Research:Popular Culture

Popular Culture

Introduction:

It is important to understand the theories as the theories give you a good understanding of where the music industry is an how it has developed.

What is popular culture:

Popular culture is the entirety of ideas, perspectives, attitudes, memes, images, and other phenomena that are within the mainstream of a given culture, especially Western culture of the early to mid 20th century and the emerging global mainstream of the late 20th and early 21st century.Heavily influenced by mass media, this collection of ideas permeates the everyday lives of the society. Popular culture is often viewed as being trivial and it is a less intellectual or dumb down in order to find consensual acceptance throughout the mainstream. As a result, it comes under heavy criticism from various source.

Antonio Gramsci and Hegemony:

What is Hegemony- is an indirect form of government and of imperial dominance in which the hegemony rules subordinate states by means of its implied power - by the threat of force, rather than by direct military force.

Antonio Gramsci is an Italian theorist he was a Marxist theorist and politician.

This theory is challenged in modern day music videos as it is not for the dumb or the dumb down culture as there are a variety of different levels of intelligent who listen to and watch music videos. Also many music video top intelligent would not understand where as a less intellectual person would understand.





Theodore Adorno:

Due to control of capitalist production music has become merely standardized, formulaic and repetitive. It has no value whatsoever and leads to a very specific type of consumption that is passive, obedient and easily manipulated for the purpose of propaganda and advertising.







Frankfurt school: 

The Frankfurt school was a school in Germany and they are a group of the older theorist who believed that the audience was passive in the music industry as they did not have a choice in what music video they listened to rather music video where just given to the audience.




Birmingham school:

The Birmingham school is a group of theorists from Birmingham England who are more of a modern group of theorist who challenged the Frankfurt school of theory as they had said that the audience is more active than passive. It says the Frankfurt school is making the audience seem more passive than it really is the audience are more active as they choose the type of music they want to listen to and their demand leads to the production of music videos and without the audience the music industry would not exist and the artist would not be who they are today if it was not for the audience as the audience are active in buying the music albums and creating a demand for new music video and songs which the artist and record companies respond to.

Dick Hebdige: 

Hebdige challenges Adorno where ardono says that the audience is passive and easily manipulated but Hebdige clearly differs as he says that the audience are more active than they are made out to be. Hebdige believes and says that the audience have more control and choice in what they want o listen to and which artist to follow.

He also says and believes that audience have the power and the control to reject and resist the dominance of large companies by not consuming their products but consuming other products. With this resistance it takes the audience away from mainstream culture and make it into a subculture.

Hebdige says that with the subculture being created the big companies will look to the subculture and make products that they will consume which shows that ultimately the audience are in control and they are active.

Conclusion:

I have learnt from this post that popular culture is more challenged today and the audience are very active and they are more intellectually involved in the music industry today and not how they are made made out to be that they are passive which is not true and i have a good understanding in this to show that the audience is active and they are the most important market for music to be successful.

Research: Dyer's Star Theory

Dyer's Star Theory

What is Star Theory:

Dyers star is image a theory which states that the star is not a real person but it is an image that is created which the star follows which is used for promotion, in magazines, red carpet events, in music video or even in film and in many other situations.

Richard Dyer:

Richard Dyer is an English academic who is a specialist in film studies. Also what Dyer said was the following:

• "Star image is coherent, that it is incomplete and open"
• "The star must be simultaneously be ordinary and extraordinary for the consumer"
• "The star must be simultaneously be present and absent for the consumer"

Performer and Pop star:

The distinction be made between these who are simply known for performing pop music and those who are known for being pop stars.

Performer- Pop performers is a star which only preforms in the music video purely for the entertainment of the audience where they are known for their performance rather than their star image or singing.

Pop star- A pop star has the lasting significance and has bran awareness amongst a wider market over a period of time.

Four elements recognising a star:

• Stars and construction

A star needs to have a unique selling point if the artist does not have one one is made for them which is called an artificial image.

Examples of this artificial image creation is shows such as X Factor. Where the show looks for stars and they look for people they can make into stars and brand them.

 These singing competition shows are an example of constructing a star image for people where they are now concentrating on how they can use someone as a selling point rather than their voice it is becoming less important if the person can sing it is about if they can atleast sing and give them a image where they can make money out of them by construction an image for them.

One direction are an example of star construction as they auditioned at X Factor and they were not strong singers individually and their potential as a group was seen and they were put into a group and their image of a group boy band was created and now they are very successful and this has allowed Simon Cowell to make a lot of money out of one direction through his vision in giving them an star image.

Now look at one direction as their star image has been constructed they are appealing to their chosen target audience and their image of teenagers/ young men is clearly shown as they have grown into their artificial start image.

Leona Lewis is another example of star image construction as she came into X factor with a great voice and potential and they saw this. She was shy at first and they had to construct her an image as she had so much potential to be a star.








The change in image is clear now as she is more confident and now a star in the music industry with her artificial star image which she was given.

• Industry and audience 

Stars are manufactured to making money and pop stars are quite clearly the product of their record company and they must be sold.

Beyonce is an example of the impact that she has on her record company as she is a the top of the industry she is the queen of pop. Her albums sell quickly and she is her own product as her name is so big people just buy her albums due to the fact that its beyonces

• Ideology and Culture

Artist need to have their own moral values and cultural values and promote their own views. Also the artist needs to be popular on social media sites and establish their own music.

Rihanna is an example of an artist who promotes her own view to the audience which can be controversial at time and she is very popular on social media sites where she gives messages of her latest albums and concerts.

• Character and personality

The stars provide audiences with the focus for the ideas of what people are supposed to like.

Control artists brand and star image:

Artists brands have a massive impact on their star image as they are known for their branding when they have reached the top in their industry it is the brand name that they are known for.

Conclusion:

I will use star theory in my music video to further enhance my star image in my music video as to have a star image in the music video is most important. Also i will use my star image in a magazine and poster to promote the music videos and to grab the attention of the releasing of the music video.

Research: Star Image in music videos

Star Image in music videos

What is star image:

Star image is the way the artist appears in the industry and represents themselves in the industry's and to the audience. The most important way to do this is through music videos as this can reach a mainstream and international audience. Lastly the star image depends on and is affected by the artists chosen genre, age and attitudes.

How can music videos help boast an artists career?:

Music videos can help and effect an artist career massively and these are some of the ways that a music video helps an artists career:

A music video increases the artists popularity as the artist shows the fans their new look which causes a hype and buzz around the release of the album which leads to increase in the fan base.

Also a music video helps the artist financially as the music video allows and helps the artist to make more of an income through sales and promotions.

Most importantly a music video brings in more deals for the artist as the artist can show their talent and ability and credentials to recoding studies and directors and big record label companies which would want to sign the artist. Increasing their reputation and status as an artist.

Music video help the artist not only change their image but it helps the artist spread and deliver their personal beliefs to the fans where the fans can connect with the artist and have more respect for the artist.

Case study of an artist image change:

I have done the case study of Micheal Jackson and how his image has changed of the years in his career and in the music industry.

Micheal Jackson in the 1970s:

Micheal Jackson in the 1970 aged 8 was a refreshing addition to the music industry as people had fallen in love with a sweet 8 year old boy where people saw that he had so much potential.

This show Micheal Jackson in the music video when he was a young boy he kept his image very simple and innocent as that is what his appeal to the audience was for people to feel love for him as he was a child and people to have a soft spot for him and he did this well with music videos such as ABC which is pretty childish to enhance his image.

 Micheal Jackson in the 1984-87:

These images are of Micheal Jackson from 1984-87 where Micheal Jackson was at the peak of his career and he became a notional and international icon as he had broken out of the Jackson five and showed his versatility by breaking away from the Jackson 5 and going on his own path.

 These Micheal Jackson's music videos are a few examples of the music videos in which he made when he was at the peak of his career. In the music video the change of Micheal's image is clear as he no longer is the sweet innocent boy in Jackson 5 as now he was showing his independence and his unique talent as he was showing this change in image by doing his own unique dancing moves and his fashion had changed as now he was a young man promoting his own beliefs and values Micheal was bringing his own unique ideas to his music video which no one had seen or thought about doing this is what made Micheal so original form everyone and his music videos stood out leaving a long lasting effect on the audience the public loved this making Micheal into a national and international icon.













 Micheal Jackson in 1996:

Micheal Jackson's image was known changing again in 1996 as his career was taking a turn in bad side which was not expected by the people.

Micheal Jackson in 2001:

 Micheal career was now taking a turn for the worst and in this his image had changed and now he was seen as really fragile and tired throughout this period and the change in image did not hide this.

Micheal Jackson in 2008 his final years:

Micheal Jackson's final years he was in a really bad way as he could no longer deal with the problems in his life there were one problem after the other.

This shows how tired Micheal Jackson was in a desperate attempt to gain control of his life and career.

Examples:

Beyonces image on the audience is hugh as everyone looks up to her and her story to the top is inspirational and motivational and she is a hugh part of the music world as she is the queen of pop. Many people try and be like beyonce as well she is a global star.

 Rihanna is a very controversial image in the music industry but this is why she is liked because of her independent thinking and uniqueness.

Tinnie Tempa is another image in the music industry who is well respected for their work in the industry.












Star Image Sexual:

Where some people use music videos as exploit sexuality by using it in their music videos.

Example:

This Music video by Mariah Carey is an example of epressing sexuality in music videos as an attractive artist Mariah Carey uses her looks and appeal to be sexually explicit in the music video.

Star Image Political:

Where some people can use music videos to express their political values in their music videos.

Examples:

This music video By M.I.A is an example of music video using star image political as in the music video racism and discrimination is shown in the music video and it shows how nothing is being done. Also with the music video being called Born free is a very bold statement with the very political music video.


Star Image Moral:

Where some people can use music videos to express their personal opinions on an issues that they believe are important in their  music videos.


Star Image Social:

Where some people can use music videos to represent a type of lifestyle or ideologies in their music video.

This music video by Micheal Jackson he expresses his beliefs and ideology in the music video.

George Micheal's music video shows his ideology and lifestyle as he in this music video shows the audience and tells the story of him being lured and seduced by a police officer and then being arrested, where the audience found out about George Micheal's sexual orientation. 

Conclusion:

Star image is very important in a music video as without star image the music video and the artist will not be appealing to the audience. In my music video I plan to use star image in my music video as i will use an artist who is appealing to the audience.

Research: Mulvey's Male Gaze

Mulvey's Male Gaze

What is the Male Gaze:

The Male gaze is shown in a music video through the prospective of a heterosexual man and how they look at women. Through the male gaze women are represented as sexual objects and objectifies women in the video. Furthermore women are down graded in some music videos through the male gaze which has become more apparent in music videos.

Mulvey's Male Gaze 1975:

This theory originated from Lura Mulvey and she is a feminist who said that it can be seen in three different ways which are the following: 

• How men look at women 
• How women look at themselves
• How women look at other women

Lura mulvey believes that the camera is a man and it is shown how men look at women for visual pleasure and men are active and women are passive.

Examples of Mulvey's Male Gaze:

This video Tip Drill by Nelly is an example of the Male Gaze in n this video women are objectified, shown as sexual objects and degraded to much of the pleasure to the men and it is shown as acceptable for men to act in this way in society and it shows how men see women's position and use in society.

 In the video this shows women on women however this still provides pleasure for men and the camera only focuses on the female assets as the camera shot is showing in the picture from the video.

 In this image the camera focuses on the female assts again and it shows the man in control as he has both women sitting on his lap dancing to his pleasure this also used to create other men to wish they were in his position.

This image is very explicit as it shows a close up of the female assets and it is degrading women as it shows what the men want from women as they do not give women the respect that they deserves showing the mens only motive.

This image shows that the man is bragging about him doing what he pleases with the women and he is showing it as an achievement as he has he can do what he wants with the women showing his dominance.

Wrecking ball by Miley Cyrus-This music video shows the male gaze on the female even though it is a female artist she is showing what the males look at therefore it is why she is portraying herself in this way in the music video as the women feel that the men look at certain things to make their music video appealing.

 From this image the male gaze is evident as the artist shows what the men look at as she is in the pose where it is appealing to the male audience and the camera shows and gives the prospective of the male.This is an example of voyeurism where man get the sexual pleasure from viewing these shots.

 The close up of the face and the red lips which is very arousing for males that is why in a music video with the male gaze theory there is always a shot of the artist and their red lips to sexually engage and grap the attention of the heterosexual target audience.

 This mid shot shows how women are seen as sexual objects and that men only seek them for their assets.

Long shot of the artist is shown as she is naked which also arouses the heterosexual target audience as they are looking to see these image or shot in the music video and the audience plays with their emotion as the audience gives the target audience what they want to see to her benefit where she is in control but the target audience don't think about that they are only interested in their benefits.

Bad Romance by Lady Gaga- Lady Gaga's music video portrays the male gaze as she the artist has chosen for her video to show the male gaze to bring in new audiences and to please her loyal fan base with this video. Also it is the only that this type of music video would get attention and it also shows a different side to her as an artist.

 In this image which is in the music video it shows the male gaze as she is dancing in the middle of all those men surrounding her showing how men perceive women as they are seen as objects which please men. Also the image shows a mid shot of only the women assets this clearly shows what the men are looking at whilst she is dancing in the middle.

This image also shows the male gaze as she is being very seductive as she lays on the bed which arouses men in the ways that she is laying on the bed with only her lingerie.

 This image shows a mid shot of the artist and the artist is wearing little clothing which the audience want to see and that is what pleases the artist. Also it shows and pays key attention to the female assets.

The first image which shows the artist crawling on the floor which is very seductive towards heterosexual males and it shows a shot of her chest pleasing the audience. The image where artist is wearing red the colour red is seen as sexy and arousing.


Criticism of the theory:

The theory only shows that women are looked at and objectified however men also liked to be looked at and men are sometimes objectified but this is not shown.
Also the theory is only in the perspective of male and not in the prospective of females. In addition the theory does not include the prospective of bisexual and homosexual men and women view it is only in the view of the heterosexual men.

Conclusion: 

In conclusion my music video will not have the male gaze as my genre pop has very little or very moderate male gaze in music videos as the target audience are much younger and this theory cannot be used in my music video.

Reserch: Intertexuality in music videos

Intertexuality in music videos

What is intertextuality:

Intertextuality referencing in music video is when in a music there is a reference to something that is not related to the music video. For example the music video my link or mention in the music video something about a film, TV programme, other music video or an artist this is called intertextual referencing in music videos.

Examples of Intertextual referencing:

Eminem- without me

 

This video is by Eminem and in his music videos he use a lot of intetextual referencing in his music video and there are a lot of examples of intertexual referencing in the music video and the following examples of intertexual referencing are: 

 

 At the start of the music video there are the use of intertextual referencing as the credits for the music video are in the form of comic writing text referencing comics in the music video.

This is another example of intertexual referencing as the music video shows a comic book where the characters in the music video appear referencing clearly to comics in the music video.

 This image shows in Eminem music video he references to robin and batman as he has someone dressed as robin and batman and driving in a black car referring the batman and his bat mobile.

This is image shows in the music video referencing to realty TV shows where people come and discuss the domestic issues such as Jeremy Kyle show this is what is being referenced in this music video. 

In this example he is referencing to Elvis Presley in his music video.

All the images show what intertexual referencing is and how it is used in music videos and Eminem uses a lot of intertexual referencing in his music videos.

Chamillionaire - Hip Hop Police/Evening News ft. Slick Rick:

In this music video there is interexual referencing where in the music video it is referencing a news report.

The referencing in this image of a news report and also with this referencing it is showing the stereotype of hip hop music as people think that the hip hop artists are not well educated and they did not have a good upbringing and it shows that hip hop is always on the news headlines for negative reasons.

This is another example of intertexual referencing as it is shown as a news report and it stereotypes as it shows that it is mainly blacks in hip hop music.

Jay-z 99 problems:



Jay z music video has interexual referencing as in this video there are many images of politicians and other famous people and the music video is done in a very documentary way.

This is an example of intertexual referencing as there are paintings of influential people on the wall this is not related to the music video which makes it intertexual referencing.


Advantages of intertexuality:

The advantages of intertextuality is that the referencing that is in the video will cause a hype and popularity towards the video as many fans and new audience would be attracted to see the artist referencing and how this artist referenced a particular thing in their video.

Disadvantage of intertextuality:

When artists use intertexual referencing in their video it can be very controversial and it can offend many people which would backfire on the artist as they only used the referencing to create a hype but now the music video will be hugely critised and not remembered for the reason that the artist wanted.

Also it can cause conflict between artists as they might not like the way they have been referenced in the music video. 

Conclusion:

After the research on this post I will not be using intertextual referencing in my video as I think that my video does not need intertextuality in the video to boast its ratings and the genre that my music video is, which is pop there is hardly any intertexual referencing done in the music videos by other artists therefore my  video having intertextual referencing would not be appropriate.

Research Gondry and Cunnigham's diverse music videos

Gondry and Cunningham's diverse music videos

What are diverse music videos?

A diverse music video is a music video where new concepts are shown where the audience has never seen or experienced before the music videos are surreal to the audience and beyond their imagination that a video like this could ever be archived. Diverse music videos appeal to the rock, dance and electro and alternative genre, where the narrative of the video are mainly concept based and they appeal to a niche audience.

Chris Cunningham's and examples of his music videos

Bjork: All is full of love 

The video narrative is love and this is shown by the two robots showing their affections towards each other by having a passionate sexual experience. Furthermore star image is not evident in the video as the artist is not or has not made the music video to promote themselves and influence people where as the audience is loyal to the artist with or without the star image in the video. The audience when watching the video will be confused and made to feel uncomfortable as this is something that the audience have never seen before in a music video and they are not use to this kind of music video which would come to them as a shock.


Aphex Twins: Come to Daddy

The video narrative of this music video is not very clear as it is concept based which does not give the audience a clear understanding. Furthermore star image is evident in the video as the artist has a few close ups however again this music video has not been made to promote themselves and influence people where as the audience is loyal to the artist even without the star image in the video. The audience when watching the video will be confused and made to feel uncomfortable as this is something that the audience have never seen before in a music video and they are not use to this kind of music video which would come to them as a shock.


Aphex Twin: Window licker 

This video again has the common conventions that Cunningham uses in his music videos where the narrative is concept based and confusing for the audience. Also in this video Cunningham imitates the hip hop genre in the video which was quite different from his other music videos.

Cunningham's impact on the music industry has been instrumental as he has brought a different prospective to music videos which the audience have never seen before and it I very much unique.


This is evident by Cunningham's the awards which he has won due to his music video and the music video that he had directed.

• He has been nominated for best breakthrough video (Bjork All is full of Love)
• He has won a Grammy for best short film
• First ever music video to win a Gold Pencil award at the D&AD awards
• His video with Aphex twins "windowlicker" was nominated for the best video award at the Brit awards 2000
• Madonna frozen music video became an international hit and won an award for the best special effects at the 1998 MTV Music video awards

With all these awards it evident that Cunningham is and has played a big part in the music industry today.

I think that Cunningham's work is very different form others and i find it very hard to interpret his work as it is mostly concept based.

Micheal Gondry and examples of his music videos:

Kylie Minoguo: Come into my world



This music video which kylie Minogue is the star in, this video was directed by Gondry and his work is evident in the music video as the music video is very repetitive in the theme and the setting and this is a very clever use of repetition which is the whole idea of the music video and the audience have to grasp that concept and his narrative is more audience friendly for the audience to understand rather than Cunningham's narratives in music videos. Also the sue of repetition is unique as no other directors have used this use of repetition in music videos.

Gary Jules: Mad World



This music video is very effective as only one shot in the music video is used and it is made out that there are more than one shot being used in the music video. This video shows the audience what the artist is looking at and there are dancer making real life objects showing what the artist is saying a mad world with shot where it shows the artist looking around the area and the dancers making the shapes showing that it is a mad world.

Daft Punk: Around the world

 

In this video again there is repetition in the music video as the dancers are repeating their dance routines in the music videos.

Gondry has made an impact in the music industry as he has brought his own conventions into the music industry which other artists are beginning to like and embrace. Also it is evident through the awards that Gondry has won for his work.

Gondry has won the following awards:

• Won an Oscar in 2005 for best writing and screenplay. Eternal Sunshine of the spotless mind
• Nominated for a BAFTA award 2004 Eternal Sunshine of the spotless mind
• Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films, USA nominated 2005 for Eternal Sunshine of the spotless mind
• Bodil Awards Nominated for Eternal Sunshine of the spotless mind
• Bram Stoker Awards Won for best screenplay 2005

Common conventions of his work is that in his music videos there are a lot of repetition in the music videos.

In my opinion Gondry's work is very original and it is very intellectual in the way it make the think in order to understand the repetition theme an why this is being used however the narrative is much easier to understand and does connect wit the audience.

Advantage of diverse music videos:

• Diverse music videos allow the artist to change their image and re-invent themselves
• The mixture of both the videos being strange and unique creates a buzz and attracts new audiences
• The video leads to money and success
• Gives the artist and the audience an intellectual sense as diverse music videos are very hard to understand and interpret
• Abstract comes to life
• Artist have a niche audience

Disadvantage of diverse music videos:

• The music video may not get the platform that the artist wants it may be censored
• Might have to make a completely new video if censored
• Cant guarantee the audience response will be great and market success
• limits target audience 
• Can ruin the artist regeneration as the videos are very bizarre
• No relationship built with the artist and the audience
  

Diverse music videos should stay away from mainstream music culture? 

I think that diverse music video should stay away from mainstream as they already have a loyal audience and if diverse music do go to mainstream they will lose out on their audiences as more people will see the videos and there is no guarantee that people will like it leading to a decline in their music videos.

Conclusion:

I have learnt that music videos can be made unique and even though it is different sometimes it can appeal to the audience as it has never been seen before. I will use the repetition of Gondry's work in my music video as i think this concept can be used to a great affect in my music video to make my music video successful.

Research History of Music video

History of Music Video

Music videos:

The music industry has vastly changed over the years and the music videos have taken off as they have massively changed from traditional music video. As once music videos were short films and a music was low budget now music videos are high budgeted and they are much shorter in length than before. Music videos appeal to everyone now as the audience demand to see a music video and now artist compete with each other in who can have the best music video and satisfy their audience best. Today music videos are used purely for promotional purposes and creating a buzz behind the artist music video. In addition the impact that the music video has is that the music video can be educational or inspirational to the audience, also it could be a controversial video which will damage the artists reputation.

Music history Timeline:

http://www.theguardian.com/music/interactive/2011/jun/11/history-modern-music-timeline

This website shows the full history of music videos with the dates and a brief description of the dates.

My timeline with key/significant dates and achievements:

link to be added when youtube is unblocked



More key dates: 



Change of music videos over time:

Music videos have definitely changed over that is very evident and obviously as anything over time changes but it is the way that music videos have changed today.

The audience in the music industries have changed as the audience has grown there are an increase in younger audience and the artist now target the younger target audience where it was once the artist would target a more older audience the target audience has changed as the artist make the most profit and fame by targeting a younger audience.

This is an example of how music videos have changed over time as it is evident in one direction music where it is very modern an colour and they appeal to younger target audience which give them more attention and publicity.

From Take that you can see that the appeal to an older audience than one direction and there songs are not that colorful or thought of it is much simpler to one direction music video there video is about the artist singing where the one direction video is about one direction promoting themselves star image which is the selling point in music videos now.

The Genres in the music industry has changed significantly as there are a variety of genres in the music industry now. Also the music videos have an increased use of technology now to make their music videos the best that it can be and the use of high budgets in the music videos to make them outstanding and to create competition between other artists.

In this music video by Katy Perry it is evident that there is use of a high budget in the music video to archive the desired effect and there is a lot of technology used in the music video as many of the effects video cannot be archived without sophisticated technology.

Lastly the purpose of music video has changed as it is released form the audience demand and to make the maximum amount of profit as it is no longer about singing anyone with significant backing can release a music video.

Conclusion:

This post has made me realise that it is very important to learn about the history of the music videos as it gives me an insight of how the music industry was before and how it has developed over the years. Through this post i have seen how much music videos have developed over the years and i now can see if the change is beneficial to the audience or not.