Claudia Wingrove A2 Portfolio

My chosen form of media for my year 13 media a level course work is music videos. Music videos all have something similar to them that when seeing them as the audience you can tell that they are music videos. Each video has a cover picture, whether is from a setting (or one of) found in the music video, showing all of the dancers, main singer or the group of artists or whether it's a lyric video and the cover is a picture of the artist face (Rita Ora- Your Song Lyric Video).

On the cover of each music video the length of time is shown at the bottom right corner along with the sign of the supporting distributor or music video collaboration company at the bottom left corner on the cover picture (i.e. 'VEVO' and 'W').

The theorist Andrew Goodwin (1992) put together a list of key features and aspects found in all music videos. The first feature Goodwin claimed to appear in music videos is the relationship between the lyrics and the visuals shown in the music video (illustrating, amplifying or contradicting). An example of this is 'Americas Suite Hearts' by Fall Out Boy; the story line doesn't work with the lyrics.

The second claim he made was that there was also a relationship between the music and the visuals (illustrating, amplifying, contradicting or cutting visuals in time with music). An example of this is shown in the music video 'Walks like Rhianna' by The Wanted, where at one point the beat to the music work with the flashing on the lights behind the artists.

Goodwin also claims that music videos demonstrate genre characteristics (Stadium Performance, studio performance, location, narrative based or concept based). Examples of this theory is shown in Clean Bandits 'Symphony' and James Arthur 'Safe Inside' where the artists set-up is in a studio/stadium setting.

Goodwin express that one repeated feature is a close up of the main artist/singers face, this is due to the record companies requirements that the artist is strongly featured in the music video (artistic branding, celebrity culture, artistic portrayal or implications on looking good).  

Similar to the last point, Goodwin believes that 'star inconogrophy' is something developed in each artists music video (branding, style or brand values/unique selling points). This point can be applied to Michael Jackson's music videos, where he repeated certain dance moves and wore a particular style that is now seen has 'his movements' and 'his clothing style'.

Goodwin also identified that in every music video a concept called Voyeurism is used, this means that the audience see something that they would/ should not usually see (nudity/ near nudity/ revealing clothes, exhibitionism, an intimate location i.e. Bedroom/bathroom or frame within a frame).
Lastly, Goodwin recognised that there is intertextuality working most music videos (involving either other music videos, films or TV programmes).

"A music video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings."

As the quote above describes, in the modern era music videos have become a source of income and promotion for the music artist. While creating an income for the artists and producers, it is also a platform that allows the artist to express their version of the song and what it represents for them and/or if something relevant is happening at the current time of the song release and the artist is passionate about it or a support of an act occurring then it will be shown in their music video. An example of this is Sia's 'Elastic Heart' and 'The Greatest' and Beyoncé's 'Formation'.

Each music video also reflects allot about the artist, their style/taste and how they want to be perceived. In The Weeknd's videos he wears allot of black (black leather jackets) and religious symbols, showing support and and up rise against and for Christianity. The Weeknd is an example of an artist that appears in their music video, while like mentioned above, Sia prefers to tell stories through dance choreography rather than have herself acting or singing to the camera.

There are multiple ways in which artists promote their music. They have to do it in a unique way to attract the audience and to make it personal for their fans. An example of music promotion is on social platforms such as Spotify, Facebook, YouTube and more. Although these are places where there are no money income it reaches a more global audience, attracting a bigger fan base for a bigger income and interest.
In the link bellow the website talks about multiple ways of promotions such as hosting free vertical performances, creating a 'band' profile page on Facebook, make an app for your music, share on sound cloud, share music videos and interact with fans through performing st festivals, sharing merchandise etc. Allot of these innovative ideas of promotion reflect on supporting and building the  career and social media space of the upcoming artists and to create a relationship between themselves and their audience.

http://www.musicthinktank.com/blog/49-ways-to-get-free-music-promotion.html

DEF: Media technological convergence is the tendency that as technology changes, different technological system sometimes evolve toward performing similar tasks.

Technological convergence has changed the way music products are marketed because of the different forms of social media and modern day audiences.

By the development of phones, not only now being used to call people, but to access the Internet, social media sites/apps, games and television. Having the development of phones and the converging of social media and phones, it allows artists to promote themselves to a bigger and more global audience which benefits the amount of income and popularity- although this couldn't be relative to music distribution in the early 21st century or the late 20th century, as music distribution was done all the same why so the comparison between being able to reach a more global audience by the Internet and by reaching a global audience through physical copies of the music and tours.

Being able to reach multiple countries around the world due to the Internet makes it easier for artists and groups to become more popular in multiple countries rather than just the original place they came from.
Groups and artists such as Elvis, The Beatles, Spice Girls, ABBA became popular due to being from either America or England, linking the two countries together and then become world known and to make their place in our music history. Music was also a new thing, with new trends appearing, these artists and groups were the bases off of how the music today was created.



DEF: The proliferation of hardware refers to the rapid increase in physical technologies which assist the production, distribution and exhibition/consumption of a film or its related products or services.

Due to the growth of technology, artists have been able to reach a world wide audience to promote their music and to have a growth in their audience. Having an easier access to a bigger audience allows artists/groups to spread a message, gain influence and become an idol which works for and against the artists/groups. With the growth of the Internet, it has also affected the reception of the audience and the power they have over responding to an artists work. 
The public have also changed with their responses to artist work. They are able to compare music and artists against one another, supporting and hating on the artists work allot quicker and with more intensity than when they didn't have the Internet. It has allowed them to become more critical of artists work, influencing artists to have a more unique dress style and voice to become more individual and impressionable. 

Artists are promoted through multiple different ways in order to share their music and to become more successful. One way in which they promote themselves is through collaborations with other famous brands (makeup) or people who are similar to them to reach a bigger audience for their own work.

Artist are promoted through the opposite sex's view (the male/female gaze) to become more popular through attracting the opposite sex. The sex appeal is evident in both male and female artists, Beyonce being seen as both an idol and extremely attractive, while Zayn is viewed as a 'tall/dark/handsome' male stereotype and having a mixture of audience supporters due to his time in 1D, his rapping and style in music.

In the modern day society, the fashion wear artist have sported has changed throughout the years due to the change in how the artists want to promote themselves and how everything has become sexualised or objectified. A clear comparison is between ABBA and Katy Perry, both artist wear clothes that are of their generation, ABBA wearing vintage/funky and newly introduced styles of clothing while Katy Perry became very experimental and became a sexual icon to.

In the current times, artist has millions of followers on multiple social accounts, easily spreading their music to reach a bigger audience. This benefits them by increasing the amount of global interest on their music sales, status and merch. While in 1975 when ABBA was at its most popular, the Internet wasn't even invented so there were allot more limited ways for the artistic group to attract a bigger audience. even without the Internet, ABBA and The Beetles became world dominating and that was because of the physical exchange of their music (through posters, vinyls/CDs, merch, videos and concerts) rather than the current use of the Internet, using the digital exchange to promote their music.