick to conventions of my genre so there was more chance for my target audience would like it. Although I do like the idea of a diverse music video I would not consider making my first music video diverse. This is because I feel more comfortable creating something I know that my target audience would like and I can ensure that I create my music video to their needs and wants. I also have chosen not to create a diverse music video as there is a concept I want to portray within my music video and I feel it would be much easier to portray through a narrative.
Richard
dyer created a theory which analysed in depth what a music star really is and
why they act how they do. To me I’ve always thought a music star was just a
normal person with a musical talent that managed to get recognised and become
famous. Richard Dyer interpreted something much different.
Richard Dyers theory started off by stating that within the music industry, the
relationship between an artist and audience is very important. Because of this,
Richard Dyer believed that stars were not real people but where constructed
around incoherent images meaning they were incomplete and always changing.
Richard Dyer also believed that stars were sold as commodities with meaning to
the audience and for this an incoherent image was necessary in order to ensure
the audience continue to want to know the artist and stay interested,
prolonging their stardom. The most common images stars adopt in order to do
this are: -Youthfulness -Originality -Rebellion -Sexual Magnetism -Talent -Creativity -Success against the odds
Richard Dyer believed that stars depend on a range of subsidiaries within the
media, including magazines, radio, and TV to help construct this image which
will appeal to their consumers. The star image is based upon two paradoxes.
These are:
1) The star must be simultaneously ordinary and extraordinary for the consumer.
2)The star must be simultaneously present and absent for the consumer.
The star I will be applying this theory to (along with Goodwin's theory) is Miley Cyrus. I chose to analyse
Miley Cyrus as I have seen her grow up within the media.
Miley at the beginning of her career.
Miley Cyrus started her career at 12 years old, when she appeared as the lead role in the children’s TV show ‘Hannah Montana’. The TV children’s show which aired on Disney channel was about a young girl leading double lives. One part of her life was a famous pop star (Hannah Montana) and the other was the normal life she lived away from the fame at home with her family and friends. The show made Hannah Montana/Miley Cyrus a success and she was a seen as a ‘teen idol’ within the first year of her career. ‘Best of both worlds’ was Miley Cyrus’s first song which was performed by Hannah Montana on stage as the opening song of the show.
The music video is set on stage at one of Hannah Montana’s concerts. The video
consists of Hannah Montana performing on stage singing and dancing. The video
also includes camera shots of her fans and band members. The music video
follows some points of Goodwin’s theory however not all of them. The first point
of Goodwin’s theory the music video follows is that the music demonstrates
genre characteristics. The genre of ‘Best of both worlds’ is pop-rock and it
follows the characteristics of this genre by:
-Repeating song lyrics.
-Dance choreography.
-A band.
-Band instruments.
-Flashing Lights and colours.
-Concert theme.
The music video is set on stage at one of Hannah Montana’s concerts. The video
consists of Hannah Montana performing on stage singing and dancing. The video
also includes camera shots of her fans and band members. The music video
follows some points of Goodwin’s theory however not all of them. The first point
of Goodwin’s theory the music video follows is that the music demonstrates
genre characteristics. The genre of ‘Best of both worlds’ is pop-rock and it
follows the characteristics of this genre by:
-Repeating song lyrics.
-Dance choreography.
-A band.
-Band instruments.
-Flashing Lights and colours.
-Concert theme.
The second and third point of Goodwin’s the music video follows is the relationship
between lyrics and visuals and relationship between music and visuals. There is
a relationship between lyrics and visuals as Hannah Montana sings about being a
stage on star (which is shown in the video) and there is also a relationship
between music and visuals as the dance moves are in beat with the music.
The final point of Goodwin’s theory followed in this music video is the demand
of the record label to include many close-ups. There are lots of close-ups the
Hannah Montana star in the music video in order to sell her.
The music video represents Hannah Montana as an innocent young girl who has
become a star through her talent having lots of fun on stage performing. She is
represented as very popular and loved by all her fans as they are all screaming
after her. Her target audience within the music video is 10-14 year olds as the
young girl herself is 12 years old.
The messages and values portrayed in this music video are simply that a young
girl can pursue her dreams and still live a normal life at the same time. This part
of Miley's career instantly demonstrates Richard Dyer’s 2 paradoxes. The star is
seen as ordinary because she is living a normal life at home with her family
when she is Miley Cyrus, yet she is also simultaneously extraordinary as she is
a very famous teen which is rare and most young girls dream. This keeps the young
teens consuming Miley Cyrus as a product as they feel they can relate to her
being ordinary yet aspire to be her because she is also extraordinary. The
second paradox is also demonstrated as Miley is present in the consumer life
through her music and TV show however she is also absent as the consumers have
no physical presence of her which causes them to consume her as a star so she
is in the consumers life through entertainment. Miley half way through her career. Just 4 years after Miley Cyrus's career started as Hannah Montana, Miley released rather controversial song. 'Cant be tamed' was released in 2010, a few years before Miley changed to RCA records. The record got up to #8 in the billboard charts and helped the public come to the realisation that she was growing up out of the innocent young girl she was portrayed as in Hannah Montana. 'Cant be tamed' falls under the dance/pop, pop/rock genre. Although Miley still chose to perform the same genre of music however the lyrics along with performance had quite a distinctive change.The music video follows most points of Goodwin's theory.
The first point 'music video demonstrates genre characteristics' is followed as the music video is performance based and there is rehearsed dance choreography within the music video which is a pop genre characteristic. Pop-rock genre characteristics are also followed within the music video as Miley and the other performers are dressed very edgy and there is lots of low key lighting along with dark clothes/hair and make-up within the music video which is common in the rock genre as it is stereotypically seen as being a dark genre. The dance/pop genre is followed mainly within the lyrics as the lyrics are quite catchy and repetitive throughout as Miley sings repeatedly 'I cant be tamed' with a strong emphasis on the beat throughout the song.
The second and third point of Goodwin's theory which is followed is 'there is a relationship between lyrics and visuals' and 'there is a relationship between music and visuals'. The chorus lyrics 'I cant be tamed, I cant be tamed, I cant, cant, I cant, cant be tamed' forms a relationship with the visuals as long shots of Miley show her breaking out of a cage which is symbolising the lyrics and how she cant be tamed and no one can control her not even the cage which may represent the media trying to control her by not letting her flourish from the image she had when she was 12 years old as innocent into the image she is pursuing now.
The third point is simply followed by the choreography within the music video which is in time with the beat of the music.The fourth point is again followed within this music video but this time for different purposes. 'The demands of the record label will have the need to include lots of close up' The purpose of this is to sell the artist as the image they are trying to portray however unlike the innocent young girl living her dream that was portrayed through close ups in 'best of both worlds' a more grown up image of Miley is trying to be sold here. Miley has dropped the Hannah Montana look and is selling her self as more of a women within this music video. Rather than close ups showing Miley (as Hannah Montana) having fun and living her dream the close ups show a more rebellious moody looking teen who is growing into a women.
The record label and Miley Cyrus may have felt the need to show these close ups and sell her in this way as Miley wanted to part from the young teenage target audience and begin to be seen as a more serious artist by targeting an older age group.
The last point which was not followed in 'best of both worlds but is in 'cant be tamed' is ' frequently reference of notion looking, particularly voyeuristic treatment of the female body'. Long shots within the music video show how Miley is dressed along with her dance moves which may be seen as seductive. There is a big change in Miley's costume in contrast to her 'best of both worlds video'. In this video Miley is wearing a black leotard with leather boots reaching just above her knee. Miley is also wearing gloves and lots of feathers around her back combed hair. She is also wearing much more make-up than in the first video I analysed. This image seems to be very seductive and womanly in contrast to her previous image. This shows the audience how Miley might be wanting to target the male audience with her seductive dancing and outfit. As before target audience was mainly teen girls.
The music video represents Miley as a rebellious teen who wants to break free of the image that has previously been created of her as she has grown up. She does not want expectations and limits on her image as she is always changing and no one can stop that. The low key lighting represents Miley's more darker side which isn't associated with her previous image and how she is growing up. Miley is also represented as sexy and promiscuous within the video through her image, dancing and lyrics talking about men. 'Every guy everywhere just gives me attention, like I'm under inspection' shows the new found attentions she received with the new image and how she has matured with it. The image I feel Miley is trying to portray is that she wants to break free from her innocent teen image and be taken more seriously by everyone. Miley feels herself that she is grown and the audience and media should allow her to grow and grow with her because it is going to happen no matter what.
I feel this music video allows Miley to be seen as a product as she is being sold one the meaning that she is growing up. Miley wants to be taken seriously as she is not a little kid any more and make decisions for her self. Fans she had when she was younger have grown up with her and understand the meaning she is trying to portray as they too are growing up and can relate. This makes Miley seem ordinary to the audience as she is going through what once everyone went through (growing up and wanting to be taken seriously along with wanting her won freedom) however she is extra ordinary as what she is going through is on a much larger scale as she is famous and has to deal with fans/media as well as her family. The artist is simultaneously present and absent for the consumers as she is present within the media and being talked about a lot within this part of her career however absent as she cannot be physically present in the consumers life just through media and other media conglomerates. Miley in her present career.
Miley's recent image change has been even more drastic than her last one. In 2012 Miley received lots of media attention for cutting off her long brown locks and adopting a short blond pixie hair do. Miley commented on her new hair and said "she had never felt more her in her life and it had really changed her life". Following the stars drastic hair change Miley released the song 'We cant stop' on June 2013. The song falls under all 3 genres of pop, rnb and dance. The music video also follows ALL of the points within Goodwin's theory making a stereotypical marketing product for the artist.
'Music videos demonstrate genre characteristics' is followed within the 'we cant stop' music video. Although the song comes under 3 different genre each genres is demonstrated to some extent. Conventional characteristics of the genres are demonstrated throughout the music video.
Pop: -Miley and her friends are portrayed as being happy and content with life. -Although Miley is wearing revealing clothes they are somewhat fashionable and modern along with the clothes the dancers are wearing. -The video shows lifestyle which is associated with teens, e.g. partying, having fun with friends, being rebellious. -The song lyrics and beat being repetitive. -The setting of party scenes and places associated with having fun e.g. going swimming. -Bright colours being used in the music video.
RnB: -Minimal clothing and lots of jewellery. -Bright Colours. -Few close ups for advertising purposes for example, close up of eos products and beats. -Brightly coloured make-up worn e.g red lipstick. -Fast paced shots.
The second and third point link in with each other and are both followed within the music video. 'There is a relationship between lyrics and visuals' as well as 'A relationship between the music and visuals'. A relationship between the lyrics and visuals is demonstrated throughout the video as Miley is singing the lyrics “It’s our party we can do what we want” whilst the camera shows young adults dancing (partying) they also appear to do doing what they like, and being slightly rebellious as they are not under supervision. As this music video appeals to quite a young audience they would know that having a house party is risky as things could get wrecked etc. Also the young adults are shown partying all night until they fall asleep and it is the morning where Miley is the only one awake – “cause we gonna go all night, till we see the sunlight alright”. Lyrics directly match the visuals when Miley is seen dancing with one of her friends “to my home girls here with the big butts, shaking it like we at the strip club”.
There is also a relationship between the music and visuals. We can’t stop is an upbeat song this is portrayed in the editing techniques. The transitions to each shot are quite quick and there are many straight cuts and quick fades. The dancing of Miley and friends also have a relationship with the music as they are dancing in time with the beat.
Within the music video there are lots of close-ups. Goodwin believed this was because of the demands of the records labels to sell the artist. Close ups often give a clear view to the audience of the artist image allowing them to consume Miley as a product. What the audience will see will determine whether they like Miley and her new image or do not.
The music video also follows Goodwin's fifth point within his theory. "There is frequently reference to notion of looking, particularly voyeuristic treatment of the female body". Within the music video the camera is panning up and down Miley's body, it is also seen focusing on perhaps voyeuristic features such as Miley's red lips (which connotes sexiness), legs which are not covered up, bum which is particularly focused on whilst she is dancing and chest. The director is aware that these features connote Miley's sexual appeal and will help her appeal to a wide target audience, as although people may not like the pop genre, her looks will appeal to them.
Unlike Miley Cyrus's previous videos I have analysed, 'We cant stop' also follows Goodwin's last point 'there is often intertexual references'. This basically means what is done to promote certain products within the music video. As soon as the music video starts there is a camera shot showing a product from beats called 'the pill' playing Miley's song. EOS products are also shown within the 'we cant stop' music video. A wide shot shows the product and lets the audience know what it is (EOS - a lip care product) then another mid shot follows of Miley applying the products to her lips. Intertexual references take place for one main reason, to promote the product, audiences watching Miley's new music video may either discover the product from the music video which leads them to buying it or simply feel the need to have the item because Miley Cyrus has it and they are her fans so what she has must be good. However using intertexual references brings reality back into the music video, audiences may get lost in Miley's big stardom and feel she is in an entire difference world however intertexual references show that Miley is somewhat the same as the audience as she uses everyday items like the average person, e.g. speakers, lip balm. Miley most recent music video represents her new image. Her new image suggests that she is finally found an image she loves and wants to be part of as she is now an adult and knows what she wants, this is portrayed through her new found confidence and how happy she looks within the music video. Although Miley has gotten much older since she first begun he career as Hannah Montana she still comes across as youthful as she is partying with her friends and doing whatever she wants 'doing whatever we want, this is our house, this is our song'. Miley also comes across as very original and creative as there are lots of random iconography within her music video such as dancing bears, a skull made out of chips ect. Her hair and way she is dressed also portrays her as being original as she has her own style in the video however it also portrays her as embracing her sexual magnetism as she is not wearing many clothes and also acting seductively. Her seductive actions such as touching her body also portray her as very womanly and I feel that because of her confidence along with her age she will get taken more seriously like she has always wanted to.
This music video also allows Miley's image to follow Dyers theory. Her image can be seen as a product as it adopt the meaning that she is reinvented herself and nobody can stop her because she is finally who she wants to be. Many people may buy this meaning as they could feel empowered by how she has reinvented herself with all the pressures that she has being famous. Leading them to feel like they want to do the same there for buying on the meaning of her image. Her image also allows her to be simultaneously ordinary and extra ordinary to the consumers, she is ordinary because she has had a fresh start which many ordinary people may feel they need in their life and she is extra ordinary because her fresh start is so much more drastic and publicised that a ordinary persons fresh start would be. Miley is also simultaneously present and absent as she is present within the media as she is getting a lot of media attention from her new image however she is only in reach for the consumer to buy through media as she is famous and cant be present in the consumer life.
Overall I feel that over the years of Miley's career she has been a prime example of Dyers star theory as her image has been incoherent (always changing), she has portrayed many of the common values Dyer felt a star would have which I earlier listed, and also she has been a commodity as over the years her fans have grew up with her and bought her on the meaning which they can understand and relate to.
