Uses And Gratifications

Uses and Gratifications
When studying the uses and gratifications theory, there variety of different choices we make over what we want to watch. This means that music videos are only used for the entertainment purpose, but to gain some gratification from it. We as students have the power to select a model that best suits to us and make a choice on what satisfies us the most. The psychological basis for this model is known as the "Hierarchy Of Needs" created by Maslow, along with McQuail and Katz.

There are four main points when looking at this theory which include the following;

Information
- finding out about relevant events and conditions in immediate surroundings
society and the world
- seeking advice on practical matter or opinion and decision choices
- satisfying curiosity and general interest
- learning; self education
- gaining a sense of security though knowledge

Personal Identity
- finding reinforcement for personal values
- finding models of behaviour (to some extent)
- identifying with valued others in the media (in this case a music artist)
- gaining insight into oneself

Integration and Social
- gaining insight into the circumstances of others; social empathy
- identifying with others and gaining a sense of belonging
- finding a basis for conversation and social interaction
- having a substitute for real-life companionship
- helping to carry out social roles
- enabling one to connect with family, friends and society (mainly friends)

Entertainment
- escaping, or being diverted, from problems
- relaxing
- getting intrinsic cultural are aesthetic enjoyment
- filling time
- emotional release
- erotic/sexual arousal

Relating back to my video, I believe that most of these gratifications link with what I am aiming to achieve with my music video. Firstly, with the information post. Although there is not alot of information displayed in a music video, I would like to inform a message through my music video such as how one decision can change the rest of your life. Therefore, this come under the point of people "seeking advice on practical matter or opinion and decision choices". Even though it doesn't tell people what to do or what choice to make if they were in this situation, it does imply there are a variety of choices in life you can make just be careful on which one you choose as it could change both you and others lives forever. 


I also believe the my target audience will be able to view my video and gain personal identity from it, especially if they have been in either one of the characters positions, as they can relate to the situation. My target audience could even feel a sense of satisfaction that someone is going through the same emotions as they are (losing someone dear to them).

Furthermore, my music video could also link to social interaction and integration. I am aiming to gain insight into circumstances that could happen to others during their lifetime, which could evoke empathy for others. I would also like to try and use my music video to identify with others, to ensure they gain a sense of belonging, knowing that they are not the only ones who have gone through this situation. Also, as my music video has a touching twist to the end of the music video, my target audience by find a basis for conversation to discuss with their friends if they enjoy watching it.

Lastly, as music video are primarily used for entertainment purposes, I don't wish to disappoint on this factor. Additionally, I want to achieve ritual pleasures, meaning the audience who watch my music video are familiar with the conventions, due to the fact they have watched many from this genre. Along with the serious message that I am aiming to convey, music videos are for enjoyment purposes and therefore, I will try and achieve both in my final product.

Conclusion:

I will make sure I consider each theory and recognise the codes and conventions in my music video to grab my target audience's attention. I will try and get audience feedback through the process of my work, so that I can give my target audience a product that they would like.

Research Methods

There are four main research methods that I could use to help me gather information about music video. These are:

· Primary

· Secondary

· Qualitative

· Quantitative

Primary: this particular research method refers to the data you have collected yourself for a precise purpose. There are variety of type of research I could use such as Interviews, Questionnaires, Observations, Surveys, Sampling and Focus Groups. The main advantage with primary data is that the individual can choose which method would suit their requirements the best. On the other hand, it is most suitable for an area of small collection of data. Furthermore, compared to the other research methods, it can be more expensive and more time consuming process.

Secondary: is data that already exists, meaning that somebody else has gathered the information for another purpose. Some secondary methods include: the Internet, the library, newspapers, magazines, data collection organisations etc. Secondary research is the most common way of collecting data as somebody else has already obtained the information for you. The main thing about this method, is that it is relatively low costing compared to primary research and there is no need to create new information as it is easy to find and get hold of. On the other hand, a disadvantage is that the information may be out of date and not always relevant to what you are looking for.

Qualitative: this is a small scale type of research that allows gaining valuable insights into specific forms of data, which might have been missed by any other method. With this technique, it can only categorise the data and not measure it. In-depth interviews, direct observations and focus groups are examples of this type of research.

Quantitative: unlike Qualitative data, this type of research can be measured, as it is numerical information. Usually, quantitative research methods are questionnaires as you can obtain a large scale of information from it.

Which research method is best suited for your main task?
Out of the 4 research methods, I think I will mostly gather the majority of my information by the secondary methods. This is due to the fact I am currently using the Internet mainly for my reproach part, which comes under the secondary research method. Also, as I have a deadline to meet, the other methods such as primary, will be more time consuming. 

Progress...

Now I have discovered some of the main conventions for a music video and the difference between the existing types of ones you can get, I have now decided on the genre/theme I would like to do for mine. The majority of songs these days are about relationships or love and how they either work out or they don't. Therefore, I would like to follow this current "trend". Although, I do not currently have a particular song in mind, I will start researching songs that fit into my theme and take the rest from there! 

High Vs Low Budget Music Video

High Budgeted Music Video:
In class our teacher came up with the question "do you need lots of money to have a successful music video?" Overall, we were undecided on how to answer this question and therefore, watched the most expensive music video of all time, which is "Scream" by Michael Jackson, costing $7000000.
                                                                              

After watching this we discussed as a group whether we thought it was a successful music video considering how much the video actually cost to make. Unanimously, we all came to the same conclusion thinking it was not worth as much as it cost to create. This is mainly down to the fact it is so repetitive and is a rather weird concept of a music video, which didn't really keep the interest of the viewer.

Low Budgeted Music Video:
Once we had watch this film, our teacher showed as a lower budgeted music video called "Here It Goes Again" by Ok Go.

After watching this music video we all agreed how clever it actually was. Although it is a strange concept of the music video and didn't really relate to the song, we all decided is was weird but wonderful. Even though we don't know the specific costing for this video, due to the fact they have used no CGI or anything, just 4 treadmills implies that is was a low budgeted film to create.

Conclusion:

After comparing a high budgeted music video against a low budgeted one, I would say that after seeing Ok Go creation that you don’t need millions of money to actually create a clever and appealing music video for the viewer to watch and like. Although it would have taken a lot of time and practise to get that right, I would say that it paid off as it got "13,950,475 " views on YouTube, which is considerably more than Michael Jackson's Scream video only receiving "16,752" views on that website. Therefore, with evidence from YouTube viewings you don't necessarily need a lot of money to create a new fresh idea for a successful music video.

Andrew Goodwin's Method of Analysing Music Videos

Andrew Goodwin's Music Video Analysis is all about defining the characteristics of music videos. There are 6 main methods of analysing music video such as:

• Music videos demonstrate genre characteristics e.g. AFI - The Leaving song Part 2 (Rock)

• There is a relationship between the lyrics and visuals e.g. R.E.M - Shiny Happy People

• There is a relationship between music and visuals 

e.g. Madness - It Must Be Love (contradictory music video)

e.g. Lady Gaga - Bad Romance (Amplifying music video)

e.g.  Sidney Samson ft Wizard Sleeve - Riverside (Lyrical + Visual)

• The demands of the record label will include the need for lots of close ups of the artist and the artist may develop motifs which recur across their work (a visual style) e.g. Alex Clare - Too Close 

• There are frequent references to the notion of looking (screen, telescopes, etc) and particularly voyeuristic/erotic treatment of the female body (or even male) e.g. Beyonce - Crazy in Love  

• There is often inter-textual reference (to film, TV programmers or other music videos etc) e.g Madonna - Material girl (includes from "Gentlemen prefer blondes" - 1953)

Tropes And Memes Of Music Videos

Throughout music videos of a particular genre, they have certain tropes and memes that usually appear somewhere within their creation. This is usually because people are then able to associate which genre the particular music video is from. A prime example of this theory is in the "Rap" genre, represented by the music video "Still Dre" by Dr Dre ft Snoop Dogg.

 

The particular tropes included are:

• Bouncy cars
• Attractive girls (mainly shots of bodies, not their faces - objectifying women)
• Direct mode of address
• Swearing
• Crowds
• Repetitive
• Dancing e.g. Nodding their heads in sync
• The location looks rather rundown, which is typically a ghetto area
• Throughout the video there are black men included as this is a main representation of rap artists (excluding a few like Eminem)
• There is a transition to a party location, to create a lively atmosphere.
• Bling

Another music genre that also includes noticeable tropes in their productions is Indie videos. Although this genre is completely different to Rap, it too includes certain conventions to help the viewer know straight away this is an Indie music video. An example of this is "The Cave" by Mumford and Sons.

The particular tropes included are:

·      Artistic qualities and value to the video

·      Close up of their musical instruments e.g. banjo

·      Countryside Location

·      Their videos can sometimes be slightly random, unpredictable and unconventional

·      The people who perform in the music are smartly dressed

·      High production value

·      Sunny Day

·     There is no sexism nor objectifying women in their videos

·      Non – aggressive behaviour or swearing involved

Tropes and Memes (In General)

Memes: are certain thoughts and beliefs that are usually transmitted from an individual or a group of people to others. This means that someones small initial idea (the minority) develops into something bigger (the majority) like a trope.

Tropes: are reoccurring elements that continue to grow, from the repetition of someones original idea. Generally Tropes are building blocks of texts, meaning they are  closely related to memes. For example, someone starts of a new trend in the music industry and word gets around, which then develops this small idea into a trope due to the copying of the initial idea.

Conventions Of Music Videos

All music videos follow a set of conventions to make a successful music video. These were put in place and haven’t generally changed that much, as usually by sticking to conventions are more appealing on the eye for the audience to watch. In lesson we compared the two music videos, from different eras, such as “Tell Him” by the Exciters from 1962 and “That’s what makes you beautiful” by One Direction made in 2011. 

Here is the music video of  Tell Him - The Exciters, 1962 below:

There are a variety of conventions that this particular music video follows, for instance:

• There is a close up of the person who is the lead singer
• Show random clips, which can be irrelevant
• Synchronised dancing or movements included
• Lip syncs
• Slow pace editing techniques used
• Random location choice, however, they change within location to keep the viewer interested
• Poor quality due to  the camera not being that advanced yet
• A variety of camera shots such as panning, tracking, zoom in and out, close ups etc
• Direct mode of address

Here is the music video of  What Makes You Beautiful - One Direction, 2011 below:

Similarly to "Tell Him" the One Direction song also includes conventions to make their music video successful and appealing to the audience. As shown by the list below:

• Editing techniques such as cross dissolving and quick cuts
• Direct mode of address (where the singer point at the camera to imply they are talking to the viewer
• The setting is the video is shot from the beginning to the end of the day
• Change of outfits
• Tell a story (the lyrics fit in with the shots shown on the screen)
• A variety of camera shots such as tracking, panning, close ups etc
• Mobile shots of the singers (both high and low angles of them)
• High Production costs
• Rather conventional scene on the beach, yet rather irrelevant
• Singers move around their location
• Lip syncing
• Opposite sex is used

Conclusion:

Although there are nearly 50 years between the music videos there are a variety of similarities as they both are performance videos, the cameras focus of the one who is singing, use direct mode of address, mixed locations and a diversity of editing techniques etc. On the other hand, modern music videos have a higher budget, meaning they can spend any amount of cost to create their successful music video. Unlike the “Tell Him” video, the more modern music videos have fewer limitations when creating their final piece. Due to the advance of technology too, modern music videos look much more professional and like a mini movie, which appeals on the audience’s eye. Another difference you notice in the more modern times that the existing singer are rather attractive on the eye, which also gains them more popularity. Therefore, there is more of a variety when creating a music video in this moment in time. Overall, I discovered that music videos in general never look the same, however, once taken a part and analysed are surprisingly more similar than first glance.

Purpose Of A Music Video

The music video is a common feature within current society. They have many functions as seen by the following:

• Promote the song
• Promote the artist
• Raise the profile of the artist
• Promote the album
• Entertain the audience
• Generate an emotional response from the audience/make a connection
• Exemplify/ contradict with the lyrics of a song
• Create a star persona
•  Expand the artists media platform

I would say that the first four points on the list are the most important. This is because when releasing a music video, the record label is trying to generate as much interest in the artist and their music as possible, in order to promote sales in both the single and accompanying album. Therefore, the key function of a music video is o ensure it is visually appealing and stimulating so they enjoy watching and listening to their music and resulting in them buying the single (and album if possible). As the videos plan is to basically sell the artist, a music video is different in comparison to a short film despite its linking characteristics.

Different Types Of Music Videos

There are a variety of music videos that are out there at this moment in time, which I could use if I decided to make a promotional music video. For instance:

• Animated - the band are replaced by digital or drawn representations e.g. Gorillas - Dare
• Related to a theme (amplified) - the central idea of the song is represented (either literally or exaggerated) e.g. Lady Gaga - Bad Romance
• Performance - where the band "perform" the song e.g. Usher ft Will.i.am - Oh My Gosh
• Narrative - the video tells a story e.g. Taylor Swift - Love Story
• Hybrid performance + narrative - this is usually the most common where there is a story going on with an inter-cut of the band performing e.g. Jordin Sparks - One Step At A Time
• Lip sync - this is where the particular artist "mimes" the words to the song (which can be hard to pull off) e.g. One Direction - What Makes You Beautiful
• The one take - the video is done in one take e.g. Birdy - Skinny Love
• Artist absent - this is where the artist doesn't appear in their video or appears as a cameo e.g. Ed Sheeran - A Team
• Random - where the video has no relation to the song e.g. Gotye - Somebody I Used To Know
• Humour - this is where the video is funny and amusing e.g. Bruno Mars - Lazy Song 
• The Extended Video - this is where the video goes way beyond the length of the song e.g. Michael Jackson - Thriller
• Low Budget - the video is very expensive and has high production values e.g. The Exciters - Tell Him
• High Budget - this is where the video is very expensive and has high production values e.g. Maroon 5 - Payphone

History of Music Videos

"A music video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings." - Definition from wikipedia 

I thought that it would be a good idea to do some research into music videos to get some understanding in what actually makes them stand out and catches people's attention, as well as how they can become successful. As described above in the definition of a music video, in the modern music world of today they are used as marketing tools to sell singles and potentially albums too. One of the main reasons that music videos are so popular and successful is that it gives the audience something to visualise whilst listening to the song, helping them interept their own feeling and thoughts about it. Due to the fact, people can interpret things differently, videos can be taken from a variety of perspectives. This can cause individuals to discuss and share their views on a particular song they have watched and listened too - increasingly popularity.

Whilst researching on google about the history of music videos, I came across a time line that dates back to where it all began! >>> History Of Music Videos

Reconsideration...

After looking back at my preparation for my short film, I have decided against the idea, as I believe I may have a problem that could effect the rest of my plans. For instance, the other day I asked someone who worked in the shop I was going to use for the lottery ticket scene, to see if they would mind with me filming them. However, they said that they would prefer not to be filmed, which would cause me problems in the long run, especially if other shops had the same point of view. Luckily, I have such a passion for music, which excites me at the prospect of making the music video. Therefore, I will now begin to research the history of music videos and where it all began and then go on to make decisions towards ideas for my main task:)