Reseach into our Genre

In order to create a successful music video and promotional package I have conducted some research into existing artists who are well known within the music industry. As we have already chosen our artist and song, we feel that it is important to look at conventions of typical music videos more specifically towards this genre to help us to create a video that identifies a certain genre but may also challenge it. After we asked some of our target audience to listen to the song they gave us feedback on who Jessica Drake sounded like compared to a well-known artist. Here are the artists that people said...


Kelly Clarkson - My life would suck without you:

The establishing shot begins showing only the feet of the female artist as she appears to be on a swing. This shot shows the theme of voyeurism suggested by Andrew Goodwin which engages the arousal of the audience, creating an enigma by not showing the face of the artist. The next shot reveals the artist, Kelly Clarkson who is on a swing and is smiling nostalgically. The shot is a medium close-up and she is wearing a plain black outfit, which gives an indication to a more indie/rock genre. Her hair appears naturally curly and to female audiences she is seen to be a positive role model as she is pretty but also natural. There is a cut to a shot of a children’s play area in a park. The mise-en-scene of the shot establishes two children, a boy and girl who are in the centre third of the frame conveying their importance. The next few shots are of the two children pushing each other but then they exchange friendship bracelets and hug. The music is still the introduction to the song so only a guitar is playing but gives the audience a sense of anticipation. The shots quicken as the scene of the children is juxtaposed with the shot of Kelly on a swing, which suggests that she is the little girl in the flashback. This is also supported by the fact that these two scenes cross-over as we see the little girl on the swing as she swings backwards and then Kelly is seen coming forward on the swing so it is like they are the same person, as if showing an ellipsis.

As the vocals come in there is a quick establishing shot of the next scene but then quickly goes back to the original swing scene but this time Kelly looks directly at the camera and sings. More parallels are drawn between the young girls and Kelly Clarkson as there is a quick zoom to the friendship accessory which the young boy gave to the little girl which has a ‘K’ on which then cuts and zooms out to the same bracelet on the older Kelly as she opens a door to see a male figure.

The next scene is established as Kelly’s apartment and her ‘boyfriend’s’ (aka the male actor. The playfulness of the song is suggested through the teasing the two characters running around the apartment in an attempt to get the keys. Each narrative frame is juxtaposed with a performance one but it is still in the apartment but Kelly is next to the window looking at the camera on occasions. She is wearing a new outfit in this scene, consisting of dark jeans and a light ‘floaty‘ top which shows her feminine side but also her pragmatic personality by wearing trousers, also shown in her hair style being half up and half down. The scene then diverts back the original shot of Kelly’s feet in the swinging scene however it is changed to a different angle from the other side, possibly suggesting a development in the plot. There is one point of view shot from the male actor’s perspective as we see a medium close-up of Kelly tempting the audience with the keys. This engages the audience giving a greater sense of inclusion in the playfulness. The performance at the window of the apartment is continually recalled in between narrative shots and Kelly only takes up one half of the frame which may be alluding to the song’s message of being not fully happy without her boyfriend.

The chorus then becomes apparent as there is a transition from the apartment scene with a bright flash to a performance new scene for the chorus. There is a medium close up of Kelly in the centre of the frame singing with a microphone and the band is seen behind her. The main first beat of the chorus is emphasised by a long shot showing the entire band and the numerous big flood lights behind the performers go even brighter. This is described my Goodwin as a “shift in emphasis” which they do in this video by the lighting and the authenticity of the band is portrayed showing more focus on the music. The whole chorus consists of the band performance but there are various shots from different angles such as sweeping forward on a crane and subtle zooms. There are many close-ups of Kelly singing and in this scene she is wearing dark colours but they convey the genre of the song as pop/rock. The whole of the scene is black, maintaining that focus on the music but the bright lights add a more pop aspect. To achieve a smooth transition going into the chorus, towards the end there are flashes which show quick narrative shots of the girl and boy and then a shot of Kelly and her boyfriend. Both of these shots show the same body language as the couples are far apart from each other suggesting they have a conflict. Goodwin’s theory of a conflict between three elements comes into play here as another conflict is introduced so that it can be resolved in the chorus.

Once again there is another verse where the narrative takes the majority of the shots showing Kelly throwing her boyfriend’s clothes out of the video. Each shot is juxtaposed with a performance shot, varying between; the first scene of the swing, the second scene of her by the window and the chorus scene with the band. There is a strong sense of women empowerment which is almost Kelly’s iconography with Goodwin suggests such as her song ‘Never again’. This empowerment is used to attract female audiences to uplift them like the song. The chorus is repeated and the bright lights in the background are effective in highlighting the artist. The second time the chorus comes the video complies with another concept of Goodwin’s that is visuals in music videos illustrate, amplify or contradict the music. Therefore in the chorus as Kelly is singing the words “my life would suck without you” the couple are disputing and throwing each other’s things out of the window. This shows an irony and gives a unique twist to the video.

Another theorist Alf Bjornberg believes a strong convention of music videos is the ‘multiple centripetal process’. This is the verse-chorus form and so the video conforms to a cyclical structure. However there is usually always a part in the music that is different from the rest where the sound is stripped back to the vocals. This happens in Kelly’s video and it is used to make a greater effect of the final chorus. Therefore the pace of shots slows down and there are more close-ups of Kelly’s face and instruments. The backlights are dimmed which gives a greater effect and a fan is also evident as Kelly’s hair moves. The pace gets continually faster and then the performance scene shows Kelly who sings the upbeat then the lights become brighter, substituting for the editing on the beat. Many different shots are fast swopping and always moving when Kelly is singing. Like Bjornberg suggests, a typical convention of music videos is for the video to end with a resolution of events which is seen after all the contradictions to the song, that Kelly and her boyfriend kiss at the end.

This video is appeals to a mostly female audience because of the women empowerment icon and message. Kelly is seen as a positive role model showing her natural beauty and playfulness which engages the audience. The pop/rock genre is conveyed through the clothes that Kelly wears and the lights play a great part in creating a cathartic response in the audience. Therefore from this music video we will be able to use the idea of different scene and how to juxtapose them as well as creating a slowed down effect in the middle to make the final chorus an even greater effect.

Avril Lagvine - Smile:

Many people who we asked to listen to Jessica Drake’s song said that she had a similar sound to Avril Lavigne. Therefore, I thought I’d look at one of her latest videos to see typical conventions of her pop/rock videos.

The establishing shot is in a completely white studio, of a very long shot which shows Avril in the centre shaking a spray can. We see her writing graffiti on the walls and her costume supports her rebellious actions. She is wearing a short black dress with bright colours on and is wearing Doc Martin boots conveying to consumers the rock/indie genre. Her hair is also dyed a very unconventional colour of green in her fringe and she is wearing a lot of eyeliner which suggests her independent and anarchist style. There are then quick jump shots showing her writing on the white wall and putting up posters as well as the audience seeing wires and big amps. The concept of showing Avril setting up her set and writing on the walls gives an indication to her more artistic message of using a white wall as a blank canvas to express herself. She appears to subvert the idea of imperfection as the wall could signify purity and then she writes on it to symbolise that it is still perfect even though it has been written on. These are many conventions that Avril conforms to in her own videos giving her an iconography for her audience to identify her with. Therefore her existing audience will be attracted to this rebellious but also symbolic action. 

There is then a close up of her guitar which she plugs in and plays a chord whilst the camera zooms out. There are then a number of jump shots from different angles such as aerial  shots as she sings; some show her lying down, others show her freely dancing. The lyrics also represent the artist as they are explicit because she uses some swear words but this continues to convey her rebellious and free nature. Avril looks at the camera quite a lot and uses the studio space as the camera follows her. It is also important to notice that the camera is continually moving, panning. The scene then cuts to a narrative as the chorus begins which the audience is able to identify because they have used a greyscale filter to contrast the two scenes. The mise-en-scene establishes a typical ‘American’ street where Avril is walking down the steps of a house. She is wearing mostly black and her tour top, connoting the rock genre additionally as she is wearing converses which originally signified rebellion. It appears like many videos the new scene is established but then cuts back to the original scene but then the greyscale scene is shown in more detail. This effect seems to be a way of keeping the audience’s attention so they are drawn into each scene. The new scene shows Avril picking up a small red piece of glass which is the only colour in the scene but as of yet, the audience is unsure what the object is.

The scene is juxtaposed with the previous one which has many close-ups of the artist. This greyscale scene acts as the narrative in the music video yet has a different feel to more mainstream songs such as Kelly Clarkson’s because rather than focusing on a narrative involving Avril as the main character she acts almost like a ghost. Therefore the narrative is constructed of ordinary people and the first scenario we see is a couple sitting in an outside café table clearly looking upset, assuming they have had an argument. There is an over the shoulder shot of Avril looking at the couple who are unaware of her; giving the impression she is a ghost-like character. She picks up another red piece of glass and the idea begins to appear that Avril is collecting these red pieces like a treasure hunt. As soon as she takes the piece the director cuts to a reaction shot of the couple who suddenly smile, linking to the song which appropriately fits at the end of the chorus. The pace of the song is less conventional than other pop videos as the shot in the choruses are not noticeably faster than that in the verses. Therefore there is a more laid back feel to the song because of this feature in the music video. Continually throughout the narrative, the initial setting in the white studio is referred to. This connects the two scenes but also keeps the audience’s attention and the studio setting is mostly dedicated to the artist performing with her guitar and lip syncing the words whereas the greyscale setting focuses on the message of the song.    

 The music video uses some editing techniques in parts, for example when Avril plays her guitar the shot is mirrored giving a variety to the video and suggests an alternative genre. Also when the music emphasises the guitar part, the shots reflect this by editing on the beat of the guitar strums which adheres to Andrew Goodwin’s theory of the video amplifying and illustrating the music. Like most of Avril Lavigne’s music videos, they contain a strong element of fun which she stands for in her music. This is shown when she emphasises her facial expressions to the camera and the camera moves in jump shots giving it a fun feel as well as looking at the camera and waving. In the chorus the pace of shots are unconventionally slower than the chorus however much more panning is used and there is more focus on the performance. The chorus also uses more editing techniques as Avril spins and this is reversed in slow motion possibly connoting her enjoyment which she wants to last- reflected in the lyrics.  

More episodes of seemingly genuine people are seen on the street that Avril is walking along and they instantly become happy after she picks up the red glass from near the person. This is an effective way of appealing to a large target audience as the people in the narrative are of different ages, races etc which widens her target audience. Additionally this places Avril in a positive lights as there are connotations of associating the female artist with unloading and ultimately making her audience smile. There appears to be a sense of Avril being the same rebellious artist yet she is seen to subvert stereotypes and still shows her caring personality which enables audiences to relate to her. As a more indie artist, Avril’s iconography is identified by her challenging typical conventions whilst not deviating too much from the music video camera shots. This is symbolised by the tiara that she wears on her head suggesting royalty and being like a princess however by slanting it in her hair, she conveys a subversion of the traditional which identifies with the her audience who acknowledge imperfection in a positive light.

Avril Lavigne’s music video also adheres to Alf Bjornberg’s theory of the ‘multiple centripetal process’. This is because of the structure of the song, the narrative can never be linear hence there are numerous cases of the same situation where Avril picks up the red glass and then the person is happy. To vary this there is a section in the music which is stripped down to only the vocals and in this video like Kelly Clarkson’s the lighting is used to emphasise this effect. Avril sits of the floor of the studio with the white dimmed. Then as the chorus comes for the final time, the lights brighten and Avril stands up and moves more around the studio space with the music whilst looking at the camera. Additionally Bjornberg believes music videos should have a resolution to the problematisation in the verses and at the end of the song the audience finally understand what the red pieces of glass were. The two scenes also connect as after seeing Avril collect all of the red pieces in the greyscale scene, we see her holding a glass red heart in the studio setting. She holds it up to the camera and smiles linking with the song. This maintains the audience’s attention until the very end and the heart which is not broken appears to be made from all the broken pieces suggesting the concept of a broken heart eventually being mended.

This video appeals to mainly a female audience as Avril stands for strong women empowerment however it appears she does try to reach out to other demographics through her use of characters in the video.

These videos have helped my group and I to identify typical conventions of music videos with the genre of music we are planning to use for our artist Jessica Drake: pop/rock. Therefore we will refer back to this research when we begin storyboarding to create a video that will apply to Andrew Goodwin and Bjornberg's theories and look professionally similar to music videos in the same genre.