Work due in Wednesday - Music Magazine research and Pitch

NEA Research - Music Magazines and pitches

1. Complete the work started in class on music magazine research, ready to present what you have learnt next week.
- Collate pictures of music magazine front covers and DPS, group them or classifying by style or subgenre, or demographics.

What emerges? Write up your findings about the codes and conventions of music magazines
You could annotate a couple of your pictures for example.

- Research media packs / media kits for two or more music magazines (such packs are put together for advertisers so you learn a great deal about the intended / imagined / ideal target audience for each product).
Compare the findings for two different magazines.
What emerges? Write up your findings / Capture the evidence.

- Which of the music magazines would be most likely to feature your artist and why / how do you know?
Refer to your star text, use pictures etc

- Focus on the house-style of a couple of front covers from this magazine. How is the house-style constructed? Write up findings or annotate a couple of pictures.

2. Song choices
Kai, I think we can go with your Frank Ocean choice (we've decided that the Vimeo video is just silly and since there is no official video, go for it.)
Sahil, is there any way we can steer you in another direction? We think that you need something more defined within a music genre / subgenre. Do have a look at Arcade Fire whom I mentioned previously (some of their songs do not have a video attached and we can shorten them if needed).

Arcade Fire
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P77GfpzqDvQ&list=RDEM5Hx5EcwHnygJr8M4xuhgMQ&index=21

Or something even more 'rock'. Or 'quirky' / sophisticated / mature female artist, a bit like Florence and the Machines or Tori Amos.

3. 'Mock' PITCH - Wednesday 8th May
You have a list of all the work that must be done already. Here, we will need to get a very clear picture of your artist. If you don't yet have a name for him / her, give them a 'working' name.

The pitch / treatment must let us see what he / she is like and what their audience is like, what the music video will be like, what kind of music magazine you will create. You will need lots of pictures to make us 'see' your vision (style / shot types, mise-en-scene, costumes, locations, similar artists / videos etc). PPTs are fine or just present from a blog post - you will have the board.

Your presentation will be followed by a Q+A. Mr James and I will ask questions to probe your ideas but your peers will hopefully give you feedback too. It is very important you take notes while this part is happening so you remember the feedback received to help you adjust your planning.

Examples of basic pitches:
https://prezi.com/dt8sdebpuxtb/music-video-treatment/?utm_campaign=share&utm_medium=copy
http://skmattwellmusic.blogspot.com/search/label/Planning (good detail but not enough pictures) and here is the recording of his pitch:


Look at Trisha's other research and planning work:
https://trishavekaria.wixsite.com/a2-media/planning-cdfw

Lesson: Wednesday 24th April - WORK DUE IN WEDNESDAY 1ST MAY

Things to do and think about

Thinking about the audience
Now that you have sketched out your artist and have chosen your song, you need to make sure you have the audience research you need.

- similar artists - same genre - similar / same label: What's the audience? How did you find out? What are their tastes? How can they be labelled and classified (for such a wide age-range, there might be several subgroups)
Create an audience profile.

REMEMBER:
'Audience' is a key concept in media because media texts are produced with an audience in mind, a group of people who will receive the text and make some sense out of it; the text will gratify them in some ways. The ways in which they receive the media text is also worth considering.
SO the audience is part of the equation. The video is ultimately serving as a marketing device for the artist and the record label so must appeal.
Audience research is an important element for any media producer. It is important to understand how a targeted audience is 'made up' and how it can be broken down into categories.

Demographics • age • gender • sexual orientation • family size • family life cycle (see below) • occupation (usually of the Chief Income Earner or CIE) • income (with special interest in disposable income) • education (highest level reached) • religion • nationality • socio-economic status

Psychographics - Attitudes, beliefs, interests

There are other ways in which the audience can be labelled and classified. For example, look at UK Tribes https://www.uktribes.com/about

Also think about the different generations:

https://genhq.com/faq-info-about-generations/

 Primary audience research: Direct investigation of the needs, desires and media habits of an audience which involves contacting or talking directly to the target audience members. This includes focus groups to help you gauge the appeal of your initial ideas, using the feedback to refine and redraft.

Secondary audience research looks at the data and existing research about the audience to construct a sound analysis. This will include quantitative and qualitative research / data.

Appealing to your audience through generic conventions of music videos for your genre:
- Why is genre useful when targeting an audience?
- Conventions:What you expect to see?
- Iconography – Genre indicators

What conventions or elements of iconography are present here and how will this appeal to an audience?

Use ideas from audience theories too:
Blumler and Katz' Uses and Gratifications - here it is likely that out of the main categories, the music video will address areas such as Diversion / Escapism, Personal Identity and Personal Relations/ Social Interactions.

Reception Theory:
What messages will be dominant? ie the preferred / encoded reading - how will you make sure that your target audience shares the 'code' of the text? Will you use intertextual references to clarify and anchor meanings (as well as gratify the audience)?
In what ways could messages be negotiated? Is there any risks your messages might find oppositional readings?

Cultivation Theory: What hegemonic messages are likely to be present/ reinforced?

Look at this old post for further help:
http://a2musicvid.blogspot.com/2015/09/audience-research-1-initial-questions.html

Thinking about the conventions for your chosen music video genre

What are the codes and conventions of the music videos by similar artists? You will need to do music video analyses with screengrabs. Use the ideas of Goodwin and Vernallis to help you. What are the dominant features? What music videos will influence your work? You will need to do a collage of shots to illustrate the types of style, iconography, narrative, techniques etc that are likely to appeal to your audience and are source of inspiration for your own work.

Look at these student's work:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9xi9M1CK_6w
https://www.scribd.com/document/242442454/Arctic-Fire-The-Suburbs
https://lishagorasia.wixsite.com/a2mediastudies/research


We will be looking at the following music videos in class:
Lana Del Rey https://youtu.be/JRWox-i6aAk and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TdrL3QxjyVw  


Paloma Faith https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ijel4Vcqd9g&feature=youtu.be 

Mumford and Sons https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IqFsRt0uYzA&feature=youtu.be 

Ian Brown https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLYS3O3OtWhn9NJfPApN0FgVhnRdIdhtPi

NEA 2019-2020 - First steps and initial research

1. Knowing the brief:

Annotate, read , repeat, make sure you understand all aspects of the brief.

2. Choosing the song and sketching your artist.
Look at artists likely to appeal to the target - quite a broad spectrum.
Ask parents, teachers etc... quick questionnaires. 

Start with obvious candidates and dig around for similar artists: 
Dido https://www.didomusic.com/


Early Coldplay or Elbow... Anything anthem-like...



Adele http://adele.com/home/



Arcade Fire:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Euj9f3gdyM&start_radio=1&list=RDEM5Hx5EcwHnygJr8M4xuhgMQ


Perhaps slightly more edgy, Imogen Heap http://imogenheap.com/myceliatour.php?
One of her songs:



And here is a video produced by a media student to one of her songs:



Look for similar artists, eg.:
https://www.allmusic.com/artist/adele-mn0000503460/related

Also explore the record labels mentioned in the brief:

Columbia
http://www.columbiarecords.com/artists/

Parlophone
https://www.instagram.com/parlophone/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parlophone

By next Wednesday, come ready with a song choice, the lyrics, with your early ideas. You could start researching videos that could inspire your own work - collage, embedded videos if you have a blog etc...

Start defining your artist. Early sketch of their star text.
Look for past students' videos like these:

Year 12 --> Year 13 Summer Bridging Work

1. Revise all set products for Component 1. Create crib sheets / detailed mindmaps / flashcards for each one (use the format you find most helpful).


2. Complete the following questions. Please complete on paper and hand in on your return.


Media Language questions:

Newspapers

For the 'Unseen', simply buy a copy of the relevant newspaper on the day or find the front pages online at: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/blogs/the_papers

Products	Question
Mirror + Times	How is media language used to encourage audience interpretations? [15]
Mirror + Times unseen	How does media language incorporate viewpoints and ideologies in these newspaper front pages? [15]

Film Posters

Products	Question
K.O.T.V + Tomb Raider teaser poster https://www.fbtb.net/video-games/2018/01/09/tomb-raider-post/attachment/tomb-raider-poster-fixed/	How does the media language used in these posters promote a particular genre? [15]
2 unseens Black Panther Jungle Fever	How does media language communicate multiple meanings in these two film posters? [15]

Representation question:

WaterAid + Homelessness Awareness campaign (below)

Compare how the attitudes and beliefs about the world are reinforced through representations. [30] In your answer you must: ·         Consider how media language is selected and combined to construct particular representations that reinforce attitudes and beliefs ·         Consider the similarities and differences in the representations ·         Make judgements and draw conclusions about how far the representations relate to relevant media contexts



3. Component 2: Complete at least one 30 marker or 2 15 markers from the selection below - but feel free to plan / respond to as many as you wish.

Humans

To what extent can the set episode of Humans be said to subvert genre conventions? [15]

The Returned

To what extent does the set episode of The Returned reflect the concerns of society? [15]

Both	Genre conventions are socially and historically relative, dynamic and can be used in a hybrid way. Evaluate the validity of this claim with reference to the set episodes of Humans and The Returned. [30]

Humans

To what extent do producers of Humans maintain an audience through different methods of marketing? [15]

Both	Industry processes, including the role of producers and established stars, have a great deal of influence in shaping a media product. Evaluate the validity of this claim with reference to the set episodes of HUmans and The Returned. [30]

Humans

To what extent is The Returned (or Humans) aimed at a specialised audience? [15]

Vogue

To what extent does the institutionalised nature of Vogue impact its production and distribution? [15]

Big Issue

To what extent is the audience of The Big Issue categorised by social class and lifestyle? [15]

Both	How far can viewpoints and ideologies be incorporated into magazines to influence an audience? You should refer to relevant academic theories in your response. [30]

Work hard! Do us proud.

NEA: Music video treatment, Slideshare, and class feedback

Post your treatment / pitch by this Friday morning . Mr James and I will look at them periods 3 and 4 since my year 10s are on study leave.

Embed your presentation on your blog. Add visuals!! If not on the slides then in the blogpost.

Give each other plenty of honest and constructive feedback.

Start filming! Recce footage, mise-en-scene including costumes, rehearsal with your artist, experiments with shots, with lighting, with locations.
Give your artist plenty of time to rehearse! Film them on multiple occasions as test shoots.

SLIDESHARE: https://www.slideshare.net/
Embed your ppts.

If you have made separate notes, handwritten perhaps, take a picture of them and put them on your blog too.

GO BACK TO YOU BLOG, OPEN A NEW POST, CLICK ON THE HTML TAB AND PASTE THE EMBED CODE. THEN YOU CAN SWITCH BACK TO THE NORMAL TAB TO CONTINUE DRAFTING YOUR POST.

CLASS FEEDBACK BASED ON THIS MORNING:

Good background research.

Good use of visuals and embeds to show us what you are thinking of.

Good grasp of conventions for your given genre.

Generally, you need to think more carefully about the representation you are constructing, the messages you are embedding.

IMAGINE THAT YOUR VIDEO IS BEING ANALYSED IN THE WAY WE ANALYSE 'RIPTIDE' AND 'FORMATION'. What would the key encoded messages be? What would a negotiated reading of your video be? What would the theorists say about your constructed meanings?

Additionally, define what conventions you are adhering to and WHICH CONVENTIONS YOU ARE SUBVERTING.

So generally, we need a bit less predictability and a bit more originality.

FOR EXAMPLE, Almira's ideas could be enhanced further by layering ideas around social media, notions of hyper-reality etc

CHALLENGE YOURSELF, STRETCH YOUR CONCEPT AND USE THE HEADINGS BELOW TO FLESH OUT YOUR IDEAS. YOU WILL NEED SUCH RICH CONTENT FOR YOUR STATEMENT OF AIMS.

1. What's the narrative? What representations (age, gender, social class or group, ethnicity, location...) are constructed? What are my key (encoded) messages?

2. How will I communicate these messages? 

3 What would Butler, Van Zoonen, hooks, Gauntlett, Gilroy, Hall, Baudrillard and others say about those messages?

MTV Decade 1980-1989 (Full)

Context and Intertextuality in 'Formation'

On your set text fact sheet, you are asked to consider how the combination of elements of media language influences meaning and intertextuality. 


Watch the Superbowl performance by Beyoncé of 'Formation', as this was the day after the single was released and therefore will have intentionally influenced the public at the time.

One of the intertextual references that you need to have knowledge of is the footage about bounce taken from That B.E.A.T, a short documentary. 


You can view this documentary on Vimeo.  Make notes as you watch to consider how this text affects the meaning of Formation.  That B.E.A.T Documentary


You may also like to do some reading around the genre of 'bounce music'.  Wikipedia - Bounce




Social and Cultural Contexts


There is also a suggestion that candidates could explore surrealist film and how that might help to explore sexual desire in the music video, by watching scenes from Un Chien Andalou (1929).

Guardian Review of the Un Chien Andalou (1929).