'5 Seconds of Summer' are a four member Rock Pop band from Australia. The new band formed in 2011. The group used to be popular on YouTube where they posted videos of themselves covering songs from different artists. They eventually gained a small group of fans in 2012 after posting many unique versions of popular songs onto YouTube. They then became internationally famous when British Pop boy band One Direction invited them onto their Tour.
In February 2014, they released 'She Looks So Perfect' as their debut worldwide release. It became top of the charts in Australia, New Zealand, Ireland and the United Kingdom.
In June 2014, their debut studio album was released and peaked #1 in 11 countries.
5 Seconds of Summer state ,McFly, Blink-182, Green Day and Busted as their influences.
Definition: A cultural group within a larger culture.
There are different types of subcultures in society in order to have a stereotype for a particular group of people. This makes it easier for instructions to target a specific audience which then enables them to gain a larger amount of money.
Subcultures are represented by style, behaviour and interests. Music genres are usually associated with youth subculture.
An example of a youth subculture (and music video): Heavy Metal Subculture
Richard Dyer is an English academic currently holding a professorship in the Department of Film Studies at King's College London. He Specializing in cinema (particularly Italian cinema), queer theory, and the relationship between entertainment and representations of race, sexuality, and gender.
His Theory:
Richard Dyer's "star" theory is about artists (icons and celebrities) being formed/changed into a specific look for the audience, by the institution, so that they gain a larger target audience and a larger finance.
From this the "star" starts introducing new things such as fashion trends which also helps to gain a larger audience and make money.
3 parts of the theory:
Audience and Institutions
Constructions
Hegemony (Cultural Beliefs)
Audience and Institutions
This is the idea that celebrities and icons are made just for the purpose of money. They become a household name and increase sales in other media platforms that they are part of.
Constructions
This is the idea that the institutions change the appearance of the celebrity/icon so that they attract a larger target audience which then also gains a larger amount of money.
Hegemony (Cultural Beliefs)
Hegemony is the "Culture" that the celebrities/icons portray. If the audience can relate a feature they have with the star (appearance or behavior) they will try to imitate them. This could have a positive or negative affect on the target audience who attempt to become like their favorite "star". If the celebrity/icon represents a negative culture, it is likely that the audience will impersonate them. For example, in the late 80s to 90s, the band 'Nirvana' introduced a new fashion trend , especially with their popular song "Smells like teen spirit" ; the messy look, dirty hair, lose plaid shirts and baggy sweaters. Teenagers who were into 'Nirvana' started dressing like them and behaving in a way that Kurt Cobain did; easy going and slightly reckless.
The film 'Saturday Night Fever' was very popular in the 70s. There was a hit scene which starred the actor John Travolta dancing in a disco. The M&S advert uses adults (40+) in the clips, whilst the same song play 'you should be dancing'. This would automatically attract the adult audience who watched the film in the 70s as it would bring back a good feeling. The M&S advert also references the film 'Grease' and the music video for the song 'Vogue' by Madonna. Both were hits at the time when 40+ year olds were kids/teenagers.
"I've got the eye of the tiger"
The song 'Eye of the Tiger' is in the 'Rocky' film which is about wrestling. The song expresses power which is also represented in Katy Perry's song 'Roar'. The song also mentions the line ' I've got the eye of the tiger' to link the two songs.
The music video, overall, is bright , fun and colourful; it is appealing to the teenage audience. The video is narrative based. It begins with a cartoon styled title introduction which includes the jungle setting and the name of the song 'ROAR'. It then moves into reality as the camera zooms down onto a plane crash. The artist is then introduced as well as another second character. The second character (the man) uses a 'Nokia' phone and there is a close up shot of it. This is branding, meaning that the music video production company have been given money by the 'Nokia' company so that they can advertise the product. The video continues to tell the story of a woman (Katy Perry) surviving in the jungle alone. It includes some intertextuality by using a mocking version of 'Indiana Jones' and using a similar theme and atmosphere to the film 'George of the Jungle'.
In the video Katy Perry wears a leopard print bikini outfit. There are wide camera shots and low angles which help emphasize her features and body. Animation is also used which gives the video an interesting twist. The music matches with the action in the video; its upbeat and fun. The lyrics are in sync with the artist, they also relate to the video, and, the title 'ROAR' reflects the feelings that are represented in the song.
Charli XCX - Boom Clap
This music video was made to promote the film ' The fault in our stars'. The movie helped the video gain a large audience as people became more interested. Animation is used at times, for example in the beginning there is a layer on top of the clip of the artists name 'Charli XCX' and then of the song title as well as a few illustrations. This suits the pop genre and it appeals to the teenage female target audience as it looks creative. A lot of shots are of the location (Amsterdam), this is iconic to the film as scenes have been filmed there. The music is upbeat and catchy and it matches with the action within the clips. The clips of the artist are simple; they show Charli XCX singing and going around different parts of Amsterdam. They are kept simple because clips of the movie are also used within the music video.
Charli XCX wear simple and girly clothes in the video. This is so that it relates to the target audience and is kept real; nothing wild and wacky.
Gwen Stefani - What you waiting for?
This music video is narrative based and it has intertextuality. It follows the theme of 'Alice in Wonderland'. For example, the setting, costumes and story. However, the music video modernises the story of 'Alice in Wonderland'; It seems more fancy. As well as the video relating to 'Alice in Wonderland', a part of the lyrics does too; "Tick Tock, Tick Tock, Tick Tock" relates the late white rabbit.
The music is quick and upbeat which goes well with the amount of action within the clips; it's entertaining. The target audience would be female young adults and teenagers due to the themes; Disney, fashion and art. The representation of the female artist is quirky,good looking and living a fantasy world (dreamy). This attracts the female audience because they would want to relate to it.
The genre of this music video is grunge rock. The style used is typical within the grunge rock genre; the type of camera shots, mise-en-scene, representation and the music itself.
The video is set in an American high school gym, however the atmoshpere is smoky and the tone is slightly sepia. This makes the video seem"dirty" in a sense that teenagers are rebels. The clothes that the artists wear are also casual and loose; baggy clothes. Also their hair is long and messy. The mise-en-scene helps emphasize the scruffy and rebel representation of teenagers.
The lyrics match with the representation. For example, the line"Here we are now, entertain us!", expresses that teenagers need constant entertainment and if they are left to be bored, they become more rebelious.
There is no intertextuality. The music video appeals to the teenage audience as they can relate to it and find the behaviour portrayed as normal. Adults might find the music video concerning due to the troublesome aura it expresses. The music video is also performance based and there is a notion of looking as the camera shots show the students watch the band perform in the gym.
Eminem - When I'm Gone
The genre of this song is rap. The music video is narrative based as it shows a story of a father (Eminem) and his longing for his daughter. The tone of the video is grey and green which indicates emotion such as saddness and aggression. It also relates to the action shown and the lyrics, as the tone helps emphasize their meaning. The colours seen help express a particular mood to the audience, which in this case it is sadness. The target audience are teenagers and young adults due to the style of music, although, adult males may also find relation within the song lyrics, e.g. being a father.
Sigma - Nobody to Love
The genre of this song is electronic (club/dance). The tone of the video, such as the lighting and colouring, is bright, warm and atmospheric. The pace is fast and the camera shots change often showing different parts of the adventure and freedom. The music video was released for the summer and the target audience are teenagers and young adults. The shots show teenage girls having fun during the summer abroad, for example, it shows them dancing in the waves. The upbeat music matches the action on scene, it's very exciting and it expresses happiness.
The imagery is evocative. It makes the audience want to jump into the video, like a source of escapism.
Music videos within this genre usually don't have a narrative, they seem more objectless. They aim to make the video more enjoyable for the eye. For example making it seem more arty and high quality. They also release them at specific moments so that they gain a large audience. For example, this was released before summer, therefore during the summer it became a hit. It is hard with style of video to keep them in the audiences eye throughout seasons as it expresses the summertime only. However, as said before, it could be used as a form of escapism during a time such as winter.
I am an A-Level student and I am writing to request your permission to use one of the tracks by Panic! At the Disco. The track I wish to use is 'Ready to Go'.
With your permission, the task would be used in my current A-Level Media Studies project, which is creating a music video, as well as producing an album.
If i received your permission, this track will only be used in an educational context and be viewed by our media class, our teacher and the OCR exam board moderator. It would not be released to a large audience.
The artist and your company would be fully recognized throughout pre-production and the final video itself. A copyright notice is required, please send full details.
ody to Love