Week 2 - Genre Research Part A and B

Grace Watson
9 February 2021
Media Studies
Week 2 - Genre Research - Part A and B

•

PART A

Our teacher, Teacher Bianca, gave us this slideshow to read through as part of our genre research, and whilst reading through its contents, it became apparent that camera angles "play a huge part" in really highlighting and expressing the emotions of the artists in a very effective and captivating way. Close up and extreme close up camera shots are apparently very common in music videos of any genre as they very effectively depict the emotions of the characters in the video and therefore create a more captivating and refreshing viewing experience for the viewers.

CODES AND CONVENTIONS OF A THRILLER

Apparently, for any music video, the camera doesn't stay on the same shot for more than 3-5 seconds generally. This is something I plan on keeping in mind whilst editing my music video in a few months time, as I aim for it to be captivating, fun and very interesting - I don't want the viewers to become bored whilst watching my music video.

In my music video I may consider perhaps playing around with some parallel editing and having the camera cut between a few different stories happening simultaneously. This will create an interesting dynamic to the video. As a team we've discussed using perhaps using either a hip-hop or pop song, which could work really well with parallel editing as often hip-hop songs have quite significant backstories and messages. Something we can really play around with whilst filming. I may also colourise/stylize and add some sort of colour gradient to my shots to create a unique and creative atmosphere to my music video.

I find the sound parallel points very interesting, something I'm going to keep in mind when filming and editing my music video - if the song I choose is happy, then the video footage will ideally also be vibrant, bubbly and excitable as well.

According to this slideshow, props and costumes play a very important role in the music video. Costumes portray stereotypes. They instantly communicate information about different characters to the viewers in music videos "where we learn about the character only through visuals". Props "link the lyrics with the visuals".

GENRES:

[The following few notes are based on the below video]:

Genres help classify what each music video is about. They are beneficial to directors in meeting artists' demands and connecting with the audience as well.

Types of genres:

1. Performance driven

2. Story driven

3. Special effects driven

4. Dance

5. Animation

6. Browser

1. Performance driven:

- The artist or band gives a live performance of their song in various settings.

- Not a lot of creative freedom - keeps things simple and inexpensive while keeping focus on band members themselves.

- Example includes "BEAUTIFUL DAY" by U2.

2. Story driven:

- A narrative plays out to the lyrics of the music.

- If done well, these stories can add a visual boost to the words of the music.

- Example = "It's Not Over" by Daughtry.

3. Special Effects driven:

- Most creative and visually stunning.

- Allows the song to stand out in a crowded market place.

- Example includes "Let Forever Be" by The Chemical Brothers. In this example. the visuals really draw the audience into the music - captivating.

4. Dance driven:

- Artist and others dance to the music's beat in different locations.

- Choreographing the dances requires a lot of time and energy.

- The dances enable the talent to show off their impressive skills and simultaneously match the music's rhythm.

- Example = Michael Jackson's song "Thriller". It took a long time to complete music video, but by pulling it off the way they did, the video has now been added to the Top 10 List of critics worldwide.

5. Animation driven:

- Makes the video look unique and interesting - unlike any other.

- Example includes the song "Take On Me" by A-ha. 

Throughout the music video, the band members go from being drawings to real people. An interesting effect, this enabled the director's to show surrealistic representations of the lyrics in their song, which is something that is actually tough to achieve whilst shooting.

6. Browser driven:

- Using new and innovative technologies to make sure their song is noticed.

- Makes the videos more interactive using new browser capabilities.

- Example includes "All Is Not Lost" by Ok Go. In this case, the viewer is able to type in a message at the beginning which the band then spell out with their feet in the video.

- This genre requires a lot of time and website skills, which can then really payoff at the end by attracting new listeners to a band's music.

Any music video ever wants to:

= attract more listeners to the band's music.

= make the band money.
= influence the way people perceive the band.

It is the music genres that help with this, allowing the directors to relate their idea to the client quickly, and make the bands looks fantastic. 

---

The three genres I plan on researching and speaking more about are the

performance driven, dance driven and animation driven genres.

Below is a presentation with some information about these genres.

Music Genre Research by gracewatson143 

PART B

“Dance Again” by Selena Gomez was produced by the record label Epic, while “Beautiful Day” by U2 was produced by Columbia Records. Similar to “Dance Again”, “Dear Future Husband” was also produced by Epic, while “Party in the USA” was produced by Hollywood Records. Labels such as Epic, Columbia Records and Hollywood Records, Legacy Recordings and labels similar seem to produce the performance and dance genre songs, with Legacy Recordings working with popular artists such as J-Lo and Beyoncé.

It seems as though the more well-known celebrities seem to be signing with these labels. Celebrities such as Selena Gomez, J-Lo and Beyoncé etc. Similar to how there is the ‘Big 5’ in the film industry, the major record labels are known as ‘the big four’. The ‘big four’ being EMI, Sony BMG, Universal Music Group and Warner Music Group. Currently, Universal Music Publishing Group is actually the biggest record company worldwide by 2018 revenue, “dominating a whopping 98% of the world’s music market” according to THIS site.

“Take On Me” was produced by Warner Bros. and Frozen by Disney. It’s interesting that both animation genre videos were produced by major conglomerates that happen to also be film producers, with both Disney and Warner Bros being part of the ‘Big 5’ in the film industry!

With very upbeat and energetic vibes, music videos of the dance genre are usually aimed at and enjoyed most by those around their teenage to young adult years. This is because this generation love the idea of dancing, wearing a lot of make-up and ‘partying’ all night long. Songs such as ‘Dear Future Husband’ and ‘Party in the USA’ are both prominent examples of this, being most enjoyed by the younger generations. ‘Party in the USA’ specifically was, for example, a very popular song amongst my age group growing up.

Similar to animated movies, animated songs can often be associated with younger children who love and really enjoy watching cartoons on a screen. Nowadays though we are seeing that animated music videos are adding a new dimension to the music video industry, often leading to “higher engagement” in comparison to just your regular music video. According to the video linked above that we watched, animation makes the video look both unique and interesting. It is for this reason that nowadays animations are actually relevant for all ages. From children’s songs like ‘Frozen’ right through to songs such as ‘Take on Me’ by a-ha (which is enjoyed by a vast variety of age groups), the animation aspects of the music videos add an additional element of enjoyment and fun.

The audience demographic for performance genre videos is often dependant on the individual song itself. Since the cast are usually just performing the song live from various locations, there is no specific audience as such. It’s more about the acutely song, and what type of audience would be interested in hearing it. For example, the song ‘Beautiful Day’ discussed above was released in 2000, and was listened to by a vast variety of people. 21 years later, and those same people still enjoy the song! The song is timeless. Other songs, like ‘Dance Again’ by Selena Gomez (also a performance genre song), may be more enjoyed by those in their twenties who have experienced heartbreak than what it would be for older moms and dads who are married with children.
Often, the target audience actually depends more on the song specifically than on some sort of trend.

Within both the performance and dance genre videos, the artists seem to all choose a close-up shot for their cover. Revealing emotion and captivating the possible viewers. Animation driven videos seem to prefer mid shots which enable them to reveal some of the animated characters. For example, ‘Take On Me’ by a-ha’s cover photo is a mid-two shot, with one actor being sketched and the other ‘real-life’. This adds an interesting dynamic and attracts the possible listener’s attention.

Mickey Cyrus and Selena Gomez both portray themselves as being somewhat focused, gazing quite ‘intriguingly’ toward the camera in their covers of ‘Party in the USA’ and ‘Dance Again’ respectfully. Their more serious gazes almost give them this respectable vibe of some sort.

Similarly, Meghan Trainor often appears bright and bubbly in her covers. This matches her overall ‘vibe’ of being quite upbeat and happy in her videos, all of them having lively rhythms, which then reinforces her statement on an interview with ET where she mentions one of the beauty brands describing her as being a "sassy, confident girl".

Since releasing a few of her songs, Meghan Trainor was interviewed by ET, and during the video, the interviewer mentioned Meghan’s collaboration with beauty brands. This is an example of cross-media-convergence. Together, the two parties are able to grow in popularity, share their story/cause/sell their products and both benefit from the partnership.

In the video Meghan discusses how she's "all about loving your body", hence why she is excited about collaborating with these brands, saying "let's do it!"

Another example of this is how conglomerates such as Disney partner with singers to record songs such Frozen. They then create ‘Frozen’ merchandise which they sell - furthermore advertising their products.

In general, cross-media-convergence is beneficial in growing a company wealth wise, and overall.