Tuesday, 7 July 2015

Music Video Analysis - 'Good Girls' by 5 Seconds of Summer

The establishing shot shows a sign which reads 'Reform School for Bad Girls' which connotes that the video will be set here, in some sort of intitution and that it centres around the idea of changing people's behaviour as it is a 'reform school'. Additionally, there is the diegetic sound of the police siren which symbolises the fact the police are arresting the 'bad girls' and bringing them to this institution. The camera then tilts down to show three police men, each dragging a girl up the stairs. This signifies that this is a sort of prison for girls who behave badly. The clothes that these girls are wearing helps to re-inforce the idea of the video which is clearly changing the bad girls, and making them good. The girls are dressed in a punky way, with short skirts and shorts, dyed hair and cropped tops, emphasising their image as bad girls.
    There is a point-of-view shot to show someone looking at a poster of 5SOS dressed in suits and holding string instruments, with the words 'String Quartet' above which signifies that they are 'good boys' which is a countertype as the boys are known for being mischevious and a bit punky. The non-diegetic sound of strings helps to highlight that they are pretending to be a string quartet. This links to Andrew Goodwin's theory of their being a link between the visuals and the lyrics/words and a link between the visuals and music. In this video, the relationship is that the boys are dressed formally, holding string instruments while the string music plays in the background. The principle also says that their 'classical style of music will help sooth the girls', linking to the muisc in the background but also the fact that the boys have these classical instruments.
     There is a montage to show what is going on in the school connoting that these are the things that they do to change the girls, transforming them from 'bad girls' into 'good girls'. The diegetic voice over enables the audience to hear the conversation betwen the principle and the boys as he says that at this school, thet 'teach disipline, girls how to sit up straight'. This further connotes that the video takes place in a reform school but also can be seen to conform to hegemony as this is how women are expected to act. Ashton emphasises the narrative of the video as he says that the band is there to make the bad girls good girls,' to which the principle says 'all girls are bad, it's just the good girls haven't been caught yet'. The line said by the principle links to the lyrics of the song which says 'good girls are bad girls that haven't been caught' and is therefore used as an introduction to the song and the concept behind it.
    There is a close-up of Michael as he speaks into the megaphone wearing a ripped shirt and earrings. This contrasts to the image previously shown of him, but confromts to the image that the band normally give. This links to Dyer's theory of star image as the band memebers are often shown to be a bit rebellious with tattoos and dyed hair, an image which is enhanced and constructed purposefully. This also therefore links to Negus who suggests that due to this constructed image, the band is a completely synthetic one, however, they do have some organic qualities and the image that they protray was one they held before being signed and is simply enhanced by the record label. There are also several close-ups of the band memebers, identifying them as the stars, therefore linking to Goodwin's idea that there is a deman from this from the record label. Moreover, the clothing worn by the boys in this video is very fashionable, linking to Stewart's idea of references to different sources. This is evdient as the boys are dressed in clothes that keep upto date with the latest fashion trends.
     There is cross-cutting between the actions of the girls in their classes and the boy's performace outside. The quick cuts used match the tempo and beat of the music, creating a uptempo feel to the song and the video. This is a convention of a music video as they are always cut to the beat.
     The wide-angle shot of the classroom shows a survalence camera which connotes that the girls are being watched and don't realise. This conforms to Goodwin's theory of voyeurism as the cast seem unaware that they are being watched, not only by the staff at this institution but aslo by the audience at home. This shot is very effective as it makes it seem as though the audience are the staff that are watching what is going on. This footage also shows images of what a stereotypical girl should be behave like and therefore conforming to the 'good girl' stereotype.
     A mid-shot shows a girl drawing a red X on a piece of paper, pasing it round to her friends. The same symbol can be seen on Michaels shirt as he performs outside. The passing around of the image acts as a symbol of rebellion while carrying an intertextual reference to the boys album which also features this red X. Intertextual references are something predicted by both Goodwin and Stewart and as Stewart says this intertextual reference creates familiarity as the audience will recognise it from the album cover.
     There is a a long shot of the girls running down the corridoor, showing them throwing things around and destroying the school. This links to the lyrics as predicted by Goodwin as these girls have become 'good girls' however, at heart they were always bad girls that needed to 'be caught'. The girls run out to where the boys are performing and a wide angle shot shows they girls dancing to the music the band are playing symbolising a concert-like atmopshere. This also links to Dyer's theory as the band are shown not only to be singers but musicians who are able to play instruments too.

Wednesday, 1 July 2015

The Importance of Vevo and YouTube

YouTube and Vevo have become increasingly important in the exchange of music videos to the audience and are used by record companies to promote the artist and their video. The number of views a video has on these sites has become an unofficial worldwide popular music chart and labels use these numbers to promote the artist and interact with fans.

VEVO
Vevo has a partnership with Sony Music and Entertainment and Universal Music Group. The site hosts videos on YouTube and use adverts at the start of the video to produce an income. This is beneficial for the music companies as it helps to regulate the distribution of music videos and allows them to make money.
Vevo has apps for many different digital devices which allows access to the content on a mobile platform.

Organic and Synthetic Approach to Album Covers

ORGANIC APPROACH
SYNTHETIC APPROACH
The band also produced other album covers for various countries in order to boost sales and further profits. Fans would want to buy and have all the different covers which therefore helps the record label make money easily. In addition some of the albums released in different locations had different songs/bonus songs, for example, the UK deluxe edition came with the song 'English Lover Affair' while the American version came with 'Mrs All American'.



This contrasts to George Ezra who although he had a deluxe edition album, the cover was the same, the deluxe version simply had more songs.

Types of Music Videos

There are 3 types of music videos: narrative, concept based and performance based.
     Narrative videos contain mostly footage/images in an attempt to tell a story through moving images. These videos may feature actors to help demonstrate the intent. The story told normally links to the lyrics of the song. The music video for Katy Perry's 'The One That Got Away' is a good example. The video tells the story of a couple and what happens throughout the course of their relationship.

    A concept based music video is based around a single concept or idea. This tends to be unusual or feature a particular editing/filming technique. 'Californication' by the Red Hot Chili Peppers is an example of this type of video which centres around the concept of a video game.
    In a performance based music video, the artist performs the song through the majority/all of the video. An example of this is James Bay 'Hold Back the River' in which Bay stands simply with his guitar and performs his song. This is very effective in allowing the audience to see that he is a musician and that he wants his music to be what speaks for him.

   A music video will often combine elements from each of these styles of music video. An example is 5 Seconds of Summer 'Good Girls' which features the band performing but also contains a narrative/concept.