Music Video Analysis (Research)

Here is the research for my my music video. I have looked mostly at independent bands as this is the direction I want to follow. I have looked at music videos and artist branding so far. 

For your Component 3 project you will need to analyse:

- 1 existing texts in full detail 

- 4  existing texts in less detail. 

- 2 branding (collection:  video, album, social media

Music Video Research

Wetsuit, The Vaccines
Hayward-Young J. (2011) Wetsuit. [Performed by The Vaccines] On What Did You Expect From The Vaccines. [audio file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5tr5ptnUoDE 

The song Wetsuit was written and performed by The Vaccines. The music video was released in December of 2011, after the festival season had already finished. The video featured photos from fans from their time at some of the British festivals. 

Media Language
The narrative structure of the music videos starts at dawn during the summer, it then proceeds to show still images of festival goers throughout the day, culminating in more still images of the band's live performance. All of the photos have a filter applied to them giving the video a nostalgic feeling. This is suitable for the song as the lyrics talk about 'childhood memories' and getting old too fast. The genre conventions of typical indie rock music videos have been subverted to some extent, it is not common to have a music video features mostly still images. This is a very creative way to capture the atmosphere of a music festival, and including scenes of partying, drinking youths provides connotations of a fun and carefree lifestyle. At the end of the video the band is featured playing on stage, this is more common for music videos in a similar genre, however still photos are used again and all of the shots are candid. 

Representation
This music video is quite unique as the images being used have been taken by the presumed target audience (fans from their gigs) and so the representation is quite true to life. The images reveal people drinking alcohol, dancing, doing drugs, and generally enjoying the music. These representations are both a stereotype of youths in the UK and in this case it is quite accurate, as the images are from real people. Various festivals have been used as the location for these photos, and despite the place being crowded, dirty, and hot, it is portrayed in a positive light. There are many downsides to going to a music festival, however after watching this video one can't help but feel like this youth culture have an entertaining time at these events. 

Audience
One actor is used in the entire video, and clips of him are interspersed with the fan photos. He is a calm, young looking male. This could possibly be the key demographic of the band. Of course the rest of the videos features males and females, and it is no doubt that this video is intended for both genders. The video almost acts as an advertisement to the fans to try and get them to attend future festivals and gigs. According to the Uses and Gratification Theory, and audience would consume this text as a form of diversion to escape the stresses of their everyday lives. Another use could be social relationships because if people have experienced a festival like this it gives them a chance to reminisce with their friends about it. 

Industry
Modern technology has greatly influenced the production of this video. Thanks to social media, the band was able to post a message on their account asking all fans who attended a festival over the summer to send them their best pictures. The producer could then apply a simple filter to the images to give them all the same look. This would have been a relatively cheap method of production as the fans are doing much of the work themselves. The music video was also released on YouTube which meant that the band could also make money from advertising as the video gained in popularity. Furthermore it allows the audience to share it with their friends or amongst their social groups. This is engaging for the audience and also might allow the video to reach new markets. 

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Man on Fire, Edward Sharpe and The Magnetic Zeroes

Ebert A. (2012) Man On Fire. [Performed by Edward Sharpe and The Magnetic Zeroes]. On Home. [audio file] Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=08WeoqWilRQ

I love the simplicity of this music video. There is no real narrative structure, it simply showcases various dance groups from all skill levels across the city. It is mostly minorities being represented, and many of the locations are of urban areas. These places conjure negative connotations and stereotypes, however the dancers featured are shown to be hardworking, subverting the expectation. I really like at the beginning of the song how the shots change to match the beat of the song, I think this is something that I could incorporate into my own music video. I also like the changes from handheld camera to static shots with a tripod. This would be very achievable considering our equipment and budget. Similar to the previous video I analysed (Wetsuit, The Vaccines), this video features mostly real people going about their daily lives. Something to think about...

Research Branding

The Vaccines

Mumford & Sons

Analysis

NOTE: When analysing your band/artists branding be sure to consider how all of the elements from different media relate and compliment each other. 

        - What links them together? 

        - How do they use social media to engage with their audience?

        - What themes are present across the different media?

Here are the questions you can answer in your analysis: