Richard Dyer believes that pop stars are not 'real people', infact they are artifical images who have been constructed in a way to appeal to an audience,this can be through their image, personality and the way they are marketed.
For instance, everyone is aware of the well-known competition series The X Factor, this show is a perfect example of star construction whereby the contestants are moulded and changed into this image, so not only do they sing, they look and play the part of the perfect Pop Star.
1. BEN HAENOW
This is a clip of the winner of X Factor 2014 - Ben Haenow. When he auditioned for the show he came with his own unique style, he had scruffy hair, piercings, a chain and wore the simple hoodie and jeans. However as he progressed in the show his image could not stay as it was, ah yes his construction began, the piercings and jewellery disappeared, he got a slick haircut and by the end of the show ended up looking like your typical male pop-star.
2. ONE DIRECTION
This is a clip of the individual auditions of the well-known boy band 'One Direction', by looking at this you can see how each individual has their own style, they have come onto this show as their own person. However, this changes as the show progresses, the fives boys are placed into a band and gradually you begin to see them coordinating their clothing, 'fixing' their hairstyles and basically start to form into the perfect pop band.
The second Music theorist I looked at is called SIMON FRITH. He believed that music videos are characterized in 3 main typologies: Performance, Narrative and Conceptual. I will go through each typology and with it will list two music videos for each.
1. PERFORMANCE
Performance videos display the artist in the studio recording the song for example Kirko Bangz - Drank in my cup, this reminds the viewer that the soundtrack and album are still important. This video has two parts to it, one where the artist is in the studio recording the song (and this is shown throughout), and two the artist and his friends are at a party.
The second type of performance video is one where it is shot at the artists concert, so there is no formality to the video rather it has the artist performing on stage, usually to their fans, this kind of video wants to make the viewer experience the concert. For example Dappy - IOU.
2. NARRATIVE
This kind of music video usually has a storyline/plot to it, takes place in a cause-and-effect sequence. Action in the story is usually dominated by males who do things and females who react or wait for something negaive to happen. Like in the video Beyonce - If I was a boy, the male and female have switched roles, Beyonce is playing a 'man' who is cheating on her other half and in the video it shows their relationship breaking down over time.
This is another example, again by Beyonce. The songs lyrics are again about the breakdown of a relationship with an unfaithful man, and it gives a message of woman empowerment.
3. CONCEPTUAL
Conceptual videos rely on a poetic form, usually metaphysical poetry articulated through visual and verbal elements. 'Conceptual videos do not tell a linear story, rather they create a mood and excitement.' - Simon Frith. The concept of the video Lala - Naught Boy is a remake of The Wizard Of Oz, it's a quirky video which takes time for one to understand.
The second example is McFly - Love is easy, it shows the members of the band acting on a stage and being humorous, I personally think it's a cute video, makes me happy when I watch it.
In class we learnt about our first Theortist - ANDREW GOODWIN. In his book 'Dancing in the Distraction Factory' he believes that there are 5 types of music videos, I am going to go through each theory and with it will list a video that applies to it.
1. GENRE
The Music Video should represnt the stereotypes and conventions of the specified genre. For example, a Hip-hop video would normally consist of the artist wearing chains, half-clothed women, cars, drugs etc. An example of a typical Hip-hop video would be Kirko Bangz - What yo name is.
2. NOTIONS OF LOOKING
The audience gains pleasure from watching the music video. In particulare VOYEURISM which is the erotic pleasure gained by looking at a sexual object, this theory can also be described as 'The Male/Female Gaze' which was proposed by Laura Mulvey, so in this video Nicki Minaj - Super Bass The Male Gaze theory can be applied as it is purposely fashioned to be a sexual video, and appeals more to a male audience than it does a to female.
3. STAR IMAGE
This video is created in a way that promotes an up-coming star through frequent close-ups. For example One Direction debut with their first song What makes you beautiful, as they were a new boy-band not many people were unfamiliar with their faces hence the frequent close-ups of each member of the bands face, so people could familiarise themselves with this new band. Also, their clothes correlate with one another, this gives the band their 'look' so people can get to know who One Direction are. Here's the video of One Directin - What makes you beautiful.
4. INTERTEXTUALITY
This video refers to other media texts, this allows the audience to understand the video quicker. For example reference made to films, other artists etc. Ane example of a music video referencing a film would be Wiz Khalifa - See you again, which has referenced the film 'Fast and Furious 7'.
5. SOUND & VISION
These videos demostrate clear relationship between the lyrics and the video, they're are four examples of these:
1. ILLUSTRATIVE - Visuals in the video literally represent the lyrics. In this video of Kesha - Tik Tok her lyrics portray her to be a care-free party kind of girl and that is how she presents herself in the music video.
2. CONTRADICTORY - The visuals in the video contrast with the lyrics. This is shown in One Direction - One Thing where they are singing about a girl(s) yet the actual video shows them touring around London on a bus.
3. AMPLIFICATION - Repition of key words/lyrics to manipualte the audience. In Flo Rida's - Whistle, the key word is 'Whistle' and with it he has women in the video whistling.
4. DIS JUNCTURE - In this video the meaning of the song is ignored. An example of this would be Adele - Rolling in the deep where she is talking about a failed relationship however the video shows nothing of the sort, rather it shows things smashing and her sitting in a chair singing.
So to start off my blog I have listed my top 5 music videos (and explained why I have chosen them), as I am going to be creating my own music video later on these will give me some kind of inspiration to what kind of video I'd like to create.
Let us begin..
1. TRANQUILA
This is the first of the five music videos on my list. This is a song by the Colombian Artist J Balvin, who is also one of my favourite music artists of all time, the main reason I like this song is because it's not in English, this is because I prefer songs that are in other languages - they have a sort of quirkiness to them. Also, I like the fact that the video itself has a sort of natural feel to it, like it just flows, there's no choreography or specific storyline to it, it's free. I love the setting of the video, the fact that it's set in the favelas and is surrounded with the community gives the video a warm yet gritty feel to it. I also like the fact that the camera follows the artist and the people around, and for the majority of the time it is not set in on place, it gives the video a more free and fun feel hence why the audience likes to watch it.
2. BABA
My second video on my list is a song by the an Artist named Geko. The reason I like this video is again just like Tranquila it doesn't have a storyline and no choreography, it simply flows with the song. The dance moves that are being done in the video are quite humorous, something that youth can relate to which is why I like this video and the whole feel of the song. I also like the fact that the video is set in a flat, such an easy/simple setting and there are no costumes etc, it shows that this video was made on a very low budget yet is very popular due to the lyrics and beat of the song.
3. SMOOTH CRIMINAL
Smooth Criminal was obviously going to be a part of my list. Firstly let us point out that it's by a LEGEND - Michael Jackson. This video is very different to the first two on my list as not only does it a have a storyline it has immaculate choreography - the main reason I love this video so much. Alot of the video has been taken up by Michael Jacksons dancing, this not only shows off his dance moves but also gives the video an entertainment factor. The choreography in the video has gone down in history and is being replicated by many people till this day, this video (like others) shows off the King Of Pop's amazing dance moves emphasising not only how amazing of an artist he was but also a wicked dancer. Furthermore it is as though the video has been taken out of a gangster film, the storyline, characters and choice of clothing add to the whole style of the video, and have allowed it to go down as one of the greatest videos in history.
4. AZONTO
Azonto is number four on the list, this video is more similar to my first and second choice as it again has no storyline and no specific choreography. However, the main reason I like this video is beacuse of the one dance routine that runs throughout the video - the 'Azonto'. Due to this specific dance routine the video and song went viral and had everybody at the doing the dance, as shown in the video. Also the fact that the two main people are wearing masks show the audience that anyone can do the dance whether your're old or young, it's for everyone, and this is also shown in the video as the characters go around London doing the dance and engaging with the community. Furthermore, the song itself has a very upbeat tune to it and when people hear it they automatically do the dance to it, which I think is quite cool. Again this video was made on a low budget as a handheld camera was used and there was no formality to the video.
5. HEY YA!
Last but not least we have Hey Ya! Sung by the one and only Andre 3000. Two words; quirky and weird. This video is quite different to the rest of my list (unlike Smooth Criminal), as it has a storyline, costumes and a sort of choreography. I love this video because it is unlike other videos you'd usually see, it features a live performance by a band, all eight of whose members are played by Andre 3000, and it mimics the Beatles performance in 1964 - the fact that it has a 60s feel to it is something I find quite cool. The video as a whole is just humorous and fun to watch, and I wouldn't mind watching it a couple more times!
Welcome. My names Saba Mughal and this is an introduction to my A2 media blog. Unlike last year where I worked alone to create my music magazine this year I'll be placed within a team where we'll be creating a music video (sounds fun right?). So to ensure you and I are both up-to-date with my journey through Year 13 I will be posting regular updates & this'll help us stay on track and make sure none of us get lost along the way (hopefully).
