Journal One

This week has been essential for learning the primary knowledge of the music industry and the video that are produced within in. The first task in which I had to complete was a case study on a famous recording artist that has built a style and image through the way in which they dress, perform and shown through their videos. I decided to look at Coldplay as they have a unique placement in the music industry and have not change that much from their first album to the last. This made it very interesting to look at as it twist what is commonly stereotyped within the industry of manufactured artists. When then had to research a music video director Melina Mestruka within the industry. This helped me understand that all directors bring a new style to the genre of the music they are creating videos for. This hat I need to consider when I start to create my own videos. The range of help theorist that talk about this industry is amazing and looking at some of the greats like Goodwin and Adorno and Horkheimer and there influences on the music world. Goodwin helped me understand the key elements that are featured in music videos. This is something that I want to apply to my music video or in another case go against it. The theory by Adorno and Horkheimer was very interest for me as it helped my understanding of the music industry and how a lot of the time the music and artist that are produced are all manufactured by record labels but also us as a public. This is something I want to apply my work as it will help it become a better video.

Record Labels

Major Labels vs. Independent Labels

Owen Husney is a musician, artist manager, and concert promoter based in Minneapolis. He was Prince's first manager, and the person who arranged the famous contract with Warner Brothers which allowed Prince nearly unprecedented creative control over his music. This is him speaking about the relationship between major record labels and independent/indie labels.

The common perception of a record label is the top four major labels. These labels are brands and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. Most commonly, a record label is the company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the production, manufacture, distribution, marketing and promotion, and enforcement of copyright protection of sound recordings and music videos; conducts talent scouting and development of new artists; and maintains contracts with recording artists and their managers. The term "record label" derives from the circular label in the centre of a vinyl record which prominently displays the manufacturer's name, along with other information. In comparison with this, independent labels are small, local or a part of a bigger companies. These companies hunt for new artist including talent scouting which is the tradition way in the industry. The contrast of the two different types of labels is the cycle in which they go under to find talent, for example independent labels look at scouting at local gigs, whereas the big four use new medias like talent shows and youtube to create the idea of mass production. For artist like Boosh, scouting is the only way to get noticed as it is a very niche market of music and will need to be found through their talent and not by the ease of the major record label factory.

The Top Four Major Labels 

1. Universal Music Group

The Universal Music Group sells more music than any other major label. They accounted for 25.5% of the market in 2005, according to IFPI. The group's well-known label imprints include Geffen, Interscope, Island, Motown, and Universal. Key artists are:

• Black Eyed Peas
• Mariah Carey
• 50 Cent
• Gwen Stefani
• Kanye West

Subsidiaries: 

• Interscope Geffen A&M
• The Island Of Def Jam Music
• Decca
• Show Dog

 2. Sony BMG Music Entertainment

Sony BMG Music Entertainment is the second biggest major record label in music sales. They accounted for 21.5% of the market in 2005. The company's well-known label imprints include Arista, Columbia, Epic, J, Jive, and RCA. Key artists are:

• Kelly Clarkson
• Alicia Keys
• Outkast
• Shakira
• Britney Spears

Subsidiaries:

• Columbia Records
• Epic Records
• RCA
• Roc Nation 

3. EMI Group

The EMI Group is the third biggest major record label in music sales. They accounted for 13.4% of the market in 2005. The group's well-known label imprints include Astralwerks, Capitol, EMI, Mute, and Virgin. Key artists are:

• The Beatles
• Coldplay
• Gorillaz
• Rolling Stones
• Robbie Williams

Subsidiaries:

• Blue Note
• Capitol Music
• Caroline Distribution
• Virgin Music

4. Warner Music Group

The Warner Music Group is the fourth major record label in music sales. They accounted for 11.3% of the market in 2005. The group's well-known label imprints include Asylum, Atlantic, Lava, Reprise, Rhino, and Warner Bros. Key artists are:

• Green Day
• Madonna
• Alanis Morissette
• My Chemical Romance
• Rob Thomas

Subsidiaries:

• Atlantic Records
• Warner Bros. Records
• Rhino Entertainment
• Fearless Recorde

Adorno and Horkheimers Theory

Madonna

The popular pop singer Madonna is a prime example of the theory of Adorno and Horkheimers. She started in the industry as a product of her label and she was marketed for a worldwide audience. There image is marketed for a mass audience the same as many other boy bands this is what Adorno and Horkheimer described as 'mass culture'. Adorno and Horkheimer stated that the capitalist corporation was almost unstoppable, and don't allow the artist to be creative they are just aloud to make what sells. Adorno and Horkheimer said that the creation of artists that were remarkably similar was the 'cultural industry' that operated in the same way as manufacturing industries. The way in which they do this is by creating a song with catchy lyrics and hope that audiences will go out and spend money on the singles and the albums.

 

Adele:

In a contrast to the singing talent of Madonna, Adele is a unique artist in which goes against all of the stereotypical conventions of an artist but also Adorno and Horkheimers theory of capitalistic views within the industry. The idea that Adele is part of the mass culture is silly as she follows her own style style and is not fussed  about how she is shown in the media. She has a unique style that she use to be successful and is amongst her fans. She is part of one of the top four record labels, but the fact that she is so unique is the reason she is so successful, and this is what the labels know and use to make the money the want. In a way she is a part of the theory but in a completely different way.

 

The Brief

 Today in lesson, it was time to make the important decisions, what genre of music to chose, what group I was going to work with and what song I was going to make a video. We decided as a group that I was going to be working with Jason, Aaron and Luke. This was a decision that we all felt that would work the best. We then had the task to chose the genre of music we where going to do, which evidently was dance/techno which was because it has very lose convention which would allow us to develop our own ideas freely. Below is the brief we chose to follow within our group, the only thing that we have decided to change is the name of the artist which we have changed from 'Magma' to 'Boosh'. We have created the backstory as to how he got his name. The backstory is that whilst at a party he met co-writer of The Mighty Boosh' Noel Fielding, at this point Jack Mitchell became 'Boosh'. 

 

Paradise - Coldplay (Directed by Mat Whitecross)

From looking at the video as a whole there is a huge intertexual reference when they show the lines of the song on pieces of cardboard. Although that this is commonly use in videos now, it still relates back to one of the first ever music videos. The fact that the video is shot like a movie is another intertexual reference which is shown strongly by the use of opening credits. The fact that the story is of a a elephant escaping from a zoo to get back to his family in the wild (paradise) could mean that the band could feel the same way about playing music together, therefore paradise. The whole video is very light hearted and could be Coldplay's way of saying they take there music seriously, but not themselves. 

Andrew Goodwin's Theory

Andrew Goodwin has identified a number of key features in music videos. They are:

- A relationship between the lyrics and the visuals, with the visuals illustrating, amplifying or contradicting the lyrics.

- A relationship between the music and the visuals, with the visuals illustrating, amplifying or contradicting the music.

- Genre-related style and iconography present.

- Multiple close-ups of the main artist or vocalist.

- Voyeurism often plays a major part, especially in relation to females.

- Intertextual references to other media texts may be present.

He says that music videos are often constructed by the link between the visuals and the song plus the artist. Relationships are built between these in the video, and the close-ups of the artists gives them the representation and publicity they require. Voyeurism is used to increase the video’s attractiveness, particularly to males, whilst intertextuality is often employed in humorous videos. Many of these features are present in all music videos, depending on the genre of the song and the aim of the record company/artist.

99 Problem - Jay-Z (Directed by Mark Romanek)

Throughout the music video, the mise-en-scene represents Jay-Z to be a 'gangsta'. This includes clothing he is wearing including a baseball cap and a bomber jacket which is typically linked with a hip-hop/rapper life style. The video feature a primarily black cast which represent s the black culture of Brooklyn in New York. The fact that the video is shot in Brooklyn is to show the diversity of people who live within the community, for example the use of Jewish people and African Americans throughout the video. The whole of the video is shot in black and white which to me is an intertexual reference to old new york romantic films; which a dominantly white casts and the fact that this is almost contrasting it. Jay-Z throughout the video is shot using low angle hots. This may have been used by director Mark Romanek, to make Jay-Z look almost dominate in his environment and it also makes him look powerful and owe. Thoughout the video there is a strong sense of crime and rebellion. Various shot in the montage include prison, shootings, police and drugs which are typically associated with the criminal life style.

Coldplay: Case Study

Coldplay: Case Study from Luke Shelley

• 1. A Case Study
• 2. COLDPLAYColdplay are a British rock band formed in 1996 bylead vocalist Chris Martin and lead guitarist JonnyBuckland at University College London. After theyformed Pectoralz, Guy Berryman joined the group asa bassist and they changed their name to StarfishWill Champion joined as a drummer, backingvocalist, and multi-instrumentalist, completing theline-up. Manager Phil Harvey is often considered anunofficial fifth member. The band renamedthemselves "Coldplay" in 1998, was their firstrelease on a major label, after signing toParlophone.SORUCED FROM WIKIPEDIA
• 3. THE BEGININGChris Martin, Jon Buckland, Will In 1998, Coldplay released their firstChampion and Guy Berryman, who EP, which they funded themselves.met whilst they were staying at the Only five hundred copies were made,same Halls of Residence at University, and after they had handed them out toformed Coldplay in 1996. family and friends, only fifty were left for distribution around London.All four members studied at UniversityCollege London – Chris was doing a Shortly afterwards, the band werecourse in Ancient History, Jon read spotted playing in Camden by the co-Maths and Astronomy, Will was an founder of Fierce Panda Records,Anthropologist, and Guy was training Simon Williams. He offered them ato be an engineer. one-off deal and they soon released the Brothers and Sisters EP on theBoth Chris and Jon had been playing Fierce Panda label.the guitar since their early teens, Guyis the band’s bass player, and Will took The band graduated from UCL in 1999the role of drummer, despite that fact and, in the same year, were tipped bythat he prefers to play the guitar. the NME as a band to watch. Later that year they signed to Parlophone Records.
• 4. PAROLAPHONE RECORDS & EMIParlophone is a record label that The EMI Group, also known as EMIwas founded in Germany in 1896 Music or simply EMI, is a Britishby the Carl Lindström Company as multinational music companyParlophon. The British branch was headquartered in London, Unitedformed in 1923 as "Parlophone" Kingdom. It is the fourth-largestwhich developed a reputation in business group and family of recordthe 1920s as a leading jazz label. labels in the recording industry and wasIt was acquired in 1927 by the one of the "big four" record companies.Columbia GraphophonE Company EMI Group also has a major publishingwhich later became EMI. arm, EMI Music Publishing – also based in London with offices globally.
• 5. DISCOGRAPHY
• 6. YELLOWWhen looking at the style of the music video, theimmediate thought is how low budget it is. Most lowbudget music videos are made for bands, most commonlyindie or rock. This videos usually are made to becomesuccessful in the industry and move from independent tomajor record label. The fact that the video was film all inone shot shows that the budget was low but the bandwanted to make a impact with the clever use of this.
• 7. PRINCESS OF CHINAColdplay are typically known for be a indie rock, but thisvideo has the characteristics of a mainstream pop video.This could be the result of the collaboration of Rihanna (apop singer). The video starts with a MPAA style banner atthe start. This is an intertextual reference of most filmtrailers but the video has a particular theme of Chinesemovies. The give away is the Chinese opening titlescommonly featured in the films. The overall purpose of thisvideo is to relate to movies .
• 8. STYLEFrom their all of Coldplays music and videos, the image thatthey broadcast to the audiences is very much of a cool rockband. They dress in slightly unique ways, but usually typicalrock band clothing, for example the Beatles with uniform styleclothing. There music genre is indie rock/pop which is thecorrect link between how they are marketed. The targetaudience of Coldplay is boys aged 15 to about 30, purelybecause they dress in a stylistic way in which these youngpeople look up to. There secondary audience could be girls ofthe same ages, because of there sex appeal.