Research into record labels - Miss Georgiou

Research into record labels

Major Record Labels 

Definition: Large companies within the music industry that may also own smaller record labels

The major record labels in the UK currently are Universal Music Group, Sony Music Entertainment and Warner Music Group. A music group controls and consists of music publishing companies, record (sound recording) manufacturers, record distributors, and record labels. As of 2007, the "big four" music groups control about 70% of the world music market, and about 80% of the United States music market. Record companies (manufacturers, distributors, and labels) may also comprise a "record group" which is, in turn, controlled by a music group. The constituent companies in a music group or record group are sometimes marketed as being "divisions" of the group. 

Universal Music Group own artists such as Bastille, Ellie Goulding, Elton John , Emeli Sande, Fall Out Boy, Fat Boy Slim, Florence + The Machine, Iggy Azalea, Imagine Dragons, Jake Bugg, Kaiser Chiefs, Kate Perry, Ne-Yo, One Republic, Sam Smith, Taylor Swift, 50 Cent. The Universal Music group own smaller record labels including Def Jam and Island Records Def Jam manages Jay-Z, Kanye West and Rihanna. It is also credible that the Universal Music Group co-developed the website Vevo which is designed to display music videos (often promoted through video search engine YouTube) Vevo allows free, ad-supported streaming of music videos and other music content to audiences and is very easily accessible.

Sony Music Entertainment own artists such as Miley Cyrus, Faith, Williams, Daft Punk, Olly Murs, Tine Tempah, 1 Direction and Warner Music Group own artists such as James Blunt, Ramones, Paolo Nutini, B.o.B, David Guetta, Coldplay, Fleetwood Mac, Ed Sheeren. The conglomerate company also own subsidiaries: Arista and J Records which aren't as well known as companies within Universal which is world-renownd. Arista manages Alicia Keys, Avril Lavigne whilst J Records manages: Maroon 5 and Christina Aguilera. Sony is also such a big name brand as they sell a variety of electrical products which gives it a household name, this helps the record label to become more successful as the audience are already aware of the brand before knowing the artist, the artist will seem more appealing.

Michael Buble, Cee Lo Green and Christina Perri are just a few artists when exploring the Warner Music Group in which manages them. This US music group owns Atlantic and Warner Bros Records. Atlantic manages Ed Sheeran, Bruno Mars and Wiz Khalifa whilst Warner Bros Records manages Biffy Clyro and Jason Derulo. Warner Music Group is owned by Time Warner, the worlds largest media conglomerate which has numerous links including film, entertainment, publishing and television. Due to Warner Music Group having a variety of cross-media links, it allows the audience to relate to the artist signed to the label more so than if it didn't  offer other services to the public.

Independents

Definition: An independent record label is defined to be a music label that operates one or a few music labels. It operates with the lack of funding which makes them different to major labels which generate a large profit. Many artists and bands start their career within the music industry signed to an independent record label and then venture out to a more recognised label. Independent labels can be just as successful as major record labels although they operate from a smaller company base. 

There are a number of independent record labels in the UK. These include Rough Trade records who managed artists such as The Libertines and The Strokes. The independent label was founded in 1978 with artists originating from punk and indie pop genres which were rife and legendary in music history. Rough Trade are promoted through a shop in London which appeals to young people who are interested in historical music records. The Rough Trade shop is based in Brick Lane, London which is popular amongst many young people who enjoy music of the Indie genre as it is a quirky location which has a lot to offer. This record label therefore closely relates to our chosen artist Paloma Faith as she is of the soul/indie/alternative genre and appeals to a niche audience opposed to a mass market like mainstream artists. Another independent record label within the UK industry is Warp Records founded in Sheffield in late 1989. The record label is known for discovering successful electronic artists such as; Aphex Twin, Maximo Park and Flying Lotus. 

Is it right from a music point of view as well as an industry point of view that 4 companies dominate the music industry?

I believe it is a positive thing that 4 main companies dominate the music industry. Due to them having the most knowledge, experience and resources that will therefore enable the artist an increasingly high chance to become successful within their specific genre and therefore contribute to music history. Despite this, there are negative aspects too. It is a hard task to break through the music industry if an artist is managed by an independent label due to the competition of the 4 companies which currently dominate it. 

What affect do you think this has on the industry?

By having 4 main companies that dominate the music industry it could have a positive affect on the industry. This is because the 4 main companies will manage artists of an extremely high standard and will also be able to get them high up in the music industry. By having 4 main companies within the music industry it may also entice independent record labels to increase their artists musical standards which would therefore provide more competition within the industry. 

Are independent labels as successful as major labels, how do you judge this?
If success in the music industry is dependent on whether an artist is well known/a household name and the artists music is in the top charts, major record labels are more successful in comparison to independent ones. Because they have access to the best artists around as they have extreme power within the industry.Major labels also have larger funding allowances than independents which also increases their success which therefore benefits the artist signed to the label. Independent labels are often over-thrown in the industry and not considered by new and upcoming artists who want success within their chosen art form because they are not seen to produce music popular with vast audiences. Therefore, I believe that major labels are far more successful, although independents are viewed as more innovative and 'organic' which is why many Indie artists favour a small record label and may chose to re-sign to a major one once they have become 'successful' within the independent route.

Is there anything that independent labels offer the industry that the majors do not?

Independent record labels are able to offer the music industry real artists who are not moulded to fit a specific persona that the public are desperate to have. Therefore, this means that the music industry is likely to have more down to earth and relatable artists that are likely to highly appeal to the public. Despite this, Independent record labels are more likely to sign underdeveloped and unusual artists, providing the public with a variation from the artists they would usually find themselves listening to. 

Research into chosen music genre - Miss Georgiou

Research into chosen music genre

The genre of music that 'only love can hurt like this' belongs to is 'soul'. The reason we chose this music genre to create a music video to is because the genre of soul is easy to portray within a music video, this makes it simpler for us as a group to create a video as the basis of a soul video gives us the freedom to creative a narrative to go with the music.  similar artists to Paloma Faith are Amy Winehouse and Adele.

Amy Winehouse - Tears dry on their own

The conventions of Soul are portrayed within this video as the whole of the video is the artist walking around and her sitting on her bed in her room on her own, there are no other main characters shown within the video with her apart from background people in the street. The mise en scene of this video is conventional as she is sitting in her bedroom on her own on her bed for part of the video, this is conventional as beds and bedrooms are associated with love and relationships therefore meaning what she's singing about is meaningful and close to her. This shows to the audience that what she is singing about is personal and related to past events in her life. The main camera shots within this music video are close ups of the artist. These are seen when the artist is sitting on her bed singing and walking along the street by herself, the close ups show her emotions of the song to the audience which shows that the song is personal to her and therefore allows the audience to understand how the artist is feeling. 

The main editing styles that are used throughout the video are jump cuts, this is to jump from different locations within the video from the artist being in her room from walking along the streets. The use of jump cuts allows the audience to stay engaged with whats happening in the video so the audience don't get bored with the same setting. The target audience of this music video are 16-35 year olds because what the artist is singing about the audience could relate to as they are of the same age group, also the soul genre's target audience is 16-35 year olds also therefore meaning the same age group would be able to relate and appreciate the music. 

Within the music video, the artist is represented as very emotional and weak as she is seen to be upset within the whole video. This is portrayed to the audience as she is seen to be vulnerable as people along the street keep bumping into her throughout the video, this could show her weak emotional state. The fact that she is singing about a relationship and crying about a breakup shows that the artist is represented to be emotional and vulnerable for her feelings. This makes the audience feel like they can relate to what she is talking about more in her song as they could be able to relate to one of their own past experiences and therefore engage more in the video. This portrays the music genre of soul as soulful music is very emotional and usually sad.

The style of this music video is narrative. We can tell this as she isn't performing within the video apart from singing the lyrics and it isn't concept as there isn't any morals or ideas being portrayed. The music video is narrative as you follow the artist as she wanders around the streets and as she bumps into various characters. This is conventional to the soul genre as a narrative means that you can get to know the artist more and therefore means the audience can relate to what she is talking about more as they could picture themselves in the same situation.


Adele - Make you feel my love

The mise en scene within this music video specifically the lighting portrays the mood of the music video. The lighting is quite dark throughout the whole video and includes hints of blue throughout the whole video. This portrays emotions and conventions of the colour blue are sadness,  emotions and anger. This therefore shows to the audience that the artist is going through an emotional time, this is conventional to the soul genre as it allows the audience to feel the same emotions as the artist and be able to relate to them more. 

The main camera shots used within the music video are close ups of the artist. These are seen throughout the video as the artist is sitting on her bed in the hotel room/flat. The use of close ups allows the audience to see the artists emotions and makes them feel more involved in whats happening as they feel they can relate to the artist more. This is conventional to the soul genre and portrays it as the artist can portray their emotions to the audience and manipulate them into feeling the same emotions. 

The main editing styles used within the music video is slow paced editing. This is used throughout the video as the camera shots change within the room the artist is in. The use of slow paced editing portrays that the artist is emotional as everything is moving slowly as she is trying to move on. This is conventional to the soul genre as soul music is usually slow and portrays a slow paced emotional lifestyle.

The target audience of this music video are male and females aged 16-40. This is the common age group for audiences who listen to soul music. This is because they feel they are able to relate to what the soul artist is singing about and feel they can relate it back to their own life experiences and past events. The target audience is portrayed through this music video as the video is quite mature and therefore would fit the mature audience. 

The artist is represented as weak, emotional and sad as throughout the video she is seen to be crying and getting upset over a past relationship she is singing about. This is conventional to the soul genre as singing about past life events means that the artist gets emotional when singing about it making it more realistic for the audience.

The style of the music video is performance as the artist spends the whole video singing the song rather than there being a narrative or a concept. This is conventional to the soul genre as soul music is very personal to the artist and performing it would mean that they can get in touch with their feelings and portray it to the audience.

Within the music video, Goodwin's theory is apparent as the music video includes close ups of the artist. This allows the audience to become familiar with the artist and recognise them, meaning that they would be more interested in the music video they are watching. This is conventional to the soul genre as soul music is very unique to each artist and it is important to the audience that they see the artist within the video and recognise them.

Target audience results - Miss Miller

Carrying out research

The target audience for our music video is 16-40 year olds. We created a questionnaire and included 3 closed questions and 7 open questions. We carried out research so that we could find out what our target audience's opinions are on certain topics to do with making a music video. We asked 40 people the questions as we believe this would give us a average on what our audience as a whole think. The results i gather will help me to create my music video as they will indicate what our target audience want to see, therefore meaning we know what to include and make it enjoyable for them to watch and make the video more successful. 

The questions that we included in our research were:
1. Do you prefer your music videos to be.. performance, narrative or concept?
2. What's your favourite music genre and why?
3. What setting do you prefer the video to be filmed in?
4. What's your favourite music video?
5. What gender do you prefer to see in a music video? male/female/both
6. Who is your favourite artist and why?
7. How old are you?
8. Male or female?
9. What makes a good music video?
10. Do you prefer the artist to be featured in the music video and why?

These are our vox pops:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L4QJVqXFA8U&list=UUdAkv3wNqcbAHJH-5bn9Thg

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XWdY4IheWdo&index=2&list=UUdAkv3wNqcbAHJH-5bn9Thg

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BTRvocHzt9M&list=UUdAkv3wNqcbAHJH-5bn9Thg&index=3

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ayn5JD86D1g&index=4&list=UUdAkv3wNqcbAHJH-5bn9Thg

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fWcj6hgtaz8&index=5&list=UUdAkv3wNqcbAHJH-5bn9Thg

Who do you prefer in your music video?

The results show us that 32% of the people we asked would prefer to see a female in a music video rather than a male, where as 18% would rather see a male. 50% said they would rather see both genders in the music video, this is most popular because it applies to both genders and therefore making the target audience for the video wider and allows them to relate to whats happening more.

What is your favourite music genre?
From the results we gathered that 35% of our target audience said their favourite music genre is dance, this may be because people prefer to listen to music they can have fun to and enjoy themselves. On the other hand only 13% of people said their favourite genre is country, the statistics may be low because not many people listen to country music anymore. 22% of people prefer rap and 30% prefer soul, this may be because the music genres don't apply to all types of people as only certain people listen to the music.  

What is your favourite music video and why?
From the results we can see that 'Sam Smith - Not the only one is the most popular option and shows that its most peoples favourite music video where as Katy Perry - Roar is the least favourite music video. Whereas Beyonce - Partition and Ed Sheeran - Sing are in the middle as around 20% of people said these were their favourite music videos. Not the only one and Sing are the most highly rated videos in this as they have a narrative based videos and therefore portray that the participants enjoy narrative music videos rather than concept or performance.

Are you male or female?

From the pie chart we can see that the majority of our target audience are female and less are male. This may be because females may enjoy soul music more than males.

Who's your favourite music artist? 

From the pie chart we can tell that Beyonce and Ed Sheeran are the most favourite music artists followed by Sam Smith, Paloma Faith and One Direction then Iggy Azalea and Katy Perry. It shows that the artists that are featured in the chart are the most popular, meaning that people conform to what other people say makes a good music artist.

Do you prefer your artist to be featured in the music video?

The results show that the majority of people prefer the artist to be featured in the music video rather than an actor in replace of them and other people. This shows that they would rather see the artist in the video whether they are part of the narrative or if they are performing. 

How old are you?

From the results we can see that the biggest age group is 16-20 year olds and the smallest is 46-50. This shows that our target audience is 16-45 year olds as this covers all three age groups that are most popular and most interested in music.

In your opinion what makes a good music video?
It shows that the participants believe dance routines and storylines make a good music video and dont care as much about the lighting, props or setting. This shows that when making a music video you should make sure that you include a dance routine and storyline so that the audience enjoy it.

What setting do you prefer in a music video?

From the data we can tell that the public don't have a preference to what the location is in a music video as 35% picked 'none' as an option. On the other hand 28% picked a public location, 15% picked a club and 22% picked a home. This shows that each location is popular meaning that wherever we choose to film our music video the majority won't have a preference on where it is filmed.

What theme do you prefer in a music video?

From the results we can tell that 52% of the people we asked prefer narrative based music videos, this means that audiences prefer to watch a music video that has a storyline to it. This may be because they find it more interesting to watch and enjoy watching the narrative unfold. The least popular option was concept, this may be because audiences may not find the concept of the video interesting and would prefer to just watch and enjoy the video rather than there being a deeper meaning. 35% of the people we asked said they would prefer a performance based music video, this may be because some people prefer to watch the artist performing a dance routine than watching a storyline unfold in the video. 

Whilst carrying out this research, we found that the information that we found out will help us to create our own music video and make it into something that our audience's want to be watching and will enjoy. We will make sure that we do this by crafting our video by what we have found out about the audiences views and opinions. We will incorporate our results by displaying them in our video for example having a narrative based video as this was the most popular result and including females for the same reason. This will mean that our audience will enjoy the video more as they will be watching something that they said they enjoy. If we were to carry out the research again then we would probably use a bigger sample as the bigger the sample then the more likely it is to represent accurately the wider population and target audience.

From the results we can tell that they correlate with Hebdige's theory that although some people think subcultures only appear to be different but deep down they are the same, he says if you look deeper, there is enough richness to warrant renaming 'subcultures' as 'little cultures' This is shown through the results as there are many different answers being given for the open questions we asked showing that there are many little cultures being portrayed through our target audience. We will show Hebdige's theory in our music video by filming in areas such as Camden and Brick Lane (London) as these are main locations where 'little cultures' are most evident. We will include different people who belong to different little cultures within our video therefore making it accessible to different audiences and portraying Hebdige's theory.

Analysis of a Star and Dyer's Star Theory - Miss Miller

Analysis of a Star and Dyer's Star Theory

Britney Spears

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.

Analysis of music genres - Miss Georgiou

Analysis of music videos

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 - Miss Miller

Censorship
                

1. 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.
   
   
    
2. 

   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.
    

Diversity - Miss Miller

Diversity

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.