MUSIC VIDEOS: MUSIC LANGUAGE

 

MUSIC VIDEOS: MUSIC LANGUAGE

PREP Explain how music videos use media language to promote their artists. Refer to the pair of music videos you have studied from the list below in your answer.

Our music videos are Wheatus Teenage Dirtbag Avril Lavigne Sk8ter Boi

HOW TO ANSWER: Media language points to consider:

the prioritising of the star / the group; the privileging of the star / the groups in the frame

authenticating the star's performance / the band's performance to show their skills

the use of close ups; lip syncing to camera; eye contact with the audience

Both of the music videos were filmed in a way which would advertise the singer/ songwriter to their particular target audience in the Avril Lavigne video it was fast paced to appeal to the punk rock audience the fast paced handheld camera movements helped advertise how defiant and inspiring  Avril Lavigne is to her audience who can look up to her as an audacious Rockstar.  The camera also focused in on her singing the song to help authenticate her talent to her audience this is because her audience want to see her skilful singing on display. Avril Lavigne was also in the face of the camera a lot to show how she doesn't care how other people think music videos should be done she will to it her own way.

In the Wheatus music video it the lead singer Brendan b. Brown playing the dirt bag in the movie this is because the song is a about him being a loser in high school and he plays the character because it is him. This means that the fans of Wheatus at all times either have Brendan b. brown or the band playing the music Brendan b. Brown gets slightly more screen time because he is the leader of the band. They zoom in on his face when he is playing the music so that his fans can see his talent on display there is a lot of camera panning so that the audience get to look at each person showing off their skill.

 

 

 

Look carefully at the front covers of MOJO and RNR magazines. 

QUESTION: How far do MOJO and RNR use different media language to create different connotations? (CONNOTATION meaning: an idea or quality that a word makes you think about in addition to its meaning.)

Answer on your blog. This is a high-value question and should take all lesson to answer. You can use the class blog search engine for more examples of how to analyse music magazines.

In your answer you should have 2 paragraphs:

• analyse the media language in MOJO and RNR magazine. 'Media language' includes the placement of the main image, the type of photography, lighting, colours, fonts, how busy or restrained the cover is, the layout (such as alignment to the margins), how serious or playful 
• make judgements and draw conclusions about how far the media language is used differently in both extracts to create different connotations. Are there similarities in both covers? What sorts of audiences are they targeting? You could think about MOJO's rock aesthetic of living loud and dangerously compared to RNR's folk, rock, blues vibe. 

Dave Grohl is stood in an aggressive stance. He also has a snarl on his face this facial expression along with his stance help you imagine what type of musician he is. The phrase " The further adventures of Dave Grohl may make the viewer feel like he is coming back in his prime ready to create more rock  music.  Dave Grohl was placed in the middle of the magazine cover because he is the main attraction to draw in the readers of Mojo Magazine. The words "Foo fighters" is placed in between his hands this is because he was the lead singer of the band and this represent him holding up the bands name both literally  and metaphorically because he is looking to keep the band going hence the phrase " the further adventure of Dave Grohl" this shows that he is trying to kick start the Foo fighters. The font of the foo fighters shows how free and layed back they are and they are free to express themselves. The crowded front page shows how they are frantic and chaotic.

Christy Moore is lit up with a smile on his face this help demonstrate how he is an Irish folk singer who has a holy part about him. This also is added with his facial expression he has a warm smile. The colour of the background is welcoming and gives you the image of light dirt brown which being a folk singer would remind people of the countryside. On the RnR magazine the font is a lot more peaceful because it doesn't look like it's about to jump out at you. The quote our three fathers is the first line of the lords prayer this gives him the connotation that he is peaceful. The lack of cover lines on the cover represents that it is peaceful because it is stripped down giving it a organised relaxed peaceful connotation. 

 TASK:  Copy this MOJO 2019 cover into a new blog post entitled  MOJO: REPRESENTATION. Then write 4 points, one each about about the following.

How the producers have chosen to construct a version of reality that represents events, social groups and ideas to fit their purposes:

• MOJO wishes to attract a target audience that shares its reverence for ‘classic rock’ so constructs a version of reality that represents musicians as authentic heroes, striving for excellence

The messages and values conveyed and issues addressed:

• MOJO’s front cover associates musicians with quest, danger and struggle, celebrating the values associated with rock music of ‘living fast and dying young’  This is because of the way he looks to be dark and brooding staring into the camera 
  

How and why (e.g. to enable quick interpretation) stereotypes have been used, including anti-stereotyping / counter-stereotyping:

• MOJO’s selection of a cover photograph of a white male may be to fit the stereotype of rock musicians – this will enable instant recognition by audiences
  

• MOJO’s anti-stereotypical positive representation of older people as popular musicians. This may reflect the anti-ageism of an older audience

Which social groups are under-represented or misrepresented:

• MOJO’s front cover represents predominantly white male musicians in photographs, under- representing female musicians and musicians of colour Because on the front cover there are only white musicians and a lack of other people from different ethnic background or gender.