Music video inspirations

Felix Jaehn - Ain't Nobody

My first inspiration while looking into music videos in from this song, i took inspiration from the various cinematography used in the song. The song opens with a close up of the artists feet walking, this straight away engages the audience to the video as it intrigues them into what is going to happen/where the person is/ who the feet belong to. This is common within the video when they introduce a new character they start off with a close up of a part of their body and then pan out or across, allowing the audience to see the whole of the person. I really like this idea because it means throughout the song they will be waiting to see who the person is, also by doing this is helps to keep them engaged when new characters are introduced meaning that they will follow the story line better as they will be more aware of who the characters are. Following the introduction of the characters the video then follows up wit close ups of parts of them throughout which helps to remind the audience who each character is. They also do this for the artist which allows the audience to constantly be reminded about her throughout the song. I think i am going to use this in the same sort of way in my music video. When i introduce my artist and my main characters i will 

Ed Sheeran - thinking out loud

My second inspiration is from this song by Ed, I love the style of this video. It is primarily performance. This is evident at the start of this video where the only thing in shot is the silhouette of the dancer. I think this is a really engaging start to the  video as it leaves a lot of mystery and to be discovered by the audience. By creating this sense of enigma it engages the audience as they want to find out who the person is and what they are representing. It also allows the audience to really see the shapes created by the dance and these match the music that is being played at that time, and helps connote the rest of the dancing style that is going to be used. I would like to use this silhouette of a dancer or dancers through out my music video however i would not want all of the focus to be on the dancers and would like to incorporate the narrative style as well in the video. As i think because they are professional dancers they are amazing and therefore are able to maintain audience attention purely through dance but i would need to used a narrative style as well to maintain attention. I am going to use the dancers to portray the main characters in the my video and show their emotions.

Birdy - people help the people

In this video by Birdy i love her use of editing. She uses slow editing, this evident at the start of her video. This can be seen in this establishing shot, it slowly shows a frame in London with a taxi driving past and people walking behind this. By having slow editing at the start of the video I believe it helps to set the tone and expectations of what the video is going to be like. From this shot from Birdy is allows me  to assume that the song is going to be slow paced. It also helps to focus the audiences attention and allows them to get a good look around the shot, therefore they are able to see more detail which would be missed in a faster shot. I want to use slow editing in my video when the couple in the video are sharing moments just with each other. I think using slow editing here in my video will help to portray the couples intimacy when its just them together. And it helps the audience to focus on details that might have been over looked, e.g. holding hands.



Ellie Goulding - Starry Eyed
My next inspiration was from the cinematography of this video by Ellie. However, it is also the editing slightly as well. Below we can see three different shots that have been montaged together. Firstly, we see a mid shot of the couple walking together. Following this we see a close up of the couple holding hands. And after this we see a panning shot of a close up of the couples faces. I love the range of shots showing the couple together because I think it helps to create a sense of realism for the audience. It could also make the audience feel like they know the couple better as they are seeing various shots of them, therefore helping the audience to create a better relationship with them. I think I am going to try and use this in my own video when the couple are walking through a public place together, e.g. the market. I am possibly going to use this here because it creates a sense of intimacy for the audience. And shows the couple are focused on each other even though they are surrounded by people.


Lana del Rey - video games
My final inspiration that I have taken is from this video by Lana, I have taken inspiration from the editing that she uses. She uses filters in this long/panning shot of two couples on their motor bikes smiling and having fun. The filter layered over the top gives the impression of the shot being old and implies to the audience that it is a memory. This allows the audience to build up a relationship with the actors/artist because by showing their memories they audience will feel like they  know them better and this helps to create a sense of realism for the audience. I think I am also going to use a filter like this In my video to show a memory, I will use it when the artist is thinking back to all of the happy times that she has had with her partner.


Three songs that I have considered using for my own music video are, Birdy -Wings, Ed Sheeran- Small bump and Kelly Clarkson - I do not hook up. I am going to tell my group my ideas in my next meeting with them and will explain my reasons for each song.

Target audience results - Miss Miller UPDATED

I conducted research into the opinions of 40 people regarding indie music videos, as i wanted to find out their opinions and expectations. This would then allow me to see what features i should include in my video. Also by doing this research i will find out what sort of elements of an indie music video really engages them, therefore maintaining their attention through out the video.  This would be beneficial to my artist as a successful music video will encourage fans to go see tours and concerts. I survey quite a large number of people so that i could gather a wide range of opinions and see a wider range of expectations from the music video. I included a mixture of both open and closed questions, which allows my surveyors to develop some of the answers meaning i will find out even more what will engage them with my music video. 

 This the first question i asked when conducting the survey, the gender of the person answering the questions. This will show me if there is a difference between the views of men to the views of women. Furthermore it will help to vary my survey results because men are more likely to share similar views and as are women, meaning it will help to show a variety of opinions.












This graph shows the variety of ages that took part in my survey. It also shows that a large 40% of the people asked were between the ages of 21 and 25, this could have an impact of the results of the survey as people the people asked will be predominantly from this age group, meaning it is mostly going to be their views of indie music. However most indie music artists that I am aware of are from this sort of age range, meaning this is the target audience they would be aiming for.

The next question I asked the surveyors was the themes that they would expect to see in indie music videos, I asked this question as it would help me massively to form my narrative and shape the type of  concept I am going to create for the video. From this graph I can see that a massive 52% of the people asked said that they would expect to see the theme of relationships in indie music videos, which has massive swayed my decision of what the video should be based on. Even tough this question has helped me to decided my main theme, there was still another 23% of surveyors who said that they would expect to see performance in the video, this has made me want to include long and mid panning shots of my artist playing the guitar and singing as this is something that quite a lot of people expected to see.

The following question was a closed question to see whether people who expect to see filter, green screens or special effects. A whopping 67% of the people asked said that they would expect to see filters in an indie music video. Filters are a very common editing effect used in indie music videos because the videos normal include flashbacks or memories therefore these are used to show this.
Only 25% said special effects and a very low 8% said green screens, this could be because many people are aware that indie music videos are very low budget productions so are unlikely to use such expensive equipment a lot through the videos.

The next questions asked the surveyors what type of costumes they would expect a female indie music artist to wear in the video. A 65% majority of the people asked said they would expect them to wear quite casual clothing in the video. This could be because by the artist wearing casual clothing it makes them more relatable to the audience and this shows that the people I asked generally relate to the indie music videos they watch and one of the ways  they do this is through the casual clothing the artist wears. This highlights to me the importance of choosing the correct clothing for my female artist so that the audience can relate to them. Also another reason this could be the most popular answer is because again like I said in my earlier point most fans of indie are aware that the music videos are quite low budget. Therefore by the artist wearing casual clothing is represents the video is more about the music then showing off money and wealth through over the top clothing. This could show why only 5% said they expected to see glamorous clothing and 3% said fancy dress as these would be extravagant and expensive outfits. 27% said they expected to see grunge styled clothing this could be because it also gives off the idea of quite a low budget lifestyle and not being obsessed with wealth and expensive clothing.

My next question that I asked the people was whether the preferred a indie music video with a clear narrative or not and why. By asking this question it helped to shape what style of music video I was going to have and whether it should be mainly narrative based or be more balanced with concept and performance. A massive 92% of the people I asked said yes to this question, therefore this has shown me that my video is going to be mainly narrative based with only some elements of performance and concept. But I will make sure that I do definitely include some elements of these in the video as by having all three styles it helps to engage the audience and maintain their attention throughout as it breaks up the video.

The following question I asked was the type of camera shots that they expected to see in an indie music video and then asked them to explain why the thought this. 62% of the people asked said that they mostly expected to see close up in an indie music video, this has encouraged me to think about the type of close ups that I can include in the video. I think I want to have quite a lot of close ups when the artist is singing as I think this helps to focus the audiences attention on the lyrics that the artist is singing and therefore encourages them to understand what they are saying. The next popular shot that I am going to include was long shots with 25%, this will help the audience to see exactly what the artist looks like and their style for clothing etc. Even though mid-shots and extreme close up only make up13% between them I am still going to incorporate some of them in the video just not as much as the others.

In this question a massive 85% of people said that they would like a artist to be more relatable and only 15% said like a star. Therefore this has encouraged me to think about the different ways in which I can make my video more relatable to the audience, such as the clothing and the representation of the artist in the video. However, there are still some people that want the artist to be more like a star, so I will still include some elements of this in my video, such as a close up of the artist singing which shows her as talented and this is quite an extraordinary thing for a person therefore portrays her as a star.

The following question that I asked my people was the type of instrument that people expect the artist to be playing in the video and why. The most common answer with 62% was a guitar,  when explaining why a lot of the people said because it is quite hipster and by them playing, it portrays them as talented. Therefore I would like to include a few different shots of my artist playing the guitar as I think that the audience will be able to relate to this. Even though 38% of people said other instruments I don't think I will include these in the video because if I include to many instruments then it will just confuse the audience and look unprofessional.

The final question that I asked the people was where they expect the indie music video to be set and why. The results for this question were slightly more varied then the previous questions. 40% said they expected it to be set in a town, however only 5% less people said they expect it to be set in a house. This question has made me consider my location choices when filming. I think I would like to use a variety of settings, as these results show there are a variety of settings that people expect the indie music video to be set. However, my main settings are going to be in the house and around the town centre. Some of the shots that I could include in these locations include a panning shot of the artist hanging out with friends in the town or a mid shot of the girl in bed with her lover in the house location.

The theory that I have chosen to apply to my question and music video is Hebige, this is because he believes that if you look deeper into 'subcultures there is enough richness to warrant renaming them as 'little cultures'. Meaning that there is enough belief and support behind them for them to stand alone as an individual smaller culture group. He also believes that sub-cultures go against the mainstream and this is because they are quite diverse. I believe indie fans and music could be seen as a small culture of there own as they are quite different from the popular mainstream pop music. They have a much higher focus on the actual music being produced by the artist and connecting with their audience. This is why I did not follow the centre for contemporary culture studies theory (CCCS) as they assume that all sub-cultures come from one culture, which would not match the genre I have chosen for my music video as indie could be seen as quite diverse.

Voxpop's

Alongside my questions I produced voxpops of 5 of the people I asked, the reason for doing this is because it allows me to provide qualitative data as well as quantitative data. In the voxpops the people can elaborate on the answers that they give me and therefore I will be able to gain a better understand of their opinions. By having a greater understanding of their opinions it will lead to me being able to mould my music video better in order to make it more appealing for the target audience.

 

Magazine advert analysis - UPDATED

Artists create magazine adverts in order to promote their work and create a buzz around their music. Also by using a magazine to promote their work it helps to reach a wider audience, they appeal to people who read the magazines as well as the people who listen to music. Also it helps to link in with other advertisements of the album to create more marketing, this could all them to get support from other companies that could push sales further. It also acts as an constant reminder of the upcoming album, this allows the audience to continually be aware that the album is coming out and maintains the buzz created. Furthermore, the magazine advert could link in with any articles within the magazine on the artist, therefore benefitting the magazine and artist. The two artist adverts that i have chosen to analyse is Birdy's as this is my chosen artist and Lana Del Rey's as she is very similar to our chosen artists.

This is an advert by Birdy, advertising her upcoming tour. In the advert i think that Birdy is represented as very innocent and reserved, also she could be seen as rather timid. I made these assumptions based on the mew-en-scene of her in this advert. Her costume, is quite childish, the long shot of her shows her wearing a red wooly jumper and a long pale pink flowy skirt and some black boots. This costume reveals very little skin and therefore portrays her as innocent and reserved. This is highly relatable to the target audience because it shows her as the girl next door and they most likely wear similar clothing. Her facial expression, is quite neutral and simplistic, this mirrors the fact that she is quite a simplistic artist and is more about her music then the glitz and glam. Also the positioning/body language of her in the long shot shows her standing up straight and holding onto her dress with her hands, this  again shows her timidness as this is commonly something people do when they are nervous. The audience would enjoy seeing this innocence portray in the advert as it shows her as a real person and they feel like they are getting to know her better.
The colours used in the advert are all quite pale pastel colours, this again represents her innocent and purity as an artist. These colours would appeal to her target audience as they match the themes and type of music she produces, therefore the colours will make the audience think about her music and maybe go back and listen to it. This will benefit Birdy because it helps her artist image and paints her in a positive light for her audience.
The poster is laid out with Birdy's name in a large font at the top of the page, this is because she is a fairly new artist therefore it draws attention to her name. People who are not aware of who he is, will then know her name. Also there is a large long shot of her standing next to her name. This clearly shows what she looks like, again as she is a fairly new artist this allows her audience to get to know what she looks like and will then be able to link the name to the face. Birdy benefits from this as it helps to create a buzz around her and will help to get her noticed more. As people may see her face or name in other places and then link it back to her. This could then lead to her album sales increasing and people are trying to find out more about her as an artist.

In the advert Lana Del Rey is represented as a confident and proud artist, this can be seen in the advert by her facial expressions and body language. The mid shot shows her looks directly at the camera, standing up straight with her head held high. Her face is almost directly in the centre of the page and this draws the audiences attention directly to her face, therefore making her appear very strong and proud of herself. Her self confidence could almost be quite intimidating for the audience because many people don't have it, however they could also take inspiration about how she is holding her head so high and want to be like her in this respect.
The colours used in the advert are mainly red, white and blue. The red lipstick is a common convention of indie music, it could also link back to my earlier point that she appears to be quite fierce. Also the blue sky background, has connotations of calmness and peacefulness, this is mirrored in her music as it is all quite slow paced and relaxing. Therefore, the audience will be able to clearly link the poster with her music. The white is used for her costume and her name at the top, this could represent her innocence as an artist and that she has not been drawn into the negative side of frame. She is still quite a new fresh artist.
The advert by Lana promotes the indie music genre because it show some conventions that we would expect to see from the indie genre. Such as the casual park looking setting, this is conventional because it would be quite a cheap place to shoot the photo for the advert. And indie music artists normally have quite low budget productions, so this would link in with this as it is low cost. Also the red lipstick in commonly seen on female indie artists, as it shows although they are quite innocent with the music they produce and image they portray to their audience, they are still confident and fierce women. These two conventions make the advert easily identifiable as from the indie genre, thus helping to promote the genre as it could encourage the audience to look into other songs and artists from the genre. If they see the poster and watch Lana's music video or go to her tour and enjoy the music then they are likely to find other indie misc artiest that they also enjoy.
The advert helps to promote the artist because it clearly shows in a blue font the date of her tour "January 2013" and the name of her tour in a slightly larger red font underneath this "The open road tour" This would allow the audience to research into her tour and find out more about it, e,g, locations, prices. Or they could look into more of her music to see fi they enjoy it and therefore if they want to go to see her live. This all helps to create a buzz around Lana and get people talking about her and her music. The audience could talk about her to friends and this would then create free advertising for her through word of mouth.

Research into chosen music artist UPDATED

My chosen music artist for my music video, is Birdy, who is a quite a well know indie artist. A large majority of her songs are slow and could be deemed as having quite a sad theme. However, I love the fact that her songs are slow and quite like a ballad. I think this allow me and the audience to really understand the emotions she is trying to show in her music. Also you feel as if you are getting to know Birdy on a much more personal level, as her videos have a feel of the song being sang live. The song I am going to use is Wings, I have decided to use this song as I think it is truly a beautiful song and portrays real emotion about an experience she has had in her life. Therefore, I feel I really understand the lyrics and concept in the sing. By understanding this ill be able to produce a suitable music video for the song, the matches the standard of the song.

Birdy has had music embed in her since a young age, her mother was a concert pianist, and at the age of 7 she learned to play the piano and began to write her own music. She is quite a current artist and hasn't been in the industry for very long, however this is understandable as she is only 19 years old. Her first real experience singing in front of an audience was when she won and entered an UK talent contest, Open Mic UK. She performed her own original song, this was her first time singing in front of an audience apart from her family.

After this contest Birdy record her own album with Gareth Henderson in River Studios, this album ended up being offered a publishing contract with Good Soldier Songs Ltd. This is run by Christian Tattersfield, who is also the chairman for Warner Bros. Records UK.

One song popular song by Birdy is Skinny love.

In the video I can see Dyer's theory evident, Birdy is displayed as both ordinary and extraordinary. This is evident through this mid shot of Birdy playing the piano and singing. This is quite a normal thing for someone to be able to do, however she is shown at extra talented as she has a whole production made just for her and the whole focus on her.

Also Goodwin's theory is evident in the video, a variety of close ups are seen of the artist. This close up I have chosen shows the artist Birdy singing and looking directly into the camera. This allows the focus of the video to be on her face and the lyrics that she is singing at that current moment. For the audience this really intensifies the song, as her face is the only object visible in the frame, therefore giving the impression she is singing directly to them. This benefits Birdy as it allows her audience to feel like they have a connection with her and therefore would follow her music to try to get this feeling again.
It is evident again when as the video is primarily performance based, we see this through a mid shot showing Birdy singing and playing piano. She is not looking at the camera, this could imply that she is really focused on her music and likes to concentrate on it. This shows the audience that Birdy has actual talent as she is playing the piano as well as singing. Some of the audience would therefore find her more respectable as an artist as it highlights that she has pure talent and doesn't need a music studio to make her sound good. Birdy could benefit from this as it gives her really positive image as an artist.

In the video Birdy is represented as quite a shy and reserved person as this mid shot shows a silhouette of the back of Birdy. Implying that she is not the most confident and out going person as you don't see face. This is a common feature in this video as her face is not shown very often. This makes her a relatable person to her target audience as many people go through confidence issues so it shows her as a real person and that she has these issues as well. Being relatable is important to an artist like Birdy as this is what engages people with her music and allows her audience to feel like they are getting to know her through her videos and lyrics.

The target audience for this video is 17 - 30 this is shown in the video by the concept of the video, as it is based on love. She is singing about a failing relationship and that it is going sour. This age range are likely to have gone through or be going through similar situations to this. Meaning they will be able to relate their own personal experiences to the song, this will allow them to gain a better understanding of the lyrics. As they feel more real to them.

Mes-en-scene is seen in the video, specifically costume, hair and make up is shown through a variety of shots as there is not single shot that shows the whole of her including her face. This mid shot is one of the shots where Birdy is most visible, we can see she has very natural hair with barely any make up, also she is wearing a lace flowing dress. This is conventional to female artists in the indie genre as it gives them an edgy/retro vibe that many of her audience can relate to. This benefits Birdy as it shows her a very natural as that she doesn't need to be covered in loads of make up and fancy outfits but she is a very real and natural artist. Linking back to my earlier point that she has raw talent of playing the piano.

Setting and iconography, this shot is of Birdy's foot as she is playing the piano, highlighting to the audience that she is actually playing the instrument herself and that there are not tricks, she actually has pure talent. This shows her as a good role model to her audience as it shows that you have to work had to achieve your dreams, she has the actual talent of playing the piano and there is no studio glitches, it really I her playing.


Lighting and colours used can be seen through this mid/long shot of her walking up the stairs, the lighting used is dark/low key, thus supporting my earlier point that she is being quite reserved in the song and trying to hide herself quite  a lot.  Again this makes her highly relatable to her older teenager target audience as it is commonly known that many teenage girls are quite self conscious and try to hide away sometimes. therefore it shows her as a real person and not just  a star

Facial expressions and body language, can be seen through a close up of her hands as  they are touching the glass window, her movement appears soft and gracious, this matches the speed and tempo of the song. I think this helps the audience to relax into the music and really following the song.




A common camera technique that is seen in the video is a bringing the shots in and out of focus this can be seen at the start of the video, an unfocused mid shot of Birdy playing the piano slowly focuses back into a sharp focus mid shot of her playing the piano. This helps to draw attention to Birdy, as it is near the start of the video it helps to focus the audiences attention of the artist. This will help to keep the audience engaged as they are waiting to see a clear shot of the video.

The song opens with  close up shallow focus shot of the light beginning to increase and pour into the frame. Implying that it is the start of the day. This also represents the start of the artists relationship, at the beginning when everything was bright and happy. At the very end of the video the song finishes with this close up of the glass model and the frame getting darker, eventually fading to black. This represents the end of the day and the end of the relationship. These two shots will benefit the audience because they will feel like they have been on a journey with the artist in her relationship. This will then allow them to personally build up a better relationship with the artist because they will feel like they can relate to her/understand her music better.


Some common editing techniques in the video include slow editing, this is show through a close up of Birdy's feet/legs as she walks up the stairs. This matches the speed of the song and when the music slows down slow editing is used like in this frame. It also helps to link the visuals to the muicThis helps the audience to really engage with the song as they are waiting to see what happens next. This benefits Birdy as if she engages her audience they are likely to want to go and see her perform live to mirror the feelings they felt when they watched her video.

The next editing technique that I can see in the music video is a fade. The frame fades from a black screen with the light pouring in revealing a small glass object. Slowly pouring in the light sets the tone for the rest of the song, which engages the audience as to what is going to happen in the rest of the song. This editing style represents the artist as emotional and sad as it is representing her love fading away in her relationship with her partner and everything is going sour. As a result of this the audience will feel sympathetic towards the artist, and relate to her relationship problems.

People help the people

Dyers star theory is used, as in this video Birdy is seen as an ordinary person, we can see this through a mid shot showing her sitting on a bus looking out of the window, this shows her as an ordinary person as she is not traveling around in a private car being driven for her. She is on the bus like regular people. This implies to the audience that she thinks of herself as a regular person and doesn't think she should get any special treatment just because she is a star. This benefits Birdy as it makes her relatable to her audience and this therefore engages them with her music.

Goodwins theory is evident as there is a plethora of close ups of the artist, similarly to the previous video. The first one we see, is when the camera pans into a close up of her face as she begins to start singing. This helps to really focus all the attention onto Birdy and hooks the audiences attention to what she is singing. Birdy would benefit from this as it will help the audience to understand her emotions more when she is singing specific lyrics and therefore will be able to relate and link there own past experiences to the video better.

His theory is also evident as there is a link between the visuals and the lyrics. This can be seen when she sings "give me your hand and ill hold it" and syncing with this you can see a group of children walking down some stairs, some of the bigger children are helping the younger ones down the stairs. This is implying that she thinks everybody should help each other, even if it is a simple thing like helping someone down the stairs. Offering a hand to someone can go a long way. This is relatable to the audience because they will be able to link this back to when they've needed help in the past or when they have helped someone themselves.

Birdy is represented as very relatable and normal in this video, this close up shows birdy singing into the camera by looking away slightly. Also in the shot I can see her braces poking out. This shows her as a really normal person and that not everything about her is perfect, she also has some flaws. This is highly relatable to the audience and I think they will highly appreciate the fact that Birdy isn't trying to hide away in this video like the other and is embracing herself.

For this video i think that Birdy has a wide target audience because her song is relatable to many people. Most people have gone through some struggles in life and had to have someone help them. And as Birdy is displayed as such a normal person many various ages will find this relatable and enjoy listening to her music. Parents will find her a good role model for their children and younger people will be inspired to be more like her and try to help people more.

The style of the music video is mainly performance based, this mid/long shot shows birdy walking down the road singing. This again shows her as a highly relatable  artist because she is just walking along and does not have a crowd of people following her, like security and hair and make up people. This shows the audience she is a real person and doesn't need all of the glamor that comes with fame like some artists, therefore they will be able to relate to her.

Mes-en-scene is evident in the video as, a long shot shows her waling down the road wearing long baggy clothing and little make up and hair products. This shows her as a very natural person and that she doesn't need to hide behind a face full of make up or fancy outfits. Therefore making her appear as a normal person and this will make her relatable to her audience. The message that it is giving off tot he audience is that you don't need to wear a load of make up to be beautiful and it doesn't matter what you look like. The message of her music is far more important to her than looks and a big outgoing performance. Instead like her outfit and make up everything is quite casual and relatable to the audience.

The setting through out the video is common everyday setting that we would see all the time. The filming is London based, we can see this through an establishing shot at the start of the video, these everyday settings make the audience able to relate to the video therefore will help them to engage in what is going on. Also London, is quite an iconic place, London bridge is in the background and the iconic black cab can be seen. Therefore even people from other countries will recognise the location and be able to relate to it. Furthermore indie music videos conventionally are filmed in low budget settings, the public setting is very low cost so is conventional of the genre.

Birdy holds quite a neutral facial expression through out the whole video, this can be seen in this close up of Birdy singing on the bus looking out the window. By having this neutral facial expressions i think that is represents that she is quite a 'neutral party' she does not judge anyone and is accepting of different people. However, i think this also shows her to be looking quite hopeful and that she wants everybody to join her in helping others.







The video has a black and white filter layered over it through out. This is because in the video Birdy is trying to represent everyone as equal as they should all be helping each other. Therefore this filter helps to make everyone look more similar. Also it is quite bright so everyone is quite exposed. Implying that everyone should just join together and come together as a community to help each other.

Although Birdy is in the whole frame of the camera a lot, a vast majority of the frames are of other people walking along the streets and sitting on the bus with her. This is because the whole concept of the song is about helping other people and being better members of our community. However, when she is in shot her positioning is always slightly off centre, this portrays to the audience that she feels she does not always feel the need to be in the centre of attention. And even though it is her music video she does not need to be the whole focus all of the time.

This mid shot of Birdy show her looking slightly upset as she is looking to the floor and slightly frowning. Due to the concept of the song this implies that she is quite upset and frustrated with the way that people treat each other and how peopled not help each other. This will make the audience considering how they themselves treat other people and get treated. And how they also like Birdy want to live in a world where people treat each other right and help each other.

Slow pace editing is evident int eh establishing shot in London of people walking and the cars going past. This is implying that now days everyone leads such high pace life styles and rushes around everywhere, sometimes in life we just need to slow down. Not everything in life has to be rushed and sometimes we can just take our time and slow down a bit. This will make the audience consider their own life styles and how they should take time out from rushing around  and spend time with friends and family.

A common editing technique that I can see in the video is slow editing, this matches the pace of the singing and the soundtrack. It is good that the editing is used to match the music because I think that it encourages the audience to slow down and focus their attention onto the music video. Therefore, it helps to maintain the audiences attention to the video. This is good for Birdy as it will help her to build up a relationship with her target audience, and it will also allow them to get a better understanding of the song and what she felt when she was writing it.

To conclude, this post has helped me to see some of the common features that Birdy uses in her music videos, these include slow editing and dark filters over her video. I think that she does this to help show her emotion through her music and allow the audience to focus on her lyrics. Also I have learnt that she typically wears very casual clothing and is a very simplistic artists and doesn't like to hide behind fancy props or costumes.

Major record labels

The purpose of record labels is to sign artists and help produce songs and music videos, they also have to promote, market and advertise the artist to create a demand of people who want to hear the artists music.

A major record label is a large company within the music industry, it is also possible for them to own smaller record labels as well. Currently in the UK some of the major record labels include Sony music entertainment, Universal music group, Syco records and Warner music group independent. These labels manage some of the biggest names in the UK music industry such as One direction, Fifth harmony, Olly Murs, Little Mix, Ella Henderdson and Bars&Melody. Syco, who is owned by Simon Cowell, also has strong links into the television industry as Simon has many successful shows on air. This can be useful to some of the artist on his label as he can use these shows to help promote his signed artists.

Independent labels can be just as successful but operate from a smaller company base. They are known as offering more 'organic' music rather than the manufactured mainstream, however some disagree.
While researching into independent record labels I found out about Cooking Vinyl. They became established in 1986, and has a strong reputation of being one of the most artist-based independent record labels in the Europe. Some of the artists signed by Cooking Vinyl include, Marilyn Manson, Madness, The Cult and Gary Numan. Cooking Vinyl say that the longevity with their signed artists comes from being such an artist friendly label, one of their signed artists Billy Bragg has signed to a total of six other labels prior to signing to Cooking Vinyl and then comes back to them year after year.
Another, independent record label I found is Lab Records LTD, they became established in 2007 and pride themselves on their strong ability to spot and develop young talent. The label is quickly expanding and some of their signed artists are regulars on some of the most influential music mediums and live events over the world. They have had 75+ catalogue releases and sold hundreds of copies. Some of the artists that are signed by this label include Fort Hope, Youth Club, Bethan Leadley and Anavae.

I think that it is good that four big companies dominate that music industry as it gives artists a aim of who they want to be signed with. Also if artists get signed by one of these major labels then they know they are likely to do well and be more successful then if they sign with a label that isn't as popular. Furthermore, being signed by a major record label could offer artists more opportunities, as the labels are likely to be more established in the industry. Therefore meaning they will know a variety of different and successful people in the industry who may be able to offer guidance and help to their artists. Unlike smaller/independent record labels, these may not be know as many successful people in the industry that could offer help to their artists. Generally major record labels will be able to offer a larger budget to help promote and advertise their music.
However, this has a massive effect on the industry as it makes it extremely difficult for artists to be highly successful unless they are signed by one of these major record labels, as these are the most well known , therefore there is more of a buzz around these labels then others,. This could lead to them gaining more publicity for their artists.  Also independent artists can be more diverse with their music/style and do not always follow the mainstream, which could result in major record labels not signing them as they would not to a large mass audience. If they are signed by an independent label then it will take longer for them to become successful then if they are signed by a major label. This is because, as mentioned earlier, independent labels cannot offer a massive budget to help promote and advertise artists like major record labels. As well as the independent label not being as well known, therefore they will not have as many people/fans follow their new artists signings and released music.

I do think that some independent record labels are as successful as the major labels. If you look at Cooking Vinyl, who have Marilyn Manson signed as an artist and he is one of the biggest rock legends and most people would have at least heard his name. However, I think it takes extremely talented people for independent as the labels are not as well known therefore they have to rely on the talent being spotted and enjoyed by the audience. Independent record labels can offer a more personal one to one experience for the clients as they most likely do not have as many as the major labels.  Additionally, independent record labels have more time to nurture and help artists grow, whereas major record labels want artists to be ready to record straight away. Major record labels also want artists who make them quite a bit of money, which means if you are signed to them and are not making much money for them, they will just drop you from their label. Unlike independent labels, where it is not such a big deal if artists do not make tons of money. This is why independent labels, such as Lab Records LTD and Cooking Vinyl can be more artist friendly and focus on developing their artists. Whereas I think the bigger major record labels sign artist that need very little work and can record straight away. But saying this, independent artist Nina Nesbitt, is very successful; her debut album Peroxide reached number 11 in the UK charts, and number 1 in the Scottish Albums Chart. It sold a massive 45% more that its closest competitor. Also her release selfies made it into the UK top 40, this made it her second time making an appearance in the chart. Showing me that independent artists can still be successful.

Research into chosen music genre - Miss Miller

I have chosen to produce a music video from the indie/pop genre, because i really love the style of the artists from this genre. I really like that most indie/pop music videos have a good narrative along side the performance element of the song. This can be seen strongly in my favourite artist's music videos Ed Sheeran, who is from this genre, he tells a story through his lyrics and video, which is enjoyable and engaging to watch. It important to establish a genre before you pick an artist because you need to pick a genre that you enjoy and understand and can relate to.

Similar, to our chosen artist is Ed Sheeran like mentioned before. He is more indie then pop but still shows conventions from both in his music videos. 

One of the codes and conventions of indie\pop is having a narrative alongside the performance in the video and these are generally themed around love and relationships. His song 'Drunk' is about someone who is unable to cope with their relationship ending and drink to try to forget about it, but still remember the pain and have flashbacks of the relationship whether they are drunk or sober. Many of the audience would have shared a similar experience to this one and therefore can find the song highly relatable. The narrative will therefore help to engage and maintain the audiences attention and they are captivated by the narrative. This will benefit Ed as he tries to get his personality across in his music and the song shows a really vulnerable side to him which his fans will appreciate seeing as it makes him more of a 'real' person. It's conventional for this in indie/pop are most of these artists seem more bothered about portraying a story instead of selling a product.

Another convention used by Ed in the music video is the use of low budget settings. The various settings are shown through out the video by a variety of different shots. At the start of the video there is a long shot showing a messy sofa with a cat sitting on it, there's also photos on the wall behind the sofa. Another setting that is seen in the video is seen through mid shot, this shows a cat sitting on a cooker, which is highly unhygienic, and a very messy and dirty looking kitchen in the background. Both of these settings are easily and cheaply available to film in which is common in indie/pop music as they are generally low budget productions and more about the music than showing off wealth and status. Some other settings in the song include a cheap looking bar, the décor all looks cheap and Ed is not particularly dressed up showing that the bar is not very exclusive. And an ally the Ed is getting chucked out the bar into. Again both of these would cost the production very little to use for filming.

Mes-en-scene is used in the video, in particular setting and props. A mid shot shows the iconography of cat, the cat is acting as Ed's conscious and guiding him in what he is doing. The cat is displaying some of Ed's demons. The mid shot shows, the cat pouncing at a photographer who just took a photo of Ed. This highlights that Ed doesn't always want to be in the spot light and sometimes doesn't want his photo be taken. This makes the audience feel like they can relate to Ed because it shows quite a vulnerable side to him and shows him as an ordinary person. This benefits Ed as his music is mostly about allowing his audience to get to know him and enjoying his music.
Also Ed's hair, costume and make up is shown again through a mid shot showing Ed laying on a bed in a blue scruffy jumper with a pale pasty looking face and messy hair. This mirrors the story line that Ed is in a rut as he cant forget his past girlfriend, therefore his life is quite messy at the moment like his appearance. This makes the audience feel like they know Ed on more personal level as it shows his real emotions. His emotions are also highlighted throughout the video shown through Ed's facial expressions. A mid shot shows Ed looking disappointed and frustrated, he is looking down at the floor which suggests he is upset and cant bring himself to look directly into the camera, which artists normally doing when trying to create an intimate feel with the audience.

A common camera shot used in the video is a high angled shot, this shows the camera looking down on a close up of Ed's face, he looks rather upset like he had been crying. The use of this shot makes Ed appear vulnerable and as if he needs help as the shot looks down on him. This benefits the audience because again as mentioned before showing the vulnerable side of Ed allows fans to feel like they are getting to know him on a more personal level. Which benefits Ed because his mainly about people enjoying and understanding his songs and concepts.

A editing technique that we can see in the video is filters when Ed is having flashbacks and memories of his relationship. This is used to show the audience that this part is a memory, and the brightness of the filter shows that is was a positive time in his life. Whereas now his at a darker stage. This allows the audience to further feel like they are getting to know Ed and some of what he has been through in his life. Again this is good for Ed as an artist and he wants people to relate and get to know him through his music 

Another editing technique used in the video is montage editing, showing Ed at his flat with the cat and some girls, they are having fun and mucking around. However I believe this montage editing is mirroring Ed's frustration in the video that he is no longer with the ex girlfriend and his head is spinning therefore the quickly changing frames in the montage mirror this. This benefits the audience as the montage helps them to connect the lyrics and concept to an actual storyline, which helps them to engage with the video and maintains attention.

Ed's target audience for this video is roughly 15-40 year olds, most likely I believe they will mostly be women. This is because these people would enjoy the themes that are included in Ed's music videos such as relationships, and around this age have also most likely encountered some relationship trouble before. This video also shows Ed as quite a troubled person with some demos that he doesn't like to let out and it is imply he use to have a drinking problem "ill be drunk again" Also when it says "open bottles of beer but never champagne" this supports the fact that he is troubled and upset as it is suggests that he is never celebrating with champagne but just drinking beer for the sake of it.

Goodwin's theory can be supported in the video, as there is a link between the lyrics and the visuals. This is seen when it says "ill be drunk again, ill be drunk again" along side this we see Ed downing quite a few shots. This implies to the audience that Ed is drinking excessively and trying to block something out. Also from this we could assume that he is trying to not think about his break up and ex partner. This helps the audience because it gives them a story to associate with the lyrics and therefore they can follow the song better and have a great understanding of what Ed is singing about.

Another artist that is also from the indie/pop genre is Lana del ray, her song summer time sadness is also from this genre. Similarly to Ed's video the video uses cheap settings which is a convention in indie/pop music videos. At the start of the song we see a low angled shot showing a female standing at the top of a hill with trees around her, so this is a field/forest setting. Indie/pop music video uses cheaper setting as they are normally low budget productions and have more focus on the music rather then having an extravagant production.

Another convention that we can see in the video is having a strong focus on Lana's talent of singing, this is shown by a variety of shots showing her singing into the camera. This mid shot show her looking into the camera looking quite sad and singing, this intensifies the song and engages the audience as they feel like they are getting directly addressed by her. This gives the song a more personal feel to the audience, making them connect with the song better and have a deeper understand of the lyrics and what she was feeling when she wrote the song. Allowing the audience to do this benefits Lana because she wants her music to show off her talent and display to her audience who she really is.

Mes-en-scene, specifically costume, hair and make up can be seen through a mid shot showing her to be looking natural, her hair is wavy and she is wearing natural make up, the only noticeable part of her makeup is her dark eye liner. She is also wearing a white dress, this could be used to show her vulnerability and innocence, as she is singing about love and the video shows a girl committing suicide, therefore it could show how she was innocent in love and didn't no how to deal with it.
Also, the lighting and colouring throughout is as if the screen is flickering, therefore giving the effect that is was filmed on an old video camera. The lighting is quite natural but can be dark in some places, giving the idea to the audience that she is trying to hide away in the dark lighting, and cover herself by this. Also the orange/kaki coloured filter that flickers around the top left hand corner of the screen gives the impression of a flash back, this is common within pop/indie music videos. This can be supported because at the start of the video we see her fall from a high edge, therefore the rest of the song would be a flashback as she committed suicide. This lighting and colouring could appear quite ghostly to the audience and this engages them and maintains their attention as they want to know what's happening.
A shot that is used quite a lot by Lana In the video is a mid shot of a silhouette of Lana from the side singing, this creates a massive emphasis on the lyrics that she is singing and creates intensity as it draws all of the attention singly onto her and what she is saying. This helps the audience to refocus their attention on to her on her own and there is nothing else of the screen which could distract them.
Lana's target audience for her music is most likely about 18-30 year olds, I think this because the theme of the song is quite complex therefore would be quite hard for a younger child to understand, but her music is also quite current which means older people may not enjoy it as much. However, the song is quite a slow pace therefore it could maybe appeal to a slightly older audience.

To conclude, this research has helped me to create my music video as it has shown me some of the key features that I need to include in a indie/pop music video, such as a low budget setting and filters when showing flashbacks. I like these ideas because it could easily link in with the theme of my music video that I have been discussing with my group