Music Video Pitch Script

Amy: Synopsis -
Our synopsis begins with a tracking shot of the main female character, Violet, walking towards the stage. There will then be a series of flashes alternating between the past and present of Violets footwear, showing the comparison from when she was younger to the present day.

We then see Violet walking up to the stage, building tension and creating her status and dominance through the use of camera shots and angles. As she is walking up to the stage, the crowd will split, also reinforcing her status. Then the two main characters, one male and the female character, will lock eyes with each other, which will then develop into a flashback.

Jennie: The flashback will take us back to a school setting, which will mean we will be using a non-linear narrative. This will show the main female character as vulnerable and weak compared to the male character. Then the flashback will end and the narrative will return to the nightclub setting.

When we return to the nightclub setting there will be multiple shots of the female character, Violet, preparing for her set by sorting out her decks and putting on her headphones etc. We will then cut back to the main male character watching her in the crowd, suggesting he has some importance to the narrative but at a lower status than the main female, therefore challenging dominant ideology. There will then be another flashback.

The flashback consists of the female character at school being bullied and targeted by the male character, which reinforces the ideology that males are more dominant than females.

The flashback ends and when returning to the nightclub setting the beat of the music will drop and the female character will start her set. There then will be multiple jump shots of the crowd and the female DJing alternating. We will then see close up of the males facial expressions and then the two main characters will catch each others eyes again, but the female character will carry on her set.

Ellie: The final flashback will be again in a school setting she is pushed and drops her folder containing multiple images of existing famous DJ’s, which are mainly of the male gender, therefore challenging the ideology of gender, as she will become a successful female DJ. There is then a shot of the male characters face mocking the female character moments before walking away from the dance floor, thinking she will never succeed with her dream. The end of flashback then occurs.

At the end of her set, as the crowd cheer, she catches eyes with the male character again and he walks off alone and isolated. Then, the female is shown as the dominant DJ and the crowd show this by cheering the female and being surrounded by friends.


Josh: Female character Profile:

We will encode this female character within the text as a character who challenges dominant ideology in terms of gender, in order to make our audience active, as it is not a text that is a pastiche of a typical dance genre, music video. We will represent this female character and the characterisation of the character through semiotics and technical codes. She will be framed using high angle shots at the beginning, whilst wearing ordinary, non-glamorous clothing, representing her as a vulnerable, innocent character, whom the audience will pity and empathise in.

Our protagonist character is of a female gender, which is a sudden challenging within the dance genre, as many dance music videos involve a male character who possesses the chief role within the narrative; Kid Cudi for example, in a variety of his dance music videos. However, if a dance music video decides to place a female in the protagonist role they are usually constructed stereotypically as provocative, due to their costume and they way they are technically framed from scene to scene. As a group we have decided to initially challenge this type of dominant ideology that is usually constructed within the dance genre. Our female protagonist will be originally constructed as a vulnerable teenager, who shouldn’t really fit within the ‘powerful’and provocative dance scene.

Amy: Also, our character is a white female; we believe this conforms to ethnic dominant ideology that is presentable in the dance genre, as almost all females seen in dance music videos are of a white ethnicity. In addition, our female protagonist will be represented as a late teenager, possibly eighteen or nineteen, which also conforms to the genre of dance, as the genre usually incorporates younger females dressed in provocative clothing in an attempt to sell itself to a wider male audience. We believe that integrating this ideology of youth, whilst challenging dominant ideology concerning gender, we will create a product that can attract a mass audience of a male and female gender. We expect that both genders of the audience receive the preferred meaning of the text, the hegemony of anti-bullying and how the female gender can overlook the male gender and break patriarchal society. On the other hand, we may expect some of our male audience to attain an oppositional reading of the text, as we assume they will not be used to the breaking of patriarchal society within the media; meaning they will decode the text in a different way in which the preferred reading is constructed. However, we have attempted to counter balance this in the way we have conformed to other technical codes found in the dance genre; setting, camera shots, editing and costume, for example.

Jennie: However, as the narrative progresses, and the protagonist is characterised due to her success in her DJ occupation, this original conformation of dominant gender ideology is broken. The dominance shifts towards the female as she is framed as the DJ and therefore her confidence grows as a character. This challenges dominant representation of gender as the chief DJ's in the world are in most cases male. We hope to break the norms of patriarchy in our product, and break the dominant ideology of the male gender, and this scene is the start of that attempt. At the End of our video the woman is shown as the dominant and powerful character therefore challenging dominant ideology of man being dominant over women. This also conforms to Levi Strauss' binary opposites of man versus woman. We also believe that we will challenge the dominant ideology of youth, as our protagonist is succeeding in a profession, and taking life seriously, unlike the stereotype of youth suggests. Challenging the stock characters involved in the dance genre will hopefully make the plot development and narrative more engaging, as the female audience may also be able to personally identify with the protagonist, which should expectantly make the audience active.

Ellie: A feminist view of this character after she experiences a change could include Laura Mulvey’s theory that the female body is displayed for the male gaze in order to create voyeurism for a male audience. However, as this female character becomes dominant, this will also engage a female audience, as it is not conventional and challenges what the female gender see as societies gender norms.

Male character profile:

This is the main male character in our narrative. He is classed as a stereotypical ‘action/hero’ male character who is portrayed as dominant from the beginning of the text, but in a negative manner. His attempts to bully and undermine the female protagonist reinforce gender dominance, but as his actions are unethical his relationship with the audience will be a negative one. However, this ‘powerful’ male character will experience a downfall in dominance, as he will see the female character succeed in her occupation of DJing, which makes him turn away and leave the setting, with a facial expression suggesting defeat.

Josh: We will encode this male character in an attempt to conform to dominant ideology when speaking of gender. His rash thinking and actions throughout the narrative reinforce the male stereotype. He will dominate the frame when he is shown as the ‘bully’ but as gender dominance roles reverse he will be captured in low angle point of view shots that express his sudden lack of dominance in comparison to the female character.

This male character will stand in the crowd and will show clear signs of envy towards the female character. Youth will be represented for this male character as stereotypical, as he is shown as having lack of intelligence due to his bullying of the female character. But his targeting of the female character and his confrontational behaviour stereotypically allow him to gain friends of the same type, who laugh at his‘achievements’ and destroy the confidence of the female character throughout the flashbacks.

Amy: Costume:

The female character’s original costume will challenge the dominant ideology of the costumes usually found within the dance genre. She will dress in average, dull clothing, and will be framed as an unimportant character at the beginning of the narrative to highlight her lack of dominance. This is a conformation towards gender’s dominant ideology as she will be constructed as weak in comparison to the male characters in the opening of the narrative, who possess dominance over her. However, as she succeeds in her occupation as a DJ as the narrative progresses, she will be dressed in more provocative, which closely reflects the type of clothing which would be worn to a nightclub, reinforcing realism. The camera shots also become more intense, as we will use close up shots of her provocative costume (including red high heels which are stereotypically seen in the dance genre due to their connotations of passion and danger, which link highly to the type of music contained by the genre). The male character involved will wear black clothing to reinforce his dominance as a male character, and will be a stereotypical ‘cocky’ character, as his costume suggests.

Jennie: Shooting Script:

The camera shots we will use will alter as the narrative progresses. At the start of the video, our female character will be framed behind extra characters, and in medium long shots, with little emphasis on her facial features and her attire; however, as she is characterized, these camera shots will become more intense, as a higher amount of close ups and medium close ups will be used to put emphasis on her new instated character. The same idea will occur when concerning camera angles. She will be framed via high angle shots at the foundation of the text so it seems as though the audience is looking down upon her lowly stature. However, as she is characterized, these high angle shots become low angle shots, where we look up towards her new instated dominance. We hope to use artificial lighting to a maximum in order to create a realistic setting that conforms to the dance genre, so that our artist character looks as though she ‘belongs’ there. Finally, when mastering our product, an excessive amount of jump cuts will be used to create a product with editing that is a pastiche of others within the genre of dance.

Storyboard: This is the storyboard for our music video. (Slideshow on Powerpoint)

Ellie: Generic conventions:

Stock Settings: Throughout the music videos analysed, the stock settings that appeared multiple times were nightclubs and bedrooms which link to the theme and mood of the music. For example, a bedroom may be included as it may be where you are getting ready for a night out whilst listening to dance music. However, our entire narrative takes place in a nightclub setting, which will be an amass of strobe lighting. This is a conformation of the typical stock settings found within the dance genre. We thought that there was no need to challenge the stock settings as a nightclub setting should work suitably.

Josh: Representation: The ages of the characters used within the videos we researched are teenagers or young adults. This represents this age to be the target audience and suggest they are out drinking and partying all the time, as seen in the videos, reinforcing this stereotype of youth. We will conform to this stereotype of age through both our male and female character.

Amy: The use of the typical seductive women used throughout the music videos we researched links to the fact that the dance genre of music tends to focus on the gender of women, but could appeal to males because the provocative women may be seen as objects. This links highly to a feministic view, especially that of Laura Mulvey’s.

Jennie: Technical Codes:

Lighting- The use of dimly lit lighting to portray a night-time atmosphere will be used in our product, which links together with nightclub setting which features in multiple music videos we researched. A Key light is also often used to highlight the artist and reinforce her importance; this is another code we will conform to. The videos also tend to use flashing lights or strobe lighting to create the nightclub feel. We will also incorporate this into our video, so that the setting is a conformation to the dance genre.

Ellie: Camera Shots- We will use close ups in our product that shadow the identity of the dancer or artist to create enigma, which tends to be at the start of the music video. Medium and close up shots along with tracking shots will be used to highlight the importance of the artist. A number of medium and long shots will also be involved, allowing the audience to clearly see the setting and the attire of the characters. The use of close ups of the artist throughout our product will allow the audience to relate to the protagonist, especially as she is characterised throughout the narrative.

Josh: Editing- The editing of our video will be very fast paced, which is conventional to the dance genre. A number of jump and straight cuts will be incorporated into our final product. These types of edits will be used to create a fast pace in order to match the beat of the song.

Body movement and gesture- There will be repetitive ‘dancing’ movements which fit to the pace and beat of the music in our music video, which also reinforce the atmosphere of the setting and portray realism. Flirtatious dancing and was commonly seen throughout our research, along with the touching of other people to suggest the ‘nightclub’ atmosphere. We will conform to the typical movement and gestures found in the dance genre.

Amy: Narrative Theory;

When listening to the lyrics within most of the music video’s we researched, it suggested that narrative theories such as Todorov’s theory could be easily applied. In our product we will use elements from Todorov’s narrative theory, including an equilibrium, disequilibrium, realisation of the equilibrium, an attempt to repair the equilibrium and the new equilibrium. However, as our product will follow a non linear narrative, it will not be a direct copy of Todorov’s theory.

Jennie: Institution:

Our chosen record label is ‘All Around The World Records’. It was founded in 1991 by directors Matt Cadman and Cris Nuttall, and is based in Blackburn, England. The main artist's include Cascada, Ultrabeat, Darren Styles and Scooter, which show us as a group that they are a very successful within the dance genre. Along with dance artists’, they are also very active in the compilation area, with there main compilations being the Floorfiller and Clubland Albums.

Ellie: We feel this label is most suitable to represent our dance artist as it focuses mainly on the dance genre and offers compilations as well as solo albums. By choosing this record label, it should enable us to get the most publicity for our artist as they are incredibly successful in the field of promoting dance artists.

Planning - Character Profiles;

Character Profiles (Representation)

Female protagonist character –
This is the main character in our narrative that experiences a change in persona as the narrative progresses. She will be shown as a stereotypical female character who is portrayed as vulnerable at the beginning of the narrative, but as the plot develops she will become more dominant and reverse the roles of dominant ideology.

We will encode this female character within the text as a character who challenges dominant ideology in terms of gender, in order to make our audience active, as it is not a text that is a pastiche of a typical dance genre, music video. We will represent this female character and the characterisation of the character through semiotics and technical codes. She will be framed using high angle shots at the beginning, whilst wearing ordinary, non-glamorous clothing, representing her as a vulnerable, innocent character, whom the audience will pity and empathise in.

However, as the narrative develops, this character’s change will be represented through costume, iconography and camera shots. Her occupation as a DJ will give her a new lease for life, which in turn changes her costume to a more stereotypically passionate and powerful type and changes her general demeanour to a more positive one.

Youth will be represented stereotypically throughout the start of the narrative, as this female character will reinforce the dominant ideology that teenagers are vulnerable and pity themselves. However, as the change occurs in the female character, it challenges representation of youth, as she now possesses self-confidence and strength.

A feminist view of this character after she experiences a change could include Laura Mulvey’s theory that the female body is displayed for the male gaze in order to create voyeurism for a male audience. However, as this female character becomes dominant, this will also engage a female audience, as it is not conventional and challenges what the female gender see as societies gender norms.


Male character –
This is the main male character in our narrative. He is classed as a stereotypical ‘action/hero’ male character who is portrayed as dominant from the beginning of the text, but in a negative manner. His attempts to bully and undermine the female protagonist reinforce gender dominance, but as his actions are unethical his relationship with the audience will be a negative one. However, this ‘powerful’ male character will experience a downfall in dominance, as he will see the female character succeed in her occupation of DJing, which makes him turn away and leave the setting, with a facial expression suggesting defeat.

We will encode this male character in an attempt to conform to dominant ideology when speaking of gender. His rash thinking and actions throughout the narrative reinforce the male stereotype. He will dominate the frame when he is shown as the ‘bully’ but as gender dominance roles reverse he will be captured in low angle point of view shots that express his sudden lack of dominance in comparison to the female character.

This male character will stand in the crowd and will show clear signs of envy towards the female character. This character will wear black clothing to reinforce his dominance as a male character, and will be a stereotypical ‘cocky’ character. Youth will be represented for this male character as stereotypical, as he is shown as having lack of intelligence due to his bullying of the female character. But his targeting of the female character and his confrontational behaviour stereotypically allow him to gain friends of the same type, who laugh at his ‘achievements’ and destroy the confidence of the female character.

Planning Stage 1;

Psychographic Questionnaire Summary;

• Majority are driven by money, suggesting our audience are fulfillers and strivers in life.


• They all Show interest in designer clothes showing our audience could also be aspirers.


• They don't do charity work, suggesting they are the opposite of Young and Rubicam's audience type: 'reformers', as they do not define themselves by their self-fulfillment.


• Hobbies : Socialisation and sport, showing an aspect of mainstreamers within our audience.


• All feel they live fulfilling life to an extent; which also illustrates that they are fulfillers.


• All feel they are successful to a certain extent; portraying that they are experiencers, who have experienced success through showing success in work and activities and can deal with different situations which allow them to be successful. They may also be classed as Believers, as they attempt to succeed in life personally.


• They all strive to do well in life, which therefore suggests they are stivers in life, according to the Values, Attitudes and Lifestyle audience theory.


• There is a general mass audience of mixed classes with the majority belonging to the working and middle classes.


• Our audience occasionally watch the news but not on a regular basis, showing that our target audience are the opposite of actualisers, and do not take life too seriously.


• Our audience are all classed as sociable; suggesting that they are experiencers and makers, according to the VAL audience theory.


• All of our audience consume alcohol on a regular basis, illustrating that they fit well into the 'Fun/Antics' Life Matrix audience theory types.


• Provocative dress code was the leading chosen preferred dress code for a night out; showing that they are Makers, as well as fitting into the stereotypical view of dress code that the dance genre depicts.

Psychographic Questionnaire;

1. Do you think you are driven by money?
Yes___ No___

2. Are you interested in designer clothes?
Yes___ No___ Sometimes___

3. What do you do in your spare time?
____________________________________________________________

4. Do you do any charity work?
Yes___ No___

5. Would you say you live a fulfilling life?
Definitely__ Maybe__ No__

6. Would you class yourself as successful?
Yes__ No__ Maybe__
If yes Why?
_____________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________

7. Do you strive to do well in life?
Yes___ Sometimes___ No___

8. What class do you consider yourself to be?
Upper ___ Middle___ Working___ Lower___ Other___

9. Do you watch the news?
Yes___ No___ Sometimes___

10. Are you a social person?
Yes__ No__ Sometimes___

11. Do you consume alcohol on a regular basis?
Always___ Occasionally___ Sometimes___ Never___

12. What is your preferred dress code on a night out?
Casual___ Smart___ Provocative___ Comfort___ Other___ N/A___

Documentary;

Demographic Questionnaire Summary;

From this questionnaire we will be able to tell who our target demographic is and what attracts them to buying dance music.

We found that mainly females who are aged 16 to 24 tend to listen and buy dance music, possibly because they can easily relate to the music when they goout to nightclubs etc.

The target audience tend to listen to the dance music on the television on channels such as MTV dance but also listen to there music on there ipod which they have downloaded from the internet.

Many of the people surveyed said they find out and hear upcoming music via the television and the internet, showing this is the main way of distributing our dance music video.

The results showed that the audience expect to see the stock settings of nightclubs and bedrooms which relate to the genre of music and also the stock characters they expect to see are female dancers within the videos, possibly relating to the gender of the target audience.

Many results showed that the expected colours within a dance video would be a dark blue/black background within colourful red, yellow and orange spotlights to highlight the artists and dancers.

The target audience see a music video as just to entertain but if there was a narrative they would expect the narrative to be based around love and relationship problems, possibly with the use of Todorov's theory.

They expect to see a female artist associated with the dance genre, along with being able to relate themselves to the dominant characters within the music video.

The audience we are targeting feel that the album cover of a dance video is considerably important when buying an album and the album cover appeal to them in the way of attractive models, the gesture of the models and the layout of the album cover.

When asking the audience of the questionnaire which album covers they are most likely to purchase Clubland 15, Clubland 17 and David Guetta came out on top.

There reasons for choosing these album covers were because of the layout and model used. The ideology that the success to selling dance albums is to have a provocative woman placed on the cover, however the David Guetta challenges this as it a was very popular choice with the target audience because of its uniqueness and differentially.

Demographic Questionnaire;

1) What gender are you?
Male __ Female __

2) How old are you?
-18 __ 19-24 __ 25-31 __ 32-39 __ 40-49 __ 50+

3) How do you listen to your music?
Computer __ Radio __ MP3/Ipod __ Television __ CD __ Other:___________

4) How do you find out about upcoming music?
Television __ Posters/Flyers __ Internet __ Magazines __ Other: _________

5) What would you expect to see in a dance music video?
Dancers __ Nightclub __ Artists’/Band __ Children __ Other: __________

6) What stock settings would you expect to see within a dance music video?
Nightclub __ Bedroom __ Hotel Room __ Streets __ Playgrounds __ Other:________

7) What colours would you expect to see within a dance music video?
Black __ Blue __ Yellow __ Orange __ White __ Red __ Other:_______

8) Do you expect a music video to have a narrative or simply to entertain?
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________

9) Which of these narratives would most appeal to you for a dance video?
Love__ Relationship problems__ Family troubles__ No narrative__ Other__

10) Do you like being able to relate to the narrative portrayed by the dominant character?Yes__ No__

11) What gender of artist do you most associate with the dance genre?
Male__ Female__

12) Would you expect a dance music video to be set at night or during the day?Day__ Night__ No preference__

13) How important is the album cover when considering purchasing an album?
Very Important __ Considerably Important __ Not very important __ Not Important at all__
14) What most appeals to you on the album cover?
Bright colours__ Interesting Fonts__ Attractive Models__ Lighting__ Layout__ Gesture of Model__ Other___________

15) Which of these album covers are you most likely to purchase?































16) Why is this?
Colours__ Font__ Model Used__ Layout__ Title of album__ Other__
If other please state_________________________

17) What gender of model would you prefer to see on a dance album?
Male___ Female___

18) Do you expect the album cover and advert to have a clear link?
Yes___ No___ No Preference___

Draft Questionnaire;

What gender are you?
Male __ Female __

How old are you?
-18 __ 19-24 __ 25-31 __ 32-39 __ 40-49 __ 50+

Do you listen to music?
Yes __ No __

What do you consider your favourite music genre?
Rock __ Dance __ Pop __ RnB __ Indie __ Drum & Bass __ Other:_____________

How do you listen to your music?
Computer __ Radio __ MP3/Ipod __ Television __ CD __ Other:___________

How do you find out about upcoming music?
Television __ Posters/Flyers __ Internet __ Magazines __ Other: _________

What would you expect to see in a dance music video?
Dancers __ Nightclub __ Artists’/Band __ Children __ Other: __________

What stock settings would you expect to see within a dance music video?

Nightclub __ Bedroom __ Hotel Room __ Streets __ Playgrounds __ Other:________

What colours would you expect to see within a dance music video?

Black __ Blue __ Yellow __ Orange __ White __ Red __ Other:_______

Do you expect a music video to have a narrative or simply to entertain?____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________

How important is the album cover when considering purchasing an album?
Very Important __ Considerably Important __ Not very Important __ Not Important At All __

Summary of Music videos and CD cover analysis;

Music Videos

Stock Settings;
Throughout the music videos analysed, the stock settings that appeared multiple times were such as nightclubs, bedrooms which link to the theme and mood of the music, for example, a bedroom getting ready for a night out where you would listen to dance music.

Stock Characters;
Female dancers/artists who are slim, beautiful and dressed very provocatively with revealing clothing to entice the audience. This appears in a large amount of dance genre music videos, gaining the appeal of the audience.Women are often represented as objects within the video and reinforce the dominant ideology of woman being objects for men. This is also reinforced by the constant use of extremely attractive females and not often attractive males.

Representation;
Creates a sense of realism towards the demographic audience as the setting of night clubs are where they are expected and do listen to this genre of music, allowing them to relate towards the music video.The ages of the characters used within the videos are teenaged or young adult. This represents this age to be the target audience and suggest they are out drinking and partying all the time, as seen in the videos, reinforcing this stereotype of youth.The use of the typical seductive woman used throughout the music video links to the fact that the dance genre of music tends to focus around the gender of women, but could appeal to males because of the provocative woman that tends to be the main focus within the frame throughout the video.

Technical Codes;
Lighting- use of dimly lit lighting to portray a night-time atmosphere, which links together with nightclub setting which features in multiple music videos researched. A Key light is also often used to highlight the artist and reinforce her importance. The videos also tend to use flashing lights or strobe lighting to create the nightclub feel.

Camera Shots- There is use of extreme close ups that shadow the identity of the dancer or artist to create enigma, which tends to be at the start of the music video. Medium and close up shots along with tracking is used to highlight the importance of the artist. A number of medium and long shots are also seen in the videos allowing the audience to clearly see the settingsThe use of close ups of the dancer/artist throughout the video allows the audience to relate the audience. Long shots are also commonly used so the audience can visualise the setting and the dancer/artists and feel like they are in the dancer’s shoes and also allows the audience to relate towards the setting.

Editing- The editing of all the videos is very fast paced, showing this as a key convention. A number of jump and straight cuts being used to create a fast pace to the edits to match the beat of the song.

Costume- Use of provocative, revealing clothing upon the women within the music video reflects the type of clothing which would be worn to a nightclub, reinforcing the realism towards the audience.

Body movement and gesture- repetitive ‘dancing’ movements which fit to the pace and beat of the music are used to reinforce the atmosphere of the setting and portray as much realism as possible. Flirtatious dancing and ‘grinding’ are commonly used, along with the touching of other people to suggest the ‘nightclub’ atmosphere.

Narrative Theory;
When listening to the lyrics within most of the music video’s it would suggest that narrative theory such as Todorov’s theory could be easily applied. However, within the frame there doesn’t seem to be a clear Todorov’s theory, apart from in some cases where you are able to see the equilibrium, disequilibrium, realisation of the equilibrium, attempt to repair the equilibrium and the new equilibrium.

Album Covers

Enigma Code;
The artists/models used on the front cover of the albums covers do not engage in eye-contact with the audience which creates enigma as it portrays a sense of ambiguity and mystery towards the identity upon the album cover, drawing the target audience towards the album.

Font/Colour;
The use of a structured, bold title, normally placed within the middle of the album cover and in a large, capitalised font attracts the audience’s attention towards the name of the album.Bright colours such as yellows, light blues and oranges are key to the dance album covers, as they create a happy atmosphere and giving an insight to the music and what mood it will portray towards the target audience.

Representation;
Similarly to the dance genre music videos, an attractive female is usually used on the cover of the dance genre albums. She is usually dressed provocatively and gives a sexy feel to the cover. This is seen as a key convention of this genre as it appeals to the target audience as the ‘youth’ age which is the demographic age can relate to the person on the front cover. Also, the gesture of the model is usually high energy giving the sense of them dancing and creating a happy atmosphere.

Appeal;
A lot of the models used are attractive, thin, big breasted blondes reinforcing the stereotype of an attractive female and the ideology of females being objects for males.Medium close ups are often used to shoot the models. This allows the audience to see their emotions and their features, as well as highlighting their good appearance. The covers usually also include disco lights or strobe lighting within them, linking the cover to the nightclub scene.
The emotions portrayed by the models however often challenge the conventions of the dance genre. As this genre is seen to create a happy atmosphere and the emotions of the models are sometimes deep in thought and full of emotion. However this creates an in sight into the songs on the album as the emotions normally link with the narratives of these.

Research; Music Video - Agnes 'Release Me'

Agnes’s video for ‘Release Me’ begins with a black silhouette of the artist lying back in an open position. This highlights the artist figure and her gesture/position as it’s quite sexual. This links to the stereotypical idea of women and their appearance right from the beginning of the video.
The video then proceeds to a tracking shot of the streets and gives the audience the feel that they are driving through the use of a hand held camera. This produces the feeling that they are off on a night out and allows the audience to identify with the video.
When the artist appears in the video a range of shots are including medium, medium close and close ups. She is always framed centre fame, or within the rule of thirds, showing her importance to the audience and allowing them to clearly see her emotions and expressions. The artist is also framed in a number of two shots, first to show her intimacy with a male character and then later in the video on a night out with female characters. In both occasions the artists is framed more central and within the forefront of the frame reinforcing her importance. An over the shoulder shot is also used when the artist is applying her make up allowing the audience to identify with her and therefore relate to the situation and the song.
When the dancers in the video are framed, they are often centre framed but with the use of medium or even long shots connoting that the dancers themselves are not important but the dancing action itself is, as it links the song back to the genre of dance.
As the video progresses there are a number of tracking shots of the artist as she walks. The gesture in which she walks is a large and bouncy movement connoting her power and therefore breaking the dominant ideology of woman being weak and needed to be saved by men.
Another shot used is a close up of the males arm around the artist. This connotes love and intimacy and suggest that the song is related to these. It also connotes the male as protection to the woman and could reinforce the ideology of the male ‘saving’ the female character.
A number of the artists shot are solo of her. These shots tend to be in street or alley way situations creating a sense of isolation and connoting this as one of the negative emotions of the narrative, so therefore love.
When the artist is not shown, there are a number of shots of dance floor scenes again linking the video to the genre and allowing the audience to link the song to nightclubs as places they would expect to hear it again allowing them to identify with the video. Furthermore there is also the use of shots, which look like CCTV footage, of youths dancing suggesting all social classes and people under the age of those allowed to go nightclubbing can also identify with the music are also part of the target audience. Finally the video also includes shots of groups dancing with a range of different races within the group connoting equality and the fact that any class, race and gender can relate to the song therefore widening the target market.

The editing of the video is very fast paced which seems a key convention of the genre as it is present in the majority of the videos I have analysed. The pace is created by a number of jump cuts. The jump cuts tend to jump from the artist to either a setting or a dancing scene connecting the artist and what she’s singing about with these shots and the gestures, such as dancing, which are produced in these shots.

The lighting of the video is very dark as it’s representing a night setting linking the video back to the dance genre and particularly nightclubs. At the being of the video the artist is lit up in the darkness by what seems like a car headlight passing. This could be seen as a spotlight again linking back to the dance genre.
When the artist is shown a key light is used on the artist allowing us to clearly see her facial expressions and emotions connoting her importance as she clearly stands out on the background. This is also clear in the nightclub scenes as you are unable to clearly make out the characters dancing in the background but can clearly see the artist, in the foreground, due to the key light reinforcing her importance. Another example is the close ups o the artist as the lighting allows us to clearly see her expressions and features such as her pink lipstick connoting love and passion and showing these as characteristics of the song.
Another use of lighting, within the video, is the use of flashing white lights. This gives the effect of disco lights and again links back to the genre.

The predominant colours used within the video are black and white. This reinforces the idea of a night setting and connotes mystery, purity and perfection. These are all emotions which can be felt when in a romance/love linking back t the song narrative. Red and purples are other colours included in the video reinforcing the idea of romance and adding a sense of wealth. The finial colour which is common, within the video, is orange this connotes high energy and matches the gesture of dancing within the video.

The artist’s costumes resemble those that every girl would wear on a night out again linking to the genre. The colour scheme continues with the black and white reinforcing the connotations of these. The dancers and the models costumes are quite average and therefore allow the audience to clearly relate with the video and link it and the narrative of the song to realism. The predominant gender of the characters in the video are female, this suggests that the target audience is female. Also the use of a range of ages reinforces the age range to be from teenagers to young adults.

The narrative, within this video, is not very clear. Without the lyrics of the music the audience would be unaware of the narrative. This means Todorov and Propp theory is not clear in this video as its quite hard to follow. However the focus on the woman throughout the video may suggest that she's a 'princess' character although it i not particularly clear.

Research; Music Video - David Guetta feat Kelly Rowland 'When love takes over'

This video begins with a sunset setting. This connotes romance and immediately connects the narrative of the song to romance from the beginning of the song. Jump cuts then connect this image with medium shots of the beach, nation flags and the sea creating a holiday setting suggesting the narrative to be linked to holiday and holiday experiences. The video then shows the artist for the first time with a long shot. This allows the audience to see the setting around the artist and can see that it’s a holiday setting by the buildings. However the buildings also seem quite run down due to dirt and graffiti causing the artist to stand out and show her importance.

The video then tracks the artist connoting her importance. This is reinforced by the models immaculate appearance and costume causing her to stand out from the others, as well as always being centre framed.

In between the tracking shots there are a number of close up shots of the artists face. This allows us to see her expression and emotion. The artist is smiling throughout each close up creating a happy tone and atmosphere. This tone is also created due to the bright colours of make up used for the artists eye make up.

Then second artist is then introduced to the audience by a jump cut. The jump cut shows a link between the two artists and enforces the importance of the two. He is seen pushing DJ decks suggest to the audience these are connected to him. This also allows the audience to link the song to the dance genre as the ‘DJ’ aspects links with parties and nightclubs. The male artists costume is predominantly red connoting passion, danger and energy. Energy is reinforced by the pace and volume of the song increasing as we are introduced to the male. This suggests a sense of power reinforcing the dominant ideology of the males being the dominant gender. This is however late contradicted within the video as the woman is shown more and dominants the camera time and frames connoting her as the one with strengthen and power challenging this ideology.

At this time the atmosphere is build more and more happy and upbeat. This is shown with the pace and beat of the music and if reinforced by a costume change in the female character to a bright summers dress.

There is then a close up on three wires from the DJ's decks, showing the importance of this prop to the song. These wires are red, purple and black in colour. The red is used to connote passion and romance and is reinforced by the lines of ‘love takes over’ being sang as this shot is shown. However it can also connote danger and could mean this due to the use on electrical wires. The purple is a light purple which could also connote romance as well as wealth and luxury. The black connotes mystery and is used to show power.
Throughout the video there are a number of shots of people dancing, which is a key convention of this genre as it has been present in a number of videos I have analysed. However it does break the code and conventions as the majority of the dancers and all the solo dancers are male characters. The video also includes shots if dancing on bikes and skateboards. This suggests that the target audience is male orientated instead of female as the dance genre is in general.

The power and holiday are reinforced by the large number of shots of the sea. Towards the end of the video the female is seen in the sea and it becomes quite fantasy like as it seems the sea ‘takes over’ the girl as is stated in the lyrics. This could be seen as a metaphor for love and the emotions felt when in love again relating to the narrative of the song. The use of the sea connotes the power and depth of love, while a holiday feel could relate to a holiday romance allowing the audience to therefore relate to the song and the artist.

After this, the video goes into a night life situation. It uses fades and jump cuts to build the pace and cause the transition. There are shots of fire and dancing, during this, as well as a close up of the females face. This connotes the energy as well as the dangers of romance and love. The scene also uses a number of kissing and intimate shots to anchor the connotation of love and the narrative of the song. As the video moves into the night life the colours within the video darken as well as the costumes and make up of the characters, reinforcing the night idea and linking the video to the genre.

The Editing throughout the whole video is fast paced which suggests this is a key convention of this genre as it has been present in all the videos. Jump cuts also seem to be key in increasing the pace and showing connections within this genre.

The video ends with the artist walking along the beach and the sunset image again, suggesting the video to be a reminiscence or an insight into what happens after the sun goes down.

This video, again, doesn't have a particularly clear narrative. The audience is able to clearly establish the idea of a holiday romance through the setting and lyrics of the song, however they are unable to clearly see relationships between the main characters. The only theory i feel could be possibly used is the Propp theory. The focus on the woman could suggest shes a 'princess' character, however the relationship her and the character have, would suggest he's a helper, not a hero.

Research; Music Video - Ultrabeat 'Pretty Green Eyes'

This music video begins with a number of close ups of different body parts and two shots of two characters that seem extremely intimate. Intimate gestures, such as almost kissing/ teasing, reinforce this portrayal. The quick change and restriction in what the audience can see creates slight confusion and enigma. The video then continues to close ups of the character pulling up her stockings and tying the back of her top. This allows the audience to see a lot more flesh and creates a sexual feel about the video, especially due to the revealing of her back. This could be seen to reflect the nightclub and the way women dress when attending as well as the ideology of women being an object for men to look at for there sexuality and appearance. There is then a close up of a make up pallet and shows a woman applying red lipstick, this could connote so sort of danger about the woman, or possibly passion/romance.

This is followed by an extreme close up of the female’s eye. This connotes its importance to the video and its clear link to the narrative. As the woman blinks, a straight cut is used to change and establish the setting as a nightclub. This is reinforced, as the music kicks in, by the use of coloured lighting, such as greens and pinks, to give a night club effect and link the video to the dance genre.

There are a number of medium shots of the woman characters dancing for the majority of the video. However it is unclear to completely see them at all times as the lighting of the shots is very dark and restricts what the audience is able to see, perhaps to portray a night setting again linking with night clubs. It also connotes mystery which is a key aspect of the video as the audience is unable to clearly see a lot of things causing enigma.

A couple medium close ups, and a two shot of the artist is then shown. However the lighting remains quite dark with what looks more like natural light than a bright key light, that you would expect to see, is used to show the artists face, this suggests that they’re not that important to the video. However the artist gain full eye contact with the audience which challenges this as this shows his importance and engages the audience. The artists are not shown particularly often in the video, which is unusual for this genre. Furthermore all the dancers within the video are female connoting the dominance of female in the dance genre and the target audience to be females.

A zoom to an extreme close up of the artists eye joint by a straight cut to the females eye reinforce the importance of the eye to the narrative and show a connection between the artist and the female, again reinforcing the song lyrics.

Flashing lights are then use to again create a disco feel and relate to nightclubs as this is the most common place for this genre of music to be played. During this scene a quick pan is used creating a chaotic atmosphere and a sense of high energy. This is reinforced by the movement and gesture of the people on screen and their dancing. This again reinforces the nightclub atmosphere and gives the audience a clear idea of the setting. The lighting within this frame continues to be dark and continues to restrict what the audience can see. However the scene does focus on three women and suggests them to be important and reinforce the dominance of women within the video.

The video then proceeds to medium and long shots of the three woman dancing in what seems like there underwear and stockings. The dancing is quite sexual and the women are seen to be using their bodies to engage the audience. This reinforces the ideology of women being an object for men and having to uses there sexuality and appearance to gain identity. The use of woman in restricted clothing and good appearance seems a key convention of the dance genre as it is present in a number of videos and album covers that I have analysed. This suggests that this will attract the target audience and could be due to the audience being able to relate to the situation as a number of girls dress provocatively for nights out.

The editing of the video also follows the key conventions of the dance genre as there are a number of straight and jump cuts to create a fast pace for the edits and match the music tempo. This also causes and upbeat atmosphere to be created and, in the case of this song, quite a happy atmosphere.

The video finishes with the top we saw being done up in the beginning of the video being tied up, being untied symbolising the end of the night. Although a lot of sight is restricted within this video I feel it works well as it relates well to a realistic situation and therefore allows the audience to relate well to it and therefore the song and the narrative of the song.

This again doesn't show a clear use of Todorov's theory as the narrative is not particularly clear and shows shows a romance of focus on a woman by a male. This could suggest that Propp's theory could be applied with the female character being a 'princess' and the male being a 'hero'.

Research; Music Video - Basshunter 'Now You're Gone'

This video begins with a high angle shot of a girl in her bedroom. The use of a high angle shot suggests the audience to be looking in on her situation and possibly suggest we have dominance over the character. It also allows the scene to be established as the characters bedroom. The use of the bedroom seems quite a key convention of the dance genre as a lot of videos begin in the bedroom. It also allows the target audience to drop below those that are legal to attend nightclubs as the younger audience can relate to the video as they may listen to this sort of music in their bedrooms.

There is then the use of a close up on the mobile phone connoting this as important. This suggests the target audience to be teenagers and young adults as mobile phones are part of there everyday life and therefore allows them to relate to the video. Furthermore the age of the characters is around 18 reinforcing this age range as the target audience. The mobile phone is also used to connect the two characters in the beginning of the video. A number of jump cuts are used to show the connection between the characters and highlight the similarities between the emotions they portray and situations they are in. This creates a fast pace for the edits to match the song and obey the conventions of this genre of music. The use of medium close ups on the characters allows the audience to see the emotions on the characters face. The expressions of both characters are sad creating a sad atmosphere which therefore challenges the genre of music. The characters are framed centre frame and therefore reinforces there importance to the video.

The use of over the shoulder shot of the female looking at a picture of the male and her and the male reinforces the idea of them being connected. It also allows the audience a deeper insight into the narrative of the video. The target audience of the video is then also reinforced by the use of the female’s laptop to contact her friends.

This is followed by a medium shot of the male character sitting in the middle of the room. His importance is still portrayed due to his centre framing but his body language challenge’s the dominant ideology of men as he is portrayed as quite weak instead of strong and women’s saviours.

A selection of medium and medium-long shots of the two characters and there friends are then shown. Jump cuts between the two reinforce the link and similarities between the couple as they are both shown getting ready for a night out. This links with the conventions of the dance genre as it links to night out and therefore nightclubs. These scenes also reinforce the genre due to the atmosphere changing to a more upbeat and happy atmosphere. The couple’s importance is also reinforced due to the framing of the couple compared to their friends who are often framed to the back of the frame.

As the girls prepare for there night out, the audience are able to identify with the characters due to the focus on make up and revealing outfits which is often seen within this genre as it allows the video to be linked to femininity and realism. The costume of the female character is a short black dress. The use of black connotes mystery and seems to be a key colour for outfits within this genre. The dress is also sparkly relating to dressing up for nights out and the idea of shining, therefore showing her importance as she stands out. Revealing outfits also seem a key convention of this genre as they have appeared in a number of music videos and even album covers that I have analysed.

A medium shot of a black silhouette of a woman flicking her hair back and dancing seductively is then shown. This reinforces the representation of woman gaining identity through their sexuality and appearance. The use of flashing brightly coloured lighting within this frame reinforces the happy atmosphere whilst creating a nightclub effect and therefore allowing the audience to relate the video to the genre.

The video then switches to the setting of a nightclub. The lighting therefore darkens to create a night setting and the use of strobe lighting and flashing white lights are used to reinforce the nightclub setting. The gesture within this scene is very high energy due to the dancing scenes this creates an upbeat atmosphere and portrays the nightclub scene as would be expected. Fast edits and pans are used to match the camerawork to this chaos/energy and therefore to the beat of the song. This also links to the genre of music well as fast edit are a key convention of the dance genre.

The mobile phone is then shown again in the club scene. This is an important prop as it allows the target audience to link with the film and continuously shows the connection between the two characters. It also allows the narrative of the song to be clear to the audience by the text used in the text messages. The text also reinforces the target audience by the slang used.

Towards the end of the video a two shot of the couple is shown. The couple are frames within the forefront of the frame with the background blurred out. This reinforces there importance to the video and shows the narrative to be about them and not necessarily the setting. There is then a medium-close up of the couple kissing reinforcing the idea of romance within the video and this genre of music.

Within the video the Woman is quite dominant as she has more camera time than the male character. This challenges the dominant ideology of male being dominant and female being weak characters. However this ideology is reinforced by the framing of the male character as the male dominants the frame more than the female connoting his power.

I feel Todorov’s narrative theory could be applied to this video as the narrative begins with an equilibrium that is then disrupted by the break up of the characters. This is then realised by the characters as the characters are shown as upset. The characters then attempt to cheer up by going on a night out, attempting to get over the pain and therefore 'resotre and equillibrium'. Finally, a new equilibrium is created at the end of the video by the rejoining of the characters and the kiss scene.

As nightlife, nightclubs and relationships are all key characteristics of the english culture, of teenagers, i also feel that cultural transmission is apparent within the video. The video may also be used for the grafication of personal relationships as the target audience is abe to easily relate to the characters and the emotions/situatitons that the characters are in.

Research; Music Video - Inna 'Hot'

This video begins with a medium close shot of a woman pulling up her socks. This suggests to the audience that she’s getting ready to go out, or for particular in this genre that she’s getting ready for a night out. The next shot is then a medium shot of three women getting ready for some sort of performance or show; this is clear due to the small enclosed space and props within the room giving the feel of a changing/dressing room for the performance. This is then reinforced be the costumes of the women. The women’s costumes are very revealing and link to the stereotype of woman to being known for their sexuality and appearance and as an object for men this is further reinforced by an over the shoulder shot of the blonde character in the woman which gives a clearer shot of her breast and focus’s on her applying make up. The women’s costumes are black in colour connoting mystery of the characters and the kind of show they’re preparing for.

Jump cuts are then used to show connections between the three girls and the artist. This creates a fast pace for the video as a number of edits are used back and forth increasing the pace. These edits also reinforce the idea of a woman’s appearance as the artist is shown looking immaculate and isn’t singing or dancing suggesting she’s just been shown for this and to highlight her importance due to her centre framing.

A medium long shot is used to shoot one of the three girls. Although a distance shot is used the woman is framed centre frame connoting her importance to the narrative of the song. The woman’s gesture is very fast paced and she is framed as though she is dancing on a raised platform. This allows the audience to link the video to the genre as it’s the sort of thing you would expect to see in a night club. The woman is dressed in revealing and provocative clothing and it used jump cuts to show a connection between her dancing and a male character watching her. There is a close up of the side of the males face allowing the audience to understand that he’s watching her but unable to see him completely and creating enigma. This is further enforced by the fact the male is wearing sunglasses and therefore connoting mystery. The use of the woman dancing for the male characters pleasure reinforces the dominant ideology of woman being objects for men and the stereotype of women being something for their sexuality. This scene is used on a number of occasions throughout the video allowing the narrative to be quite simple and therefore clear to the audience.

A reoccurring prop throughout the video is Red Roses. These work along side the reoccurring scene as stated above. This builds the narrative and allows it to become clearer to the audience causing them to engage more in the video. Red roses connote romance and passion and are used within the video for that reason. However the roses also connote power as they cause the male to have dominance and control of the female reinforcing the dominant ideology of the male dominance. During the scenes that the roses are shown the artist is portrayed as happy connoting this as an emotion of love. This also creates a happy atmosphere which links back the genre of dance. This upbeat atmosphere is reinforced by the use of high energy gesture and movement through the dancing scene. The use of dance also further reinforces the link to the dance genre.

A mixture of close ups, medium close and medium shots are used when showing the artist. She’s framed centre frame the majority of the time and the rule of thirds is obeyed when not ensuring her importance is still clear. The use of close ups allows the audience to clearly see the artists expressions and any emotions. On the close up, of the artist singing, the artists expression is quite sad. This creates a sad atmosphere and therefore challenges the music genre. These scenes are used in between the rose and dancing scenes by jump cuts. This suggests that the two atmospheres are both connected to the emotion of love which is the main focus of the video.

The key light used, when the artist is shot, creates a shadow on one side of her face. This connotes mystery within the character and suggests that theirs something the audience doesn’t know. The use of the key light also high lights the artists features causing her to stand out and therefore reinforces her importance to the song.

Jump cuts are used from the artist to the narrative scene of the family arguing. This suggests a connection between the two and that it may be a flashback for the artist. This creates a clear narrative and allows the audience to relate to the video and identify with the characters.

I feel that Todorovs narrative theory could be applied to this video. The video begins with an equillibrium that is disturbed due to the family arguements and possible break up. This equillibrium is realised by the male farther character and is then tried to be repaired by him. A new equillibrum is then restored at the end of the video with the farther being the mothers sercet admirer and the roses creating a connection between them again restoring peace and love between the couple.

The use of family problems with in the video again links to uses and gratifications as it allows the audience to use the video for personal relationships or identity as they can relate to the video and may be in the same situation themselves possibly using the video for comfort reasons.

Research; Album Cover 5

Album Cover; Inna 'Hot' (2009)

This album cover again follows the convention of the solo album covers as the artist is present on the cover. It uses a medium shot of the artist and she is placed in the forefront of the frame, in front of the text, connoting her importance to the album. The costume of the model is all black connoting mystery and giving a ‘men in black’ feel to the cover. The model has a lot of flesh on show and is dressed in high heels like she’s going out relating back to the night club idea and therefore the dance genre. The idea of mystery being portrayed is reinforced in the fact that model is wearing shades; this could also bee seen as representing a holiday/summer feel. This could be linked to the stereotypical idea of young woman’s holidays consisting of night life and alcohol suggesting the music to be music you would expect to hear in nightclubs and that the albums target audience is these women. The costume of the model is also very sexy and seductive due to the amount of flesh showing. This is reinforced by the gesture of the model as the image highlights her figure and her body language is very open and therefore quite sexual. This reinforces the dominant ideology of woman being represented for there sexuality and appearance and being objects for the dominant male to enjoy. The title of the album again reinforces these ideas as it’s called ‘Hot’. This has a number of meanings and can link to all the connotations as hot can be seen as a sexual or good looking person or as the temperature, linking to holidays.

The use of the models sexuality on the album cover could challenge the target audience of the album as it’s likely to attract a male audience. This suggests that the album could be suitable for both genders instead of a dominant female audience as is usually the case in the dance genre.

The text used on the album cover is of a large font and takes up the majority of the album cover. The font is quite formal yet has lines that continue after the completion of the letter creating a techno and free willing atmosphere, linking to the dance genre. The text of the artists name and album name are both the same size and colour which create confusion to distinguish between the two. It also suggests that the music is as important as the artist name and doesn’t use and larger font for the artist suggesting commercialism isn’t the predominant characteristic of the album, as seen in other album covers I have analysed. The colour grey/silver is used for the text on the album cover connoting the album to be stylish, elegant and modern and giving the album a high quality appearance. The background colour is a fade from white to silver this connotes purity and perfection with the hint of silver connoting the album as valuable. The use of grey text on this background causes the text to stand out connoting that commercialism is still important as its likely to catch audiences attention.

The key light on the album cover comes in from the left hand side of the cover creating the idea of it being the sun. This creates a shadow behind the artist and reinforces the portrayal of the summer and holidays.