Music Video Evaluation: Question 4

Here is the original link to this presentation: https://www.canva.com/design/DABzGij3sFo/XQzUvXv259CmYqJ88y8jDg/view?utm_content=DABzGij3sFo&utm_campaign=designshare&utm_medium=link&utm_source=sharebutton

Music Video Research: Record Labels

There are many record labels within the music industry that specialise in different artists that make different genres of music. The main group of Record Labels include labels such as Universal Music Group, Sony Music Entertainment and Warner Music Group. As well as these record labels that are often run by conglomerates; there are also numerous independent record labels that deal with smaller artists, such as the ones that we are creating a music video for.

Roni Size, the artist that we are making a music video using their song, are a part of Full Cycle Recordings, Dope Dragon Records and V Recordings which are all independently run record labels.


Often, major record labels such as Universal Music Group will not allow their artists to have rights or control over their music and where it is used whereas independent artists on independent labels, such as Roni Size on Full Cycle Recordings etc. often are allowed to have rights and control over their music and where it is used.


Along with this point, another difference between major and independent labels is the difference in royalties that go to the artists themselves. On an independent label, the majority of the royalties made by the music (40%-75%) go to the artists themselves, whereas, on a major record label, only around 10%-15% of the royalties will directly go to the artists. This shows that artists on independent record labels are often better off being on these types of labels as they will make more of a share of their earnings from their music. However, due to the fact that they are on an independent label, it is often the occurrence that the artists on these labels are less well known and so will not make the type of money from sales that an artists on a major record label would.

Often, major record labels are run, as I have previously stated, by large conglomerates. These conglomerates often also own companies that allow them to distribute their artists music on an international scale. For example, Universal Music Group is a conglomerate and owns their own separate distribution company called Universal Music Group Distribution. In comparison, independent record labels do not have this type of an empire within the music industry and so they have to distribute their artists music through other means such as through free downloads and donation pages such as Kickstarter. Independent artists will often be more "in-tune" with social media and interacting with their fans on a more personal level in order to boost the sales of their albums; social media platforms such as twitter help artists to do this by giving independent artists a platform to interact with their fans in a more personal way; sharing their life as they go.

Music Video Research: Product Placement & Synergy

Product Placement is the act of placing real life products into fictional media texts. Product placement is commonly used in the most famous media pieces across the planet, the most famous of these is the countless brands of lager that are shown in James Bond films.

However, product placement is also found quite often in music videos. Examples of this are in Lady Gaga's "Telephone" which showcases different brands such as "Wonder" bread, the "Beats by Dr Dre" and "Miracle Whip".  The products she has chosen to place within the video have been carefully selected to show a representation of the artist and the type of brands in which she would wish to be connected with i.e. Diet Coke; a drink that is seen as being stereotypically for younger women etc.

As well as these examples, this music video also shows examples of synergy as it references other media texts. The video for "Telephone" pays homage to pieces of film by using the "Pussy Wagon" from Kill Bill and by copying the final scene from the film "Thelma and Louise", the female protagonists in each of these films are represented as being strong and independent which would suggest that she wants to be associated with such characters and films.

Synergy is the act of placing references to other media texts into a specific media text. For example, a music video could use a scene within it that is a direct reference to a film etc.

Music Video Research: Intertextuality

"Intertextuality is the shaping of a texts meaning by another text. Intertextual figures include: allusion, quotation, calque, plagiarism, translation, pastiche and parody."

Intertextuality can be used for numerous reasons. One way in which it can be used in music videos is in the way which shows the artists cultural standpoints. For example in Lady Gaga's "Telephone" music video, the Feminist film "Thelma and Louise" is strongly referenced in order to show that she is a strong and independent woman and feels strongly towards feminist vies.

Another way in which intertextuality can be used is in a way to make a mockery of other media texts. Artists sometimes create scenes which look similar to other music videos etc. within their own music video but change vital points within that scene to make a mockery of the original. For example, in "Energy" by Drake, there is a single scene in which he mocks Miley Cyrus' "Wrecking Ball" by creating a makeshift Miley Cyrus character which he as morphed with his own face.

Music Video Research: Electronic album cover

 

 

Above, I have shown my initial research into electronic music album covers and the similarities and common trends throughout them.