A Slight Setback

Yesterday we got an email from 'Howl' saying that, after 7 years, the band had split up. This caused a 'little bit' of panic amongst our group as we had to re-evaluate our entire project.

We decided that we still wanted to work with a band so put some 'emergency actions' in place - we emailed back 'Howl' to find out if they split on bad terms to see whether they would still be able to work with us. However, we knew that this wasn't preferable because the members have each gone their separate ways so it would be logistically more difficult. We explored using a new band one of the members have joined but each have them have gone into jazz or 'afro-beat', neither of which we could make a music video for.

Whilst we were waiting for a response from them, one of our group members, Ed, who attends a performing arts club, put a post on his social media page 'Snapchat' asking if anyone could recommend a local band to us.

Whilst Ed did this, I spoke to one of my friends to get in contact with one of her old friends who is in a band and she spoke to him to find out whether he would be available to work with us.

Our other group member, Rob, also phoned one of his friends who writes original music to see whether he would be available as well.

Almost immediately Ed's Snapchat appeal got loads of responses recommending bands we could use. We researched these bands and found a small indie rock one called 'Tranqua Lite' based in Leeds who are releasing their debut single on iTunes this October. We thought this sounded perfect as they'd never had a music video made and are doing local 'gigs' through November which we could possibly attend and collect footage at which could be used in the music video to meet genre conventions effectively. It would also mean that our previous research would still be relevant to the band. Me and Ed sat down and constructed an email in which we outlined our suggestion and what would be involved.

Around this time we heard back from 'Howl' saying they split on good terms and might be alright to work with us.

Rob's friend said he would be interested in writing a song for us to make a video for.

My contact through my friend Lucy also showed interest and willing in the suggestion of a music video.

Later that night we heard back from 'Tranqua Lite' saying that they too are excited by our suggestion and thought our proposed music video would help promote their first single.

Then we had to make a decision. After serious consideration we decided that 'Tranqua Lite' would be our best option because they are a new band who are releasing their first song on iTunes during our coursework timeline making them the perfect group to promote online through social media. The problem with 'Howl' was that they were no longer a band, therefore we would be promoting a band that no longer exists as well as it being more logistically difficult. The other two options weren't as professional as 'Tranqua Lite' because they didn't have official songs on iTunes.

Once this decision was made I emailed them back saying we would be really excited to work with them and Rob added Toby Womack on Facebook as they said this was a good way to contact them in their email.

Toby got back to Rob almost instantly saying that they were really enthusiastic about working with us and asking what we were thinking. We said we were looking at influences from 'Kasabian' to which he responded that he loved that band would be really interested in looking at our ideas. We asked if he would be able to send us the lyrics and he responded by saying he would be able to send us an old demo of the song which is amazing because it means we can get a feel for the tone of their music because they haven't got anything on youtube. He also said their song was about British homelessness and would be interested in a narrative to give a meaning to the song which he described as bleak but hopeful. This is perfect because we wanted to do a narrative to add interest to our music video as well as performance aspects and this song clearly screams out for a story.

So, disaster averted. We are very relieved and excited about our new band and are currently waiting on this demo so we can get a feel for the song and start planning. He also said he would really like to meet up to come up with ideas with us which is positive and shows they are enthusiastic about the project.

Audience Research - Foals

Foals are an indie rock band formed in Oxford in 2005. They are signed to Warner Bros. Records and released their debut album, 'Antidote', in 2008. They have since released three more albums and have won awards such as the 'Best Live Act' at the 2013 Q Awards.

Their average audience is 18-24 year old females of social grade C2DE in London. This is interesting because, when I looked deeper, the split between men and women in the general population was almost a dead 50/50 split with their women making up 50.7% of their fan base and men making the other 49.3. These are the same statistics I found for 'Pulp' and is too close to really suggest a specific gender preference so perhaps this genre is actually just quite gender neutral, suggesting our video should be too.

This is a really odd music video their's where they've used some kind of GoPro 360 degree camera to create a really interesting image that they've then superimposed the artist onto. This means they can control the environment by adding in scenery and animals as well as multiple versions of the same artist. I really like the effect this has, although I feel It's not varied enough. The problem with sole performance videos is that they get boring if it's not intercut with some other action, therefore I feel that we definitely need to add either some concept pieces or a narrative to add some interest to the video. I also like the black and white effect of this video however, I don't feel like that's suited to 'Howl's' image which appears to be more colourful and slightly influenced by the 70's as far as colouring and styles go. The music is similar to 'Foals' but their image is slightly different and I think this should be embraced and emphasised to set them apart rather than just trying to copy another band's style. 

Audience Research - Pulp

Pulp

As our band is relatively new, it would be beneficial to look at similar, more established bands to understand the target audience they are trying to attract. Therefore we have done some research to find similar groups whose audiences we could study. Pulp formed in 1978 in Sheffield and work in the 'indie rock' genre of music, making it a good band to compare to 'Howl'.

Their general audience are 40-54 year old males of social grade ABC1. However, the male/female split is very fine with their audience being made up of 50.7% men and 49.3% women. This means the gender of the audience can't really be specified.

The age of the audience surprised me as I thought 'Howl's' target audience would be much younger as I usually associate 'indie rock' with young people. However, as this is a 70's band so their fans would have been teenagers when the band formed and have stuck with them through to modern day, causing a general audience age now of 40-54 year olds. This means Howl's target audience are likely to be teenagers. This links to the decision to have their music feature on the Fifa 17 soundtrack which was a designed to appeal to teens.
Their audience age could also be explained by how the indie rock genre was popular in the 80's and has become more popular again now, causing a reflux in the genre. Therefore, a lot of bands with a similar style to howl were formed in the late 70's, 80's and 90's. Due to the age of the audience, their general hobbies include quizzes, scrabble and sudoko showing a general tendency towards problem solving, suggesting that an interesting, more intellectually engaging music video would be more appealing to this particular group of people. They are also football fans and enjoy 'fantasy football' showing that they are inclined towards sport, a theme which could also be incorporated into the music video.

This is a really interesting video of theirs that kind of breaks genre conventions by using a more 'arty' style rather than just performing the song in a live setting. The rotating camera is really memorable and eye catching, making the video stand out rather than just blending into all the other indie rock music videos that exist. It also manages to incorporate a bit of a narrative too, whilst having the lead singer lip synching sections of the song therefore also complying with the genre conventions to a certain extent. I think we should look at this as an influence, perhaps not taking solid ideas from the video as I don't believe it's right for our band, but definitely looking at themes and techniques - artistic elements and the combination of narrative and performance - when coming up with our own ideas.

Music Video Inspiration - Director

The music video director I would like to take some inspiration from is Samuel Bayer. As the music we're looking at working with is 'indie rock', we've decided to look at a director who creates videos in similar genres. I heard of him through the Nirvana 'Smells Like Teen Spirit' video as I was looking for music similar to that of Howl. We decided to research him to see if he'd done more music videos in that genre and found that he'd done loads of work with artists such as 'Green Day', 'Maroon 5', 'Iron Maiden' and 'The Rolling Stones'. He appears to stick within the rock genre, working with darker tones which match the music (Andrew Goodwin's music video conventions) however, he has ventured out of this genre with artists such as Robbie Williams and Justin Timberlake as he made a name for himself in the industry and became more in demand.

Here are a few of his videos that I like:

Green Day - American Idiot

This is a really good video to take inspiration from as it incorporates lots of performance elements which are important to the rock genre and especially to a new band. However, it is also very visually interesting as he clearly used a green tint on the video to link to the name of the band - 'Green Day' and they had managed to have some members of the band performing normally whilst other members were sped up or slowed down which was very effective. They also had a torrent of green water wash over them at the end which is very similar to the 'Foo Fighters' music video 'The Pretender' where they were covered in a red liquid.  This was very effective in it's simplicity and would be good at introducing the band. 

Rolling Stones - Saint of Me

This is a bit of a strange music video that goes off down various different tangents, staying rooted to the lyrics through the constant reoccurrence of the 'angel', linking to Andrew Goodwin's suggestion that there is a link between the visuals and the lyrics of a music video. Bayer also uses special effects to make the characters appear to float, linking to the - admittedly higher budget - effects he used in the 'Payphone' video. There is also a clear level of star status here with the lead singer staring in the whole video often with close-ups and with him performing to camera. 

Green Day - Boulevard of Broken Dreams 

I really like the effect Bayer has used in this video, making it look like it was done on damaged roles of film. I gives an edgy effect which adds to the more 'rough' feel of indie rock and definitely fits the tone of the music. This is also not a narrative video but focuses on the artists (star status) and incorporates lots of elements of performance keeping with the genre conventions.

He has also done videos in the pop genre, working with successful group 'Maroon 5' on their songs 'Payphone' and 'Animals'.

In these videos he clearly uses narratives to give a story to the song, I really like narrative music videos however they are less common in the rock genre which tends to favour performance based visuals however, there are a few such as 'Panic at the Disco's' song 'Don't Threaten me with a Good Time which has a very 'memorable' storyline.
Despite these two songs being in the pop genre, the narratives still have dark themes running through them that are more conventional to rock, especially 'Animals'. This shows that he sometimes likes to take music videos in a different direction and break the conventions of what you'd normally expect, particularly in payphone which turns into a full on short action film. The lead singer clearly has a lot of star status as he appears in every music video for the band.
Something else which is made very clear through watching these video is that he likes making the most of his budget, whether that be blowing up police cars or drenching his artists with coloured liquid at the end of his videos. This means they are always pretty spectacular to look at.

Bayer appears to stay away from concept videos, instead taking the lyrics of the song into consideration and including the artists in the video, whether that be performance or acting in the narrative. He appears to favour dark themes for his videos, whether that be reflected in the narrative or just in the general tone; this is also suggested by his only credit as a film director - 2010's remake of 'Nightmare on Elm Street' 

Progress and Feedback

The feedback I've received  has been really positive and I'm very happy! For this year my target grade is an A* and, so far, I'm on track which is encouraging. In order to reach this grade at the end of the year I need to keep up the level of work I'm currently doing and make sure I consistently meet deadlines to stay on top of the workload. I will continue to work hard for the rest of the year to give myself the best chance possible to reach my target grade.

My Proposed Project Band

For my main project I am working in a group to create a music video for a band based in Leeds called Howl, formed in late 2009. They're an independent band previously signed with Columbia but who are currently undergoing a change of record label and are therefore in a 'lull' where they're focussing on writing new songs in preparation for their new deal. The group also chose to rename itself in it's record label change from Ngod to Howl.

They're made up of singer/guitarist Sam Augustine, pianist Billy Fielding, drummer Alex Dutton-Taylor, bass guitarist Lewis Dutton-Taylor and guitarist Joe Barnes and perform within the art-rock genre. They have stated that they really like poetry and that their lyrics are written as if they were, in fact, writing a poem but combined with more relevant, everyday language to create their own individual sound.

Having met at university, the band have had great success, releasing their debut single 'Blue' in 2016 drawing the attention of radio DJ's Huw Stephens from BBC Radio 1 as well as Radio 6's Steve Lamacq and Radio X's John Kennedy. This single was picked to feature on the soundtrack on EA's major video game FIFA 17 alongside bands 'Empire of the Sun' and 'Two Door Cinema Club' raising hype around the group.

In the summer of 2016 they performed a national tour, including venues in Leeds, Glasgow and Brighton and Norwich.  They also performed sets at a number of festivals including 'Y Not', 'Standon Calling', 'Underground Festival' and 'Festival No.6'.

This year they embarked as a supporting act on the 'Kaiser Chiefs' 2017 UK arena tour creating further publicity for the band and helping them get into the public eye.

The band have songs on iTunes as well as many 'in the archives' waiting to be released and have released some official music videos including one for their song 'Blue'.

This follows the usual genre conventions of rock music, staying simple and having the band appearing to perform sections of the song, with the lead singer lip synching, especially at the start, in time with the music to give the appearance of a live performance. However, they almost always appear in the video separately giving the audiences a chance to get to know each of the performer's as they're a new band who need to connect with their audience. It has real echoes of The Killers 'Mr Brightside' music video with the yellow toned lighting and use of shadows on the wall, showing how they've taken inspiration from a successful band in their genre. One of the band members was also sporting a Bradford City football scarf showing how they're proud of their background and are appealing to local fans. It is clearly a low budget music video with very simple locations and the use of short shots, frequent cuts and strobe lighting to match the pacing of the song. Very little actually goes on in the video but it appears to be made up of only two different camera angles which they've cut between to make the video more interesting. It relies heavily on it's editing and it's clear they've gone for an edgy style, at moments making it look like the video's skipping by repeating the same few frames several times in a row giving it an unfinished, rugged finish.

They have another video for their song 'Lost' which looks like it's got a bigger budget behind it, making use of a green screen and mirroring effect to create a more visually interesting video.

They appear to have filmed each of their sections separately with certain artists lip synching the song. From this footage they cut between each of the band members through the song, again giving the audience a chance to get to know each of them and forge a connection with their audience. At the end of the video they appear to overlay these separate sections, with the band members coming in from different parts of the screen to create more of a feeling of unity. They have also edited the video so it appears jerky and almost animated, making their movements look faster than normal. A similar effect is seen in their music video 'Blue' so a sense of continuity is created between the videos, making them more distinctive and recognisable as well as carrying on the rugged, edgy effect that it gives. They have chosen to put certain words up on the screen to emphasise particular lyrics in the song, an effect used by many mainstream pop artists such as Justin Bieber in his 'Where are you Now' music video. In both videos the artists are wearing casual clothes - jeans and t-shirts - which is very in keeping with the rock genre and supports their rugged, 'laid back' image. 

They also have a single available on vinyl.

Overall this band has been very successful as an independent group and has managed to achieve some great levels of publicity through it's feature on the Fifa soundtrack and tour with the 'Kaiser Chiefs' as well as attracting professional attention from BBC radio DJ's. They are a well established, talented band who it will be very exciting to make a music video for. 

Music Video Conventions - Andrew Goodwin

Andrew Goodwin wrote a book in 1992 called 'Dancing in the Distraction Factory' which explored the codes and conventions of the increasingly popular idea of the music video.
He states that a music video is made through a link between the visuals of the video, the song and the artist performing it.

Goodwin states 7 key points about his theory:

-Every music video follows codes and conventions which align with those in the music, e.g. a rock music video follows rock music conventions. These can be matching fashion (ripped jeans, dark colours etc) dancing (head banging) performance (live and not making eye contact with the camera) lighting (dark and dingy) and mise en scene (dirty and edgy).

This is shown in Bon Jovi's music video for "Livin' on a Prayer" as in rock, a common convention of music videos is to show the band playing the music to create the feeling that you're watching them live. This is clearly done in this music video where we see them rehearsing before the performance starts in black and white before moving into colour when the audience comes in, showing that they're complying with the conventions of the rock music video genre.

-Usually there's a relationship between the visuals and the lyrics which means that the lyrics of the song are represented with images in the video. However, these images can either illustrate the lyrics, amplify them, or contract them entirely to deliver a different message to audiences.

This is evident in Taylor Swift's "Blank Space" music video where she describes a love story which plays out for us visually onscreen. The lyrics describe an 'insane' girlfriend and this idea is amplified in the video where the artist is shown doing borderline psychotic acts after breaking up with her boyfriend such as destroying his clothes, slashing paintings of him and smashing up his car.

-There is a relationship between the visuals and the music which means the tone of the music is matched and reflected through the tone and atmosphere of the music video.

This is shown in Adele's music video for 'Hello' where the tone of the music is sad and gloomy which is reflected in the black and white colouring of the video as well as the mise en scene which includes dust and clutter which reflects the desperation she feels in the song to regain something old which she lost. There are also clear atmospheric devices used such as the shots done in the pouring rain which instantly connotes sadness.

-The demands of the record label will be clear in the music video as they have an element of control over the artist they sign which means they decide how the artist will be represented. The record label see the artist as a product which needs to be promoted so they need to create an image for them which they can sell to a target audience so this will effect how they're presented in the video. These demands may include things such as having frequent close-ups of the artist in the video and creating recognisable artist motifs which recur through all their future videos. Record labels like to use close-ups because they show emotions and help to create the feeling of a close, personal relationship between the artist and the audience, therefore helping to effectively sell the artist and make more money. This is especially evident with new artists where they are always in the music videos so fans can see them and begin to connect with them.

This is clear in One Direction's first original music video "What Makes You Beautiful" where each one of them has close-ups to camera to be 'introduced' and a clear image is being formed of the band - fun and youthful to appeal to their target audience which were mainly younger girls. Even the content of this music video is designed to fuel this representation of the band as they go on a trip to the beach and seem to just be messing about with each other in a 'youthful way'.

-Artist iconography ensures that an artist always looks the same throughout their videos, creating a unique, recognisable image that remains current and helps build the artist's star factor. The star factor image will increase the more popular the artist becomes, becoming itself a part in the production of the music videos and artist performances. Ultimately, this raises the artist almost above human status by making them an icon that can be looked up to and admired by fans.

Madonna became an icon in the eighties for challenging conventions regarding sexuality, gender and religion and being the queen of reinvention. In her 'Vogue' music video she adapts different personas ranging from conservative to very erotic, embodying her iconic reputation for changing the rules of the business.

-The notion of looking is whether the artist looks directly at the camera of off to the side, avoiding eye contact with the audience. When the artist looks at the camera it is like they are talking directly to you, therefore making the video feel more personal. However, this also creates voyeurism because the direct eye contact creates an intimacy with the audience. Goodwin also states that females will often be objectified in music videos through a combination of camera angles and editing which focuses on fragmented body shots which emphasises the sexuality of the artist. This increases the video's attractiveness, especially to men, which makes it successful in helping to sell the artist's music.
Generally, the music video has to look interesting and entertaining to grab an audience's attention as it is essentially a marketing device designed to increase sales of the song. People will often even see the music video without the actual song such as in restaurants where music videos play or over someone's shoulder. The video should intrigue that member of the public and make them want to watch the video themselves and, consequently, buy the song, generating an even larger profit for the record label.

An example of this is in Tom Odell's music video for 'Another Love' in which he makes direct eye contact with the camera for the entirety of the music video which looks like one shot. This draws the audience in and make us feel like we're living the story with him, therefore bringing us into the song on a more personal level and consequently promoting the artist.

 

-Intertextuality is when other forms of media (such as films, TV shows, animation and other music) are referenced within an artist's music video. This keeps videos relevant and helps it appeal to the target audience. It is also used in humorous music videos possibly to mock elements of society and it's references are often used to communicate ideas about a particular subject to the audience.

This is displayed in the 'You Know Me' video by Robbie Williams in which he dresses up like the white rabbit and adventures around Wonderland, taken from Lewis Carroll's famous children's story 'Alice in Wonderland' which was made into a live action film by Tim Burton in 2010.