Target audience mood board

Industrial context: Contemporary context

 Timeline of music videos

1894 - The first time anyone linked something visual to a song was back in 1894 when a sheet music publisher hired an electrician to synchronise a live performance with a lantern that projected images.

1953 - The first music video more as we know it was released in 1953 and it was Tony Bennett’s song ‘Stranger in Paradise’, he was shot walking through Hyde Park with a recording of his song playing and the clip was distributed to radio stations in the UK and America.

1960s and 70s - Then in the 60s and 70s when film technology started to get a bit cheaper there was a growth in broadcast television and consequently artists were looking for new ways to promote their music so promotional clips were made and distributed locally and in other countries

1980s - Then, in 1981, MTV launched and the first video aired was ‘Video Killed the Radio Star’ by the Buggles and it began a 24 hours a day music on TV, so by the mid 80s, music videos had grown to be a central role in music marketing.

In the early 1980s, music videos also began to discover political and social themes such as David Bowie’s ‘China Girl’ video in 1983.

Then in 1984, MTV launched the VMAs which then placed even more importance on music videos.

1990s - In the 90s, there was a rise of directors that brought a new vision and style to the videos they directed and some of them would go on to direct feature films and so music videos would become even more expensive to produce. 

2000s/2010s -Vevo, a music video service was launched in December 2009 by several major music publishers, debuted in December 2009 and made videos even more accessible.

In the late 2010s, some artists began releasing alternative vertical videos tailored to mobile devices in addition to music videos and can be found on Snapchat’s discover section or Spotify.

Contemporary context:

The major players in the music industry:

FINANCE:

It can range from the artist themselves, the producer, the record company or anyone that wants to take the chance and make the investment. If an artist is signed to a major music label, the funding for a music video is normally provided by the label, this would also happen if the artist is signed to an independent label. 

Music videos make money from both direct and indirect revenue streams. Some examples of direct revenue are the actual sales of the video (digital downloads), sponsorship, ad revenue from platforms such as YouTube and product placement, for example Drake's 'Headlines' video heavily features Nike. Then forms of indirect revenue include royalties from the video, donations and crowdfunding, live performance opportunities, merchandise sales and performance royalties.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXCHANGE:

Distribution companies such as Vevo, Tidal and Vimeo sign deals with record labels, which gives them the right to sell that label's products. The distributor takes a cut of income from each unit sold and then pays the label the remaining balance.

HOW AUDIENCES ACCESS THEM:

Music videos have recently become more accessible through the advancement of technology. Audiences are now able to download as well as stream music videos straight to their devices to watch when they want. The main 3 ways that audiences access videos are the internet, through platforms such as YouTube and Vevo, the TV and channels such as MTV, and media players/apps like iTunes where people can buy and downloads music and videos. 

Focus group

 Primary audience:

Name: Josh McCarthy

Age: 17

Occupation: Student

Psychometric type: Aspirer

Favourite music genre: pop

Interests: football, film, video games

Name: Gabriela Moore

Age: 17

Occupation: Student

Psychometric type: Succeeder

Favourite music genre: pop, classic

Interests: art, reading, interior design, pinterest, music

Name: Sol Badruddin

Age: 17 

Occupation: Student, dog waiter

Psychometric type: Aspirer

Favourite music genre: 90s Britpop

Interests: Football, chicken bakes, American Psycho

Name: Gracie Levy

Age: 16

Occupation: Student, waitress

Psychometric type: struggler

Favourite music genre: Indie, pop, rap

Interests: Vogue magazine, dogs, dancing, listening to music 

Name: Ben Pappa

Age: 17

Occupation: Student/waiter

Psychometric type: Aspirer

Favourite music genre: Indie/Alternative

Interests: Football, rugby, shoes, music, streetwear

Name: Emily Uden

Age: 21

Occupation: Medical student    

Psychometric type: Succeeder

Favourite music genre: All music

Interests: Music, travelling, horses, medicine

Secondary audience:

Name: Ashleigh Williamson

Age: 15

Occupation: Student

Psychometric type: Aspirer

Favourite music genre: Pop, indie

Interests: Sailing, netball, reading, music

Name: Amanda Williamson 

Age: 51

Occupation: Senior manager defence company

Psychometric type: Succeeder

Favourite music genre: 90s indie brit pop/Motown

Interests: Reading, listening to music, keeping fit, travelling

Audience research

For my music video, the target audience is primarily a 16-25-year-old middle market aspirational audience that expects to be emotionally engaged in the content they're consuming.

People in the 16-25-year old age range, or 'gen z', grew up surrounded by technology, the internet and social media, so are more likely to consume from brands that have established clear values, are inclusive, and have a strong online community. They follow trends and engage with topics that interest them. They are often more socially and politically engaged with and aware of issues and current affairs and due to the diversity of social media are generally more accepting of other people. Some issues that are important to this generation are:

• diversity - 60% of this group say increased racial and ethnic diversity is good for society
• LGBTQ+ rights - 60% of this group think same-sex couples should be able to adopt children
• social responsibility - 70% of this group try to purchase from companies they consider ethical

 Around 90% of this age demographic use some form of social media and usually turn to the likes of Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat and TikTok for content. They're likely to use these platforms due to how fast paced they are, and how often they update, so they can constantly stay up to date without having to go into too much detail through 15 second videos, Instagram stories, tweets or snapchat headlines. Where social media has influencers and creates a 'perfect' image of life, it leaves something for people to aspire towards, and due to majority of this age demographic being on social media links to the aspirer psychometric.

The 'aspirer' psychometric type tend to be materialistic and seek status, stereotypically, they are geared towards fashion and image and want to appear as rich and attractive. They are more likely to spend money on luxury goods and high status brands that show their place in society. They consider themselves to be stylish and are normally up to date with current trends. They're also more easily persuaded by celebrity endorsements so in terms of music videos, they'd want a celebrity star. 

The middle market audience fits into the ABC1 social demographic grade which makes up 54% of the population. In general, these people tend to be more educated and in higher paying jobs, but for this age range, they are more likely to still be in education and unemployed. As this demographic is a fairly significant percentage of the population, it's an important group to target products at.

Possible song choices

Chelsea Dagger - the Fratellis

Girl from Mars - Ash

Ruby - Kaiser Chiefs 

Research and planning sheet

 Blog tasks:These do not have to be completed in this order. You may present this research in any format that you wish, as a powerpoint, a narrated short film, infographic, canva but it must be hosted on your blog. Remember a blog is a visual medium that you can add sound to so ensure it looks good. Many students have used their blog as part of their portfolio. Think of it as an online progress diary, where you are charting your research, how its useful to you, planning what you would like to do & tracking your progress and creative decisions.

 

	Minimum tasks on blog- all tasks should be pre-fixed on your blog according to the bold heading.  Audience Research,  Industrial context,  Generic research,  Planning   Production Statement of intent.  First edit/Second edit etc until Final Product	All Complete By October 22
1.	Candidate number and Centre number 16607
2.	Brief you have chosen	4th March
3.	Audience research Define a 16–25 year old mass market audience that expects to be emotionally engaged. Provide an audience profile of them.  What does this demographic engage with in terms of a) popular culture. b) your chosen brief?	By the end of March
4.	Audience research Set up focus group of four subjects who belong to this demographic (primary audience) and two alternative secondary audience members.
5.	Industrial context.   Brief history/timeline of your chosen medium for the primary product. Contemporary context- who are the major players in this industry (info graphic). How do companies finance, distribute and exchange their products. How do audiences access them? (consider recent developments in technology)
6.	Industrial context. The brand. Research into the company for your chosen product, eg E4, Universal, Bauer. Analyse their case studies and media packs to inform you and provide you with ideas for their codes and conventions.	-
7.	Generic research Try to identify examples of brands that have the same cross platform presence that you will eventually create.  Close textual analyse on at least 3 case studies. One of which must share the same target audience. You may choose the others depending on whether they have the aesthetic that you are seeking or are a good example of branding.  Each analysis must comment on the following how genre conventions are employed • how and why intertextuality is employed • how combinations of media language elements are used to create meaning and construct representations that address an intended audience. You can use any form of digital presentation to get this on your blog. A powerpoint, prezi, flipsnack, a selection is always good.
7.	Planning A summation of your findings. What are the key codes and conventions that you have identified. What will you adopt or challenge/subvert?
8.	Planning  Your Pitch – this may well include the following- it will help you construct your statement of intent.  In addition whichever of these documents you use.... • draft script • storyboard • location report(s) • notes on casting and mise-en-scène considerations • mock-up of a print advert layout or mock-up of a webpage • rough cuts/drafts Contact sheets Risk assessment and shot list- you will take this with you when you go filming Once these have been completed you should refer to your focus group for feedback.
9.	Draft statement of intent The Statement of Intent needs to outline the ways in which the learner proposes to link their media products to demonstrate their knowledge and understanding of the digitally convergent nature of their production. The Statement of Intent also needs to outline the ways in which the learner proposes to use the four areas of the media theoretical framework to communicate meaning and meet the requirements of their chosen brief, set by OCR.

 

Key points from 2019 Moderators' report

Brief 4 - music videos tips

• The strongest work had clearly been supported by focused research, detailed planning, attention to detail and a strong, sustained central concept based solidly on the requirements and details of the brief.
• For a mark in the highest band, candidates are required to make sure there is an excellent level of convergence and synergy across both products.
• The very best statements of intent made clear links between the two main products and explained how digital convergence would connect the two.
• Music videos were the second most popular brief and it generated some genuinely creative work. 
• The best work emphasised the performance aspect, filming the artist performing the track a number of times in different locations with different mise-en-scene and utilising a variety of camera shots and movement; which was then effectively edited with accurate lip-synching throughout.
• In general, less successful music either missed key elements from the brief or did not adhere to the codes and conventions of the form, such as:
• Tracks that did not fit the dance genre. Although this is a very broad field, some songs chosen could not be regarded as dance, with a number of pop/ballad tracks. 
• Failure to mention the name of the band/ artist/ track at the start or end of the video 
• Editing which did not match the pace/ BPM of the track 
• Things to avoid:
• shots of actors from behind walking away from camera, sometimes holding hands, sometimes not. This is not a convention but seems to be very popular. 
• Vertical mobile phone footage 
• Lots of shots of people talking but we can’t hear what they are saying; again, not conventional
• Representation is a named criteria for this specification but lots of work was submitted featuring young people in ‘normal’ clothing, making no attempt to follow conventions and create messages via the costume
• Something to watch for: across all four briefs, the websites were the most problematic element of the assessment since the content/ quality was so variable. Websites were often either exceptionally detailed, demonstrating a great deal of commitment from candidates, or were lacking in content and seemingly created in a short amount of time.
• The two main barriers to candidates reaching a pass level were: (a) not addressing all the requirements of the chosen brief, together with the stipulated production detail; and (b) not demonstrating sufficient understanding of the relevant aspects of the theoretical framework.

My chosen brief:

 My chosen brief: