There is a relationship between lyrics and visuals.
There is a relationship between music and visuals.
The demands of the record label will include the need for lots of close ups of the artist and artists may develop motifs which recur.
There is frequent reference to the notion of looking (screens within screens, telescopes, etc) and particularly voyeuristic treatment of the female body.
There is often intertextual reference to films, TV programmes, other music videos, etc.
Whether the video is primarily performance based, narrative based or concept based, and how elements of each is used in it
My chosen music video demonstrates stereotypical characteristics of the pop genre which corresponds to the first element of Goodwin's theory. Specific evidence as the video often switches from the narrative to performance. As the chorus is played the video switches to a mid shot of the band singing and close ups of the band members and main artist. Performance is generally seen as a key element of the pop genre as artists often aim to show themselves as regularly as possible in order to appeal to their fans. Due to the genre having a conventional audience of teenagers and mostly girls, the performance element of a video is very important. The audience usually obsess over artist and through showing the artist regularly singing and performing, they are able to build a relationship with the fans.
The video also comply's to the second element of Goodwin's theory as the lyrics are evidently seen to match the video itself. The key part of the lyrics, also seen as the title itself is 'the man who can't be moved'. The song relates to a 'man who can't be moved' as he is seen 'waiting on a girl'. The video clearly portrays this through the use of narrative. Throughout the verses of the song and portions of the chorus, the main artist is seen waiting on a corner in the middle of a city for a very long period of time. It evidently follows Goodwin's theory through relating to the songs lyrics as it shows him as 'the man who can't be moved' as he waits for the girl he is in love with. Through doing this the video allows an audience to understand the plot and idea behind the song. This particular plot specifically appeals to teenagers and teenage girls as they are generally seen to enjoy fantasising about romance and relationships. Romance is a key convention of the pop genre as the songs often show light hearted plots with themes of 'love' in order to appeal to a younger audience.
Within the music video there is also clear evidence of a relationship between the music itself and the visuals. This is specifically evident towards the end of the video. As the song picks up pace and hits the main chorus the video consists of fast paced editing and a montage of shots showing the artist waiting for a girl. This is done so that the music matches the video, therefore showing it to agree with Goodwin's theory. The use of fast paced editing shows his desperate need for the love of the girl focused upon in the video. This is again conventional to the pop genre as it builds upon the theme of romance and love. It also makes the video easier to follow and watch.
Furthermore there is evidence of the video following the requirements of the record label through including various close ups of the main singer and artist. This is mostly shown through the performance element of the video. The video regularly shows him as singing to the camera with a close up whilst walking along the high street. This demonstrates the artist representation within the video, again following Goodwin's theory. This has great effect on the target audience. Due to the artist being a male singer, teenage girls are generally seen fantasising about him. The close ups within the video almost portrays the singer as though he is talking to the viewer, this again helps him build a relationship between him and his audience. This is vary relevant to the key target audience of teenage girls who are particularly seen to fantasise over the male artist.
Additionally, the video does follow elements five and six as it shows evidence of forms of 'looking' through intertextual features. This is clearly shown as the artist is seen on a news channel waiting on the corner. It portrays him as being stationary whilst singing on the corner for a lengthy period of time and the news channel emphasises the popular support he has in his quest to find the girl he loves and large amount of effort he would go through to find her. This is furthermore evidence of the theory seen within the video. It has effects on the audience as they are engaged through wanting to see why he is on the news channel; this also elaborates upon his presentation of a pop star that would appeal to the mainstream audience. It also emphasises the conventional romantic plot of which appeals to the target audience of teenage girls as it shows the lengths he would go to in order to find the girls he loves.
Finally, as seen in the other elements of the theory, the video itself shows a variety of the three styles for music videos incorporated into the clip. Performance is seen at the chorus through shows of the band playing in an empty urban car park. Narrative is clearly shown as the video follows the lyrics, presenting the artist as trying to find the girl he loves through waiting by the place they met. Also, a concept is seen through the presentation of love and relationships. The video itself is primarily concept and narrative based with this idea of a man searching for the girl he loves. This is again done to appeal to the target audience of teenagers, prominently teenage girls, as the are seen to enjoy the evident conventional romantic themes within the selected narrative consisting of the artists quest for the love of a a girl.
To conclude, this research has assisted me in understanding the concept of the Goodwin theory and how to create a good music video that follows the elements of the theory. This has resulted in me specifically gaining a clear idea of how to effectively incorporate a mic of music video styles in order to appeal to a certain target audience. For example, The Script using primarily concept and narrative in order to create a romantic theme to the video which appeals to their primary target audience of teenage girls. I have now decided that my music video potentially should contain a variety of the different music video styles, dominated y one, in order to appeal to a specific target audience.
Analysing the lyrics obviously gives a great insight into the meaning and the reasoning behind a song, having an enormous influence of the video itself. The lyrics can greatly influence the style of the video; with more meaningful lyrics a song may need more concept and narrative. However, with less lyrics and more music the style may sway more towards the use of performance. They may also be seen to influence the uses of micro elements within a video. Micro elements are often used in order to elaborate upon a narrative or concept and the lyrics often determine this narrative. This is due to the incorporation of Goodwin's theory, seen in most music videos, where the video aims to match and follow the lyrics of a song. This emphasises the importance of lyrics as they simply conduct the production of the video itself, having an enormous impact on the progression of the video. In the production of my specific video the analysis of the lyrics to my song, 'I know' by Shift K3Y, will prove to be very beneficial to the making of the video. The lyrics portray the emotions and storyline that the artist is trying to create. My group and I are then able to analyse the lyrics and convey these concepts and emotions through a narrative that portrays the meaning behind the song itself.
The lyrics are written in relation to a narrative that can be related to by the teenage target audience for the genre. The lyrics talks about a relationship in which the artist is involved in; he 'knows' what the girl wants but is stating that he is 'not that type'. This could be interpreted in numerous ways but through the use of the fast tempo music I feel that the artist is trying to show how he does not want to live the conventional boyfriend lifestyle; it shows the artist as wanting more freedom and ability to enjoy his youthful, vibrant life. This can be related to by the younger target audience of 15-25 year olds as they are often seen to participate in light hearted relationships. We may aim to present this concept and detailed storyline through our narrative based video, also aimed at this young and conventional target audience. Additionally to this, we have evidently analysed the lyrics by writing ways in which we may portray parts of the narrative and concepts through our video; for example, the opening scene was shown to be set at the gherkin as the artist thinks about his girlfriend.
The annotations we have made will have great influences upon the use of codes and conventions seen in the video. Throughout the song my group and I are seen to take aspects of the limits and transfer them so that they link into the conventions of the dance genre that the song belongs to. This is especially seen in the chorus as we aim to switch to a club setting when the lyrics repeat the phrase 'I Know' alongside fast choppy music. Here a club setting is shown as he enjoys life with his friends whilst drinking, dancing and happily talking to people. This is used to represent the vibrant lifestyle he could have without his girlfriend; it reinforces the narrative in the lyrics as it emphasises decision of whether to live a happy comfortable lifestyle with his girlfriend or fulfil an exciting party lifestyle with his many friends and success. This is seen to both comply to the conventions of the dance genre and the needs of the target audience as it portrays the party lifestyle that the genre is based upon and that the young audience aspires towards.
Additionally to this, we were also able to roughly annotate what aspects of cinematography may be used throughout the video and the progression of the song. This is specifically evident towards the start of the lyrics as we made annotations that show us using cinematography in order to clarify the narrative for the audience. For example there is an annotation showing the use of an over the shoulder shot presenting a text from his girlfriend as the lyrics state 'I know what you're looking for'. The text may consist of a loving message emphasising how she misses the male artist; using the over-shoulder shot, the artist is then seen to firmly place the phone down and walk out of the shot. The over shoulder shot is used here in order to link the artist with the phone, showing him to be thinking about the girl and his decision over whether to stay with her or not. Although having little coherence with the conventions of the dance genre, this form of cinematography will have a great effect with supporting the lyrics and helping the audience. The over shoulder shot adds to the personal insight that the audience gets into the artists emotions; this helps engage the audience as they build a relationship with the artist, allowing them to further understand the meanings behind the song.
On top of the annotations for cinematography, we have also pointed out where specific editing styles might occur within the lyrics and the song. This is evident through the annotations showing the use of jump cuts and fast paced editing seen in the choruses. This will be used in the club setting as the music becomes quicker and choppy. The editing styles itself are allocated for this section of the song in order to elaborate upon the narrative set in coherence to the lyrics. The fast paced editing combined with the use of jump cuts emphasises the fun and excitement he is having in his vibrant party lifestyle outside the life he has with his girlfriend. It supports the lyrics by showing his personality to oppose the one wanted by the girl; it also supports the narrative for our video by showing the lifestyle he could enjoy without his girlfriend. Also, this use of editing can also be seen to comply to the needs of the target audience and the conventions of the dance genre as it evidently elaborates upon the faced paced atmosphere within the club setting of which the young audience can relate to.
In relation to mes en scene and the aspects it involves, we have not annotated in detail. This is because as a group we feel that some of the smaller details often seen to be involved in mes en scene are most likely to be better addressed in other aspects of planning. For example we are not seen to make annotations for costume, hair and make up as collectively we felt this could be far better dealt with when referring to planning characterisation. This is similar to the planning of facial expressions and character positioning, this has been addressed in far more detail within the planning for cinematography opposed to the lyric analysis as we felt we could refer to more details in this section. In contrast to this however, one area that is evidently mentioned in the lyric analysis is the use of setting and lighting. This has been done these two aspects could be seen as key when portraying the emotions conveyed within the lyric of the song. Setting has been address through stating which locations will be used for which areas of the song. This will have a large influence when attempting to clarify the narrative for the video to the audience. The verses will consist of flashbacks to happy memories with the artists girlfriend, whereas the chorus will show the lifestyle he leads without her. This emphasises the ultimatum of whether he should live the conventional lifestyle of a boyfriend or live the vibrant party lifestyle of a single man; therefore signifying the concept of the song as it focuses upon this decision. Also lighting is focused upon in the analysis of the lyrics as we state when the video will utilise strobe/neon lighting. This helps elaborate upon the party lifestyle that the artist could have without his girlfriend. It is conventional to the dance genre as it emphasises the party atmosphere, also it appeals to the target audience as they can relate to this atmosphere often seen in clubs and bars.
In conclusion, the annotations made alongside the lyrics for the song has been highly beneficial when planning ways In which we will convey the narrative chosen to represent the themes and concepts of the plot itself. This is seen as we have annotated where different scenes and settings will occur throughout the song in order to represent the lyrics at these certain sections. Overall the analysis has given us far better indications into what the concepts of the song consists of and the ways in which we will present these themes through the use of the different micro elements seen in the video.
Do you prefer fast paced or slow paced editing within dance music videos and why?
Do you like the idea of being able to relate to a music video and why?
What style of music video do you prefer and why?
Who is your favorite artist within the dance genre and why?
Do you prefer a video that follows conventions or challenges them?
Have you heard of shift k3y? If so what do you think of him as an artist/performer?
What form of editing do you prefer in a dance music video?
Strobe lighting
Montage
Fast paced
Special effects
Green screen
My group and I have devised a certain questionnaire in order to discover the thoughts and
views of our target audience for our selected genre in relation to the features of the music
video we are creating. This target audience consists of 15-25 year olds as they are the
outgoing and younger audience of the dance genre. The research was specifically carried
out so that we could get a brief insight into what the target audience want to see in a dance
music video; meaning that we can create the video in corresponding to the results. This
would help to make the video more appealing to the audience and clarify what is needed to
meet the popular conventions of the dance genre. The questionnaire was completed by 40
people; we used this amount so that we could get a broad overview of the selected age gap
and so that we could supplement for both younger adults and older teenagers who's
opinions may differ. The research will be carefully used as the favoured conventions and
micro elements that are seen from the results will be incorporated into our music video.
The Results
1.)
The results for question one shows us that our audience for the dance genre and our selected artist is predominately older teenagers. This is evident from the shown interest they were seen to express through our dance survey with 16-22 year olds sharing the majority of applications. This shows us that the music video has to be created in order to appeal and relate to that selected age groups. This could be done through the use of narrative and setting with parts of the video seen to be set in a club and party atmosphere of which the older teenagers may be seen to enjoy. Plus we can also address our audience through the use of a work setting; many teenagers and particularly younger adults can relate to this as they are beginning to try and fit a social life around their work environment.
2.)
The results seen through this pie chart gives clear evidence that a majority of the dance audience who take an interest in the music videos for the genre and the thoughts behind it consists of females. This is clear as 23 of the questionnaire applicants were female; however this was not a large majority with the male participants amounting to 17. This shows us that the narrative for the video should be aimed slightly towards the female audience, without moving too distant from the male viewers. The way in which we will attract a female audience is through a love, relationship theme. Girls are seen to become enticed with this type of narrative as they share an interest in love stories, being able to fantasise and relate to the relationships presented. In addition to this we will also aim to appeal to the evidently large male fan base through presenting a successful individual that the audience can inspire to. This will be conveyed through extravagant settings, professional clothing and iconography used to emphasise his success. This suits the target audience as older male teenagers are often seen to fantasise about living this successful lifestyle.
3.)
This question gives us a clear indication that the popularity for the dance genre has really expanded recently, especially within the younger age groups of young adults and teenagers where it has been seen to force its way into their fun vibrant party lifestyle. This is seen from the large percentage of teenagers who said yes; 33 people within the target audience said yes opposed to only 7 saying no. This section of the research shows myself and the group that we need to focus upon the conventions of the dance genre in order to appeal to the selected target audience and their vibrant youthful lifestyle. One example of how we will achieve this is the use of a club setting of which the dance music is often seen to be played, plus the use of strobe lighting; another convention of the dance genre that portrays a fun party atmosphere.
4.)
This question shows that a large majority of the targeted participants were seen to prefer faced paced editing; especially in relation to the dance genre. Most of the audience chose this as they felt that this convention of the dance genre creates excitement, happiness and matches the fast beat of the music. The favouritism of this form of editing is shown from the fact that 29 people chose fast paced editing in contrast to the 11 who chose slow paced. This research simply confirms the fact that we must look to use fast paced editing within our sequence in order to comply to the needs of the target audience. This will be evidently used in the fast paced chorus of the song; as the lyrics repeat the phrase 'I Know' the video itself will be seen to speed up with quick successions of close ups taken from the club setting. This will also be seen to match the lyrics of the song which gives evidence of Goodwin's theory, helping to improve the quality of the video.
5.)
It is clear from the results within this pie chart that the target audience prefers the use of a relatable narrative and they are able to understand the lyrics and the meanings behind the song, allowing them to further connect with the artist and his emotions. This is seen from the slight majority as 24 people chose to favour the relatable plot compared to the 16 who opposed it. This will be addressed by myself and the group through the use of a relatable narrative based style. The character within the video will be seen to have the normal social life of a male young adult; this is seen as relatable to the younger target audience ranging from 16-22 year olds as they also live this vibrant lifestyle seen in the video. This party lifestyle that is lead by the character will be conveyed through the use of a club setting and fast paced editing. Additionally to this, in order to appeal to the lesser amount of results, the video will also portray a successful character with wealth and high status at a young age. This is something that aspiring teenagers and young adults can look up towards.
6.)
Within these results there is a clear majority of people who enjoy the narrative based style of music videos. This is due to the fact that it clarifies meaning and reasoning behind the lyrics; helping the audience to understand the song and emotionally connect to the artist. The majority is evident from the 22 applicants who chose narrative opposed to the 18 choosing performance and concept. These results have simply influenced my group and I into creating a narrative based video in order to comply to the target audience requirements. This narrative will be made evident within the video as the main character is seen to be deciding over whether he should leave his girlfriend and enjoy his life at clubs and bars or stay with her for the memories that he cherishes. The narrative complies to Goodwin's theory as it matches the lyrics of the song when the artist talks about a guy who knows what the girl wants but is not sure whether he wants to be this fantasy or live his own life. Our selected narrative will be used to effect by helping to create an understanding for the song and the lyrics, plus elaborating upon the vibrant party lifestyle that the dance genre is seen to revolve around.
7.)
The results for this question may not be seen to have as much of an impact on the video as other results, however is clear that the target audience are seen to prefer David Guetta over other dance artists purely due to his personality being positive, sociable and aspiring as he travels around the world emphasising his success and positive nature. This is shown through the majority of 12 applicants seen to choose him over other famous dance artists. One way that we could use this research is for the character representation for the main character of the video who could be perceived to be the artist. We can use David Guetta traits in order to characterise our artist in order to appeal to the target audience. This would be done through presenting him as successful and socially comfortable with many friends and a high status job. This may be done through the use of extravagant iconography and setting plus the use of a mid shot showing him to be happy and positive when out with his mates.
8.)
This set of results specifically shows that the target audience is seen to enjoy the conventions of a dance genre. This may be due to the fact that they can relate and aspire towards the fun, vibrant lifestyle that teenagers and young adults are seen to enjoy which is portrayed through these certain dance genre conventions. Evidence of this favouritism towards the conventional dance music video is seen as 23 people were seen to prefer a video that follows the conventions of the dance genre. This simply shows us that the video must be made in accordance to the conventions of the dance genre. This will be conveyed through numerous micro elements. For example setting will be used to convey a party atmosphere within a club, faced paced editing will be incorporated into the video in order to match the pace of the music and low angle shots may be used to show the artists social status.
9.)
The results for this question gives clear evidence that Shift K3Y is beginning to develop a large reputation with the dance genre and throughout the target audience. This is seen by the 31 people who have heard of his in contrast to the 9 people who haven't. The majority of applicants felt that the artist was either original or vibrant and enjoyed the fact that he mixed pop into his music. The fact that he has built himself up within the dance genre reinforces the fact that we must again present him as being a conventional dance artist in order to comply with the needs of his fans and the representation within the music industry. This will be done by again making the video conventional to the genre through the use of different aspects from various micro elements seen within the music video.
10.)
Although the forms of editing stated as options within this question will be seen to be used throughout our music video, it is clearly evident from these results that the target audience for the dance genre is in favour of the use of strobe lighting. This may be due to the fact that strobe lighting conveys the conventional club, party atmosphere that the dance genre is based upon. Evidence of this is seen from the fact that a majority of 18 applicants preferred the use of strobe lighting over the given editing techniques. This gives my group and I an indication that strobe lighting must be effectively used throughout the editing of the video. Areas in which we can incorporate this use of strobe lighting could be seen at both the club setting and throughout the main office setting as the simple setting is converted into a more vibrant, youthful environment that appeals to the conventions of the dance genre.
CCCS Theory A sub-culture is a group of people who are united through common value system and tastes (i.e Clothes, Music, Popular etc.) They can also be a group who are positioned outside of the mainstream, as they go against the mainstream of what is popular. My results give evidence of the CCCS theory for subcultures, stating that all cultures stem from the mainstream and are mostly the same. Evidence of this is seen from my research as the majority of the teenage/older adult age groups were seen to enjoy the dance genre and take an interest into the thoughts behind it and the reasoning behind dance music videos. It shows how most social age groups are evidently influenced from the age groups and that social media, radio and TV has a large influence upon teenagers and young adults with dance music often being played on large scale channels/stations. This emphasises the fact that we must elaborate upon the conventions of the dance genre, making our video a typical dance video in order to please the large mainstream culture that has developed.
Vox Pops
These videos were used to show more detail into the answers of my participants and their reactions to the various questions. It was very useful into showing answers for the more detailed and opinionative, open questions. It also added the reactions of people as they answer, emphasising what the target audience might understand and how deeply people are effected by various conventions of the dance genre. Mainly, however, it shows evidence of the interview style questioning used throughout the research.
Conclusion
There has been numerous discoveries seen throughout the process of this research with
multiple insights into the thoughts and opinions of the target audience for the dance genre.
These insights will prove to be very beneficial to the production of our video. The specific
points that we will take from the research consists of the use of a club setting, a work
setting, strobe lighting, dance conventions, a successful presentation of the artist, a
narrative based video and the use of fast paced editing. These were all elements of the
questionnaire that the participants were seen to enjoy; it means that we are able to appeal
to the selected target audience of the genre and create a video that meets the requirements
of the conventional dance artist. One thing I may do differently when doing the questionnaire
again is to widen the range of applicants I asked; this could be done by asking older
participants in order to gain a better insight into the opinion of the mainstream audience.
Record labels are seen to come under two main categories in the music industry. This consists of major record labels and independent.
Major Record Labels
Major record labels are large companies who operate within the industry, they are seen to own and control smaller record labels each owning a variety of artists. The music industry is dominated by only a few of these major companies. In the UK this consists of the Universal music group, Sony Music Entertainment and the Warner Music Group. They are seen to own and represent a wide variety of artists that control the music industry within Britain.
Universal Music Group
The numerous artists that belong to this major record company consists of artist such as 50 Cent, Ellie Goulding, Jake Bugg, Katy Perry, Fat boy slim, Sam Smith, Florence + the machine. Taylor Swift and many others that are of a similar status and reputation. Almost all the artists owned and represented by the company aim towards a mainstream audience and a popular and well known throughout the country. The major company is also seen to own smaller record labels such as Interscope records, Polydor records and capitol records. This furthermore helps them to involve themselves with a large variety of artists that cover different large mainstream audiences across the country. In addition to this the Universal music group also co-developed and currently owns the website 'vevo'. This is a well known website used for streaming music, much like YouTube; however, the website only streams music videos. It allows the company to easily promote their artists by offering their music and videos for free on the internet. It additionally benefits the company through advertising as the website is often used as a platform for online marketing of which the Vevo is able to make profit from.
Sony Music Entertainment
Sony Music Entertainment owns artists such as Tinie Tempah, Olly Murs, Daft Punk, One Direction, Robbie Williams and many other artists of a similar stature. Much like Universal, this major record label also aims to represent artists that reach out the mainstream target audience within the UK. They, again,
cover a variety of genres in order to have a wide spectrum of artists that appeal to a widened target audience in order to become known on a national level. The company is also seen to own other, smaller record labels such as Columbia Records, Ultra Recordings and Epic Recordings. Again this is done by the major record label in order to appeal to all genres and all mainstream audiences across the country in order to build up their reputation and their artists reputation so that hey can make more money. Sony itself is a wide media platform; the conglomerate company covers television, film, phones and video gaming. This means that they can appeal to big name artists and market artists on a larger global scale.
Warner Music Group Artists that belong to this major record label consists of people like James Blunt, B.o.B, Coldplay, David Guetta and Ed Sheeran. Much like the two other major record labels this also owns artists who appeal towards the mainstream British audience. This is a reoccurring theme for major record labels as they aim to maximize profits through large sales and marketing opportunities. This record label also owns the smaller record labels of Atlantic records, Warner Bros records, Rhino Entertainment and Elektra records. They also do this in order to maximise their marketing opportunities over a variety of large target audiences for different popular genre. Finally, the company is also seen to belong to Time Warner; this is a massive media conglomerate which covers mostly film and television on a large scale. It also helps the company to appeal to big artists and make themselves more known to a bigger audience.
Independents
These are record labels that control or own only a select few music artists; these companies can also be successful just not on the large scale of the bigger major record labels. The smaller companies are often known to produce much more untouched and original music that is true to the artists and their genres. This is due to the fact that the artists are less influenced through mainstream audiences and maximised profits so that they can have freedom to express their originalities. This can often be popular for niche target audiences throughout the music industry.
In the UK there are numerous independent record labels; examples may include:
Ram Records
Ram records was founded in 1992 by DJ and producer Andy C. It is based in Essex and is seen as a very successful growing company. The company manages artists such as Andy C. himself, Chase & Status, Calyx & Teebee, plus Sub Focus. These artists are seen to be similar; all categorised into the genres of electronic, drum and bass and dance. Although not being mainstream genres, this music is seen to be very popular for teenagers and young adults due to it being used in many clubs. The genres are seen to be growing in recent years with various artists reaching out to mainstream audiences; this increasing popularity is currently allowing the record label to grow.
Cooking Vinyl
Cooking Vinyl is seen as Europe's top independent record label; it was created in 1986 by Martin Goldschmidt and Pete Lawrence and is based in West London, England. The label itself represents a variety of artists however can be seen to be focused mostly on alternative and Indie rock bands with their more successful and well known artists being Madness, The Pretty Reckless, The Prodigy and Marilyn Manson. This is also aimed towards a niche target audience with a growing culture; allowing artists to build upon their reputations.
Conclusion
Looking from a music point of view alongside a industry point of view I don't feel it is right that only a select few of the major record labels are seen to dominate the music industry. Independent artists that are original and less known by the mainstream find it very hard to develop themselves within the industry within an independent company. Independent companies do not have to budget to globalise an artist and present them to the mainstream. This could be seen as unfair for certain, more original, artists; examples being the grime artists 'JME' and 'Skepta' who struggled to become recognised by the mainstream. However, independent artists can still be seen as successful, the record labels are able to reach out towards specific cultures and niche target audiences that the major record labels miss as they aim towards the mainstream. This can clearly be seen through Ram Records as their artists are seen to dominate their selected target audiences and cultures in order to create an original and selective image for themselves. Evidence of this is seen through the numerous awards RAM records has won; consisting of the 'Accelerated Culture Awards' and 'K Mag Awards'Although major companies may be seen to dominate the majority of the music industry, especially the mainstream audiences; they often miss out on the selective niche audiences who are seen to take a further interest into unknown talents within selected genres. Also, a key difference between independent and major companies is their support for their artists, independent's are seen to be far more supportive of their artists, allowing them to grow; however, major companies often drop artists when they become unsuccessful.
Shift K3Y Lewis Jankel is an english born DJ, producer, singer and songwriter from London. His stage name is Shift K3Y and he produces dance music that appeal to a young target audience. He is a recent artist, only becoming well known in the last 5 years. The artist is often seen incorporating a sub genre of pop into his music. His most well song being 'touch' managed to get to 3rd in the UK charts. This is very impressive considering he was a virtually unknown artist. He is also seen to produce songs for artists such as Tinie Tempah, Jenifer Lopez and Aluna George showing his immense talent.
"—" denotes a single that did not chart or was not released.
The artist belongs to the record label Columbia Records. They are a large record company owned by Sony Music entertainment. Many of the artists incorporated into the company are part of dance, pop and even rap genres that aim solely at large mainstream target audiences all being incorporated on to chart shows and big large scale radio stations. This suited Shift K3Y as he aimed to increase his audience to develop more sales of his record and a wider reputation. This wider audience was evident through the release of both 'touch' that reached 3 in the UK charts and 'I Know' which was able to take the dance charts by storm, even reaching as high as 6 in the UK charts. The music videos for his more popular individual tracks give clear indication into how he appeals to his younger target audience of 15 -25 year olds, how he follows the conventions of the dance genre and how he presents himself as an artist. 'Name and Number'
The first music video that I'm analysing is 'name and number', this is his most recent release that has not yet reached the charts but has developed large recognition from large radio stations and music channels. The video itself gives clear indication of the artists presentation and how he attracts his selected audience.
Within the video there is evidence of the use of Dyer's theory used in order to appeal to a selected audience and present the artist in a way that could achieve 'stardom'. This is clear from the use of setting. The setting shows the artist as performing to the camera at a party as he attempts to get various numbers from different girls. Being a young adult himself, he is aiming to present himself as a conventional teenager/young adult; enjoying himself in a relaxed and fun atmosphere at a house party which is accessible for all of his target audience. Through the use of this setting he is able to comply to the genre's of the dance genre as it conveys a party lifestyle and atmosphere of which dance fans aspire towards. It also apply's to Dyer's theory as he aims to relate to the audience, allowing him to build a relationship with them. This is understandable due to the fact that he is a relatively new artist an wants to come across as too desirable or confident as he aims to present himself as relatable with an inviting personality.
Also, the use of Goodwin's theory is seen within the music video. This is clearly evident through the 'notion of looking'. The video clearly uses this notion of looking throughout; it is part of the narrative of the video as people are seen to be communication through pictures on phones. This notion of looking is emphasized through both close ups and zooming in shots showing different couples and different girls that Shift K3Y is supposed to be pursuing. This notion of looking is used to keep the audience engaged into the narrative of the video as they attempt to keep track of the different girls that Shift K3Y likes and engages with. Additionally the use of phones and social networking is used by the artist in order to appeal to the modern target audience of the dance genre as social networking is used on a large scale across the teenage society as a way to communicate and interact. He uses all of this to present himself as a conventional boyish teenager who aims to attract as many woman as possible through texting and social networking. This will appeal to the majority of his target audience as they may enjoy seeing his personality which is not seen in other videos.
The main aim of this is to show Shift K3Y's genuine personality that is not conveyed in his previous videos. He does this through portraying himself as a conventional, outgoing, laid back yet exciting teenager with a fun and exiting party lifestyle. This is made evident through a series of close up shows as he hold the camera showing him conversing, singing and dancing with people in a packed house party setting. The setting itself and the the party atmosphere created shows the artist as being comfortable, relaxed and outgoing in a buzzing social occasion. This appeals to the conventions of the dance genre as it often portrays a party lifestyle or atmosphere that the target audience enjoy to experience and aspire towards. This specific video appeals to this selected target audience as it shows an accessible party atmosphere created through a typical house party. The younger target audience will both relate to this party setting and aspire towards Shift K3Y's outgoing personality
The target audience is made specific in this video through the use of actors and setting. The artist aims to appeal to the typical target audience of the dance genre, being teenagers and young adults ranged from around 15-25. This selected target audience has been attracted through the use of a party setting that is experienced by many young adults and older teens, the use of younger characters that the audience can relate to and a use of a narrative involving social networking and the theme of 'selfies' that modern teenagers can engage with. This narrative and use of mise en scene means that the artist can embed himself furthermore into the teenage culture in order to establish himself as a well respected dance artist.
The style of the music video is also used in order to appeal to this target audience. The video itself is mostly narrative and concept based with the concept of sexual attraction being developed through social networking and internet based interaction. This concept is sown through narrative as the artist is seen looking to get a number from a girl that he likes at a house party. This is also incorporated with an element of performance as the artist is seen singing to the camera with his friends. The narrative and concept element of the video is used to appeal to the the younger target audience as they can relate to the party atmosphere in the video and the use of social networking which has a large role in modern teenage society. Plus the performance element is used to both comply to the dance genre conventions and connect to the audience. He connects to the audience as he sings directly to the camera, showing himself to be singing to the viewer, allowing him to build a relationship between himself and the audience. He is also able to embed himself as a respected dance artist as he shows the party atmosphere that revolves around the genre by showing himself as performing within a conventional party setting.
As shown through the analysis of the video, mise en scene has had a vital influence on both building a presentation of the artist and, more importantly, attracted a selected target audience conventional to the dance genre. This is specifically evident through the main scene of the video, used alongside the chorus of the song. Shift K3Y is seen in a party setting, positioned in the middle of a variety of mid shots; the iconography within the setting included alcohol, mobile phones and modern shoes used as product placement. This is all used to present the artist as being in the center of a modern, buzzing party atmosphere with alcohol and social media being the main focal point of the video. This use of mine en scene is specifically done to appeal to the target audience of the dance genre, mostly consisting of teenagers; they would be able to relate to the stereotypical house party setting and use of social media, particularly snap chat with this being a craze within modern social media. Also, the use of the iconography of retro 'puma' shoes would help the artist to market himself with a link to the product; it complies with Dyer's theory showing him trying to achieve 'stardom'
Additionally to this cinematography has also specifically been used in order to build upon the artists relatable presentation. This is evident through a series of close ups used to both show his facial expressions and he sings to the camera and the use of mobile phones as people take 'selfies' to show off their relationships and, in the artists case, talk to different girls. The close up of the artist himself presents him as being fun, exciting and comfortable in a party atmosphere; this appeals to the younger audience as they aspire towards his outgoing personality. In addition to this the presentation of social networking also appeals to this target audience as presents the artist as being relatable to his age group; this is due to the fact that social networks are a big aspect of modern teenage society.
Evident throughout the video, in relation to editing, is a creative use of transitions. This is seen as the video jumps from different settings and shots as the camera zooms onto a video on a phone. This creates a flow to the video and is achieved through a zooming effect used for shot transitions and the addition of black bars on the top and bottom of each shot, allowing them to fabricate the outline of a phone screen. By doing this the video is conforming to Goodwin's theory as it matches the lyrics of the video by showing different girls on different phones linking towards the song title 'name and number'. It could be said that the use of this editing creates a fast pace to the video; this may comply to the conventions of dance music with it often being fast and choppy. Also, the video further complies to the features of Dyer's star theory as there is a theme of 'looking' within the video. This glorifies the artist, showing him to be the focal point of a house party atmosphere and elaborating upon his promiscuous behaviour. The use of phones to demonstrate this 'looking' feature also would appeal to the target audience of teenagers and young adults with their phones and social media being a relatable feature of their lifestyle.
Touch
The song Touch is Shift K3Y's first big release. It got to 3rd in the UK charts and was extremely popular within the dance genre, portraying the artists first image and developing his first target audience.
The use of Dyer's theory is clearly evident throughout this video. This is seen through the use of cinematography and the numerous close ups the artist uses to show his facial features and expressions. This is clearly seen towards the start of the video as he sings directly to the camera as his face lights of with multicoloured tints and the girl next to him kisses him on the cheek. It makes the artist the sole focus of the video helping him to build a relationship with the audience and clarify the emotions behind the lyrics of the song. This may have been done due to the fact that Shift K3Y was a new artist at the time and wanted to relate to his audience on a more personal level in order to develop his image and introduce himself to the dance genre. The image he portrays is that of self confidence and promiscuous behaviour; this is seen through him being shown as comfortable with the female character. The use of added tints could also be seen as conventional to the dance genre as it has connotations towards a vibrant and exciting party atmosphere, artists are often seen to use bright colours in their media products. Also, the presentation of the artist, showing him to be promiscuous could appeal to a niche female target audience as they aspire to be the female companion within the video.
Additionally to this there is also evidence of the use of Goodwin's theory within the video. This is specifically seen through the visuals in the video and the ways in which they match the lyrics oh the song. As the video states 'I wanna feel your touch', the artist is seen to produce a glowing hand print of his female partner as he gently touches her arm. This runs alongside the lyrics, complying to the Goodwin's theory and creating a greater understanding for the audience as the artists coneys a sense of intimacy as he gently touches the girls arm. It presents him as being intimate himself, showing him as being confident with girls. This may appeal to the female audience as they could feel attracted to seeing this side of him plus the male audience may aspire towards his confident behavior.
The target audience for this video, much like the artist's later video, 'name and number', consists of a conventional target audience to the dance genre. This is seen as being younger adults and teenagers ranging from ages 15 to 25. The video itself appeals to its target audience through meeting the conventions of the dance genre. An example of a dance convention is seen through the use of editing and the additional strobe/neon lighting incorporated into the video. This is creatively shown on the video constantly flashing across the screen and appearing on the artist's hand. The strobe lighting related the lighting within a club or party setting. This is conventional to dance and it is often the type of setting that the music is based upon.
The style of the music video is cleverly used by the artist in order to present his talent, his sexuality and and to built a relationship between himself and his audience. The video is almost totally performance based, with Shift K3Y seen to be singing directly at the camera and towards the audience through numerous close-ups and low angle shots. This helps appeal to the audience as they are able to easily understand the emotions behind the lyrics and experience the intimate personality of the artist. This correlates with the fact that this is one of the artists first music videos and he aims to present himself as confident, smooth, and talented, being able to easily connect with the viewers.
The main element of the video that is used to both appeal to the audience and meet the conventions of the dance genre is the use of editing. This is clearly evident through the effects added on the video, showing the artists 'touch' to be luminous; and through both the fast paced editing incorporated with numerous jump cuts. The use of the effects appeals to the target audience as the strobe/neon lighting added a party atmosphere to the video of which the young teenage audience aspire towards. Also, the use of fast paced editing and quick successions of jump cuts is additionally seen to comply to the dance genre conventions as it agrees with the fast music and variety of tempos; this allows him to build upon his image of a typical, creative dance artist.
One element of mine en scene that is evident within the video is the artists facial expressions. He is constantly seen to be looking and pointing towards the camera as though he is singing to the audience. It is done in order to make the audience feel as though the lyrics of the song are directed at them. This furthermore supports the evidence of Dyer's star theory within the video; shown as the references to the audience are made evident through constant close ups of the artist. Although having alack of influence upon the dance conventions within the video Shift K3Y is doing this to again appeal to his target audience of female teenagers and younger adults. He constantly refers to the camera in order to aim the lyrics towards the audience. They may feel that the artist wants to 'feel' their 'touch'; it makes them want to aspire to be with the artist and further follow his career and music.
To conclude, I have taken a series of inspirations from these videos. It showed me that the artist I plan to make my video on is obviously a typical dance artist who aims to comply to the dance conventions and portray a relatable image of himself to his selected target audience. These two themes are both seen within the two of his previous videos and I will aim to incorporate this into my own version of the song 'I Know' through the use of a relatable and accessible setting; plus the use of strobe/neon lighting effects. Hopefully this will be seen to appeal to the target audience that Shift K3Y is constantly seen to engage with. Also, a more specific inspiration that I will take from both videos is the use of fast paced jump cuts and montages, used on time with the music. This meant that the video was paced and exciting to watch; building upon a vibrant party atmosphere. This could potentially be evident through a fast paced montage of the artist and his girlfriend in my music video.
My chosen music video demonstrates stereotypical characteristics of the pop genre which corresponds to the first element of Goodwin's theory. Specific evidence as the video often switches from the narrative to performance. As the chorus is played the video switches to a mid shot of the band singing and close ups of the band members and main artist. Performance is generally seen as a key element of the pop genre as artists often aim to show themselves as regularly as possible in order to appeal to their fans. Due to the genre having a conventional audience of teenagers and mostly girls, the performance element of a video is very important. The audience usually obsess over artist and through showing the artist regularly singing and performing, they are able to build a relationship with the fans. 
Additionally, the video does follow elements five and six as it shows evidence of forms of 'looking' through intertextual features. This is clearly shown as the artist is seen on a news channel waiting on the corner. It portrays him as being stationary whilst singing on the corner for a lengthy period of time and the news channel emphasises the popular support he has in his quest to find the girl he loves and large amount of effort he would go through to find her. This is furthermore evidence of the theory seen within the video. It has effects on the audience as they are engaged through wanting to see why he is on the news channel; this also elaborates upon his presentation of a pop star that would appeal to the mainstream audience. It also emphasises the conventional romantic plot of which appeals to the target audience of teenage girls as it shows the lengths he would go to in order to find the girls he loves. 
