Music video - song choice - 4

Catfish and the Bottlemen's Pacifier is the fourth choice from our shortlist. The song creates an anthemic atmosphere throughout the song with big guitar chords. As a result of this, the song has a slightly aggressive feel to it. Defiance and aggression is at the forefront of this song through the four-piece band. As well, the variety in tempo throughout the song makes way for a clear narrative structure. The strong guitar chords at around 3 minutes would be a perfect time for a resolution to the problem encountered earlier on in the music video.




Verdict (Yes, finally!): After much deliberation between all four songs, this song looks to provide the most suitable conventions to what we aim to achieve. For instance, the tone of the song will be illustrative to the narrative structure of the music video (we will be looking to follow a boxer on the journey of training for a fight). As well, the fact that the band is made up of four young men means that it will be easy for us to replicate on the performance side of the song.

Audience research - focus group

Here we interviewed two media students on their own thoughts and opinions on music videos:

Audience research - theoretical analysis

Hozier - Take Me To Church





Nicki Minaj - Bang Bang




Learning comment: Upon completion of this task I have identified key ways in which audience members consume different types of music videos. This is important to consider when I come to shoot my own video because elements, such as the mise en scene, will be vital in way that audiences perceive my main character as well as the setting around him, Furthermore, I will look to satisfy the needs of the audience members. So, for example, Blumer and Katz's theory of uses and gratifications states that audience members watch television for a certain reason. In this case, I will be look to add an element of diversion away from everyday life. Whilst the video will be in humble surroundings, I will also be looking to fixate the audience on the narrative as way of diverting them away from their everyday life.

Music video - song choice - 3

Of all five song choices, this song is undoubtedly the most indie of them all - you only have to see that Eliza and the Bear do not have an official music video for the song to see that. As an extraordinarily indie song, it has several advantages over an iconic song such as Uptown Funk by Bruno Mars.

Firstly, the fact that only 69,000 people have viewed the song on YouTube implies it is reliatively unknown. This is a clear advantage as audience may be curious to see what the music video is about once they hear a song they are unfamiliar with. Also, the music video we would to create would not be a replicate of something that people have seen before. As a result, the music video we would create would shape the listener's interpretation of the song.



Verdict: Despite there being many positives and advantages to the song as I have stated above, I have decided to not choose it for my final idea. This is because the song is one with lyrics that do not exactly make a narrative easy to produce. As well, the song does not hold a big sound to it. With narrative ideas at the forefront of my mind, this particular video does not hold the tone required for my narrative ideas.

Media student's opinion on past videos

From this task I have learnt how important it is for the music video to look credible in terms of camera angles, editing and mise en scene. The video I create is most likely going to be watched by media students and will therefore need to demonstrate high levels of camera work and editing in order to make the video look good.

Audience Research - Music Consumption

From the interviews above, it is clear to see a difference in individual consumption of music videos based on demographic.

The first interview shown includes a 13-year-old boy's own consumption of music videos. A clear aspect from the interview that i picked up on was his clear focus on consuming music videos on mobile phone apps. As he states in the interview, his main source of music videos is PlayTube. The fact that he watches the majority of music videos on his phone suggests that he does not purposely go out of his way to watch a music video; like someone who would watch a video on TV. As a result, i have learnt that the music video has to engage the consumer right from the beginning of the film to stand any chance of having them watch the entire video.

My second interview was with an adult (35-50) and shows similarities to the under 16 demographic.

They both hold similar consuming preferences with the mention of the pop genre being their favourite genre of music video. Reasons for this from both demographics lay with the feel good factor of the pop genre. As well, there was a clear preference of a narrative-based music video rather than a live performance. That in mind, i will aim to appeal to both demographics by including an uplifting and inspiring narrative structure that will entice a range of audience members.

Music video - song choice - 2

The second song that I identified as a possible choice for the final product was a song by the Vaccines named 'If You Wanna.' This song is one of an incredibly high tempo right from the beginning. The use of a high tempo in songs often captures the audience's attention in a positive manner and it is no different here. Despite the fast start, the song seamlessly varies in tempo throughout and it is that which makes the song so inviting for a music video.

Not only does it have a positive feel throughout, but the slight variety in tempo allows the music video the chance to follow a narrative structure (i.e. equilibrium-problem-resolution.) Therefore, there is a high chance of using this song as my music video.




Verdict: After much reflection, I have decided to rule this song out of contention for my final music video song. Despite the song's high tempo and ability to adapt a narrative structure, the lyrics of the song are very limited. Repeated lines throughout the song make it fairly one dimensional and therefore I feel the music video could follow suit if we were to choose this particular song.

Music video analysis - part four

Music video analysis - part three

Upon completion of the three posters pictured above, it is clear to determine between each genre by the codes and conventions they hold. Grime, for example, has a clear emphasis on the lyrics relating to the artists. It is also fair to say that they want to be true to themselves - which is often shown in their music videos with locations in working class backgrounds. Pop, on the other hand, is a genre very much dominated by women. On the whole, the genre is clearly based around appearance over any sort of talent relating to their singing ability. What is most important to remember when completing my final product is that each and every genre of music has a different purpose. Therefore, my final product will be based around research I have carried out on my chosen genre.

Music video - song choice - 1

As part of my ongoing search to find a song suitable to that of the genre of indie rock, I will be posting regularly to show my thought process behind choosing (or not choosing) particular songs. Below is the first of my possible inspiration post:

Blossoms - Getaway

Blossoms are a band who have only recently burst on to the scene as an indie band. Their rise to fame stemmed from this song which is a tail of love between two people. This is song is especially suitable to the type of music video I am looking to create because of its overall sound. By this I mean that the song is the type of song that is unoffensive and easy to listen to. As a result of this, I think that the it would be fairly straightforward to make a music video for. Unlike the random nature of their own music video, the lyrics would allow me to construct a narrative structure that would illustrate the words sung by the lead singer.




Verdict: Although this song is very much in line of which I aim to find a song from, I think the lyrics to this song can often be ambiguous and irrelevant. This could result in the music video following that style and it would make the overall narrative structure very hard to keep as simple as possible. As well as this, the song is rather mellow, perhaps lacking an element of tempo after the beginning of the song. This makes it incredibly hard to choose the song as there are other songs that can create a much more uplifting atmosphere that will make the music video far more engaging.

Music video analysis - part two

Catfish and the Bottlemen - Twice. In this music video, we see a very simple but effective video. This video is most effective in the way that it uses multiple camera movements to eccentuate the location of the camera in relation to the band performing. Through the use of pans and zooms, the audiences view of the band performing is much more intimate than it would have been if the video was solely focused on medium shots and close ups. Therefore, these camera movements bring in Bulmer and Katz's theory of uses and gratifications. Due to the real sense of realism in this video, audience may use this video to feel as if they are part of the band's performance. In doing this, the band create a much more personal and intimate feel to their overall appearance. Moreover, what makes this video even more interesting is the use of fact that it is completely performance based. Subsequently, the video is much representative of the band's ability to perform live.





Ed Sheeran - Don't. In contrast to Twice, this music video by Ed Sheeran contains a mixture of both performance and narrative. In comparison to other videos, the performance side of this video does not include the artist. Instead, there is an actor playing the part of a dancer. The video follows the dancer throughout the video on a journey through his life's problems. In showing a distinct dancing style throughout the video, audiences become enticed with his every move. As a result, the video proves to be very engaging and interactive with the audience in the sense that every thought expressed by Ed in his lyrics is emphasized in the dancer's performance which not only creates a distinct feel to the song as well as an innovative music video.





 Duck Sauce - Barbra Streisand.  This video creates a great deal of camaraderie around the people of New York. This is done through a compilation of  50 or so different New Yorkers singing along to the song. The use of medium shots throughout the video give a clear indication that each and every person in New York is on the same level - hence, no close ups are used to represent someone as more important than someone else. What makes this video most interesting is the variety of people we see on camera. From young children to an 80 year old man, the song is clearly admired and adored by everyone in the city. As a result of this, the video achieve two main goals. One, it creates a standout feature to the song - i.e. it becomes memorable. And, secondly, it ensures that the video keeps to the positive tempo of the song itself.



Martin Solveig - Hello. In Martin Solveig's video for 'Hello,' we see clear a following to Vladamir Propp's 'character types.' With the whole video being based on a narrative, the distinguished character types are a focal point to the video as a whole. For example, we see Novak Djockovic represent the 'hero' in the way that he saves the tennis match finishing from an incorrect call. As a result of this, and many other character types represented, the video has a clear narrative structure to it. In the footage presented above, we see the 'resolution' take place as the protagonist begins to fight back. Overall, this makes a terrific music video as it takes the audiences on a journey of the underdog and will certainly make sure that they remember the song in years to come.


Skrillex and Diplo - "Where Are Ü Now" with Justin Bieber. This music video is predominantly performance based in the way that Justin Bieber is most often pictured singing or dancing for the camera. The reasons for doing this are quite obvious. In respect of the female attention Bieber usually attracts, the lengthy duration of himself on camera are quite simply to attract female audience. This opposes Shuker's theory of 'male gaze' that states women are often subject to objectification. So, by doing this in the video, the audience is primarily female based. The slight narrative structure, however, attracts male audiences through the use of on-screen graphics and a heavy theme of art. As a result, the video is therefore aimed at a wide range of audiences stretching across both genders. This is a key convention of pop music that needs to be aimed at a wide range of audiences given its generic genre. 

Music video analysis - part one

Indie Rock: From watching Catfish and the Bottlemen's video for 'Pacifier' I have found several codes and conventions for the genre. Firstly, it was clear to see that the genre is very much fixed on following similar costume types to that of the clothing they wear in live shows. In this case. Catfish and the Bottlemen wear black clothing to further their identity of a band who do not use their fashion sense to stand out. Instead, the opposite most likely happens in the sense that their clothes are one of the last aspects you are likely to notice from the film. Next, their use of a working class location works in line with many codes and conventions of indie music. This is true in that indie bands are often made up of young adults. Therefore, their location as a student type of age might be unknown and they are therefore resigned to the warehouse in this video to make the music video. At the same time, the narrative to the video can also convey that their young age leaves them vulnerable to situations in life that could compromise their danger.

Pop: In contrast to Pacifier, James Bay's 'let it go' offers many different aspects to his music video that lend themselves to the codes and conventions of pop music videos. For example, his video has a clear presentation of a narrative surrounding love. From this, it is fair to say that his music appeals to a much wider demographic than Catfish and the Bottlemen. As well as this, the video contains many areas that focus on himself singing (performance). This is a key convention of pop videos that shows just how competitive the industry of pop is - i.e. he has to show himself singing as a marketing tool. Finally, his video primarily contains low-key lighting, this is also shown in the aforementioned indie video. More than just the codes and conventions, videos can often relate to each other in the way that it wants to create a certain mood and atmosphere to the video and song.

Grime: Perhaps the most recent music genre to exist is grime. Having only been around for 15 years or so, the genre is largely unknown by many people. However, Kano adheres to many codes and conventions shown in grime music. For example, the location of a working class background shows just how poor his life used to be. In doing this, Kano represents himself as very humble. Another main convention of grime is the way they look. He is often depicted in a full tracksuit or branded clothing - both of which are fashionable in their society.

Dance: With arguably the widest bracket of codes and conventions comes dance. The genre is almost always upbeat and fast in tempo but the narrative of dance is very rarely followed to any sort of trend. Nevertheless, Sigma follow the genre's codes and conventions throughout the video when they use two attractive female actors in their music video. This works in line with Shuker's male gaze theory which suggests that women are depicted as objects in media to attract a heterosexual male audience. Overall, then, the dance genre is one that aims to please a largely male demographic which is clearly present in this music video.

Analysis of student videos, digipaks and adverts

Grading: The first video I analysed was the best of the three I watched. The reasons lay mainly with the camera work throughout the whole video. For example, there are several camera angles such as an extreme low angle that signify the emotions on the character shown. This is a main focus throughout the video that show the characters experiencing their varying emotions throughout the video and, therefore, the audience can match the song with a clear narrative.

For the reasons mentioned in the presentation above and the factors just mentioned, I have judged this music video to be of A grade standard. Not only does it boast a host of strengths, but it also proves very difficult to find areas for improvements.


Video 2: In comparison to the first music video, this one is far less impressive. The lack of camera angles and very limited narrative makes it hard for me to find areas worthy of marks. As as result, I judge this video to be C grade standard.

Video 3: One of the only differences between this video and the first one I analysed was the camera quality. However, to determine a grade between them I felt that this video proved to be a little less engaging than it's A grade counterpart. Consequently, I judge this video to be of B grade standard. If little improvements were made in terms of a slight development to the narrative, it may push for an A.

Learning comment: Through this research, I have become aware that it matters very little as to what genre of music you pick to use. The only factor proving vital is that there is a need of understanding as to what that genre entails. For example, indie music often includes young adults in their music video.

The first music video I viewed was the one of best quality and is certainly something I will look to take ideas from. For example, an abundance of extreme close ups to ensure that the narrative is clearly established to the audience.

Moreover, I feel that if my final product is to work to the best of its ability it will need to include some high quality camera work that captures the narrative to finest detail. On top of that, the video will therefore need to include an engaging narrative that is likely to entice my target demographic of that music genre.

Brand identity

Click here ( http://reece031098.wix.com/brandidentity ) to see the full site with analysis of three different artists/bands in their respective music genres.

Learning comment: From analysis of a variety of different bands and artists, i have learnt how important it is to keep a strong line of consistency in what you aim to do in order to represent an artist or band. For example, Catfish and the Bottlemen effectively keep their branding plain and simple (black and white) as a means to allowing fans to become familiar with their albums, merchandise, etc. One of the most important things i have learnt from this task is that it is imperative to have a clear band name for fans to see. Therefore, being able to create a clear and appealing band name typography will be key to my final product. Considering the positioning of the text, the text itself and the size of the text will all be important to my decision process over the creation of my digipak.

Analysis of digipak adverts

Learning comment: Upon completion of this task, i have gained inspiration and ideas for when i come to make my own music video. In addition to this, it was interesting to analyse how certain adverts represent artists in different ways - depending on their music genre. Therefore, i will make sure that my advert follows the typical codes and conventions for the genre i use. For example, pop adverts may include the following codes and conventions:
- Bright colours to connote positivity and happiness
- Engaging colours to entice wide audiences
- Artists in the middle of the poster
- A clear brand identity through the same typography

Analysis of Digipaks

Learning comment: From extensive analysis into digipaks, it is easy to see that they are seen somewhat as a secondary product to the classic plastic music cases (jewel cases). Of course, the standard plastic cases are a hard product to compete with but it probably fair to say that, through my research, there is not an overall positive feel towards the digipak. For example, when talking to my parents and grandparents about them, they had neither owned a digipak or even heard of what they are. After great lengths of explanation, they understood the appeal of them (i.e. the environmental advantages and increased information) and even went as far to say that they would potentially buy one in the future.

As well as older generations, i also spoke to teenagers about their opinions of digipaks. The general consensus was that they were a popular product within the older teenage years and most prominent within alternative or indie genres of music. Bands such as Arctic Monkeys and Catfish and the Bottlemen were mentioned when digipak owners expressed their favourite genres of music. Nearly all teens agreed that the digipak was a much more valuable product for the customer as it offered more than a standard plastic case.

As a result, this research task has been of great help to me specifically because it has opened my eyes up to wider views of digipaks. Given that the general consensus is that younger generations are much more interested and engaged with the digipak format as opposed to older demographics (i.e. 40 yrs+) I will use that to my advantage when choosing the genre of music I want to base my final product around. For example, the selection of an indie genre of music may bode well in order to appeal to teenagers and young adults. Bands such as Catfish and the Bottlemen and The Kooks are two examples of how popular indie music is within the demographic of 16-21 and, subsequently, using a music of this genre would be appropriate and successful.

Website analysis

Learning comment: From this research, it was valuable to see how different genres of music use websites in different ways. Although there are typical codes and conventions of music websites as a whole, the contrast between the likes Guns 'n' Roses and Beyoncé is particularly interesting. Rock bands, such as Guns 'n' Roses, often use dark and grungy colour schemes in order to appeal to their, perhaps, more male target audience. In contrast, Beyoncé's website uses much more elegant dark blue colours in order to reach a much wider audience. As a result, it is easy to see that the gap between rock and pop audiences is highlighted between their juxtaposing colour palettes.

In addition, the contrast colours also offer different connotations between artists and bands. For example, the range of colours used in Coldplay's website homepage reiterates the idea that they are a band with an extremely wide fanbase. And, in order to sustain that popularity, a wide range of colours needs to be used to attract a wide audience demographic.

Overall, this task has been very useful with the way it has shown me that different genres of music represent themselves in completely different ways. Of course, I had some of that knowledge coming into this research, but the crucial factor was making sure that my final product will have the correct connotations for the genre of music I am looking to show.

History of Music Videos

Learning comment: From this task, i have learnt the key conventions of music videos throughout history - even from their early establishment in the 20th century. One thing that was very useful upon the completion of this task was that it was easy to identify key conventions such as fast paced editing and a variety of camera shots. From this, I have found that these conventions are key to an effective and engaging music video. As a result, this piece of research ensured that my narrative in my own music video will now be displayed in a clear and straightforward manner. In addition, I also noticed that a range of camera shots are used in almost every music video. This reinforces the fast paced nature of videos - keeping the viewers engaged in the video. Subsequently, it is important that my own music video can follow a similar pattern by using a range of camera shots and angles.