Music Video analysis: RESEARCH

Music Video analysis
The Dance/Hardcore music videos I will be analysing will be:
• ‘Styles & Breeze: Amigos’.
• ‘Darren Styles - Save Me’.
• ‘Ultrabeat - Pretty green eyes’.
• ‘Basshunter – Now you’re gone’.
• ‘Darren Styles - Come Running’.
• ‘Styles & Breeze – Heartbeatz’.

Music Video 1: ‘Styles & Breeze: Amigos’.

Web Address: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3-KNMVX-ESU

This music video follows a storyline involving the artists Styles & Breeze and the female lyricist, who plays the role of main character throughout the video. This is emphasised using tracking shots of her as the main character. The video involves a car chase and a club scene; both of these relate well with the genre of music, dance/hardcore, because the car chase is fast paced, which is similar to the music itself and therefore makes the video more structured and congruent. The video was easily relatable to the demographic audience the song wished to target, as it featured many extras, and close ups of the main female character, so the audience would be able to engage with the character and become involved with the drama throughout the video. The location of the video was New York and props such as a Lamborghini car and the setting itself connoted the big budget, commercial feel of the video to the audience which made it seem more professional and high quality. The high quality video makes this video more commercial meaning it will attract a wider audience then if the video was of a lower budget. It also means the video is likely to be showcased on popular TV channels such as ‘MTV dance’ and ‘The hits’, which would most likely lead to more sales of the song itself. The framing throughout the video uses mainly medium close ups and extreme close ups, particularly for the female character when she was singing so that the audience could read and observe her emotions easily and clearly. The medium and extreme close ups shots also frame some characters body parts which gives the characters a strong sexual identity. However I noticed the video itself was not as sexually provocative as some videos which I analysed, therefore this may hint at a younger demographic audience, where sexual connotations would not be as appropriate. The female character is portrayed in some dance scenes and positions, which is also a popular convention of the dance/hardcore genre as it is a common reaction whilst listening to this genre of music. The female characters outfit was typical outrageous club wear, showing ample flesh in contrasting colours, which is worn by many clubbers who wish to stand out and, ironically, be original. This gave the female character a playful personality and was one which the audience could relate to and admire. The dancing shots gave the video a better atmosphere, which, in turn, gave the video more energy making it more engaging for the demographic audience. The lighting used was frequently dark and as the video setting was at night and this conveys a sense of rebellion to the audience, helping to add a sense of excitement to the audiences’ mundane, everyday lives. Overall, the big budget impression of the music video which is given to the audience adds a high quality feel, making the video seem more commercial, which would result in more sales of the song. The stereotypical codes and conventions of the dance/hardcore genre which the video follows, such as a female dancer and stock settings –the club- are effective as they relate to the song itself and therefore give the video a feeling of congruence and familiarity for the dance/hardcore demographic audience.

Music Video 2: ‘Darren Styles - Save Me’.

Web address: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zAwh1h4iD3s&feature=fvst

The beginning of the video shows a picturesque view of the skyline and a male character -the artist Darren Styles– with his back to the camera and the audience. The character is framed using an over the shoulder shot, with the camera tracking the characters movements. From this tracking movement the audience know that his character is significant and therefore the framing and movement of the camera connotes his importance to the audience. The character then jumps off the edge of a large building, and begins to free fall down the building. This movement of the freefalling from the main character, along with the song itself, gives viewers a sense of escapism and freedom, meaning they can completely focus on the song and the storyline of the video alongside this. The feeling of escapism which viewers get from watching this video is effective as it gives the song a strong sense of empowerment, which the demographic audience can benefit from. The strong sense of empowerment and freedom is emphasised by camera shots of the blue, cloudless sky and the bright white sun which is depicted high in the sky. The plotline of the video works well with the song, titled ‘Save Me’, as the lyrics directly relate to the character and plotline of the video, which overall gives the video a more congruent feel, making the video more engaging for the audience. I found this video was atypical of the dance/hardcore genre because it did not feature any stereotypical stock settings such as a club, neither did it feature any overly sexualised female or male characters, the only other female character being depicted was shown through extreme close ups when the male character encounters flash backs of an old relationship, which also tied in with the songs lyrics effectively. The female character was not wearing typical outrageous club wear, as I found in the first video, and her expressions were not overly sexually provocative. Instead of looking into the camera directly with her lips parted, the character was smiling which helped to convey a positive and upbeat message to the audience. The extreme close ups of the female characters face allowed the audience to read the female characters emotions effectively, and were also contrasting to previous videos which I had analysed, because there was no framing of parts of the female characters body, consequently she was not portrayed to be a sexual object to the demographic audience. This made the female character seem more personable and relatable to the audience, showing the importance of her to the male character, which in turn helped the plotline seem more believable. The lighting used throughout the video was bright which also helped to give the song upbeat and positive connotations and generally gave the song a highly positive message. In general, the video was effective because although it did not follow many codes and conventions of the dance/hardcore genre, it directly related to the song itself which overall meant it was a refreshing change from typical conventional dance/hardcore videos. This meant that the video conveyed a completely different message to the audience in relation to other dance/hardcore videos which made it different for the audience watching it and this was conveyed effectively.

Music Video 3: ‘Ultrabeat - Pretty green eyes’.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j0FP1Y7Cuq0

The music video begins with an extreme close up of a female character torso and chest area, exposing her to the audience, also making her less relatable to them. She is then framed in several uncompromising shots getting dressed and ready to leave for something, which helps to build tension and the audiences’ anticipation. This beginning would appeal to both females and males because females would find her power over holding the opposite sexes attention appealing and aspire to be like this character, whereas the male characters would find her sexually appealing; because of extreme close up shots of the characters different body parts. The female characters costume, compiling of fish net tights and a revealing dress is typical convention of the dance/hardcore genre, especially the fishnet tights which have high sexual connotations. Along with this and other suggestive framing, this gives the female character a strong sexual identity, which is portrayed to the audience throughout the music video. Although the setting of the video is unclear in the beginning, it is where the character begins to get ready which leads the audience assuming the female character is in a bedroom of some sorts. The bedroom setting is a stock setting which is frequently used in music videos, particularly those with a teenage, younger audience who can particularly relate to this setting. Therefore, from the use of a bedroom setting, I am assuming the age of the demographic audience is similar to my groups demographic target audience; ranging from about 17-25. The next setting used is another typical stock setting, particularly to the dance/hardcore genre; in a club scene. Inside this location, the music video portrays lots of women dancing in the club, but no men are included in the mise en scene, which again gives the female dancers a strong sexual identity, which would appeal to both sexes again. This is emphasised during close ups of the female characters dancing, which are shown in slow motion to increase sexual tension and helps to build audiences anticipation. The lighting used is dark, with lots of shadows used, which conveys a sense of mystery to the audience akin to the main female character featured, as with the little amount of emotions portrayed on the characters face, she is also seen as mysterious to the audience. The male artist of the song is only included a few times in the video, and is shown to admire the female character, giving a small plotline to the video, however it is not as in-depth as other videos which I have analysed. Many of the shots used in the video could be viewed as derogatory of the female character, as she is framed frequently in many exposing shots. However, they could also be interpreted by post modern feminists to be empowering to other females because she plays a significant role throughout the video and holds a certain power over the main male character, who is seemingly enchanted with her. Generally, I think the video is effective because it uses a plot line to convey certain messages to the audience, but I think it would have been more effective if the plotline was depicted more, as some parts of the video were less engaging for the audience, as they had little to follow through the visual aspects of the video.

Music Video 4: ‘Basshunter – Now you’re gone’.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IgFwiCApH7E

The beginning of the video depicts a female and male character, both shown using contrasting shots in different locations; the first one used was a bedroom which has proven to be a stock setting for many of the videos I have analysed. The bedroom location also hints at a younger demographic audience who would be able to relate to this location effectively. The contrasting shots of the main female and male character convey to the audience that the two characters are linked in some way and extreme close up shots of both characters are used so that the audience can read their emotions easily, making both characters more appealing for the audience. The music video portrays both characters getting ready to go out which I have found is a common convention of the dance/hardcore genre videos, as it allows tension to build for the audiences as they anticipate where the characters are going. The next location used was at a club, which is also a common convention of the genre dance/hardcore and once again this stock convention is used because it is relatable to the audience which helps to add realism. The main prop used throughout the video is a mobile phone, which also helps to add realism and is a simple way of conveying the characters feelings to the audience. This makes it easer for a plotline to be interpreted by the audience and gives the video a more commercial feel as both characters are using technology, which gives the video a high quality feel. The lighting used was bright and flattering for all of the characters, which is significant especially because only good looking characters were used in the video, consequently this would appeal to the audiences as they would aspire to be akin to the characters, giving them a sense of escapism and freedom during the watching of the video. The video itself is fast paced which also helps to keep the audience engaged and interested in the plotline. I could apply Todrovs narrative theory to this music video because it begins with a sense of equilibrium, which is then disrupted, finally ending with a familiar sense of equilibrium. This is effective because it would be a familiar narrative theory for the audience and in general this would make the video easier for them to follow. I also found I could also apply Propps character theory to the video as I noticed it included a ‘hero’, ‘princess’ and ‘villain’ character, which would also be familiar to the audience. As the demographic audience would be familiar with the narrative structure and character roles, this would give them a greater sense of escapism as they would not be confused with particular elements of the plotline. In essence, this makes the video very effective in engaging the audience through its interesting and exciting plotline. The stock codes and conventions used, significant within the dance/hardcore genre, allow the audience to identify the music genre quickly; and therefore is more likely to appeal to the demographic audience. This video is effective as it allows audience members a form of escapism, which is important to most audience members when consuming certain types of media, particularly music videos.

Music Video 5: ‘Darren Styles - Come Running’.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MNp5vbCi7Lo

This music video follows a plot in which two women are infatuated with the main male character, played by the artist, Darren Styles. This plotline relates to the song and its lyrics because it features the main characters running, portrayed using tracking shots and therefore it makes the video seem more cohesive and structured, because it directly relates to the song and the lyrics within it. The video itself features lots of couple shots of the female characters which connotes to the audience they are related and, in this case, have a common goal in attempting to attract the main male character. The contrasting shots used with the two female characters and the main male character convey they are also linked in some way. Typical stock settings are used, mainly being a club and a hotel room; the club particularly being a significant stock convention of the music genre and therefore this helps to convey the music genre dance/hardcore to the audience quickly, so that they can become more engaged with the song and the plotline of the music video. Some camera shots used would appeal to the male audience because they depict the women in sexual compromising ways, through a variety of different methods including costume – such as skimpy outfits; another stock convention of the dance/hardcore genre which the music video follows. The red lipstick of both female characters connotes danger and sexual promiscuity to the audience, heightening the audiences’ tension and engagement. The extreme body close up camera shots, which expose different parts of the females’ bodies, including the chest and torso, also emphasise the females’ sexual identity. However, the video challenges the conventions of the dance/hardcore genre in some way because there are also compromising, exposing camera shots used of the main male character, which would appeal to the female audiences. I think this is effective because it helps to give the main male artist a sex appeal, making him more commercially viable for the music institutions, in the case of future releases or music videos. This would help built a ‘brand’ for the artist and could result in ludicrous advertising campaigns or tours broadcasting his music, if enough female and male audiences would find him appealing. The artist would also appeal to the male audiences as he has been portrayed to be a bit of a womaniser, especially featuring two attractive women in his music video and consequently could be looked up to be a role model for the younger male audiences. The lighting used throughout the video is mainly dark, which adds an element of mystery to the music video and keeps audience members engaged. The dark lighting also helps to build tension which throughout the video is effective because it keeps the music video interesting for the audience. I found that similarly to the previous video analysed I could apply Todrovs narrative theory to this music video because it shared a common narrative structure which is one that the audience would be familiar with. However I could not apply the Propps character thory particularly effectively to the music video –apart from the main artist being the hero- and this could be an example of the music institutions attempts to challenge certain codes and conventions. In general, the video itself works well because conveys a strong sense of the artist which appeals to both male and female audiences and gives the artist strong commercial viability. Although most codes and conventions were followed a few were also challenged which gave the video a refreshing difference, which I believe would be uncommon for audiences. It gave a good representation of the song, because the video itself was well structured and organised, therefore the video itself was one which was well made, well produced and thought out, which is clearly portrayed to the audience.

Music Video 6: ‘Styles & Breeze – Heartbeatz’.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nesWJRbddZ0

The final music video I analysed featured three different locations; one for the DJ, one for the female lyricists and one for the dancers, the three different scenes frequently contrasting with each other. It was interested for the audiences how the three different scenes were portrayed and I found both the female lyricist and the female dancers scenes were highly provocative, whereas the male DJs featured used less risqué costumes and camera shots within the mise en scene. The dancers used all wore the same costume –a nurses outfit- which I found not effective as it did not relate to the song or the plotline of the video. The outfits also contained fishnets which have large sexual connotations to the audience, which was also emphasised using provocative dance movements, the camera shots exposing extreme close ups of various different body parts. There was little interaction between the dancers and this in itself dehumanised the characters, portraying them to be little more than objects of desire rather then able minded people. This again was portrayed to the audience because all the dance movements were the same and this connoted a robotic feel to the audience. I noted the female lyrist, was depicted throughout the video using high angle, which connoted to the audience that the female was weak and vulnerable. Although this would appeal to the male audience members of the group, it slightly perturbed me as a female audience member analysing the video, because the portrayal of the male and female characters was of stark difference and in this way I found this video was the one which least challenged codes and conventions and dominant ideas within society. The male artists featured were portrayed using a couple shot throughout which helped to convey the two artists were related and together. One way which the video challenged conventions was not featuring a plot line, in contrast there was three contrasting , completely unrelated with each other played randomly throughout the video. I thought this challenging of typical conventions was ineffective because it gave no escapism for audience members and there was a sense of divergence running throughout the video. The stereotypical codes and conventions which were followed throughout the video were mainly the use of female dancers and the female singers, and their costumes outfits, where there was a large contrast to the male DJs. I think the video was ineffective in targeting their particular demographic audience, because although it followed some stereotypical conventions it became predictable and was not as engaging as some other videos which I had previously analysed; I thought it lacked originality and innovative ideas. I found I could not apply either Todrovs narrative theory or Propps character theory and although in retrospect this is not necessarily a negative thing, videos must contain something to entertain and engage audiences otherwise they will relate this to the song itself and hold a negative opinion of it. I have learnt that in order to create a successful video, I must engage and interest my audience otherwise it will not be effective. Consequently, I will attempt to do this whilst producing my video as then overall I will stand a better chance of creating a successful product.

Typical Codes and Conventions of the dance/hardcore genre which I Have Found During Analysis:

• Stock Settings, which include: Clubs, hotel rooms and bedrooms.
• Female dancers/ singers overtly sexualised, depicted in extreme close ups.
• Male figure in videos are shown to be permissive and omnipotent.
• Usually follow a plot line.
• Women wearing outrageous club wear outfits, which feature contrasting colours and fishnet tights.
• Videos glamorise life in contrast to normal, everyday reality.

Now I have discovered frequently used codes and conventions, I can decide which were most effective and apply this during the making of my video, in an attempt to portray effective messages to the target audience and create an effective video.

CD cover Analysis: RESEARCH

CD COVER 1: CLUBLAND XTREME HARDCORE 5

CD COVER 2: BONKERS 'THE NEXT CHAPTER'

CD COVER 3: HARDCORE NATION 2009

CD COVER 4: DARREN STYLES 'SKYDIVING'

CD COVER 5: CLUBLAND 13'

CD COVER 6: 'ULTRABEAT: DISCOLIGHTS THE ALBUM'

CD Covers Analysis:

CD Cover 1: ‘Clubland X-treme Hardcore 5’ (2009):

This CD depicts a female character/ model at the forefront of the mise en scene, positioned slightly to the left. The positioning to the left gives the audience a closer view of the model -as she is also slightly leaning forward- connoting the model in a sexually provocative way, as parts of her body are more clearly exposed. Behind the model is a multi coloured background; the main colours used being red, blue and white. The blue and red colours are contrast with each other and therefore the colours connote a sense of rebellion to the audience, because the CD cover is not as structured as people would anticipate a CD cover to be. This would appeal particularly to the demographic audience purchasing the CD because the style of music; Hardcore dance, is also not extremely commercial or structured. The colours used are not gender specific and could appeal to both genders. However, as I have discovered during research hardcore/dance usually attracts more females then males so I would anticipate the CD to use more female colours. The usage of the sexually provocative female model and gender neutral colours seem to be a deliberate attempt by the producers of the CD cover to increase the target audience as much as possible, consequently not minimising and possible sales. The font used is easily legible, bold and structured and therefore stands out against the eventful background. It is also large and therefore it is clearly visible whatever size the cover is depicted; meaning it can be viewed on the internet as well as being commercially sold in shops. Along with the gender neutral theme, this also makes the cover more commercially viable for the music institution. Lighting used on the CD cover is bright which is flattering for the female model on the CD cover who is framed in a medium close up. The placing and framing of the female is significant because it shows she is important in selling the CD cover and the closeness of her face means the audience can read her expression carefully; her eyebrow is raised which is also sexually provocative. This sexual theme is emphasised through her red lips, loose curly hair and small amount of clothes, giving her a strong sexual identity. Although this image would appeal to mainly males, as they would find her sexually attractive, it would also appeal to post modern feminists because they would admire her for her strong, appealing individuality. This CD conveys a certain rebellious aspects and playfulness to the audience, emphasised through the small ‘Danger’, sign in the bottom left hand corner. This is effective because consumers buying the product would like to think they were unique in buying it, that they don’t follow the rules, which the producers of the music capitalise on. This is portrayed through the use of various different fonts, colours and the strong female identity, which appeals to the demographic audience.

CD Cover 2: ‘Bonkers: The next chapter’ (2009)

This CD cover uses a variation of different colours, fonts and themes to convey a particular message to the audience. The colours used; blue, yellow red and white are used as the background and are similar colours to those in a sunset or sunrise. The CD name ‘The next chapter’ relates to the colours as a sunrise is usually seen as a new day or beginning, and using these colours helps to convey this message to the audience. The white rings and rays of light around the ‘Bonkers’ title portray the CD title itself is the refreshing new beginning and consequently this represents to the audience that the music on the CD is new, innovative and different to mainstream music, consequently would appeal to the audience. The main font used for the title ‘Bonkers’ is unusual because it is not structured, using different sizing and overlapping texts which means the CD does not follow the typical conventions of the genre whereby the text is bold and structured. This is created on purpose as the title itself, ‘Bonkers’ conveys a meaning which is not acceptable in mainstream, everyday society and using unstructured font is a way to emphasise this. The font itself is at the forefront of the CD cover, in the middle connoting the titles importance. The white colour used on the font contrasts with the background, which makes the title stand out, making the cover more recognisable from far away. The smaller text ‘The Original Hardcore’ is more formal and structured, which is almost portrayed to be an afterthought in comparison to the ‘crazy’ font ‘Bonkers’, which would appeal to the more introverted members of the target audience and also gives the CD cover a more professional representation overall. The small yellow box in the left corner contains some information of who the CD is by, so the audience would not be confused regarding the CD cover, however, the size of the box shows that it is not as important as the overall message the cover wishes to portray. This also relates to the genre because as it is not highly publicised as other music genres, the producers have realised most of the audience would already have knowledge of the CD itself. Although this means that consumers are less likely to make a spontaneous decision regarding purchase of the CD, it would appeal to target audiences because it makes them feel as if they are a part of a secret society, which the mainstream society could not join. A convention of the hardcore/dance genre is usually a model on the front cover and not using a model is a conscious decision made by the production company. It indicates a younger target audience then the other CD covers who use sexually provocative models, as using this for younger audiences would not be appropriate. A parental advisory sticker is not used on the front cover which also represents the younger age group. Overall, the message conveyed to the audience is one of originality, youth and innovation emphasised by the sunrise theme, contrasting fonts, and paint splodges which border the yellow box, because these all have connotations of change and a new beginning or start.

CD Cover 3: ‘Hardcore Nation 2009’ (2009)

The overall cover of this CD seems a lot more structured and streamlined in contrast to previous CDs I have analysed, therefore straightaway I knew a different message was being conveyed to the audience. The structure of this CD cover connotes a more organised feel to the audience, which was intentional as it allows the CD cover to be more commercial, meaning based on the CD cover this would be more likely to sell to the audience. The colours used, following a mainly purple and silver theme are not as gender neutral as the previous covers and therefore this cover would probably appeal to more women then men, following its target audience, which also features more women than men. The female character, positioned in a medium close up at the foreground of the mise en scene, is centralised and is portrayed to be in a dancing position, this connotes to the audience a carefree feel; what the music itself is all about, creating a good atmosphere. This is emphasised by the models hair being down –a literal display meaning the character is letting her hair down- and also her risqué clubbing outfit – another convention of the dance/hardcore genre. The female character is not as sexualised as the character in the 1st CD which I analysed, because her lips are not red and her expression is not as sexually provocative. However, she portrays some sexual themes because of her long hair and big lips and also the position her body is in, her chest area exposed and pushed out. Because the CD itself is more feminine, the main use of the model is to follow conventions within the dance/hardcore genre and also appeal to the post modern feminists, akin to the first CD cover who would admire her beauty and carefree attitude. The CD cover title uses font which is extremely bold and structured, again an example of the CD following conventions of the dance/hardcore genre. The contrasting silver colour makes the font stand out against the purple background. The positioning of the title is slightly slanted which conveys an image with a slightly unconventional undertones, on the other hand, it is not as embellished as other, more eccentric covers which means this image was not one the production team really wanted to convey to the audience. The lighting used, portrayed in the background behind the female model has been made to look luminous in strobes, and therefore portrays strobe lighting which is a typical code of the dance/ hardcore genre. This represents a typical stock setting where this music is likely to be listened to, a club and this means more of the audience would relate to the cover and the female character. Finally the two circles of information containing information on who the CD is by, give more information than the 2nd CD cover analysed which also shows it is for a larger target audience and therefore is more commercially viable. The message that the cover conveys to the audience is dependant on the recognition of the codes and conventions of the dance/hardcore genre such as strobe lighting, outfits, dancers, bold text and female models on the cover. However, I think if these codes and conventions are recognised the cover would be very effective as it is attractive and therefore would be likely to appeal to mass markets.

CD Cover 4: ‘Darren Styles: Skydiving’ (2008)

This CD cover depicts the artist in the forefront of the mise en scene, placed in a medium close up on the right hand side of the image. The main colour theme used is black which conveys a more serious message to the audience, unlike previous CDs analysed, which have had more of a playful portrayal of the music genre; using contrasting, bright colours. The decision not to use bright colours is intentional because the artist does not want to be related to the more extrovert hardcore scene, wanting his music to be sold to the general public and not just fans of dance/hardcore genre. Consequently, this makes the CD a lot more commercial and instead of following codes and conventions of the dance/hardcore genre, this CD follows the codes and conventions of solo artists, which have more of a mass audience in contrast to the dance/hardcore genre. The typical codes and conventions of solo artists is featuring the main artist on the front cover, using subdued colour schemes and placing the artists name clearly readable on the front CD cover. The more formal message is portrayed to the audience because for Darren Styles -although being a prolific DJ within the hardcore dance scene- this is the first album he has released individually. This serious message is emphasised by the artist’s sombre, contemplating expression, which, unlike models of other dance/hardcore CDs which I analysed, does not connect directly with the audience. Apart from black, another colour used is pink, which highlights the several parts of the CD, which contrast with the main black colour. Although this CD does not follow codes and conventions of the dance/hardcore genre, contrasting colours have been seen in previous CD covers analysed and therefore this could be a subtle way of conveying the music genre to the audience. It would also attract demographic audience members to the CD from a long distance in a shop or on the internet, which helps to make the CD cover more commercially viable. The high key lighting used is only used to highlight Darren styles features, which is seemingly homogeneous giving the CD a uniformed composition and structure. This once again helps to emphasise the uniformed, formal structure of the CD, which help to portray that this artist wants his solo music to be taken more seriously then previous compilation CDs. The font chosen used is placed in the centre of the mise en scene, portraying its importance to the audience. However because no track listings are included as in previous CD covers, the cover is relying on the audience recognising the artist, Darren Styles, to attract them towards buying it. The CD cover is more aimed at the female market because of the use of the pink colour, and the male artist image on the cover, which is less likely to appeal to the male market. Overall, the message which the CD conveys is more serious and formal, which is helped through the lack of variation of colour and the sombre expression on the artists face. I think is effective this makes the CD is more commercial then the other previous CD’s, and therefore will probably earn more money for the music institution.

CD Cover 5: ‘Clubland 13’ (2008)

This CD cover follows many of the codes and conventions of the dance/hardcore genre which I have discovered through previous CD covers. The main convention being the female model, framed in a medium close up, positioned to the left side of the cover, who is at the forefront of the mise en scene. Similarly to the 3rd CD cover which I analysed, the model is placed in a dance position, her arms up and her chest thrust forward, exposing several provocative parts of her body, particularly her chest. The parted red lips and undeviating expression directed towards the camera gives the female a strong sexual identity, which is emphasised by the skimpy club outfit she is wearing; another convention of the dance/hardcore genre. Her outfit is significant as it helps to connote the genre of music to the audience, meaning the CD is less for the mass markets and also not appropriate for the younger audience. The female model would appeal to both males and females; males finding the model sexually appealing but also to the post modern feminist females who would admire her beauty and relate to her as a ‘dance’ character. The main title font used is bold and structured and uses small circles portrayed as lights within the font, which also reiterates the genre of dance/hardcore genre to the audience. This makes the font stands out, connoting the importance of the brand ‘Clubland’ to the audience. This is emphasised by the small font at the bottom, which does not stand out. Although identifying artists names, the font is diminutive and not easy to make out, especially from far away, consequently this portrays the significance the artists play: Because ‘Clubland’ music is a popular and well established brand the audience are more likely to buy music because of the brand and not the artists, because of the good reputation which ‘Clubland’ already has. The lighting used is bright; highlighting everything within the mise en scene, which conveys positive connotations to the audience and the playful aspects of the music genre dance/hardcore. The main colours chosen, blue, red and yellow, again contrast with each other, which is another typical convention of the music genre dance/hardcore. Although usually both colours are gender neutral, the colours on the CD cover are lighter which conveys a more of a feminine feel to the audience. This is not surprising as the dance/hardcore tends to appeal to more females than males, particularly music within the ‘Clubland’ brand. In essence, although this CD is less commercially viable to mass markets, the brand ‘Clubland’ already has a firm fan base, therefore not needing to pander to the expectations of the mass markets. Overall, I think this CD cover is effective as it follows many codes and conventions of the dance/hardcore genre, not needing to be as commercial as previous CDs analysed because of the success of the brand ‘Clubland’, displayed clearly in the middle of the cover at the forefront of the mise en scene.

CD Cover 6 ‘Ultrabeat: Discolights: The Album (2009)

I thought this CD cover would be confusing to audiences as it portrayed two different conflicting messages which did not really work well with each other. Similarly to the 4th cover which I analysed, the CD cover seems to be a more serous portrayal of the dance/hardcore genre and does not follow as many codes and conventions such as a female model, or contrasting colours. The main colours used; blue, black and white lack any playful connotations and are all serious, formal colours. This again is an obvious attempt to become less related to the dance/hardcore genre and more commercial; an endeavour made by the music institution to sell more albums and increase the brand of ‘Ultrabeat’. The font, placed immediately in the middle at the forefront of the mise en scene connotes its importance to the audience, particularly the artists name ‘Ultrabeat’, which is larger then the album title, yet again increasing ‘Ultrabeat’s brand in anticipation of any future releases or tours. The structured, bold font which is easily legible again means the CD cover has more commercially viability, as it can be seen from long distances and in smaller images, which would attract audiences. The colour of the font is almost silvery which fits in with the colour scheme, giving the overall CD cover a more congruent feel. The silver also has connotations of being regal and majestic, conveying to the audience the high quality design of the CD cover. The lighting used follows a certain convention of the genre, club lighting, which represents the stock setting of a club within the dance/hardcore genre. The lighting used, which is like strobe/ laser lighting, along with the artists’ serious expressions and black costume clothing, is portrayed to be like a parody of the ‘matrix’, which would be an example of post modern referencing. This may be intentional or not, however, it portrays a sardonic message to the audience, one which does not really fit in with the formal colour scheme used and positioning of the two artists. The positioning of the two artists, who are placed in the middle of the mise en scene, contradicts with the serious, formal message conveyed to the audience. The artist on the left’s expression is an attempt of contemplation, however his expression is not one which is believable to the audience and does not seem genuine. The artist on the right shows little interaction with the other artist, merely using him as an arm rest, whilst his expression is seemingly bored. The unauthentic expressions of the artists make it hard for audiences to relate to them and almost makes the CD cover seem contemptuous. As neither artists’ are hugely attractive, this would not persuade females to buy the CD as they would do for previous models used on the other CD covers analysed and consequently the usage of the artists on the front cover proves ineffective. This CD cover does not work as well as some of the others as it uses two contradicting messages conveyed to the audience which may confuse the demographic audience and effect sales. If the cover was to have portrayed just one of these messages, it would have worked better because the message would be more clear and congruent to the audience.

Codes and conventions I have found many dance/hardcore covers follow:

• Female model featured, who uses highly provocative expressions and has a strong sexual identity.
• Strobe laser lighting, commonly used in the background of the mise en scene.
• Contrasting colours.
• A bold, structured title which gives CD cover more formality and makes the title easily spotted from long distances.
• A small bit of information on whom the CD is by/ which artists are included. However I have noticed it is usually the brand mentioned, specifically in compilation CDs, as they are deemed to be more important by the demographic audience.

Advert Analysis: RESEARCH

Whilst completing my advert research, I found it difficult to find many dance/hardcore adverts which I could analyse because the music is so 'underground' and not so commercially viable. However I managed to discover six adverts on the internet and summerised the conventions which I found worked effectively.

The Codes and Conventions I found were:

• Different information sources, such as the internet, phone numbers. This was so that if the audience were intrested in the artist/CD sold they would be able to find out more or buy the CD. This is a common convention of all adverts so not to confuse consumers.


• Image of the product which makes the advert more cohesive and allows brand recognition to take place.


• Icons of iconic dance brands, such as 'Hardcore Till I Die', to entice consumers and give the advert commercial backing from similar institutions.


• Contrasting font to background which helps to reflect the dance/hardcore genre, as was also a common convention which I discovered researching CD covers.


• Bold and structured font style, which highlighted the important information for the consumers to recognise.

Overall the research of music adverts has allowed me to recognise what is sucsessful in a commercial advert. Therefore as a group we will decide what codes and conventions of the dance/hardcore genre we will be using within our advert to make it a sucsessful product.

Questionnaire results: RESEARCH

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I have imputed all the questionaire data and coverted them into charts using 'Microsoft Office Excel', which you can see above.

Demographic research: Questionnaire results

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I have completed 30 of my questionnaires, asking members of the public to respond to the answers and have compiled the results below, to show the most popular answers:

(Please mark the appropriate answers with a cross)

1. Are you Male (9) or Female? (21)

2. How old are you?

10-20 (8) 21-30 (2) 31-40 (5) 41-50 (4) 51-60 (8) 60 or over (2)

3. What type of music genre would you most like out of the following?

Dance (1) Hardcore Dance (8) Indie (4) Rock (4) Pop (5) RnB (2)
Baseline (2) Drum & Bass (2) Pop Punk (1) Alternative (0) Trance (1) Other (0)

If other please state
…………………………………………..

4. Which type of music advertising would you find most effective?

Television (15) Magazine (4) Radio (3) Internet (4) Flyers/ Posters (5)

5. How do you usually listen to music?

Mp3 player (18) Radio (3) Music television (0) Internet (8) CD (1)
Cassette (0) Other (0)

If other please state
…………………………………………..

5. How much attention do you pay to a CD cover?

A lot (Would not buy it if cover was unattractive) (5)
Medium (Depends on music and CD cover (16)
None (Does not matter about CD cover) (9)

6. Do you enjoy watching music videos?

Yes (22) No (8)

7. What would you expect to see in a video?

Dancers’ (5) Main Singer/ band (22) Actor/Actress (3)

Thank you very much for completing my questionnaire.

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With these results I will now be able to analyse them fully to discover what the results actually mean, and how I can use these results during the production of my music video.

Questionnaire: RESEARCH

Media Studies
Questionnaire

(Please mark the appropriate answers with a cross)

1. Are you Male ___ or Female? ___

2. How old are you?

10-20 ___ 21-30___ 31-40___ 41-50___ 51-60 ___ 60 or over ___

3. What type of music genre would you most like out of the following?

Dance___ Hardcore Dance ___ Indie___ Rock___ Pop___ RnB___ Baseline ___
Drum & Bass ___ Pop Punk ___ Alternative ___ Trance ___ Other ___

If other please state
…………………………………………..

4. Which type of music advertising would you find most effective?

Television ___ Magazine ___ Radio ___ Internet ___ Flyer's/ Posters ___

5. How do you usually listen to music?

Mp3 player ___ Radio ___ Music television ___ Internet ___ CD ___
Cassette ___ Other ___

If other please state
…………………………………………..

5. How much attention do you pay to a CD cover?

A lot (Would not buy it if cover was unattractive) ___
Medium (Depends on music and CD cover ___
None (Does not matter about CD cover) ___

6. Do you enjoy watching music videos?

Yes ___ No ___

7. What would you expect to see in a video?

Dancers’ ___ Main Singer/ band ___ Actor/Actress ___

Thank you very much for completing my questionnaire.

Producing a questionnaire will help me decide what genre of music I should focus on, during the production of my media video and also on what aspects are important to focus on during production. It gives me another perspective which will be better as it allows my music video to have different viewpoints and not just mine, which could be wrong.

Review of Year 12 AS Media Coursework

Throughout year 12 I have learnt and utilised many new skills which became particularly useful during my coursework; where I used my improved editing and filming skills. My editing skills were used to help add music, change framing position, light composition, title sequences and special effects. If this had not been added to the coursework, the quality would have been considerably less and therefore I was proud of my input towards the editing of the coursework. Also my filming skills improved throughout the coursework task, as the first coursework draft filming was not as high-quality or polished as our groups’ final piece was, which signifies the improvements myself and the group made during that time period. I found the coursework a significantly stressful part of the year due to the time constraints and work load; I felt the workload in our group was not evenly shared and therefore found myself doing more work than some members of my group, which I did not feel was very fair. However this taught me a useful lesson for year 13 as I will try to ensure the workload for coursework is more evenly spread between members of my group; which will make it a much less stressful time and mean I can fully contribute my skills without them being compromised. I also learnt the importance of time constraints; during the beginning of coursework the group did not focus on the time constraints, which meant we fell behind quickly. Although this was not a problem at first, when the final deadline was due in there was a large amount of pressure to get the coursework finished in time, which meant some of the coursework – I felt – was slightly rushed and possibly not done to the best of my ability. Therefore another target for the future and year 13 would be to not fall behind as it can quickly spiral and the pressure is greatly increased.

Another useful set of skills I have learnt in year 12 were the analytical skills, which were used during the deconstruction of adverts, extracts from TV and films during my coursework. This helped me as I noticed the significance of the uses of different editing, lighting, costume, camera movements and shots, and the connotations they have for audiences. It also improved my essays as I was able to use technical terminology of media terms confidently and describe the importance of them; so for my exam and the two essay questions I felt more confident writing them, whereas before year 12 I would have struggled. For the exam I ensured I revised a lot, which also helped boost my confidence and therefore I was happy with my efforts, as I tried my best. I think generally throughout year 12, my approach to independent work has been positive as I managed to meet deadlines consistently, and attempted to do the work to the best of my ability. This meant I also mostly had a positive attitude in my media class as I have a genuine interest and am now also eager to learn more in year 13, particularly for the coursework. I think media has helped me to become a more creative and imaginative person because throughout the year I was constantly having to think of new, innovative ideas; whether this was during writing an essay and interpreting the different codes and conventions, or for my coursework task; to make my coursework original and be of a high quality.

Overall I have been happy with my performance during media year 12 and felt I developed my creative and analytical skills well. For year 13 I will make sure I always – to the best of my ability – stick to time constraints as it is very easy to fall behind. Also I will ensure the work load for the coursework is more evenly spread out to decrease the pressure. Another skill I feel I could develop is my input into class discussions as sometimes I feel I could contribute more, so in year 13 I will make a conscious effort to contribute more in class. Finally I will try to stay as diligent and dedicated as possible because this will improve the quality and consistency of my work. If I manage to complete these targets I think year 13 will be a successful and productive year, and hopefully my A levels at the end of year 13 will also reflect this.