Market Research- Questionnaire Results 'Who is your favourite artist(s)?'

I got many answers to this question, of which I have listed below:

• Kanye West (2)
• Frank Ocean
• Miley Cyrus
• Beyonce
• Justin Timberlake (2)
• Ariana Grande
• Lily Allen
• Kodaline
• Arctic Monkeys (2)
• Sam Smith
• The Righteous Brothers
• Paolo Nutini (2)
• Foals
• The Strokes
• The Courteeners
• Kasabian
• Stereophonics
• Ed Sheeran
• One Direction
• Taylor Swift
• Usher
• Oscar Peterson

All of these artists belong to a range of music genres and are mainly all very famous so it would be hard to produce a music video for these artists as they probably already have an expensive music video produced as the single is released. It would be hard to make a music video without copying ideas from the current music video so would be best to produce a music video for a song that hasn't already got a music video. 

Market Research- Questionnaire Results 'What is your favourite genre of music?'

'What is your favourite genre of music?'

Looking at the results, we can see that R&B is the most favoured genre, followed by indie and rock with equal votes, and then pop, country and jazz after, also with equal votes. I have considered producing an R&B music video as it is the most popular music genre but artists of this genre are very famous and can afford high-budget music videos which are produced soon after releasing a record so it will be hard to find a song that hasn't already got a music video and that people will want to hear. Indie and rock are becoming more and more popular, with artists such as Arctic Monkeys and The Killers producing number one singles. Therefore they could be considered as sliding into the 'popular culture' category as their music is becoming more and more well-known. Therefore, I believe it is best to choose an artist from a less-well known genre but is still popular within the music industry so people are aware of their songs and will watch the music video. I therefore think that choosing an artist from the pop, jazz or country is best. This is because people still like the music genre but my music video won't be a copy.

Market Research - Questionnaires

As part of my market research, I gave questionnaires to members of the public to gain opinions about the type of music that people enjoy and what they expect from a music video. I asked a range of open and closed questions so I could generalise some conclusions whilst getting personal views on music videos. Below is the questionnaire that I gave to the public:

1) My first question was asking the audience what age and gender they were. I didn't want to to make the question seem personal or bombarding so gave options for the age group and didn't ask for any names as it is irrelevant information which the person might not want to share. I started the age group category at 15-24 years old because I don't think many people younger then this will be as keen about music like going to concerts and watching music channels and having Twitter and Facebook to follow the artists. The 15-24 year old category has lots of music targeted towards them through social media and things like radio. Also, a lot of artists in the charts at the moment fall into this age category, for example, Rihanna, One Direction, etc. so the audience can feel like they relate to them. The next age category is 25-44 year olds. I chose to include this category because they will be familiar with social networking and music videos but will not spend lots of time going out of their way to watch their artists online or on TV because they will have jobs and families. My last category is 45 years and over. This age group will not be as aware of the technology and media that allows us to communicate with artists, such as subscribing to youtube, tweeting our favourite artists and downloading and sharing music. this age group will also have a different taste of music to the younger generations so I am expecting to get some different results. I thought it was important to ask the gender of the person as this might influence their favourite artist.

2) My next question is 'What is your favourite music genre?'. This question is one of the most important questions on the questionnaire because I need to satisfy customer needs and find out how to accomplish a successful music video within a particular genre. I gave a list of popular genres that I thought most people would pick from and then left a space for an alternative suggestion. I only allowed the participant to pick one option to limit confusion and make it clear what they enjoyed the most.

3) 'Who is your favourite artist(s)?' is the third question on my questionnaire. I think it is important to find out who people enjoy listening to music for so I can see what they do to promote their songs successfully through a music video. There is space provided for the participants to write down their

4) The fourth question on the questionnaire is 'Do you watch music videos for your favourite artists?'. This question has a simple 'yes' and 'no' option for an answer. It is important to find out whether the audience watch the music videos as it will be pointless producing a music video if it will not maximise publicity for the song.

5) I have asked the audience their all-time favourite music video so I can gain inspiration from the music videos that people enjoy to watch. I will look at patterns and features that commonly appear so I know how to make a successful music video.

6) I asked the audience to rank what they think is most important in a music video with options of narrative, lyrics, dancing, special effects and the artist being featured. I can the include in my own product what people want to and expect to see in a music video. I gave an option for the participant to offer their own suggestion of what is important in a music video.

7) I have also chose to ask the audience whether they watch music channels on TV. I chose to ask this question because I can look into what music videos are featured on these channels and why they are chosen. For example, MTV chose music videos from the charts because it is music that is currently having a lot of downloads and is popular.

8) The final question is 'how often do you watch music videos?' I think it is important to ask the audience how often they watch music videos because I will need to be able to keep the audience of my own product interested every time they watch the music video.

9) I gave space for any other other comments that the audience might want to include that could inspire my music video.

Initial Research- Existing Products (Paolo Nutini - Candy)

My next post on initial research is 'Candy' by Paolo Nutini. Paolo Nutini is a solo singer and song writer in the Indie genre. The music video features Nutini performing the song which supports Goodwin's theory of Star Image. However, Nutini is not part of the narrative. The narrative for the music video is of a couple getting married. Nutini is seen performing at the wedding ceremony but he is not acting in the story.

Mise-en-scene

The music video is located abroad in a hot country, as there are palm trees, blue sky and a dirt road to illustrate the hot surroundings.  The wedding is in an old church which sets the scene of the wedding. the characters all have dark features and olive skin which also implies that the music video is set abroad.         The setting compliments the music video because the song is soft yet happy and there is a good mood amongst the people.

The costume is quite basic, the married couple are in wedding dress and suit and everyone else is in light clothing. Paolo Nuini himself is dressed in a simple, light outfit. 

Camera
A hand-held camera shot is used as the main camera movement throughout the music video. This makes the audience feel as if they are there, and are part of the warm, happy atmosphere. The camera movement also makes it seem as if its the wedding video. Focus pulls are also used throughout the music video as shown below:

Editing
The footage is not cut in time to the music. However, the song increases its pace towards the ends and becomes more rocky. The footage is cut faster in time to the pace of the music and the narrative becomes more intense as the mood between the couple becomes more intimate.

Sound
The soundtrack is played over the top of the music video and is non-diagetic.

Initial Research- Existing Products (The Neighbourhood - Sweater Weather)

'Sweater Weather' by The Neighbourhood has a montage of footage as part of its music video. The black and white effect os filtered onto each shot which I like as it links each shot together and adds an aspect of fluency. Some of the shots go back to the same scene but it doesn't have a consistent narrative, nor any film that links strongly with the lyrics. There are only one or two shots of the artist singing. I think it is effective how the band haven't linked the lyrics to the video as I don't think it would fit in with its Indie genre. However, the shots do correspond to the beat of the music, especially at the beginning and end on the music video.



Mise-en-scene
There is no clear mise-en-scene in this music video as the shots are constantly changing and switching to different scenes. The artists are seen inside and outside with a wide shot introducing the band in a large apartment-style room. The band are positioned in the middle of the frame with the lead singer stood in the centre. The band are also filmed driving in a car around California which can be linked to a line in the lyrics, and also represents the sadness of the song- they are in California, where dreams are made but there is still something 'negative'. The lighting for most of the shots is dark which links with the sad mood of the song.

Camera
There are many shots that are used in the 'Sweater Weather' music video. There are close up intimate shots of one of the band members with a female character, which could be done to increase their sex appeal, and boot their star image, a theory by Andrew Goodwin. Deep and shallow focus is used a lot, as well as pan shots up, down and around, tracking shots, zoom, hand-held and close ups. All of these shots contrast with each other which makes the music video more exciting. There are also pan shots of location which are shown below:

Editing
The footage is cut to the beat of the music with a simple cut transition. On the chorus segment, slow motion is used to fit with the minor eerie mood of the song. A black and white effect has been filtered onto the shots to add to the sad atmosphere of the song and links the shots together. The black and white effect also compliments the Indie music and the meaning behind their song- they sing about how California isn't as great as it seems and the filter makes the location seem less interesting.



Sound
The soundtrack is played over the music video and is non-diagetic.

Initial Research- Existing Products (Sam Smith- I'm Not The Only One)

Another music video that I have researched 'I'm Not The Only One' by Sam Smith. The song is from the singer's point of view about being cheated on and lied to. The music video begins with an establishing shot and the title of the song before playing a short opening of a couple.

The music then begins. The beat of the song doesn't have a strong relation to the visuals (e.g. the shots don't fit in exactly to the rhythm.) However, certain shots correspond with the lyrics. For example, '...made a vow, for better or for worse...' is played over the footage of a wedding ring and 'denying every tear' is played over a close-up shot of the women crying.

The narrative of the story defiantly links in with the lyrics of the song and the visuals clearly convey the story. The artist doesn't feature greatly in the music video and is not part of the narrative, which does not support Andrew Goodwin's theory of 'star image'. He is singing in the background of one of the scenes, but this doesn't confuse the narrative.

This music video is a good example of how narrative can be the strongest element of the video instead of the artist taking part.

Mise-en-scene
The setting of the music video is in an American suburban house, a stereotypically 'perfect' place with white picket fences, clean surroundings and an idillic place to live. The setting is a significant symbol in the music video because it contradicts to the imperfect narrative. Like the Beyonce video, 'I'm Not The Only One' also has a consistent theme of 50's style. The costume, hair & makeup, car and setting are all stereotypically associated with that decade. The 50's style is appropriate for the lyrics and music video because in that era, women were seen as weak and powerless, and in this video the main female character is helpless to change her situation and has to maintain her role of being the 'perfect' housewife.

Camera shots/ angles/ movement/ composition
A lot of the shots are hand-held to represent the female's shaky and weary emotions and direction. There are also a lot of close up shots of the female's face to show her emotions. These shots are significant to the music video because it creates the narrative. There is also tracking shots used to show that the female character is the protagonist and the main character that the audience empathises with.

Editing
Most of the shots have a slow motion effect which compliments the slow and sad vibe of the song.

Initial Research- Existing Products (Beyonce- Pretty Hurts)

To kick-start my research, I am looking at a range of music videos from different music genres. The first music video I have chosen to look at is Pretty Hurts by Beyonce. Andrew Goodwin's music video theory can be easily applied to the video. The music video reflects the lyrics of the song very well, portraying how it is painful to try and be society's definition of 'beautiful', and we should accept each other's natural beauty. The video features the artist narrating the video as well as performing which supports Andrew Goodwin's theory of 'star image'. This makes the video more relatable to the audience as they can understand the experiences of the artist. (See below)

Some shots are also cut in time to the lyrics. For example, there is a shot of the artist brushing her hair and looking in the mirror, in time to the lyrics 'brush you hair' and 'fix your teeth'. This fulfils Goodwin's rule that music videos must have a relationship between visuals and song.


I like the fact that the music video has visuals to correspond with the lyrics as it makes the message of the song stronger and implies a meaning. The fact that the artist is a character in the video, as well as singing makes the video more interesting but is fluent.

Mise-en-scene
The music video is set at a beauty pageant. The dressing room scene is cramped and you can see that the characters are arguing which reveals the true nature of a beauty competition behind the smiles on stage. The girls appear on the pageant's stage, all wearing the same costume. This shot of the girls represents how people feel as though they have to fit into a stereotype and look a certain way.

The music video also has a running theme of the 1950's decade. The costume and setting represent this aspect. This theme is effective but it was an era when women had a certain stereotype to their name, trying to be 'perfect' and look good.

Camera Shots/ Angles/ Movement/ Composition

The music video consists of a range of camera movements, some close-up to get the expressions of the artist when she is singing, and some wider shots to capture the narrative. 

Editing

The camera cuts, not necessarily with the beat of the music, but from scene to scene, building a narrative of the true difficulty and ugliness of beauty pageants. 

Sound

The music is quieter at the beginning of the music video as the narrative is being set and we as the audience can have a better understanding of the reality of the beauty pageant. We can hear the diagetic sound of talking, hairdryers and nervous breathing to help portray the feelings and goings on at the event.