Analysing Your Song

Target Audience
The target audience for the song I think would be ages 16-18, anyone that is having particular problems in their lives to do with friends, family or just the pressure of workloads being too much for them. Anything that can stress someone out would be a perfect reason to listen to the song has the lyrics don't specify what the artist had been through, it could apply to any situation. The reason I say 16-18 because with A Levels and moving schools and new friendships / broken trust and relationship issues, this is a period in life that stress is quite heavy. Obviously as one gets older so does the level of stress however because of the audience that this song would be played most to it is most likely that they wouldn't hear it. I think the gender of the song would appeal most to females, since a lot of the harmonies created are by the one female and therefore it would be easier for females to relate to the vocals. Also, even though some males may have the same emotional targets as shown in the song to do with friendship, it may not be as deep as how females view it. I think their interests would be quite secluded, anything that other people aren't particularly interested in, for example studying or socializing but in a very small group of people. The lyrics of this song suggests that her trust has been broken, therefore I think that the people that would listen to this song would have a small selection of friends that they can tell their secrets to.

Analysing Lyrics

Back in time like someone pressed rewind on my life

This line automatically shows that the artist is having a flashback, or a vivid memory. The word ‘rewind’ perhaps shows that she sees her life as a movie, as something that she can tell people as a story, a narrative.

I just wanted to succeed

This line shows her initial intention, especially as she has used the words ‘I just wanted to…’ it almost suggests that she has been wrongly accused or told off for something, as those words are used usually in defence. Also, the contradiction of ‘just wanted to succeed’ is effective as no one should be accused for trying to something as positive as succeeding, so this shows how misunderstood she has become.

Trapped me, I can’t breathe

This line has now introduced the theme of being trapped for the first time since the song began, now beginning to show what has happened to her. She can’t breathe, this could be both metaphorically as in feeling trapped within herself and literally being trapped somewhere.

Let’s keep an eye on you

This line has now used a patronizing line, ‘let’s keep an eye on you’ sounds like something that a nurse would say to a small child, or someone that is mentally unstable. It appears to be demeaning and degrading, almost pitiful but not in a positive way.

Because you got serious blues

The artist is now beginning to say what drove her to feeling trapped and being talked down upon. She is clearly battling with a sadness or depression that is slowly driving her insane. Or at least – that is how other people are seeing her.

Take another shot while you’re at it

There is an imperative here, the word ‘take’ is a demand, once again showing that there is someone looking after her as if she was helpless. The connotation of the word ‘shot’ can also be two things. It can either be shot as in a shot that one would drink in a bar to perhaps drown their sorrows away, once again adding to the sadness. Another would be a shot in terms of a jab, an injection that is given to either numb someone or take their pain completely away for a certain amount of time. This is used in psychiatric hospital to patients, in order to ease the mental illness or pain. The words ‘while you’re at it’ are also used so casually, therefore implying that the artist has become used to being treated as she is. 

Stuck wondering how I’ll get through it

The artist has now related the song back to herself again. She has been left alone to deal with whatever is going through her mind. The word ‘wondering’ is something that is done usually when one has spare time, or time in which they aren’t doing anything. This could show how long she has been trapped for.

I hate how everything is

The artist no longer has any hope left. She has resorted to hating EVERYTHING, which is an incredibly strong word to describe how one is feeling and then adding the word everything shows that there is nowhere or nothing that she feels will change for the better.

Nothing feels right not a perfect fit

This line brings to mind the image of a small child trying to fit pieces into a puzzle and getting frustrated since she is perhaps trying the puzzle the wrong way, but she is too young to understand. This then relates back to the fact that the artist is being treated like a child, as she sees things in a childish light. Therefore, a deeper insight on the artist and her story and true personality is being revealed.

Standards so high gonna fall fall fall

This line reveals the artist’s disappointment in what she has been through. Before whatever dramatic event that had taken place to get her into the state that she is in today, she had appeared to be someone who perhaps set her expectations up too easily and was then bitterly let down. This could also be viewed as other people having high expectations of her that she couldn’t reach and because of the pressure to succeed, she crumbled.

Building up another wall wall wall

This line could reflect that either the artist is building up a metaphorical emotional wall to corner herself up from other people, from society. The line could also reflect that other people are cornering her off from themselves, that they are rejecting her. Also, she repeats the word ‘wall’ three times, just as she is repeating the word ‘fall’ which could once again reflect the artist slowly losing her sanity.

Too loud need to break out

The artist is now telling the audience how she feels, although the line almost sounds like she is thinking this inside of her head but she needs to get her thoughts out. The use of the words ‘break out’ also shows that she is being held somewhere against her will, since if it were somewhere that she wanted to be she wouldn’t have to ‘break out’, she could simply leave.

Maximum security lockdown

Finally, the audience may be able to see exactly what has happened to the artist. It sounds like she is definitely either in a psychiatric ward or she is battling with herself, that she just feels too confined for words. ‘Lockdown’ in itself is used as common terminology in both prisons and psychiatric wards in where either a prisoner or a patient has escaped and is too dangerous for other people to be left alone with them. Therefore this shows the panic and the danger that the artist is feeling, or that she has put herself in.

Feeling like a prisoner you can’t leave now

She is again being referred back to as a prisoner, however as she says ‘feeling like’ it doesn’t then necessarily mean that she is one. But she is definitely somewhere that she doesn’t want to be. Also, the words ‘you can’t leave now’ also imply that she is being held hostel, against her will.

Maximum security lockdown (you can’t leave now)

Here she is repeating what she has already said, once again going down the route of reptetion, again reflecting her mental state since when people repeat what they have just said, it means that they are either trying to make a point or they are suffering from anxiety.

Too far down the line to give up now

This line, however, does not sound like something the artist had said on her own accord. It sounds like something that someone would try and tell her in attempt to keep her where she is, once again nudging on the patronizing borderline contemptuous dialogue that she has been experiencing.

  

Maximum security lockdown

Again, she has repeated herself.

Is it normal to feel this way?

Now she has begun to question what she believes in and what she has been told. She uses rhetorical questions to almost turn to the audience, perhaps she is trying to gain their opinion on her situation so that it makes more sense to her.

Do you really think I’m not ok?

Now it is almost like the artist has begun to doubt herself and become self-conscious and paranoid that what she has been told and what she has overheard people say about her is true. Again, another rhetorical question is used.

Don't want to admit to anything

She now is almost stating the fact that she has done something for her to get to where she is now, but she doesn’t want to say what she has done. The reason to this could be that she is worried about her punishment, whatever that may or may not be.

Charged my sentence but I don’t feel nothing

This line  is now showing that perhaps the artist is getting what she had deserved but she doesn’t feel any regret, remorse, anything.

(Because) You just want to see me lose again

In this line, it shows that the artist has been in similar situations like this before and that someone had perhaps broken her trust like this before.

You are not a real friend

Here it has become obvious that some form of trust has been broken and that the artist is now singing to whoever had broken her trust, someone that had been a fake friend to her.

(So you might aswell)Take another shot while you’re at it

Stuck wondering how I’ll get through it

I hate how everything is

Nothing feels right not a perfect fit

Standards so high gonna fall fall fall

Building up another wall wall wall

Too loud need to break out

Maximum security lockdown

Feeling like a prisoner you can’t leave now

Maximum security lockdown (you can’t leave now)

Too far down the line to give up now

Maximum security lockdown

No I don’t wanna talk about it

Here, the artist sounds like she is being questioned by someone like a psychiatrist, someone delving into her thoughts maybe against her will. The word ‘NO’ starts the lyric and also in the song, it was sung with a harsh force. She also doesn’t state what exactly has happened as she uses the word ‘it’, leaving it to the audience’s own imagination. This is effective since allowing the audience to assume what has happened to her will then lead them to believe in the song a little more.

No I don’t know how I feel

Once again, she is answering questions that she couldn’t answer. Her emotions are clearly mixed at this point as she isn’t too sure how exactly she feels. She again starts the sentence with ‘No’, sounding like she’s answering another question that she didn’t really want to answer. Also, the idea of a psychiatrist or someone trying to help her mental state links to the idea of a psychiatric hospital.

No I don’t need to know any of it

This is interesting, as it almost shows that she is being interrogated as she is being offered something that she won’t take. Also, there is a suspicion that she may have forgotten whatever has happened to her, since she ‘doesn’t need to know any of it’, this might also suggest that she wants to completely forget about what she has done and wants to attempt to erase her memory.

Yes I just want this over with

Now there could be a series of things that she is being offered. This is the first time in four lines that she actually answers a question with ‘YES’ and it seems like she either wants to just get her sentence over with or she wants to get her time in wherever she is being held up with ‘over with’.

No I don’t want fake help

Once again, the artist has returned to answering the questions with ‘no’, once more showing that she is slowly becoming irritated with the questions asked. Also, the words ‘fake help’ shows that she doesn’t believe that what she is being offered is genuine and that she is sick of people not acting themselves around her.

No I don’t know how I felt

Now she appears to be answering questions about the crime/situation that she has committed, as she says the word ‘felt’ instead of ‘feel’ showing that it was in the past tense. This is still borderline psychiatrist and now falling into police interrogation, now linking to the idea of a prison and now committing an illegal offence.

No I don’t wanna go through this for a year

Now this line suggests that she’s being held up somewhere, perhaps counselling sessions that would last a year. However the words ‘go through this’ suggest that she is being treated unfairly, therefore hinting strongly at being held in a psychiatric ward. Also, the way that this is portrayed, it shows that people are viewing her as a inferior mentally unstable person that they feel they have to mollycoddle and look after, as if she were a child, and therefore the artist appears to get extremely frustrated because of this.

Yes I just want someone to be near

Once more, she has answered the question with ‘yes’. However there is a pattern here, every fourth question she answeres with ‘yes’. Therefore this could imply that she isn’t paying much attention to the questions asked as she has gotten herself into a rhythm. This lyric also then implies lonliness and the loss of someone to talk to and to have near. The artist just wants everything to go back to normal.

Standards so high gonna fall fall fall

Building up another wall wall wall

Too loud need to break out

Maximum security lockdown

Feeling like a prisoner you can’t leave now

Maximum security lockdown (you can’t leave now)

Too far down the line to give up now

Maximum security lockdown

Standards so high gonna fall fall fall

Building up another wall wall wall

Too loud too loud

This line, the repetition of ‘too loud’ shows her mental state slowly deteriorating, as she is starting to repeat herself and can’t take the noise or the pressure.

Maximum security lockdown

This line implies that the artist is the reason for the lockdown. Throughout the lyrics, she has almost explained her confused state of mind and by ending with the word ‘lockdown’, the impression is given that she is finally going to break out and therefore the ‘lockdown’ is initiated because of her.

Analysing Music
The music begins with a slow steady pace of an organ. Organ's are usually linked to eerie, spooky and mysterious genres of films and music, therefore gives off the spooky element to the song. The bass guitar also appears, after the introduction. This sets the beat well, however since it is such a low sound (it's a mute bass), it adds to the mystery, not taking away from the sound of the organ. Lizzie's voice has no set temp to it, it varies. Sometimes it goes high and other times it wobbled slightly, but even though it is unusual it adds extremely well to the genre of music. The reason that it wobbles and sometimes varies in it's pitch, it makes the lyrics sound like she's slowly loosing her cool and the pressure she is under is becoming too much for her to handle. 

Analysing Tempo
The tempo to the song is steady and keeps that way for the whole way through. The percussion that sets the tempo of the song sounds like it has been done by a drum but then there is a slight echo with every beat that it takes out. Once again, the echo adds to the slightly horror theme that the song maintains. Because the song's tempo is so steady and consistent, Lizzie is able to then vary her voice and go anywhere that she wants it to, depending on how she wants to sing it at the time of recording. She doesn't even necessarily need to follow the tempo with her voice as the beat keeps the song steady.

How would you visually communicate this in a video?

The song is purely based on the themes of loneliness and a mental confusion. Therefore the image I have in my mind is of a girl with long straight dark brown hair constantly over her face in a long white gown. The settings that I would use would be a white room with no way out, with perhaps just a bed in the corner, or a padded cell which I may have to use a green screen with. I would illustrate the lyrics by perhaps having my actress a flash back of  her before the situation happened, totally normal. Then I would show her in the state she is in now compared to the state that she was in before, literally showing her being locked up with no escape at all, crying and screaming in some scenes and lip syncing in others. To amplify this video I would do the same, but not the flashbacks, just a girl frantically bashing on the walls and screeching (with no sound as this would be done underneath the music), clutching her hair in distress and writing the words 'LOCKDOWN' and 'TOO LOUD' on the wall perhaps in blood red paint. To contradict this however I would show a girl running through a field, completely free. This would totally go against the idea of being trapped, therefore perhaps then having an even stronger impact on the video. 

Creating My Artist's Identity

Artist's Name:
Lizzie Calvert

Photo of the artist:


Artist's record label:
Lizzie has not been signed yet.

Some basic facts about her:
- Lizzie Calvert is an 18 year old singer/songwriter from Manchester. 
- She is passionate about music and writes relatable lyrics.
-  Her music embodies the perfect fusion of Pop with an electronic based edge. 
- Her voice and vocal harmonies are incorporated around synths and drum machines. 

Samples of clothing you would like her to wear:
I believe that my artist has quite a quirky style since her music is very different to the ones out there in the charts now. Therefore in her video's I would envision her to wear long dresses, in a very vintage style.

As shown in the picture to the right, there are a series of outfits that I believe my artist could wear. The first dress is short and appears to be gothic/vintage, with white lace colours. However to contrast with this, the makeup consists of dark red lipstick and a black beanie, topped off with black army lace boots, therefore once again giving off a quirky style since mixing casual with formal. This reflects the artist's personality and her music style, since it is hard to categorize just as her music is. The outfit next to it is a lace black dress, which I found appropriate whilst listening to the song which is appropriately as dark and quite gothic in itself. Once again the contrast has been given as not only are there bright lips but also a pink band of roses to go across her head. The third outfit matches a little better, the vintage style clearly shining through with the dark, musty, velvety colours and the material of lace once again. The final outfit is a lot more casual, striped jeans and an equally as casual top, with a black and white converse on a heel, very alternative and contrasting once again. To top it off I can imagine my artist wearing bandana's, geeky glasses and having constantly messy hair.

Samples of typography you would use in their video:

Since the artist I think is very alternative and quirky in her style, I would use quirky typography. The first example, top left, is slightly blurred and almost looks like it has been stamped on the screen. I think that this works well with her type of music since her songs are very sharp and quick to the point, just as the font is. The second example (dark red, far white) I think is equally as quirky since it is almost like a school-themed typography. Also, the letters are quite wonky and aren't in a straight line which I think reflects my artist's voice, which wobbles and varies in different sections of most of her songs. The third example (center left, blue) steers away from the quirky side and deeper into the vintage side of my artist. The font looks old fashioned and the dark colour of blue is just as vintage as the outfits I had chosen. The fourth example (dark red, bottom right, large font) is more in a hand writing style, back in it's original form of quirkiness. The deep dark colour of red reflects on the pain that my artist has when she sings, as her songs are usually about confusion and heartbreak, therefore the dark colour of blood (that I also used as the colour of the lipstick I would want her to wear). The final example (dark green and bottom left) is both vintage and quirky, the writing didn't form a certain pattern and the dark colour of green is almost the colour of moss or poison ivy that would run down the wall of a large gothic tower, once again reflected of some of the messages, lyrics and moods of the songs that my artist has done.


Samples of mise-en-scene you would use in their video:

The song, in my opinion, is very dark and quite deep. As most of her songs, this song is about being trapped and having no place to go, being held up in something like a mental institution. Therefore I have chosen the following sceneries. The first picture (of a prison cell) I think would fit the song very well, since she sings 'feeling like a prisoner you can't leave now' and I think it helps to set the tone of the video. The second one (a dark field at moonlight) sets the tone well too, since an instrument that repeatedly appears is the haunting sound of the organ, which is quite dark and very haunting. The third one also matches the sound of the organ since it is a view of a church window from the outside. Also, the bars outside of the shut window once again adds to the idea of being trapped with no way to get escape. The fourth picture, which is of a padded cell which is usually used in mental institutions also adds to the trapping of someone, with nothing but a small window leadened with bars to look out from. The final picture I would use as a green screen, is of distortion and white noise. This reflects the confusion that the artist is singing about in her song, as nothing she is experiencing makes much sense for her.

Samples of colours you would use in your artist's identity:

Since a running theme through all of my artist's tracks is gothic, quirky and alternative, I think the colours that would be used to properly describe the artist would be dark and deep, such as deep purples and blues. They aren't only slightly gothic and quirky but they also reflect on the moods of the songs that she writes, as they are quite messy and have no set pattern to not only lyrics and vocals but also instruments.

Samples of imagery which their song evokes in your mind:

The song is purely about being trapped and not being able to have anywhere to go. Therefore I have chosen the following pictures that I can think of when listening to the song. The first picture (a girl bent over in a heap with bruises on her back) I think shows the difficultly of battling with her mind. She has bruises on her back, showing she has been hurt, which some of the lyrics of the song relate to. The second picture (a girl who's hair and face is blurred) also shows the panic and confusion that is being experienced. The third picture (of a girl drowning with the words 'I've got a war inside my head) shows the panic and distress that is being felt, relating once again to the song. The fourth picture (of Lana Del Rey with the words 'I've got a war in my mind) once again similarly adds to the confused emotion being felt. The fifth picture (help me please) shows the desperation that is being felt, that the artist needs help. The sixth picture is of a girl clutching her hair in distress, again showing the feeling of being trapped. The seventh picture (my mind is killing me), is showing the battle that one has with their head and their heart, not knowing what exactly they are going for. The eighth picture is of the words 'I am in hell help me' painted on a wall in what looks like blood. Once again this adds to the trap that the artist is in, since it is on a wall this perhaps shows that it is absolutely impossible to escape. The ninth picture however is of the outside, which does contradict the lyrics but since the picture is still blurred it shows once again the confusion, which could show that even when she has come out of wherever she was being held that she still doesn't know what to do with herself. It just has the simple word 'run'.The final picture is of a girl with black tape across her mouth with the word 'help.', showing that she couldn't talk and is also restricted from speech.

A photo of the person you would have play your actor in you video:
 I would choose the model 'Ann Ward' to play the actress in my video. I think that she has the right look (scared, distraught, quite skinny, doe eyed) and I think she could play a perfect trapped victim.

Andrew Goodwin's Media Theories

Andrew Goodwin was the author of 'Dancing in the Distraction Factory', which was published in 1992. His main ideas were:

- Iconography

- Illustrating

- Amplifying

- Contradicting

- Voyeurism

- Intertextuality 

Iconography 

Iconography is relating objects to specific representations. For example, in a hip hop music video, it is likely that the objects relating to this genre is thick, heavy jewelry, (commonly gold) weighing down their necks, women in very revealing clothing such as tight shorts and tank tops dancing in a very promiscuous and provocative manner, the main artists wearing low baggy clothing with perhaps a bandanna in their belts and expensive alcohol (such as Ciroc) being poured in slow motion into a thick shallow glass that holds a few cubes of ice in it. An example of this particular iconography being used would be 'Scream & Shout (Remix) by Will.I.Am, Britney Spears, Wacka Flocka Flame, Diddy, Hit Boy and Lil Wayne'. In this music video, many of the iconography for hip-hop is used. 

For example, at 0:23 of the video, there is a clear shot of Diddy with a heavy, thick chain on which supports a medallion, which is a common icon of Hip-Hop. This could perhaps be used to show his wealth to the audience, or that he can afford such expensive items of jewelry and wear them casually whilst dancing. 

Another example of iconography in Hip Hop is of the women wearing revealing outfits and dancing provocatively at 1:54, surrounding Will.I.Am. This could be used to show Will.I.Am's attraction that the girls appear to have of him, therefore showing the audience how many girls see him as attractive, therefore perhaps encouraging his female fans to do the same.

Lil Wayne is shown wearing baggy clothing with most of the male artists in the music video at 5:11, again highlighting another common icon in Hip-Hop. This highlights his particular style and taste in clothing. Since he is well known for wearing baggy outfits, he is now known as the 'Skater' since his style of clothing is so baggy and free.

A posh, chilled bottle of Ciroc is being poured into the thick, shallow glass filled with ice cubes by two females at exactly 3:30 of the video, which lasts for around one and a half seconds. 

This once again shows the artist's wealth. Diddy is well known for his ciroc, which actually ranges from $40 - $600. Therefore whenever alcohol such as Ciroc is used, the artist is usually branded as wealthy.  

This can be used by the industry for many reasons. However the audience can have different views on it. The most common view shared would be admiration. Money is a large part of the industry, therefore if money is a large part of audience's lives they may enjoy watching these particular music videos. In addition to this, the constant reference to women in Hip-Hop music videos can keep the men interested in watching it, however some music videos are too explicit for younger eyes and therefore, there isn't a filter that all adults can use as deciding what is good music and what videos are inappropriate.
The artist, however, sets up an image of themselves that they become best known for, for example P.Diddy had actually made his own alcoholic brand called 'Ciroc', which means now particularly in Hip Hop videos that he is involved in, it's likely that the Ciroc would be shown being poured into a glass.

Illustrating

Illustrating is when the video directly corresponds to the lyrics or to a lesser extent the mood of the song. This is important so that the audience can understand the mood and feel of the song through visuals, as this is essential to make the video more interesting to watch. A good example of this would be Miley Cyrus' music video for 'We Can't Stop'. The lyrics of the song in itself is purely about having fun and enjoying themselves without having any care in the world. Even though the music video doesn't match all of the lyrics directly, the mood of the song is portrayed in the music video in itself by teenagers jumping up and down into pools, stamping on skulls made out of chips and dancing crazily.
One example of when lyrics directly match the music video would be at exactly 1:27 in which the lyrics are 'to my home girls here with the big butts, shaking it like we're at a strip club' and at that moment in the music video Miley is shaking her bottom with three black girls which lasts for around 4 seconds, matching the lyrics. 
Another example of when lyrics do not directly match the music video but do match the mood of the song would be at 3:01 - 3:04 and then again at 3:08 where many teenagers have gathered in a room and there is various fast food on the floor such as hot dogs, burgers and chips. The teenagers including Miley are then fighting and biting and wrestling each other, smashing the food into the ground and not seeming to care at all. This matches the exhilarated, frantic mood of the song as many of the cuts in this music video are quick and short, adding to the mood altogether.
In addition to this, the scenes in the music video don't even make any sense. For the audience, the video became annoying and confusing for some and for others it was pure genius. Since the lyrics didn't state anything in particular as they were so vague just being about having fun, the music video didn't have to make much sense either. So it didn't, it was random and it was busy but in that sense the artist did well to prove her point through the music video, which is why illustrating can be so important. 
Now, however, Miley Cyrus since she was first portrayed as an innocent little pop star being brought up on Disney Channel and now she appears to be wild, loud and confused, that is now the image that has stuck with her. It gained her a lot of popularity but it also gave her a lot of negative attention. 

Amplifying 
Amplifying is when the video is designed to enhance the style and the mood of the song. An example of this would be Ellie Goulding's 'Burn'. The song itself is about lighting up the world with love and positivism, therefore the music video would have to be appropriately exciting and encouraging as it does. The video is full of people including the artist (Ellie Goulding) dancing and jumping up and down on a runway or in a large field, with strobe lights everywhere and by the final chorus the whole field lights up with little balls of lights that they had placed into the field. 
For example at 1:58, Ellie is shown on a runway with the sun blaring behind her and she appears to be having an energetic time. This scene went very well with the song and amplified the idea of having fun and lighting up the world with positivity.
Another example is 3:09 in which the whole field had lighten with people dancing and having fun together, which then enhanced the mood of the song well and made the audience who were watching want to dance with them and be apart of the positive movement.
For the audience this song was enjoyable enough on the radio, but with the actual music video to fit the song it enhances the song a lot since seeing other people enjoy a song naturally makes anyone else want to enjoy it just as much. Therefore amplifying in this sense was successful.

Contradiction
A contradiction is the video deliberately goes against the lyrics and the mood of the song, therefore contradicting itself. An example of this would be 'The Popular Song' by Ariana Grande and MIKA. The song is about being popular and finally climbing the ladder of success to get to the high status that they are now, however in the video instead of having flashing lights and expensive clothes, they are in gothic, ragged outfits, the lighting is dark and dull and they don't look happy at all whereas the mood and tone of the song is bubbly and energetic. 
An example of this is if one were to take a still from 2:20, they would not assume that the song to that music video was so exciting and bubbly to such a miserable looking song. 
Also, at 3:03 there is a shot of both MIKA and Ariana together, holding goblets of what turns out to be a deadly wine that turns their enemies into stone. The lighting of the room as it pans out is like a deep shade of navy blue with a chandelier with candles placed on them instead of a normal bulb, which made the setting gothic, once again not matching the song, Ariana and MIKA are wearing dark grins and evil smirks on their faces.
For fans and the audience on the whole, creating a contradiction allows them to think more about the lyrics and since the twist on the video was so unexpected it's better to watch as it creates more depth to both the lyrics and the song.

Voyeurism
Voyeurism is the idea that a female connection to the male's eye or vice versa is used particularly when they are attractive. It also can include close ups of the artists' face and maintaining eye contact. The most recent female example of this would be Miley Cyrus' video for 'Wrecking Ball'. Even though this song is controversial, there is more than one point in which both voyeurism and close ups are used.
Already, from the beginning of the video at 0:03, there is a close up of Miley's face in front of a white background, and there is particular focus on both her eyes that look stunning in the lighting used and her lips which are such a deep colour of pink that it contrasts with the rest of her face and the background. There is also a soft focus from her face outward therefore her face is the main item of the screen. Even if the viewer was male, they would still feel sympathy toward her. This scene lasts for 30 seconds from the beginning of the music video which obviously keeps the male viewers interested since Miley does not once break eye contact (when she does it is either to blink or to release more tears), therefore already making the video more personal. For men, when she is blinking she does it so often it's almost like she is batting her eyelashes in a flirtatious way, even though she is in tears. For women, or young girls that admire Miley Cyrus, her constantly looking into the camera and crying makes it almost seem like Miley is revealing a secret of hers therefore making the viewer feel apart of her life and her secrets. 
At 1:25 however, Miley started licking a hammer to symbolize pain but then looses interest from one area of the audience. Most girls that watched the video for the first time felt uncomfortable at this point however many men still found it attractive. The video had quickly swerved from being heart felt to slightly sleezy, and this just got worse at 1:29 when shots of Miley completely naked on a wrecking  ball. Once again, this was probably shot to keep the male viewers interested therefore loosing the female viewers.
But, even though the video was quickly turned from emotional to emotionally seductive, this still caused controversy. For males, the naked Miley Cyrus and the maintaining of eye contact would keep them interested so they would therefore tell their friends who would then want to see the video themselves. For females, once again the naked Miley Cyrus and Miley Cyrus crying would appeal to them more and would therefore talk about it with their friends would then encourage them to watch the video also. Altogether, the video has over 380 million views on YouTube even though it was released under 3 months ago.

Intertextuality

Intertextuality is a cross relationship between two media texts. This can be used between music videos, books and films. A recent example of this is Iggy Azalea's new music video for 'Change Your Life', her new single featuring T.I. The music video is an intertextual reference to the film 'Showgirls', in fact it is a modernized version of the film in itself. 
For example at 0:35 there is a shot of Iggy in a large, pink expensive looking room on a big bed with pastel satin covers, which is an exact remake replica of the room in the film 'Showgirls'.
At 1:44 there is a shot of Iggy Azalea as a show girl with different girls around her dancing on a stage with large headdresses and bikinis, once again directly taken from 'Showgirls'. 
At 3:14 she is shown in the back of a police car struggling but still looking rather clean and tidy and glamorous. She is then shown walking away from a club and a car on fire casually which is another twist on the iconic scene from Showgirls.
Naturally, since the video was based on a film that was rated 18 for sexual nudity and graphic sexual violence, Iggy Azalea could not use the whole film to base her video on since then this would not be able to be shown on televised musical channels and would have to be age banned on YouTube, so she made the video but put her own twist on it. 
The good thing by using a different media text in a music video is that it allows the audience to feel a sense of self-esteem to understand the link. For the audience that had watched Show Girls, they are able to watch the video and automatically understand the video that it had been based on. However since most of Iggy Azalea's fans are between 16-18, it would be unlikely that they had seen the film to connect it to, but the video wasn't as linked that it would make no sense whatsoever to those who hadn't yet seen the film. Therefore for both audience that had watched the film and those who hadn't, the video would still be effective and would make sense to view. 

$99 Music Video

- What is 99dollarmusicvideos.com?
99dollarmusicvideos.com is a website in which people are able to make their own music videos and post them for only 99 dollars or under. It is a cheap and effective way to allow people to experiment with their creativity for a price that is suitable for them. 

- What is their ethos?
Their ethos is to change the idea music videos being a production liability and turning it into a creative challenge. They believe that music videos are now too focused on how much money has been moved and now it has left it's creative streak in the industry, therefore now becoming competitive with other people. Because of this, music videos are less original and creative, but now even if they don't make sense as long as plenty of money has been put into it then it should do very well. Therefore, now, 99dollarmusicvideos aim to create music videos with a low budget, so that creativity can shine through.

- What types, labels and genres of music appear on their website?
The most common genre of music to appear are Rock, Indie and Alternative. Commonly used by bands, such as 'Lowery' however there are also both male and female solo artists. The songs themselves appear to be quite depressing, or miserable. They lyrics consist of alcohol, sadness, emotional thoughts and the video's are very relevant to the lyrics. The videos look very well made and alway match the mood of the song.

- What is the relationship between 99dollarmusicvideos.com, their film-makers and music acts?
The film-makers and the music acts appear to work together, then submitting their finished product of their videos to 99dollarmusicvideos who then upload their video either onto their YouTube channel or onto their Tumblr, giving the artist and film maker full right but then also claiming their video's to their own name by putting their logo '99dollarmusicvideos' onto the beginning of all of the artists music videos.

- Which costs are and aren't included in the $99?
Even though it is not clear on the site, the costs of the making are included in the video but not costs of transportation, etc.

- How does 99dollarmusicvideo.com encourage audience participation?
99dollarmusicvideo state that if the audience produce their own music video and submit it into their website, they will then feature it, therefore giving the artists more recognition that they may not have originally received without their help. Therefore it could be a launching point for an ordinary person's musical career.

- Is it possible to make a professional quality music for $99?
It is possible. Many of the videos on 99dollarmusicvideo are full of very professional up and coming artists and many of them appear to get their inspiration from other artists, for example one particular music video that I saw on their channel looked very similar to the Gorrilaz and the way that they used to animate themselves in the video instead of using their real faces. Therefore the music videos look very professional. However, one problem with only having $99dollars is that some videos don't look high quality and they look cheap and not particularly high quality. Also, since many music videos have been made already, a lot of music videos look like cheap parody videos of some already made, which viewers clearly don't accept on YouTube since the dislike bar for some videos are so high.

Different Styles and Conventions of Music Videos

What is a convention?
A convention is something commonly used or shown in music videos that associate them to the genre that they are in. These apply to both genres and styles. Some examples are listed below.

Concert

This music video is a concert and has been filmed as it was performed live.
Usually, in the music videos that are mainly concerts, the conventions are commonly a large audience with the artist on the stage in clear view and many of the crowd are very active, for example jumping up and down, screaming, crying etc, however this isn't shown in some concert video's such as the Foo Fighters video for Arlandria filmed in concert as the video is focused purely on them. However it is shown in Passenger's 'Let Her Go.' For example at 0:57 there is a shot of the audience watching the performance, looking at peace with themselves since the song is quite peaceful. This is an example that I could use in my video, as if there was a shot of the artist performing and then there is a reaction shot of the audience watching this could be quite effective.
The difference between a concert and as-live is that as-live is staged, the people watching are just extra's, for example 'Juliet' by Lawson in which they appear to be singing to an audience of people in a small vintage-themed bar/club when actually their whole video is staged, (as shown in 0:55). 
The difference between a concert and a performance is that a performance music video is not played to any audience, it is usually just the artist performing whilst looking into the camera, for example 'Counting Stars' by One Republic where they are playing in a basement to no one at all apart from the camera (as shown from 0:51 - 0:53).
The institution may use this style (concert) purely to let the audience get a taste on what live concerts would actually be like if they were to experience one first hand. In the long run it is to make money. If the audience watch the video they would be more likely to want to purchase ticket to actually go to one of their concerts themselves, therefore overall making a lot more money. 
For my own personal music video, it would practically be impossible to use an in-concert style since I would have to then find a venue and enough people to then create more of a realistic style. However I would be able to use an as-live or performance style as it is easier to manage.

Narrative

Katy Perry - Part Of Me
This is a music video depicting the life of a young woman joining the army and undergoing a dramatic change (shown at 1:28) after finding out that her partner was unfaithful (shown at 0:08), which includes cutting her hair to that of a short length and hardening herself from most of her emotions (3:54). 
This style is very effective since whilst watching the story and hearing the song, the audience are able to really connect to the video through both the lyrics of the song and the image on the screen, for example at 2:56 where she says 'and you can keep the diamond ring, it don't mean nothing anyway, in fact you can keep everything except for me' where she is burning a letter that her ex partner sent her, showing her strength and determination. I could use a scene like this in my own music video, a metaphorical scene as supposed to a straight to the point narrative. 
Some artists use different people to narrate a story, which is a good effect since it shows that the artist doesn't necessarily focus on purely themselves.
An example of this would be Ed Sheeran - Give Me Love.
However some artists prefer to use themselves in each narrative video they have, such as the video shown above. 
The institution would use this style to allow an emotional connection through the audience and the fans toward the music video. Having a narrative may also, if the song isn't particularly good, distract the audience from the actual content of the song. Also, if the artist is used to do the lead role it puts a lot of attention on them.  I could use this in my music video which would be quite effective, since putting a story across can add to the effect. It would be very practical to use without much of an issue. 

Animation

Gorrilaz - Feel Good inc.

Animation is used for many different reasons, including to distract the audience from the artist's real image, such as the Gorrilaz who commonly used cartoons in their music videos and never their actual faces. This became their common convention since now, people expect to see a cartoon when watching a Gorrilaz music video.

The institution would use this if the artists weren't particularly attractive and allow the artist to become known for their particular styles. However a problem with this was that when the Gorrilaz were playing live, obviously they would either have to project the cartoons on the screens behind them and darken themselves off the stage or perform as their real selves, which perhaps wouldn't have had the same effect on the audience as the music video would.

It would be quite effective to use this in my music video, for example when it is half animation and there are some scenes with real people and real life footage, (3:51  & 3:53) however it would take a  lot of time, effort and pre planning. I would prefer to use something that may not take as long to make, because if something were to go wrong in the animation stage whilst making the video and I have no backup footage, it would be a whole waste of time. 

Intertextuality as pastiche

Iggy Azalea - Change Your Life

Intertextuality is loosely basing a music video on a film or a program. For example, Iggy Azalea's newest music video is based on the film 'Showgirls', in which she appears to work as a showgirl and then falls in love with a rich man that comes to the club she is dancing at. They fall in love and he appears to take advantage of her, therefore leading Iggy's character to set his car and his money on fire and then getting arrested for it. The institution would use this to connect the video with something well known to increase popularity for fans of both the artist and for the films that they are basing it on. However a disadvantage to this would to be that if the representation of the film in the music video isn't particularly good, people may get insulted by it, especially if it's quite a classic film or is rather old. Therefore the institution would have to be very careful with how they portray the video.

For my own music video, I may use this style since it appears to be very effective, scenes such as the last one (3:24) however I must make sure that I do it properly since otherwise it may come across rushed, cheap budgeted and rather tacky.

Intertextuality as parody

DJ Fresh - Earthquake
The idea of a parody is to create humour from something that wasn't supposed to be particularly funny. This can be done through linking the music video to another well known song or perhaps a film.
This is shown in DJ Fresh's music video for 'Earthquake' in which there seem to be a team of elite superhero's who don't look elite at all as the walk through the town which appears to be slowly destroying itself. This is a parody of any superhero films, particularly 'The Avengers.'
Many people enjoyed the music video and found it humorous and also enjoyed the song in itself, therefore the institution did a good job of using this particular style.
However a few die-hard superhero fans found the video degrading and offensive therefore was not drawn into watching it again, which the institution should also take into account.
For my own music video, this style may come in handy as it is clearly exciting to watch, especially unexpected scenes such as 2:32 therefore my music video could have a whole new depth to it.

Impressionist

Lorde - Tennis Courts

Impressionist are when the music video uses imagery that matches the mood and the paste of the song but not necessarily the lyrics. The institution would use this to let the audience to get a true feel on what the song is about, to allow them to connect with the lyrics in their own way.

A good example of this is in Lorde's music video for 'Tennis Courts', in which she is purely standing in a darkened room and staring down the camera. Ordinarily without the song playing over the video, the music video in itself may be a little unnerving and creepy to watch. (0:47) However, since the lyrics and the instrumental of the song is quite slow paced and dreary in itself, it fits the music video perfectly. The audience when this video was released, were originally a little skeptical about it, calling it 'lazy' and 'unnecessary', however once they actually listen to the lyrics and the beat of the song and watched the video at the same time they began to appreciate it more.

For my own music video this can be used depending on the song used, however it is essential to use the right imagery to match the pace of the song, otherwise the music video may become messy and confusing.

Surrealism/Abstract

Surrealism/Abstract are works that feature the element of surprise, unexpected juxtapositions. The point of using this is to make the music video more exciting to watch, especially as recently, many music videos are starting to become more or less the same thing, therefore all being very repetitive of themselves.

An example of this would be a Lady Gaga music video, since in nearly all of them she is more or less doing unexpected surprises which always make her videos more exciting to watch. In her newest music video for 'Applause', she has taken a few famous pieces of art (0:17, 0:45, 1:01, 1:31) and turned them into her own style, which was surreal in areas of the video like when it was her head on top of a swan's body in a large egg. Even though this was strange and odd, the video was still very hard to stop watching as the audience would naturally wonder what her next scene in the video was going to be, therefore making the music video increasingly popular. This is good for the artist as they are able to get their creativity out to the world throughout nearly any way they want to through surrealism. Therefore now, Lady Gaga is known as someone who will always have an element of surrealism in her music video, giving her a permanent re-occuring title to many different people, whether they particularly like her music or not.

For my own music video it may not be able to be that easy to use, since for a video to be surreal and look professional, usually a lot of money is used of which I do not have.