Generic Research: A24

Potential intertextuality and mirroring of cinematography:

 

A24 Films

-        An American independent entertainment company specialising in film and tv production. A24’s success stems from their stray from conventional marketing and advertising strategies- like billboards and TV spots, and a lean towards creating products that have great potential to go viral. They rely on audience interaction on social media platforms in order to self market their films. This means they have to create films that have a special aspect that has potential to be received positively by their target audience- whether that be aesthetic appeal, cinematography, characters, narrative or an iconic soundtrack. Therefore, within my music video, i need to channel this method of creating viral products with a certain aesthetic aspect. 

 

Target Audience

-        The age of ideas describes A24 as having a young, active audience

-        HighBrowMagazine said “A24 prides itself on it’s array of counter cultural programming. Their films are offbeat, anxiety-ridden and socially conscious. In other words, A24 reflects the cultural zeitgeist surrounding Generation Z”

-        Producer’s Toolbox says A24 films are aimed towards a “specific, artistically-educated audience who are drawn to the company’s unconventional fare, that appeals to literate and artistically adventurous people in their twenties”

Meaning their target audience are MEDIA LITERATE

 

Films: A24 has an eclectic array of films but i am most interested in their coming of age films because they are easier to replicate within my music video because of the models i have available to me, and the 16-25 year old target audience

-           Mid90’s

2018, American coming of age comedy-drama, written and directed by Jonah Hill

Follows a 13 year old exploring skate culture and dealing with friendships and family relationships

Mid90’s went viral on social media due to it’s extremely aesthetic cinematography and old school feel, as well as their promotion of skate culture that led to a hype for skating within the younger generations, as it became cool and trendy. Their portrayal of a fun, independent teenage group was idealistic for a lot of their audience who aspired to be in such a group of friends, whereas for others, the more older audience, they could relate to the story and use it to reminisce on their childhood and their own coming of age. 

      Ladybird

2017 American coming of age comedy-drama, directed by Greta Gerwig

Ladybird balances her senior year, worrying about college, and different relationships

Ladybird was so popular mostly due to its relatability and truthful portrayal of the life of a teenage girl. Greta Gerwig is constantly praised for her ability to create beautiful cinematography and Ladybird doesn’t fall short, she makes a simple town look alive. 

 

Planning: Lyric Analysis

Song ideas: You Know It- Colony House

The genre of this song falls under indie pop as it is fast paced and has a strong drumbeat throughout. I think that this song will be effective as my music video because it has a very happy vibe and it’s very catchy, therefore it would be easy for the audience to follow along with. In terms of it applying to the brief, the band Colony House is not mainstream, and focuses on mainly indie music, therefore it is plausible that they would be signed to Beggars Group. There is a clear narrative of the protagonist leaving behind his girlfriend, going off on a road trip/adventure with his friends, then coming back again, however if i were to do the music video, i would have a mother-son relationship instead, as this is easier for me, doesn’t completely reflect the lyrics and is relatable to the entire audience as everyone has a mum. Applying it to the target demographic of 16-25 year olds, for the younger end of the scale, this audience can relate quite literally to the video and hopefully the struggle of wanting to be out and having fun but being needed home all the time, whereas the older end of the scale would likely find joy and comfort reminiscing on the days of fun and adventure where they had little commitments to work and relationships- providing them with a sense of escapism. In terms of applying this to an upmarket, media literate audience, i want to create some intertextuality and mirroring of A24 coming of age films, through the visuals and plot line (e.g. mid-90s, Ladybird, Eighth Grade). 

 

Industrial Context: Beggars Group as a brand

 Beggars group:

A British record company that owns and distributes other labels including 4AD, Rough Trade Records, Matador Records, XL Recordings and Young. It mainly distributes indie and alternative music  that is less mainstream. Martin Mills is the Owner and Manager of Beggars group who is a fierce advocate for independent label rights. The Guardian named him ‘22 in their music power ‘100.

4AD

4AD is one of the record labels owned by Beggars Group that is also labelled as ‘independent’. It gained prominence in the 1980s for realising albums from alternative rock, post-punk, gothic rock and dream pop artists. In 1987, the label scored an international hit with the dance music single “Pump up the volume” by MIAIRIRIS.

The label has a ‘code of conduct’ tab in the skybar that outlines the companies policy towards “anti-racism, anti-sexism and equality among staff and artists”. They also mention their contributions towards multiple charities. The fact that 4AD is displaying this information publicly shows that they are proud of their progressive views and car about solving social issues through donations and fighting inequality. This is very appealing to my target demographic of media literate 16-25 year olds as they are likely to be educated on social issues and have strong, positive opinions that will align with their ‘code of conduct’, making them more approving of 4AD and their morals. 

They also make sure to promote a diverse range of artists from different ethnic minority groups and varying sexualities. This reflects their ethos set out in their code of conduct, but also ensures that minority groups in society that are often opposed opportunities, can get their foot in the door of the music industry. 

Matador Records

Matador Records is defined as an Independent record label with a roster of mainly indie rock, punk rock, experimental rock, alternative rock, and electronic music. Their own assessment of their history is available on their website under the tab “revisionist history”, where they give a very chatty and rude statement addressing the audience casually, letting them know that the origins of the company are foggy. This shows to the audience that Matador Records don’t take themselves too seriously, feeding into the conventions of the indie and alternative music that they promote, as it’s often very chill and up and coming, not focussing on traditional values of what music and artists should be like.

The official website is quite plain and simple, but it does include lots of links to other platforms like snapchat, twitter and instagram, and a variety of playlists that navigate users to Spotify. It is clear from Matador’s cross platform digital convergence that they are aiming themselves towards a younger demographic, especially by promoting their signed artists’s music on a streaming platform, as appose to encouraging the audience to by physical copies or see artists live. However, they do promote vinyl copies of new albums, which links to an older form of music playing making a comeback in the new generation. This is a clever marketing scheme as vinyls are very trendy among young people, and promote the audience becoming more involved with artists by owning their own physical copies of their music. 

Rough Trade Recordings

Rough Trade Recordings is a London based independent record label that promotes indie pop, punk rock and post punk artists. The label began in the 1970s as a record shop and became very successful in the 1990s through artists like the Libertines, the Strokes and Antony and the Johnsons, who allowed the brand to become diverse and promote a wide range of music. 

Rough Trade East is one of the few vinyl shops that the record label is known for and it often hosts live events for signed artists and well known celebrities. The audience are able to attend “stripped back” events where artists sing live with authentic instruments, and also involve an element of interaction where the audience can get records and merchandise signed. This record label heavily promotes these events in order to build up lesser known artist’s profiles, and also host celebrities like John Robb and Jeff Goldblum, for more niche events.

XL Recordings

 

XL Recordings is a UK independent record label founded in 1989. They are one of the more mainstream labels within Beggars group as they have worked with popular artists like Adele, Azealia Banks, M.I.A and Tyler the Creator, although these artists are not directly signed with XL Recordings. However, they have signed notable artists like Radiohead and Nines who vary from indie/punk rock to rap and grime. 

Within their website they promote the artists much more then they promote themselves as a record label, the only tabs being “watch” and “buy”, referring to music videos and merchandising. They promote lots of records and cd’s within their home page, pushing the audience to engage and buy the artist’s products (emphasised by the shopping cart in the corner). The approach from XL Recordings isn’t conventionally very indie, and differs from the other labels within Beggars group, due to it’s push on selling as oppose to creating a brand identity with an “about” page or any information about he artists themselves. 

YOUNG Record Label

 

Young is a British Independent record label that was formally a part of XL Recordings, but has recently become it’s own label. It has only signed 11 artists so far ranging from ‘beatmakers’, indie musicians and rappers. 

 They promote a separate section of their record label called “Young then”, which is an archive of the history of the record label, including different collaborations, events and movements that went on behind the scenes, that they now wish to share with their audience. This helps them build a brand identity and show the roots of the company, sharing the impact they’ve had on the music industry. 

 This website contrasts heavily with the previous XL Recordings, as it is pushing a story and history of the record label, instead of focussing too heavily on the artists themselves.  

There’s endless archives, including interviews with social campaigners ‘ClientEarth’ who worked with YOUNG to promote the cause, photo ‘dumps’ from certain events that have a sense of hyper realism and verisimilitude, posters that promoted past live shows, and general information about creative events that YOUNG have been involved with, like their collaboration with the Israeli dance company. 

Industrial Context: Contemporary Context and Research

 

The three main conglomerates that dominate the music industry are Universal Music Group, Sony music and Warner Music Group. The rest of the industry consists of independent labels like Beggars group, that give less mainstream artists the opportunity to break their way into the industry. These artists mainly stay in the indie and alternative genre, as they are less popular than artists picked up by the major record labels. 

As these companies are so large and successful, they have huge budgets for music videos, whereas the more independent record labels don’t have as much money to spend on videos, so don’t use as expensive or advanced technology. This tends to work nicely in creating a ‘homemade’ sort of video style, that reflects the artists’ values and beliefs towards mainstream media and excessive spending. 

 

Finance:

Music videos make money through direct means like, Advertising, Product placement, Digital Downloads and Sponsorship, but also through indirect means, such as streaming royalties and digital downloads, affiliate commissions, touring and live performances, merchandise sales and licensing. These indirect means are influenced by the population of the video, which leads to greater sales and attention for these other aspects like merchandising. 

Distribution:

The main way that music videos are distributed today is digitally, through distributors like Ditto, PeekSound, RouteNote and CDBaby, who allow artists’s videos to be viewed on top streaming platforms like AppleMusic, Vevo and Spotify. The more mainstream the distributer, the further the music videos can be viewed by an audience, however, these larger distributers take higher percentages of commissions made from the videos. Uploading music videos officially to Youtube is a great way of gaining lots of views, promoting fan interaction in the comments, and gaining money through monetisation. Most artist’s social media platforms heavily promote music videos with links to YouTube, allowing them to increase viewership and therefore, profit.

Industrial Context: History of the music video

 History of the Music Video:

·      1940s- Introduction of the Scopitone which were majorly placed in nightclubs, bars, restaurants and amusement centres. These were the forerunner of music videos.

·      1960s- The Beatles released a feature length film called ‘A hard day’s night’, featuring their own music. Bob Dylan created one of the first televised music videos to his 1966 track “Subterranean Homesick Blues” (This has become a cult classic and has been parodied many times, including Love Actually and Stormzy’s “Know me from” music video)

·      1970s- Advances in technology like chroma key (green screen), meant that music videos became more visually dramatic and impressive. Producers began to realise the power of music videos, and started using higher budgets to create unique and memorable videos. Advertising potential was also realised leading to the creation of to platforms like Top of the Pops.

E.G. Queen introduced their video for hit single “Bohemian Rhapsody” which was viral worldwide and is still iconic to this day. Artists harnessed the power of music videos to promote themselves and their star persona, increasing their following and gaining popularity

·      1980s- MTV introduced which completely changed the game. Music videos were the best way of promoting a band or artist, and MTV even asked record labels to create them for free at the start. 

Michael Jackson’s Thriller 1983- Created a full 13 minute video exclusively for MTV using a budget of $500k and the director of American Werewolf, John Landis to make the video as authentic as possible. 

·      Now- There are 43 music channels and unlimited online streaming sites like YouTube, where music videos can be watched with the click of a button. It’s safe to say they don’t have as much of  an impact on an artist’s success as they used to because of how accessible music is these days, but the digital convergence between different platforms that artists are active on ensures that music videos are still a key factor on raising awareness of an artist, gaining an audience, building persona, and keeping them relevant 

Audience Research: Focus Group

 

Name: Lilly Conti

Age: 17

Occupation: Student/Part time-waitress

Psychometric group: Aspirer/Mainstreamer

Interests: Netball, Fashion, Listening to music, Going to festivals/concerts, Socialising with friends

Favourite Music video: Godspeed- Frank Ocean

“I listen to popular music that tends to be upbeat indie, but also like to listen to 90’s R&B/hip hop. I get a lot of my music taste from social media platforms like TikTok, and finding out what my friends are listening to. I don’t  look at music videos unless they’re trending for a particular reason, but if an artist I like releases new music, I will have a look at the videos that go with them. I like music videos that are creative and have a story to follow, but also include aesthetic and exciting visuals.”

Name: Summer Etherington

Age: 17

Occupation: Student/Part time-waitress

Psychometric group: Mainstreamer/Reformer

Interests: Netball, Eating out, Meeting friends, Listening to music, Watching films

Favourite Music Video: Adore You- Harry Styles

“I am a big fan of Harry Styles and  enjoy all of his music. I like listening to songs from the old days from bands like The Beatles, ABBA and Queen as they are iconic and last through generations. I enjoy watching music videos as they give songs more meaning, especially when artists incorporate aspects that give me an insight into their lives and the song’s relevance. I like watching ones that are relatable, if they’re nostalgic especially, but also just if they’re visibly pleasing and have cool cinematography.”

Name: Oliver Slaughter

Age: 19

Occupation: University student

Psychometric group: Explorer/Succeeder

Interests: Politics, Activism, Watching films, Listening to music, Musicals

Favourite Music Video: Brazil- Declan McKenna

“I have an eclectic taste in music, ranging from heavy metal to show tunes to indie rock and back to 60’s classics. I enjoy any sort of music that has meaning and and story that I can understand and empathise with on some level. I like when songs empower me and I think that music videos should reflect the emotions that an audience feels when listening to the song. I particularly like Declan McKenna’s ‘Brazil’ video as it is very random and eclectic with intriguing and crazy visuals that makes me want to keep watching!”

Name: Ollie Mazzag

Age: 17

Occupation: Student/part-time bartender

Psychometric: Succeeder/Mainstreamer

Interests: Basketball, Exploring the outdoors, Listening to music, Going out with friends

Favourite Music Video: Wet dreamz- J Cole

“I listen to mostly rap and hip hop music that I can play in the background when I’m chilled out. I don’t really watch music videos but I think they’re cool. I really like watching artists live at concerts and festivals because it gives songs a whole new meaning to me, especially when they trigger certain emotions. I like J Cole’s video because its pretty random and doesn’t literally convey the lyrics, but instead uses dogs to give the video a funny twist, which I think reflects J Cole’s laid back and chill style of music.”

Name: Mark Slaughter

Age: 51

Occupation: Banker

Psychometric Group: Mainstreamer/Succeeder 

Interests: Cycling, Dog-walking, Films, Spending time with family, Watching football/rugby, Travelling

Favourite Music Video: I want to break free- Queen

“I enjoy listening to 80’s music and Britpop, and like to listen to Taylor Swift every once in a while. I don’t really watch music videos but the ones I have tended to like include a story or humour or a lot of action- when people just stand around singing I get bored. I would be most engaged watching a fast paced video with lively/upbeat music.”

Name: Niki Slaughter

Age: 46

Occupation: HR Manager

Psychometric group: Mainstreamer/Succeeder

Interests: Travelling, Dog Walking, Spending time with family, Eating out with friends, Watching TV

Favourite music video: I’m still standing- Elton John

“I like to listen to throwbacks from the 80s and 90s- things I would listen to in my teenage years, but also enjoy listening to current pop music to get me in a good mood. I don’t actively look for music videos but do find them entertaining when they’re fun and colourful. Videos with silly concepts and random concepts are what I most enjoy, ones that take themselves to seriously aren’t as fun to watch.”

Audience Research: Engagement and Relating to Brief

 Pop Culture: 

The target demographic isn’t too heavily focussed on celebrity culture and obsessing over certain groups (like the Kardashians), but tends to align themselves with media that reflects their own values and ideologies, and makes these a large part of their own identity. Especially media literate audiences will engage heavily with certain films/music/art that are more high brow than previous generations of 16-25 year olds. TikTok is an example of new technology that has been embraced by 16-25 year olds, and the most successful brands target their audience on new platforms like this. This demographic enjoy and engage with relatable and fun content that doesn’t take itself too seriously (Ryanair TikTok profile).

 

Beggars group music video:

A media literate audience is likely to engage with more up and coming artists signed by beggars group, as these artists tend to be much for open about their beliefs and ideologies as appose to mainstream artists like Harry Styles, who have to avoid ‘cancel culture’ and disappointing their huge following of avid fans. Audiences can align themselves with the artists’ beliefs and mould their identities around them. The Indie ‘rock’ movement that is supported by Beggars Group is a sort of protest against the meaningless pop music that many mainstream artists release, so this movement into a new ‘era’ of music is appreciated by the target demographic who try to appose tradition and values that previous generations have built up for them. 

My target demographic appose ideas about growing up and going to work/having a family in their 20s and prefer to enjoy their teenage/young adult years travelling and making friends, and will therefore appreciate a band, signed to beggars group, that creates fun and alternative ‘indie’ content.

Audience Research: Audience Profile

  

Name: Sally Locke

Age: 20

Gender: Female

Occupation: Sales Representative

Salary: £65,000

Location: South East Essex

Psychographic: Succeeder

 

Values and Attitudes: Active on social media making life updates and sharing posts concerning social issues- posting regularly on twitter. Attended Nottingham University (a Russel group) and has a grammar school education. Aspires to have a successful career that is fulfilling and enjoyable, yet not concerned with starting a family and settling down. Is saving up to travel and explore the world, enjoying new cultures. Keeps up to date with current affairs through news apps not through newspapers. Has an interest in indie/undiscovered music and enjoys supporting small artists through attending concerts and buying merchandise, allowing her to fully immerse herself in the band and build her identity around it. Likes to listen to older music from the 80s-90s which has increased her cultural competency.

Audience Research: Defining the audience

Target Audience: A primarily 16-25 year old middle and upmarket media literate audience 

 

Age:

Social media and technology play a huge role in 16-25 year old’s lives. They are labelled as ‘digital natives’ as they have grown up with and around technology since they were born. This influences their engagement with social media platforms:

-        59% of 18-25 year old internet users use Instagram

-        18-24 year olds make up 37% of snapchat users

-        24% of TikTok users are 15-25 year olds 

Since the majority of the target demographic uses social media, they are more susceptible to it’s negative effects, such as anxiety and depression, meaning they have a greater understanding of mental health issues and how important it is to be open and able to share feelings. 

This results in 16-25 year olds becoming much more emotionally aware and conscious, so will engage with media that pushes the boundaries that older generations have set in terms of stereotypes and opposing conventions.

 

This demographic are also much more likely to engage in social activism over global issues like climate change, due to communities and sharing of information online and through social media platforms.

 

Attitudes towards settling down and having a family have changed within this generation, with only 37% of 16-25 year old planning on having children. This is arguably influenced by huge economic increases within the housing market and the sheer cost of living young people are expected to deal with if they have a family of their own. This suggests that 16-25 year olds are more likely to be succeeders and explorers looking to further their own ambitions and opinions, away from mainstream and conventional thinking.

 

Middle Class:

Defined as a social group consisting of well-educated people, such as doctors, lawyers and teacher, who have good jobs and are not poor, but are not very rich. This group are within the BC1 demographic that make up 51% of the uk population. 

 

Media Literate:

To be media literate is to have the ability to understand information presented to you, and respond appropriately. A media literate audience will understand greater intertextual references due to their wider cultural competency, and understand media texts on a deeper level. This means that they can be faced with more challenging texts to decode, with hidden messages and references, and still have a personal and appropriate response to the text.