Character's Appearance

My target audience will be people who are used to seeing men wear makeup, be it just subtle eyeliner or incredibly noticeable lipstick and eyeshadows. Therefore, the appearance of the characters will appeal to them as they too wil be wearing makeup, sometimes plain, other times bold.

The target audience will include young gay men, many of whom might cross dress and enjoy wearing makeup. Seeing another man do the same on television could appeal to them as cross dressing is an issue that is often overlooked and considered taboo, so Anderson could become an artist they like and support because of him raising more awareness to the issue.

Character Two: The Alter Ego (Outfits and Makeup)

The Alter Ego created on Polyvore 

• The alter ego's outift will be heavily influenced by ring masters and Brendon Urie's in Panic! At The Disco's video I Write Sins, Not Tragedies. 
• He will wear predominately red, as it symbolises passion, sexiness, wildness and liberation.
• The top half of his face will be hidden by masquerade masks, some will be dark while others will be bright and colourful. The mask is to hide his identity, as Character One is unaware that this masked person is actually an alter ego he has created.
• The bottom half of his face will be pale white, just as Character One likes his face to be, with either bright red or black lips, depending on what mask he is wearing.
• He will walk around with a cane, which will be painted to look like a candy cane.

Character One: The Lonely Loner (Outfits and Makeup)

  








The Lonely Loner created on Polyvore

• The character will wear black heavily. Black connotes darkness, death, loneliness and sadness, which are all ways to describe Character One.
• All Star Converses and studded belts are popular choices of fashion wear amongst 'emos'.
• The male singers in Scissor Sisters are known to wear eyeliner, along with other male singers of the neo-glam rock genre so Character One will wear it also, along with making his face look paler than it actually is as 'emos' like to do.

 

Neo-Glam Rock

At the end of the 1970's, glam rock began to decline and was replaced by genres such as pop punk and punk rock. However, in the past decade it has made a comback with artists such as Marilyn Manson, The Darkness, Mika and Scissor Sisters, although they are better categories under the genre neo-glam rock.

According to an Italian website, neo-glam is a style of rock music that took hold in the United Kingdom in the early 1990's. It essentially combines elements inspired by the glam rock of the seventies with modern day rock, pop and indie music. Neo-glam was launched by Suede, who used the sweeping ballads of glam-era David Bowie and combined them with Morrisey's romanticism. Naturally, this fusion heavily focused on male androgyny.



The artists mentioned above all follow the cross-dressing and outrageous outfits trend set by glam rock artists of the seventies. This, along with a strong gay following, are perhaps the two most important things the genres have in common. Though neo-glam rock music is inspired by glam rock, it is much more updated and is less influenced by rock and more so by pop music.

Glam Rock

Glam rock is a mixture of rock and pop music that began in the United Kingdom in the early 1970's. This genre was performed by singers and musicians who favoured outrageous clothing, hairstyles and makeup, such as platform boots and glitter. Their costumes and visual styles were often camp and androgynous, and since then have been linked to the new views of gender roles and representations. The genre

peaked during the mid 1970's with artists such as David Bowie, Queen, Roxy Music and New York Dolls. This was a genre that not only focused on the music, but also the appearance of the artists. Men wore excessive makeup and feminine outfits, glitter and eyeliner were essential, and the more flambouyant the outfit, the better. This influences my performer, who's appearance will be important to his marketing. He will wear makeup and glitter, and while his outfits may not be as crazy as those of glam rock artists from the 1970's, they will still be slightly unordinary.

Lyrics Analysis

It's not easy having yourself a good time
Greasing up those bets and betters
Watching out they don't four-letter
Fuck and kiss you both at the same time
Smells-like something I've forgotten
Curled up died and now it's rotten

The first verse talks about a boring lifestyle, where everything is old and rotting away and there is no fun to be had. Clearly Character One is angry, as 'four-letter' refers to swearing. 'Fuck and kiss you both at the same time' could be about a boss the character hates and often complains about, but kisses up to nonetheless.

I'm not a gangster tonight
Don't want to be a bad guy
I'm just a loner baby
And now you're gotten in my way

The character has some bad habits, perhaps with drugs, but wishes to quit because he doesn't want to carry on living the way he does. He's used to being on his own, but now someone (Character Two) had begun to get in his way and meddle in his life.

I can't decide whether you should live or die
Oh, you'll probably go to heaven
Please don't hang your head and cry
No wonder why my heart feels dead inside
It's cold and hard and petrified
Lock the doors and close the blinds
We're going for a ride

Character One isn't sure if he likes the presence of this other person, or if he wants to get rid of him for good. He believes the alter ego to be a good influence, but still hates him for getting in his way. He begins to realise that he is indeed a bad person for having these thoughts, so that's why his 'heart feels dead inside.'

It's a bitch convincing people to like you
If I stop now call me a quitter
If lies were cats you'd be a litter
Pleasing everyone isn't like you
Dancing jigs until I'm crippled

Slug ten drinks I won't get pickled

Character Two sees how anti-social Character One is and just how much of a loner he has become. Despite his efforts, he can't get anyone to like Character One and becomes frustrated, while Character One reverts back to his ways of drinking and drugs.

Oh I could throw you in the lake
Or feed you poisoned birthday cake
I wont deny I'm gonna miss you when you're gone
Oh I could bury you alive
But you might crawl out with a knife
And kill me when I'm sleeping

The two characters begin to fantasise different ways to kill one another, although they both know that deep down they'll miss the other one if they do kill them. However, they are also suspicious of each other, knowing that they're both plotting each others deaths.

About The Song

The song is about a conflicting relationship between two people; the main character isn’t sure if he wants the other person dead or alive. While he thinks that he’ll miss his ‘friend’ if he kills him, he knows that he would also enjoy it. 

In my music video, instead of having the relationship be between two people, I’m going to have it be that it’s only one person, who is conflicted with himself. He is normally an isolated and dark person, but he has an alter ego he is unaware of. He believes him to be a separate person who keeps following and taunting him, ruining his life and driving him crazy.

This alter ego wears a mask, but he is flamboyant and eccentric, always surrounded by bright colours. He is the complete opposite of the real character, and because of this clash in personalities, a conflicted relationship begins and the main character and his alter ego battle it out to decide whether the other should die while the other lives.

I chose this song because the lyrics allow for people's own interpretation, and because there is a lot of imagery to work with when it comes to making the video.

'I Can't Decide' Song and Lyrics

Song Choice and Genre

The song I have chosen for my music video is 'I Can't Decide', taken from Scissor Sisters' second album, Ta-Dah. It comes under the neo-glam rock genre, which is heavily inspired by acts such as Queen, Elton John and Supertramp.

Codes And Convetions Of Rock and Neo-Glam Rock Music

Rock music is a genre of music which entered main stream in the 1960's. The sound of rock usually revolves around bass guitar, electric guitar, rock drums and some form of piano sound. It's a genre that has many different sub genres such as glam rock and more recently, neo-glam rock.

The codes and conventions of rock music videos are:

• Using dark lightning, such as in Green Day's 'Boulevard Of Broken Dreams.'
• Seeing the band perform on stage, such as 30 Seconds To Mars 'Closer To The Edge.'
• Uneasy camera movements
• Usually no use of special effects
• Big emphasis on the instruments used, such as in the video by My Chemical Romance, where the instruments used are featured heavily.

The codes and conventions of neo-glam rock music videos are:

• Using bright colours, such as in the video for 'We Are Golden', by Mika, where the locations and lighting are very bright.
• Seeing the band perform
• Uneasy camera movements, such as in 'Nine In The Afternoon', by Panic! At The Disco.
• Small use of special effects, if any.

Codes And Conventions Of Music Video

Camera Shots: Close-ups, extreme close-ups and long shots are frequently used in music videos. Close-ups are popular because it puts a heavy focus on the artist and so promotes them to the audience, which is the main aim of a music video.

Camera Movements: Pans, crane shots, dolly track shots and tilts are used in order to follow the artist around as they move, be it on a stage or in their narrative location. An example of this is in the video 'Animal' by Neon Trees, as the camera follows the band moving around.

Editing: Jump cuts are the most common use of editing as the pace of music videos are usually fast, so these jumps keep up with this pace as they jump from the artist, location, scene, instruments etc. 'Trash' by Suede has very quick cuts to go along with the fast beat if the music.

Mise-en-scene: This depends on the song choice and the representation used in music videos. Mise-en-scene is referred through:

• Props: Props are essential in music videos as they give the people in the videos objects to work in and can help a storyline develop. The props used can also show an audience the lifestyle the artist leads, and through this they can aspire to be more like them.
• Costumes: Costumes reflect the genre of the music and also the style of the artist. Through their outfits, their audience can be established and they can then identify with the artist and aspire to look like them. These are very important in neo-glam rock videos as the artists usually tend to wear flamboyant costumes for the shock factor. 
• Lighting: Extreme artificial lighting is most often used in music videos as it helps to enhance the look of the artist or band by creating shadows and putting more focus on more flattering features and angles. Lighting switches help to differentiate between verse and chorus. Lighting also enhances the locations used, as it can either brighten up a place to create a happier mood, or darken it to create an eerie feel. The extreme light on the woman enhances her face and puts a lot of emphasis on her makeup.
• Colour: The colouring of the video can represent the mood of the song, such as bright colours being used in 'feel good' songs, and dark colours being used in rock songs. Neo-glam rock videos tend to use bright colours to highlight the fun elements in the videos.
• Sound: Normally, the sound is the music and vocals, although some music videos are similar to short films as they include acting, therefore in these videos there are several sounds such as diegetic and non-diegetic sounds.
• Locations: Locations are important because they can relate to the plot and mood of the song. They also add scenery to a video, so that although the main focus is still on the artist, it isn't just a boring plain background behind them.

Stewart's Theory

John Stewart’s theories on codes and conventions are:

• The music video has the aesthetics of a TV commercial, with lots of close-ups and lighting being used to focus on the star's face. Mika's video for 'Grace Kelly', is an example of this as there is heavy artificial lighting used on his face to create flattering shadows and there is a heavy use of close ups.  
• The video allows more access to the performer than a stage performance can.
• The mise-en-scene in particular can be used to emphasise an aspirational lifestyle. However, neo-glam rock videos don't focus on materialistic elements, so the aspirational lifestyle if emphasises is different to that of most videos. Instead, it shows a lifestyle where people are different and celebrated for being so.
• Not all audiences will spot an intertextual reference, which would not significantly detract from their pleasure in the text itself, but greater pleasure might be derived by those who recognise the reference and feel flattered by this. It also increases the audience's engagement with, and attentiveness to the product.

Archer's Theory

Steve Archer’s theories on codes and conventions are:

• There needs to be a strong and coherent relationship between narrative and performance in the music promos. I believe that this is subjective to the type of video being made and the genre that is used.
• Music videos will cut between a narrative and a performance of the song by the band. Panic! At The Disco's video for 'The Ballad Of Mona Lisa' is an example of this, as the video switches from being a narrative to a perfomance video and back again several times.
• A carefully choreographed dance might be part of the artist's performance or an extra aspect of the video designed to aid visualisation and the 'repeatability' factor. Glam rock videos tend to not have dance routines in them, and instead rely on costumes, makeup and the story telling to aid visualisation.

Goodwin's Theory

Goodwin’s theories on codes and conventions are:

• Music videos demonstrate genre characteristic. In Scissor Sister's 'Filthy Gorgeous', glam rock codes and conventions such as makeup on men, extravagant outfits and homoerotic behaviour are seen throughout.
• There is a relationship between lyrics and visuals (illustrative, amplifying, or contradicting). Glam rock videos don't always have a strong relationship with the lyrics of the song, as the main aim of the videos are to be outrageous and different. However, some do use the lyrics as a foundation for the video, such as 'I Write Sins, Not Tragedies', by Panic! At The Disco, in which a wedding is the main focus of the video, as it is in the song.
• There is a relationship between music and visuals (illustrative, amplifying, or contradicting).
• The demands of the record label will include the need for lots of close ups of the artist and the artist may develop motifs which recur across their work.
• There is frequently reference to notion of looking (screens within screens, telescopes, etc) and particularly voyeuristic treatment of the female body. While woman are not as objectified in glam rock videos as they are in other genres, in the video for 'Laura' by Scissor Sisters, the female wears outfits that empathise her curves and show off cleavage. There is also a scene that backs up the theory of there being a notion to looking, as the male character looks in through a window.
• There is often intertextual reference (to films, tv programmes, other music videos etc). A famous example of this is Queen's 'I Want To Break Free', in which there is an intertextual reference to the British soap opera Coronation Street.

In my opinion, Goodwin's theories are extremely accurate and valuable in making a music video. Videos do indeed demonstrate genre characteristics as this helps the audience identify whether or not they will like the artist depending on the genre that is being shown. A relationship between lyrics and visuals is subjective as it depends on the genre, but a relationship between music and visuals is important and common, as lighting and movement are usually timed with the beat of the music. Most music videos include several close ups of the artist in order to promote them to the audience, and a voyeuristic treatment of the female body is a very normal technique found in music videos as women are usually the 'eye-candy' in videos. Intertextual references are also sometimes found in music videos, to allow the audience to feel superior by being able to understand something that others may not.

Brief History of MTV

MTV, formally an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York that launched on August 1, 1981. Its original purpose was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs.

At one time, MTV had a profound impact on the music industry and popular culture. Slogans such as "I want my MTV" and "MTV is here" became embedded in public thought, the concept of the VJ was popularized, the idea of a dedicated video-based outlet for music was introduced, and both artists and fans found a central location for concert music events, news, and promotion. MTV has also been referenced countless times in popular culture by musicians, other TV channels and television program, films, and books.

The first music video shown on MTV was The Buggles' 'Video Killed The Radio Star'. In 2010, video of the launch of MTV was uploaded onto Youtube, with the original commercials and the black screens between videos, which occured while an employee at MTV inserted a tape into a VCR.

As early as 1983, because of MTV's visibility as a promotional tool for the recording industry, the channel was accused of devaluing the importance of music, replacing quality with a purely visual aesthetic and shunning equally popular but less image-centric or single-based acts.

In 1996, MTV launched its sister channel, MTV 2, who's original purpose was to give music fans a place to see constant, commerical-free music videos, as the original MTV had started to change its direction from music and focus more on reality television and soap operas. Today, MTV 2 airs a selection of music videos, other music-related specials, and non-music shows focused on youth culture and pop culture. These shows are aimed at viewers in their teens and early 20's.


Information taken from Wikipedia. 

History Of Music Videos

In 1894, sheet music publishers Edward B. Marks and Joe Stern hired electrician George Thomas and various performers to promote their song 'The Little Lost Child'. Using a magic lantern, Thomas projected a series of still images on a screen simultaneous to live performances. This would soon become a popular form of entertainment known as the illustrated song, the very first step towards music videos.

In 1926, with the arrival of sound films, many musical short films were produced. Vitaphone shorts, a sound film process produced by Warner Bros, featured many bands, vocalists and dancers. 'Spooney Melodies', in 1930, was the first true musical video series. Shorts were usually six minutes long in duration, and featured Art Deco-style animations and backgrounds combined with film of the performer singing.

Another early form of music video were one-song films called "promotional clips" made in the 1940's. There were short films of musical selections featuring usually just the band. These were very popular amongst jazz musicians, but also with comedians and dancers.

Musical films were also very influential to the rise of music videos, and several well-known music videos have imitated the style of classic Hollywood musicals from the 1930's to the 1950's. One of the best-known examples is Madonna's 1985 video for 'Material Girl', which was closely modelled off of Marilyn Monroe's version of 'Diamonds Are A Girl's Best Friend.'

In the late 1970's, the long-running British television show Top of the Pops began playing music videos, although the BBC placed strict limits on the number of 'outsourced' videos TOTP could use. Therefore, a good video would increase the sales of a song as the viewers wanted to see it again the following week.

In 1981, the American video channel MTV launched, airing 'Video Killed The Radio Star' and beginning an era of twenty-four hour a day music on television. By the mid 1980's, music videos grew to play a central role in popular music marketing, thanks to the new outlet it had.

In December 1992, MTV began listing directors with the artist and song credits, reflecting the fact that music videos had increasingly become an auter's medium.


Information taken from Wikipedia.

What Is A Music Video?

A music video is a short film produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are predominantly made as a way of marketing the artist and to help promote sales of their works.  Although the origins of these videos date back much further, they became distinctive in the 1980’s, when MTV based their format around this media text.  Prior to the 80s, these works were described by various terms including "illustrated song", "filmed insert", "promotional film", "promotional clip" or "film clip".

Music videos use a wide range of filming styles, including animation, live action filming, documentaries, and abstract film. Some music videos blend different styles, such as animation and live action. However, these can all generally be classified into three different types: narrative, performance and a hybrid of both.

A narrative music video is one that tells a story, which, depending on the genre and artist, is or is not related to the song itself. An example of a narrative music video would be Green Day’s ‘Jesus of Suburbia.’ 

A performance music video is the one used to heavily promote the artist. It features them performing their song, usually in front of an audience, and focuses heavily on the singer and instruments, if they are using any. An example of a performance music video is 30 Seconds To Mars, 'Closer To The Edge.'

A hybrid of both is a music video that both tells a story, but also has shots featuring only the artist. An example of this would be Good Charlotte’s ‘Predictable.’

Introduction

I am an A2 Media Studies student at Hackney Community College. I am currently working my coursework, which is to film and edit a music video, while also keeping track of the research and planning on this blog. The genre I am working with is neo-glam rock, which is the rebirth of glam rock from the 1970's.