The Music Industry, Marketing

Due to the high demand for music, bands/artists seem to be giving away their music for free. The majority of people, mainly of the younger generation, are no longer going into stores and buying albums, instead a new phenonemon has been discovered. Downloading music is now the most popular of accessing music as it takes a matter of minutes and can be done without having to go out. However as technology has developed for the downloading problems have occured. Some sites such as 'Linewire' allow people to download music for free, no charge at all. This therefore has a ripple effect as major music labels such as Sony, Universal and Motown are not making enough royalties therefore not making any profit. Reportedly Richard Branson had to drop the Virgin Megastores which lost him more than £50 million in 2007, this was one of the first visible signs that illegal downloading was not going to let up. Bands/artists have now had to develop another way to make money from their music. One of the positive effects illegal downloading has had on the music industry is that bands/artists are now known as their music has been free people are able to download whatever they want and therefore if they like the song they download more from the same band/artist. Which provides great publicity for them. This consequently means that bands/artists are known and can set up gigs and concerts in which people would have to pay for their tickets, this would lead on to merchandising and make profits this way. Bands/artists are now longer making money out of their music but now through their popularity. Sites such as Facebook and Myspace are popular ways for bands/artists to promote their music and upcoming events. http://www.myspace.com/madonna Madonna was one of the first artists to use Myspace to promote her music and this soon became popular. YouTube is also a popular site for bands/artists to promote their music, you can't download straight from the website but there is a link leading to the iTunes website to download the song. YouTube allows you to listen to the music before you buy it and you can continuously listen to the song repeatedly as well as view their music video if they have created one. http://www.facebook.com/madonna Her site on Facebook allows fans to access photos of her and can see the dates of her concerts and single releases. This benefits her as it is publicity for her. A band that have been successful from viral file sharing is the band Nizlopi with their song 'JCB', they didn't want to be signed with a record label as they saw what was happening with the downloads and how bands/artists weren't making much money. So they decided to record their song and they then sent it in an email to 20 people and they then sent on to their friends and this was repeated, which created huge success. http://www.jcbsong.co.uk/ http://www.nizlopi.com/ These sites are for the band and the 'JCB' song, both advertise new songs and downloads

Narrative Idea

VV Brown - Shark In The Water Lyrics

Sometimes I get my head in a dilly
Feeling so lost, ticking you off
Now boy, you know me well
Said, I’m that kind of feeling
That kind of soft, that kind of silly
But when I’m in doubt, I open my mouth
And words come out, words come out like

Baby, there’s a shark in the water
There’s something underneath my bed
Oh, please believe I said
Baby, there’s a shark in the water
I caught them barking at the moon
Better be soon

High in the sky, the song that I’m singing
A sweet little lie, I cry wolf, cry
Rather have you lie yeah, so that’s why I’m bringing
Some tricks up my sleeve, for noticing me
I wouldn’t cause you any harm, I just want you in my arms
I can’t help, I can’t myself
www.musicloversgroup.com

Baby, there’s a shark in the water
There’s something underneath my bed
Oh, please believe I said
Baby, there’s a shark in the water
I caught them barking at the moon
Better be soon

(Do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do ,do)
(Better be soon)
(Do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do x2)

Right is right
Rules are rules
This is more like April Fool’s
I’m just winding you up, oh
Jack be nimble, Jack be quick
Please don’t make too much of it
It ain’t that serious

Baby, there’s a shark in the water
There’s something underneath my bed
Oh, please believe I said
Baby, there’s a shark in the water
I caught them barking at the moon
You better get here soon

Baby, there’s a shark in the water
Baby, there’s a shark in the water
Baby, there’s a shark in the water
I caught them barking at the moon
Better be soon






These lyrics were the inspiration behind the narrative of our music video. We decided that it would be more appealing and interesting to the viewer if we had a narrative. The lyrics and V.V. Brown's actual music video imply that she is or was involved in a relationship and the guy was seeing someone else as well as going out with her. He is referred to as the shark. As we are a girl band we decided to be involved in the narrative as this is what V.V. Brown did in her music video, she was able to be involved in the narrative and to be separate as the artist. I researched Goodwin's theory that the video should convey a relationship between lyrics and visuals. I believe that this theory is applicable to our music video, as this is our first one we should follow some conventions. Our main aim is to make our narrative clear for the viewer to understand.

Choosing a music video

After analysing many music videos I have decided along with my group 'JMDL Records' on an artist and a song. VV Brown is our chosen artist as her style is unique from her appearance to the style of music. After much deliberation we chose 'Shark In The Water' for our song as our record company is based around the indie style. VV Brown is an indie pop singer and the song suits our record label as it has a laid back style but is upbeat. We have decided to film a narrative with our music video as it links in with the lyrics and also I feel it makes the video more appealing. We will construct this through camerawork, lighting and mise-en-scene. The lyrics also play a big role in constructing a music video narrative as they introduce the general feeling or mood, only key phrases or lines can be associated with the narrative of the video. It has been decided that we will film the song as a band, therefore already creating and adding a new element and slant to the song. The singers in the band will be the story tellers and therefore uses first person mode of address which helps the music video stand out.

Points to consider in my music video

Functions and meanings of music in editing:

• "quick cutting on the beat"
• Every cut or edit in a music video needs to be in sync with the music.
• There is a "rhythmic basis closely connected to the song".

Editing:

• "Edits in music videos come far more frequently than in film"
• "Music video editing bears a far greater responsibility for many elements more than clasic Hollywood film editing".
• There are lots of very short, quick edits in music videos. These build up a montage and often tell the story of the video (progress the narrative).

Balanced:

• "The editing in music video works hard to ensure that no single element (the narrative, the setting, the performance, the star, the lyrics, the song) gains the upper hand".
• When i come to creating my own music video i will ahve to focus on creating a balance between my images and the song itself.
• The video cannot distract from the song but must also grab the audience's attention.

Graphic Match:

• When editing sequences connect objects through colour and shape, this therefore creates fluency.

Match on action:

• Using a series of edits where different people/objects are doing the same thing. For example a close-up on Subject A's feet running then a cut to a close-up on Subject B's feet running.

180 degree rule:

• I have to ensure that i do not disorientate the audience by breaking this rule, the audience should maintain a position between edits in terms of orientation.

30 degree rule:

• If you break the 30 degree rule it is called a jump cut a sharp awkward edit that looks clumsy.
• The camera should move 30 degrees between edits to avoid this.

(Jump Cuts draw the audiences attention to the techniques being used.)

Album Analysis

An album cover represents the artists/bands image that they want to portray.
Aims of album covers:

• Tries to draw audience in
• Establishes album/artist and music genre
• Persuasive element in selling album
• To 'look good' as it portrays creativity and originality
• Establishes the credibility and artistic merit of the artist
• Codes and conventions are used to communicate with the audience
• Conventions - Artists name, album cover, artist on it, lists of songs on the back

Choosing our Track

We have found it hard to choose a song for our music video. We went through eachothers ipods to see what music we liked as a group, as we felt that we should choose a song that we all like therefore wanting to do it justice. We then decided on a genre as we needed to make a choice soon, it came apparent that we liked a wide range of music but we all liked and agreed on indie as this genre of music has become quite popular. We found the song 'Shark In The Water' by V.V. Brown which we have all heard of and like the upbeat rhythm. We also liked the fact that she is a British artist and therefore we have more in common and a further understanding of our artist. The idea of creating a band came from the fact that the song is indie-pop and most indie songs are by bands and we felt that others in our class would be focussing on single artists, therefore we thought we would break away from this and challenge ourselves. Other artists and bands we considered:

• The XX


• Lily Allen


• The Big Pink


• Florence and The Machine

The Beatles, Sergeant Peppers - Lonely Hearts - Club Band

This album cover for the Beatles was revolutionary at the time as it was considered a piece of art. The album was designed by an artist, Peter Blake and created a pop art effect by using bright colours. The use of flowers are code for peace and adds an almost 'hippy' effect to the cover and this therefore reflects on the band. Another code is that there is a drum in the centre of the cover, maybe a symbolic representation that music is at the centre of their lives. The drum and their costumes are conventions of a military band however the colours used undermines the typical conventions.

In the image there are other people apart from the band, they are standing with famous/legendary people but the band are centered in the middle, code for their own significance and maybe a code for their future success.

The setting of clear blue skies are code for freedom and hope and the palm trees represent the bands breaking away from their British persona, it has the typical conventions of them being on an island, seperate from us.

Michael Jackson "Thriller"

The words are written in blood 'Michael Jackson "Thriller"' at the start of the video, this is a typical convention of horror. We then hear diegetic sounds of crickets to emphasise realism which sets the scene. The music video involves cinematic conventions as we see a tracking shot of the car, the scene is set at night which is a code for the genre 'horror'.

The costume of the girl is a code for innocence as she is wearing a long 'girly' skirt and a bow in her hair. Michael Jackson is wearing his now iconic costume of red which is code for danger and love, this is relevant in the music video as they seem to be in love and could also be foreshadowing events to come, which indicate to the reader that the music video title "thriller" might happen in the video.

The non-diegetic spooky music of the unveiling of the moon is a code for horror and a typical convention. A series of close-ups convey the changes of him morphing into the creature and it is clear for the audience to see her reactions to him. Typical convention of the girl screaming and running away from danger.

The setting of the chase takes place in a remote area, which is a typical convention of the genre horror as it set in a forest and it is misty.

The next shot is of them sitting in a cinema as if they were apart of the audience conveying the image of a film within a film which makes the audience aware what they are watching and also plays with them as they begin to be unsure what is real and what isn't. Their dialogue ends and we have an establishing shot of the cinema with music video's name 'Thriller" and the name 'Vincent Price' who raps in this video. The music then starts and the camera then pans down. The audience then becomes aware that the artist is involved within the song which breaks typical conventions of other music videos.

There is an establishing shot of the misty grave yard so the audience understand where the action is about to take place. The narrative continues along with a narration then speaks over it, with the music still playing silently in the background.

The eery music playing is a typical convention of a horror film but then the music puts a new twist on it and experiments with genres that haven't been put together before. The hybridity makes the music Post-Modern. As they use different genres the music video has to have an equal balance of film and narrative. The titles at the end of the film are conventions of a film, this then makes the audience aware that they were watching a text, this contains the elements of post-modernism.

Green day - Wake Me Up When September Ends

The video opens with classic mise en scene with two lovers holding hands. Wide angle shot with the two actors in a field of bright flowers which is code for young love and happiness. The intimate camera shots focuses on their close relationship, their positions of looking into each others eyes.

The music video starts with a narrative which shows the audience that the music video is going to follow a story. This is a typical convention for a music video to have a narrative.

The style of filming is cinematic in its scope, the band have enlisted the help of famous actors and the style of a film by having a clear plot.

As she closes her eyes the non-diegetic music begins and the next shot is of the lead singer and a close-up on his eyes therefore interlinking the narrative and the band playing.

The middle section of the music video where the dialogue and the narrative takes over. The narrative plays along with the band. the music mirrors the action.

The band is in a mid-shot on stage as if their performing live this is a convention of a music video as they usually are performing if they have a narrative running with it.

When the action of the narrative needs to have more of an impact the edits become quicker and the music seems to get louder and creates a climax. To show the action clearly, in some shots the action has been slowed down so the audience can see what is happening. The music and the narrative are parallel.

The background for the band is red as this is code for danger and love. However in this context it is code for both, the danger of the boy in the army and the love he has left behind. The colour red is also iconic to the band. The colours used seem to get darker as the music video progresses, the bands costume is wearing all black which is also iconic to them and the tone and mood of the song.

Practice lip-syncing

Me and Jack decided to practice our lip-syncing before we had to make our pre-lim. We randomly chose a song that we had a relatively good idea of what the lyrics were and it is an upbeat tune so it was easier for us to have fun with it.

By doing this we have learnt a lot as we now have a rough idea on how to lip-sync and discovered that we do work well together. It also gave us a few ideas for our prelim task.

Analysis of 'Ghetto Gospel' music video

This music video is called Ghetto Gospel which is oxymonoric as the two words don't go together and this also applies to the two artists, as Elton John is more of a rock and soulful singer whereas 2Pac is the opposite as he is a rapper.

Already we know that the music video is going to involve crime and religion as the title 'Ghetto Gospel' indicates and gives the audience a clue to what the video is going to be about if it follows a narrative. But as a viewer we are intrigued to how the artists are going to achieve this.

The music video begins with diegetic sounds of a helicopter which is code for crime and the typical convention of it happening at night and raining as well which adds to the setting. There is a point of view shot which creates a feeling that as a viewer you are somehow there or seeing it through someone else's eyes which makes it more personal to you. Still hearing the sirens, police radio and helicopter sounds we are first shown a shot of a man lying on the floor and a woman sobbing over him, which is realistic but a typical convention of such a dramatic scene. '10:04pm' appears in the bottom right hand corner of the screen which is in the style of a documentary, we find out why this appears as times appear throughout the music video, documenting certain times of what he does throughout his day and builds up to a climax.

Firstly an establishing shot sets the scene at the beginning of where the crime took place. The camera is at ground floor level sow e are looking through peoples legs but it creates a personal effect as we are on the same level as the body. The camera has close ups on the crowds faces to see their reactions of what has happened, their expressions don't look surprised, this suggests that this happens regularly but it they are saddened by it. They look helpless but suggests that this is a fact they have had to come to terms with on the street.

The music then begins and the camera defocuses and rises up, symbolic to the dead man on the floor representing his spirit or a holy-like onlooker.

The next shot is of the man again but at '9:00am' lying on his bed he then looks straight at the camera with an expressionless face as if he is already telling us what is going to happen or just simply that he has woken to another day in his rat race of life. Certain images match the lyrics of the song, 'the red sun' we then see a shot of the sun followed by a series of establishing shots which creates a sense of urbanisation which is where he lives.

We are then shown a scene of him and what we can assume to be his wife eating breakfast which shows their relationship and how normal their life is. there is religious connotation as the painting in the background, adjacent with him at the table is a painting of the last supper. Giving the viewer an indication and foreshadowing future events.

The next shot is of a community centre for addicts to alcohol or drugs, outside there are people leaning against the walls in baggy and dark clothing. Their body language suggests that they are involved in something illegal as they look uneasy and shifty. The close-up on his hands doing the deal progresses the narrative.

The shot of him play fighting with his friend shows his youth and how simple life can be. He walks out of the centre and across the road is a church and stands there facing that as something is compelling him to it. The next shot is of religious iconography but they use a low angle shot as if to represent heaven. The shot fades out slightly as if someone blinks which is different to the rest of the sharp shots in the music video maybe to represent what he see's when he dies or again foreshadowing events. The next scene is of him with his family playing with his son which shows that he is a good guy and changes the perception of what stereotypes the viewer may have had of him.

The next shot is of him standing on the roof looking out on to the city standing in the position of Jesus with his arms out. Maybe to show he wants to be free from the place he is in. We are shown him standing with his friends on the street involved in something and he walks away as he doesn't want to be involved.

The shot then ends in the same place the music video began. The last shot is of his wife dressed in black outside the church presumably for his funeral and she thinks see's him with his hand covering where he was shot symbolic to Jesus being resurrected.

Oasis - Be Here Now

This is Oasis's album 'Be here now' which was released in 1997. The band are not following typical conventions as they have not included the album name on the cover. Instead they have a calender in the image which has their release date on it. They have their iconic band name font in the top right hand corner, this makes it cohesive with their previous album and that style of print is recognisable with the band.

It is set in prestigious settings this is code for the bands success and to show how far they have come, in their first album they are in opposite settings to this. However they have elements of the last album as they are in order of hierarchy in their positioning. Liam the lead vocals is at the front and the only one looking at the camera, therefore he is in the position of leading them. A bit further away one of the band members are holding a key as a guitar as a code that music is a key to their future.

They are dressed in casual clothing and some are wearing sunglasses which is now iconic to the band. What they are wearing is juxtaposition to where the photo is set and symbolises the time period.

The expensive car in the swimming pool is now a typical convention of a boy rock band but at the time they were breaking the ideological and typical styles of album front covers. It also shows that the band can afford to live their lives like this and that they have total dis-regard to wealth and money. A grammar phone and a motorbike also appear in the image, they are there to represent the bands passions. Their influences and history. The TV and globe in the background link back to their old album, the globe to be a code for that they aim to conquer the world and the futuristic tv to show that they are going to be the same and not forget what they used to do and be whatever happens in the future. There is also a clock without out any hands a code for them and their music being timeless and that they have all the time to achieve their goals.

Oasis - Definitely Maybe

The usual conventions appear in this album cover such as the band name, album name and artists. The album cover is of the band in a living room, an ordinary setting therefore breaking the conventions of usual album cover. Oasis are not posing or dressed up specifically for this, they are being their usual selves and showing their audience that they haven't changed even though they are now successful and known. They are presented to be grounded and haven't forgotten their working class roots, Benson Hedges cigarettes show their normality.

Oasis are all together in this image and are therefore shown as a unit. However their positioning is code for the hierarchy of the band. The lead singer is conventionally in the centre and at the front. Liam is lying on the floor which shows he is different, quirky, confident and shows who he is in the sense of his personality. He seems to be a pensive this is juxtaposition between the ideological views that boy bands have. The guitarist is the next important band member and as a viewer we can tell this as he is the next closest to the front. He is the musician of the band as he is holding a guitar and his body language is relaxed therefore his position and settings is not out of the norm. The rest of the band are casually in the background, their positioning is demoting as they are in order of importance.

The juxtaposition with the band are presented to be sophisticated as it seems that they are drinking wine which is unconventional of a rock band unlike their Mancunian working class background. The house is also tidy and they are dressed well, this makes a statement as they are not following typical conventions. The ash tray and cigarettes show their normality and their everyday living. There is a framed picture of Man City football team, this tells us who they support and their passions, it gives the band identity. In the image there is a globe in the top right corner which is code for that they are aiming to be worldwide with their music.

The 'Oasis' font is quite bold and is in the style of a newspaper headline a code for their ambition to make headlines. The bold font makes a statement and is striking. Their album name font looks as if it was handwritten which gives a personal element to the band, it makes them real. Their album cover shows that they are not a typical rock band and are willing and aiming to break conventions and boundaries.

White Stripes - Seven Nation Army

There is no narrative in this music video, instead they have used colours, Red, White and Black so that the audience can associate the band to these colours and therefore make those specific colours synonymous with them. thses colours are code for danger and rebelliousness, compared to it being Pink and Lilac, materialistic and followers. The band have established who they are and the dark colours break typical ideological boundaries. In their video the band are playing/performing in it, maybe to be asscoiated with musicanship capability to play instruments. They are breaking the usual conventions for a band as they do not perform together in the video, they are however shown as individuals but bringing their own element and indiduality to create their band.

The music video is made up of short edits and a series of close-ups all in sync with the rythm of the song. The shots are constantly moving which along with the flashing lights creates a hypnotising effect. The edits speed up for the chorus along with the lights when there is drumming, fading in and out, this was done purposley to create an impact on the audience.

Michel Gondry a famous director for music videos with an artist; Bjork and now films, directed this music video and made the bands style unique and iconic. The video focuses on the music and doesn't distract from that as the rythmic editing helps the audience listen to the beat and the lyrics.

Music Video Analysis

Conventions of typical music video

Usual conventions of music videos are that they are usually based around a narrative, therefore something that relates to the lyrics of the song. Many use imagery to generate the image and identity of the artist/band, their costumes and graphics become synonymous with them, these codes are all employed to perpetuate the artist/bands image. Costume, lighting, editing, mise-en-scene and setting all help to create this image of the artist.

Music videos usually contain fast editing which is made up of short shots playing in quick recession which are mostly used in sync with the music. The typical camera angle in a music video is a low angle shot and close-ups on the artists face which is there to clearly show the viewer who they are and connect with them, to make the video seem more real and personal.