Dirty Hit Records

Dirty Hit Records is a British record label, which was formed in 2009. The label was set up by Jamie Oborne and Brian Smith. Dirty Hit is distributed by Universal Music Group. The label is based in West London, England.

The label mainly distributes alternative music, genres such as alternative rock, indie pop and indie rock. The label's current roster of bands include Ben Leftwich, Wolf Alice, the 1975, Pale Waves and the Japanese House.

The first act on the label to achieve mainstream success was the 1975. The band achieved a number 1 on the UK Album Chart in September 2013, with their self-titled debut album.

Initial Ideas

I have chosen to use 'Facedown' by the 1975 for my music video. I decided to look at the song's lyrics and analyse them. This gave me a better feel of the song's meaning and gave me lots of ideas of what to do for my video.

 

The song's key themes are love, addiction and overdosing. For my video I will focus more on the youthful vibe of the song and the youthful, self destructive nature of it.

After analysing the lyrics, I brainstormed any ideas I had for the music video.



I then added to my moodboard from deciding my target audience.

FACEDOWN MUSIC VIDEO

PRODUCED BY DARCEY LANG

DIRECTED BY DARCEY LANG

My music video will star a lead male character. Similarly to the suggestions from the lyrics, the character is troubled. There is also a female character who will feature in the video. She will act as the male character's love interest, who has lost through his struggle with mental illness. In addition to this, there may be background characters in the form of the ex-couples friends.

The music video will focus on the couple's loss of one another, and show the distance between them, with the two characters not appearing together on screen.

 

Target Audience

I used my audience research to inform me when deciding on the target audience for my music video. 
I created a moodboard to show what I think will represent my target audience.

A typical member of my target audience will be a female, between the ages of 16 and 24. They will most often be students with an active interest in music. Typically they will fit the explorer psychographic. Music is very important to my target audience. They will most likely be of the ABC1C2 demographic.


Character Profile:

Gabby is a nineteen year old  student from Reading, England. She is currently studying graphic design at Leeds University, where she lives with 3 friends in a flat. She works part time in a bar. Gabby's disposable income is most often spent on concert tickets, nights out with friends and clothes. Her favourite stores are Urban Outfitters, Topshop, Boohoo and ASOS. She also often buys clothes second hand from eBay or ASOS Marketplace. Gabby's fashion taste is very carefree and follows a 90s-esque style. She is an avid music fan, with her favourite genres being indie and rock. Her close friends, as well as some of her flatmates, share a similar music taste to Gabby, and she often attends gigs in her local area. She has also attended Reading and Leeds Festival for the last three years, and plans to go again next year.

Gabby has always been actively interested in the arts, which led to her decision to study graphic design at university. The art surrounding her favourite bands and albums, including music videos, is important to her. She most often chooses music artists with a distinctive style. This is typical of someone who is an indie music fan. She enjoys watching her favourite artists' music videos and looks forward to the release of music videos for her favourite singles.

Audience Research Analysis

Copy of Audience Research Questionnaire

Copyright letter

Screenshot of my copyright letter to Dirty Hit Records:

*UPDATE*
I attempted to contact Dirty Hit Records in order to gain copyright permission, however I didn't receive a response.

Performance, narrative and concept based music videos

Performance
A performance based music video shows the artist or band performing. Although the artist or band doesn't have to move and dance, if they are singing, or playing their instrument, then the music video is performance based.

An example of a performance based music video: Green Day 'American Idiot'

Green Day's 'American Idiot' music video The lead singer, Billie Joe Armstrong, is lip syncing the song whilst playing the guitar. The other band member playing their instruments alongside him. This is a convention of rock music videos. They are usually performance based as performing live is very important within in the genre.


Narrative
A narrative based music video shows a story. This might be the artist or lead vocalist of a band, but it is usually an actor as the artist or band would be performing the song. 

A purely narrative music video would show no singing and will have a beginning, middle and end. The story may not show everything, like a movie, but important aspects of the actor's life.


An example of a narrative based music video: All American Rejects 'Gives You Hell'

The narrative of this music video is a linear-narrative and is about two neighbours and one house being neat and calm and one being wild and fun. 


Concept
A concept based music video shows an idea formed by combining all the characteristics of the song it is being presented with. Most concept based music videos are abstract and may seem confusing or 'random'. The sequences may seem random and weird but that keeps interest.

Intertextuality

Intertextuality

• Linking/referencing other media texts
• Refers to the fusion and borrowing of ideas from other media, creating the idea of music videos as 'post modern'.
• Other media texts can include references to TV shows, films, other music videos, etc.
• Pastiche is when other media texts are referred to in a complimentary way; they are portrayed in a positive light
• Parody is when media texts are referred to negatively; making fun of other media texts in your own work.

Example of pastiche: True Romance (1993) and The 1975 'Robbers' music video

The music video for the song 'Robbers' by the 1975 was inspired by lead singer Matty Healy's love of Quentin Tarantino's film, True Romance. The music video directly references the film.

Laura Mulvey's Theory

Laura Mulvey's theory focuses around the idea of the male gaze. Her theory suggests that the camera/audience always represents a heterosexual male's perspective of the scene, objectifying women.

Her theory also suggests that women are only portrayed as one of two possibilities: either a virginal innocent character or a sexy whore. This is called the virgin/whore dichotomy.

Andrew Goodwin's Theory

Andrew Goodwin's theory suggests that a music video is made up of key aspects:

• Thought through beat
• Relationship between the song and visuals
• Emphasis on looking
• Genre characteristics
• Star Image
• Intertextual references

Relationship between the lyrics and the visuals

• Lyrics from the song are represented with images.
• Themes, mise-en-scene and events of the video match with lyrics of the song, to help to portray the message of the song.

Thought through beat

• The cuts and edits of the video are in sync with the rhythm and beat of the song matching cuts or effects to specific drum beats or notes.

Music videos have genre characteristics

• Certain features are expected out of a video depending on the genre of the music
• For example a girl bands/artists are expected to have dancers and close ups of the singers, whilst a indie band are expected to have performance shots of the band and cut to a fast beat.

Star Image

• Often due to the demands of the record label, artists videos will include many close ups of the artist and will often develop motifs that recur across multiple videos.
• This allows the record label to promote a set image for the band, which will help target audiences empathise with the band.

Emphasis on 'looking'

• The 'male gaze' is often used to attract a male audience. The male gaze is a focus on presenting things that appeal to men. This often means a voyeuristic view of, and an objectification, of women. 
• The emphasis on looking also includes the artist looking directly into the camera helping the audience connect with the artist.

Intertexual references

• Music videos reference other forms of media, most commonly film, but can also be television and other music videos. 

Music Video Analysis 3

The music video is edited rhythmically. The shots transition on each beat. This makes the video very satisfying to watch. Slow motion is also used throughout the video. As with the use of tracking and pan shots, this creates a romantic ambience to the video. In addition, overlays were also used. Shots of the band in silhouette were overlayed with backdrops of the sky and palm trees, as well as city scapes.

Music Video Analysis 2

Link to analysis:

http://prezi.com/zknd_djey6qy/?utm_campaign=share&utm_medium=copy

Music Video Analysis 1

Link to analysis:

http://prezi.com/ug-ugf_utvi9/?utm_campaign=share&utm_medium=copy

Conventions of Music Videos

Camerawork

• Focus on the artist - close ups, mid shots, two shots
• Busy frame - lots going on, keeping shots interesting
• Low angles - shows dominance, can emphasise brands
• Eye level - establishes relationship
• Tracking - movement provides energy
• Wide shots - especially for performances
• Crane shots
• Establishing shots 
• Tilts
• Long shots

Mise-en-scene 

• Performance
• Lip-syncing
• Choreography
• Interaction with other people in the video
• Direct address
• Instruments
• Casting
• Attractive
• More often women
• Young
• Sometimes well-known/famous
• Sexualised costumes and makeup
• Made to look more attractive
• Mise-en-scene is all very deliberate and stylised
• Ideals
• Beautiful homes
• Amazing weather
• Aspirations
• Idealistic lifestyles
• Locations
• High budget
• Expensive looking sets
• Vague/neutral
• Relatable 
• No specific location
• Eg. Rihanna - We Found Love was shot in Northern Ireland
• Lighting
• Highkey
• Spotlights often used in performance videos
• Colour
• Intensity
• Projections
• Smoke
• Wind

Editing

• Abstract/non-linear editing
• Fast pace
• Slow motion
• Musical editing
• Rhythmic
• Graphics/intertitles
• Lyrics
• Overlaying shots/footage
• Images
• Special effects/CGI
• Artists look enhanced
• Equivalent of Photoshop
• Pull focusing

Sound

• Music
• Voiceover
• eg. Arctic Monkeys - Why'd You Only Call Me When You're High?
• Ambient sound
• Creates atmosphere
• Muted sound
• Music can dip as well
• For narrative to come forward