Genres

A genre is a critical tool that helps us study texts and audience responses to texts by dividing them into categories based on common elements. (Codes and conventions)
The music industry is made up of many genres, these are styles of music, they also feature many different connotations  which can then be automatically associated with one genre.
- Daniel Chandler (2001) argues that the word genre comes from the french (and originally Latin) word for 'kind' or 'class'. The term is widely used in rhetoric, literary theory, media theory, to refer to a distinctive type of text.

Indie Folk: 

The genre of the music video I have chosen is inddie folk, this is a genre which has elements of other genres mixed into one, to create a new one. Conventions of this genre are:
Nature- The use of nature is in a lot of music videos in the indie folk genre, this is to symbolise the stripped back nature of the genre as it is one which doesn't use electronic instruments.
Lyrics are story-oriented- The lyrics of indie folk are usually story-oriented.

Pop:

The pop genre is probably the most popular genre in the music industry. This video captures what the pop music is as a whole. The video was posted within the month, so therefore is current.

It features stereotypes of the music genre in question for example:

Male gaze- This is used throughout the video, as the artist, Hailee Steinfield is dressed in fishnet clothing, low cut dresses and is dancing suggestively.

Female gaze- alternatively, the artist also dances with several males, who are shirtless and muscly.

Country:

Country music is easily identifiable, this is especially the

Conventions

Conventions

3 types of sign:

1. Icon/Iconic
2. Index/Indexical
3. Symbol/Symbolic

"We are living in a sea of semiotics"

Sven E Carlsson (1999) Media theorist: "Media artists represent themselves as

• Comercial exhibitionist
• Televised bard
• Electronic shaman

1. Commercial Exhibtionist - Presenting themselves as a brand. 'selling their appearance as well as their musical talent. Their face, clothing style and lifestyle.'

EG)
Jenny from the block - Jennifer Lopez (2002)
Drunk in love - Beyonce (2013)

2. Televised Bard - Representing themselves as part of a story or as a story trailer.
EG)

7 years - Lukas Graham (2016)

3. Electronic shaman - Generally big budget productions where the artist has immortal powers or adopts the alter ego of another iconic personality, character or superhero.
EG)

Scream - Micheal Jackson (1995)

Roar - Katy Perry (2013)

Representation

Representation:
Intertextuality: text alludes to or references to another text
              - Julia Kristeva (1969) a literary critic and sociologist.
"the shaping of text meaning by another text"
"The use of an intertextual reference in any text is the absorption and transformation of another"

Some references are iconic and the audience can easily remember and recognise the style.

Referencing can reinforce nostalgia and familiarity.

Example: 'Telephone' Lady Gaga.

In this piece we see a lot of intertextual references.

Beyoncé's hair- 1950's glamour model & pin up girl Bettie Page

Prison guards- Divine - US actor and drag Queen

Gaga's prison outfits- Pierre & Gilles French fashion and art photographers

Beyoncé's car- "Pussy wagon" on the back- Russ Mayer US director

Beyoncé's pose- Roy Litchenstein 1960's pop artist

Both artists clothing in the diner dance scene
Beyoncé- Wonder woman
Gaga- Captain America

 

Brief

To create a promotional package for the release of an album, to include a music promotional video, together with two of the following three options:

• To create a website homepage for the band/artist.
• A magazine advert for the digipack.
• A cover for its release as a part of the digipack.