Within my group there are four members which are Devon Thomas, Shaun Mcfarlane, Lucy Nottage and myself. At our first meeting, we discussed what song we would want to use to create our music video. Ideas that we came up with were songs such as: Make you feel my love, We found love and Nina. We also discussed what artists we may be inspired from such as: Ed Sheeran, Rihanna, Amy Winehouse and Paloma Faith. Overall we decided to focus on the song Only love can hurt like this - Paloma Faith. We decided on this song as a group as we all like the song and feel we could create a good music video to go with the song and analyse the soul genre well. We then analysed and annotated the lyrics.
We then discussed the miss en scene, artist representation, cinematography, style of music video, editing, code and conventions, target audience, music video theory, research/inspirations and annotation of lyrics. We discussed these in relevance to the music video we are planning on creating, this will therefore help us when we come to create it as we can look back on our notes and see what we wanted to include.
From my individual analysis of the soul genre, i found many different conventions that my artist uses within her music videos which i can use when making my own music video. The conventions that i found include: close ups of the artists face to show their facial expression, vintage clothing where the artist portrays their unique style. I have then gathered ideas from the conventions i have found such as the artist wearing unique clothing to show her individual style, and close up shots of the artist whilst we are filming, this will therefore portray these two main conventions of the soul music. The main ideas of the music video is a narrative of the artist getting ready to go out whilst becoming emotional about her past relationships, flashbacks will go back to clips of the artist being happy in her relationship and showing her looking at these images in the bath. In the end the artist will be seen to burn the image of her and her ex boyfriend and moving on. This is the main outline of the music video, we came together as a group and put all of our ideas together to come up with this narrative.
Music video 1-Arctic Monkeys - Why'd You Only Call Me When You're High?
The music video 'Why'd You Only Call Me When You're High?' has contributed to my inspiration for my own production of my music video. This music video has inspired me to create a music video for myself as the artist has been represented as a cool, indie and laid back. The micro elements used within the video such as camera shots have also inspired me to create a music video as the close up shots of the artist allow the audience to gain an insight into how the artist is feeling within the video and allows the audience to feel more involved. Other elements such as mise en scene have also given me inspiration as the outfits and setting seen in the video such as leather jackets and various pubs are considered 'cool'. This shows that you can represent your artist in any way you want within a music video - it all depends on what they are wearing and how they present themselves. The indie/boyband genre of this song has given me inspiration as the artists are presented in the video to be very chilled and laid back, this makes them seem very cool and an artist that you would want to listen to, therefore i want to create a music video which gives off similar vibes from the artist which would make the consumer want to keep listening to the artist.
Music video 2- Pusha T - King Push The micro elements that are in this music video helped inspire me to create my own music video as the lighting within the video is very dark but includes some colourful lights at certain points. I think this has an interesting effect on the audience as you can include lights to portray different emotions. Another micro element that is inspirational in this video is the editing. There are both slow paced and fast paced editing, the fast paced editing is used throughout the chorus to show the fast pace lifestyle that the artist is trying to show in the video. The artist is represented in a very powerful way in this video as he is seen in the video on his own the whole time and the main focus is always on him. This shows that he is the most important person in the video, this has inspired me in creating my music video as it brings all the focus to the artist.
Music Video 3- Brand New Guy - A$AP Rocky Ft. ScHoolBoy Q
This song is part of the rap genre, and the music video displays common element to portray this, such as the artist representation. Both artists: A$AP ROCKY and ScHoolBoy Q are two highly recognised artists in the rap industry and they're both being publicised as drug users and that they demoralize women. This inspired to create my own music video as you can represent your artist to have certain morals within a music video to the audience. Also the mise en scene (setting) of the music video inspired me. The setting changes from being in a skate park to be walking around the streets. This inspired me as the setting changes and keeps the audience involved with what's happening.
Sam Smith - Not The Only One
Watching this music video gave me inspiration for my own production of my music video as the micro elements such as mise en scene inspired me to include similar ideas. The mise en scene within this video which inspired me was the costumes, the girl in the music video is seen wearing a vintage looking dress with her hair done up and her make-up done subtly. This inspired me when creating my own music video as when the girl in the music video becomes upset her makeup runs and therefore emphasises her emotions and allows the audience to connect with her more as they can identify her emotions through her makeup. I wanted to include this idea in my music video as it shows to the audience the characters emotions through her makeup. The style of this music video is narrative, this is shown as there is a clear storyline of a married couple where the husband cheats and the wife finds out. This storyline inspired me when creating my own music video as the storyline of the video engages the audience and allows them to create an emotional attachment with the characters. I therefore wanted to include this sort of attachment in my music video as it would allow audiences to engage in whats happening and allow them to relate to the video more. The artist representation in this music video is that the girl is percieved as weak and vulnerable as she has had her heart broken. The man in the video is percieved as being strong and heartless as he is seen to be cheating on his wife. The woman is shown to be emotional as she is seen to be crying in the music video, this is a conventional portrayal of genders within a music video as the woman is seen to be weak and the man is seen to be strong and less emotional. I want to include this representation of the artist in my music video as it appeals to a wide audience as both genders would be able to relate to what's happening in the video. The music video genre is soul music which inspired me when creating my own music video as the song i am using is in the same genre, which ment that i would be able to learn a lot from analysing the music video and be able to inspire me a lot.
Ed Sheeran - Give Me LoveThe mise en scene of this music video has inspired me when creating my own music, especially the setting and iconography. The setting within this music video is based on the streets of London and in the girls flat. This inspired me when creating my own music video as the setting is very relateable to different audiences, therefore i want to include this setting in my own music video to make it relateable. The music video style is narrative as the girl goes round London shooting people with an arrow to make them fall in love, i want to include a narrative in my own music video as i think it makes the video much more interesting and appealing to an audience to watch. The artist isn't featured in the music video much, he is only seen in a coffee shop by himself but by this the representation you get is that he is very humble and relateable as he is in an everyday setting meaning that different audiences would be able to relate to him. The music video genre of this song is singer/songwriter this inspired me when creating my own music video as the genre makes the video much more personal to the artist as they have created their music by themselves.
For my own production i am considering either using Paloma Faith, Ed Sheeran or Nina Nesbit. I am deciding between the three artists, they all belong to either soul/singer/songwriter/indie genres meaning i will be able to use my findings from the above music videos when creating my own. I will share this with my group and explain to them the findings that i have got and explain to them my ideas so that we can all come together and put our ideas together to make our music video successful.
Artists may decide to reinvent themselves for numerous reasons, such as:
- to gain a different target audience
- awareness/publicity
- tired of their old image
- change their genre of music
- increase revenue
- improve their fan base
- previous bad press
- keep up with new era
Goodwin's theory is present within the videos for example the fact that they all include close ups of the artist. These are seen throughout all three videos when Britney is doing numerous things such as singing and dancing. The purpose of including close up shots within these videos reminds the audience of the artist therefore making them remember the video more and be interested as they will be watching the artist. Another element of Goodwin's theory which is present within the videos is the relationship between lyrics and visuals. This element is shown throughout all three of the music videos as Britney is seen to be singing along to the lyrics, this is used so that the audience can feel more involved with whats happening because it makes it look like the artist is singing to the audience therefore engaging them more. Another point of Goodwin's theory that is included is the aesthetically pleasing frequent portrayal of the female body. This is shown within the first video by the artist wearing small, skimpy outfits and shown within the two other videos by the artist wearing sexual outfits and dancing in a provocative way. This is used so that audiences will feel attracted to the artist and therefore want to keep watching the video.
The genre of the Britney Spears music videos are mostly pop/dance, but throughout her career her music videos have changed as she has become more grown up and steered away from her 'american dream' image. In the first music video Britney's song is very pop as there are dance routines with back up dancers which is very conventional to the pop genre. In the other two videos Britney is still portraying the pop genre through dance routines but shows aspects of RnB and hip hop as the videos are in club settings and seem to be a lot more provocative than her first video which is pop. Therefore this shows the change that the artist is undergoing to steer away from her young look and come across more grown up, this is seen as the settings have changed from being in a school to being in a club to being at a house party.
Within the video the artist is portrayed to be very sexual and over the top in the second two videos and a bit rebellious in the first video as she is seen to be day dreaming in school and cutting class. Dyer's theory is evident within the video as the star is seen to be simultaneously ordinary and extraordinary to the consumer. This is shown through the videos as the artist is seen in ordinary places such as school, clubs and parties. Therefore the audience can relate to what the artist is doing in the video and feel more involved in what is happening, but at the same time the artist is portrayed as extraordinary as breaking out in a dance number in the corridors in school and in the club toilets.. this makes the audience constantly look up to the artist as they are in the same environments as the artist but sill portray star quality's that consumers don't have.
Britney Spear's target audience in her video 'Baby one more time' are young girls and teenagers as in her video she is seen to be looking innocent as she is in a school setting. Her costume is a school uniform and she is wearing subtle makeup, this would appeal to her target audience as they would be able to relate to her at this time as most of the target audience would still be in school. In the music video 'piece of me' her target audience changes to 17-30 year olds as she is seen to be very provocative in the video and talks about her life problems. This would change her target audience as young girls wouldn't look up to her if she is dressed inappropriately and as she talks about her life problems with the media and how she deals with her issues, therefore meaning her target audience would be of the same age reign and would find it more appropriate to watch. furthermore, her music video 'if u seek amy' has a similar target audience to 'piece of me' as Britney is talking about controversial sexual topics as the song title has a hidden meaning of a swear word. The target audience for this video would be 20-35 year olds as the video is very sexual and includes aspects which some parents may find offensive if their children are watching.
The messages and values that are portrayed in Britney's first video is that you should stay in school, this is shown as even though Britney is famous and a star she is still promoting school and education as her video is based around being in a school. The values that Britney has in the first video dramatically as in her first video she is seen to be very respectful and presented herself in a representable way with minimal make-up and appropriate outfits where as in her second and third video she is seen to be wearing heavy makeup and provocative outfits and looks a lot less clean cut. This means that the values that she is promoting in the two last videos are morals such as drinking, having sex and going to clubs and these are the ideas shown within the videos. The reason that Britney's values have changed throughout the years is that she has grown up a lot and had major dramatic career interferences which have boosted her career but have also led her away from the 'younger' 'innocent' image of her.
Copyright gives the creators of some types of media rights to control how they're used and distributed. Music, books, video andsoftwarecan all be covered by copyright law. It is used within the music industry as it allows record labels to protect their artists work incase of fraud, it also means that the artist can claim their work as their own and take all credit if the song is used by other artists, for example if there is a remix of the song.
We had to apply for copyright to use the song we wanted to include the artists song, for this we had to email the record label so we could get their permission to use their work. If we did not ask for permission we could not plan, publish and distribute our work publically and could risk 'infringement' which is something we are trying to avoid if we want to publish our work with the artists song included. If we did not ask for permission we could risk our work being taken down from YouTube and legal action taken against us. Therefore, we emailed the record label that Paloma Faith belongs to so that if they say yes, we could use the song.
We never received a response from our record label as we understand that record labels are very busy and don't always have the time to reply to all emails that they receive. My group and i are still going to continue to plan and filming our Paloma Faith music video.
Music videos appeal to their target audience by portraying the genre of the music within the video to appeal to their audience. This is done by the micro elements within the video which are editing, sound, mise-en-scene, and cinematography. An example of this would be within the rap genre where fast pace editing would be used when the artist is rapping, this would portray their fast pace life and their eccentric drug lifestyle. The mise-en-scene of a rap video would include costumes that show the rap genre by wearing baggy clothing, gold chains, trainers and snap back hats because these items of clothing are often associated with rap artists and gives a stereotypical portrayal of the artist. The cinematography that would be used in a rap video would mainly be close up shots of the artist whilst performing, this would be whilst the artist is rapping, this would be to portray the artist as a role model to the audience and therefore appeal to them as fans of the artist.
Drake - Over (rap) The camera shots used in Drake's video 'Over' includes close ups of Drakes face when he is singing towards the camera. This demonstrates the emotions that Drake is singing about as the audience can see his facial expressions and his emotions and feelings. This is conventional to the rap genre as you can tell that he is relating to himself and his past experiences. This therefore portrays the genre of rap as it is conventional to include aspects of your life and the problems you had in your past in your lyrics to make the song emotional. Another camera shot that is included in the music video is a high angle. This can be seen when Drake is sitting on his bed. This demonstrates his anger and pain towards the female in the video as it shows him looking small, portraying his feelings about the girl.
The use of editing in this music video is also present as the infrared/colour tints and background settings for example the clouds and city settings. The use of these different colours portray Drake's different emotions, for example the use of the colour tints and when red is shown is shows that Drake is portraying the emotion of anger. This is conventional to the rap genre as the artist is showing their emotions through the visuals and music, therefore making the audience relate to what he is saying more. Another use of editing is when there are effects and fast paced editing and fast timing of shots. This is evident during the chorus when Drake is talking about his past experiences, this also makes what he is saying relateable to the 13-30 year old target audience as they can relate what he is saying to their own past experiences.
The mise en scene used within Drakes video is also present as the setting and iconography is clearly shown as most of the video is filmed with Drake sitting in his bedroom at the end of the bed singing. The use of this bed shows how distraught he is about the breakup of the relationship as bedrooms are assosiated with love therefore it shows him reminicing on his old relaionship as he is filmed being alone. Also as drake is being filmed alone on the bed it allows him to become emotional and come to grips with his feelings and understand that the relationship is 'over'.
Another point for the mise en scene of the video is that within the video Drake's body language changes throughout. As, when he is sitting on the bed he looks sad and emotional aswell as when there are close up shots of him. But when he is singing the chorus of the song in the street area he looks more alive and full of energy as he is dancing. His facial expressions throughout the video help the audience to understand how he is feeling. This is conventional to the rap genre as it shows he is relating his life to past experiences and putting emotion into what he is saying.
Hair, makeup and costume is limited in Drake's video as he is male, but you can comment on his choice of costume. At the beginning of the video when he is wearing a white tracksuit sitting on his bed, this shows that he is laid back and relaxed showing that he is comfortable in his enviornment. This is therefore conventional to the rap genre as he is laid back and casual about things, but throughout the video when the setting changes to the streets he is wearing a black jacket and jeans with trainers a typical outfit for a rap artist. The outfit change also makes the artist more relateable to the audience as they have someone to relate to when he is in a tracksuit and someone to look up to when Drake is dressed up.
The positioning of Drake within the video changes as at the beginning he is placed dead center sitting on the bed, this shows that he is the most important character as he is the only person the audience can see. Through the video his positioning changes to the left when he is on the street setting, this shows that he wants the audience to see the background and setting making it significant. This is conventional to the rap genre as the main attention is on the artist and what they are thinking and feeling.
The lighting within the video includes flashing bright colourful lights, this is when Drake is singing the chorus therefore making it seem more energetic to the audience. This is conventional to the rap genre as it shows that it is full of emotion as the colours symbolise Drakes emotions.
Flo Rida - club can't handle me (dance)
In the music video 'club can't handle me' the cinematography used varies, as there is a high angle shot used which shows everyone in the club as well. This shows to the audience the whole club setting and the characters in the video. It also portrays everyone else as less important as the angle makes everyone else look less important and less significant. This is conventional to the dance as the artist is shown to be the most important character compared to everyone else. Another point on cinematography is that there are close up shots of the artist. This is shown at the beginning of the video when he is wearing sunglasses, a gold chain and leather jacket with people dancing in the club setting background. This is conventional to the dance genre as people are dancing in the background showing that they are having a good time, this allows the audience to look up to Flo Rida as they want the lifestyle that he is portraying.
The editing used within the video is faced pace editing, this is shown throughout the video during the club settings. This shows the fast paced lifestyle that Flo Rida is portraying to the audience as it makes the people in the video appear busy all the time. This is conventional to the dance genre as dance music is fast paced and it makes the audience want to living the same lifestyle as the artist. Another editing technique used in this music video is there are a lot of jump cuts. This is used throughout the video to jump from different locations and to jump from the two different artists in the video. This allows the audience to have a full view of what is going on in the video as they can see all of the people in the video and allows them to see all of the locations. This is conventional to the dance genre as again, it shows the busy fast paced lifestyle as a lot is going on in one video.
The hair and makeup within this music video is limited because the artist is male, but he is wearing the same outfit for the video. He is seen wearing a red leather jacket, gold chain and sunglasses. This shows that he is wealthy and successful from his career. This would make the audience admire the artist and aspire to be like him as they want to be as successful as him. This is therefore stereotypical of the dance genre as it shows the artist to be successful and in a dance environment enjoying himself all the time.
The positioning of Flo Rida in the music video is the same throughout, whenever he is present in the video he is always positioned in the middle of the screen. This is shown at the beginning when he is in the club with loads of people around him and again when he is sitting down in a big group. This shows that he is the most important person in the video and that the whole video revolves around what he is doing. This also makes him the key eye contact point for the audience and therefore makes the audience watch what he is doing the whole time. This is conventional to the dance genre as the artist is the most important character in the video and Flo Rida being dead centre the whole time allows him to be this character.
The lighting within the video is classical club lighting when they are in the club with quite dark lighting with flashing strobe lights everywhere. This is shown when they are in the club but when they are in the other settings the lighting is quite bright, normal lighting. This lets the audience identify that they are in a club as they would identify a club with lighting like that. This is conventional to the dance genre as it signify's that they are in a club dancing, having a good time and this is what the audience want to be like.
The setting and iconography within the music video help identify the music genre, as at the beginning there are two sports cars parked outside the club and later on in the video there are a number of champagne bottles being brought to them in the club with sparklers coming out of them. Both of these help identify the genre as it shows that the artist is successful in his industry and the bottles of alcohol signify that they are having a good time in the club.
The facial expressions and body language within the video show that the artist and people around him are all having a good time. This is shown as the artist is seen dancing and using body language to express that he is having a good time in the club. This is conventional to the dance genre as they are seen to be dancing and enjoying themselves and making the audience wish they was there.
Ed sheeran - Drunk (acoustic/alternative)
The cinematography used within the music video helps to identify the music genre as there is common use of close ups of the artist. These are evident throughout the video and when Ed is talking to his cat. This allows the audience to notice the artist and identify that he is the main person in the video. This is conventional to the acoustic/alternative genre as their music is mainly about their past experiences and life problems and including close ups of the artist allows the audience to understand this. This also allows the audience to relate to what he is saying in the music video as you can clearly see his facial expressions and moods. Another point on the cinematography in the video is there are a lot of mid shots of the artist sitting on the sofa and in the pub. This shows the artist and some of the background, this is conventional as it shows that the artist is laid back and goes with the style of music, it also allows the audience to see the background and setting therefore making the video more relateable to them as they feel asif they are more involved.
The editing used within the video also portrays the genre of acoustic/alternative as there is a lot of slow paced editing. This is used through the video and only fast paced editing at the end when there is a party. This shows that artist is laid back and relaxed as everything is moving slowly, this is conventional to the acoustic/alternative genre as their music is very laid back and relaxed and the editing shows this. Another editing technique is there are a lot of reaction shots. This is mostly seen when Ed is talking to his cat, this allows the audience to see his facial expressions and therefore relate to what Ed is singing about which makes the whole music video more relateable. This is conventional to the music genre as the music is more relateable to the audience.
The hair, makeup and costume within the video is the same throughout. The artist is seen to be wearing a casual hoodie and jeans with messy hair. This shows that the artist is laid back and relaxed which fits the style of music. This allows the audience to feel more comfortable and relate to what he is saying more as he is seen to be on the same social scale as the audience.
The postioning of Ed throughout is mainly that he is positioned in dead centre, this is most evident when they are in the pub. This shows that although the video is laid back the most important person is still the artist as he is placed dead centre, this makes him in the audiences view point for the whole video and shows that he is the main character. This is conventional as acoustic/alternative music is very personal to the artist and therefore they should be the main point in the video.
The lighting within the video changes throughout. At the beginning the lighting is quite dim, and then when they go to the pub the lights change to a light blue and when they go back home there are colourful lights. The light changing may symbolise the artists different mood changes about the girl he is singing about, this is conventional to the genre as it shows that his music is personal.
The setting and iconography within the video include Ed's flat and the pub, throughout the video there are alcoholic drinks and various items around the house. This shows to the audience that the video is relateable to them as the artist is in places where the audience can picture themselves in the same situations. This is conventional to the genre as it makes the music more relateable to the audience and more personal to the artist.
The artists facial expressions and body language change throughout the video as during the video Ed looks sad and emotional when there's flashbacks to the girl he is singing about. This shows that Ed is emotional about what he is singing about and that it effects him a lot. This allows the audience to feel more involved in whats happening in the video as they can understand why the artist is feeling certain emotions and relate to them. This is conventional to the acoustic/alternative genre as the music is very personal and is about past experiences.
Censorship is the suppression of speech, public communication or other information which may be considered objectionable, harmful, sensitive, politically incorrect or inconvenient as determined by governments, media outlets, authorities or other such entities.
OFCOM are a government body that have a duty to protect the public, specifically people under the age of eighteen from explicit content. OFCOM ensure that the video and/or lyrics do not influence or encourage the public to adopt behaviour, which could be deemed inappropriate. Another aim of OFCOM is to insure that weapons or drugs are not glamorised in the public eye, iconography which is regularly featured within Eminem's music videos.
Artists whos videos are mostly censored are mainly contraversal artists such as Eminem, Pusha T, Rihanna and M.I.A. This is because they may sing about or include aspects which radios, TV and other media are not allowed to play to the public. These things may include sexual references, offensive language, drug and weapon references. These things are censored out as people find them offensive and parents may not want their children to be exposed to the ideas of them. Some videos that have been censored out are: Pusha T - numbers on the board, this song gets censored as the artist refers to drugs and an illegal criminal lifestyle that is frowned upon in the eyes of the public.
As an artist such as Eminem, he would be against censorship as he should be able to be free to make his own music and there shouldn't be people to tell him what he can and cant say. Although, Marshal Mathers (stage name, Eminem) is arguably the most controversial artist in the music industry because almost every song he has written has been censored; mainly regarding, frequent use of strong taboo. However, his daughter Haile, a huge part of his life has influenced his music. According to sources, he would make clean versions of certain songs for his daughter, as she was eager to hear what her father had produced. This shows that he is for censorship of songs when young children want to hear them. A large percentage of his lyrics depict violence towards gay communities and women, whilst addressing serious issues such as, suicide and murder (evident in Stan).
Eminem believes that his aim is to express his opinion and view on real life situations to the public through music, this allows him to stand for what he believes in and get his views across.
A counter-argument can be raised as to whether he is a role model or not. He could be a role model to many who can relate to him because he started with nothing, living in a trailer with his Mom. He was able to escape the chaos of his life through his natural raw talent of song writing and his innate ability to communicate with a large audience, which started as a very small audience initially.
Conversely, it could be argued he is not a positive individual to idolize for numerous reasons. Overall, Eminem writes and performs explicit content, which could be seen to promote gang involvement, drugs, sexism and homophobia. But this also warns the person listening to his music that there may be some offensive imput in the songs and therefore is their own choice if they want to listen to the music.
Parents viewpoints are also vital to consider as they have the option whether they would like to protect their children from listening to such content which may influence them in the long-term. Parents may believe that Eminem encourages strong language and bad morals and that it is acceptable to be disrespectful due to his contraversal lyrics. Many may also believe censorship should not stop the artists from expressing themselves therefore promoting self-expression and honesty to their children. On the other hand, some parents wouldn't mind their children being exposed to contraversal music as then it exposes them what is wrong and right at a young age, therefore they can learn what is acceptable and teaches them to make their own choices and to build their morals on what they think - not what they have to think.
Radio stations also play an important role in artists careers as their job is to promote them and make their music easily accessible for all.
However, in aim for songs to be appropriate for the mass market, it is imperative that radio versions of songs are released; a special version where any content of an explicit nature is censored to appeal to younger or more vulnerable audiences, therefore increasing listeners for the station itself. For example radio stations such as KISS FM would censor the songs that they play as they have a wide audience therefore meaning a large variety of ages would be listening to the songs meaning parents wouldn't want their children exposed to some of the bad language. Music channels such as AKA and MTV also censor their music as they dont want to loose fans of the show if they are playing music that people find offensive. Therefore it is vital that they make sure they only play music which can be listened to by a wide audience.
Fans would also have a big part to play with the censorship of music videos as they're a fan of the artist because they enjoy listening to their music, therefore when radio stations and music channels censor out the lyrics they would be unhappy as they're a fan for what the artist stands for and who he truly is.
A diverse unique music video is a video which includes questionable portrayals of the artist. This may be as the video may include strange and different representations of the artist which their target audience may not be used to seeing, therefore subverting the genre of music the artist belongs to. Diverse artists may be characterised if they sing/rap about unsocial topics such as drugs, murder and a criminal lifestyle. Also diverse artists can be seen to be very openly sexual such as Miley Cyrus who flaunts her body when she performs and Rihanna whos music videos are often very sexual. This can be seen as diverse as parents wouldn't want their children seeing these artists as role models as it gives them the wrong message.
Chris Cunningham is a music video director who creates diverse music videos. Cunningham has primarily directed music videos for ambient music and electronica acts such as Autechre and Aphex Twin. Cunningham has also been involved in art installations and directed short movies and has also been involved in music video production and designed album artwork for a variety of artists such as Aphex Twin, The Weeknd and Daft Punk. A specific video that Cunningham directed for Aphex Twin - come to daddy shows how he subverts the artist against their usual genre of music, for example Aphex twin have a weird narrative in the video which is unconventional to the genre house/electro as a conventional video would include strobe lighting and usually in a club setting. Cunningham also works with mainstream artists and portrays them in a different light such as Madonna. In her music video Frozen - directed by Cunningham - she is seen to divert away from her genre of Pop music and show herself in more of a dark, gothic way. This is shown by the mes-en-scene as she is seen with dark hair, clothing and make-up which subverts the pop genre as usually pop artists are seen to be wearing brightly coloured clothing. This shows that Cunningham's audience would mainly be diverse people who enjoy strange/interesting concept videos as all of the videos Cunningham has directed have been diverse and unusual.
Michel Gondry is a music video director who also directs diverse music videos for artists. Gondry has also been in the line of work as film directing, screen writing and a film producer. Gondry has directed music videos for artists such as The white stripes, the rolling stones, radiohead, foo fighters and daft punk. This shows that Gondry works with different types of artists from different genres. Gondry creates diverse music videos which either subvert or agree with the stereotype or representation of a certain genre for example the white stripes - the hardest button to button music video is a stereotypical laid back rock video.
This is shown through the use of Goodwin's theory as its a performance video where the lyrics match the visuals which makes the video more engaging for the audience as they can see the artist performing to the camera, this makes the video stereotypically rock as most rock artists are mostly interested in the music aspect of being an artist therefore the music is the main part of the video for them. The video portrays the artists to be scruffy, laid back, cool and relateable as they are seen to be in everyday places such as a train station and along streets. This makes the artist more accessible to the audience as they are seen t be in places where their audience would be on a daily basis. But on the other hand artists such as Kylie Monoguie subverts her music genre of pop in her music video 'come into my world'. This is shown by the mise en scene as pop videos are usually filmed in a glamorous location whereas this video is filmed on an everyday street, this makes the artist more relateable to the audience therefore engaging them in the music video making it more interesting. The video also subverts the pop culture as the video includes aspects of Goodwins theory where lyrics and visuals match and they are both repetitive this connotes the way the video is relaxed but is also a performance to the audience. This goes against the pop culture as usually in pop videos the artist will be performing to the camera whilst doing a dance sequence with a group of back up dancers, where as in this video the artist is seen on her own in ordinary clothes. This therefore subverts the pop culture as the artist is seen to be relateable to the audience. This shows that Gondry has a wide audience for his videos as its people who listen to a wide range of music genres.
Cunningham and Gondry both have similar directing styles as they like to subvert artists away from their normal genre and reflect them in a different light to their audiences. They both direct some strange/disturbing videos which appeal to a very specific audience; they may do this to make themselves different from other directors. On the other hand i think Cunningham creates more creepy/psychological videos where as Gondry creates videos which have a concept but the concept is portrayed within the video in a smart way.
