P1: Music Industry

The Music Industry: Music Magazines

L/O: to explore the magazine industry ownership. regulation and revenue

Conglomerate - A large corporation, multi-industry. - Universal Music Group

Globalised - Works internationally - 

Diversify - Vary the range of products a business sells

Regulation - The regulation of companies by authorities - Performing Rights Society

Revenue - Money made - In 2019 the total revenue of the music industry was 21.5 billion U.S dollars.

Circulation - The availability of products

Research

What's on TV published by TI Media
Radio Times published by Hubert Burda Media

TV Choice by Bauer Media
Take a Break by Bauer Media
Good Housekeeping by Hearst Communications

Glamour by Hearst Communications

Inside Soap by Hearst Communications

Bauer Media: Research

How many magazines does Bauer own?

600 magazines
What two UK music magazines does it publish?

Q and MOJO
How have they diversified the MOJO brand?

It has a website called mojo4music.com
What other types of media companies does Bauer own?

It owns magazines, radio stations and websites.

Bauer Media group is a diversified media conglomerate because it is a multi-industry company, owning companies in radio, magazines and television.

Regulation: Research

Which agencies regulate magazines and newspapers?

The Editors Code of Practise

Independent Press Standards Organisation

Revenue: Research

Magazines receive revenue from which four sources?

Circulation

Advertising

Sponsored content

Events

Print companies are moving online as a response to the fact that is how most media is consumed in the modern age, that is also why magazine sales have been dropping as more and more people have technology and the internet.

Music Genres

L/O: to identify and explain different music genres

Rock

Pop

Soul
Jazz

Country

Rock

1. Leather, dark colours and jeans

2. Heavy, electric

3. Blues style lyrics

Pop

1. Quirky, meant to be iconic, often wear fashionable clothes of the time

2. Catchy, easy to remember, often uses digital editing to make it sound better.

3. Love

Jazz

1. Formal attire for both men and women.

2. Has a rhythm, using brass instruments

3. Often personal

Rock 2

1. Teenagers and up, both genders, urban demographic

2. Planet Rock

Terminology

Typography - Art of letters

Layout - The way something is set out on a magazine

Lexis - The level of language on a magazine

Colour Palette - Colours used

Mise-en-scene - The background of the magazine

Genre and Target Audience

Thursday 25th March

L/O: to identify target audiences for a variety of music magazine genres and link to genre codes

Demographics

Age

Location

Gender

Job
Race

Marital Status

Psychographics

Hobbies

Values

Attitudes

Interests
Lifestyle
Preferences

Cover 1: Kerrang!

The cover uses monotone colours, this appeals to teenagers and young adults as it's "edgy". The masthead is one of the only things given colour which immediately stands out. Rock enthusiasts are individualists so the magazine appeals to that, it uses a few different fonts on the cover to engage the audience. The language used is appropriate as it has the idea of freedom used, it's target audience are often challengers of the form. The man on the front seems passionate, which is similar to the target audience.

Cover 2: Q

The target audience of Q is a wide range of people, on the cover it says "The 50 Albums of The Year" which appeals to Q's audience as they would be interested in finding something that they enjoy. The font is quite uniform and organised which appeals to the more adult target audience of Q. The people on the front are incredibly famous with a wide target audience which also attracts Q's audience of a wide range of backgrounds.

Cover 3: BBC Music

BBC music appeals to it's target audience by being quite formal with it's typeface, it is meant for a more educated audience and uses formal language. The masthead looks traditional which is what a classical music lover would like, the colour palette is not bold which shows it is meant for a more educated and older audience. The woman on the front is holding a violin which is a traditionally classical instrument that appeals to the target audience. The price is 5.99 which is quite expensive but also appeals to the audience as they are willing to spend money for something they perceive as high quality.

MOJO Magazine Research

Genre: Takes music from all sorts of genres to appeal to the music lover

Circulation figures: Nearly 80,000 in June 2013
Publisher: Bauer Media

Target Audience: A wide range of people, mainly those who really like music

Examples of artists featured: Pink Floyd, David Bowie, The Who

Price (print): 4.40 (subscription on website)

Monday 29th March 2021

L/O: To explore the terminology and genres of popular music magazines

1. Hammer

Hammer insinuates that it's a rock magazine as it uses a monochrome colour palette along with red, the makeup that they are wearing insinuates that it's rock. They are wearing leather which is a staple of the rock genre 

Masthead

The Masthead is the giant Q

Main coverline

The Main coverline is the "Up Close & Personal" followed by the giant LIAM

Cover Lines

The coverlines are "Royal Blood", "Angel Olsen" and "Disco Dungeon"

Strapline

The strapline is the Plus... followed by big star names

Date, price and issue number

Not on this image

Barcode

Not on this image

Website

Not on this image

Banner

Not on this image

Plug/Pull

Don't think there is one

Pull quote

"Love and abuse. That's what I'm about"

Main image

The picture of Liam

Minor image

The smaller image of two people in the right corner

Masthead

The Masthead is the "Billboard" but it's covered up

Main coverline

The Main coverline is "Drake finds happiness"

Cover Lines

"Fall Preview"

Strapline

The strapline next to the masthead

Date, price and issue number

The date is above the masthead "09.02.2015"

The price is under the barcode though I can't make it out

No issue number

Barcode

Bottom left corner

Website

Above the masthead "Billboard.com"

Banner

Not on this image

Plug/Puff

Don't think there is one

Pull quote

"I'm 26, I don't know what else I could be doing better than this, I feel incredible"

Main image

The picture of Drake

Minor image

None

Pop

Rock

Colour palette

Red with a black background

Image content

Main image is a midshot

Typography

Capitals with shaky letters.

Layout

The layout is one main image with a main coverline at the bottom, there are also multiple coverlines towards the top of the magazine.

Lexis

The lexis used is glorifying of the bands involved.

Rap

Country

    

Jazz

MOJO Audience

L/O: to explore and define the magazine's target audience

Genre - Music Magazine

Publisher - Bauer Media

Target Audience - People who like music across both genders

Circulation - 68,000 (2016-17)

Brand - MOJO

Background

The most successful magazines throughout the newfound competition with online media have been the luxury brands, the ones who offer a 'lean back moment' for the audience of their magazines. These magazines use the advantage of print media. High quality photography, familiar conventions and sophisticated media language printed on glossy paper. This attracts advertising from high status brands which adds to the high quality feel of these magazines. MOJO magazine has some aspects of the quality monthly, though it is only semi-glossy and uses lighter weight paper. It does however retain enough quality to survive as a paid for print when over cheaper magazines have closed or changed to a free print model.

MOJO's ethos

• Focuses on music.
• Tries to bring a cover feature every month on a famous artist along with reviews of music from that month.
• They are the largest UK music magazine, if you're in MOJO you matter.
• The brand is for those who truly love music.
• They're the experts, quality over popularity.

BBC Music Magazine's ethos

• Focuses on classical music
• They are the ones who keep up with the classical music world
• Focuses on performances and upcoming classical works
• Also writes about stories behind classical music

Most represented Genre

Rock

General Audiences

Weekly magazines target an audience that is more working class than middle class. The paid for magazines with the highest working class readership are Take A Break, What's on TV, OK! and TV Choice - all weekly magazines. The quality magazines tend to target a more middle class demographic. Magazines with the highest middle class readership are monthlies, Good House Keeping, Cosmopolitan, Vogue and BBC Good Food, followed by the weekly radio times. The audience for both weeklies and monthlies is predominantly female. The magazines aimed at men have lower circulations with things like Men's Health and BBC Top Gear. 

MOJO Audience

MOJO Psychographics

• MOJO readers predominantly access music through CDs, with vinyl in second and streaming services last. The majority of MOJO readers also attend live gigs at least once a year.
• Most of them are mainly interested in music
• They will often have a high disposable income to be able to afford MOJO magazine
• They like the best in modern music and often dislike pop music
• MOJO readers will have often listened to music throughout their life.
• MOJO appeals to this audience as it contains a selective list of music recommendations that appeal to their tastes.

MOJO U&G

Personal Identity - Reinforces the niche music they enjoy as a part of their life, allows them to enjoy the music in a different form of media and allows them to hear the opinion of others who also enjoy niche music. The music they enjoy is quite sophisticated and is of a high quality.

Information - They could learn about new music that they may enjoy via the CD included and the reviews inside MOJO magazine, it also focuses on one artist or band which allows the reader to purchase an issue to learn about the artists they like or an artist that interests them if they choose.

Entertainment - Interviews inside the magazine are interesting to the reader which provides entertainment value, the CD included may also contain music they have not heard before that entertains them. They can offer an escape from everyday life into a world of music and celebrities.

Social Interaction - They may make more informed recommendations to their friends and family who share the interests that they do, tour dates are often within the magazine. They may have regular sections which make it a more social aspect as they may identify with the regular sections of the magazine.

Audience Activity and Interpretation

Q1. How is reading a magazine a more active experience than, for example, watching a film at the cinema?

You buy the magazine and hold it as you read it, where at a cinema you just sit in a seat, often eating and not necessarily always paying attention.

Q2. Is the choice of which magazine to buy an active or passive process?

Active, decide based on covers and interests.

Q3. What would a young teenager who likes mainstream pop think of MOJO?

They would be disinterested and may find it boring

Q4. What would an older lover of classic rock think of MOJO?

They would be interested in it and enjoy it, most likely reading it multiple times and buying issues that pique their interest with the cover feature.

Thursday 22nd April

Uses and Gratification Theory

L/O: to explore the appeal of MOJO magazine to its target audience

MOJO - Personal Identity

This example reinforces the personal identity of someone who likes Madonna, as she is on the front cover. If they choose to buy it, it reinforces their idea that they are a fan of Madonna. It also reinforces the fulfilment of someone who likes Madonna, she may be their aspirational rolemodel. This example mentions Punk as a part of Madonna's life, which reinforces the identity of someone who enjoys Punk.

MOJO - Information

MOJO offers it's readers the latest music news, which is information that a monthly reader of MOJO would care about. It offers it's readers the MOJO Filter, review pages on the latest music to help the reader to find new music they like. The regulars allow them to identify with things that are constant, which makes them want to learn more from the regular features every month.

MOJO - Entertainment

In this example, Jimi Hendrix is covered, if someone is interested in Jimi Hendrix they may want to learn more about the gossip and interviews that surround him. There is a free CD which may offer entertainment value. The heading, subheadings and strapline contribute to the entertainment value of this front cover. One of the minor headlines is "Ian Dury: Sex & Drugs & Paint & Punk", these are taboo topics which may entertain the Mojo reader.

MOJO - Social Interaction

The Regulars section is a social interaction through the magazine, as regular readers would become familiar with the writers of these articles and will enjoy the articles more with each month. The news may spark conversations within the reader's own social groups about the latest music. The reviews may make the reader seek out and listen to the album before recommending it to others in their social groups.

Extension Activity

The reader may be a fan of the Foo Fighters and get this issue, Dave Grohl being on the cover may help to reinforce their personal identity as a fan of the Foo Fighters. The reader may wish to learn more about Dave Grohl as a fan of him, using the magazine to learn new information about him, for example "The Songs That Saved His Life" is a promninent subheading. The reader would be entertained by the exclusive interview as they want to know all the gossip and interesting facts surrounding Dave Grohl. The social interaction from this would come from the conversations with other Foo Fighters fans about this magazine and what they have learned, as well as recommending songs from the 159 reviews in the issue of MOJO magazine.

Monday 26th April

Cover Analysis

L/O: To analyse the cover of a magazine, linking it to genre and audience

Terminology

'Babyboomer' generation - the generation born after the second world war, referred as this due to their high numbers

Diversification - Variety in products

Audience address - how the text speaks to the audience

Discerning - Showing or having good judgement

House style - How a company presents and lays out written material

Codes - Signs which have the potential for different meanings

Conventions - Arrangements that become habitual and accepted

Intertextuality - The relationship between texts

Rock Magazine Codes & Conventions

Colour palette - varies, though often uses white

Images - They use images of the focused artist/band

Bands/Artists - Focus on Rock artists

Mastheads - Mastheads often stay the same, though in some magazines they vary by magazine

Typography - Not much difference in font, they lay out the typography separately to indicate different stories

Cover Analysis

Shot type - It is a mid shot which shows the top side of Grohl's body, this places Grohl as an important person as there is no room for other images on the magazine, it also places more focus on his face, which makes it more personal for the possible reader. The shot type also relates to the cover line, as "The Songs That Saved His Life" is extremely personal.

Star vehicle - Dave Grohl is in front of the Masthead, places him as rock royalty, he's more important than the magazine. This shows the target audience that MOJO is willing to put itself down if they are talking about a really important person, which makes them more trustable as a brand and encourages brand loyalty.

Colour palette - Uses a variety of colours such as grey, white, red, yellow, blue, black. This colour palette is mature and reflects the intended audience of MOJO magazine.

Bands/Artists mentioned - Artists and Bands like Elvis and Nirvana are also mentioned. These famous artists/bands encourage the reader to purchase the magazine to learn more about them if these are artists that they are interested in. It also appeals to the audience who are not interested in Dave Grohl, maybe winning them over if they are tentative on purchasing the magazine.

Masthead style - The masthead is a sans serif font which is large, white and modern. This is used to create a more modern feel which connotes that it is up to date with the latest music news. It is also in block capitals which connotes masculinity, and the majority of MOJO fans are men. The handwritten part of the masthead creates a personal and genuine feel, making the magazine trustable.

Main cover line style - It is large and takes up the middle of Grohl's body, it uses alternating colours and is very short. It's large which connotes that the actual article contains a lot of content, which is appealing to the possible reader as they want their money's worth.

Minor cover line style - It's smaller, nothing covers Grohl's face, they are in different colours to differentiate them. The smaller cover lines indicate that these articles are not as important as the main story, this furthers the star vehicle and reinforces the idea that Grohl is a rock legend.

Puff - Circular puff in front of the masthead to tell the reader about the number of reviews in their magazine, it's red to stand out against the background. This stands out to a hardcore music fan as 159 is a large amount of music reviews, this will make them believe that they will find something they want to listen to and encourages them to buy the magazine to find out about new music.

USP (Unique Selling Point/Freebies) - Free CD for purchasing the magazine, these CDs may make them find out about new music, which is something a hardcore music fan would want to do and is the target audience of MOJO magazine. The audience of MOJO also like to buy CDs, so a free CD is a really good incentive for a possible buyer to purchase MOJO magazine.

Placement of text - The main cover line is placed onto Grohl's body, another important cover line is placed under him to catch the attention of possible buyers. The minor cover lines are placed beside Grohl's face so the potential buyer reads them to see if they might be interested in the other articles. This placement of text further reinforces the star vehicle of Dave Grohl being a rock legend as the entire page is covered apart from his face.

Thursday 6th May

1. The layout is extremely cluttered

2. The layout suggests that this is meant to appeal to a more immature audience as it is messy and unorganised as it only has to stuff as many headlines as it can onto the cover without worrying about presentation.

3. The colour palette is saturated

4. It being more saturated connotes femininity or immaturity, something that fits the probable target audience of teenage girls.

1. The layout is ordered.

2. This layout connotes that the magazine is intended for a more mature audience.

3. The colour palette is muted.

4. This colour palette connotes that the magazine is intended for a more mature audience, as it is clean and mainly uses black, a gender neutral colour, it also connotes that it is intended for a more refined and educated audience.

1. It mainly uses a sans serif font.

2. It connotes that it is clean, possibly to appeal to a more modern and fresh audience who enjoy listening to music.

3. The main cover line uses a red serif font as well as a white sans serif font.

4. The bright red connotes masculinity while the serif font connotes a laid back artist. The white sans serif font retains the clean and modern aspect of the magazine.

 

1. The main image is a long shot of the entire band

2. The shot type was used to get all the members of the band into the shot.

3. The text uses an informal register

4. This use of register connotes that the magazine is about fun and being personal to the reader rather than a more serious magazine.

One difference is the use of colour palette in both magazines. The MOJO magazine uses an orange, white and blue colour palette, this palette reflects the magazines target audience of older people, usually men. Blue is a colour that connotes masculinity while orange is quite a mature colour. In contrast, Kerrang has a purple and yellow colour scheme which reflects it's younger teenage audience. Purple is a colour that insinuates rebellion which is similar to the target audience while yellow is a colour that insinuates youth.

L/O: To explore the concept of representation in music magazines

Stereotypes

Teenagers - Rebellious, bad mouthed, shoplifters, grumpy

Men - Strong, charismatic

Americans - Patriotic, guns, more patriotism, more guns, fat

Lesbians - 

Denotation - The exact literal meaning of a word

Connotation - The unspoken, hidden meaning that gives a word more emotional impact

Guitar - The presence of an acoustic guitar suggests a more honest style of music rather than a filtered, produced style of music.

Tattoos - The tattoos suggest that he does not conform to the norms of his genre.

Expression - Smiling, suggests he's friendly

Hair and clothes - Casual, friendly

Text - In a handwritten style, it makes the photo seem like a diary, personal.

Setting - In a forest, indicates rebellion and makes her seem adventurous.

Hair and clothes - White suggests purity, her hair is very feminine.

Expression - Coy, reinforces innocence

Text - Blocked, connotes strength, handwritten part connotes that it's personal.

Setting - The setting is bland, dull and grey. This connotes that it's a tough album that deals with heavy topics and things that are important to the artist.

Tattoos - The tattoos connote that the artist is a strong and rough person.

Hair and clothes - Dark colours, hair is hidden by a cap, connotes that this album is quite dark and serious.

Jewellery - Christian imagery, the cross shows the artists faith and that really he's a good man. Jewellery does suggest that he has money.

Expression and pose - Serious expression, suggests he isn't messing around.

This artist is presented as a laid back woman who enjoys nature and the outdoors, her clothes suggest that she is a more feminine person while her tattoos connote individuality. The text reinforces the laid back feel as it says "Miley Unplugged", implying that she is doing the interview for herself, not using a persona.

DIRT

L/O: to review and reflect on the assessment and set personal targets

Question 3

Representation is the choices made to show a person, object or place. Highlighting and often enhancing certain features of their personality and appearance. 

The musicians have been represented in a legendary/mythical light, Ray Davies has been presented as "Rock's Dark Knight", with a serious expression as he almost seems to be looking up to see what lies ahead. The use of "Arise!" connotes that Davies has been given a Knighthood by MOJO and placed among what they and their readers consider heroes. The use of biblical imagery with "Angels and Demons" also reinforces their mythical status.

Question 4

Both Extract 1 and Extract 2 utilise a sans serif font, these are similar as the aim of typography in music magazines is readability. Both magazines differ in the use of their colour palettes, Extract 1 utilises a monochrome colour palette, highlighting certain words like "Arise!" and "Again!" with red and yellow, while Extract 2 utilises colours like light blue and pink. The use of colour in these magazines is indicative of genre conventions, as rock is reflected as more dark and serious than pop music which is often reflected as fun and light-hearted.

Thursday 17th March 2022

Music Videos

L/O: Explore media codes and conventions in music videos

Case Study 2

Case One

Name of artist/group: Mark Ronson 

Name of song: Uptown Funk

Genre: Pop

Date song was released in the UK: 2014

What the song is about: Working class black americans making their way to the top

Describe briefly what happens in the video: Video begins on the street, ends with them on a stage 

Who features in the video: Bruno Mars

Case Two

Name of artist/group: Beyoncé

Name of song: If I Were A Boy

Genre: Pop

Date song was released in the UK: 2008

What the song is about: The lack of care that men seem to have for women

Describe briefly what happens in the video: Beyoncé imagines that she is a boy and places herself in her boyfriend's shoes

Who features in the video:

Uptown Funk

Nice clothes and nice car, dancing. It suggests that their life is good.

Constant Performance/narrative

If I Were A Boy

Identical scenes which show how Beyoncé places herself in the shoes of her partner during the dream sequences. Narrative element spans the entire video. Gender switch makes comment on gender roles and reverses stereotypes with the man being more open while Beyonce is more silent and rude. At the end it switches perspective so that Beyonce is back to being a girl and not liking the disrespect she's receiving. The music video is unconventional as it doesn't feature separate studio based performance shots and has no dance sequences. It's more slow and sad compared to Beyoncé's other tracks. Camera shots throughout the video make Beyoncé seem more reckless. Beyoncé fires a gun (connotes aggression) during the video which makes her appear more masculine.

Thursday 31st March

Role reversal of typical scene from a cop movie where man teaches woman to use her gun, switched so Beyoncé showing him how to fire his gun. 

Beyoncé does not answer the phone to her husband, instead focusing on her friends, mid shot emphasises this further role reversal between male and female.

Close up shot of his face which shows his sad expression when she doesn't pick up the phone.

Lower camera angle shows Beyoncé's power over the young man. Places her in an anti-stereotypical position.
The young man is black, which plays to statistics of black men being more likely to be arrested.






Close up makes it seem like they are intimately connected, implying that Beyoncé is cheating on her husband. 

Dialogue segment which is unconventional, argument occurs and then it switches back to the stereotypical gender roles.

Now with the more stereotypical gender roles, shallow focus on the man shows his distance from Beyoncé.

 

Switch to a performance close up which reflects her "iconic" status. 

Uptown Funk

Medium close up shot of a woman's legs opens the video, sexualises her and treats her as anonymous as there is no face. Objectification to engage a male audience

Low angle shot of the men when they are looking at the woman, makes them seem powerful, them looking at the woman objectifies and dehumanises her.

Wide shot establishes the size of the group, while the clothes that they wear suggest wealth and power. The wide shot also suggests that they are a group unit, with Bruno Mars standing at the centre of the image making him seem like the most important/leader of the group. Style of clothes is very 80s which would appeal to a much older audience. Setting is very urban, with stores such as pawn shops and pizza restaurants which suggests a more working class area. The area itself is very grey, which suggests a more dull area. This creates a binary opposition between the group and the setting. 

Use of a fisheye lens distorts the area, the men crouch and sing to the camera which creates an idea that they are directly engaged with the audience.

Men in the background, women in the foreground, though their heads are not visible. There's a sense of depth as the camera is focused on the men in the background. This shot further contributes to the dehumanisation of women throughout the video. Portrays a more 80s attitude towards women. 

Canted angle is quickly rotated and makes it seem like the world revolves around Bruno Mars. Fast paced cutting makes it more fun and dramatic.

White stretch limo acts as a symbol of wealth, acting as a binary opposition to the bland, working class urban streets.

Traditionally, shoe shining was completed by young boys of ethnic minorities. This scene challenges that racial stereotype by having older white men polishing the shoes of Bruno and Mark. Stab at historic attitudes that were wrong. 

The posters in the salon suggest it specialises in black hair, celebrating black culture, afro hair which is often underrepresented in mainstream media. Bruno has curlers in his hair which challenges gender stereotypes.

Low angle which makes the shot more immersive, as an audience would be beneath the band that is on stage. Fans in the foreground which makes it even more immersive. 

Each member gets their own midshot, which suggests that each member of the group have their own importance to it and their own role to play.

The video tends to subvert ethnic stereotypes of crime and poverty, instead favouring wealth, power, success, fun and friendship. Men are represented in a more conventional way for their gender, e.g cocky, misogynistic, important.

Which two elements of mise-en-scene do you think stand out in the Uptown Funk music video?

The expensive clothing of the members of the group reinforces a positive mood, because wealth is very often associated with happiness. Another aspect is the surroundings, such as the white stretch limo which connotes his wealthiness in contrast to the seemingly urban streets. 

Bruno Mars acts as the star power, this is shown through his clothes and jewellery which make him immediately stand out from the rest of his group, for example the pink jacket.

'If I Were A Boy' Monochrome

Black and white to set a more negative tone for the themes of the video, such as the relationship with her husband. Black and white also removes the idea of ethnicity and just focuses on gender. 

Beyonce does not use the usual colour and dance routines, as these would be inappropriate for the serious topic she is trying to challenge and give her opinion on, she does not wish to trivialise it.

'If I Were A Boy' Costumes

Casual clothes, suggests a night out with friends

Formal, suggests a formal party i.e work or business

Police uniform, suggests power and control

Business clothes, suggests wealth and hard work.

Camerawork

Shots - Mid, close up, extreme close-up, long shot, extreme long shot, establishing, POV

Movement - Pan, tilt, tracking, zoom (in/out), handheld, focus-pull

Angles - High, low, dutch

Shot and angles analysis

Long shot
Used to show the entire group

Used to show off Bruno's dominance (positioned in the centre, stands out the most due to pink jacket, etc)

Mid shot

Used to show two people

Used to reflect their intimacy

Close up

Used to show her emotions

Used to portray her as vulnerable and allow the audience to empathise with her message, makes her seem human.

Low angle

Used to put the audience below Bruno

Used to present Bruno as powerful, wealthy and dominant

High angle

Used to place the audience above Beyonce

Used to present Beyonce as someone who is vulnerable and scared, also shows us the point of view of the husband

Dutch tilt

Used to keep the video positive and silly, as the rotation is unrealistic and extreme

Makes it so the world almost revolves around Bruno

L/O: To explore the use of media language to create meaning

1. In If I Were A Boy, there is not a performance segment until the end of the video, instead focusing on narrative. In Uptown Funk, Bruno and his group are singing and constantly performing to the camera.

2. In If I Were A Boy the setting is very realistic, with a monochrome filter and very drab clothing and props, this is further emphasised by the action scenes which show a quite mundane struggle during an arrest. In Uptown Funk, the colours and clothes are extravagant reflecting the fun and dreamlike lifestyle that Bruno and his group live in, with scenes like the salon and shoe polish scenes reflecting the exciting and unrealistic setting.

3. If I Were A Boy does not follow Pop genre conventions, instead of a standard dance sequence with extravagant colours and costumes, If I Were A Boy tells a story grounded in reality. Uptown Funk follows genre conventions through extravagance and a dance sequence in which the camera is almost always centred on the star power of Bruno Mars.

4. In If I Were A Boy, an odd diegetic dialogue scene is used during the climax of the narrative which is used to reverse the roles of Beyonce and her partner. In Uptown Funk, diegetic sound is used towards the end of the video to reflect the groups success as they sing on a stage to a large audience. 

1. In If I Were A Boy, the editing is slow paced and matches the pace of a song, the cuts within the video are placed apart and matches the serious nature and slower narrative story that the video tries to tell, with a monochromatic filter used in post production to ground the video in a realistic and gritty setting. In Uptown Funk, the cuts within the video are a lot faster, reflecting the fast paced and upbeat themes of both pop music and the video.

2. If I Were A Boy uses both smooth and controlled camerawork and the handheld documentary style of camerawork through both calmer scenes (i.e Opening breakfast scene) and action scenes (i.e arrests). Uptown Funk uses smooth and controlled camerawork throughout, with the fast dutch tilt suggesting that the world literally revolves around Bruno Mars, the camera is also often placed at a low angle showing the dominance and star power of Bruno Mars.

3. In If I Were A Boy the colour palette is de-saturated and monochromatic, showing the serious, gritty and realistic nature of the video, lack of colour also removes the idea that ethnicity effects it by placing everyone on the same page, instead focusing on the issue of gender. In Uptown Funk, the colour palette is extremely saturated with bright colours, reflecting the upbeat nature of the video.

Mise-en-scene is used 'to stage' a visualmedium through the use of settings, characters, costumes and props. Music videos use mise-en-scene to differ from each other via the use of costumes and props. An example of this is If I Were A Boy, which uses very standard costumes and mundane props such as guns and police cars to connote the realistic tone of the music video. In contrast, Uptown Funk uses extravagant costumes such as Bruno Mars' pink jacket and the fur worn by the woman in the beginning of the video to suggest it's more upbeat and fun tone, further backed up by the comedic appearance of hair curlers later on in the video.

1. In both videos love is represented as important, with a heteronormative outlook on relationships. The relationship in If I Were A Boy is shown to be distant, with the feminine role (man or woman dependent on stage of the video) shown to be the one who is attempting to keep the relationship going, while the masculine role (M or F) is shown to be uninterested. In Uptown Funk, women are portrayed as sexual objects, with their heads being just out of shot, instead the focus is placed on their bodies.

2. In If I Were A Boy, masculine males are represented as distant, uncaring and liars. In Uptown Funk, men are shown to be misogynistic and sexually predatory.

3. In If I Were A Boy,  in the first half women are represented as powerful, after the role reversal women are represented as victims who are always pushed around and objectified by men. Similarly in Uptown Funk, women are sexualised and placed under the male gaze. 

4. In If I Were A Boy, the monochrome filter almost removes the idea of ethnicity, reflecting that the themes of the video are focused on gender, however, later on a young black male is arrested, reflecting the stereotype of black males being involved in crime culture. In contrast, Uptown Funk subverts ethnic stereotypes through the shoe shine scene, in which old white men are polishing their shoes, this challenges the historical stereotype in which younger people from ethnic minorities would polish shoes. 

5. In Uptown Funk, Bruno Mars is seen as the 'alpha' through his costume (pink jacket which stands out from the rest of the group), camerawork (low angles portray him as dominant, he is always framed in the centre, dutch tilt suggests world revolves around him) and possessions (white stretch limo). In If I Were A Boy, Beyonce is represented through two contrasting ideas, one which challenges gender stereotypes as she is a police officer who is powerful and another in which she is a businesswoman who is perceived as vulnerable and hurt by her partners actions. The latter brings Beyonce down to earth and makes her appear more human to the audience.

6. In both music videos, body image is shown to be the most attractive attribute, with a slim and athletic body portrayed as attractive, conforming to the wider industry attitudes.

Music Videos

L/O: To explain how representations are constructed in music videos

How does 'If I Were A Boy' portray common gender stereotypes?

At the beginning of the video, Beyoncé is portrayed as anti-stereotypically masculine while her boyfriend is portrayed as anti-stereotypically feminine. The roles are then reversed to more common stereotypes late in the video. 

How does Uptown Funk's music video represent gender?

Uptown Funk plays to gender stereotypes through the use of a long shot in the middle of the video. Within this long shot, the women are framed in such a way that their heads are out of shot, while the men stand behind them 'catcalling'. This choice of framing conforms to gender stereotypes as is reduces the women to just their bodies, which shows that they are being objectified by the group of men.

Feminism and the Patriarchy

In this part of the music video, the camera focuses on the woman's legs which dehumanise and sexually objectify her. Within the media, this is a stereotypical 'female role' as women are often objectified by the patriarchal media. 

Throughout the videos, women are often objectified, with rare exceptions in regards to their objectification. This fits the stereotypical 'female role' within the patriarchal media.

Music Industry: The Exam

L/O: to understand exam style questions and practice exam technique

Question One

1 mark

Examples:
Who regulates radio in the UK? - Ofcom

Who owns Radio 1? - BBC

What is Public Service Broadcasting? - Broadcasting that serves the public, paid for by license fee.
What is the term meaning the merging of previously separate media forms in one entity? - Conglomerate 

Question Two

4 marks

Give reason and explain

Explain one way music videos create representations that are different from one another. Refer to one example of contrasting representations in two music videos you have studied to support your answer. 

Question Three

10 marks

HOW and WHY!

Explain how and why producers of radio programmers target different audiences. Refer to Radio 1 Live Lounge to support your answers. 

Commercial radio station means that money is made from advertisements

Need a wide audience - targeted through range of music

Radio 1 (Live Lounge)

PSB - BBC

License fee funded
15-29 year olds

Music is current
Presenters are younger

Informal language + slang to target younger audience 'SICK!'

Explain how and why music videos create representations that are different from one another. Refer to one example of contrasting representations in two music videos you have studies to support your answer. 

Uptown Funk and If Were a Boy

In Uptown Funk, artist is presented as incredibly wealthy.

Question Four

5 marks

Explain TWO things

Analyse the representation of musicians in the extract from MOJO Magazine.  

Analyse the representation of musicians in your chosen music videos.

Question Five

How far is media language used differently in the extracts from MOJO and the other extract to reflect genre conventions?

Need to:
Analyse examples of how media language is used differently in the extracts?

Make judgements and reach conclusions about whether there are more similarities due to genre conventions

This will focus on representation or media language analysis.

Contexts can be addressed in question 4 or 5 through the changes in gender roles, attitudes to sexuality, multiculturalism, celebrity culture, consumerism evident in the texts that you are studying. 

Live Lounge

Informal slang 'bro', 'man'

Straight into live music, less than a minute of chat - stereotypically young people have short attention span.

Presenter is young, reflects the audience.

Artist reflects the audience as young.

Current artists and songs to appeal to younger audience.

British artist - supports British artists.

Compliments the artist.

Further slang 'vibe'

Compliments the artist.

Refers to the live lounge as an experience - relaxed being live, cover songs of interest.

Talks about the process of writing songs, makes the artist seem human and relatable. Also reflects celebrity culture of people wanting to know what's going. 

Question 1 Revision Guide

MOJO magazine - Music magazine, covers stars for an older audience
Bauer Media - Owners of MOJO magazine
BBC - British Broadcasting Corporation, owns Radio 1

IPSO - Independent Press Standards Organisation, regulates the press and magazines 

Diversification - When a company stretches a product out into different media forms

Conglomerate - A large company which owns a set of companies producing different media forms

Radio 1 - Owned by the BBC, 

PSB - Public Service Broadcasting, where a broadcast is supposed to serve the public. 

Royal Charter - The rules the BBC is required to follow, reviewed every 5 years

Ofcom - Regulates TV and Radio

Niche market - Smaller audience, more specific representations and conventions

Mass audience - Larger audience, more general representations and conventions

Diversity - Represents a wide variety of ethnicities, sexualities and genders

Distinctive - Stands out as a media product

Convergence - Merging of distinct media forms to create a new media form

Product Placement - Where a product is placed as a part of the product, paid to appear by product creators

Multiculturalism - When different cultures are represented in the same media product

Celebrity culture - The need to be involved in the personal lives of celebrities

Mode of address -The way a text speaks to an audience

Question 2 Revision Guide

Two ways Live Lounge meets the BBC's PSB requirements Royal Charter:

1. Diverse representations met by younger presenters and artists.

2. Entertains through live music

One advantage of Live Radio/Online radio content:
1. Live radio has interactive elements

2. Online radio can be listened to at any time or more than once, allowing more convenience for the listener

Two ways Radio shows are promoted to an audience:

1. Social media
2. 

Two ways audiences can actively engage with radio shows: 
1.  

Question 3 Revision Guide

Relationships:
Uptown Funk - Represented without emotional importance, women sexualised

If I Were A Boy - Men are represented as an active hindrance to the relationship, reflects the emotional importance that is placed on the relationship.

Masculinity:
Uptown Funk - Men represented as powerful but does represent them doing counter-stereotypical things such as getting their hair done at a salon. Catcalling reflects 

If I Were A Boy - Both male and females represented in masculine roles, toxic masculinity represented i.e cheating, aggression.

Femininity: 
Uptown Funk - 

If I Were A Boy - Represented as less impactful, reserved and disregarded. Sexualised in certain shots to appeal to a male audience.

Youth/Age:
Uptown Funk - Younger people represented in positions of power, anti-stereotype shown where older white men shine the shoes of the younger, richer ethnic minorities. Reflects changing social attitudes which shift representations. 

If I Were A Boy - Younger people shown to be arrested which reflects representations of crime culture affecting the youth. Younger people also shown to be struggling in relationships, which challenges typical representations of young relationships being happy.

Stereotypes: 

Place/Country/City:

Uptown Funk - Typical American working class street represented, drab colour palette contrasts with wealth and extravagant clothing worn by the group, highlighting them.

If I Were A Boy - Takes place in a city, monochrome colour palette reflects the rawness of both the topic and setting.

Ethnicity:
Uptown Funk - Minorities largely represented, black hair shown to be represented in the salon. Black people in positions of power challenges racist values. 

If I Were A Boy - Young black men arrested reflecting the stereotypical representation of black youth in crime culture. 

Celebrity:

Uptown Funk - Bruno Mars in a unique, bright pink outfit to remind us of his star power. Mark Ronson cameos in the background to remind of his contributions. Combines to present celebrities as important and influential.

If I Were A Boy - Beyonce represented as a businesswoman, connotes a more average life and reflects the serious nature of the video. By stripping her of her celebrity status, it creates the idea that Beyonce's issues are more relatable to the average person and grounds her message.

Question 4 Revision Guide

MOJO Analysis 1:
Magazine Conventions - Main image is the star power George Harrison, Masthead is a distinct font to stand out. Free CD shown on cover to entice readers with more value for money. 
Text/Font - Serif font suggests sophistication of music, represents star power as a sophisticated and respected man 
Image - Star Power and  smaller musicians, mainly focuses on the star power
Representation of Classic Rock - Star power seems confident, font reflects the sophisticated connotations of a more classic era of rock.

Representation of Musicians - 
Reprsentation of Gender - Female star given little presence on the main cover, dominated by male star who reflects stereotypical male stereotypes of the era.