Generic Research: Textual Analysis 2 (Music Video)

Hayley Kiyoko, despite only finding fame recently, quickly made a name for herself amongst the LGBT community. As a lesbian, Kiyoko's music circulates around attraction to women and young girls finding innocent love too, just like other videos would do with straight relationships. She speaks out in a lot of interviews for same-sex relationships to be normalised, especially with younger people as it allows them to discover themselves without having to deal with the hardships. 

I personally wanted to take a lot of influence from the specific video clip, especially the innocent love between girls. Another feature I wish to include is the peaceful serenity leading up to a crescendo such as in the music video where the girl gets hurt on a rock and beats up the boy. I feel like this creates a more impactful scene and that it can create more emotion in the video.

From this music video, I enjoyed the narrative that was created and this idea was what I wanted to emulate within my own video with the idea of innocent teenage love against a world that didn't support it. I also liked the normalisation of the girls' love together and how their friendship could also have been their love as it was so easy to slip into. Their care for one another is clear through the video and it is something I wish to represent through my own.

Girls Like Girls is a simple narrative music video, nowhere near as in-depth as Daydreaming, however, I enjoy the simplicity and the narrative is the influence I wish to take from this video. With my own, I want to recreate this women-loving-women relationship that the main characters have whilst including elements of protesting against family life and against those who do not support the young love. 

Generic Research: Textual Analysis 1 (Music Video)

The song I decided to use for my media coursework is a Radiohead piece and the band itself have been able to create one of the biggest names for themselves in both audio and visual history. Their music is used in television purposefully, with each individual song giving a different meaning. This idea is said to be called the Radiohead Effect, the use of Radiohead music used to make the audience think and to form ideas around what effect this is supposed to have.

Only a handful of bands actually can command attention and analysis when their songs are played in a movie scene and Radiohead is one of these very few. Despite two of their members being successful film composers, their original music made by the band itself can be used to shape meaning and impact onto scenes in films.

Radiohead's genre of music is difficult to define as it weaves in and out of genres, however, it is distant yet has a sense of comfort too. Most importantly, Radiohead's music makes people think. The amount of effort put into a singular song is obvious when listening to their tracks and when one of their songs is used in a film, the thought that was originally put into the song itself, come through onto the film as well.

With my own music video, I wanted to create something in the style of Radiohead as I admire their artistic style. The first video I took inspiration from was Daydreaming.

The Longer continuous shots were what inspired me from this music video. When the camera followed Thom Yorke, it gave the sensation that you, as the audience, were following him on his journey. That is something I wish to recreate in my own music video, to create a sense of fluidity and narrative in the video. Although there is an eerie, dreamlike atmosphere, the expression Yorke has suggested a sense of serenity that you feel in a dream and I wish to recreate this idea of bliss in parts of my own music video. Radiohead is known for making surreal and intricate music videos which is why their music is so popular as there are hidden depths within the visuals that you must dig deeper to find.

The continued use of intertextual references is used in order to allow the audience to feel a certain sense of gratification of being able to spot certain aspects of the video and relate them to outside references. 

Daydreaming is one of the most intricate music videos I have seen and the amount of intertextuality isn't something I can emulate, however, it is something I liked to take inspiration from and use small references in my own video, in the backgrounds for active fans of the band to find.  As well as this, the use of continuous shots is also something I would like to include as I feel as though it gives a sense of the audience moving along with the characters and actually being present in the narrative. It allows for the audience to invest themselves more with the character.

Audience Research: Focus Group

A focus group are a group of people assembled to talk about a product before it is released. In this sense, I gathered a group of 4 people, 2 of which are the intended primary audience and the other 2 are the secondary audience. This allows me to grasp the range of opinions but also to apply my product to more people. All 4 participants fit into the target audience of the brief being a socially conscious 16-24 middle to upmarket demographic. My personal primary audience is to members of the LGBTQ+ community as well, with my secondary audience being those who support. 

By creating a focus group, my audience can directly give me their thoughts and opinions and I can more directly adhere to the interests of my audience.

Lillith Freeman - Primary Audience

Lillith is an 18-year old student who attends Sixth Form and is in her final year. She falls into the primary audience category and is a member of the LGBT community and a young public speaker for women's rights and environmental activists. She studies English Literature, Drama and History and enjoys theatre, art, history and literature.

What psychographics do you fall into?

Mainly just reformer.

What is your favourite song and why?

Michael by Franz Ferdinand. This song just makes me feel free; it's fun and feisty but has a rawness to it. It's about fluid sexuality, and the way its represented in this song is something that is really important to me.

Who is your favourite artist and why?

Hayley Williams (as a solo artist, not her band). Her songs feel like works of art. They have beautiful lyrics and her use of sound is interesting and exciting.

What's your favourite music video and why?

My Life is a Song for You by Tom Rosenthal. It is made by a filmmaker that I love, Bertie Gilbert, and I like it particularly because it is just so real. It isn't just a music video, it is a documentary on people's losses and their artistic responses to that, and I think it's just really special.

What is your favourite music streaming service and why?

Probably Spotify because it's free and easy to use. I can cope with the ads!

Do you go to concerts and festivals and why?

Not very often but I have been to some. They tend to be too expensive for me to afford.

Do you use social media and, if so, which?

Instagram, Facebook and WhatsApp.

Ash Bournes - Primary Audience

Ash Bournes is a 19-year-old, gender-neutral member of the LGBT community, currently in their first year of university studying Bio-Chem. Their main interests, besides science, are photography and film-making, including working the cameras for costume design shoots. They also play the guitar and hope one day to perform too.

What psychographics do you fall into?

Probably a reformer, I'm pretty socially aware.

What is your favourite song and why?

See Through by CAMINO because it's really easy to sing and play along to.

Who is your favourite artist and why?

Years and Years I think because they not only play good music but also have a great message of LGBT representation in their music.

What's your favourite music video and why?

Young Volcanos by Fall Out Boy is definitely my favourite by far! It's got this really creepy imagery and it contrasts the song which is super upbeat and almost cute.

What is your favourite music streaming service and why?

Easily Spotify. My whole family have this bundle deal, it's so easy to access and practically everyone's using it so you can find practically any song you want on it.

Do you go to concerts and festivals and why?

If I can, I'm pretty skint at the moment. It's a great atmosphere and being around other fans is awesome too. It gives a different experience than sitting listening to it through your headphones and is just great to see the artists performing live. But right now I can't go and see any one cause, being a uni student makes it hard; it can be expensive and inconvenient to get to.

Do you use social media and, if so, which?

Yeah, I use pretty much all of them! Instagram, Snapchat, Youtube, Tumblr and Discord. I stay far away from Facebook though!

Henry Bird - Secondary Audience

Henry is a 16-year-old student, studying his GCSEs at his final year of secondary school. He studies art and music and hopes to go on to continue them at Alevel too. He enjoys keeping fit alongside his passions for art and music and spends the majority of his time playing videogames and listening to most of Spotify.

What psychographics do you fall into?

Strugglers and reformers I guess

What is your favourite song and why?

I can't pick one! Probably The Mint by Earl Sweatshirt, Stoned Again by King Krule and Guest House by The Daughters but there's so many more. They're all perfect in pretty much every way: lyricism, instrumentals, themes, you name it.

Who is your favourite artist and why?

It was a throw up between Kendrick Lamar and Radiohead but I have to go with Kendrick. He is, without a doubt, the greatest lyricist of our time, very possibly of all time.

What's your favourite music video and why?

Ain't It Funny by Danny Brown. It's an extremely introspective piece about the pitfalls of our society in how we alienate and mistreat drug users and how everyone sees it as so 'funny' that people, Danny Brown included, are doing real damage to themselves and are unwilling to help. I would suggest it highly to anyone who wants to learn about the subject and what real people re going through. The music itself is very inaccessible to most listeners but the use incredible lyrics and a mix chaotic, experimental jazz and rap make it an unforgettable experience.

What is your favourite music streaming service and why?

I use Spotify, YouTube and Apple Music but I tend to use Spotify more. However, I use each other for when the other doesn't have a particular thing, etc.

Do you go to concerts and festivals and why?

Yeah, I go to concerts and stuff because I am a lover of music. There's no real experience like going to see music live. It's a good way to support artists since streaming services typically are very bad for it.

Do you use social media and, if so, which?

I use Reddit and Youtube. Occasionally WhatsApp to catch up with friends.

Lientho Barclay - Secondary Audience 

Lientho, aged 23, is currently studying medicine at the University of Birmingham. When not studying, he enjoys doing sport, music and art in his spare time and enjoys taking interest in his friends' studies too such as in politics and history; he enjoys debating with friends on topical stories. 

What psychographics do you fall into?

Most dominantly succeeder but also reformer and aspirer. I want to win and be the leader in my ideal world.

What is your favourite song and why?

Winner Circle by Anderson Paak, it's such a good mix of all the human emotions I value.

Who is your favourite artist and why?

It's my favourite song so he's also my favourite artist. Anderson Paak is just a versatile chill guy.

What's your favourite music video and why?

Shackles by Mary Mary, a bit of a throwback! It's a glorified memory from my childhood so it's something I remember fondly.

What is your favourite music streaming service and why?

Spotify, it just has everything I want on it.

Do you go to concerts and festivals and why?

No, I've never been to one but I plan to. Just need to get enough money to go.

Do you use social media and, if so, which?

Yeah, I use Instagram, WhatsApp, Discord and Snapchat.

Audience Research: Feedback on Pitch

In order to understand what my audience wanted from my music video, I created two questionnaires to ask my audience what they thought of my general idea for my product. I had an array of answers. 

My first question was asking if they believed my pitch fit the brief for the music videos and everybody who took the test said they thought so, which was a good start.

I next asked them if they had listened to the music I wanted to do for my music video and instructed them to do so if not. I felt that if they had heard the song, that would have a better understanding of what I was trying to achieve through my music video.

I also asked if they believed it could create an emotional video as that was the kind of genre I was hoping to go for. I feel as though a protest video is quite difficult to make positive without there being some kind of emotion behind it as well.

I next asked if people thought that this video would be appropriate as a protest song. I actually had three people say no and, in question 6, they go on to say that they feel it would be TOO emotional and not be able to be enjoyed by the intended audience. However, despite this, I disagree with popular music videos having dark and emotional videos which gain a lot of popularity from a younger audience and I believe that despite these peoples votes, my music video would be popular.

 When I asked an open question to whether my pitch would appeal to the audience, the answers were all very similar and believed that LGBT rights are very prevalent in the media at the moment and that therefore, this would be a successful video. Younger people are more likely to be able to relate to the LGBT themes in the music video due to there being approximately 52.8 million people in the UK aged between 16-24 who identify as LGB (2017).

I then asked the people doing the questionnaire if it appealed to them as the target audience. Most people said it did as it tackled prevalent social issues in society which are modern and perhaps relatable for some of the target audience. However, others said that the sombre mood and tone of the video may not appeal to everyone and that, in order to combat this, I would have to produce some lighthearted scenes as well which I intend on doing now, thanks to this feedback.

My final question was simply asking for suggestions and people were worried about the use of a Pride Parade due to COVID-19 and I too am also worried. Due to this, I have come up with a backup plan that I'd use if I wasn't able to shoot the video I wanted to.

By reading the responses to my questionnaire, I felt more confident in my revised idea and made sure to take everyone's comments into consideration.

However, I also made a second questionnaire which covered the entirety of music videos in a broader way which I shared with 30 people from the target audience and received answers that helped direct my research for music videos a bit more precisely.

I first asked what people liked about music videos. The majority said they preferred a story-line based music video which was excellent for me as that was what I intended doing and told me that this meant that my intended audience enjoyed an aspect of narrative to music videos. As well as this, a lot of people also said they liked artist and instrument performance. Unfortunately, I hadn't planned for this and wasn't thinking of including the band in the video at all, but, since the audience showed interest, I decided to try to include short clips of the band's performance.

 I also added an 'other' box which allowed people to add different points that I hadn't made options and of which the majority said aesthetic. Due to this, I've decided to use this idea in my music video and I feel by saturating colours and giving the footage contrast, this could help appease those who enjoy aesthetics.

 I then asked people if they liked videos that have a deeper meaning. I was surprised at the answer as the majority said that they did (Yes was 0, No was 100). This suggested to me to try to include deeper messages in the video for an active audience to try and figure out which could give them a sense of gratification.

 When asking how often people watched music videos, I wanted to get a general idea on how often the target audience engaged with the media type I chose however, I realised this was a foolish idea as the responses were extremely varied.
 I was expecting the answer I received with this question as many people choose to watch music videos from the music they already like. Therefore, this was simply to grasp an idea on how to address the audience when I start to make my website. I feel like being friendly and personal with the audience is more popular than presenting a website that is simply there to give information; interesting with audiences is important to keep them entertained.

 Again, like in the first questionnaire, I asked if people had heard the song I wanted to use, in order for them to have it in mind when answering the rest of the questionnaire.

 With this question, I was trying to see if people like it when the lyrics reflect the visuals because it creates a sense of gratification. Also, to fans of the song who know the lyrics, it'd be easier to spot certain features. A lot of people also said that it didn't matter, however, a single person said that they didn't like it and, looking through the rest of their responses, I believe this is due to the fact that they prefer the artistic aspects of music videos rather than being relative to the lyrics.

 This question was simply to gauge my audiences music taste and to see the range of music that people listen to if they had to pick a singular genre.

 I was surprised by this response and believe that actually many people may have watched a protest music video without knowing it. For example, Lady Gaga's video 'Born this Way' is a protest against homophobia and transphobia saying that people are simply who they are

I asked this question as I felt it was important to know whether people enjoyed more light-hearted videos with lighter themes or did, in fact, enjoy a deeper storyline. A couple of the participants messaged me after they completed the questionnaire and told me the reason they said no is because they feel important issues shouldn't be forced into the video and that, if they work, they should be used, not simply to make the video seem like it relates when it doesn't.

This final question was simply to find out which platform would suit my music video best and easily helped me decide. It also is going to help me when designing my website and knowing which platforms to include/not include.

These responses were incredibly helpful as they helped me hone done on some certain aspects of my media coursework and aided me in making decisions. 

Generic Research: Analysis of other protest music videos

In order to capture the true essence of protest music videos, I first watched a few and analysed them, trying to understand what sets protest music videos apart from others.

1. Freedom is Free by Chicano Batman
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mkEmnrUzFFE

The idea that freedom isn't free has been the ideological fuel behind America's hyper-militarization for a long time. But Chicano Batman challenges this idea on the funk-soul song Freedom is Free by singing, "You've got your guns up on display/ But you can't control how I feel no way/ 'Cause freedom is free." The music video is a dramatic contrast to the lyrics with a brutally visceral twist to the message: the members are being tortured by waterboarding, a torture technique used by the US military on multiple occasions.

2. Now by Miguel

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6eFL1zzGK8o

The Mexican/African-American singer Miguel uses his music video Now to she light on immigration detention centres on the last song of his album 'War and Leisure'. In the music video, he's performing at a #SchoolsNot Prisons rally near Adelanto High Desert Detention Centre which is home to over 2,000 detainees from Latin America. There are protestors show holding signs that have crossed out the words 'detention centre' and are replaced with 'prisons' in red ink. The lyrics and visuals also correspond with one another with the lyrics calling out Donald Trump's xenophobic policies towards immigrants with lines "CEO of the free world now/ Should we teach our children hatred?"

3. Fight Like a Girl by Zolita

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WWcvcfpqs08

Both the song and the music video are very female-empowering which is especially addressed with the now infamous line "My body my choice/ My rights and my voice" but adding "Can't grab me by the..." which is a direct reference to Trump's comments about women. The singer tries to dismantle the patriarchy with a girl-cult who all wear red lingerie to embody power but perhaps also a reference to menstruation and being empowered by it shown through a wide range of body types, sexualities, age and ethnicity.

4. You Are the Problem Here by First Aid Kit

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0esbbnY5Xvw

Although not accompanied by a music video, the Sweedish duo, First Aid Kit, do an extremely good job in creating a song directly attacking many perpetrators of sexual assault. First Aid Kit abandoned their classic folk harmonising for a harsher and more powerful message which was easily justified by the subject they decided to sing about. The lyrics "I am so sick and tired of this world/ All these women with their dreams shattered/ From some man's sweaty, desperate touch/ God damn it, I've had enough". These lyrics are harsh in their meaning, clearly stating what men do. I was close to using this song for my own media coursework as an obvious protest against sexual abuse against women and the feminist anthem that it has grown to be. 

5. Land of the Free by Joey Bada$$

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TeQW-9Cg8qs

Brooklyn-bred rapper, Joey Bada$$ wasn't shy when releasing his breakout album All-Amerikkan Bada$$. The three 'K's in the album title is an obvious link to the American white supremacist hate group that killed many African-American's and Joey shows this connection through the lyrics in Land of the Free "Three K's, two A's in AmeriKKKa". The rapper navigates finding his fateful path ("I feel my ancestors unrested inside of me/ It's like they want me to shoot my chance in changing society/ But how do I go about it? tell me where I start?/ My destiny rerouted when I chose to follow my heart.") while eloquently tackling racial tensions and changing residence: "Obama just wasn't enough, I need some more closure/ And Donald Trump is not equipped to take this country over." This album he released had many amped tracks such as "Free" and allows Bada$$ to become a musical-political force to be reckoned with.

6. Just A Girl by No Doubt

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PHzOOQfhPFg

Gwen Stefani fronted the rock band No Doubt and, considering the rock industry was incredibly male-dominated, it must've been tough. One of the earliest hits addresses this and was a weary retort to sexism and stereotyping with "I'm just a girl in the world/ That's all you'll let me be!" This idea of sexism is shown in the music video with Stefani and her bandmates separated into rooms, with her room being pretty and 'more appropriate for a woman' whilst she applies makeup and talks with other girls, whereas her fellow bandmates are in their room practising music.

7. If You Tolerate This Your Children Will Be Next by Manic Street Preachers

https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=229&v=cX8szNPgrEs&feature=emb_logo

The bands first number-one single was about the Spanish Civil War (1936-1939). The title was taken directly from a propaganda poster of the time and Manic Street Preachers use disturbing and bizarre visuals to bring forth this idea with the faceless family throughout the video. A line from the song is a direct quote from one of the Welsh miners that travelled to Spain to join the fight against General Franco's army: "If I can shoot rabbits, then I can shoot fascists." Nicky Wire, the lead singer of the band, later claimed that the ideology behind the song was saying that political issues seemed to have lost their relevance in modern-day society.

8. Paper Planes by M.I.A

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ewRjZoRtu0Y

Singer Maya Arulpragasam is the daughter of Sri Lankan Tamil activist so is aware of the struggles immigrants and refugees face on a daily basis and understands them first hand. Her song Paper Planes is her 'underdog' song where she represents how an immigrant would adapt when moving to and living in a Capitalist country like the USA. She uses an idea of humour and the stereotype of immigrants taking money to literally create her whole song and the use of gunshots is used to remind people of America's no tolerance for people who are different.

9. Glad to be Gay - Tom Robinson

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eLc-bh_DrKw

Homosexuality was only decriminalised in 1967 in England but even ten years later, the LGBT community was still a target of abuse and violent behaviour, as well as police brutalisation which Robinson sings about ("The British police are the best in the world.../ Picking out people and knocking them down/ Resisting arrest as they're kicked on the ground"). The BBC refused to play it on the Top 40 countdown as Robinson, who was a broadcaster at the time, was direct with his lyrics and it quickly became an anthem of gay liberation in Britain.  

10. Born this Way by Lady Gaga

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wV1FrqwZyKw

Gaga, known for her surreal visuals and subverting some stereotypes for music videos, and nothing is different with her music video Born This Way which has become something of an anthem for many people in the LGBT community as the lyrics themselves make references "Don't be a drag just be a queen". Gaga is known for being influences by Drag Queens in her art in her music videos and this visual stimulus creates an impactful video which is why many LGBT wanted to use this as an anthem.