Video killed the radio star– an introduction to music video

During the A2 coursework you will be asked to include:
A media portfolio, compromising a main and two ancillary texts 60 marks
Research and planning 20 marks
Evaluation 20 marks
Main task: a promotion package for the release of an album, to include:
A music promo video– 40 marks
A digipak consisting of at least 6 panels– 10 marks
A magazine advert for the digipak—10 marks
You will then be required to answer TWO questions in your 2017 exam on
your coursework.
Question 1A (25 marks) will focus on your skills development from AS to
A2.
Question 1B (25 marks) will ask you to analyse ONE of your products in
relation to one of the following key concepts:
Narrative
Audience
Genre
Representation
Media Language
Video Killed The Radio Star– an introduction to music video

The purpose of a music video
A music video is a short film or video that accompanies a complete piece of music/song. Modern music videos are
primarily made and used as a [marketing] device intended to promote the sale of music recordings. Although the origins
of music videos go back much further, they came into their own in the 1980’s, when MTV based their format around the
medium, and later with the launch of VH1. The term 'music video' first came into popular usage in the early 80’s. (prior to
that time, these works were described by various terms including 'filmed insert', 'promotional )promo film', 'promotional
)promo* clip' or 'film clip' )Wikipedia.
Task 1: What do you think are the major elements of an album marketing campaign (the different ways in which a
band/ artists identify is mediated to an audience?) I think that the most important elements to any band/artist that is
trying to reach their genre based audience is to create an excitement/’buzz’ around the product even before it is
released, so that the biggest fan base possible is able to be attracted and awaiting its release, so that once the release
has began, plenty of followers will already be out buying their copy of the album. Due to the serge in modern social
networking interaction, a smart and cheap way to do this is promote the album through social media sites like Twitter, so
that you target audience is able to be informed easily and then they can pass on this information quickly to other people
creating this ‘buzz’ around the product, with minimal effort. Also to make sure that you reach your fans in unique ways
so that they are attracted to the release of the album; this could include hosting live sessions (like new bands do on BBC
Radio 1 Live sessions to boost their publicity) so that you are allowing the audience to become interested in the album
before its release.
I think that the album artwork is a big factor in the album marketing to your genre specific audience, as this is how you
want to represent yourself and market your brand identity to your audience, so this has to be effective to attracting the
biggest audience as possible. With there being so many album artworks in the music industry, it is vital that this is
original and unique so that your audience is attracted instantly and doesn't choose a competitors album to buy because it
looks more interesting . I think a band that has done this well is Alt– J for the album ‘An Awesome Wave’ because their
artwork is so random but represents the calm vibe that comes from this album perfectly, meaning the audience can get
an idea of what this album includes from just looking at the cover.
This brand identity is also vital through the music video in the same way as the album artwork as this again is how the
band/ artist wants to be presented to their audience. I think an interesting but relevant video has to be produced to
enable an audience to become even more interested in a band/ artists music as this can lift a songs meaning and leave
a memorable impression on the audience,, increasing the album sales.

2. Where have you encountered these elements in your daily life? I have encountered these elements whilst on
Facebook and Twitter through either following the bands/ artists I like and seeing them promote their music through
their own personal pages, which allows me to keep up-to-date about what they are currently doing in their music
careers and how I can get hold of their new products. I have seen the vast variety of album artworks on ITunes when
looking to buy an album, so this is why it is so important to make an interesting cover so that it stands out when
compared directly to other similar bands when buying an album. I have seen music videos on MTV, 4Music and
YouTube when I am listening to music, so this makes you want to carry on listening to the song, especially if they are
a new band/ artist as this is a key factor to deciding whether or not to carry on listening. Also I have seen artists
promoting the sale of their album whilst online shopping with pop ups at the side of the page stating the sale of an
artist or bands new album.
3. What factors make you ‘like’ a band and therefore download their music, buy their albums or attend their
concerts? How do you decide which band is ‘cool’ and which is not? For me I have a vast interest in music,
spanning from rock to jazz, but mainly alternative indie rock is my favourite genre, as the majority of the music I listen
to falls into this category. A factor that determines whether I like a band or not is whether they are up and coming in
the music industry and if I am able to listen to their music regularly on the radio and on Spotify playlists, because this
allows me to become familiar with their music and makes me want to look into their albums and previous work. I like to
keep up to date with new indie artists, so for me if their presence on Spotify is known, then I will be more inclined to
listen to them and become a fan of their music. Another factor to whether I like a band or not is whether my friends do
too; music is a very big thing in my friendships and if my friends are interested in a new band/ artist then I am more
likely to listen to them too because we have similar music tastes. Factors like album artwork and videos are another
factor that determine whether a band is cool because this representation has to be interesting and unique for me to
become interested in a band and amplify their music through their visual presence. Their promotion and presence on
social media is another factor whether they are cool because this shows whether they keep up with modern culture,
which is a big thing in today’s society. To attend a bands concerts, means that I have a great interest in following their
music and I feel their performance and sound is exactly to my taste, so I know I wont be wasting my money on
attending their concert. An example of this for me is when I went to see Bombay Bicycle Club; I have loved their music
for a long time for its quirky style and I heard that they were great live and the crowds were great at their concerts, so
this meant I wanted to go to their concert more than other bands at the time.

What makes the music video unique?
The music video is designed for multiple viewings; it has to be instantly memorable yet interesting enough to warrant
watching again and again. Unlike the film trailer, it is not designed on a large screen nor s its audience captive.
· Where and when do you watch music videos? I watch music videos on TV music channels like 4Music, Vevo and Viva
as this is an easily accessible way to watch the attest music videos, especially when the Top 20 is on every week. I largely
watch music videos on my laptop through YouTube when I am listening to new music that I have heard about or when I am
listening to pre made playlists on YouTube that I am interested in. this is probably the most frequent place I watch music
videos because I am always on my laptop and like to have music on in the background so when I come across new songs,
or even favourite videos I am likely to watch them through YouTube as it is the most accessible way for me.
Task 2: In the space below list as many features/ conventions of music videos that you can think of:
· Narrative function; a storyline/ plot that runs through the entire video to add more depth and meaning to the song i.e.
Radiohead– Creep
· Performance element; with bands performing to their song with instruments to increase the authenticity of the video i.e.
Catfish And The Bottlemen– Kathleen
· Fast editing for rock songs and editing that matches the phrasing and breaks in the music
· Using lighting to connote the mood and feel of the song i.e. Chet Faker– Gold has dark lighting to connote the mysterious
tone to the song
· Using interesting editing techniques to make the video more interesting to the audience i.e. The Preatures—Is This How
You Feel? Uses many filters and overlapping techniques to make it look more unique
· The mise en scene and styling to reflect the genre and brand identity of the song i.e. Taylor swift– Shake It Off wears a
cheerleading outfit and a dance outfit to highlight the fun feel that her song has and the pop genre
· The lyrics in the song to show some connection to the video either directly or through connotation i.e. Vance Joy– Riptide
matches the lyrics exactly with the pictures on the screen
· For the video to build with the music and the rise and fall of the song so that the audience gets more engrossed in the
song and video together i.e. Muse– Hysteria
· Lip-syncing to connect the lyrics and visuals + close ups of the artist or frontman to create familiarity
· Pop videos to feature dance routines i.e. Littlemix songs and rock videos to feature stage performance i.e. Royal Blood
songs

Analysis music videos:
1. Illustration- either a straightforward performance video or a simple narrative video (or a mixture of the two) that
illustrates the meaning of the lyrics and visualises the music in a straightforward way. It could be called music video
‘denotation’. A good example of a narrative/ performance video is Pulp’s ‘Babies’.
2. Amplification– the conventions demonstrated by the music video ‘auteur’ or creative director. s/he use both
performance and narrative, however, rather than simply illustrate the lyrics or sounds this director will ‘amplify’ both with
creative interpretation, unusual ideas and surrealistic approaches. There will still be a direct link to the song, whether that
be through the beat, sound or ‘connotative’ link to part of the lyrics of song title. Spike Jones’ video for Fat Boy Slim’s video
‘Praise You’ is a good example.
3. Disjunctive– also created by ‘auteur’ directors these videos are completely abstract and have no obvious link to the
music, lyrics, song title of artist. In this sense they are a point of ‘disjunctive’ from the song. Spike Jones’ video for Daft
Punk’s ‘Da Funk’ or any Radiohead video is a good example.
The narrative video codes and the performance video codes:
Narrative video:
Narratives are rarely complex for two reasons:
1. they need to market or advertise the band/artist and song so must feature ‘repeatability’. In other words the narrative
code must be ‘loose’ or simply ‘suggestive’ rather than ‘realistic’ or ‘detailed’. This is because music video audiences need
to be able to watch videos repeatedly and a tight realist narrative prove too boring after the first couple of viewings. Musical
Synaesthesia only requires the musical or lyrical ‘mood’ to latch onto to develop a narrative concept.
2. Musical Synaesthesia– the two elements of the song which determine the visual subject matter or overall concept
A) Roland Barthes theory of “the grain of the voice” whereby the vocal sounds can be understood as music in themselves
e.g. Michael Jackson’s ‘yelp’ or the tone of voice of the words which are the song title themselves
B) The dominant musical arrangement that dictates the overall mood. This could be a key guitar sound or particular beat
i.e. ’Uptown Funk’– Mark Ronson
Once the director has identified what they think is the key vocal or musical element then this may be used to tap into the
audience's sense of shared cultural history or intertextuality e.g.
· The steel guitar= American Deep South
· An R&B beat or base line= an urban environments

Performance video:
1. Conventions of the band performance: a degree of authenticity of the performance is sought by the band and the director so we
find lip-sync close up, mimed playing of instruments, repetition of chorus shots to enhance ’repeatability’, unusual camera shots and
angles e.g. the micro camera shot attached to the neck of the guitar, sweeping crane shot to film audience reaction to the band playing
etc.
2. Conventions of solo artist performance: many of the above plus choreographed dance routines to enhance ‘repeatability', a first
person mode of address engaging the viewer through the gesturing and if the video is a hybrid from cutting between performance and
narrative then the solo artist or band lead singer often become part of the narrative story, acting as narrator and participant at the same
time.
3. Star image: only 1 in 10 artists promoted by a major record company will actually make that company any substantial profit. This is
why certain select profit making stars are manufactured, manipulated and marketed by the record label’s ‘artist and repertoire’ division
so aggressively. The star image if individuals like Madonna through their videos is a vital component of this process. This is why we
can identify the ‘meta-narrative’ of stars through their videos whereby the record label manipulates and changes the artist’s image with
each new video release to increase sales.
Audio– visual technical codes needed for analysing a music video:
Speed is the essence:
camera shots: jumping directly between long shots to close ups and extreme close ups. Primarily the close up on the singer’s face is
the main generic convention for music videos. Also the extreme close up on the lips for lip syncing.
Camera movement: whip pans, fast dolly track shots and fast overhead crane shots to follow the running, walking or dancing of
performers. Also fast vertical tilts and horizontal pans.
Editing: various terms: jump cutting, MTV style editing or montage editing. Creating the visually de-centred experience of ‘jumping’
from location to person to instrument without any normal narrative continuity. Instead it is often the beat or the rhythm of the track
which provides the organising principle for editing movement. The editing moves so fast it creates the need for viewing ‘repeatedly’.
There are exceptions though; some ‘continuity editing’ used as atmospheric ‘dissolve shots’.
Post production digital effects: see ‘i-movie’ for ‘split screens’, ‘colourisation’, ‘slow motion’ etc– these are now conventional of music
videos.
Lighting: expressive lighting is a key feature of music videos. Extreme artificial lighting to create the ‘bleaching’ effect on pop starts
faces for youth. Also the use of switching from colour to black and white or sepia to indicate shift from chorus to verse. Also lighting
effect such as strobes or flashing lights needs to be identified. The obvious link to the use of CGI in dance music to enhance the
atmosphere.
Mise en scene: look for the overall artistic concept in a video is there a them such as the historical period? i.e. the seventies? Does the
video’s mise en scene follow the need for authenticity in performance videos by using the concert hall or rehearsal studio. Or is there
an intentional ’parodic’ setting to exaggerate star image as in many rap videos?

The Preatures– Is This How You Feel?
1. Why did you choose the text you are analysing? Because I recently came across this song on one of my indie playlists on Spotify and really liked it for
its cool but lively sound. I also really like the video for the song as Isabella’s enthusiasm makes the video match the song’s liveliness and the effects used
make is have a cool 70’s feel, which I like.
2. In what context did you encounter it? I encountered this song through one of my indie playlists on Spotify recently whilst on my phone.
3. What influence do you think this context might have had on your interpretation of the text? Because it was on an indie playlist this would have
made me like the song instantly because this s a genre of music that I really like and other songs from this playlist are very good, so this would of meant that
I was expecting this song to be this same.
4. Which conventions of the genre do you recognise in the text? The stage performance is very stereotypical of this genre with instruments being
played as this shows that there is a real emphasis on this music and talent of the band, which is typical of indie bands. Also the use of interesting editing
effects is quite stereotypical of indie videos as this connotes the individuality of the genre and a need ton be different. The energy communicated by Isabella
is stereotypical of the indie genre as the frontman/woman also has a certain stage presence that adds to the bands identity.
5. To what extent does this text stretch the conventions of its genre? The use of close ups is a convention of music videos, however the use of the odd
angles to portray this convention make it look different and unique, which makes it stretch the typical convention of music videos. Also the use of having a
two leading roles in the band with Gideon also having a solo part in the song stretches the conventions as typically there is only one lead in the band, which
makes the band and video more diverse.
6. Where and why does this text depart from the conventions of the genre? The use of a female lead is quite atypical of this genre as it is typically
seen that indie bands feature a male lead i.e. Arctic Monkeys’ Alex Turner. This allows a greater female following to be identified and mean that the band is
forming a sense of gender equality, which makes them more likeable and unique to the audience.
7. What sort of audience did you feel that the video was aimed at (and how typical was this of the genre/music style)? This video was aimed at a
predominately female audience, ages roughly 16-25. This is a fairly stereotypical age boundary for the indie genre as it is typically enjoyed by late teens
early twenties for its individuality and uniqueness when attracts the younger generation. However the use of a female lead attracting a female audience is
fairly unconventional as it is typical a male audience that is attracted to indie bands.
8. What sort of person does it assume you are? It assume that you are quite a fun, quirky and lively person that enjoys life though the fun effects and the
lively performance. However it tries to relate to the audience with the reference to a wanting to know how the feelings of your love interests, which assume
that the audience is quite curious and have a outgoing personality that is desperate to know all information.
9. What assumptions seem to be made about your class, age, gender and ethnicity? The class is assumed to be middle class as the topic is quite
general to the young audience which is implied through to talk about love and mixed emotions, which is stereotypical of the younger audience. Ethnicity is
shown to be white as all of the band members are white and they are from Australia (typically white), but there is no clear reference to ethnicity.
10. What interests does it assume you have? It assumes you have a keen interest in indie music as it is a moderately small band and that you are
experiencing this topic of love and mixed emotions in your life. It also assume you have an interest in past era’s of music with its clear inter-textual
references to the 70/80’s era with its neon lighting, which adds a cooler feel to the video and song.
11. What relevance does the text actually have for you? This text is relevant to me as it suggests to the point in life that I’m at as I’m in both the gender
and age category , so I feel I can relate to the song. I have a real interest in past eras of music and styling, so the visuals in this video are relevant to my
tastes in music too. I also think that this song tries to emulate the fun period of life that this age range is in at the moment so I feel that it shows that its okay
to have mixed emotions and learn from this lively period of life. The female lead also makes the text more relevant to me as it shows a rise in female power,
which makes me as a member of the audience feel more included in the text.

The Preatures– Is This How You Feel?
12. What knowledge does it take for granted? It assumes that you have an understanding to a lacking of emotional knowledge in
early relationships and for the audience to be able to relate to this idea. It assumes that you have an interest in unique visual styles
and already have seen similar videos n the genre so that you can recognise the conventions with this genre.
13. To what extent do you resemble the ‘ideal reader’ that the vide seeks to position you as? I think that I am exactly the ideal
reader for this type of video as I have a really interest in indie styled videos and music for I am also looking for new and interesting
videos and songs to freshen up my playlists, so I think that I am the idea reader of this text. I also think that as it is a female lead in this
band that it makes me even more the ideal type of reader as can associate to the song on a gender-based level, which makes the
song more relatable and significant for me, increasing my enjoyment.
14. Are there any notable shifts in the video’s style (and if so, what do they involve)? No, this video stays the same throughout
with a constant notion of instrument playing and close ups of Isabella lip-syncing, following the conventions of performance videos.
15. What responses does this video seem to expect from you? This video expects an appreciation of the talent and showmanship
of the band members, but in particular Isabella for she shows a real commitment to role of the lead singer and pulls together the entire
video. It also expects a noticing of the inter-textual referencing to the 70/80’s era in the visual styling, and that this makes the video
feel more retro and cool.
16. How open to negotiation is your response ( are you invited, instructed or coerced to respond in particular ways)? You are
invited to empathise with Isabella on this topic of confusion in love for you can notice a sense of desperation, which the audience can
relate to in their lives. You are also instructed to think about your current situation with the second person personal pronoun ‘you’ in
the interrogative sentence ‘Is this how you feel?’ and think if you are the one causing the confusion in your own relationships which
can also cause this emotion of wanting and desire to know.
17. Is there any penalty for not responding in the expected ways? If you aren't able to connect with the song, there is the penalty
that you wont feel as close to the song and therefore not find as much enjoyment.
18. To what extent do you find yourself ‘reading against the grain’ of the text and the genre? I don't find myself reading against
the grain massively within this song for I feel I agree with this texts meaning and message. However I think that this generalisation of
the age category all going through this naivety and mixed emotions is quite stereotypical and for a genre that is about individuality and
difference, it still sticks to many of the record label and video characteristics in order to just make money, going against the original
consensus of the genre.
19. How typical do you think this video is of music videos? I think this video is very typical of music videos as it features the
typical signs of a music video: close ups of the lead singer, instruments and the band as a whole. The fact that the video builds as the
song does is also very stereotypical of music videos as it allows the audience to become more involved in the video and song. I think
this video is good for its ability to follow the stereotypes, but feature interesting effects and editing makes to fit the indie genre well and
have the best chance attracting the biggest audience possible.

Chet Faker– Gold
1. Why did you choose the text you are analysing? Because I have listened to many of Chet Faker’s other songs over the past couple of
years and when looking through music videos in class I was drawn to the uniqueness of the roller skating aspect of the video and I really like
this song, so I thought it would be a great choice.
2. In what context did you encounter it? I encounter this song on YouTube when I was looking at music videos in class one day.
3. What influence do you think this context might have had on your interpretation of the text? This context may have meant that with
the fact that YouTube tailors its suggested choices to the music you typically listen to on the site , it was trying to match to my interests in
music, meaning I was more likely to like the song.
4. Which conventions of the genre do you recognise in the text? The originality of the video is very stereotypical of the electronica genre
as this genre always strives to be individual like the indie genre does and use odd and contrasting visuals to make their video interesting.
The use of an amplified video is again stereotypical of the genre as they don't have to band unit that makes a good performance video, so
by using this interesting way of visualising the song it creates the same type of interest. The minimal viewing of the artist is also conventional
of the electronica genre.
5. To what extent does this text stretch the conventions of its genre? The video sticks to many of the conventions of the genre meaning
that it is trying to attract the biggest audience possible, by having attractive, stereotypical women in the video is a feature of it stretching the
conventions as it is being very conventional of all music videos to attract the male gaze obviously, which doesn't really follow the obscure
and unique methods of the genre.
6. Where and why does this text depart from the conventions of the genre? With having an element of convention lip-syncing in the
video, this departs from the conventions of its genre as typically the artist doesn't lip sync in their videos as it is too mainstream and not
diverse enough t o match their music.
7. What sort of audience did you feel that the video was aimed at (and how typical was this of the genre/music style)? The audience
that this video is aimed at is male aged 25-32 with a interest in electronic music with a slow tempo twist; the alternative indie scene could
also be interested in this song and video.
8. What sort of person does it assume you are? It assumes you are a great lover of chilled out, modern music that follows a similar slow
tempo, electronica genre. It assumes that you like new, original ideas, linking to the use of the roller skaters at night.
9. What assumptions seem to be made about your class, age, gender and ethnicity? The assumed class of the audience for this video
is inferred to be higher class due to the fact that Chet is in an expensive car and relates to having a wild lifestyle due to the fact that he’s
crashed it. The age assumed is 23-30 with the cool tone in the song and young girls used in the video with the youthful roller skating,
meaning a young audience is attracted. The ethnicity assumed is white due to all of the cast in the video being white and Chet also being
white himself, meaning typically a white audience will be attracted. It assumes that the audience is male due to the roller skaters being
women and using the male gaze through them being dressed very minimally and doing provocative movements.
10. What interests does it assume you have? It infers that you have a keen interest in unique visuals and trying something new, with
reference to the roller skating. It also assumes that you like some drama with the mysterious setting and feel, so this could link to theatre/
films.

Chet Faker– Gold
11. What relevance does the text actually have for you? This text, despite me not being apart of the target audience, does have
relevance for me because modern day life has many expectations made for women especially, so I can relate to this text as I have
experienced this idea of being expected to be apart of this ‘gold’ picturing of life, however this isn’t what reality happens to be.
12. What knowledge does it take for granted? It assumes that the audience is familiar and enjoys unique ideas in modern music
videos and that they understand that Chet’s videos typically have a visually different styling.
13. To what extent do you resemble the ‘ideal reader’ that the vide seeks to position you as? I don't resemble the ideal reader at
all as I’m female and slightly under the typical age range for this text, but I do enjoy the uniqueness of this video and appreciate the
skill in the performance, so that’s why I still like the video a lot.
14. Are there any notable shifts in the video’s style (and if so, what do they involve)? The entire video sustains a mysterious and
sensual feel with the female roller skaters, however when the video moves to Chet, the shift from disjunctive performance to a clear lip
syncing performance means the video fits a more conventional styling.
15. What responses does this video seem to expect from you? It wants you to be drawn into the impressive and sensual
performance by the roller skaters so that you continue to watch and enjoy this song and video. It also wants you to feel slightly on
edge with the eerie dark road, matching the slow tempo of the song.
16. How open to negotiation is your response ( are you invited, instructed or coerced to respond in particular ways)? You’re
invited into this video with the sexual movements, drawing the audiences attention. The eye contact with the lead roller skater in the
mid section also invites the audience as it connects them with the video. You’re instructed to watch/ appreciate the female body in this
video as it zoom in/ follows the skaters movements in the video. You’re coerced to feel the mysterious atmosphere and slightly on
edge when you reach the lip syncing with Chet as of his disorientated appearance.
17. Is there any penalty for not responding in the expected ways? You don't appreciate the video for its impressive performance
and don't feel the sensual and mysterious vibe that is given off.
18. To what extent do you find yourself ‘reading against the grain’ of the text and the genre? No I don't find myself reading
against the grain of the song as I agree with this sense of painting a picture of gold for this ideal picturing of the opposite sex, but also
in general life. I also enjoy and agree with the individuality in this video and the genre on whole as I feel it connotes the cool and
modern vibe that is adding a positive change to the current stereotypical pop scene.
19. How typical do you think this video is of music videos? Yes I think that the video is typical of videos of its genre with its unique
and original performance, however with genre music videos it is different with its contradictive activity and song. However with the
element of lip syncing it does allow the video to match typical music videos, and following conventions to try and establish some
success.

1. Why did you choose the text you are analysing? I chose this text because I’ve been a big fan of Catfish And The Bottlemen for a
few years now and this is one of my all-time favourite songs that they have produced. I think the video clearly represents the conflicting
emotions of love and aggression in this video with the erratic performance and the use of editing (the coloured filters)
2. In what context did you encounter it? I encountered this video through watching it originally on 4Music through a alternative song
countdown. I’ve also seen this video multiple times on YouTube when listening to music and have always thought that the performance
and interesting filters make it a good video.
3. What influence do you think this context might have had on your interpretation of the text? Because I was already listening to
an alternative/ rock countdown, it would have meant that I was more inclined to enjoy the music that was on there, biasing my decision.
Also as many indie rock songs feature this erratic performance element,, it meant that was going to interpret this video in the typical way
as I'm used to seeing videos of this nature.
4. Which conventions of the genre do you recognise in the text? The performance element is a recognisable convention of this
genre’s videos as this allows the audience to recognise their talent and draw parallels from the song directly to the video. The fast pace
editing and dark lighting are also conventions of the indie rock genre as this allows for the mood of the music to be set through the
visuals.
5. To what extent does this text stretch the conventions of its genre? The minimal amount of eye contact is fairly unconventional,
however as there is some, it shows that it is stretching the convention.
6. Where and why does this text depart from the conventions of the genre? This video is very conventional of the genre and there
are no clear moments as to when the text departs from the genre.
7. What sort of audience did you feel that the video was aimed at (and how typical was this of the genre/music style)? A typical
young indie rock audience that enjoys fast, erratic music that can relate to the mixed emotions love brings.
8. What sort of person does it assume you are? It assumes that you have a great interest in indie rock music as this video follows
many conventions of the genre for recognition. Also that you enjoy darker music that follows a strong rock vibe. It suggests that you have
experience the lust that love brings and that you can relate to the high emotions that are experienced.
9. What assumptions seem to be made about your class, age, gender and ethnicity? There is no clear assumes made towards
class, however with their scruffy appearance and erratic move movements this could suggest lower class as it suggest they have a wild
and instable lifestyle. It assumes a young audience as with the topic of mixed emotions experienced in love, which tend to be related with
a younger audience of 16-23 years. It assumes that you are male with the fact that Van is talking from a male perspective and all of the
band members are male. A white ethnicity is assumed with the fact that all of the band members are of white ethnicity.
10. What interests does it assume you have? It assumes that you are interested in indie music and enjoy unique and interesting
visuals, communicated through the use of effects and slow motion n the video, but also like a classic indie video.

11. What relevance does the text actually have for you? The text has reference to me because I am in the age category for the
song for I’m in the age bracket where emotions are running high regarding relationships and dealing with emotions.
12. What knowledge does it take for granted? That you know the typical conventions of indie rock videos and that the
performance element is typically erratic the match the pace of the song. It also assumes that you can see the connection between
the colour filters and the mixed emotions shown in the song to give meaning to the visual effects.
13. To what extent do you resemble the ‘ideal reader’ that the video seeks to position you as? I resemble the ideal reader
only with the fact that I am white and fit in the young age bracket. However I am actually fairly atypical compared to the audience,
however I think this music can be enjoyed by anyone who is interested in the indie rock genre.
14. Are there any notable shifts in the video’s style (and if so, what do they involve)? No, the video is similar throughout,
despite the pace of the cuts becoming faster towards the end of the video. The changing of the filters in the video allows the song
to shift in emotions of lust and rage, making the audience feel apart of this erratic confusion.
15. What responses does this video seem to expect from you? It expects you to become immersed in the mixed emotions and
be able to relate this to your life and relationships. It seems to expect you to feel the rage and tension as a point of release and this
gives the audience a clarity from watching and listening.
16. How open to negotiation is your response ( are you invited, instructed or coerced to respond in particular ways)? You
are invited to feel these raw emotions that the band is communicating through the song. You’re instructed to think about your own
life and situation with the use of the repeated second person personal pronoun ‘you’ to suggest you are apart of this situation.
17. Is there any penalty for not responding in the expected ways? If you don't relate with these emotions, then you aren't able
to enjoy the song to its full potential.
18. To what extent do you find yourself ‘reading against the grain’ of the text and the genre? I don't find myself reading
against the grain massively within this song for I feel I agree with this texts meaning and message. However I think that this
generalisation of all relationships being negative and having a bad ending is very pessimistic and portrays the wrong message to
the audience. It still sticks to many of the record label and video characteristics in order to just make money, going against the
original consensus of the genre.
19. How typical do you think this video is of music videos? I think this video is typical of music videos with its illustrative design
and emphasis put upon the performance element. I think its typical of the genre’s music videos with the fast pace and dark lighting,
however the minimal use of eye contact does stray from typical music videos making it more unique.

Video killed the radio star– an introduction to music video

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Video killed the radio star– an introduction to music video