History of Digipaks

Digipak was originally patented as a new style of CD or DVD packaging by AGI Media. In 2000, the digipak design was licensed out the music companies around the world.

Digipaks usually consist of a CD along with bonus material on another disc, be it unreleased material, live footage, music videos etc. Digipaks are akin to special or limited editions.

Digipaks are becoming the more environmentally friendly alternate to CDs, while still using traditional means, as in not compared to downloads. By using recycled card, as opposed to the plastic in CD cases, they have grown in popularity since the early 2000's.

Audience Recognition

I will make sure my audience can easily recognise the genre by sticking to current genre conventions. Within the metal/rock genre, these conventions generally are having the band look aggressive or powerful, use of black as a background, the image of the actual band, such as instruments, long hair etc.

Within a music video, these conventions also include low angles, rapid but well timed cuts, close ups of the lead singer(s). Shots of the band jumping around playing energeticly is also a common feature. These common features of the metal genre are a part of Andrew Goodwins theory, that every genre has its own conventions.

The target audience will easily see these conventions and know the genre instantly.

Music Video Theorists

Andrew Goodwin

Andrew Goodwin’s theory deconstructs how music video are created and given meaning. He has created a list of characteristics that separate Music Video from other media types, such as film or TV. The main point is the relationship between the music and lyrics, and the visual content of the video. The content can then fit into one of three categories. It can illustrate, amplify, or contradict the lyrics/music.

Another aspect is how each music genre usually entails different conventions for its video, as to better suit the music. However, he has said that most music videos generally include lots of close ups of the artist/band, as the record label use the artists/bands image as a way of selling their persona.

The treatment of females within music videos still projects them as objects of desire, even within music videos by female artists.

His final point is the existence of intertextual references within music videos are used to provide extra pleasure for the viewers. These references can be from a wide range of sources, such as movies, TV, popular culture, or even other music videos.

Sven E Carlsson

He has developed a way of categorizing performers within music videos into 3 different classifications. However, some music videos can cross over into more than one grouping.
The first group is called the "Commercial Exhibitionist". This aspect focuses on the performer attempting to sell them self, which includes their song, personality, lifestyle, morals within the song. It uses their persona as a way of pulling an audience in.
The second category is the "Televised Bard". It is essentially akin to an old fashioned bard, only telling a story though not only song, but the music video aswell. There are several variations on this, as sometimes, the artist merely sings the story, while in other examples, and the artist (or even the entire band) is projected into the story.
The final grouping is the "Electronic Shaman". Primarily, the focus is on the artist’s voice and music, which then combined with the music video, produces a meaning. The sound and content of the video are connected to strengthen the message within the song. The individual meanings of the music and lyrics, aswell as the video are juxtaposed to give a new meaning.

Sources:
http://www.scribd.com/doc/21443985/Andrew-Goodwin-and-Laura-Mulvey-Music-Video-Feature-Notes
http://filmsound.org/what_is_music_video/

Although examples are lacking here, I will use this information in my analysis of music videos in other blog posts.

History Of Music Videos

History of music videos

View more presentations from Andy Harris.

Presentation made by me based off this source:
http://www.articlesbase.com/art-and-entertainment-articles/what-is-the-history-behind-music-videos-1318869.html

Representation of Lead Singers

Here is a video made by me to help show how lead singers are presented as the main band member, which will have to follow into my video.

Extra Analysis:

Video 1:

This video uses contradicting imagery, as the song is about a “hero” appearing a saving the day, which the video features just the band playing, along with obscure images such as those in the beginning. The video also conforms to Andrew Goodwin’s theory by using multiple close ups of the lead singer, who is usually considered the main artist within the band.

While it’s difficult to suggest the imagery seen at 0:15 is an exact reference to something, the faceless nature of people wearing suits is a common one, seen in films such as the Matrix.

When applying Sven E Carlsson’s theory to this video, it mainly comes under the “Commercial Exhibitionist” grouping, as the majority of the video features the lead vocalist singing. The weirder features of the video fit into the “Electronic Shaman” category. The “suits”, for lack of a better name, are used in the video as a source of antagonism.

Video 2:

According to Andrew Goodwin’s theory, the music video would be amplifying the song content. Although rather abstract, it fits the mood and theme of the song. The video also adds a more mystical, or creepy element to the song. Again, close ups are featured predominantly through the video, as is the norm for musicians.

Aspects of the video show the band as another example of “Commercial Exhibitionists” due to the high amount of coverage the band receive throughout the video. However, the other shots lend the video aspects of a “televised Bard”, as they show a narrative, despite a very thin one.

Video 3:

The video is contradictive to the lyrics, as the song is not about sumo wrestling. However, the movements of the sumo at the start show the video is illustrative of the music accompanying the lyrics. It shows it may have been chosen as to sync up with the song, and provide a more memorable video. As with the other videos, it features a plentiful amount of close ups of the lead.

The video fits mostly with the “Commercial Exhibitionist” line of thought, as it focuses mainly on the lead singer. As the song can be interpreted as being about drugs, the sumo’s serve to create a crazier world, visually, which suits the morals of the song. The video features very little in terms of narrative, and the imagery doesn’t attempt to produce much of a meaning either.