Audience Survey Results

How the texts I have analysed have informed my research

In order to obtain useful information to help my research, I have analysed a plethora of videos to make my research eclectic. By analysing texts from a variety of different sources, I can gain a more detailed insight into the interests of my target audience (with help from my survey). For example, many of the videos I have analysed are of an Indie Rock/Pop origin, however, I have also taken the time to analyse Hip Hop/Rap songs to diversify my research - the more I know about the expectations of each target audience the more informed and well rounded my research will be. YouTube is a useful tool in dissecting subcultures, for instance, if you were a fan of The Jam (a prominent figure in spurring the mod revival in the 70s/80s) and watched the official video for "That's Entertainment" or "Going Underground", it is likely that on the column to the right bands such as Small Faces, The Who, The Clash and possibly even bands who emerged slightly later than The Jam such as Oasis and The Stone Roses - bands who have both cited The Jam as primary influences in their music - would be suggested as viable listening options to the viewer. Essentially, if someone listens to The Jam, it is quite possible that they also listen to a few of the other bands mentioned above, therefore if my target audience enjoy Guns N' Roses (falling more into the rock/metal genre) it can be postulated that they also enjoy bands such as Motley Crue, Aerosmith or even AC/DC.

Therein, I will be analysing an array of videos deriving from a number of different sources to gain a better knowledge of the conventions of different music videos that go with certain genres. Famous music videos such as Thriller - Michael Jackson and Money for Nothing - Dire Straits will be analysed to dissect the components that constitute such a successful music video. Contemporary texts must also be analysed to gain an insight into what is compelling consumers in the present day.

Textual Analysis: David Bowie - "Space Oddity"

Camera
The video features the use of a handheld camera at the beginning of the video to allow for a sense of realism, as if the audience are in the room with the artist. As has become customary, an ECU was used on the artist at the beginning of the song to connote their significance. By opening the video through the use of a handheld camera,

Mise en Scene

Bowie, who was a significant figure in pioneering the 'glam rock' era, sports a variety of flamboyant outfits, often styalised with sequins/glitter finishes on his shirt to catch the light and draw attention. Bowie also wears make up, making him appear paler in conjunction with his orange hair - a trademark of Bowie's at the time which gave him that feminine, ideosyncratic edge over other artists.

Audience Survey

In order to gain more of an insight into what demographic I will be creating for, please fill out my audience survey to help me collate data for the research section of my blog.

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Textual Analysis: Guns N' Roses - "Paradise City"

Camera

The opening shot is a handheld shot that pans across the empty stadium the band are due to play in - essentially acting as an establishing shot for the video. This allows the audience an insight into the magnitude of the stadium and allows the camera to convey the gargantuan nature of the arena to the audience. Similar to the "Sweet Child O' Mine" video, the video documents the band setting up through the use of a handheld shot to give the video a 'rough around the edges' look and also to give the audience a sense of involvement - almost allowing them to feel as if they are one of the crew and are there with the band. Mid shots are used frequently to capture individual members of the band and reveal some of the environment they find themselves surrounded in - usually scaffolding which shows just how much work goes into the preparation of the bands shows, which connotes hard work and dedication. Long shots are also used, again, to convey to the camera the magnitude of the gig and just how big of a performance that gig was, this gives the audience a barometer of the bands success. This is also done by using close ups before zooming out (almost like a dolly zoom) to quickly reveal the size of the arena in behind the band performing sound checks. This connotes how hard working the band are - the fact that they are remaining energetic and animated even throughout the duration of their sound checks which sends a message to the audience as to exactly how diligent the band are and also how focused they are on making music. In addition to this, it is not rare to see the band presented through the use of a mid shot/long shot to capture them all together sharing the confines of the frame - this connotes that there is great camaraderie and mutual understanding between all the band members and represents them as having a sense of togetherness. More iconic members of the band (Slash and Axl Rose) are frequently subject to tracking shots to connote importance as if to say to the audience that we should in fact be watching these members' every move. The main theme in this video is to give the fans an insight into what it is like to be in the band and also the crew, which is why handheld shots are used to retain verisimilitude/realism within the video and whip pans (again) have been used quite often to quickly shift attention and ensure the video remains exciting. Fundamentally, the video is perpetually creating eyeline matches with what either the crew or the band members themselves would see. Throughout, a series of low angle shots are used to enhance the gargantuan nature of the stadium in which they are playing and also connotes significance and great importance of the band member being filmed.

Mise en Scene

As with "Sweet Child O' Mine", the band wear very 80's metal style of fashion to adhere to the conventions of the subculture. This includes many leather items with buckles, but more iconic members of the band e.g. Slash and Axl feature many of their signature attire that are essentially indices of their presence. For example, Slash still wears his signature top hat and sports a mop of frizzy hair, whilst Axl maintains his skinny fitting clothes and sailors hat - this gratifies the audience as they are seeing what they want to see, they are seeing all the individual elements of the Mise en Scene that make up the band as a cohesive whole. Again, Gibson Les Paul guitars are another feature of the video that are seen as an index for Slash, something that immediately alerts the audience of his presence - just like smoke signifies fire or a footprint. Sunglasses are also a trademark feature for almost any rock band and Guns N' Roses are no different and they maintain a hard rock look - almost holding a mirror up to their fans and the way in which they dress - this finds favour with the band's target demographic as they belong to a subculture and they must reciprocate the interests and tastes of the fans. Throughout the video, the band take up the majority of the confines of the frame when taking into account the rule of thirds, this connotes that these members of the band in particular are of great importance.

Editing

Many cuts are used throughout the video and this is mainly due to the fact that binary oppositions are created by contrasting footage of the band rehearsing (doing sound checks) and performing live. There is also a monochrome effect used although this is used less towards the middle of the video (when the heavy guitar riff starts) and colour is used to make the video more vibrant - creating synergy between the audio and the visuals on screen. This fast paced style of editing is employed to keep up with the frenetic pace of the song, again, creating that all important relationship between the audio and the visuals in order to allow the audience to enjoy the text and decode it without trying - making for easy viewing. It was also important to ensure that the correct footage was used over the music, for example, it was vital that they created a lip syncing effect coupling the live gig footage with the correct part of the song so that the visuals matched the audio - one example of this is at 02:00 when Axl sings the pre-chorus lyrics. The monochrome effect is used to distinguish the band's lives on stage and off the stage: whenever they appear to be joking around in hotels or famous cities it is documented through the use of a monochrome/black and white effect added in post production, however, whenever the band are on stage they are presented through a more vibrant use of colour - this then creates another binary opposition.

Sound

Unlike in "Sweet Child O' Mine", there is no other use of sound apart from the soundtrack itself which was recorded and then released in 1988 (US) and 1989 (UK), but as I mentioned previously, there is a distinct relationship between the music and the visuals that appear on screen an this is maintained throughout the video to retain synergy and continuity within the video in order to make for easy viewing for the audience who will be subconsciously decoding the text and giving it meaning themselves.

Textual Analysis: Ugly Kid Joe - "Cats In The Cradle"

Camera

Many high angle shots have been used to represent the young boy in the narrative to make him look somewhat more diminutive, vulnerable, insignificant, weak and inferior. This is definitely something I will look to incorporate in my own work should I choose to use the theme of children in my narrative, as it only exaggerates how they can be presented as isolated and this will give me the subject of binary oppositions to talk about in my evaluation. When the vocalist features, he is centralized within the frame and funnily enough does not receive as much screen time as the characters in the actual diegesis of the video, which connotes that the band are proponents of minimalism and would rather allow the narrative of the song to be continuous than use up all of the screen time themselves. However, when filming the man bearing a pigs mask, the camera represents him through the use of a low angle shot to connote superiority, and also make the figure look more formidable. Also, long shots are used to show the difference in stature between the boy and his father to elicit a sense of empathy and compassion from the audience, and with the way the lighting has been adapted it presents the characters as mere silhouettes which creates an element of iconography within the video - an image that will stick with the audience and remain in their mind until they spot similar references of intertextuality in other texts. At one point, a canted angle is even used to connote that the scene is a memory or that maybe even that the audience are viewing something they should not be looking at, whilst also making the audience themselves feel isolated to help them empathize with the protagonist in the narrative/diegesis.


Mise en Scene

Throughout the video there is low-key lighting used, which is interesting considering the theme of the song and in fact the diegesis is about the relationship between a a young boy and his father, which creates a binary opposition between youth which we normally see as carefree and enjoyable and the dark lighting which casts far more negative connotations about the general feel of the video. This low-key lighting works well in conjunction with the clothes worn by the band - the vocalist in particular sports a very dark shirt as this goes hand in hand with their identity as a rock band and as a subculture, this is a binary opposition to the characters in the diegesis such as the child who wears slightly more vibrant colours that are made out as ostensibly dull by the low-key lighting. This lighting is more apparent when the vocalist features on screen, he is given slightly less time on screen than the characters in the narrative which goes someway to connoting that the band are more focused on the narrative of the song and making music than 'showboating' in the video, which is a performance/narrative video. In terms of the chiaroscuro elements of the video, it is shaded quite darkly when referring to the narrative, this in turn gives the impression of a distant memory or nostalgia and gives an incredibly psychedelic effect, however, this is slightly more to do with editing but can be made applicable to the mise en scene. In addition to the notion that the band want to exhibit the narrative rather than take up all of the camera time themselves, the vocalist is at times (notably at 01:44) obscured by branches of a tree/plant, which goes even further in showing that the band are trying to avoid allocating themselves all the screen time which is done to signal that they are not interested in taking all the 'glory' in terms of the video and they merely want to focus on producing music, which will earn them fundamentally respect from fans and other artists alike.

Editing

A blurry and almost 'watery' effect has been added to the video in post production to give the effect that the footage is a distant memory in the recesses of the protagonists' mind, and also connotes nostalgia successfully through this editing technique. There is also an obvious use of inter-cutting between the vocalist narrating the diegesis and the narrative itself within the text to ensure that the narrative develops and unfolds quickly so that the audience do not become bored by the video which may otherwise seem mundane. Slow motion has been employed at times to give a more dramatic effect to the footage, whilst in the editing process it has been maintained that there should be a synchronous relationship between the audio and the visuals, this is why when cuts are made to different parts of the narrative corresponding to what is being sung (e.g. 01:08 when the vocalist sings "could you teach me to throw?" footage of the boy playing with a ball and then throwing the ball follows, maintaining a good relationship between the audio and the visuals corresponding to the lyrics). A dip/fade to black is used at 01:39 to connote the end of one part of the narrative and the beginning of a new and also this happens to be when the chorus ends - again, maintaining this good relationship between the narrative, visuals and audio.

Sound

In terms of sound, as I have previously mentioned, there is a distinct relationship between the audio and the visuals, but other than this, no sound effects or non-diegetic sound is used and it is merely the original "Cats in the Cradle" soundtrack that was released in 1992 that gave the band exponential growth in popularity and great commercial success.

Textual Analysis: Guns N' Roses - "Sweet Child O' Mine"

Camera

The camera uses a series of different angles and shots to add different connotations and meaning to the video - which is a promo video and so promoting and marketing the band is in the director's best interest. The opening shot is a handheld shot of a huge piece of cloth or curtain featuring the band's logo, this immediately captivates the audience and uses semiotics to engage them and inform them that it is a Guns N' Roses song. In addition to this, the use of a handheld shot elicits a sense of viewer involvement allowing the audience to really engage in the text and feel as if they are there themselves. It also gives quite a minimalist approach to filming making a statement/point that the band are fully focused on the production of music rather than lavish, pristine music videos. The next shot is a mid shot of lead guitarist Slash - this establishes a good relationship between the audio and visuals as at this point the iconic opening guitar riff is the only diegetic sound to feature. It then quickly intercuts a number of mid shots of other members of the band as well as the band's crew members. This shows the band members who are not yet active in between shots of Slash which creates a sense of ambiguity. Following this, as the vocals begin, lead singer Axl Rose suddenly receives more screen time and features more in the video to maintain this relationship with the visuals and audio to allow the audience to decode the text more easily. In addition to this, to continue the ''rough around the edges' minimalist approach the director has employed the use of a whip pan - this again gives the audience a sense of involvement as if they are actually there but it also shifts attention quickly, ensuring that the director controls the audience and they focus on exactly what he wants them to see. Notably, the camera quickly whip pans from lead guitarist Izzy Stradlin to drummer Steven Adler - this connotes that despite the fact the band must be presented each individually, the director still wants to balance screen time and represent the band as a cohesive whole. It is also noticeable that at times (notably Izzy Stradlin) makes a direct address with the camera breaking the fourth wall - this denotes that the band want to address their audience directly and involve them in their success, this breaking the fourth wall is an attempt to break the wall between the lavish lives the band members live and the normal day-to-day lives that their fans live, making the fans feel as if they are in the band and 'one of them'. At some junctures in the video, the band are represented through the use of a two shot incorporating two or more band members - the director does this to show camaraderie between the band members and present them as a cohesive whole after showing the constituents of the band individually. Long shots are also used at times to give a further insight into the location they are playing: a rehearsal hall - this shows off their dedication for practicing and making music in order to provide the best performance possible for the fans, and this is exactly why long shots have been deployed at sporadic intervals. With regards to the rule of thirds, the more iconic figures in the band such as Axl Rose and Slash receive lots of screen time and also take up a large portion of the screen and are almost centralized every time they appear on screen. Also, the use of a handheld shot is repeated throughout the video in order to connote this minimalist approach, and nearly none of the shots featured in the final edit are stabilized through the use of a tripod or camera dolly. The lead singer often receives the most screen time during the chorus in order to, again, maintain this all important relationship between the audio and the visuals.

Mise en Scene

Many of the visual themes in the video (the Mise en Scene) are deployed for obvious reasons: for example, the band all wear tight fitting leather trousers and dark colours to fulfil their 'metal' look and market themselves as a brand identity and a subculture. Iconography is also used in the video - Slash himself is an icon, whilst all of the indices that make up his appearance (top hat, Gibson Les Paul guitar, frizzy hair etc.) are given exposure to present Slash as an icon - he is instantly recognisable. In order to further elaborate on their minimalist approach to producing music, they are filmed in a rehearsal hall to manifest a dedication and genuine passion for music as they know that this will resonate to critics and fans alike.

Editing

The video features a lot of inter cutting at a very fast pace in order to keep up with the music, and also keep audiences interested. There is also a use of a time lapse - this is clearly a post production technique and it has been specifically employed to denote the length of time the band spend setting up for rehearsal - again manifesting their devotion and passion for making music, as it is used specifically to show equipment being set up. Another very interesting feature that has been used post production is the use of a monochrome effect - this also contributes to the band's belief of minimalism as it has been used in their work before in videos such as "Paradise City" and so this is clearly a theme they want to continue to use to make themselves noticeable, almost carving out an identity by making use of such conventions by which they can be noticed. It seems that assemble editing has been used - the band have been given creative freedom to some extent to almost 'do what they want'. The director has obviously told the band what to do (perform the song) but in terms of footage it has been collected randomly and put together in a specific order in the post production process. Although, the video has probably been subjected to the process of linear editing, as the director must have had a predetermined order in which he wanted the video to be arranged.

Sound

During the beginning of the video, the light sound of talking among the band's crew is heard, before plugs and electrical equipment being inserted into sockets is heard. This, again, gives the viewer a sense of involvement allowing them to feel as if they are there with the artist. It also gives the video a sense of verisimilitude. In addition to this, just before Slash starts the guitar riff three 'beeps' are heard from what sounds like a metronome to signal to Slash to start the guitar riff. Again, this makes the audience feel like they are there at rehearsals with the band members themselves and also allows for greater verisimilitude and realism in the video. Apart from this diegetic sound, it is merely the original recording of "Sweet Child O' Mine" that plays in conjunction with the visuals in a performance video.