Feedback

A lot of work here and some really nice illustrative material! However, I have a few suggestions to make that would make this even better!

• Matt - in your first entry on indie videos, you could comment on the ideology that low-tech videos convey to audiences and how this fits the whole indie ethos. You could also analyse the video using Goodwin's categories to see how indie bands both fit and alter the conventions?
• Matt - history of Indie bands entry - I like the Velvet Underground video but what features identify it as a proto Indie group? The last bit also needs a little more work I think - possibly a few more modern examples of recent big indie acts and evidence of their commercial success? Could also do with identifying the key iconography that we currently link to the indie band.
• Zuleikha - Music Genre section - I know you have added some material here but you still need to explore the implications of this for your project - why are music videos possibly more important now than ever before?
• Carla - a lot of digging about for material has gone into this but I am not sure how it is relevant, as it is all about downloading rather than music videos as the title suggests? You need to get the rest of the group to look at this and decide if it helps your project and, if so, how? If you decide to keep it, I think it needs cutting down to the bare essentials as it is easy to get lost in the info and you also need to add some comment of your own telling us what this suggests or implies for your product.
• Jess - I know you have been working on things but I need to see some posts!
• Also, you may want to add a short section on the history of the modern music video - when and why it arose and why they are so prevalent still?

Don't be discouraged at the length of my comments - your work is good and effort is very pleasing, so i want the content to match this!!!
Mrs Doggart

Branding

The American Marketing Association (AMA) defines a brand as a "name, term, sign, symbol or design, or a combination of them intended to identify the goods and services of one seller or group of sellers and to differentiate them from those of other sellers.

(http://marketing.about.com/cs/brandmktg/a/whatisbranding.htm Retrieved: 13/11/09 18:16)

A brand is particular name or trademark that is associated with a particular product. It may refer to more than one product made by the same company than just one individual product. Branding is all about creating an image that consumers like that people can link to a particular line of products.


Over the years brands have become increasingly more important, as culture and economy has advanced and as a result of mass production the need for distinct brands has increased. They are now considered ‘cultural accessories’.


Consumers come across so many similar products that it is practically impossible to choose a product without its branding. Once people are engaged to a certain brand they begin to have set expectations that is an impression created by all the associated products. It is the brand special qualities and characteristics that make it unique. Hence the reason branding is one of the most important factors in advertising. It shows what the brand is able to offer in the market and what is it that makes it so different compared to other rivaling products.


‘’Advertising any given product Is only one part of branding grand plan.’’ (Naomi Klein, No Logos)


By carefully managing a brand and maintaining the image by cleverly designed advertising campaigns helps lead to a highly successful product that enable consumers to purchase products that are of extremely high prices. This manipulates the image that has been created and causes the consumer to see value and potential in the product. Consumers purchase products of brands that they expect to fulfill their desires. Modern branding campaigns have the ability to induce consumers into paying a lot more for what they are getting. For example £40 for a t-shirt that costs a mere £4 to make.


One of the key elements of creating a successful brand is consistency across the range of products promoted at any one time across the world. Over time the image that is created has to create loyalty so that consumers continue to buy the products establishing a unchangeable routine. Very rarely are products rebranded and the main reason of this would be that the current brand name/image has not been successful.


If a brand image is widely known in the market it is easily recognized to an extent that if this image is built up over the years the brand no longer has to be specific to what they are advertising. For example ‘Coca-Cola’ is known all over the world. Consumers can identify what the product is by just seeing its logo. If we look at ‘Cadburys Dairy Milk’ commercials, when the product first came on the market, the visuals of the commercials often showed the chocolate and people enjoying the taste of the chocolate etc.





However recent commercials by Cadburys show nothing in link to the chocolate apart from its logo.





This is because the brand and the product is so well known around the world that people only need the logo or consistent purple theme to identify it.


I feel that this research on branding will help us create an effective brand image for our product as it involves elements of advertising and creating a strong product. The three products that we are going to create (music video, Digipak cover & Digipak advertisement in magazine) will all be promoting the same product. It is therefore vital that we keep the image and theme consistent throughout so that audiences are able to identify the brand and link the products together. This consistent brand image is what helps distinguish quality and uniqueness from other products on the market.


Things that we will aim to keep consistent:
-Font and colour scheme for logo that portrays the correct indie image
-Brand image – the message we are trying to portray about the band/artist
-Indie theme

Gucci - A well known brand all over the world, and some of its range of products:





the brand has nothing to do with music, it is just to show the way in which brands operate. No matter what the brand whether it is to do with food, fashion or music they tend to hold a range of products that all give the same image of the brand. As we can see all the different advertisements of 'Gucci' Products they are given a very elegant, posh and expensive image. We can see the brand has quality and people are aware that the brand has quality and uniqueness no matter what the product.

The Indie Genre

The History:

The Indie Rock genre is a sub-genre of rock music that tends to be more alternative. It originated in the United States and United Kingdom in the 1980's.

Although the genre didn't take off until the 1980's he roots of the indie genre are traced back as far as Velvet Underground, who recorded and released their first album in 1967.

Velvet underground can be identified as a proto-indie band by a number of key facts:

1. The sound quality is very 'lo-fi' and raw, although this could be because of the age of the footage, most probably because they wanted it like that.

2. The music is very experimental, although the music in this video is not experimental nowadays - it could even be said that it is rather outdated by todays standards, but when this was released in the late 60's the music was very 'weird' and unheard of.

Although the origins are seen in velvet underground. Indie rock has a long history even though it has only just reached the height of popularity.

In the mid to late 70's punk took off in the United States. It was Underground, it was rebellious and orginated in new york city. It was inspired by bands such as the velvet underground (featured above), While here in England we had such bands as Sex pistols and the clash. Following closely behind this explosion in punk, was new wave, it started in the UK in the mid 80's and was a bit more experimental and polished than Punk was. Instead of the very simplistic lyrics that Punk music often had, New Wave was a bit more clever and complex. Notable artists from the earlier years of the scene include Elvis Costello and Tom Robinson. In America, New Wave was used to describe artists that were associated with the Punk scene but didn't have fast and raw Punk sound. These artists include Blondie and The Talking Heads. It would quickly hit the mainstream in both countries. In the 80s, the term New Wave would become generalized and became attached to all synthpop groups. Following this post-punk began to emerge in the UK, which gave scene to bands such as joy division and the cure.

Then in the early 80's teenagers who weren't particularly anything special on the guitar, and didn't have 'big voices' such as Robert Plant and Freddy Mercury, started their own bands as they thought they could make good music regardless. This then caused independent labels to be formed and then the Indie Genre. Since then the genre has kept increasing in popularity, almost every week there seems to be a new Indie band in the publics eye.

Today:

Indie music has changed a lot since the seventies, and has become even more experimental than ever. Although the music is evolving the actual instruments are going back in time, back to the stages of folk music for example:

Although this video and band are not british it still backs up my point about using more unusual instruments. This does belong to the indie genre, although the costume and video may not seem like it.

Music Videos: Media Language and Narrative

A music video is ‘a distinctive art form which can allow really interesting creative opportunities’ (P.Fraser 2005)

The sole aim of a music video is to promote and advertise the artist and their music. It has to promote interest and entice the audience. They are especially designed to attract the attention of the audience and create aspiration as it is the main way to show people what new songs have been released. Music videos allow the brand to promote the artist along side promotional merchandise, magazine adverts and websites. If done correctly, the media language and narrative is what creates the perfect music video and helps generate public interest.

A music video allows much more freedom and creativity in the media language, mise en scene and narrative that can be used. Majority of music videos tend to show the artist performing their song as well as showing a storyline. These run along side one another hence implying a sense of uniqueness and authenticity of the vocalist. Certain music genres have their own sense of style and iconography and generally there is a correlation between the lyrics of the song and the graphics and choreographic style of the video.

The story that is shown in a music video may have many possible meanings as it up to the audience to interpret what they see. Narratives are open to interpretation and such components are often shown in music videos where there is no fixed image. For example in a music video you may be shown a character who is depressed and misses her loved one etc. Audiences could interpret this into many different ways such as her boyfriend might have broken up with her, or the person who she likes does not like her, or the boyfriend was unfaithful to her. There is never one fixed meaning to what is shown.

Camera movement, angle and distance all need to be analysed. Camera movement may accompany the movement of the performers but may also be used to induce a more vibrant feel to stage performance. The common denominator in moving image is the way the camera is used to add effect which generally has a significant impact on the meaning that is portrayed to the viewer. In a music video there are often lots of close ups of the main artist/vocalist. The close ups of the artist outweigh the rest of the music video and try to create a sense of significance for the viewer. It also adds emphasis to the artist/band on sale and their image.

As part of the voyeurism the setting and image is often associated with the type of artist and will create a sexual attraction particularly of the images of women. Not only does this attract men but with no doubt also attracts women as women always want to be more glamorous and sexy and more like the famous artists shown through the media.

By the time the whole music video is viewed by the audience they are already aware of the genre its artists and the song. The audience has an idea of what to expect if he purchases the full album and tends to create expectations. Through the correct use of media language and narrative the role of the music video is fulfilled and it has been able to promote the artist possibly on a worldwide basis.
Media language that is often used in music videos

Camera shots
• Long shot
• Medium shot
• Close up shot
• Extreme close up shot

Camera Angles
• Birds eye view
• High angle
• Eye level
• Low angle
• Oblique angle

Camera movement
• Pans
• Tilts
• Tracking shot
• Hand held
• Crane shot
• Zoom lenses
• Ariel shot
Camera movement often works in pace of the music

Focus
• Deep – Look at everything
• Selective – Looks at most important subject
• Soft – When edges blur together
Lighting
• Low Key – Dramatic, moody
• High Key – Bright and exciting
• Low contrast – Not many different colours, natural lighting (often used when telling a story)
• High contrast – Dramatic, volatile


Codes and Conventions

-Each music genre has its own style and iconography
-There is a relationship between the lyrics and the visuals
-There is also a relationship between the music/beat and the visuals and the way it is edited
-There is a demand on the part of the record company for lots of close ups of the main artist
-There is often voyerism
-There is likely to intertexual references
Media Language in Music Videos I looked at 4 different music videos to see what similarities in media language do they consist of and whether they all have similar codes and conventions. These are some of the print shots i took from the videos.

• While looking at these music videos i realised that there were a lot of shots of the main artist.
• Majority of these shots were close ups and medium shots.
• They consisted of both storyline shots and performance shots.
• The camera movement also moved with the pace of the music, the visuals were going with the beat.
• The lighting changed according to the visuals.
• Artists were shown very rich and glamorous
• Females were shown in a very sexy and glamorous way - appealing both to men and women - voyerism

Promotion Through Magazines and Digipaks

There are many ways in which artists can promote and sell their music from social bookmarking and online videos to worldwide concerts and gigs.


Due to the development of web2.0 music can be promoted and sold quick and effectively through the Internet. Artists can upload their music onto their own website or even websites such as ‘My Space’ and ‘Share’ where people can listen to and download their music. It may not always be free downloads however Internet is one of the most developed and best ways of promotion.


There are also many other forms of promotion such as CD’s (Digipak) and magazine advertisements as these can go a long way in promoting the artist. Marketing departments will create advertising and publicity for artists by creating personalised album covers, promotional videos and also promotional merchandise such as t-shirts etc with artist’s names on them. This is in order to get the music and the artists well known through a number of different media types (magazines, TV, radio). The more the artists are known and the more their music is heard the more albums will be sold hence making greater profits.


Digipak
Digipak is a type of CD case that consists of a plastic disk tray that is fixed within a folding cardboard case; it was initially created by AGI media. The Digipak design is made up of 4 to 8 panels creating singles, albums or box sets. Digipak-style packaging is often used for CD’s as well as DVDs and tends to give an impression of higher quality. It is often filled with colour, images, and text that are presented of high quality graphics and display. The Digipak also often contains a little booklet containing the lyrics of the song or any exclusive information. This is what makes the buyer feel that they are getting more for their money. In comparison to jewel cases which were the original compact disk case (that are still in use) they tend to offer a classier finish which helps present the artist in much positive way. They are also much cheaper to manufacture as it is mainly made from paperboard or card yet stills gives a professional look.
The branding and promoting of the artist is what is often portrayed through the image or graphics on the front of the Digipak. The style and feel of the image is what appeals to the targeted audience and if presented in the correct way it is able to catch the consumer’s attention and helps to promote the artist. It must appeal to the audience
Artists will distribute their Digipak in shops, gigs, online etc. The more people come across the album the more it will promote the artist. The speciality of the Digipak is what creates the audience to feel the need to purchase the album and collect the exclusive merchandise of the band/artist.


Magazines A music magazine is a magazine that is completely devoted to the music culture and may be specifically dedicated to a certain genre of music. Music magazines typically consist of exclusive interviews, releases, new albums, celebrity gossip, photo shoots, reviews, upcoming gigs etc featuring all aspects of the world of music. Magazine advertisements are one of the most popular ways by which artists advertise their music. Current music magazines include Kerrang, Mojo and Q.
I found that one of the most successful magazines in the UK is ‘NME’ and has been since its first publish in 1952. It is one of the best selling magazines in the UK. NME magazine is focused at teenage and young adult audiences, roughly aged from 15-25. This magazine has a vast number or artist interviews, latest releases, reviews and new album adverts and it is known for its informative detail. A new issue is published each week to keep music fans up to date. NME also carry out awards annually to celebrate the best music. The nominations and winners are voted by from the readers of the magazine. The fact magazine readers have input and a say in this makes this feel like they are part of the music world and therefore this makes them purchase more magazine, it promotes more artists and makes more music sales.

Our Product

As the second part of our media coursework we have decided to do an album advertisement in a magazine and an album cover. This research will help us in deciding what to include and what will attract audiences. I have also looked at consistency and branding through both of these products.

Often when a new album is released all promotional merchandise and advertising will have the same theme. They hold similarities which help the audience identify the album/artist. As we can see with Whitney Houston's new album, her album cover is also shown in the magazine advert. The themes are similar as they both have grey backgrounds, same font texts, and similar style. In both images Whitney is shown to be very glamorous and posh. The audience is given the same feeling from both the album and the advert.

Music Genre

Genre
A genre is a type or category of media text. This could be films, music, books, soaps etc… each genre has its own codes and conventions – its own repertoire of elements. As defined by G Burton, ‘genres are created through repetition and recognition leading to anticipation and expectations’.




Music Genre A music genre is the way a type of music is constructed that identifies it as belonging to a particular type or category of music which helps distinguish it from different types of music. It is a class of music that is assigned with certain media language and codes and conventions. Music is not always categorized by its musical construct but may be categorized according to environmental origins.
Music can be divided into genres in many different ways. However it is not necessary that these genre classifications are fixed; certain styles may overlap one another and may relate to more than one category of music. There is often similarity between the same type of music which may be portrayed in a number of ways. Musical pieces of the same genre may have related media language although many of these try to portray a unique and different image different from the typical styles shown. Music genres help audiences select music that has a high degree of being satisfying to them. They are aware of what they are purchasing.
A music genre will also include a wide variety of sub genres and larger genres may consist of more specific genre for example rock. Its sub genres include folk rock, Christian rock, jazz rock, blue rock, soft rock, indie rock etc…




Music genre and its Audiences Different genres appeal to different age groups but this does not mean that a particular genre would only appeal to one age group. As for media language, audiences also overlap. For many it may be what type of music they have been surrounded by as they grew older, for others it may be a totally unique type of music that they had not really had the influence of for very long. For example if we look at classical music, as for many years it has probably been the interest of the older age group, compared to teenagers who may be more intrigued by rock or rap music. However, I am certain that there would be children/teenagers who prefer classical music rather that rap and rock. It is always about individual taste. The audience for genres tends to change over years for example ragtime music; the original target generation may have totally died out by now.




Different genres & Artists
Classical – Andre Rieu, Katherine Jenkins, IL Divo,
Hip hop – Jay Z, Ludacris, Timbaland, 50cent
Blues - Jhonny Otis, Kellie Rucker, Gazed
Jazz – Jamie Cullum, Diana Crall, Nina Simone
Dance – The Prodigy, Scooter, Calvin Harris
Folk – Boo Hewerdine, Julie Fowlis, Kate Rusby


Genre Statistics
As part of my research I tried to find the growth of certain genres and popularity of the genres over the years. It appears that music sales dropped drastically in 2007 compared to previous years. As shown below music sales of all genres on average fell 15.8% over the year. This must have had drastic impact on the music industry.





































Reference
http://www.itfacts.biz/2007-us-music-sales-by-genre/9354 - Fact recorded on: Tuesday, November 10 2009 15.19


I also found a few pictures of album covers that portray the different genres, and show the type of differences there are.

We are now aware of the things that are needed in a music product in terms of the genres codes and conventions and media language. It will help us when creating our brand image and focusing on what our chosen genre (Indie) consists of.
As we can see over the years music sales have dropped drastically therefore being able to advertise our music through various ways such as the Internet as well as magazines helps to further promote the artist/band.

Indie Music Video Genre characteristics

The Indie genre has a set list of Characteristics and Conventions, much like all music videos and other video products such as film opening sequences (which were studied last year).

Firstly the videos are more about the music than the members of the band itself. So in the videos we see lots of close ups of the band playing instruments. Although this is mostly the case, Indie music videos also do try to sell the artists, (this is mainly for more popular bands). This is achieved by showing close ups of the band members face.

In this example we see all of the band members playing instruments, but this isn't all we see, we see a sort of story as well as the band members. This is another component of music videos, not only do they have to show the band but they also have to have some kind of story to stop the audience from getting bored.

As well as showing the band playing , the video tends to be lower budget and can even look as though it is a home video. Along side the video being low budget the actual audio is also 'lo-fi' and 'raw'. The music tends to be 'lo-fi' because Indie bands are signed to an Independent label or may be completely unsigned, meaning that they have a low Budget and 'hi-fi' sound costs too much. The 'lo-fi' sound attracts the fans, for two major reason: firstly the fans would like this sound as it shows them that you don't have to have a record deal or buckets of money to make a successful song/album. Secondly it means that the band can play pretty much anywhere, including pubs and even the middle of the street. This gives it a sort of likable raw feel that attracts people in the masses to the indie genre.

Indie band members tend have a do it yourself attitude, this probably stems from the fact that indie bands don't have the budget that major label signed bands have. So whereas major bands have roadies to move and set up their equipment, Indies simply say "thanks, but we can do it ourselves." I think that another reason for them doing this is they like to keep total control over their music and keep in touch with their fans.

Finally indie bands can push the musical boundaries and play whatever they want, this is because without a major label prompting them to play music that is popular at the time, they can play any music that they want and take it in any direction that they feel. The content of indie songs usually tends to be based on one major topic: Romance. Mostly they are about heart breaks rather than successful romances, this could be because the audience can relate to the lyrics if written on this topic.

The colours of the music videos is also very important. The indie genre has a very specific colour palette, the videos that belong to the indie genre tend to use a lot of dark muted colours such as browns and dark reds. Along side these they also use white making some of the videos seem very stark.