We originally came up with 3 unsigned bands to make a music video for: Annie Stevenson, Pistolas and Smaller than you.
However, we then found out that Pistolas are no longer a band and so we were left between choosing Smaller than you, a local band we went to school with, and Annie Stevenson, who we found through searching the internet (websites we used included MySpace and Channel4music).
Why Annie Stevenson would be a good choice:
1) her accoustic music is very much a genre all of us in my group like. Therefore we are familliar with the conventions of the genre and would probably enjoy doing the project more than if we enjoy the genre.
2) although unsigned her music is of a very high standard of quality. This would give the music video a more professional look.
Why Annie Stevenson could be a bad choice:
1) She doesn't live in Norfolk, therefore it would be very difficult to film her live or get her to appear in the video, something our whole group have been keen on doing since the begginning of the project.
2) Unlike smaller than you, we don't know her. This could make it hard to represent her personality accurately, we could misjudge the meanings of her songs, we don't know who influenced her, etc.
3) It is difficult to place a certain genre on her. Althought this individuality obviously appeals to a big audience, it would be difficult to follow generic conventions.
We decided the cons outweighed the pros, and instead went for Smaller Than you.
We chose Smaller than you for the following reasons:
* We know the band members and so we are aware of the bands style, etc.
* The band members are local so it would be possible to feature them in our music video if we wanted to.
* We are familiar with the music and like it, so it is easier for us to choose a song and we will enjoy the coursework more if we like the music.
* They fit in nicely with the SKA genre. This gives us a genre to work around and explore the conventions of.
We have chosen to do the song 'who knew' because the lyrics are versitile and have already inspired us with some ideas.
Friday, 10 July 2009
Thursday, 9 July 2009
M.I.A "paper planes" official music video analysis
Directed by Bernard Gouley, who is also famous for some of 50cents music videos, M.I.A uses her music video to represent her views of immigration and the problems that occurred whilst she tried to obtain her Visa. M.I.A was born in London but moved to Sri Lanka. Her father hid from the Sri Lankan government as he was found a member of the Tamil tigers. There are direct influences of this seen in the music video.
1) Media forms and conventions
Though M.I.A labels the genre of her music as ‘other’, there is an obvious Hip-hop influence in the track. This is reflected in the video by the use many generic characteristics within the mise-en-scene. The costumes (tracksuits with hoods up, gold jewellery and converse), the unglamorous representation of New York, the close ups of the singer alone singing straight into the camera as though she is addressing the audience, and the image of her and four dancers who appear to be her friends doing Hip-hop dancing along a crowded street are all conventions of a Hip-hop music video and reflect the influence the genre has had on the track. The fast editing also reflects the alternative style of her music.
(singing alone straight into the camera)
(HipHop dancing along the streets of NewYork)
There is a direct link between the singer’s very political words that feature in the track and the music video. The video features repeated images of transport, such paper planes flying over New York city, (an obvious direct link to the title of the song), a skull and crossbones (the track features the line “pirate skulls and bones”, taxis, vans and a suitcase. These reflect the negative view M.I.A holds on migration laws.
(the recurring skull and crossbones image)
M.I.A connotes the struggle of immigrants in the video and uses it as “protest music for a globalised world”. The song is ironic, with the lyrics mocking the corruption and consumerism of more developed countries such as America. This is reflected in the video with images such as a till being opened with money being counted (in connection to the cash register sound effects), images of lines of gold watches and M.I.A selling sandwiches to the people of New York from a van.
(images of money and gold watches)
There are also many images related to communication, such as advertisements of phone deals. This, I suspect, is used to reflect the difficulty M.I.A faced in trying to contact her father while he was hiding, and links to the lyrics “hit me on my burner pre-paid wireless”.
(one example of the images relating to communication)
At the beginning of the video the still images cut to another in time with the slow beat. They then change into a fast movement pace as M.I.A begins to sing.
Gouley uses black and white when filming the transport in the city. However when M.I.A and the dancers walk on the street it becomes very colourful. This represents the recognisable colourful identity of M.I.A compared to the plain people and streets of New York.
(The contrast between the plain black and white streets of NewYork and the difference in colour when M.I.A enters it.
Despite some cultural signifiers such as buildings and a bridge, the video does not glamorise the aspects of New York that it is famous for. The video is critical of the culture of New York (and America).
The narrative structure is concept based and repetitive. This reflects the way the track’s purpose is to give out a political message.
As well as intertextuality within the track (M.I.A uses The Clash’s ‘straight to hell’) it is also included in the video, where two of the Beastie Boys play a cameo type role, being sold sandwiches. This is another way of showing the kind of music that has had an effect on the artist.
There has also been some controversy when it comes to the arguable intertextuality of the Tamil Tigers within the video. It is argued by some critics that the subtle images of tigers (such as the tiger on one of the dancers t-shirts, and I have also noticed she wears tiger print converse at the beginning of the video) is a way of M.I.A supporting the terrorist group Tamil Tigers that her father was wanted by the Sri Lankan government for being a part of.
2) Representation.
The representation of America and other big, developed countries is represented negatively and in direct link to capitalism and consumerism. This links to the lyrics “Lethal poison for the system”. The video appears to represent M.I.A as a very unthreatening immigrant working in the USA. It appears to challenge many people’s perceptions that immigrants are dangerous and rather represents consumerism as the threatening part of society (for example to close ups of tills and money, while M.I.A is smiling and selling food). The video is realistic because it uses images the audience are familiar with, such as streets, money and watches. This appeals to the audience as they can identify with what they are being shown.
M.I.A is promoted by the video through the use of close ups. The track was really what made the artist become more well known and therefore the close ups of her face help the audience to remember her. M.I.A is presented as a slightly controversial, modern artist. The editing and message of the song is edgy and this appeals to people who are interested in the alternative genre. The conventions of a Hip-hop video I previously mentioned appeal to audiences interested in Hip-hop.
The video has some similarities to her other music videos. For example, both ‘Sunshowers’ and ‘Jimmy’ present M.I.A within different ethnicities. The video for ‘Jimmy’ features M.IA in a Bollywood-style setting, while ‘Sunshowers’ features her within a tribe in a jungle. However, in the video for “Jimmy” M.I.A is presented in a more sexualised way, in a more revealing outfit and dancing with other females. This could be seen as a way of showing how difficult female artists find success without being sexualised, as it appears as though an alternative route to appealing to audiences has been taken after the ‘Paper Planes’ video.
A non consumerist, alternative and anti establishment political view point is communicated in the video. This can be seen in the negative representation of images of dollar bills, gold watches and a bleak city (before M.I.A enters it).
The video reflects the political arguments within contemporary society such as immigration and consumerism and the concerns and opinions M.I.A holds within reference to these.
3) Audience
I researched the age of the fans on M.I.A's MySpace. Out of the first random 20 I found, the age range was between 26 and 37. One user comment on the LastFM message board for M.I.A fans said that a song “makes me want to gyrate my hips around the room”. This is particularly interesting as in comparison to most other female artist M.I.A is one of the least sexualised in the music video I have been studying. This also shows that despite the intelligence and intertextuality within her music, M.I.A still has a feel good factor. Another comment read, “All my fam thinks im crazy cause ur music is so different and they have not heard of such a thing. Its amazing really big inspiration, I sometimes plan to be the Hispanic M.I.A!” This shows how audiences find how alternative the music is as an appealing trait of the music, and the way that M.I.A deals with culture within her music and videos appeals to those of different ethnicities.
However, the video for ‘Paper Planes’ and the controversy of suspicions that it promotes the terrorist group Tamil Tigers has dissatisfied some audiences. For example, one comment on the You tube posting of the music video said “LOL @ MIA, the tigers are dead!”. This shows how some people will be put off by the artist because they relate the music to terrorism.
Audiences can access M.I.A’s music through file sharing, downloads, Cds, music channels such as MTV, radio and You tube.
4) institutions
M.I.A is signed to the record label XL. Other artists signed up to this label include a wide range of genres from Vampire weekend to Adele to Dizzee Rascal. This reflects how the outlet is good for M.I.A as she does not conform to one type of genre to appeal to audiences, and obviously neither does the label. It won the “music week” best independent label award.
5) Technology
M.I.A first became known by file sharing her songs ‘Sunshowers’ and ‘Galang’. Her fame has also relied on the radio playing her songs and making money from Itunes downloads and Cd sales.
1) Media forms and conventions
Though M.I.A labels the genre of her music as ‘other’, there is an obvious Hip-hop influence in the track. This is reflected in the video by the use many generic characteristics within the mise-en-scene. The costumes (tracksuits with hoods up, gold jewellery and converse), the unglamorous representation of New York, the close ups of the singer alone singing straight into the camera as though she is addressing the audience, and the image of her and four dancers who appear to be her friends doing Hip-hop dancing along a crowded street are all conventions of a Hip-hop music video and reflect the influence the genre has had on the track. The fast editing also reflects the alternative style of her music.
(singing alone straight into the camera)
(HipHop dancing along the streets of NewYork)
There is a direct link between the singer’s very political words that feature in the track and the music video. The video features repeated images of transport, such paper planes flying over New York city, (an obvious direct link to the title of the song), a skull and crossbones (the track features the line “pirate skulls and bones”, taxis, vans and a suitcase. These reflect the negative view M.I.A holds on migration laws.
(the recurring skull and crossbones image)
M.I.A connotes the struggle of immigrants in the video and uses it as “protest music for a globalised world”. The song is ironic, with the lyrics mocking the corruption and consumerism of more developed countries such as America. This is reflected in the video with images such as a till being opened with money being counted (in connection to the cash register sound effects), images of lines of gold watches and M.I.A selling sandwiches to the people of New York from a van.
(images of money and gold watches)
There are also many images related to communication, such as advertisements of phone deals. This, I suspect, is used to reflect the difficulty M.I.A faced in trying to contact her father while he was hiding, and links to the lyrics “hit me on my burner pre-paid wireless”.
(one example of the images relating to communication)
At the beginning of the video the still images cut to another in time with the slow beat. They then change into a fast movement pace as M.I.A begins to sing.
Gouley uses black and white when filming the transport in the city. However when M.I.A and the dancers walk on the street it becomes very colourful. This represents the recognisable colourful identity of M.I.A compared to the plain people and streets of New York.
(The contrast between the plain black and white streets of NewYork and the difference in colour when M.I.A enters it.
Despite some cultural signifiers such as buildings and a bridge, the video does not glamorise the aspects of New York that it is famous for. The video is critical of the culture of New York (and America).
The narrative structure is concept based and repetitive. This reflects the way the track’s purpose is to give out a political message.
As well as intertextuality within the track (M.I.A uses The Clash’s ‘straight to hell’) it is also included in the video, where two of the Beastie Boys play a cameo type role, being sold sandwiches. This is another way of showing the kind of music that has had an effect on the artist.
There has also been some controversy when it comes to the arguable intertextuality of the Tamil Tigers within the video. It is argued by some critics that the subtle images of tigers (such as the tiger on one of the dancers t-shirts, and I have also noticed she wears tiger print converse at the beginning of the video) is a way of M.I.A supporting the terrorist group Tamil Tigers that her father was wanted by the Sri Lankan government for being a part of.
2) Representation.
The representation of America and other big, developed countries is represented negatively and in direct link to capitalism and consumerism. This links to the lyrics “Lethal poison for the system”. The video appears to represent M.I.A as a very unthreatening immigrant working in the USA. It appears to challenge many people’s perceptions that immigrants are dangerous and rather represents consumerism as the threatening part of society (for example to close ups of tills and money, while M.I.A is smiling and selling food). The video is realistic because it uses images the audience are familiar with, such as streets, money and watches. This appeals to the audience as they can identify with what they are being shown.
M.I.A is promoted by the video through the use of close ups. The track was really what made the artist become more well known and therefore the close ups of her face help the audience to remember her. M.I.A is presented as a slightly controversial, modern artist. The editing and message of the song is edgy and this appeals to people who are interested in the alternative genre. The conventions of a Hip-hop video I previously mentioned appeal to audiences interested in Hip-hop.
The video has some similarities to her other music videos. For example, both ‘Sunshowers’ and ‘Jimmy’ present M.I.A within different ethnicities. The video for ‘Jimmy’ features M.IA in a Bollywood-style setting, while ‘Sunshowers’ features her within a tribe in a jungle. However, in the video for “Jimmy” M.I.A is presented in a more sexualised way, in a more revealing outfit and dancing with other females. This could be seen as a way of showing how difficult female artists find success without being sexualised, as it appears as though an alternative route to appealing to audiences has been taken after the ‘Paper Planes’ video.
A non consumerist, alternative and anti establishment political view point is communicated in the video. This can be seen in the negative representation of images of dollar bills, gold watches and a bleak city (before M.I.A enters it).
The video reflects the political arguments within contemporary society such as immigration and consumerism and the concerns and opinions M.I.A holds within reference to these.
3) Audience
I researched the age of the fans on M.I.A's MySpace. Out of the first random 20 I found, the age range was between 26 and 37. One user comment on the LastFM message board for M.I.A fans said that a song “makes me want to gyrate my hips around the room”. This is particularly interesting as in comparison to most other female artist M.I.A is one of the least sexualised in the music video I have been studying. This also shows that despite the intelligence and intertextuality within her music, M.I.A still has a feel good factor. Another comment read, “All my fam thinks im crazy cause ur music is so different and they have not heard of such a thing. Its amazing really big inspiration, I sometimes plan to be the Hispanic M.I.A!” This shows how audiences find how alternative the music is as an appealing trait of the music, and the way that M.I.A deals with culture within her music and videos appeals to those of different ethnicities.
However, the video for ‘Paper Planes’ and the controversy of suspicions that it promotes the terrorist group Tamil Tigers has dissatisfied some audiences. For example, one comment on the You tube posting of the music video said “LOL @ MIA, the tigers are dead!”. This shows how some people will be put off by the artist because they relate the music to terrorism.
Audiences can access M.I.A’s music through file sharing, downloads, Cds, music channels such as MTV, radio and You tube.
4) institutions
M.I.A is signed to the record label XL. Other artists signed up to this label include a wide range of genres from Vampire weekend to Adele to Dizzee Rascal. This reflects how the outlet is good for M.I.A as she does not conform to one type of genre to appeal to audiences, and obviously neither does the label. It won the “music week” best independent label award.
5) Technology
M.I.A first became known by file sharing her songs ‘Sunshowers’ and ‘Galang’. Her fame has also relied on the radio playing her songs and making money from Itunes downloads and Cd sales.
Tuesday, 7 July 2009
Audience research filmed questionairre
We questioned and filmed a range of people to find out about audience consumption and musical preferences.
We tried to ask a range of generations and both males and females to get the most accurate and specific conclusions. We asked and filmed people in the city center as this tends to have a large range of different people.
We tried to ask a range of generations and both males and females to get the most accurate and specific conclusions. We asked and filmed people in the city center as this tends to have a large range of different people.
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