The document discusses Richard Dyer's theory of star image and how it can be applied to construct an image for a band. It explains that a star image involves portraying a band as both ordinary and extraordinary, and present and absent, to attract audiences. The document analyzes how the band's video, digipak cover, and magazine advert represent elements of youthfulness, rebellion, sexual magnetism, and talent/creativity to target a relevant demographic based on Dyer's theory of constructing a coherent yet incomplete star image.
1. BLOG TASK 2 With reference to Richard Dyer’s theory of “star image”, demonstrate how elements of the star image are sold through your creative choices in the video, digipak cover and the magazine advert. MILLIE DRIVER
2. Stars and Stardom: Richard Dyer suggests that the term “star” refers to the semi-mythological set of meanings constructed around music performers. In conjunction with Dyer, I am trying to create a semi-mythological meaning to my band in order for them to be perceived as beyond the norm. Consequently conveying them as a magnified and exaggerated truth (myth). This is important as it is needed in order to sell the performance to a large and loyal audience.
3. Common values of music stardom Youthfulness Rebellion Sexual magnetism Creativity/talent The above values are specific to my band as they each individually relate to the star image that I am trying to sell. Therefore, these values are evident through the creative choices I made when making my video, digipak cover and magazine advert.
4. Miley Cyrus: a star who is sold on her youthfulness She is born on November 23rd, 1992 and is an American pop singer, songwriter and television and film actress who rose to fame after starring as the title character in the Disney Channel series Hannah Montanna. Due to her age and the fact the TV show targeted a young demographic her solo career began to target young people. Therefore her star image has been based around youth in order to gain an appropriate audience.
6. DIGIPAK Representation of… YOUTHFULNESS – REBELLION – SEXUAL MAGNETISM - CREATIVE/TALENT The band are shown as being youthful as their physical appearance suggests they have youth on their side. They are also standing in a way that portrays them as youths as the lead singer has his hand in his front pockets and all the band are tilting their heads. The digipak cover also shows the band to be professional with a rebellious edge mainly due to them all wearing black which is a colour that is represented with rebellion due to it being dark.
7. Representation of… YOUTHFULNESS – REBELLION – SEXUAL MAGNETISM - CREATIVE/TALENT VIDEO The video shows the band to have sexual magnetism as the girl in the narrative is related directly to the band which causes the sexual magnetism to occur. They are also shown as having a rebellious edge as the video has an overall mysterious feel to it. This sense of mystery could closely relate to rebellion as rebellion is sometime seen as mysterious is the happenings are not known. The music itself closely relates to the creative and talented side to the the band. This is because the song is create and original which therefore gives the impression that the band is talented.
8. Representation of… YOUTHFULNESS – REBELLION – SEXUAL MAGNETISM - CREATIVE/TALENT MAGAZINE ADVERT The Magazine advert represents youthfulness simply because you can see all of the bands bodies so you can make the connection between their age and gender. In addition, they are all facing camera therefore suggesting that they are serious artists and consequently serious about the music they produce. Thus portraying them as a professional band which could implicate that they are talented or creative. However due to them having their hands in their pockets or behind their backs it also suggests they are relaxed people and yet again symbolizes youth whilst also suggesting a rebellious side to them. They are all wearing black, which shows them to be a mysterious and rebellious band as suggested before in conjunction with their pop video.
12. Richard Dyer Dyer suggests that a star depends upon a range of subsidiary media – magazines, TV, radio, the internet – in order to construct an image for themselves which can be marketed to their target audiences. So a band may have a press agent who manages which way the stars image is put over. For example, Rock Hudson was a gay singer yet in the 50’s/60’s being a homosexual was not regarded as the acceptable. Therefore his press agent did everything to stop people knowing that he was gay in order to keep his career from falling. This star image is made up of a range of meanings which are attractive to the target audiences. In relation to my band the magazine advert, video and digipak was marketed in a specific way to make the band come across as interesting, youthful, rebellious, have sexual magnetism whilst being creative and talented. This particular image was constructed to target the relevant demographic.
13. Fundamentally Richard Dyer suggests that the star image is incoherent that is incomplete and open. This is because it is based upon two key paradoxes: The band must be simultaneously ORDINARY & EXTRAORDINARY for the consumer. The band must be simultaneously PRESENT & ABSENT for the consumer.
14. Simultaneously ORDINARY & EXTRAORDINARY… My band is ordinary yet extraordinary as they are ordinary people yet what makes them extraordinary is the fact that they are trying to be successful as a band. Even though this behavior is common to many people it is still regarded out not ordinary because they are being managed in a way to demonstrate an original side to them that differs from other artists. For example they are not conventional as a band because they are all very similar looking whereas it would be more interesting if they all looked different e.g. there was a multi-cultural member and members within different hair colours – whereas all my band have brunette hair in the same shape.
15. Images to illustrate… Blog party and black eyed peas: examples of a multi-cultural band.
16. simultaneously PRESENT & ABSENT… The band is present to the consumer as they are relevant and around in the media through the video, magazine advert and digipak. However, at the same time they are absent as the way they live is beyond what the consumer knows of. It is important that the image of the band is not fully complete and clues are given which enables the audience to complete the image (incoherence of the star). With our band we have tried to go along with this so that the star image can be uses to position the consumer in relation to dominant social values.
