Audience Research: Target Audience Profile

This mindmap reflects what I believe our target audience to be like; what television channels they like, what their personality is like, what type of music they listen to, etc.

http://www.findyourtribe.co.uk/ is website in which you can answer a questionnaire and find out what "tribe" or stereotype you belong to; more often than not, you are part of one stereotype, yet have elements of other stereotypes.

I completed the questionnaire on http://www.findyourtribe.co.uk/ as a member of my audience and what I believe they would like, especially in terms of wanting to be individual. The result was "Hipster" who is someone that is ahead of the rest of the population in terms of creativity (such as music, arts). I agree with this stereotype to a certain degree because the audience for our genre, would have a sense of individuality, however there are other ideas that contrast what I believe our audience to be like; for instance, the not using social networking sites and finding completely new music/art/clothing all the time. The indie/pop genre, although being alternative and individual, like to belong and I don't believe they would stray and become too alternative because they want individualism, not isolation.

Due to indie/pop genre being a subculture, http://www.findyourtribe.co.uk/ didn't incorporate the fact that I was answering the questionnaire from a subgenre point of view rather than overhead genre; there were certain questions where there were two options that I would've chosen, however I was only able to choose one of the options and had to decide whether I was the indie or the pop side of the subculture. The individualism of the "Hipster" doesn't reflect the conformist nature of the pop genre, which makes it seem as though "Hipster" is more relevant to the indie side of the genre. "Hipster" showed elements of a "Craft Kid" which is someone who makes things and changes clothing and bags to make them unique. This doesn't reflect the pop genre either, because of the unique/alternative nature of standing out and essentially being isolated isn't relevant to the conformist pop genre.

http://www.findyourtribe.co.uk/ reflected one side of my subgenre more strongly, than the other half, however, I believe that the indie side of the genre is more dominant than the pop half, because of how the band dress and style their hair.

Research into the potential target audience

Using a small group of participants, that were with the in the demographic 16-25years, in education and an aspirational demographic; I composed a questionnaire comprising of twelve questions, in order to find out how audiences consumer theire music, and how and where they find out about new artists. The focus group I used consisted of seven femalesand seven males, using the social networking site http://www.facebook.co.uk/ and was published October 2009.I had planned to have an equal number of male and females within the focus group answering the questionnaire in order to achieve a fair equilibrium between the genders; however only four females and three males answered the questionnaire - which alothought isn't too uneven doesn't necessarily give a fair view from the male sector of the audience especially. The questionnaires were filled out by friends on Facebook and then returned via comments at the bottom of the notes page.

The primary purpose of this research was to see how people purchased their music; whether it was using internet downloads or as hard copies from music retail stores. In addition, I wanted to find out how participants found out about new music and new artists. The research will assist my year 13 music video production as it has helped me understand the audience better and respond to their views appropriately and through the research it has assisted me on how to investigate different areas of the music industry. Through asking the focus group I can promote my artist in a way that is relevent and appropriate to the audience.

Evaluation

This graph represents the participants response when they answered "are you more likely to listen to the Radio or watch a music channel (mtv, kerrang, etc) or neither?" Although, this graph does show clear answers to the question, all it states is that five participants listen to the radio and two would rather watch a music video; it doesn't reveal who answered what (gender, race, etc) it just shows what the focus group answered.

I wanted to see if the choice was affected by gender; whether male participants preferred listening to the radio compared with the female participants or vice versa. In order to do this I created another graph that not only shows what was answered but who answered them. I though this would give more detail and a wider understanding about my focus group. I realised that although there is who answered the question and what their answer was, there isn't anything indicating why they answered what they did; to achieve very detailed information, that would've been a greater help, the question should've written with more depth - for instance: "Are you more liked to listen to the radio or watch a music video or neither? Why is this?" Some participants within the focus group did expand on their answer, for example: one female participant mentioned it is "easier to multitask" when listening to the radio.

Through my research I have found that female participants were more likely to listen to the radio, compared with the male participants, and that the male participants would prefer to watch a music video; for reasons such as "I like to see the band perform." This suggests that visuals help the male audience understand the music better - perhaps because the visuals may be linked to the song. I would have to research this in more detail in order to find whether this is true, also using a larger focus group would have achieved more definitive, detailed answers.

It can be seen from both graphs that music is a large aspect of people's lives; whether the audience consume through music channels, radio, personal music devices (iPod's, mp3 players) as none of the participants within the focus group responded to the question with "neither." Although it was a small focus group (as I didn't receive all the questionnaires back) music appears to influence the audience through some form of media text: perhaps if the focus groupd was larger, there would have been participants that aren't likely to do either; this would have created more comprehensive information. As I didn't include other forms of consuming music (iPod's, mp3 players) there was, perhaps, a lack of choice. I did choose to keep the options to a minimum as there appear to be the main ways in which music is broadcast publically; also applying the information to the production of my music video, I felt it was easier wth fewer options as the uses of personal devices didn't seem relevent to the question.

I also wanted to see whether the participants linked themselves to the music industry in other ways, for example through music magazines: "do you purchase music magazines and if so, why?" Compared with the previous question there is more detail and this enabled me to find out, not only what participants answered but why they answered what they did. Research into this particular area of the music industry will not only help me with the production of my music video, but also the planning of my print productions as I will be able to take into account whether there is a consumer area for music magazines (in which there would be advertisments) and therefore could research the types of texts that are seen within these magazines.

It can be seen from this graph that the female participants would regularly buy a music magazine or consider buying compared with the male participants.

Although this graph shows which gender buys the music magazines it doesn't show why the participants chose to show this; in order to have a more in-depth response, I created a new graph.

This graph shows the reasons why people purchase the magazines and from the graph it can be seen that the majority of participants purchase them to find out about bands - whether it is their favourite or new talent. I didn't include the participants' gender within this graph, because I didn't think it relevent; why they have brought the magazine didn't appear to have a link to a gender and seemed unnescessary data. Surprisingly only one participant uses the magazine to find out about tours and gig information; I expected this to be more, however since the rise of new technology there are easier and cheaper way to find out about gigs; for example by looking on http://www.ueaticketbookings.co.uk/ different gigs and a variety of venues across the city and the county can be found, for free, and as well as being to see when a band is playing the tickets can also be purchased online. I was suprised that more participants read the magazines to keep up with the music industry and the changes that happen, compared with participants finding out gig information. I didn't expect many participants in the focus group to have this response, however I realised which participants had the "industry" response: one female participant works on the radio and attends gigs more than once a month and the male participant and is heavily influenced by his band, plays an instrument and also attends gigs more than once a month - from their profiles their interest is in not only their favourite band's music but the industry as a whole; this correlates with their response.

This research was particularly aimed at a slightly alternative audience, although I did include participants that, perhaps, would listen to more mainstream music; this was done to have a broader variety of responses. From the research I have found that the participants are fairly involved with what is happening in the music industry, through magazines and the internet. This links well with our production because the band that we've chosen is a small, alternative band that are well known on the local norwich music scene.

3. What have learned from your audience research?

The sample group I chose was mainly C2/C1 category and are in higher education and planning to go onto study at degree level, which suggests they are aspirational and independent which links well the audience that I associate Blighters with. I found this out due to the audience research I did previously. I used the social networking site, www.facebook.com to find out what consumers thought of my music video productions and print productions.

However, I used it mainly as an aid, because I asked certain participants to answer the questionnaire and sent them the link to the questionnaire; I mainly asked consumers individually, because the participants I tagged in the questionnaire didn’t respond as quickly as I wanted. All of the participants in the focus group I asked were in the demographic 16-20 years. This was because I felt the appropriate demographic for our band’s genre was young people.

This graph shows the gender of the participants I asked; the majority being female. Although, the band members are all male and may create a sense of aspiration for the male consumers; I think that male consumers may appear threatened by an all male band which is why I believe that Blighters are aimed more towards female consumers. From Blighters myspace page, the majority of their friends are other bands or female fans, which strengthens the idea that females are more the target audience then male consumers. However, according to the graph below the majority of consumers asked liked the video for different reasons, and the two participants that disliked the genre, liked other aspects of the video. Although, this graph isn’t gender specific, I think we would have been able to see whether female or male consumers preferred this song, because the previous graph just states how many of each gender participated in the questionnaire. I have found that by using a strong narrative I was able to keep the focus groups attention because they enjoyed the strong “enjoyable” narrative. Many participants liked the mixture of the performance shots and narrative, because they felt it kept the pace up and made the video more exciting. The main reason I think the audience liked the narrative was because we’re so exposed to it on music channels; many videos have a strong narrative and many don’t have a mixture of performance shots, thus relying heavily on narrative, which is something that I felt made this video stand out more and gave the audience something fresh to watch.

The aspects of the music video that the two participants disliked was the genre, and it was a personal preference idea rather than a problem with the video itself; the participants didn’t like the genre of the music video, however this didn’t prevent them from enjoying the narrative and composition of the shots.

In terms of my print productions, the majority of participants said they would purchase the album because of the advert or album, as the terms “are strong” and they flow well together. The participants preferred the simplicity of the advert and album cover than they would’ve done if it was more colourful and busier (in terms of information). I learnt that by keeping my advert simple, I was able to appeal to a broader audience, because they weren’t overwhelmed by information or colours.

Summer Investigation: Implications for the music industry and my own production

Through my research I have realised that the music industry have a long way to go and in order to win the battle against the illegal downloads, they need to take to the consumers and work with them so there is a compromise;it seems that the music industry realise that illegal downloading is happening, however it is as though they don't want to understand the implications for the companies. When speaking with a band, they said that the implications for the music industry were huge because unsigned bands (as themselves) were finding it hard to get signed because the record companies could only take a certain percentage of new talent on each year. Another reason was, that people were getting their music for free, so although they were getting a reputation on the music scene they weren't receiving any royalties for their music. Illegal downloading is also accredited for the breaking up of bands, because they can't see the point of making music if they're not receiving royalties and sometimes unless they are a big mainstream band they're dropped by their record label which again leads to the end of the band.

Unsigned bands have started giving their music away for free because audiences expect to have free music; this suggests the idea that the music industry have stopped selling music and have started selling lifestyles. Unsigned bands are making their money from their gigs and from selling their merchandise; audiences are able to wear the band logo's, this is turn can create a sense of belonging, because the consumer can feel part of the fan base and have something in common with a vast amount of other audience members.

For my year 13 project, I marketed the band similarly to how contemporary bands are marketed; the idea of selling a lifestyle rather than the music is highlighted through my products as I have targeted a young audience who are in education because of the theme of school that flows between my digipak and music video. Using performance shots, of not only the artist but also the gig audience, shows the consumers the tone and atmosphere of the band and sells Blighters as a live act. Through the exposure of the artist throughout my three products I have been able to familiarise them with the audience and create a strong fanbase because the audience can feel engaged and attached with the band.

Summer Investigation: Findings & Conclusion

From my focus group I have found that it is equally weighted in terms of whether or not the participants downloaded illegally. However, due to the small focus group this cannot be seen as a true representation of what consumers actually do. The graph also doesn't tell us whether the male or females are more like to illegally download, however I don't believe this to be entirely relevent. Although the focus group was small, the opinions of the participants can be taken to account; one participant said they illegally downloaded because "music is too expensive" which can be agreed to in a certain degree. In Asda a CD can be brought for £6.99, however when in a music store such as HMV the same CD cost £13.99; we know that Asda doesn't make it's money from music, but why is that there isn't just a difference of a few pence, but rather alot of pounds.

However, from this graph we can see that each participant doesn't just use one type of media in which to consume music. From the graph we can see that the two most popular ways of consuming music for the majority are completely legal: the radio and iTunes. However, it is perhaps worrying to see that illegal downloads are on par with CD's and Vinyl which suggests that hard copies of music are struggling against new techonologies - is this because of the cost of music or because music on the internet is more convenient and accessible? On iTunes some music can be brought for as little as 19p, this type of price is viable for a CD so is the reason that hard copies are struggling? Many consumers I asked said that although expensive, they often preferred a hard copy of the music when they could afford because they could touch it and if felt as though they'd actually brought something, rather than it just saving directly to their hard drive.

Summer Investigation: Research

In order to research my topic I used different types of media. Using questionnaires and internet research I was able to see what the internet community and a small focus group thought of illegal downloads.

I used the social networking site www.facebook.com because I thought that this would reach a larger number of consumers and that collecting information would be easier. However, I don't think this was an appropriate method to use, because it is only possible to get results if people read the questionnaire and answer it, whereas if the target group answer them in person you have the answers instantaneously. Although there were problems with remote research on the internet, the collection of data was easier because I received emails when a user had responded to the questionnaire. This made the collection of data easier and gave me access to a wider demographic, but narrowed the respondents down to those under the age of 25years as I only had access to people on my friends list on "facebook" which the majority are under 25years. Another issue with using a social networking site was that, because of the lack of response, there was only a small focus group; however it was equally spilt between male and female, which was helpful because it appeared more of a balanced arguments and I was able to see what each gender believed. The small number of participants, however made it difficult to have substantial agreements/disagreements because it was only a small number of participants opinions; in order to see the bigger picture it would have been better if more consumers had participated.

However, through internet research I was able to use the opinions of people that were over the age of 25 and have experience in the area of music; for instance, I was able to read articles from The Guardian and Daily Times. Through using two different types of research through the same channel (the internet) I was able to receive opinions from both over 25's and under 25's and also people with experience and without; however their opinions all met a similar idea, that illegal downloads are big problem, but the price of music certainly isn't deterring consumers from doing it.

1. In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and convetions of real media products?

My media texts have been created around genre and through researching music videos of a similar genre and that use similar ideas to those of my original ideas.

Final Magazine Advert

Final CD Cover

Summer Investigation: Internet Research

Another aspect of my research included investigating on the internet and finding out what the internet community think of legal and illegal downloading.

Robert Verkaik believes that: “Illegal downloading in the UK has become a massive threat to the music and film industries. In 1997, 78 million singles were sold in the UK; last year, it was just 8.6m. It is estimated that half the population has engaged in some sort of nefarious downloading in the last five years.” www.independent.co.uk [Wednesday, 8 July 2009]. The number of album sold has depleted since 1997, however is this because of illegal downloading or because of the invention of Spotify? A piece of technology where audiences can download tracks for free. Spotify is based on a invitation service, where the invitee has to be a member of the service in which they pay for it; there is a maximum limit of 10 invitations and someone who has been invited cannot invite anyone; also if you want to use the service and haven't been invited, you can become a (paying) premium member. This supports Verkaik's view that "half the population has engaged in some sort of nefarious downloading" because illegal downloading is accessible, easy to use and most importantly: free. Although, Spotify offers a free service, it is an exclusive option because you have to be invited to use it for free or pay for the premium service, whereas [illegal] services such as Limewire offer free and accessible to everyone services. Spotify and Limewire are the antithesis of each other. In order to counteract Limewire and other illegal downloading sites iTunes are dropping the prices of their music, however this is only because they have been forced to do so that the UK is on par with prices equal with the rest of Europe; could this mean that Apple are responsible for some of the illegal downloads, because if the music in the UK is more expensive then everywhere else, consumers are going to find cheaper (if not free) music from elsewhere.

When researching the internet, I decided to find out just how easy it is to find illegal download sites. Using a single search engine, I typed in "Illegal Downloads" and www.google.com pulled up 38,200,000 hits; this highlights how big the problem of illegal downloads are and from looking at the articles on the first page, as this has the most relevant articles, I found that many consumers and critics believe that the illegal download trade is having huge implications on the music industry in terms of cost: "Music industry blames huge illegal download market for ever-falling sales" (Daily Telegraph, 22nd January 2010).

It seems that the entire internet community understand the implications that illegal downloading is having on the music industry, however it seems that even these implications aren't enough to prevent the illegal download trade. The music industry appear to finally be taking action, by releasing new software such as Spotify: " Eventually, belatedly, towards the end of last year and the beginning of this year, it appears as though the music industry is starting to accept the inevitable: that it will have to fundamentally change the way it operates." (Andy Vandervell). The industry and music lovers just have to wait and see whether this change has in fact come too late or just in time.

Summer Investigation: Band Questionnaire

This questionnaire was sent through www.myspace.com because this is the most popular, mainstream website for new and unsigned bands.

1.) Do you believe that illegal downloads are affecting the music industry?

Yes No

How?

2.) Have you personally been affected by illegal downloads?

Yes No

How?

3.) Do you think the internet, using sites such as www.myspace.com, has helped audiences access your music easier?

Yes No

4.) Do you think more should be done to prevent illegal downloading?

Yes No

If so, what could be done?

5.) Do you think music is too expensive and therefore deters people from obtaining it legally?

Yes No

Summer Investigation: Focus Group Questionnaire

1.) Age:

0-16 16-20 20-25 25-30 30-40 40+

2.) Gender:

Male Female

3.) Do you illegally download music, using sites such as Limewire?

Yes No

Why?

4.) Do you think that free legal download programmes, such as Spotify, are a good way to deter people from illegal downloads?

Yes No

Why?

5.) Are illegal downloads programmes easier to access than legal download programmes?

Yes No

6.) Would you prefer to download music and access it quickly or buy a hard copy in CD form?

Download CD

Why?

7.) Is the cost of CDs and legal downloads from iTunes too expensive?

Yes No

And do you believe that music industry should create cheaper music?

Yes No

8.) What impact do you think illegal downloads are having on the music industry and the bands personally?

9.) How do you find out about new bands and unsigned bands?

10.) How do you consume your music?

CD Tape Vinyl Internet (illegal) iTunes Radio

Summer Investigation: Context

How illegal & legal downloads are impacting the music industry?

I have chosen this topic as I believe it to be important; many consumers believe that illegal downloads have a huge impact on the music industry financially, which is true, however I want to attempt to find out whether legal downloads are having an equal effect – are they profiting the industry financially as much as the illegal downloads are costing them? And do they serve another purpose in helping the audience access more music from both signed and unsigned bans? It is not only an important area but also a relevant one as there has been a rise in new technologies and illegal download sites have become easier to access on the internet and seldom require downloading a torrent programme, consumers can download just single files to their computer, which saves space and time as they don’t have to wait for the programme to install. The predominate reason for choosing this question was because downloading is easily accessible to the internet population and I wanted to find the impact that it is having on the on music industry.

In order to find this information I will research using the internet and potentially plan to find download rates from the past year and how much the industry lost due to piracy and how much they profited through legal downloads. I will also attempt to find out whether unsigned bands believe that legal downloads and sites, such as www.myspace.com, have helped more audiences access their music; I will email bands through www.myspace.com using a short questionnaire. As well as using a questionnaire to research the bands opinions I will also use a questionnaire to hand to a select focus group, I will hand 20 questionnaires out, 10 on www.facebook.com and 10 personally, this will also help me to research which is a better forum for collecting information. The focus group questionnaire will inquire whether participants believe that illegal downloads are big industry problem and whether they illegally download themselves and why this is; I will also ask how the participants find out about unsigned bands or new bands and whether they believe that legal downloading/music sites (www.myspace.com) are having a positive effect on new talent, also how badly they think the new talent is being affected by illegal downloads.

Summer Investigation: Proposal

CD Cover: Initial Ideas

Throughout the design process, I wanted to use polaroids to create a nostalgic feeling and polaroids link to the influential 80's era. As polaroids are popular and used to demostrate "vintage" I wanted to twist how they were used, in order to make the polaroids more interesting. As seen in the image on the left, I used one image but multiple polaroids so the image flows.

Progressing on from the idea above, I decided to create an entire image, however make it appear as though it was individual polaroids achieving this. I found that this idea worked incredibly well and with the use of Photoshop Elements I was able to create the desired idea. Although, the image on the left was the one I originally used, I realised that the singer wasn't the main focus of the image, because he wasn't positioned in an obvious place. The singer was shadowed in the darkness and on the left of the polaroid, which takes the focus off him and places it on the microphone and the light as these are more central.

Due to the fact I had a few ideas, I experimented with different ones to see which idea worked best. As well as looking at the idea of just using one image in the polaroids I also experiemented with using more than one image. Although, this created a different effect and gave the consumer more to look at, I felt for a front cover it was too busy. It also didn't look as impressive as using just the one image, because it wasn't as challenging; however, the image does portray the bands genre well and because of this I felt it would work better on the inside cover with the lyrics; the image gave too much away about the band and didn't leave anything up to the audience's imagination.

This is the beginning of my CD cover design and how I positioned all the the polaroids in order to create a "thrown down on the table" effect. I wanted the cover to have a natural messy desk feel to it, which is another reason why I have created a "thrown down" look to the polaroids; I also layered paper behind the polaroids to imply the idea of a desk clearly. The writing on the paper added depth to the cover, because I experimented without the writing and I felt the paper blended too much with the desk wood. Before deciding on the image of the singer, I had an image of a small, old street from the back streets of Norwich, I felt that the image linked well with the genre of the band because it was quirky, however when I incorporated it into my design although the quirkiness linked to the genre the image itself wasn't relevent to the band and I wanted the audience to be able to relate to the band.

This was the original finished design and although the image and the font tie-in well with each other because they are both traditional; I think the font is too traditional and too busy with the image as well. It isn't accessible to the audience either; it gives the impression that that band aren't engaged with their audience, compared with my second experiment. The image is that of the singer from the video and because of this exposure in both the video and the CD cover the audience are familiar to him and therefore can engage with the music differently. The simplisity of the font doesn't place a timeframe on the font, because it is relatively nondescript, whereas the previous was slightly "olde-worlde" which again would distance the audience because it's not something they can necessarily relate to as a majority. The main reason I kept the idea of the paper was because of the theme of school that runs throughout the video and I wanted to link the CD cover with the video. I also experimented with the positioning of the writing on the cover, because I decided that perhaps generic wasn't best. The writing frames the polaroids rather than crowding it and by having the titles near each other instead a width apart concentrates the audiences focus onto the image because they're not having to change their attention between three different areas on the cover as they would have to in the second experiment I did.

My original inside pane was going to be the lyrics of "The Exam" although this worked well, I decided to use lyrics from two different 'Blighters' songs because the paper was layered on top of each other, the audience couldn't read all the lyrics anyways; it also gave a variety and linked well the songs that were on the CD. I finally decided to have three pieces of paper, each with the beginning of three different Blighter's lyrics on (one of which was "The Exam"). I decided to experiment with the use of images on the inside panes as well and because I didn't feel the montage of images was appropriate for the front cover I chose to use them inside the CD case instead. I felt this engaged the audience more because there is the sense of mystery on the front cover, because it doesn't give much away (imagewise) and in order to find out more they just have to look inside the case where there are more images that suggest slightly more about the band. The use of polaroids also link the front and inside cover, as does the paper, creating a smooth flow between each pane.

I wanted the CD cover to resemble a desk; this was the base of my idea and through experimenting I was able to create the effect I wanted. The most difficult pane to make realistic was the back pane, because I wanted it to appear as though it was the underneath of a table; however I wasn't sure how to incorporate graffiti and layer it to make it look realistic. By scanning a piece of paper with random pieces of graffiti written on it and layering above the background and changing the transparency I was able to replicate the underneath side of a table. Due to the font being simplisitc throughout the CD cover the graffiti, similar to the writing on the paper, added depth rather then making it appear too busy.


As well as the back pane being difficult, the pane behind the CD was also difficult. This can sometimes be forgotten and it doesn't need too much design because it is behind the CD, however I decided to create something that was better to look at than a blank wood effect pane. I experimented and attempted to incorporate the exam idea, however the handwritten element didn't work well and neither did the pen and paper idea. Instead of the exam idea, I experimented with just using polaroids and titles without paper and the effect worked better than when I included paper as well. The choice to use the website address again (I used it on the back pane as well) was to familairise the audience with the band more because it is although the band truly want their fans to visit their site because they've mentioned the site twice.

4. How did you use new media technolgies in the contruction, research and planning and evaluation stages?

To view this fully, click here: How did you use new media technolgies in the contruction, research and planning and evaluation stages? on Prezi

This is my evaluation for "how did you use new media technologies in the contruction, research and planning and evaluation stages' in reference to print production and music video production.

Hegemony: has teen exploitation just been repackaged?

Teeangers are now seen as counter culture, rather than a sub -culture controlled/exploited by the adult culture, and have been since about the 1960's; however this has grown to be definite over the years. Is this true? or has the exploitation of the teenage culture just been repackaged? Have teenagers never progressed to a counter culture; have they always been a sub-culture and been manipulated to believe they are equal to the adult culture?

There is the possibility that there was a counter culture where the teens were equal alongside the adults and realised the exploitation that was happening, however it can argued that the sense of anti-consumerism and anti-establishment is now being used by the adults to control the teen culture. Back in the 1960's, anti-consumerism was huge and young people were cynical of the media; this continued well in the 1980's, although this time it was becoming less anti-consumerism and more anti-establishment due to the birth of the punk genre. However, I believe that the 21st century image of the punk has been manipulated by the media and controlled to make a 'calmer' version of punk; a less actively anti-establishment, more passive anti-establishment - where they believe they're against all things establishment but wouldn't actively push out against society. 1980's Punks

This 'calmer' version of punk has switched a parent view of the stereotype because they're not the hardcore, anti-establishment, scary punk kids from the 1980's; they're a nicer, conformist, 21st century version: "punk rock as whole is gaining acceptance from the parents of suburban America" (http://punkmusic.about.com/od/punk101/a/punktimeline_2.htm, Ryan Cooper, "1989-Present: Punk Shapes Up Into What We Know Today").

Aiden - 21st century punk.

Everyone is an individual. Or so they say. Everyone is certainly unique; individual, however is a different story - are teenagers made to believe they are individual and through this exploitation they're making themselves less individual and more conformist? "Emo's" for example, say they're individual, suffering the plight of life alone yet they all dress the same and listen to the same music because that's "how emo kids dress and what emo kids listen to." They just conform to stereotype that the media pump out; "Cute is what we aim for" is a mainstream emo-rock band that has an influence in the emo-rock genre and not just through their music. Their style conforms to what is expected of an emo-rock band and therefore what is expected of the "emo kid." There is an element of hipocrisy because society call teenagers that are heavily influenced by their music taste and peers, conformist (when they call themselves individuals/rebels), however adults that are similar to the teenagers are seen as rebels and non-conformist because they're not doing what society and the media believe an adult should do.

Although teenagers want to think they're individual and what they choose to do is down to their personal choice; this isn't the case alot of the time, obviously there is choice there - it isn't a dictatorship, however where you hang out, what you wear and who your peers are predominately come down to your interests and what you have in common with them, the question is: how much of this is controlled by the media? Has the media created a calmer, more "adult-friendly" versions of stereotypes? Do "emo kids" dress how they do because the media have created the stereotype through their music? I believe that the media expose teeangers' insecurities; although we want to be individual, we don't want to be alone, isolated; we want to belong to groups/gangs - this controls us and this is what the media plays on: our want for belonging. The reason teenagers follow the crowd in terms of fashion and hangouts is because we don't want to be left behind. By creating "adult-friendly" versions of stereotypes, for example: punks, the media are giving adults a sense of security as they feel they have a superiority over teenagers because the teenagers aren't as proactive against consumerism and the establishment compared with the teeangers of the 1960's and 1980's. The hegemony of the 1950's has returned; the teenagers believe what they see in the media is how they should act and believe that it is normal.

Fishtank: Questions&Answers

* Director: Andrea Arnold
* No particular audience.
* The director didn't want a professional actress.
* Katy Jarvis (lead character) was the perfect girl, however the initial idea of the film had to change because originally the director wanted a fantastic dancer, but Katy hated dancing yet she was the perfect personality.
* Cost of music was expensive - Leona Lewis song there was no music, just a few lyrics = £10,000.
* Nike Clothing, needed legal clearance; they didn't invest because Katy wasn't the type of role model they wanted, there was too much authenticity to her character, she wasn't aspiration enough. Marketing isn't reflective of what people are.
* There was 50 prints distributed countrywide. Distributor was Artificle Eye.
* Film Census: people fought to have the film certified as a 15 not an 18 because they felt people needed to see it. The director's vision is important.
* BBC weren't happy with 10year old Tyler smoking and drinking - full reports had to be written.
* Government believed it was conforming to the already overtly sexualised media.
* Music Video showed the opposite to real life, highlighted the unreality of them.
* Mia's passion for dancing - she wants to belong to the street troupe from her neighbourhood, she was influenced by the internet.
* There wasn't any thoughts or discussions on how teenagers were portrayed.
* Film was shot in continunity; Connor and Mia didn't know that they would sleep together until the day of shooting.
* Sex scene was a "minefield" especially in the USA, careful filming - no nudity. Andrea didn't want to cut away from it.
* You can see the change in Mia from the start to the end of the film.
* The reason is was named "Fish Tank" was because it is Mia's world looking out or our world looking in.
* There was no pretense, how it was filmed is how it is.
* Mia doesn't fit in, ends up in a strip club.
* Kidnapping of the child was revenge on Connor.
* Realistic interpretation: Katy Jarvis, director chanelled her natural self into the story.
* 4:3 ratio instead of widescreen: concentrated more on the characters.
* Andrea didn't want it to be a commercial success, however the producer felt as many people as possible should see it.

'Teenage Riot' - Youth, Media and Collective Identity Lecture: 2/02/2010

Who is your favourite young person in the media (fictional or real) and why?

Serena van der Woodsen, played by Blake Lively, from Gossip Girl; she wants to be successful in her own right and find herself and not have to rely on her parents influence to gain her high-end positions; this sense of independence is something that I am able to relate with, and I think it is what makes Serena relatable to audience members moreso than her rival Blair Waldorf. I am able to aspirational relate to Serena, however only in certain ways - mainly successwise, not careerwise. She wanted to be an actress, which was something that I could completely aspirationally relate to, however she gave up on that dream; this makes me want to work harder at it, so in a sense the producers have made me not want to be like her, because of what she failed to do makes me want to push myself harder; I am almost aspiring to be what she would've been had she not gave up.

Collective Identity:

Collective Identity is simply, groups of similar people; people that you are able to relate with through similarities.

Jacques Lacon is a psychoanalyst whose theory many media and film critics apply when attempting to create a character that they want audiences to relate to. Jacque studied child development and suggested a "mirror stage" in which a child begins to develop an identity; it is a point in their life when they can essentially look into a mirror and recognise themselves. It can be argued that audiences are able to form and reform their identity and change the way in which they see [or recognise] themselves; this is essentially how film and media critics relate Lacon's work to audiences.

The two main points that the media attempt to create relatable characters; characters that are "just like me" are Identification and Aspiration. As an audience member you can either identify literally with the character, physically or emotionally, or aspirationally relate to them; they do what you want to do. When there are accurate representations it is easier to see yourself in the character and this can reinforce your identity. However, when there are inaccurate and distorted portrayals, audiences can change themselves and their identity to fit in and belong.

Constructing the teenager:

19th century:

The young person started to emerge in New York. The "Bowery Boys" or "Soaplocks" as they were known; they had their own slang, that adults couldn't understand, dress code, musical taste etc. They had disposible income and it was the first time the entertainment industry and fashion houses targeted them as a consumer group.

1900-1940's:

There was a 400% rise in high school enrolment in the USA between 1900-1910. The peer culture truly began and it was a time of comparasion; teenagers were comparing themselves to their peers. The magazine industry started targeting the insecurities of adolescent girls. During World War II there was a demand for labour and therefore the teenagers had disposible income. Between 1945-1960, teenage consumers were known as the "jackpot market" and the "prosperous and liberated future", however it was also when negative stereotypes about teenagers were beginning; they were known as the "culture of moral decline." It was the first sign of the adult cultures dichotomous image.

1950's: Rock & Roll Culture

It was around this time that the teenage culture really began to begin, because they weren't trying to be adults; this created a generation gap which in turn created tension between adults and teenagers.

Adult Hegemony?

Hegemony - dominant social group keeps an oppressed group in their subservient position by making them feel their position is 'normal' or desirable.
A marxist view of teeangers is that the adults are encouraging the teeangers to be rebellious by creating the 'rebel teen' label in which teenagers can aspire to, however this in turn keeps the adults fearful of teenagers; this expands the generational gap.

James Dean: An Accurate Portrayal?
He was thought to be the first celebrity to capture the dissonance of youth. "Rebel without a Cause" confromed to adult fears of teenagers, supporting the marxist theory of adult hegemony. James Dean's character isn't a bad person; he's confused, sensitive, frustrated and handsome, this meant that both adults and teenagers could empathise and desire him. James Dean died in a motorcar accident at the age of 24; "live fast, die young" - adults began fetishising teenagers.

1960's-1970's:

Around this era the teenager subculture became a counter culture. The next generation of teenagers were cynical about the commercial exploitation of youth; this started social upheaval. Young people began to support Civil Rights, Feminism, Anti-Vietnam. They were resisting marketing and consumerism.

Punk & HipHop:

Punk: reaction against optimism of the 'Hippies', they were even more cynical than previous teenagers. They weren't just rebellious and anti-consumerist; they were anti-establishment, it was political.
HipHop: reality of poverty and racist oppression.

Adult Fetishism of Youth:

There is a recurring pattern of bright future vs society going to hell. Two different articles on teenage girls and teenage boys; "am I bovvered?" "hoodies or altar boys?" There are thoughts that the images of teenage boys and girls are sexualised and exploit insecurities of individuals creating paranoia about appearance.
4,374 out of 8,629 crimes reported were youth crimes. There are only positive representations of male teenagers if they're dead or victims of violent crimes that have been started by other teenagers.

Internalised Stereotypes:

'Kidulthood' - Links to media.
'Harry Brown' - revenge fantasy for adults.
These films could be considered as anti-youth films.

9-14year olds spend $300 billion per year in the USA.
There is a sense of nostalgia from the adult audience; they never appreciated their youth when they were that age. There is also a feeling of empathy, because adults don't want to have to do as they're told; they want to be rebellious. Finally there is a feeling of envy; teenagers don't have a careers or marriages to worry about, there is no financial burdens, and teenagers have a higher sexual drive.

Sometimes teenagers are represented in a way in such a way that the majority of the teenagers can't relate to them, for instance: Juno - do teenagers really talk like that? Skins - do teenagers really have those lifestyles?

CD Covers

Although this is a simple design, it impacts the audience because of the bold solid use of colour against a solid blackground, by using a bold red and cream against a black background makes the band's name stand out. Also, the use of perspective suggests to the audience that the female on the cover is shouting out "Franz Ferdinand" this is also strengthened by the use of strong block capital letters that are opposite to the colour they're against (cream "Franz" against a red background); by shouting out the name of the band, or at least appearing too, suggests that she is trying to capture the audiences attention. The use of dots to implicate shadows on the female create an more interesting image and also allow her to stand out against the black background because of the where there aren't any shadows her skin is white.

There are aspects of this CD cover that could be interesting to experiment with when designing Blighters CD cover, for instance the dots would make a plain image interesting because it looks as though the image has been printed, similar to images seen in a comic strip. The link to comic strips would also echo the 1980's, as comics were popular around this era. Using perspective also gives the image a twist because on this cover it is as though the female is speaking to the audience.

Similarily with "Franz Ferdinand", "Tears for Fears" album cover is basic, however the colour scheme is blander compared with the bold colours used above. However, "Tears for Fears" album cover is perfect as the image and blank empty space used reflects the title of the album, because people often feel empty and blank when they're hurting. The audience are attracted to the image because they want to help the "hurting" child, and can feel sympathy towards him. Although, pastel colours are used the child still stands out against the off-white background because there is a light illuminating him, from behind him. He also is dressed in dark colours that contrast with the off-white background. Despite on Franz Ferdinand's album cover they have used a bold strong font, "Tears for Fears" opted for a minimalistic font that is simply placed in the top right hand corner. However, "Tears for Fears" title is strategically placed directly above the image of the boy; this could work either way, the audience look from the title down to the image of the boy or from the image of the boy to the title, either way the audience will be informed who's album this is. The strong black colour used contrasts with the off-white background drawing attention to it, because apart from the boy it is the only difference in colour.

Although the CD cover is powerful, the blankness of the image isn't appropriate to the genre of "Blighters" who, compared with "Tears for Fears" are more flippant. The contrasting of colours is something that could be experimented with as it draws consumers attention to the cover, however I would probably experiment with bold strong colours as used by "Franz Ferdinand." The title is attention-catching because the colour is the inverse of the white background and the font is simplistic, which would work well with my idea for a CD cover, because of the busyness of my cover (multiple polaroids, one image); also by using a simplistic font on my front cover, it would be attention-catching as it wouldn't blend in with the polaroid image because the font would be clean cut.

Jack Penate's album 'Everything is new' uses a black and white scheme which suggests a traditional tone, because the black and white palette is reminiscent of old photo's. The font is also traditional and ties in well the nostaligic tone that the album is implying. The sense of nostalgia that 'Everything is new' is suggesting is a theme/tone that I have attempted to interweave throughout my music video and will imply through my print production. I chose to have the artist on the front cover of my CD cover as it promotes the artist and familiarises the audience with the artist, although my image isn't as obvious as Jack Penate's image, which perhaps makes it harder for the audience to relate to my artist but it creates a sense of mystery which lacks in this album cover because you are able to not only see the artists face, but also the style of clothing that he's wearing. Due to the fact that there isn't obvious connotations to the indie/alternative genre on 'Everything is new' the style of clothing is included to implicate the genre; for my design I decided to use polaroids which are related to the indie/alternative audience (I found this out from research on social network sites by seeing the types of photo's that consumers associated with this genre use).

'Silent Alarm' has been created in a similar way to Tears for Fears album cover; the lack of colour, the simplistic font, the dramatic image - although dramatic in different ways. The blur effect used on the tree line suggest reverbs from an alarm which has direct links to the name 'Silent Alarm' - all the audience can see is the effect of the alarm, they can't hear the sound. Similarly with the album cover idea I have decided on, my images will have direct ties to the name of the song 'The Exam'. Direct connotations assist the audience into imagining what the album is like and what the songs are about; this helps the consumer relate to the album and music better because they understand it. The blank white background makes the blurring stand out more on the black tree line because they contrast the white so obviously. The use of image connotes a sense of deathly silence, which again would link well to the name of the album; the vast open space and perspective allows the audience to imagine that the emptiness is neverending which in turn highlights the sense of loneliness and silent alarm as there is no one around to hear cries of help and therefore an individual's alarm would essentially be silent. The block font suggests cold hard reality and ties in well with the emptiness of the CD cover because it is simple and the steel grey colour complements the white and black palette; steel grey block lettering could symbolise industrialisation and the effect it's having on the modern world or on the human race, because the blank space could be the devastation it can potentially leave behind or the emptiness and loneliness that humanity experiences; this allows the audience members to engage with the music on a different level. Although the band themselves aren't shown on the album cover, the audience can possibly still relate to them on an emotional level because the individual consumer can assume that the performers felt a sense of this emptiness/loneliness when creating the music and instead of allowing the audience to relate to them on a physical level by having images of themselves they decided to let the consumer in on an emotional level, perhaps to create a deeper understanding.

Bloc Party also have a remixed version of 'Silent Alarm'; the album cover is the same, apart from it is in negative. Negative is an inverse of colour. The inverted colours could suggest an inverse emotions, changed emotions - different from the lonely, blank and empty feelings portrayed from the orginal 'Silent Alarm' album. The dark black background suggests a different time of the day compared with the original, whereas the brightness of the orginal suggests daytime, this suggests night; anything can happen in the dark (what you see isn't necessarily what you get) and Bloc Party are saying that anything could happen with this album, music connotes different things when remixed. Compared with the tone of industrialistation/factories implied in the font before, against the black background the font looks bright glowing, similar to city lights. As does the tree line, rather than trees as you see them naturally in the countryside, these trees seem as though they're lining a road or avenue, somewhere urban/suburban. The difference between these two 'Silent Alarm' albums suggest that there are two sides to every person, there are two different emotions you can have; sadness = the inverse is happiness, hatred = the inverse is love, anger = the inverse is calm; the audience are able to relate to the music with different emotions, because there are two different version of the same album; original and remixed.

2. How effective is the combination of your main product and ancillary texts?

By combining both my music video and print productions effectively I have been able to strengthen the genre of music and strengthen my ideas.

I chose to build on the school theme that was running throughout the narrative of the video and was prominent within the lyrics and the name of the song ('The Exam'), so I used a wood effect to resemble a desk as this linked with the school theme because it had connotations of a desk and the use of paper on top of the "desk" [wood effect] strengthened the implication of education. By linking the theme of education between both the video and print production I was also able to create a sense of nostalgia which I have tried to interweave throughout both production by editing shots into black & white and using Polaroid images on the front of the CD cover.

As well as using the editing to link my main production and ancillary texts, I used visual links as well, in order to appeal to audiences members who engage better visually. By integrating part of the video into my print production, it not only creates a direct tie between the two productions, but also familiarises the audience with the band and the music; they are able to relate to the singer on an aspirational level because they can see what he has achieved. Although the image of the performer on the front cover allows the consumer to relate to him, the use of lyrics on the inside pane of the CD case familiarises the audience, again with the performer because they're able to aspire even more due to the fact they can learn the lyrics, but also with the video and the song; the audience can engage with the song and the visuals on a different level because they're able to sing along with the performer and can link the visuals with the lyrics in a more precise manner.

In order to keep the ancillary text appropriate to genre, I used an image of the artist in order to promote the band and because this ties in well with the indie/alternative genre. Other bands from similar genres use traditional images of the artist, such as Jack Penate 'Everything is New' (it is just an image of the artist in a medium shot), however I decided to create an image using multiple Polaroid’s and one image because I felt this tied in best with the artist and because of the nostalgic feel I have been attempting. Positing the image in the centre of the CD cover framed by the text, "Blighters The Exam", draws attention to the artist and, similarly to the use of the same image that is from the video, allows the audience to familiarise and relate to the artist and the music.

To keep a sense of continuity between all media texts I used similar textures and pastel shades; the use of old paper is sepia and reminiscent of older times, this ties in with the black & white shots in the video and links both together because of the similarity in darker, pastel tones. However, I decided on keeping the main image in colour, because this tied in well with the performance aspect of my music video because it was all in colour as well; the contrast between the colour and the sepia effect of the paper made the image the main focus of the CD cover and because of this it is promotion of the artist because the audience become accustomed to seeing him.

Influences from the American Media Industry

In our music video we decided on having the classroom set out as an exam, as this linked perfectly with the title of the song "The Exam". The layout of the classroom is similar to the layout used in american classrooms; the inspiration was taken from american style classroom that I had seen in american films and television programmes such as Hairspray and My So-Called Life and from how British exam halls are set out. The use of individuals desk would be relatable to audiences because of the exposure they have had to american films, tv dramas and artists and their music videos.

The separate desks could symbolise two things: individualism and separation. The separation between the students could foreshadow the separation between the male and female character and their relationship breakdown. Whereas the individualism reflects the idea of individulism in teenage culture especially in the indie genre, where individualism and being alternative is important.

Taylor Swift - Teardrops on my Guitar

Name of Music Video: “Teardrops on my Guitar”

Artist: Taylor Swift

Release Date: 2007



Throughout “Teardrops on my Guitar” there are two prominent locations: a school setting and a home setting. The audience are introduced to locations in which they are familiar with and therefore can relate with. Although both of these situations are familiar, they won’t necessarily create a comfortable tone to the video for certain audience members; however it could create a form of escapism as the audience member can replace the artist with themselves, because the story is common: girl loves boy, boy doesn’t realise and loves someone else; and the location is familiar but perhaps different to their previous experiences.

Building on ideas from "Teardrops on my Guitar" I used different locations some that would be familiar to a broad audience, but others that would only be familiar to the target audience for Blighters; for instance, a gig setting and a non-commercialised coffee shop. As Blighters have a specific target audience in the age range of 16-25 and that would, perhaps, prefer independent quirky music and independent arthouse films, such as "Once", I decided that using a non-commercialised coffee shop and a gig would best represent the genre. However, in order to not alienate a large proportion of the audience, I used a narrative that was relatable and similar to that of "Teardrops on my Guitar" and similar to Swift I cast actors that would were average and normal; that the audience could replace themselves with, so that the audience could engage with the video on a different level other than the music.

Using a mixture of narrative and performance places the artist in a storyteller position, especially in this video as the lyrics run parallel with the narrative and performance. When the artist is within the home setting, it is as though she is telling a personal story to the audience, making them her confidantes; this effect is constructed through a variety of close-ups and extreme close-ups because it is as though the audience are getting close to her and she is whispering the story to them. By looking at the camera, she is drawing the audience in and engaging them, because it is as she continues to tell her story when she does this, which suggests it is only you she is telling.

The mixture of narrative and performance was an influential factor when creating our music video, as I have strong narrative and performance within our video. The idea of having being able to have characters that connect with the audience was also important, which is another way that this video helped; I wanted our characters to have the same connection that Swift has with her audience. The predominant difference being that I didn't use the characters as the performers, however they were in the performance space, and this familiarised them with the audience. Also, I used close-ups of the band; because the audience weren't able to see their faces they weren't able to connect with them on the same level that they could with the characters.

The artist is not only there for the performance aspect of the video, she is also the prominent character within the narrative, this again strengthens the sense of storytelling, however also makes her appeal to the audience as she is linking herself to the troubles within the narrative and instantly this creates her as relatable as she is going through what the ordinary person goes through. Swift is strengthening herself by making herself a familiar face within her video as well, by being in both the narrative and performance, often with just one or no-one else in the mise-en-scene with her, she becomes recognisable and relateable as the audience can connect with her because by allowing someone else to be the main female character would infringe on her connection with the audience.

Aswell as the audience being able to connect with the artist, there is also a sense of voyeurism especially within the narrative scenes; this is shown through the different shot types. The voyeurism also adds to the sense that the audience are Swift's confidantes, because they're listening and watching on her conversation. This could, potentially, alienate the audience from the artist because by being voyeurs they're not being involved, however I believe it has the opposite effect because the way in which the voyeuristic shots are shown creates the sense that Swift has set them up purposely for the audience to watch in on; almost saying: look, this is what I mean, this is how our relationship is.