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Secondary research: History and purpose of music videos

The purpose of Music Video

There are 5 reasons which people make music videos to accompany their
music tracks.

-The first reason is for promotion

-The second reason is for extension of income

-The next reason is foe an extension od outlets (music channels, DVD and CD
sales, Website, downloads)

-The fourth reason is for added synergy

-The last reason is a producers strategies

The history behind music videos

In the past music videos have been used as a marketing devise intended to increase
sales of the music. They are referred to as 'promos' to lots of listeners and artists.

Music videos where first released in the 1950s but only really where successful when
the beetles released 'A HARD DAYS NIGHT' in 1964.

As you can see in the 1970 the biggest difference in the music videos was the colour
improvement from black and white to full coulors.

Music videos in the 1980 had a much clearer image than 1970, due to developments
camera quality.

In 1990 special effect revolutionise music videos by the use of green screens and editing
softwear to make unbelievable settings and locations.

Music video directors became more incentive with story lines, fashion and setting to
give the artist a unique style to their music videos.

In present day music videos Directors implement all of the precious advancement plus
HD and 4K play back setting which allow the most impressive display. also sites like
youtube became very popular so music videos have become easily assessable.

Media Theory - Simon Friths

Who was Simon Frith?

Simon Frith was born in 1946 and was a sociomusicologist which means he studied and tried to understand the sociology of music. He also was a rock critic who looked at popular music culture.

Fig 1

A picture of Simon Frith

According to Simon Friths music videos theory.
All music videos could be put into three category's.

-Performance

-Narrative

-Conceptual

performance videos where the most common style of music videos said Simon frith in 1998 but since then there has been a lot of changes to the music video industry. They mainly feature the artist singing in front of a large group of fans. My example video which is The Weekends - I cant feel my face. In this video we see the artist performing in front of a crowd. 

Narrative videos create a short film with a story line. They normally have a deep message. In my example of rocket man by Elton John.

Conceptual videos create a feeling for the viewer based around a single concept. they normally are unusual or unique to make the consumer focused on the visuals.  

Media Theory: Uses and Gratifications

The Uses and Gratification theory is how the audience are responsible for interpreting and integrating media into their lives. The theory approaches why people view different forms of media to fulfil their needs. There are 5 different types of reasons why people watch media.

1) Information and Education - This part looks at the

media that specialises in the telling people new information.

For example we use the news to keep us informed on current affairs. on the other hand we are educated by watching

programs such as documentaries.

2) Entertainment - People seek entertainment from the mass media to feel emotions such as laughter, cry or for deep thinking.

3) Personal Identity - We look up to people on mass media and see

them as role models. We like to view are roll models in the media

because we learn from them. For example people watch shows like

keeping up with the Kardashians because they look up to and want to be like these celebrities.   

4) Integration and Social Interaction - This is the gossip side of the media and how people talk about the media with other people. Also this section covers image community.

5) Escapism - This involves computer games and adventure films and covers the idea that people want to escape their lives and be someone different for the time they are consuming the mass media.

The main point in this is that the audience is able to structure what media they consume to their needs.

Media Theory - Roland Barthes - Codes Theory

Roland Barthes was a French literacy Theorist who came up with the Codes Theory which refers to a framework for communication in a given speech community. As an academic discipline, it explores the manner in which groups communicate based on societal, cultural, gender, occupational or there factors.

what I have understood by this is that a paragraph of text is made up of hundreds of building blocks and when you take all of the building blocks apart you could put them back together in a way to create a completely new meaning.

There are five different ways that text can be changed for different meanings.

The Hermenenueutic code (HER)

The first way in which text can be changed is in a way that the story avoids telling you the truth or including and facts in order to create a sense of the unknown.

The Enigma/ Proairetic code (ACT)

This meaning is most simple explained as leaving the audience on a cliff hanger.

The Symbolic code (SYM)
Symbolic code is how new meaning can be brought out of the texted by conflicting ideas and opposing opinions.

The Cultural code (REF)
This looks at how text can be seen by the audience to display wider cultural knowledge, morality and ideology

The Semantic code (SEM)
The last point is that there is some text that adds an additional meaning from connotation

Media Theory - Laura Mulvey - The male gaze Theory

Laura Mulvey is a feminist film theorist. she went to St Hilida's

college in oxford. She now works as a professor at Brikbreck

University in London. Her most famous work would be coming

up with the Male Gaze Theory. Her theory states:

'In a world ordered by sexual imbalance, pleasure in looking

has been split between active/male and passive/female…

In their traditional exhibitionist role women are simultaneously

looked at and displayed, with their appearance coded for strong

visual and erotic impact so that they can be said to connote

to-be-looked-at-ness'.   Laura Mulvey

If I was to sum her theory up I would say that it is how females are sexualized in the media to attract males to stay focused on the media product. The male Gaze can be achieved by making the camera focused on key parts of the female body.     

Media Theory - Richard Dyers - Star Therory

Richard Dyer star theory stated that 'icons and celebrities are created and manufactured by institutions and companies solely for financial gain. He believes that stars are constructed to represent 'real people' experiencing real emotions'.

His theory is split into three areas:

The star as a construction.

In this area he says that stars/celebrities are constructions not real people.

For example Katy Perry is seen in

her music video doing things such

as:  

Roar (2013) - Katy Perry is stranded

in a jungle and has to overcome her

fears of the wild and protect

herself from a tiger.

California Gurls (2010) - In this

music video the protagonist Katy

Perry is inside a make-believe word

which is constructed out of sweats

and candy and is trying to find the

antagonist Snoop Dogg to try and

get rid of him.

Dark horse (2013) - Set in the Egyptian

times Katy Perry is a leader who goes

about punishing people with magic for

there gold.

As you can see she has a completely different life on camera than she does in her ordinary life so the person Katy Perry and the star in her music videos are two completely different people.

The star as a commodity.

This area of the theory focuses on the

financial gain that stars/celebrities can

make of ticket sales and merchandise.

Producers, record labels and businesses

use celebrities as promotion and

advertisement for their products.

My example for this is Justin bibber

who earns most of his money from

his clothing line called 'Purpose'.

People estimated that Justin Biebers

Purpose World Tour got $200 million

in earnings.

The reason we see a lot of very similar

singers is because Record labels create

similar stars to become famous because they know it will work to get them money.

The star as an ideology.

Star ideology is where famous people create certain ideologies based around their views.

this leads to the fans of the celebrities coping them as they look up to their favourite stars.

people look up to starts like Miley Cyrus and Kanye west because of their unique view points and fame.