Costume and Prop List

The costumes I have chosen reflect the ideology of the characteristics and mise en scene of artists belonging to the Rap/Hip-Hop genre. It is a casual style for the male but includes the black through the use of skinny jeans that is a key iconic feature to the appearance of the artists as well as the designer clothing. The smoke effect i will create using a incense stick will relate to the smoking habit which comes across as more of a fashion within this genre. The lights not only link to the instant image you picture when thinking of teleportation in relation to the song but also the constant spotlight that the artists are under everyday because of the lifestyle they have chosen to live. I will combine all these aspects to recreate my music video in sync with the lyrics and theme of the song. The keyboard highlights the performance aspect of my video as it will be shown being played by the artist. The females will be wearing a red dress which connotes love, the theme of the video and it also shows skin reinforcing back to the opinion of woman and the way woman are seen in this genre and in relation to the male gaze.

Poll Results and Findings

My aim for this poll was to gain information about where it is that audience watch music videos created by their favourite artists and which genre of music is currently popular on a small scale of the music industry. Below are my results and findings from the people who took my poll.

What is your gender?
Male: 2
Female: 10

What genre of music do you prefer? 
Acoustic/Indie: 7
Pop/Singer/Songwriter: 1
Dance/Electronic: 2
Hip-Hop/rap/R&B: 3

The result from this poll shows that more independent music is becoming more popular than mainstream. Although mainstream is very successful as they have the facilities and advertising methods to gain an audience on a worldwide scale, the small individual labels and more local artists are gaining more popularity as they can gave a more one to one sense of relationship to their fans. Festivals have caused the growth of this as well as youtube which I will go on to discuss for my next poll findings. Local bands and artists can gain their popularity by supporting the more well known music artists and with this they will give out free CDs and links to their social media sites to get more people listening to their work. Its the sense of knowing an artist right from the very start and seeing them grow that i think is the reason why more people are choosing this genre of music over the more popular and media publicised artists as they cant give the one to one connection that independent artists can.

Where do you listen/retrieve your music from?
Youtube: 9
Spotify: 1
iTunes: 1
Physical: 1

The results from this poll also answer the results from the one below showing that more people do listen to music digitally and favourably on youtube. The convergence of media growth makes it much easier for people to discover artists digitally and it has caused a huge decine in physical music purchase. The days of vinyl records and CDs have largely faded and it is digital formats that now dominate the industry. Although some people still buy CDs, they will often tend to listen to tracks where they see music videos on youtube before deciding whether to buy the album physically or not. As youtube is also free there is no stopping audiences quickly checking out what their favourites artists are producing and its this way of advertising that is making artists more and more successful and well known. Not only in terms of successful existing artists but new and upcoming artists also have turned to youtube to advertise themselves whether that be just a voice recording of them singing with an image overlaid or a homemade music video of them performing  It allows them to advertise themselves for free and on a much larger scale than if they was to just made a CD and hand it out in their local area. Performing scouts also search youtube for new artists that they will turn into the next big star so it is now the obvious choice of advertising if you want to get yourself known in the industry of music.

Do you watch music videos?
Yes: 11
No: 1

This again highlights the growth in technology and how this new method of advertising is not only being used by the big stars but the news and upcoming as well as audiences across the world.

If you answered yes where do you watch them?
TV: 6
Youtube: 9
Vevo: 3
Other: 1

Overall from my poll I have come to a conclusion that most of my audience who took the poll enjoy Acoustic/Indie Music that they listen to/retrieve from youtube. This method of consumption is also probably the same way a lot express themselves too through homemade music videos or recordings. Youtube allows people on a worldwide scale to not only watch videos but present themselves too helping to gain recognition and show people what they can do. Not only mainstream celebrity artists can be found on youtube but also independent individuals like i just mentioned which relates back to my preferred music genre from my results. It wasn't a surprise to see that only 1 out of 12 people now purchase their music physically due to the increase of globalisation through the growth of the internet. Obviously if I had a larger scale of answers, what I am discussing may be completely different in terms of all the results so what I have said can only be based on my findings alone and not an assumption of the worldwide population.

Music Artist

Kid Cudi is the artist who sings and performs in my chosen music video Teleport 2 Me. His iconography confirms all expectations of an artist belonging to this genre with the glasses, black expensive designer clothing, such as bape and arrogant ideology expressed through these chosen images. Songs by this artist such as Maui Wowie, Just what I am and Make Her Say again all reinforce these characteristics discussing, strippers, woman as sexual objects, drugs and money.

Maui Wowie-

Just What I Am Ft King Chip -

Make Her Say Ft Kanye West & Common -

Diversely my chosen song: Teleport 2 Me and the music video both show a more sensitive side to Cudi which goes against the stereotypical view for this genre meaning that possibly it will get less air time. The difference between the song I have chosen compared to the three above that follow the stereotypes show that although artists can belong to a specific genre the theme, meanings and messages that they want to give out in terms of encoding can be a varied and a contradict the stereotype.

The outcome of the video isn't made successful by whether it follows the stereotypes of the genre but if it is decoded by the audience the way the artist aimed for it to be when encoding their video. They are advertising their song as well as themselves so by using ideology in the theme, the way the audience interpret and understand these messages depends pacifically on the viewer. The only way the audience will be easily persuaded into following the ideas that the artists wants them to follow is by making them as obvious and clear as possible.

For example, when Kid Cudi was single the lyrics to his songs would be very crude towards woman and follow the theory of 'The Male Gaze' were men see woman as objects. This stuck into his audiences head and not only impacted the way they looked at females but it also formed a personality of what Cudi was like and this is what he wanted. People then went around thinking Kid Cudi was this arrogant male who only wanted woman for their body and that this was the right way for a male to be when they're single because its alright for someone in the public eye to be like that. When he got a girlfriend he couldn't be seen as this character anymore as it could cause negative stories in the media and jeopardise his relationship. So he released new songs to change the view of his audience, one being Teleport 2 Me. It shows a more delicate and caring side, singing about how he misses her and although he has got everything he wants in terms of a career he still isn't happy without this one pacific girl. This allowed the audience to see that although he may of followed the expected stereotypes of a Hip-Hop/Rap artist previously, he also has a different side to him too.

Because this was a new song people quickly rushed to hear it and the repetition of constant plays on a daily basis made the new messages overpower the old ones and it formed a new personality for him. Although the audience will decode his old songs the same way and will still interpret the ideology, the new song is more recent and up to date so that 'old Cudi' no longer exists, that's how music artists control the views of their current audience as well as creating a new one.

Rap/Hip-Hop Genre Artists

Looking at The Billboard Charts these are the type of artists that are a part of the Hip Hop/Rap top 25 who all share the same or very similiar key icongraphy features. Just by looking at certain words used in the song titles such as Diamonds, F**kin, Fire, Gold, Wicked, you see the sterotypes I have discussed in other posts about how drugs sex and money is a big ideology aspect for this genre. You dont have to even listen to the song to gain a sense of what its about because along with the up to date imagery along side it you gain an idea of what the artist is like and it is most proberbly completly accurate or very close too, the ideology of song and music videos.

Audience

Audience key Terms -

Qualitative - This is when data is collected through consideration of why people like a pacific music video due to their values and various different attitudes. It considers why and how someone might like or dislike the product that they are producing.
Quantitative - A systematic collection of date, it is less personal and based more around facts and statistics.
Demographic - This term is used to create a profile of people to market a project to, often based on gender,age and social class. The demographics are mainly facts and statistics.
Psychographic - Collected date based on an audience's personality, values, attitudes, interests and lifestyles. It is usually used for marketing purposes and can be gathered through several methods such as an interview or questionnaire.

Audience Theory -

The Reception Theory by Stewart hall, 1980, is an active audience theory that sees the audience of different medias being actively engaged in the interpretation of media texts rather than them being a passive consumer. Individuals recieve and intepret texts in different ways so this theory demonstrates that even though one message can be sent out, many different opinions and ideas can be formed.

Semeotics - Two main areas in terms of semiotics are encode and decode which works similiar to denotation and connotation. Encode is the denotation, encoded by the producer, filling media with ideology, meanings and values to force opinion on the audience in the way the want, conveying the mass media with a preferred reading. Decode is the connotation, decoded by the audience, it is the understanding of the message put out there, everyones response is different ways and not always how the producer intended. If a message is understood in a contrasting way to the producers intention it means the message has not been clear enough. This is something i need focus on when creating my music video as an unclear message will result it in being ineffective to my audience.

Audience Types - There are three different audience types when it comes to decoding a media text, these consist of the Dominant or Preferred, the Negotiator and the Oppositional. Factures that affect the type of decoder we are towards a text are based on life experience, mood at the time of viewing, age, gender, culture and beliefs. You could watch, look or read a media text numerous times and respond in a different way each time in relation to these factures. If you conform the texts, agree and understand it in the way the producer wanted them too, then you are a Dominant or Preferred decoder. If you agree to some points of the message but also incorporate your own opinion then this makes you a Negotiator and it is the most common decoder of the three. Finally if you disagree and not understand or follow the media text the way the media wanted you to then you are an Oppositional, the lesat favourite of the media producers.

For my music video I need to use these media features and theories to help me create ideology and messages in my piece that are significiant to my song lyrics to form a dominant decoder. If I fail to do this and my audience dont follow then my video would of been unsuccessful and would fail in the music industry causing negative impact on my music artist and their career.

Music Video Target Audience

My chosen music video is aimed at both male and females who are interested in the urban culture of today including the interest of Rap and Hip-Hop music. The age of my audience is mainly around 16-29 as that is the age range that the artist fits into and the characteristics of the original video is quite young with flashing lights and iconic mise en scene that is aimed at a younger audience. There are scenes of smoking so my audience for legal reasons couldnt be aimed any lower as this would convey the wrong message and set a bad example. 16 is the staring age seen where teens become more mature and make their own decisions so it is allowed to be shown to them as they are elligable to chose whether to smoke or not.















In terms of demographics ~ the characteristics and statistical information used to distinguish a group of people ~ the target audience would fit into the D-E social grade group due to the age range being quite varied, these people are casual, low grade workers and working class with aspiration of earning more in the future. This reference links with the costume of Kid Cudi in his video. as it is quite affordable and realistic to my target audience. They are intelligant and have a critical jusdgement of fashion, music and art. Ways of keeping up to date with latest new fashion styles and music is through the use of social netweorking sites such as Facebook and Twitter as well as Youtube being the main source for music videos that help pursuade new styles. 

Aswell as using youtube to watch new music videos they also use it as a way of converting songs to illegally download. This is only a part of their average 3 hours perweek of youtubeing and downloading to keep their playlists up to date with the newest music available. They like to have fun on weekends preferbly partying after a week of work or study, having fun is a big importance to them. Below is the demographic table to confirm the group my target audience would fit in to. It doesnt mean other audiences from different groups wont also listen but on an average it is the D-E that is the main focus as explained above.













My music genre of Rap, R&B and Hip-Hop are seen as more american based genres so merchandise, concerts and sometimes the viewing of music videos online is limited to countries abroad or have to be ordered online and extra charges for transportation and country entry fees are charged. This effects the popularity of a lot of music videos for Hip-Hop/Rap as with it being American based they're not shown as much in the UK, this is sometimes due to the content as the laws vary to what is acceptable in the UK compared to in America. The singer of my music video is male but the lyrics could fit to me recreating the video with a female singer. This reinforces how it could be aimed at both genders as it can be interpratated either way as it not specific to the gender it is singing too. As well as this it shows the contrast in the expected genre icongraphy that the auidience expect to see and hear from the artists who present Rap/Hip-Hop as it is usually arrogant males singing just about themselves instead of sadness from missing someone.

Below is a reader profile that I have created showing the interests and lifestyle aspects in relation to my target audience. All the images used on this profile are of things my target audience would be interested in. By researching reader profiles it has given me an idea of the lifestyles run by each individual viewer. By stereo-typically putting together things based on age and interests related to the fashion of today I have formed this reader profile to help with the contents of my music video. This will help me when making my moving image aswell as product packaging as it will act like a guide for what to include and portray through mise en scene.

Blumler and Katz Theory - Uses and Gratifications

The Uses and Gratifications model represented a change in thinking, as researchers began to describe the effects of the media from the point of view of audiences.

The model looks at the motives of the people who use the media, asking why we watch the television programmers that we do, why we bother to read newspapers, why we find ourselves so compelled to keep up to date with our favourite soap.

Blumler and Katz in 1974 argued that audience needs have social and psychological origins which generate certain expectations about the mass media, leading to differential patterns of media exposure which result in both the gratification of needs and in other consequences that are often unintended. This assumes an active audience are making motivated choices.

The idea behind the model is that people are motivated by a desire the model is that people are motivated by a desire to fulfil, or gratify certain needs. So rather than asking how the media uses us, the model ask how we us the media. The model is broken down into four different needs.

-Surveillance

- Personal Identity

- Personal Relationships

- Diversion

Surveillance -  The surveillance need is based around the idea that people feel better having the feeling that they know what is going on in the world around them. 

The surveillance model is all about awareness. We use the mass media to be more aware of the world, gratifying a desire for knowledge and security. 

We can associate to the dominant messages of conforming via the dominant ideologies given in media texts such as music videos. 

Person Identity -  The personal identity need explains how being a subject of the media allows us to reaffirm the identity and positioning of ourselves within society.

The use of the media for forming personal identity can be seen in music videos/film. Pop stars can often becoming big roles models. inspiring young children everywhere (an outcry occurs when one of them does something wrong.)

Personal Relationships -  We can form relationships with the media and also use the media to form relationships with others.

Many people use the television as a form of companionship. This may seem sad, but think about how many times you've watched the TV on your own, or with other people but sitting in silence. The television is often quite an intimate experience, and by watching the same people on a regular basis we can often feel very close to them, as if we even know them. When presenters or characters in a soap die, those who have watched that person a lot often grieve for the character, as if they have lost a friend.

The more we watch the same personalities, the more we feel we get to know them. Reality TV shows such as Big Brother give us such a feeling of intimacy with the participants that they can become part of our lives. Even though the relationship is completely one sided, its easy to see how we can fall in love with TV presenters.

Stanley Cohen Theory - Moral Panics

For the formation of Cohens theory he wrote about - Folk Devils and Moral Panics: The Creation of the Mods and Rocks. A condition, Episode, people or groups of people that emerge to become a threat to societal values and interests are known as folk devils.













An example of 'Folk Devils' in relation to recent media would be Rihanna and Miley Cyrus, highly to do with their ideolgy they are currently presenting. Their explicit music videos baring from very minimal clothing to none at all and lighting up joints during live performances all sends out negative messages to the audience that are ebing seen by young children who look up to these artists as their idols. "nature influenced by stereotypes within the media."



How do Moral Panics start?
- Projections of fear around stories or types of people.
- Found in all media - Films/Tv/News/Radio
- Media stereotype and assume the worst in relation to the panic and makes the consumers worry, eg the london riots - press over emphasise.

How the theory started?
- Initial research based on mod and rockers - conflict between the teen groups in the 60s.
- Teenagers causing mass panic due to difference between mods and rockers numerous fights were recorded and a big fight broke out of control on brighton beach.
- This developed the theory and can no be applied to a numerous subcultures labelled as devient or dangerous by the media.
- Affects in relation to the music industry are implied through song lyrics. For example, music that is stereotypically listened to by the stereotyped group 'emo's' is known to contain messages aimed toward the audiences slitting their wrists. If an audience member of this music does react to this message by killing themselves in this way and it makes it into the media spotlight a connection could be connected to the music and the artist will be to blame. This will become a moral panik if then similar stories in relation to the same artist or subject matter comes forward and informs the viewers of the same incident.
Cohen looked at how the mods and rockers were perceived in the public eye: The main criticism was these people were seen to be as a threat to law and order largely through the way the mass media represented them, this is known as 'control culture'. - Sensationalising.












Media Links: 
- Clockwork Orange - 1971, film adaption of the 1962 novel was seen as a moral panic in the industry.
- Press started to sensationalise this film and started to report of a state of copycat crimes from the film.
- Clockwork Orange fascinated a quiet boy from a grammer school so he battered to death a harmless old tramp as he acted out in real life a scene from the movie  - daily mirror report.
- The term clockwork orange became a euphemism for a negative outlook on crime as it represented youth in a negative way.
- Media still mentions it in the news today as it was such a huge moral panic.