Genre Research

What is the purpose of a music video?

• To establish the artist/band, and it's individual members
  
• To create a relationship between the band and their audience - they may feel that they can relate to certain conventions within the the video, e.g. the bands image, the location, and the storyline, etc.
  


• Increases record sales and popularity? - the audience may see something they like within the video which may draw them to it, they will listen to the song and then may want to buy the artists single/album



• It can create an iconic image for the band - the clothing the band wears, the way they do their hair/make-up etc. An example of a modern day icon is Lady Gaga, who's extravagent costumes, hair and make-up have influenced many people to follow the trend



• It promotes their song and lyrics - people may have heard the track and may not have understood what it is about exactly, but by creating a video to go with the lyrics, you are instantly creating a visual story for the audience to watch - this may help with understanding the meaning behind the words
  
  
• Musicians are very artistic, and music videos allow them to enhance their creativity. They may show skills they have that the audience hadn't known about before, for example: playing more than one instrument, dancing etc.
  

Conventions of a music video

• Band members
  
• Props



• Music



• Instruments



• Variety of camera shots/movement



• Storylines



• Setting/destination of shoot - studio? - set depends on genre



• Costumes and make-up - genre specific



• Actors? musicians performing or participating in the narrative or supporting performers?



• Editing - cuts and transitions to match the tempo/beat of the music



• Special effects to support the narrative



• Constantly moving camera - never still for a long amount of time

What is genre?
A music genre is a category that identifies musical sounds as belonging to a particular category and type of music that can be distinguished from other types of music. Music can be divided into many different genres, and closely related styles can often overlap, e.g. pop/rock. Some people argue that classifying a type of music under a particular genre can set limitations and boundaries which slow down the development of music. Labelling music with genres does not reflect a specific culture, race or time period as larger genres consist of more specific sub-genres.

There are many different genres in music: rock, pop, rap, hip-hop, country, soul, jazz, blues, reggae, indie, dance, grime, classical... all of which can be split in to sub-genres, for example, 'hip-hop/rap'. The song 'Airplanes' by B.o.B & Hayley Williams is an example of this sub-genre.

There are typical conventions of each type of genre.

The typical conventions of pop music are:

• Catchy lyrics and beats



• Good looking artists



• Music videos which tell a story, usually about love and relationships



• Repetitive chorus Artists and dancers dress and dance sexually



• Wear stylish clothes



• Glamorous settings for the music videos



• Artists tend not to play their own instruments, more about vocals and looks



• Target a younger audience



• The artists are made for commercial reasons, to make money, not so much to show talent.

Bands under the genre of Pop/Rock

We researched bands under the genre of Pop/Rock as we want our band to be based upon this genre. Artists such as: ‘The Script’, ‘Scouting for Girls’, ‘Pink’, ‘Avril Lavigne’ and ‘Rihanna’ all fall under the genre of pop rock. Within their videos they include: instruments, band members, a story line, costumes and props which relate to genre and we would also like to include these when we are creating our own artist/band.

Research in to a genre of music:

The three powerpoints above show the history and conventions of different genres of music. The pop-rock powerpoint also tells you why we chose to use that genre to base our band around.

Production process steps for making an album

STEP 1: Ideation
Typically one band member or the composer will come up with a starting point which is typically a guitar riff or a musical piece on the keyboards or the piano.
As an individual composer your initial spark can come from many sources including the songs and musical genres that you are currently listening to.

STEP 2: Background Arrangement
Once you have an initial starting point you will need to arrange other pieces of music around the initial riff. For example if you have a progression of chords you may want to start the song with it or use it as the verse, chorus or main melody.
Once you have figured out the pieces of music you will have to arrange the entire background of the song from the start to the finish as you want it.
Arranging is done on computers software program’s such as Logic, and can even be done on your own computer/laptop.

STEP 3: Recording
Now you need to bring in other instruments and/or vocals and record them separately, for example: if you feel your composition needs a guitar solo or backing vocals.
Once the lead parts of the song are recorded you can then move onto the next step.

STEP 4: Music Production

You may want to add more instruments and effects in order to create a particular feel.
You may add or edit certain effects to the various music parts you have already recorded.

STEP 5: Mixing
You give everything you have produced so far to a mix engineer and give them a basic idea as to what you want to achieve in terms of sound. The mix engineer will then mix the song and give it the correct treatment using a multiple channel mixer, which has the ability to process any number of tracks.

STEP 6: Mastering
Once you have completed the above 5 steps your tracks will be sent to a mastering facility where the final adjustments will be made.

STEP 7: Replication
The mastered tracks are then finally sent to your label company for final replication and distributed into millions of CD’s.
Now your CD is distributed you will have to promote the album by reaching out to your audience.

Ways in which artists appeal to institutions and their audience

Ozzy Osbourne -
Institutions:
· He does more outrageous stuff so will make more money?
· He is different, so this makes him unlike anyone else?
Audience:
· He is different, so there is no others like him and so he is 'new'.
· Good to watch because he is so crazy/out there.
· He has a nickname which has latched on over time - 'the prince of darkness' and so his audience now know him as this. Many artists choose to have a nick name rather then their own name. Modern examples of this are 'Jay-Z', 'P.Diddy' and 'Pink'.
· He was once of working class status but has found world wide success, and so the working class audience will be able to relate to this and feel that if they work hard they will achieve what he has managed to do.

Madonna -
Institutions:
· Her music appeals to both men and women and so she will have a wider target audience.
· She looks good for her age and is a role model for fitness - if you look good you get more T.V and print - more money.
Audience:
· Dresses provocatively - appeals to the male audience.
· She is a gay icon and so appeals to that niche of the market.
· Her music appeals to both men and women and so she has a very wide target audience.
· She changes her image regularly to suit herself, so this means that she is constantly updating her music so as it appeals to the modern times.

Marilyn Manson -
Institutions:
· He is very different/strange and so is an individual.
· He reaches a niche in the market and so is guaranteed an audience.
Audience:
· He is interesting and different to watch.
· He fulfills the gothic stereotype but takes it further to make it his own.
· He keeps the audience guessing - what will he do next?

Girls Aloud -
Institutions:
· They are idols for the female audience - style icons, but also appeal to the male audience.
· There are not many British girl bands anymore and so they fill a gap in the market.
· The band were first launched as the typical 'girls next door' but now have a more provocative image - this may be so that they appeal to a wider audience, therefore making more money.

Audience:
· They all come from working class families but have gained success through 'Pop Stars the Rivals' and so the audience may be able to relate to them because of this, as they have come from 'normal' backgrounds.
· They are seen as idols to young girls.
· They appeal to the male audience aswell as the female audience because of their image.
· They are the most popular British girl band at current.

JLS -
Institutions:
· They have a huge target audience but appeal mainly to girls.
· They have good voices and so this saves the institutions enhancing their voices as much.
Audience:

· They appeal to girls of all ages and so have a large audience.
· Good looking members of the band means that they appeal to many people.
· They are an icon for males?
· They have their individual colours for visual representation making it easier to merchandise themselves.
Star image and development - Madonna