R+P Post 9: Music videos that have inspired and influenced our ideas

Majid Jordan - Every Step Every Way              Kali Uchis - Tyrant




How did these music videos influence us

These two videos showed us the importance of lighting and how we can use it to our advantage.

In terms of the Majid Jordan Music Video, we can see how something as simple as sitting down can be made to be a lot more prominent with the help of  bright lights. With the Kali Uchis Music Video we can see how they play with different tones of a colour and how it creates a whole new type of feel. The use of the red  lights adds to the feel of the song as well, one that is sensual. As a result we can see how lighting helps to add meaning.

These two videos showed us the importance of camera angles and how we can use it to add a more cinematic feel to the music video.

In terms of the Majid Jordan Music Video we see how the camera follows the artists creating this idea that the audience is right there. As well as this, the camera cuts from extreme long shot to long shot to mid shot to a close up shot frequently making the audience feel as though they are moving closer and closer.

With the Kali Uchis Music Video we can see how the camera angles and movement ties in with special effects, giving it a more sci-fi feel. This was very influencing as it gave us a lot of inspiration to play with camera movement as much as we can to create a very interesting and unique high quality music video

R+P Post 8: Possible tracks for the single

To begin with, we all came up with 4 artists/bands we wanted to put forward and then we all voted on them, the two most popular were to be our final choices as we needed to narrow our idea. Our final task was to create a pros and cons list for them to

Below are our two final choices with the explanation as to why we picked Jorja Smith's On my mind.

music video for Two Door Cinema Club - What you know

Why we liked this song

• Similar to our Prelim as it was another band and we had some experience with editing bands
• Similar genre so we knew the conventions
• Super upbeat, could easily cut to the beat
• It was the more comfortable option as we could of easily had just two sets  

Why we didn't choose this song

• The fact that we needed to find extras to be apart of the band was too time consuming and no one we knew wanted to put in that much commitment
• We wanted more of a challenge since it was completely new to us
• It opened up endless possibilities for shooting

music video for Jorja Smith - On my mind


Why we liked this song and chose it

• Very interesting beat which we could do a lot with in terms of editing, shooting and camera angles
• It allowed for a clear narrative which we could add alongside the performance
• Practical as I could play the lead, no need to look for other artists
• It provided us with a challenge to expand the skills which we learnt from the Prelim

R+P Post 7: Record labels of interest

The record labels that interest me are the ones that control majority of the market and these are Universal Music Group, Sony Music Entertainment and Warner Music Group. These are of interest mainly because they have subsidiary labels founded by big time artists who have gone through the entire industry and are in some sense, experts. These sub labels are perfect for an artist like ours because they will allow for more artist freedom to allow for growth. An example of a subsidiary group from Universal is Capitol Records and a sub label within that is G-Unit Records founded by prominent rapper 50 cent.

Below is Universal Music Group and its Sub Labels

Record labels are companies that market recorded music and music videos. They engage in artist recruitment and development, music publishing and copyright enforcement. Marketing is one of its most important functions, as public awareness of the brand is the way they make their money. Record labels are essential to artists as they provide them with the ability to sell records and gain the skill needed to cultivate their artist identity. Without record labels, it makes it that much harder to be on varying platforms such as TV and Radio as record labels help to provide artist exposure.

In conclusion, finding a record label started by an artist who too has gone through the struggle of a debut single is a good way for our new artist to be recruited, as they will know exactly what to do for the artist. Especially one that is a subsidiary company from a major label as then we will be able to use their expertise to our advantage.

R+P Post 6: Current trends in popular music

To look at current trends in popular music, I thought the best way to find these trends would be looking at the different charts, for example Billboards hot 100 and the iTunes chart.

 

By looking at each song and genre from both charts it’s clear to see that pop, Spanish, and Rap music are the most popular currently. In both charts a rap song featured at number 1 showcasing how popular and global that genre has become in has recent months. As well as this seeing Spanish music in the charts is very new, however, very carefully calculated with Spanish artists collaborating with global megastars like Beyoncé, Justin Bieber and Little Mix.

There is a clear trend that shows that popular music directly correlates with the level of marketing done via social media and streaming services, showing me that the digital music economy has grown massively. With songs like Cardi B’s Bodak Yellow which is currently at number 2 on the hot 100 gaining its popularity from online, with people sharing music on Instagram and Facebook and people creating reviews on YouTube therefore spreading the audience even more. Below there are example video from YouTube which shows  people reacting to music videos promoting it to a wider audience. This particular YouTube video received 2 Million Views.

2 million views

other reaction videos on YouTube

YouTube is one of the biggest platforms for music with the sit being worth between 26 billion and 40 billion dollars. Therefore it is more valuable than the physical CD, which is only in decline, therefore proving how relevant music consumption via digital media is.

In conclusion, this research has helped me realise how much of a gap there is for genres like drum and bass and alternative rap and R&B. Although it is clear that there is a large, audience for genres like pop, adding to it wouldn’t make our work wholly unique and individualistic and so this has given me the inspiration to branch out into a sub genre. It has also showcased the importance of streaming sites such as YouTube.

R+P Post 5: The kind of video I would like to make

The video I would like to make, if I had complete control would be one that has a 1970s aesthetic with graceful lighting and orange tint filters, so it would be very abstract. Here are some images of music videos with the specific grading that I find ideal.

I would also have a narrative based music video that would be fun, easy-going and light. As well as this I would like for my audience to connect with the narrative and find it relatable, as it would be carried by themes of love, youthfulness and timelessness. Here are some example videos that follow a similar theme and that also have a very strong emotional tone throughout.

In terms of lighting effects, I would love to use glares to mirror sunrays which would help add to the ‘dreamy’ effect. As well as this, incorporating strobe lights would be fun as well giving a careless and casual yet mechanical sense. In terms of natural lighting, shooting during sunrise would be striking and most ideal as it helps to create this idea of ‘the beginning’, which would help set the scene of the narrative. Also the colour choice and the orange tint filter will help to reflect the meaning behind the song and bring in elements of nostalgia. Below are some gifs to help illustrate my ideas. 

In conclusion, the music video that I would like to make is one that is full of depth, character and sentiment. This would be conveyed through narrative choice, lighting choice and grading.

R+P Post 4: Audience groups of interest

Our specific audience group of interest is the age group 15-24 this is because our artist's music is a mix of r&b and drum and bass, which is most popular with this age group. After looking at ‘spinditty’s' "who is buying the most music?" article from 2016 I found that it is much easier for record labels to target younger audiences than older audiences. This is because, older people are busier with jobs and families and therefore have a lot more responsibilities.

Below are some statistics from Ipsos connects 2016 research which shows that 93% of 16-24 year olds consume music from the site Youtube. This is especially important as youtube is the most used music service where 82% of all youtube visitors use it for music.

Our audience can easily be targeted through the likes of pop radio stations, entertainment tv-shows, online sources and magazines like teen vogue, dazed and refinery 29. Because of this it is clear that younger people are more susceptible to marketing techniques than older people. Below is a magazine site with a clear section dedicated to music - the audience for this magazine is mainly 18-30.

As well as this younger people attend more concerts, which means that record labels don't need to be dependent on record sales to make money from artists. They will also be able to make money through merchandise for example posters, t-shirts and other products.  

R+P Post 3: Music genres that interest me

I listen to all types of music from various genres, some which are completely opposite to each other. For example Pop, R&B, Electronic, Alternative-indie, Soul, Rap, Korean-Indie. These varying genres have a specific time and place and I listen to different genres depending on my mood. For example, in the morning I listen to mainly soul and contemporary R&B from the likes of Erykah Badu and Solange Knowles. When I do homework I listen to more folk indie/rock such as Mumford and Sons and old John Mayer. And when I’m in the car with my friends or siblings we almost always listen to pop music or Electronic Music from artists like Ariana Grande, Dua Lipa and Diplo, Dillon Francis and Zedd.

Each genre has an individual sound and style to them, which is why I listen to them separately, for example when I’m happy, sad, trying to concentrate, or even exercising. This is because each genre has a different impact on me as a consumer. For example when I’m happy, with my friends going out its important to have loud upbeat rhythmic music like electronic music or pop music to keep the fun atmosphere going

Below I have collated some images with descriptions to showcase the different elements of genres that I listen to on a daily basis.

Rap

 

-Clear focus on the artist

-Dark lighting

-Clothes – dark/expensive/designer/gold chains

-Setting – clubs/gritty areas

Korean-Indie

 

-Orange-yellow colour tint/filter

- Acoustic guitar – smooth and enjoyable

-Casual looking clothing – comfortable but still high fashion

-Clear focus on the artist’s voice or the narrative

Pop

 

-Clear focus on the artist/band

-Bright/glamorous/high fashion clothes

-Vivid colours/lighting/props

-Upbeat loud fun music

I believe that this research would be most useful for our group project, as it would inspire us, as we’ll be able to see what makes each genre unique and why it is so well liked. For example the importance of lighting and costume, which is reflective in the different genres. We will be able to use this and adopt it into our work, making it very useful.