Digipak Reflection

Digipak Reflection

 

Conducting research into Digipaks allowed me to become aware of the codes and conventions employed into a digipak of the indie genre. This therefore allowed me to ensure that the digipak I would create for my artist would be conventional to the indie genre, and therefore appeal to our central target audience of females aged 16-25. I learnt that including an image of the artist is paramount in creating an appealing digipak so that the audience are aware of who the artist is at the first glance of the digipak. Having the artist providing the audience with eye contact further enhances the appeal of a digipak as it allows the audience to build a relationship with the artist on their first glance, enticing them to purchase the digipak. I also learnt from my research that the colour scheme of a digipak is important in being visually appealing and that it should be consistent on each slide to improve the quality of the digipak.

 

The digipak I created for my artist is conventional to the indie music genre due to the components I incorporated into each slide. The digipak follows the theme of rural colours and images which was employed mainly through the images of my artist in a forest location and also with a brick background. The use of the indie style colour scheme allows the audience to understand the genre of the music on their first glance of the digipak which will initially determine whether they are interested in the digipak or not. The artists’ image on the digipak follows indie conventions and therefore allows the audience to build a relationship with the artist and relate to her. In the images included on the digipak she is seen wearing a denim jacket and a floral dress which is highly conventional of the indie genre as a denim jacket provides an edgy appearance to the artist and also links in with the rural theme of the rest of my digipak. In addition to this the floral dress is conventional to the indie genre as it relates to the idea of nature and simplicity which is common within the indie music genre. The artist is also seen wearing red lipstick which is extremely popular with females within our target audience of ages 16-25 years therefore it provides fans of our artist with the opportunity to relate to her, and therefore is likely to entice them to purchase the digipak. her. In the images included on the digipak she is seen wearing a denim jacket and a floral dress which is highly conventional of the indie genre as a denim jacket provides an edgy appearance to the artist and also links in with the rural theme of the rest of my digipak. In addition to this the floral dress is conventional to the indie genre as it relates to the idea of nature and simplicity which is common within the indie music genre. The artist is also seen wearing red lipstick which is extremely popular with females within our target audience of ages 16-25 years, therefore it provides fans of our artist with the opportunity to relate to her, and therefore is likely to entice them to purchase the digipak. Furthermore the artist is seen holding an acoustic guitar in a number of the images I have included on my digipak which enhances the idea that the artist performs music of the indie genre, and is therefore a significant symbol of the genre of music for the audience. I decided to use simplistic font for my digipak as it would in turn be conventional to the indie genre of simple conventions and therefore be visually appealing to the audience.

 

The digipak I have created allows our target audience of females aged 16-25 years old to build a relationship with the artist. This is due to the fact I have included an image of the artist on 5 of the 6 slides, with 3 of the slides having the artist provide the audience with eye contact which allows the audience to engage with the artist. However on the other two slides the artist is looking away from the audience which allows her feelings to be hidden behind her music which may entice the audience to listen to her music and in turn discover more about the artist. In addition to this one of the slides includes a welcome note which allows the digipak to feel more personal to the audience as it involves them in it and makes them feel engaged with the artist which allows them to build a relationship with her.

 

For my digipak I decided to incorporate quirky text that was simplistic and not over the top so that it would not deter the audience’s attention away from the artist and her music. The simplistic text is also conventional to the indie genre and therefore enhances the visual appeal of the digipak for the audience. I also decided to include the brick background as a theme on my digipak as it is rural and highly conventional to the indie genre. I then kept the brick background theme on the cd to make the whole digipak consistent which would further enhance the visual appeal to the audience. The forest background I also used as a recurring theme of my digipak is also simplistic and evokes a sense of nature which is conventional to the indie genre therefore enhancing it on the audiences’ first glance of the digipak. For the design of the cd I decided to incorporate a daisy chain as it directly links with the artists name and the indie genre as it relates to nature which therefore links in with the theme of the digipak. This therefore enhances the effect the digipak would have on the audience.

 

Deciding to continue the brick wall and forest backgrounds allowed my digipak to be highly conventional to the indie genre, therefore appealing to our target audience of females aged 16-25. In addition to this it may encourage other people to purchase the digipak as it provides them with a detailed representation of the artist and the music genre. I also decided to include simplistic elements such as the white simple text so that it would further enhance how conventional the digipak I created is to the indie genre. The artists’ image is also conventional to the indie genre as the denim gives the artist an edgy appearance and the floral dress links in with the idea of nature, which is simplistic and therefore conventional to the indie genre.

 

There are a number of adjustments I could make to my digipak to enhance how appealing it is to my target audience. I would alter the design of the cd as the daisy chain does not look realistic and therefore makes it lack visual appeal. I will attempt to incorporate a more realistic image of a daisy chain or alter the design of the cd completely. In addition to this I would edit the images of the artist I have included on my digipak to improve the quality of them and the effect they have on the audience when they first see the digipak. Making these minor changes may allow my digipak to be more appealing to my target audience and more conventional which is likely to entice more people to purchase it.

 

Creating my own digipak has allowed me to become more aware of how to combine components to create a conventional and visually appealing digipak which will assist with the promotion of my artist. It has also allowed me to learn how to form a digipak from scratch using the Photoshop programme and all the various tools within it. In turn when it comes to creating our group digipak I have built up a substantial amount of knowledge surround the creation of digipaks and also how to make it conventional which will therefore assist in creating a group digipak that is appealing to our target audience. In addition to this within our group we all individually created our own digipaks and are therefore able to combine our ideas together to create a final high quality digipak which will appeal to our target audience and assist the promotion of our artist.

 

 

 

Lyrics Analysis

Lyrics Analysis

  

As a group we printed out the lyrics of the song, Noserings and Shoestrings by the indie artist Nina Nesbitt for our music video, and discussed the hidden meanings behind the lyrics. By doing this it allowed us all to understand a deeper connotation of the lyrics and what the song really meant. Therefore it meant that when it came to producing our music video we would be able to ensure that all elements of our music video connoted the correct representation that we all anticipated from the lyrics. This would therefore enhance the likelihood of our music video being appealing to our target audience as creating visual connotations would engage the viewers and allow them to enjoy our music video more. Below is images of the lyrics that we annotated as a group:

 

The song begins with the lyrics 'ruffled hair, a lose shoestring' which instantly provides the audience with the visuals of a male who the artist is supposedly singing about. The words 'ruffled' and 'lose' are significant in portraying that the male, (that is known to be the artists boyfriend) has a somewhat scruffy and messy appearance which may be a direct link to the type of relationship the artist and her boyfriend are in. During these lyrics of the music video we anticipate to include a number of shots of the artists boyfriend to provide the audience with a realistic visual of the particular individual which will allow them to understand his part in the song in more depth. The first line of lyrics is then closely followed with the lyrics 'covered arms and a nose ring'. The connotation of the lyric 'ring' is usually linked to the idea of marriage which is a juxtaposition of the relationship represented in the song. This would therefore provide the audience with the idea that the artist anticipates her relationship to follow that of a typical, happy one and therefore she is kidding herself believing that it could someday be. The lyrics 'he goes out till the lights up' are then employed. The connotation of the lyric 'lights' is typically happy, however the lyrics contrast the positive representation of this as it is linked to the artists 'misguided' boyfriend.
 

The lyrics ‘he doesn't know what he's worth’ connotes to the audience the idea that  the artist still perceives her boyfriend as important and worthy regardless of his ‘scruffy’ and ‘misguided’ image. At this point in the music video we anticipate to include a close up shot of the artist to illustrate the artists’ emotions to the audience which will further allow them to develop a deeper meaning to the song. The lyrics to follow, in the chorus, provide the audience with a deeper representation of the artists’ boyfriend. The lyrics ‘a little obsessed’ may be suggestive of him having an addictive personality, and somewhat the idea of him being addicted to drugs or alcohol. The lyrics ‘get’s money from his parents’ further highlights his childish behaviour and the idea that he has a somewhat reckless personality. In addition to this the lyrics ‘I guess that's adolescence at its best’ highlights that the artist may have a somewhat mothering role over her boyfriend and is almost blinded by his idiotic behaviour blaming it on his ‘adolescence’. At this point in the music video we hope to show past scenes of the artist and boyfriends’ relationship to show a complete contrast from the happier times to those of which are current where he has become reckless and misguided. This would therefore reinforce the boyfriends’ personality and behaviour for the audience to further understand. The following line continues to illustrate the boyfriend to the audience the lyric ‘distressed’ highlights that he is vulnerable due to his personality and behaviour and ‘keeps a bottle inside his vest’ illustrates that the boyfriend cannot stop his addictive behaviour. It has led him to keep the alcohol close to his heart which signifies the love his has for it, which may somewhat be more over powering than his love for the artist.

The lyrics ‘he says 'live fast and die young’ shows how the boyfriend is racing through his life with his reckless behaviour and that he enjoys in his adolescence. The artist then sings the lyrics ‘what’s done it done’ which connotes that the damage the boyfriend has done from his addiction cannot be repaired. In addition to this it somewhat signifies how the artist attempted to help her boyfriend but it was out of her control. During these lyrics a we hope to employ a sequence of camera shots which further present the boyfriend partaking in the addictive behaviour so that the lyrics directly relate to the visuals which would follow Goodwin’s theory.  The lyrics ‘you only live once’ sung by the artist may somewhat be sarcastic, mimicking the mind frame of her boyfriend as this phrase may be the cause of his addictive behaviour. Following these lyrics the artist is heard singing ‘woa-oh-oh-oh’ which connotates that she is disorientated by the relationship and also suggestive of her boyfriend being intoxication from the addictive problems he has. This connotation would be highlighted in our music video through the employment of a 360 degree camera shot of the boyfriend partaking in his addictive behaviour to allow the audience to understand a visual representation of his personality.

The lyric ‘skate-parks’ is suggestive of the boyfriend having a passion for fast pace and high adrenaline activities. In our music video we will employ the skate park as the boyfriends place to escape to and will therefore be evident throughout the music video to constantly provide the audience with the reminder of the boyfriends’ behaviour and personality. In addition to this the lyric ‘lighter’ highlights his passion for reckless idea and connotes the idea of fire and that fire is damaging which may link to the effect his behaviour is having on his relationship. Besides this connotation the lyric further presents how the boyfriend has a passion for the wrong things, danger and recklessness. The lyrics ‘going nowhere’ emphasize the idea that the boyfriends attitude and behaviour will lead him nowhere in life, it contrasts with his interest in living a fast pace life as he in reality is not progressing anywhere. The lyrics ‘maybe if life wasn’t so hard’ further portrays how the artist has a somewhat mothering role over her boyfriend. Linking with the lyrics ‘if he got off to a better start’ together connotes how the artist blames life and not him, further conveying how she is blinded by her love for him and somewhat brushes off his idiotic behaviour.

After these lyrics the chorus is repeated and therefore the connotations are equivalent to those previously stated.

The lyrics ‘keep calm and carry on’ are almost representative of the artist talking to herself because she is unable to talk to her boyfriend due to his behaviour. The lyrics ‘he’ll sit with his guitar and play another song’ are employed and the lyric ‘another’ is extremely significant in illustrating how the artists boyfriend leads a repetitive life in how he acts and what he does. It also presents how the artist is becoming fed up with having to put up with her boyfriend’s behaviour and the lyrics ‘will he come tonight before it gets light?’ shows how the artists happiness relies on whether her boyfriend will return that night as she is constantly left worrying about him. The lyric ‘light’ also typically connotes a happy element, however the lyrics provide a contrast to this. Following this the lyrics ‘I guess he might’ portrays how she doubts him and their relationship but however has hope that he may for once return. At this point of the music video we hope to include a close up of the artist performing to portray her emotions in detail to her boyfriends’ behaviour which will allow the audience to engage with the song on a higher level. Subsequent to this the lyrics ‘but he’ll be home by dawn’ highlights to the audience the unreasonable times the artists boyfriend returns from being out. In addition to this it may also connote the artists hopes of a new beginning with her boyfriend due to the lyric ‘dawn’ being representative of a new day beginning, and therefore a new beginning for their relationship.

The last page of the lyrics consists of the chorus which I have included the connotations of previously. The repetition of the connotations of the chorus reinforces the hidden meaning behind the song and allows the audience to become more engaged. The song ends with the lyrics ‘what’s done is done´ which may hold a number of connotations. It may be representative of the artists’ relationship coming to an end, or the boyfriends’ behaviour coming to an end. However in our music video we hope to connote the representation of the artists’ relationship coming to an end providing the audience with a fully developed ending to accompany their in depth understanding of the hidden meanings behind the lyrics of the song.

Rough Cut

Rough Cut

Noserings & Shoestrings Rough Cut

A rough cut is extremely vital in the production of a music video. This is because it allows us as a group to view the first draft of our music video and reflect upon the decisions we have already made. It therefore gives us the opportunity to improve on the rough cut we have created as we may decide to edit certain shots or add or remove certain effects or transitions from the rough cut we created. In turn we may then be able to create a more visually appealing music video that appeals to our target audience.

Audience feedback is paramount when creating a music video. This is so that as group we all understand the strengths and weaknesses of the elements within our music video, which could include things such as; lighting, mise-en-scene and framing. By learning this, we can improve upon the music video we have initially created and therefore it would be more likely for us to create a final music video that is more appealing to our target audience. This is because we would be employing elements that are appealing to our specific target audience and also the genre of our music video. 

As a group we exported our rough cut of our music video and uploaded it onto YouTube. We then shared the link to our rough cut music video on Facebook as we believed this would gain us vital feedback, as Facebook is one of the most popular social networking sites. This allowed us to gain audience feedback through the comment section on our rough cut. In addition to this we conducted short interviews with individuals who had watched our rough cut of our music video. Through the YouTube comments and interviews we gained feedback regarding the elements of our music video that they enjoyed the most and those that we could improve upon. 

Also through sharing the link of our music video on Facebook we personally received a number of comments based on it. My group member Daisy Morecroft received a comment from a female aged 18 who stated that the artists in our music video reminded her of the artist 'Ellie Goulding'. This was taken within our group as extremely positive feedback due to Ellie Goulding being a highly known artist within the indie genre. Therefore we all believed we had successfully executed our artists image to be conventional to the indie genre. In addition to this a the female was aged 18 she falls into our target audience category of females aged 16-25 and therefore we feel as though she has provided us with an extremely accurate response of how our target audience would respond to our artists image.

My group member, Daisy, also received a comment saying that our music video was 'unreal'. This suggested to us that we successfully followed codes and conventions of the indie genre, to create a music video that is appealing to our target audience. The screenshot of the comment illustrates that our audience often consume media on their mobile device. This therefore provides evidence that mobile devices are important in consuming media as we found out during the primary research we conducted prior to the creation of our music video. In addition to this Daisy received a further comment saying that our music video is 'brilliant'. This therefore further encourages us as a group that we have successfully created a conventional music video that is highly appealing to our target audience.  

In addition to the positive comments Daisy received she also was provided with some suggestions of improvements we could make on our music video. A male aged 17 sent a message to Daisy suggesting that we export our final music video in a different format so that the quality of our music video will be enhanced once we upload it on the internet. From receiving this piece of feedback, as a group we decided that we would experiment with this format once our final music video is complete and then compare the quality.
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In addition to this the same male made a suggesting regarding the contrast of our rough cut video. He stated that we should contrast the performance shots and also some of the outdoor shots so that they flow evenly which would improve the quality and appearance of the music video overall. He provided a screenshot of a performance shot after adjusting the contrast settings to convey to us how adjusting the contrast would effect the quality of our music video. It was evident that in doing this the quality of our music video would drastically increase and therefore as a group we decided we would experiment with adjusting the contrast of some of our camera shots with our final music video.  

In addition to Daisys feedback she received on Facebook I received a variety of verbal feedback from people that I had shown our rough cut music video to. Some of the feedback we received through interviews were as follows;

A female aged 40, who however is outside of our target audience, found our music video highly appealing, although she stated she would generally listen to the indie genre music she believes we created a conventional music video to that genre. She also suggested that we alter the zoom shot of the artists boyfriend. This was because it zooms into his chest more than to his face which is irrelevant and does not provide the audience with a visual of the boyfriend. I highly agree with this comment as I believe it is paramount to include high quality, professional camera shots into our music video to enhance the likelihood of it being appealing to our target audience.

During an interview I conducted with a male aged 19 he suggested that we should crop the mid camera shots of our artists performance. This is due to a different coloured wall being evident on the right side of the shot which reduces the quality of the shot as unnecessary iconography is present. We discussed this feedback as a group and agreed with the comment made and in turn we will make the necessary adjustments for our final music video to increase the quality of our performance shots.

Another individual I interviewed who was a female aged 25, also commented on the contrast element within our music video. In addition to the earlier comments we received regarding contrast she commented on the fact that the current varying contrast makes the music video lack a consistent flow. This is due to similar shots in the same location being of extremely different contrasts and therefore not linking consistently together (as seen in the images below). As we received more than one comment on the contrast element of our music video, as a group we decided that we will definitely alter the contrast of our music video to enhance how it appeals to our target audience.

 

Receiving feedback from viewers of our rough cut of our music video will assist us on an extremely high level with finalising our final music video. This is due to being given both positive and constructive criticism regarding our music video. Through receiving this it has notified us of elements that we do not need to alter in our music video and those that we do to increase the quality and appeal of our music video on our target audience. Therefore without receiving feedback on our music video we would not be aware of whether we have created a successfully conventional music video to the indie genre, and therefore whether we successfully completed the task we was given.

Storyboards

Storyboards

 

A storyboard allows a group of people to plan a music video in depth by planning it shot by shot. This includes what each shot will contain, the length of the shot and any transitions or effects that will be incorporated. By producing a storyboard it means that the filming processes will not be delayed by the director deciding upon which camera shot to employ next. In addition to this everybody taking part in the filming process will be aware of what the outcome of the music video should be. Therefore the production process will be able to take place with ease, and the likelihood of faults will be decreased.

Within our group we collected vital information about public interests regarding music videos through the research we conducted. We created a questionnaire with a number of open and closed questions which we handed out to 40 individuals aged 10-50years old. In addition to this we came up with another 5 questions to ask the 5 individuals who took part in our vox pops. These five questions were all open, and due to the interview style research we were able to gain more opinion based answers. Once we had completed our research we collected the data and discussed it as a group. The results we collected gave us a greater insight into what the publics interests are within music videos, and therefore informed us of elements that we could include in our music video to enhance the success of it as a whole. The elements we found popular from our questionnaire included; a narrative based and simple styled music video. From our vox pop research we found that the audience like to be given the opportunity to relate to the artist and also they like to see the artist involved in the narrative. With the data we collected we discussed as a group how we could include a number of preferred features into our music video. In turn the results we gathered allowed us to employ elements into our music video in the planning stage which would improve its likely success and therefore it's appeal to our target audience.

Myself and my group had various discussions regarding our storyboards where we shared our ideas of what we wanted to include. By doing this it allowed us to all be aware of what we anticipated the outcome of our music video to be. Therefore creating the storyboard was easier to do after the discussions as we all had ideas on a similar level. In turn we combined our ideas to create a storyboard to represent the music video we wanted to create. 

Within our group we decided to share the responsibility equally amongst us so that we would all have a balanced input. After discussing our ideas as a group we determined which group member would produce what regarding the storyboard. We therefore produced 2 pages each of the storyboard as we had successfully combined ideas and therefore we shared the same vision for our music video. By sharing responsibilities with the storyboard it meant that all group members felt involved in this process, and due to the fact we shared ideas our vision became more clearer through the storyboard. 

When creating our music video we followed our storyboards for the majority of it. Following our storyboards allowed us to form most of our music video with ease as we followed it step by step. The information we recorded on the storyboards included the timings of each shot so it meant that we could form our shots on our music video to the correct timing of the music. After creating the base of our footage we edited some that then did not follow our storyboard. This is because once we uploaded and watched all our footage it gave us more inspiration and ideas to slightly alter our music video to improve its quality and success.

 

Photoshoot

Photoshoot

 

It is important to conduct a photoshoot with our artist for the creation of our digipak and magazine advert, so that we have relevant images that we can include to portray our artist to the audience. Conducting a photoshoot allows us to plan and form relevant shots to capture that will accurately present our artist and their music on the digipak and advert. The images we include on the advert and digipak are vital in informing the audience of the type of music that the artist sings. It is also important in attracting potential fans to purchase the artists music. Therefore conducting a photoshoot to produce relevant images to include onto the advert and digipak, is important to promote the artist and their music, and to attract audiences to listen to the artists music. 

Within our group we did not conduct a photoshoot, we instead captured images during the filming process of our music video. One of the images we captured was of a daisy as this directly links to our artists name. We decided to capture this image to include on or digipak as the back cover, where the song titles are located. We then thought to include the song title names on each petal as it would be visually appealing to the audience. In addition to this we would be creating a direct link between the artist and her music which would inform the audience of the genre of music of the artist which would play a part in attracting potential fans to listen to the artists music. Another image we took was of our artist holding an acoustic guitar in forest with the tree shadow reflecting on her face. This is to provide the audience with an insight into her musical talent with the guitar and highlights the fact her music is of the indie genre. It also allows the audience to begin to build a relationship with the artist through this image. In addition to this we took a close up image of our artist. This is to engage the audience with our artist which would assist with building a relationship with her. They will also have the opportunity to learn more surrounding the artist through her facial expressions, which may be a key element to provide the audience with an insight into her music.

The images we have taken will be used for our magazine advert and our digipak. This is so that our ancillary products appeal to the target audience of our artist. Including an image of our artist on these particular products allows the audience to become aware of who the artist is and they can begin to build a relationship with them prior to listening to their music. Images are assist in representing the artist to the audience as it provides them with an insight into the artists personality through their appearance, i.e, clothes and facial expressions/body language.

The images we have taken are conventional to the indie genre. The image of our artist holding a guitar allows the audience to learn that our artist is talented with the guitar which is highly conventional of indie genre artists. This is because indie artists are known to do acoustic sets as they are simple and allow the audience to engage with their music on a higher level. Also the location of this particular shot is in a forest which is conventional to the indie genre as it is a natural location.

The images we have captured portray our artists as extremely relatable for the target audience and also down to earth. She is seen wearing clothes that are typical of a teenager to wear and therefore allows teenagers to relate to her as a person. In addition to this they are given the opportunity to form a relationship with her through this as an individual and also as an artist. This is further encouraged through the close up shot of our artist as it provides the audience with an insight into her emotions and allows them to learn more about her as an individual and an artist. 

 

Included below is an example of an image my group took from the photoshoot before and after we had edited on photoshop to produce a conventional image. We then incorporated this image into our front cover so that along with our font we would have created a indie conventional front cover for our digipak. We first uploaded the image into photoshop and experimented with different effects until we was satisfied with the outcome that we had created. The effect we added gave our image a softer appearance so that the colours were not as harsh as in the original picture, however we kept the red lipstick prominent to the audience as it is conventional to the indie genre. In turn the images appearance was more simplistic and therefore conventional to the indie genre.

 

 

 

Risk Assessment

Risk Assessment

Before par taking in the filming of our music video it is important to consider the risks prior to this. This is to reduce the effect our filming could have on various aspects of the public. This can include; the environment, passers by and also ourselves. By considering the risks in advance we are able to discuss the ways in which we can prevent the hazard causing any issues whilst we are filming. Doing this will reduce the time we have to take to correct any problems we have whilst filming, and therefore will benefit the filming process as a whole. Also by preventing risks occurring whilst we are filming it means that the environment we are in is safe and therefore none of us group members would be harmed. 

The risk assessment will assist us with filming as it makes us aware of any risks that could occur during the filming process. By knowing  in advance the risks that could possibly occur it allows us to fully prevent this before the filming takes place. This would therefore mean that our filming would not be affected as we would not have to spend any additional time on adjusting anything that may cause a risk whilst trying to film. In addition to this by being aware of risks in advance it would prevent our footage being of poor quality if we were disrupted by a risk that occurred. This may then further increase the time it would take us to film and mean the quality of our music video may suffer.

History of Music Videos

History of Music Videos

In recent years audiences have been able to consume music videos on a higher scale through a number of different forms of media that have evolved from the standard viewing of music videos on music channels. In recent years consumers have been given the opportunity to view their favourite artists music videos through media channels that have been developed. Consumers are given the choice of viewing music videos that are free and also bought versions, which can then be viewed continuously. The most recent ways in which audiences can view music videos include YouTube and Vevo which are free ways for audiences to watch music videos through the internet. Another way in which audiences can view music videos is through downloading them off of iTunes which can however incur them a charge. Although once downloaded the viewer is then able to import the music video onto an iPad, iPod or iPhone where they can then repeatedly watch the video in addition to viewing them on iTunes via their computer. Music videos were produced as a marketing device to promote songs to an audience through a short film sequence to allow them to become more engaged with the artist and to understand more surrounding their music. 

The music video industry has somewhat developed and expanded on a huge scale, providing audiences with an increased number of ways to view music videos. Audiences now have the opportunity to view music videos on music channels, the internet and by downloading them. Therefore music videos are more diversely marketed by allowing viewers to watch them wherever they may be. This therefore creates greater competition for artists to become successful and have audiences become fans of their music. This is because it is not primarily down to the song to appeal to the audience, an appropriate music video is also now necessary in society for a song to become successful. In turn a music video that is not well executed may substantially reduce the success of the artists song. 

 

In 1884, Edward B. Marks and Joe Stern hired an electrician and a number of performers to promotes the sales of their song. The electrician used a magic lantern and projected a series of still images onto a screen simultaneous to the live performances. This became known as the 'illustrated song' and was the first step towards music videos.

 

In 1974, the Australian TV shows Countdown and Sounds were significant in developing and popularizing the music video genre in Australia and other countries. The TV shows established the importance of music video clips as a means of promoting both emerging artists and new releases by established artists.

 

The long-running British TV show Top of the Pops began playing music videos in the late 1970s. BBC placed strict limits on the number of 'outsourced' music videos that Top of the Pops could use. In turn a good music video would increase the sales of a song as viewers anticipated to see it again the following week. In 1980, David Bowie achieved his first UK number one with his eye catching promo for 'Ashes to Ashes'. It included special effects which allowed the visuals to sustain a somewhat cartoon/drawn effect. 

The first music video channel, MTV, was launched on August 1st 1981 and was primarily created for the play of music videos 24 hours a day. This  gave audiences the opportunity to view a video that goes alongside a song allowing them to engage deeper with the artist and their song, through this they are provided with an accurate perception of the artists song. When MTV was first aired its main target audience was young adults, but now it is targeted at adolescents in addition to young adults. The first music video that was aired on MTV was Buggles, Video Killed The Radio Star. The music video was made on a budget of $50,000 and was filmed in only a day. The music video was best known as marking the debut of MTV and therefore helped its success begin. 

 

Two key innovations in the development of music videos were relatively inexpensive and easy-to-use video recording and editing equipment, and visual effects created with techniques such as image compositing. Image compositing is also publicly known as the use of a green screen. The use of this piece of technology is evident in Miley Cyrus' 'The Climb' music video. The incorporation of the green screen allows the audience to understand the narrative and concept behind the music video in more depth, providing them with a more enhanced viewing.

In 1983, one of the most iconic, influential and successful music videos of all time was released. It was Michael Jackson's song Thriller, and the music video was an outstanding 14 minutes long. The set of the music video set extremely high standards for production, having cost $800,00 to film. This particular music video, along with Billie Jean and Beat it, another two of Michaels music videos, were instrumental in getting music videos by African American artists played on MTV.

 

YouTube has become increasingly popular to view music videos on, allowing artists to market their music to a wider audience. Due to YouTube being free for consumers to view music videos it entices them to experiment with listening to new artists and music of different genres. This in turn allows artists to attract a wider audience if their music video is executed successfully. The most watched music video on YouTube to date is Psy, Gangnam Style which was uploaded on July 15th 2012. In just over a year it has gained over 1,830,000,00 views. The level of views is extremely shocking due to the fact that Gangnam Style was the first song of artist Psy. This therefore illustrates how important YouTube has become with promoting music videos of artists and enticing viewers to experiment with new and upcoming artists. In addition to this Psy, Gangnam Style topped the number of views by artists such as Justin Bieber, Miley Cyrus and Beyonce, conveying how powerful YouTube is within the music video industry. 
 

Nowadays music videos tend to have extremely high budgets, especially for powerful artists within the music industry. This is so that artists can make music videos that are unique and include a number of high quality aspects that appeal to their target audience. The budget of a music video is extremely important as the music video is what assists promoting an artists music. To this day the most expensive music video to ever be made was Scream by Michael Jackson and Janet Jackson which cost a whopping $7,000,000. This extreme cost was down to the fact that Michael Jackson insisted he had a spaceship built from scratch as he didn't want to film his music video on a normal set. This highlights how artists hold the aspect of a music video in high regard and anticipate to produce a music video which will assist in increasing the success of their music.



The extensive budget spent on this music video is in complete contrast to any other music video produced ever since. This is evident in Jessie J's 'Its My Party' music video which was produced this year (2013) and is highly appealing to audiences yet was not created on an extremely high budget. This shows how a successfully executed music video will allow an artist to present their music to viewers and gain public interest without the extreme price tag to it.

Music videos have become more high quality and contain a vast number of special effects to improve the impact it has on the viewers. Creating a highly technical music video allows an artists music to have a greater impact on viewers. The more diverse a music video the more likely a person is to remember it and enjoy it. The use of green screens and special effects have become increasingly popular to enhance the concept within a music video to allow the audience to understand the events of it in more depth. Over the years it is clear that with the development of technology special effects have become increasingly popular and of higher quality in the most recent years. Special effects were evident in the late 80s but somewhat gave music videos an unappealing look as technology was not as developed as present times. Special effects were seen in Michael Jacksons Leave Me Alone music video where elements were given a cartoon effect. In recent years the development of technology has allowed artists to produce music videos which have a greater impact on the audience due to the high level of special effects they have used.  One well known music video that incorporates an array of special effects is Rihannas 'We Found Love'. One of the elements the music video includes is a time lapse which focusses the audiences attention on the artist in the music video. A further element incorporated is the projection of images onto a wall of which Rihanna is seen standing in front. These special effects included in her music video allow it to be more visually appealing to viewers which is likely to attract a wider audience. In addition to this special effects allow viewers to understand the narrative and/or concept of a music video in more depth.

 
The use of music videos allows a song to get more media attention persuading more people to watch. This is mainly through the media channels of YouTube and music channels. This is achieved through a successful music video being executed that directly relates to the genre of the artists music. By doing this it would increase the artists chances of gaining public interest in their music. However a successful music video may not necessarily be the key for an artist to receive an extremely high number of views. Artists that continuously top the level of views their music videos receive include; Miley Cyrus, Justin Bieber, Psy etc. These artists are extremely popular and mainstream within the music industry, therefore their high level of popularity may be due to extreme fans constantly revisiting the artists music video to increase its level of interest and therefore meaning the artist tops the list of producing the most watched music video.

 

 

Over the years music genres have developed drastically. From the typical music genres such as pop and classical a number of other music genres have evolved over the years. Genres now known within society include; dance, hip-hop, indie, rock etc. The increase in the types of genres that music can be put into allows artists to create music that is more specifically aimed at an audience. Due to the increase in music genres it allows artists to enhance the ability of their music to be more appealing and attract the right target audience as they can aim their music a a tight group of people interested in that particular genre. In addition to these genres, society has seen a cross over between a number of genres in recent years, such as; Pop-Rock and Indie Rock. The development of these cross over genres allows an artist to evolve their music to appeal to a wider audience. The Pop genre is known as a mainstream genre that is extremely popular in society. Artists within this genre include Katy Perry, who produces somewhat fictional style music videos, appealing to a wide audience of a range of ages.

The Rock genre specifically appeals to a certain audience, and it may be difficult for artists to branch out to appeal to a wider audience due to their style of music. Rock artists include the band Thirty Seconds To Mars. As the band are of the Rock genre their music is somewhat powerful and loud due to the use of drums as a main instrument, it is therefore more likely for the band to create an impact on their fans.

Rock music is seen as relatively diverse and unique appealing to a specific audience. Whereas due to the evolving of cross over genres, artists with a pop or rock style of music are now able to target their music at the Pop-Rock genre. Avril Lavigne is an artist within this genre and it is evident that she appeals to a young audience and also an older audience due to the diversity of her music. Her music somewhat evokes a fictional atmosphere whilst still conforming to rock conventions through her music and also visually. In turn increasing the level of interest she is likely to receive from viewers.

 

By conducting extensive research into the history of music videos I have been able to widen my knowledge surrounding how the consuming of music videos has developed over the years. I have learnt of the various media platforms that music videos are presented on and am therefore aware of using YouTube to present my music video will benefit myself and my group the most. This is because YouTube is an extremely popular website and therefore we would be able to gain vital feedback surrounding our music video. In addition to this I have learnt how the elements of music videos have developed over the years and has therefore informed me of components I could combine to improve the quality of my music video.