Magazine Advert Analysis - Miss Miller

The purpose of a magazine album advert

There are various different purposes to an artist displaying adverts for their albums within magazines one of the main objectives being to promote the artist as well as the actual album itself. It is useful for artists to buy pages for adverts in various different magazines not only as it means more coverage but also so that frequent readers of magazines are seeing the advert time and time again meaning that both the artist and their album shall remain in the readers head for longer and more recognisably often people believe that artists who are more well known are better/more successful hence this added media coverage shall benefit the artist. This may also work well as a constant reminder of the up coming album meaning that the audience is less likely to forget about the artist and there album hence meaning that they are more likely to purchase it as it will be something which has been on there mind rather than buying albums from competing artists which they haven't heard so much about.

Having an advert for an artists album within a magazine is beneficial to the artists as it allows them to cover a wider range of the media and reach out to more people interested within the media hence meaning that the artist shall be reaching people who are likely to be interested in music but won't go searching for it meaning that the artist shall face less competition compared to advertising there music on music sites or YouTube this results in the artist being able to pick out members of the audience others won't be focusing on. Keeping away from mainstream outlets of advertisement means that the advert is more likely to be taken notice of as when people are expecting to see adverts they often look past them as they view them as nothing more than an advert urging them to buy a product they don't exactly want or need. Yet when an advert is somewhere it isn't expected people are more likely to acknowledge it as it's something fresh and therefore more interesting to them.

Often artists obtain adverts for their albums within magazines where by the magazine is already displaying the artist for the use of an interview. This benefits both the artist and the magazine as the magazine are able to print a story as well as coming across as a fresh and up to date magazine as they are promoting and documenting new and upcoming talent. Where as it benefits the artist as it is a much more subtle way to advertise hence the audience don't feel bombarded with advertisements for the new album and grow fed up or bored of hearing about the new album and the artist themselves as over advertising can also damage the artists success as the audience may feel that they are too mainstream or due to hearing so much about them decide they want to hear about someone else.

Often if reader  are fans of a particular magazine then they value what the magazine prints; so when a magazine prints an advert promoting both an artist and their up coming album the reader is more likely to become interested in them. Due to the fact that this artist has made it into this magazine, it is widely believed that things printed within magazines including the adverts are all connected not only does the artist have to apply for a position in the magazine but the magazine has to approve it and decide that this is the type of advert which they want to be running with. This applies a sort of backing and support from the magazine to the artist helping and promoting their success.


Soul artist Paloma Faith's album advert:

Within her magazine album advert the artist is represented conventionally towards her chosen genre of soul. The artist is displayed rather creatively via a number of different shots of herself edited together to tell an almost story. Which in itself is conventional of the soul genre as the genre is recognised for being more than just about the beat of the music, the appearance of the artist and the ability the tune has to urge the audience to want to dance wish song of other genres such as dance or pop are often based upon. These genres are thought as obtaining less depth compared to genres such as soul as they are less about the lyrical content and more about superficial things. Soul is thought to be much deeper as artists of the genre are known for putting more thought into lyrics and often more of themselves as they demonstrate their thoughts and feelings throughout their work as well as providing narratives for the audience within their work. Often these stories told throughout their music via the use of both the actual music itself involving the lyrics and the music video aiding it are able to provide the audience with further knowledge on the artist themselves. They either may be representing something or retelling a story which actually belongs to the artist themselves.

The concept of the artist attempting to tell a story where they are various different versions of herself is also conventional towards the soul genre as it implies certain connotations along with the conventional concept of applying a narrative. The idea of their being various different Faith's hints towards mental health conditions as often mental health illness portrayed throughout the media include the suffer seeing things which aren't really there or even possible. Another idea the tied images provide is that the artist is unsure of who she is, this is supported by the fact that all of these different versions of the artist have applied themselves with very differing uses of mise en scene. Although make up and hair styles differ the most noticeable is the change in the artists costume, each one seems to represent a different person entirely, indicating to the audience that the artist is unsure of who she really is. This is conventional to the  genre in a variety of different ways, for one it's artistic which follows codes and conventions towards the genre as artists of the soul genre are thought to take more care and pride into their work than others as it is thought that soul is a genuine talent which means a lot to it's beholders, soul artists are also known for putting on a show hence such a strange display is conventional of that as it implies the same kind of effects. This is also conventional as it may be perceived via some audience members are relatable. Often people go through life feeling confused as to who they are or not really knowing themselves this image for some audience members may be able to represent that as all of the figures of Faith are surrounding one which they all appear to be looking after, this version imparticular isn't wearing anything which suggests much at all her the mise en scene is all rather plain. This allows for the narrative to form that the artist feels as though she is drowning within herself and doesn't really know who she is yet she is forcing herself to carry on and try to find something with her life while trying to adopt certain roles so to carry on and achieve something with her life. Hence all being conventional towards the soul genre as it follows both the idea of providing the audience with a narrative as well as the concept of the artist obtaining a deeper mind-set than other artists and being able to enforce that into their work.

The version of the artist which is perceived to be the real Paloma the one who is struggling with herself is dressed in nothing but a rather revealing robe as it is falling off of her showcasing to the audience certain ideas of the artist which you wouldn't usually expect to be covered up. This follows Goodwin's theory as it demonstrates the idea of female artists being portrayed in a voyeuristic way for the audience to look at which the artist themselves in character doesn't realise. The character isn't allowing her robe to hang like this because she is aware of the audience and wants to attract them; fitting to the narrative she has no idea the narrative exists hence she is unaware of the manner in which she is being perceived. Often female artists are displayed within this way as is it highlights their attractiveness coursing them to be viewed as more desirable to the audience. This urges male members of the audience to be more interested in the artist as they are attracted to her and are hoping that she will soon reveal more as they are exited by the prospect of getting to see more of her. Where as female members often the audience particularly young and impression female members find themselves looking up to the artist as they view her attractiveness for themselves and admire it as well as noticing male members appreciating it which affects them as they begin to see this kind of attention as a positive thing and desire it for themselves. Meaning that they begin to look to the artist as a role model of sorts adopting her ways so to achieve the kind of attention she beholds from the opposite sex. However this does more than simply remind the audience of the artists well looked after, well appreciated figure this kind of admiration and desire the artist creates around themselves means that the audience are likely to remember  and recognise them more easily as they have set a spark within them and created a relationship of sorts. Hence as the artist has been able to capture an affect on the audience they register the artist with this remembering them more for it compared with other artists who they may see and hear of just as much but haven't had that connection with. It is important to artists to stay relevant within the minds of the audience as this means that they are maintaining the audiences interest. There was a trend which consisted of people complaining that a song was 'old' when a song was played which wasn't up to date or fresh. The same connotations are applied to an artist who is seen as being unheard of her a long amount of time, it suggests that they are out of date, almost obsolete and that they are no longer relevant hence meaning the audience is no longer interested.

Low key lighting is used to present the image, this is conventional towards the soul genre as it suggests themes of the artist and their music being fairly dark hence implying that it is quite serious and therefore meaningful to the artist. If this was to be an album advert for a music genre with happier connotations such as pop the lighting would be lighter applying cheery, happy connotations. Due to the lighting a rather mono tone colour scheme is used this emphasises the passion and meaning behind the artists work. This benefits the artist as it portrays that they care a great deal about their music and their fans as they are willing to embody their work with elements of their life which are so personal to them so to achieve a relationship with their audience whilst improving their work making it of a higher standard as it becomes something which not just anyone could create as it is original and personal to them as it comes for their own life experiences.

The setting used for the shot appears rather grand and dated, following codes and conventions of the soul genre as artists of said genre are known for their love of the classic vibes the genres applies, as the genre dates back to the 1950s-60s when the genre was originated in America. Unlike many other genres the soul genre hasn't developed much since it was created still maintaining those classic vibes hence the artist would choose such a location as it showcases that she has a good understanding of the genre and really labels her to it. It is important for the artist to make sure she is showcasing codes and conventions towards the genre within her work as it allows her to prove to her target audience that she really is good enough to stand for the genre. As well as maintaining a good enough knowledge of it to say that she is a fan of the genre and class herself as a part of it. Often audience members of genres are irritated when they feel that their chosen genre isn't being done justice or taken seriously enough. This can lead to members of the audience growing a strong dislike to the audience taking their views to social media platforms such as Twitter even taking their thoughts to the comments section on the artists music videos meaning that they opinion is heard more of and therefore considered more. It may be that other people read these comments and then decide that this was something that should have thought of or realised on their own and agree with that person. Hence it is important for the artist to be careful when portraying the genre; following these codes and conventions means that the artist is able to follow a structure which enables them to please their target audience.

The typography used for the advert is also conventional as it insinuates themes of being of the soul genre as it appears to be similar to the grand sort of writing which came from the period when the genre was created. It is similar to that of the writing expected to see when referring to popular novel 'The Great Gatsby' by F. Scott Fitzgerald which was written just before the period the genre was created hence conventions of the period over lap as elements of said period where still alive as soul was forming. This style of typography benefits the artist in the typical way of displaying codes and conventions towards their chosen genre. It comforts the target audience (the audience of the soul genre) that the artist really is of their chosen genre hinting that the audience should enjoy their work and showcases the artists further knowledge of the genre which goes wider than their music and works of a kind of show stopping performance. Which is also conventional of the genre as soul artists are known for putting on big shows as they did when the genre began still using live original bands etc. as this was what has always been done within the genre.

There isn't much actual language which is beneficial as the audience is less likely to read it if there is a lot as it does interest them as the audience simply views an advert as a way of someone trying to sell them something so to earn money for themselves. However when there isn't much writing and it is presented nicely and boldly often the audience find they can't help but reading it even without noticing as their eyes automatically pick up on it as there isn't much there. However had there been more to it then the audiences attention wouldn't have gone to the writing at all as it would have appeared intimidating and automatically seem like to much writing for the audience. The actual choice of language itself is rather reminiscent of that of the time period in which the genre was created; "A perfect contradiction' the actual title of the album itself follows codes and conventions as it follows the ways in which people spoke within said period which is conventional as the genre hasn't developed much since said period as it's audience are known for adoring the classic vibes of the genre. Displaying this element to the genre is beneficial as it demonstrates the artists true passion and understanding for the genre making there work following it appear more respectable towards the genres audience.

The advert is able to promote the music genre throughout its variety of codes and conventions suiting towards the soul genre. For instance the typography and the use of golden filler lights as well as the use of a complex narrative help the audience to note that this is an album belonging to the soul genre as these are all conventional elements of the genre which the audience have been trained to pick up upon without even necessarily realising it. It is important to make a clear cut away from other genres and clearly display that this album is of the soul genre so that the audience is aware of which members should be purchasing the album due to who it is clearly targeted at. The artist needs to make this clear cut so to ensure that the right audience members are buying into their music as if audience members of the pop genre bought it without realsing then they would likely be disappointed and wouldn't enjoy the music as a member of the soul genre would. Not only is this a waste for said audience member but if enough people make this mistake and find that the don't enjoy the album (which they likely won't as it isn't catered to them) then soon word of the mouth goes around providing the album and the artist with negative connotations being that less and less people shall buy into the artists work or even bother listening to their music. Aside from this if the connotations of the albums genre are unclear then it may be not successful in terms of sales as generally people aren't looking to buy products but products are being made to attract consumers. Hence if the album isn't set to attractive members of the soul audience they aren't likely to purchase it as they won't realise that the album is suited to them. But it is also unlikely that it shall attract other people as it won't be set to any other genre. This demonstrates the important of clearly defining an artists album to its genre.

Paloma Faith's magazine album advert is successful in promoting both the artist as a figure and her upcoming album in a number of ways. The artist clearly constructs her music to the genre of soul which is beneficial as this means that the audience are made aware of the artists genre and therefore know what to expect; this shall prevent any disappointments if the audience are to think that the artist belongs to a different genre and therefore aren't happy with the music meaning that audience members may then go on to spread negative word of mouth surrounding the artist providing her with negative connotations. The artist is presented to be rather creative and artistic as the ideology behind the image presented on the advert is rather complex and edgy which applies more of the artists persona to the advert highlighting her as someone who is really into the arts which suggests that she shall be more able to create a complex and intriguing experience for her audience that other artists. The artists name is in bold and is a lot bigger than the rest of the writing which is important as this means that even if the audience aren't to read all of the information/text on the advert they are made aware of who the album belongs to and the  fact that the artist has a new album coming up; as well as reminding the audience of the artist which keeps her fresh in their minds resulting in her appearing more relevant to the audience as is someone they are easily able to remember. It is essential for an artist to appear relevant to the audience to gain large sums of success and without this negative connotations are applied to the artist suggesting that their work is out dated and that they aren't very good and therefore not worthy of buying into.

Another magazine album advert for a artist of the soul genre I shall be analysing is Adele's advert for her album 21:

The effect of the black and white filters used for both the image of the album itself and the main image presented of the artist are beneficial in promoting the album to its genre of soul. This works so well because the concept of black and white filters remains the audience of the periods when colour film wasn't an option. Hence providing connotations of going back in time which many audience members of the soul genre feel the genre provides for them. This happens as the genre hasn't developed much since the period it was created (1950s-1960s) hence this is conventional as it provides a similar form of escapism back in time for the audience.

The representation of the artist focuses away from the artists looks and more on her as a person. As although two images are show of the artist in both it is made to appear that the artist is unaware of the camera. This highlights to the audience that the artist cares more about creating their music than discovering fame for themselves. This is beneficial as it suggests to the audience that the artist puts more thought and effort into their music therefore conveying that it is of a better standard and quality compared with other artists who focus more on the promotion of themselves. Although like Duffy the artists eyes aren't seen the technique is used in different ways for different effects for the artists Adele doesn't appear to be shy or avoiding anyone as she doesn't appear to be in a rather public setting nor does her public language suggest that she is trying to close herself in as Duffy does as she appears to be keeping herself to herself. Adele simply appears to be in her own element minding her own business not concerned or even aware of anyone around her. This provides a much more confident streak to the artist which applies the concept that the artist has a rather big, powerful vocal chord which is also conventional towards the soul genre. This is because artists of the soul genre are recongised for putting on big stage performances which is naturally made easier by having a big voice as well as it being thought that people with big voices are more confident as they aren't so apposed to be heard. The camera lense is rather close to the artists face on both images applying for close ups which also provides an essence of confidence around the artist being confident as they are shying away from the camera. Also there is the perception that closer up to the camera imperfections are more focused upon hence portraying Adele to be more confident as this is thought to be one of the braver shots.

A yellow shade is also used for the outline of the artists album as well as some of the typography another conventional colour towards the soul genre as well as black and white, dating back to the time when the genre was captured the connotations of the yellow shade remind the audience of the genres element of performance. Conveying to the concept of big flashy lights focusing upon the artist etc.

The actual style of typography itself is rather plain and fairly basic this is beneficial as it demonstrates to the audience that the artist doesn't need to win them over with flashy fonts or even lots of different styles and images as both the advert and the album covers themselves are fairly plain suggesting that the actual quality of the music itself is enough to win the audience over.  This also works with the actual layout and design of the advert being fairly basic. Hence conveying that the music is of  strong content both in lyrical content and in the actual beat to the music as well as the tone of the artists voice. Following codes and conventions of the soul genre as soul artists are thought to be of a better standard and quality due to artists of other genres as they are known for being able to sing live without having to used auto tune etc.

The artists choice of language is also important "AVAILABLE EVERYWHERE NOW" the concept of capitalising this phrase signifies it's importance to the audience. As well as making it seem as though this is going to be a big important event as the audience is use to seeing writing in capitals on adverts for these sorts of things hence this creates the concept that this is going to be a big important thing therefore they feel as though they need to purchase the album. Suggesting that Adele's newest album is set to be a big success therefore encouraging the audience to purchase the album now so that they can join the later hype. The actual choice of language itself also suggests that as the idea of the album being available everywhere suggests that its success is inevitable as 'everywhere' is stocking it. Thus adding further to this concept of this being a really big break through album for Adele which everyone should buy.

Even the Mise en scene of Adele's costume is conventional although not much notice is taken towards it as it is a simple black shirt which is all that is shown. However the colour being conventional helps as well as the idea of her costume being rather simplistic. Unlike artists of other genres including pop artists such as Katy Perry who are known for wearing big extravagant costumes which really grab the audiences attention and interest Adele has opted to wear something which shall not create much attention. Because the artist is portraying to the audience that she wants the focus to be on the quality of her music and not her as an individual. Again this adds to the idea that Adele doesn't need to add these gimmicks so to gain the audiences attention or admiration as her music is enough reinforcing the idea of the quality of her content.


The Mise en scene of the artists make up is also conventional towards the soul genre as it complies of that which you would expect from a woman to wear during the time period of which the genre was created. This is conventional due to the lack of change within the genre since it's birth that artists are still conforming to the genre in the same ways they always have hence also dressing and presenting themselves within the same fashion. Adele achieves this wearing fairly basic base make up, focusing more heavenly on her eyes which was often done throughout the genre. In fact it was often believed that a beautiful big eyed woman was the most beautiful kind within the period hence women focused more so on their eyes as it was what men were thought to be attracted to. This was a time when women cared a lot more about the male perception of them as this was a time when in both America and the UK that the male of the family was the bread winner hence women felt as though they needed a husband meaning that they also sort a mans approval therefore aiming themselves more towards the attraction of men. This is important as the main followers of the soul genre are from the UK and the USA. Adele follows this as her face make up isn't particularity noticeable, almost quite natural and her eyes appear to have a greater amount of attention put on them, her eyelashes look fuller and her eyelids have a clear amount of carefully applied eye-shadow upon them.

Typical representations of women in the 1950s/1960s (UK and America):

The advert is able to promote the music genre as through the use of it's various codes and conventions following towards the genre including the colour scheme, the artists choice of make up, design and layout etc the audience is able to note that the album is of the soul genre. Hence becoming aware of the content of the artists music. The soul genre is promoted in a rather good fashion as the advert appears classical, professional and certainly not over done maintaining the infamous 'classy' style the genre is known for.

Naturally the artist wants to focus the advertisement of her album to members of the soul audience as that is who her target audience is and therefore who the album has been marketed towards. Hence the artist has applied various different codes and conventions towards the soul genre throughout their advertisement so to attractive them. Including the colour scheme, choice of images, lay out and typography used as well as the various different connotations embodied throughout the advert conforming to the soul genre. 

Adele's magazine album advert is successful in promoting both the album and the artist as the advert is able to portray the artist as being someone who is a professional artist as the layout and colour scheme of the advert presents her in a rather professional manner. Keeping the layout and design of the album fairly basic is beneficial as it prevents to the audience that the artist knows how to present and is use to the ways of how the industry works. If the artist was to apply various different images etc. to her advert it would appear that she was trying to hard to impress/attractive the audience which connotes that she is fairly new to the music industry as is focusing too much on attracting the audience and not thinking enough about whether or not what she is creating is aesthetically pleasing and works well together. As well as actually promoting the artist as being true to her persona (the one she is trying to portray to the audience) as Adele promotes herself to be an artist of the soul genre it is important that her advert for her album presents this as otherwise this may lead to confusion with the audience. Often when the audience feel confused via forms of entertainment they simply loose interest as entertainment is meant to be simply be fun. The artist is clearly well suited to the codes and conventions of the soul genre as a black and white colour scheme is applied which is conventional towards the genre as it applies the idea of going back into the past. This is conventional as the soul genre hasn't developed much since it was born (1950s-1960s) hence it often provides the feel of going back in time for it's audience.  The artist is also presented to be a singer of the soul genre through the various uses of Mise en scene which capture the artist to the period the genre was created. As the advert is so simple it courses the audiences attention to be drawn towards the important parts of the advert for instance the artist and the album name itself. If various images were used throughout this would likely course the audience to look past it as it would look rather intimidating as it appears to be too much information which they wouldn't want to bother with. 

The advert is also successful in positively promoting the artist as she is conveyed to be an artist who cares more about her music than she does herself as she isn't shown trying to be flashy or show her body off etc. as many artists do but instead she is seen simply showing her face but nothing more without even appearing that she is particularly trying hard to pose in front of the cameras. This is beneficial as it urges the audience to feel that the artist is more talented as an artist because she focuses more on her actual music which suggests that it is on a high enough standard that she doesn't need to sell herself out by drawing the audiences attention to other areas. This also paints Adele to be a better role model for young girls as she encourages young girls to promote their talent. 

Advertising is a large part of the promotion of an album release. Without advertising the album to the right sector of the audience the artist is setting themselves up for failure as if members of different genres where to purchase the album and decide that they don't like the album which is likely as it isn't catered to them this can lead to a bad word of the mouth spreading regarding the album. Therefore tarnishing it's reputation as well as the artists. Hence it is important to focus on the right target audience for this reason as well as the fact that they are the most likely to buy an album from a soul artist. 

Target audience results - Miss Miller

A target audience is the sector of the audience which the group or individual in question is aiming at or focusing towards often this focus stems from the fact that this thing be it an object or something else was created for the target audience i.e produced with them in mind. A target audience may be used in a variety of different uses for instance so to enable a business to focus a product towards a certain area of the market. This is most helpful as it allows the business to cut down areas of the market which they won't be focusing, on due to these areas of the market not being the most likely to purchase said product, hence the product is able to produce more relevant advertising as the business may cater towards the needs and attitudes of members of that particular sector of the market.

This method may be applied when creating a music video. Artists are prone to aiming their music at a target audience because different members of the music audience are interested in different genres within the industry hence the separate members are split into the category's which are selected after their chosen genres. This is benefits the production of a music video in the same manner that it would a business launching a new product. Enabling those involved in the production and marketing of the artist to analyse the conventions of the genre the artist is following and help them suit their music video to it via following the codes and conventions armed with a range of micro elements including elements of mise en scene, setting, iconography and cinematography etc.

When a media product is being planned the makers behind said product have to consider whether or not the product has an audience. If the answer to this is no then it is extremely hard for the product to sell as their isn't a set sector of the market which producers can secure. Without securing at least one sector of the product would be unable to brunch out and reach other sectors of the market as their is no starting target audience which can promote the product to others. Also if the producers are unable to tie a media product to a certain sector of the market then it suggests that they are underlying existing issues with the actual product itself. After all media based products within the modern world are high in demand and found to be useful to all sectors of  the market even the elderly. Whom are stereotyped as being unable to work with products of new technology but their are even products made and catered towards them, displaying how media based products have been apart of the modern world, something which helps all areas of the market to function in their day to day lives. Therefore it would be rather strange for a media product to be unable to be put towards a certain sector of the

market. 

Originally music belonging to the soul genre was aimed towards African Americans living in the United States this is believed to be the case as it is thought the genre grew from the black experience of America. Although the genre does obtain cross culture appeal due to the lyrics being often being understandable on most levels and universally relateable. Which can be noted via the success of by The Supremes an America all female African American's belonging to the genre.

As well as the success of my chosen artist Amy Winehouse. Although Winehouse's music was aimed towards the audience of the soul genre it was appreciated by fans of various different kinds of music genres, particularly the mainstream audience when reviewing the success of her second album 'Back to Black' which contains some of her most famous hits 'Rehab', 'You know I'm no Good', 'Tears Dry On Their Own' and of course 'Back to Black'. Due to the wider range of audience appreciation which Winehouse's second album received songs from said album found their way onto more mainstream radio stations such as Capital meaning hence contributing to the albums success. Due to the previous success of Winehouse it means that I shall be able to focus towards a larger sector of the audience than simply the soul genre although this will be the main target audience I aim towards. Winehouse's music grew to be loved by all ages hence I won't be discriminating in age when taking out my questionnaires as which may have previously seemed like a good idea as younger members of the audience may not be as familiar with the soul genre as it is often afflicted with older members of the audience plus with the genre being further away from the mainstream compared with genres such as pop younger members of the audience may not have been exposed to the soul genres hence not being able to discover a likeness towards it.

A subculture may be defined as a group of people within a set culture which differentiates from the parent culture which it belongs to hence often some of it's founding principles remain. Subcultures are able to form within the soul genre. Aiming towards them is beneficial for an artist as often members of these subcultures are in contact with other members hence sharing information so that if something really speaks out and reaches them they are likely to share it with those other members. Subcultures are known for creating a big hype on outlets such as social media sites including Twitter and Facebook. These groups are able to create various different trends on social media often involving hashtags for the instance of Twitter

 which can result in them trending whereby other users of said social media site may pick up on them and check them out by clicking on the hashtag which shall take them to a page showing other tweets by users which have the hashtag applied as well as related topics. For example if a hashtag was trending on Twitter talking about a new single from Selena Gomez then the link would also provide relevant information about the artist herself. Where they learn of the artist and their latest work with the fanbase or subculture working as a form of promotion as these spreads further hype as well as awareness with the general public. Aiding the artist in further success helping them to reach out to different audience members. Values of a subculture include conformity and rebellion, attitude to capitalism and consumerism. These are themes which are most commonly associated with with adolescents and young adults. This was a beneficial element to consider when constructing the questions to put into my questionnaire as it provided another reason to ask the participants their age. As a large fairly sum of the participants who took out my questionable fell into this age catergory it means that I shall be focusing my efforts towards this segment which appeals to the audience. I shall achieve this by creating the artist to appear to be someone that these members of the audience are able to relate to via applying her with a persona which suits to their attitudes and behaviors. This suits well with the narrative of both the music video and the actual song itself as the artist is presented to be rather wreckless as she no longer cares for her lover on a emotional or spiritual level however she is happy to continue with a physical relationship with him yet finds herself growing frustrated when he makes applications for more; "I don't want to meet your mother anytime, I just want to rip your body over mine." this is relevant to the themes of the subculture forming within the genre as this provides connotations of people not caring about the social standards/expectations and simply doing and acting upon things as and when they wish not caring for the repercussions. Another instance for which this shall be highlighted will be the 'walk of shame' scene whereby the artist is seen walking home in the early hours of the morning clearly from a night out which suggests themes of rebellion as against this goes against what is seen as socially correct and acceptable. This works with the various scenes where the artist is seen drinking alcoholic beverages as well as scenes where she appears to focusing on her own happiness and fun more than anything else particularly that of her lovers. 

Here is a copy of my questionnaire which I took out so to gain my research:

This was a sufficient question to ask as it meant that I would gain further information on the genre of soul as I would be learning about what other people perceive as relevant to the genre. Which is also beneficial as the people I took the questionnaire out on were likely to be people who were clean slates meaning that they hadn't been taught or studied anything on music videos other than simply exploring them as a form of entertainment. A good perception to have as it meant that I was tapping into the clear mind of an audience member/consumer rather than someone who has extensive knowledge on the subject and is aware of how music videos works and are set up. Involving all of the further work which goes into them such as the marketing tools and codes and conventions used so to entice the audience gaining their full viewing attention and awareness. If I was to interview someone who had studied these subjects I would likely be discovering views which I already had myself or heard from others on my course or even my teachers so hearing this untouched opinions enabled me to go back to the plain and simple mission of the task of a music video to attract the audience.

The language used in the question is a lot more simple than that which would be used when talking to someone who is aware of how the genre works. Instead of out right referring to codes and conventions which are the elements which are expected to be shown within music videos conforming to their genre. Instead I simply asked what the audience would expect to see in a soul music video so not to scare of immediate them via using big language which they wouldn't understand. Also allowing for a more casual atmosphere meaning that the participants felt more at ease therefore more naturally able to present views as they truly felt them.

Although I had already planned to showcase both a performance and narrative based music video as simply providing one could be fairly boring loosing the audiences interest therefore being unable to perform it's job. But also not portraying the artist in the best possible light as it portrays their work as rather limited and un-experimental. However it was still important for me to discover how the general audience preferred their music videos to be based so that I could focus more so on the area hence conforming more to the audience's wishes. This will allow the audience to feel more at ease with the music video as they are viewing more of what they like hence allowing them to feel that the artist is more relatable to them as they are providing the audience with elements to music videos which they like suggesting that the artist and the audience share many things in common. I didn't add the suggestion of a concept based music video as I already had already decided that this was a route in which I wanted to go down as it didn't really suit the soul genre and the idea of having a concept behind your song or music video is a lot more indie. Soul is a lot more about telling a story or informing the audience of the artists thoughts and feelings. The results of this questionnaire also helped me to prove my theory that the audience are able to feel more of a connection with the artist when they view them performing. This theme is created as often whilst performing the artist directs their lip sync and often makes eye contact with the lenses which creates for a more intimate feel as the audience forget about the camera the artist is actually singing into and feels as though the artist is singing directly to them. It also suggests that the artist is trying harder to form a connection with the audience as they aren't shying away from the camera by keeping distance from it but they are physically closer to it which suggests that they are trier to become closer to their audience. This urges the audience to consider that the artist cares more for their audience as they are attempting to create more of a personal connection with them which suggests that the artist cares more about the audiences experience. This makes the artist appear to be a more positive role model as they present themselves to be someone with a genuine talent armed with their passion rather than just being someone who has broke into the music industry as a means of creating money and fame for themselves. This is the kind of attitude which makes an artist appear more likeable meaning that the audience feel as though they are able to relate to the artist more easily whilst viewing them as someone who they could get along well with meaning that they are more likely to root for the artists success in doing so making them more likely to purchase their music. So to create these positive effects within my own music video I have opted to host a range of performance scenes within my music video. For instance there shall be a scene whereby the artist is seen performing in what appears to be a typical jazz bar/café. This particular scene shall add further to the intimidate themes as the audience feel as though the artist is putting this performance on for them. This is hinted at as I purposefully chose not to film any audience members within the scene. The artist shall also build upon this through the use of close ups and making eye contact with the audience. Another scene which this shall be done for will be the bedroom scene as the artist is seen performing as she lip syncs and dances as she is in a rather personal setting this is also able to suggest that the artist is trying harder to allow a bond to form between them and their audience as they are seen trying to provide the audience with further personal information about themselves.

It was beneficial to ask participants what interests them in music video as this meant that I could use their answers constructively and consider what I could input into my music video so to impress the audience again on a boarder scale. This also prevents me from focusing too much on the soul genre which could be over sold. Although it is important to provide codes and conventions towards my chosen genre throughout my music video it is possible to add to many codes and conventions which may appear to audience members that the artist is trying too hard to fit to the soul genre which stops it from flowing naturally hence taking away from the sophisticated soul vibes created and trying the music video into an almost joke. So making use that I am also filling my music video with other elements of the industry which the audience enjoys will benefit me as it blocks the over selling of the soul genre, keeping the audiences attention away from this concept and noticing the other elements which they enjoy. This all makes the music video more fresh as it's more exciting and entertaining seeing a variety of different things rather than just remaining with the same sort of theme because as the music video progresses it begins to become rather predictable. As you can see a large sector of the participants stated that they are interested via the dancing used within music videos. Hence I shall be incorporating dance routines within my music video  as I know this is what the artist likes meaning that I shall be pleasing my audience engaging them with by applying methods which I know they enjoy viewing hence ensuring their interest within the music video. However as dance routines are more conventional towards genres such as Pop and HipHop than they are to the soul genre although the dances taken out throughout the music video shall be choreographed they shall be made to appear more causal so to continue suiting to the genre. If the dance routines where to look more professional and planned this may confuse the audience as this suggests conventions towards said genres. Which is something to avoid as confusing the audience can lead to further issues with their intake of the experience, preventing the audience from being able to connect with and follow the narrative properly therefore urging them to loose interest.

Finding out the participants age was helpful as it allowed to me to discover the ages of different audience members meaning that I would be able to pin point any correlation between particular ages and different genres. Noting this means that I will be able to also focus my music video around the concept of the participants age. If I was to learn that a large sum of the soul genre where of a fairly young age then I would have to conduct my music video in a more responsible way as I would have to cater towards what is suitable for this audience meaning no strong references towards drinking a lot experimenting with drugs, sexual connotations etc. Not only does this course ethical issues for the artist and result in older members of the music audience including the younger audiences parents and guardians are likely growing to dislike the artist possibly even in extreme cases creating hate campaigns against them but it also effects the artist as the elements won't be relatable or possibly even understood via younger audience members. I would also decide to aim my music video more towards a younger audience therefore applying things within my music video which I knew a younger audience would be more interested which may mean a different colour scheme or tone to the music video or a whole host of other aspects to the music video how I would appeal to a younger audience would differ once having thoroughly planned out my music video so that I know the exact direction in which it was heading as well as what the artist is trying to bring across with the music video. Once obtaining all of this information I shall look into what appeals to a younger audience and demonstrate this aspects throughout my music video. Due to the lack of being able to relate to the music video younger audience members are likely to loose interest as they are unable to build a relationship. The concept of the younger audience not being able to understand what is happening obtains the same negative effects as due to images within the video etc going over their head the artist is unlikely to be able to find themselves interested via the music video and therefore loose interest preventing the music video from doing it's job of promoting both the artist and the actual song behind the video. 

Noting the participants age is another beneficial element to my research as again like with the age this allows me to pick up on any correlation between sex and other questions such as whether they are actually interested in the soul genre discovering if there is a particular gender which prefers the genre enables me to be able to focus my music video towards one gender in particular. Often it is believed that there  are certain divides regarding the two genders such as the concept of buying blue items for a new born baby boy and pink for a new born baby girl.  Naturally providing more of these elements gaining more of the audiences interest without them even possibly noticing as these elements are added in so causally yet are thought to naturally attract them. Discovering if there is any correlation between the sex which is most commonly known for listening to the soul genre is helpful as this means that I am able to note other aspects which are preferred via the chosen gender and apply these further into my music video so to ensure that I am apply themes, pieces of iconography etc which I am aware that shall be pleasing to my target audience. This shall work as it means that it shall be attracting these members of the audience in more ways meaning that they are more likely to feel a deeper connection with both the artist and their work as it appears that they are further able to relate to the artist as they seem to share more elements in common with them as the artist is portraying more aspects to their personality which the audience enjoys. This is  an important part of the artist forming a relationship of sorts with their audience as the audience feel as though they are finding these elements of common ground for themselves and they aren't simply being thrust upon them. This is beneficial as often when audience members feel as though the artist is forcing elements to their representation of playing up to a certain image which isn't really them this makes them become rather unlikeable as audience members feel that the artist is false preventing them from being able to build a relationship with them and simply viewing them as someone who has entered the industry as a means to making money. The audience feeling as though they have picked up on these elements for themselves is beneficial as the concept of them being similar becomes more realistic to them therefore strengthening this bond. It also makes it feel more personal to each individual audience member. Rather than them feeling as though the artist is relatable as a whole and that she many audience members will find that they are able to relate to the artist on different levels  but they feel as though this is a connection that they alone share with the artist. Making it more personal to them again strenghening the relationship as they believe that they are so similar to the artist and therefore would be able to appreciate their company and get along well with them. This is important as it means that the artist is almost able to create the image of a friend or family member around them as the audience are rooting so strongly for them to do well. Meaning that they are therefore more likely to purchase the artists music and spread positive word of mouth around about them both in person and through various different forms of social media such as Twitter and Facebook. As the pie chart demonstrates that the soul genre audience is made up more so of female members this means that I shall focus elements of my music video more towards the female members. This also confirms that I made the right choice selecting a female artist, as the genre is most often listened to by female audience members this means that they are more likely to be looking to female audience members as they are more likely to be able to relate to them than they are a male artist as they would have endured similar struggles as most women find that they suffer at the hands of the same everyday struggles. Which is important as the audience often find that they like to feel as though they are able to relate to the artist as this makes them more likeable which is more important within the soul genre as the genre is all about being relatable as the genre focuses more so on quality compared with other genres even on the actual quality of the lyrics and how they are written.  One struggle which women often feel that they can relate to each other on is the struggles they face with men regards to relationships. Hence this shall be highlighted through the concept of my narrative throughout my music video which showcases the estranged relationship between the artist and her ex lover.

Discovering how popular the soul genre is helps me to gain a realistic expectation of how many people will be interested in my music video. Luckily as you can see from my results a lot of people enjoy the genre however if they didn't I would likely consider changing genres and going with a different artist. Or I may decide to focus on using a wider variety of conventions from different genres however this would be rather messy and may not work as their wouldn't be a set segment of the audience this video would be aiming towards and therefore wouldn't be found to be relatable by such a large group of people which would likely have a knocking effect upon the music videos success and it's ability to perform it's job of promoting the artist and the song as not enough people would care or even really remember the music video as it didn't mean anything to them due to it's inability to form some sort of a connection with the audience. As you can see from the results from many audience members found that they thought the genre was relateable which is important to note as it highlights that the audience are able to pick up on elements of the genre which artists are mainly trying to convey to their audience. This allows me to feel safe in the knowledge that it isn't just people involved within the production of music and music videos that will be able to understand what I am trying to portray with my music video but also the general public. This is good as it means that I can explore elements in a less obvious way knowing that the audience are well enough equipped to follow the narrative and understand with anything having to actually be out right stated for them to understand. Having to do so would likely ruin the experience of the music video preventing it from doing it's job of promoting both the music video and the artist providing positive connotations upon both. This also informs me that it is beneficial to really emphasis elements of my music video whereby the artist is attempting to promote herself as relatable as the results prove the being relatable really is conventional towards the genre of soul not just in the minds of people who understand how music works and have studied it but also by the general audience who simply listen to music for amusement. This is essential as without providing strong codes and conventions towards the genre throughout the music video it is likely that the audience would become confused and therefore unsure of the artists work as they are unable to quite work out what they think of it or label it. Codes and conventions are what make up a genre so if the audience are unable to pick up on these then the music video doesn't exactly conform to the genre. The codes and conventions are the elements of the genre which the audience picks up upon and enjoys as these are what they recognise as forming the genre. It is also these codes and conventions belonging to the genre which inform the audience of the artist's chosen genre either through looking at images of them, advertisements of them or even watching their music videos. Hence these codes and conventions work as they promote the artist as being of their chosen genre which is important as if members of the soul genre audience aren't seeing these codes and conventions then they aren't going to be aware that the artists music is of the genre. Even if they are aware of the artists music from previous albums etc. as artists are often known for changing their genres and expressing themselves in different ways when creating new music for example Rhianna is an artist who is well recognised for doing this think of her earlier work for instance 'Pom de replay' compared to her music of late. Without viewing these codes and conventions suiting to the genres style the audience aren't to know that the artists music is suited to them hence they aren't likely to bother looking into it or purchasing it as it isn't promoted as being suitable for them. It is also important that artists don't provide codes and conventions towards other genres which may mislead the audience as this can lead to audience members from different genres buying to the artists music and feeling particularly disappointed as the didn't receive what they thought they were purchasing. This can often result in bad word of the mouth from audience members as they find they don't enjoy the artists music as it hasn't be altered to their desires despite the fact that the artist may be very talented in another genre this won't attract them as this isn't the audience members preference therefore meaning that they are likely to spread negative word of mouth around about the artist and their music meaning that less people are likely to buy it. This shall also provide further negative connotations upon the artist if they try to launch new music again in the future as although audience members may have forgotten the issues with the artist in the past the negative name remains and connotations remain. It was good to note that twenty per cent of participants weren't sure as this suggests that these audience members didn't properly understand what the soul genre was made up of. To me this appeared to be a rather strong percentage. Had this question been asked regarding a different genre for instance pop or rock it is likely that the percentage would be lower as these genres tend to be understood better as the often people feel that the codes and conventions of the genre are cut clear whereas often people find that they get confused between the conventions of soul and jazz and even the blues. This is shown me how important it is to really emphasis the conventions towards the soul genre used within my music video it is a harder genre for the general audience to pick up on. It is important to ensure that the audience are aware of what genre the artist belongs to as this enables me to make sure that the correct audience members are attracted to the artists work and that they are the ones whom are purchasing it. If members of different genres purchase the artists music they are likely to be disappointed and therefore spread negative word of mouth about the artists music providing them with negative connotations as they didn't have a positive experience of the artists work. This also ensures that the artist is able to convey her thoughts and feelings to her chosen audience as she has dedicated her music towards them therefore having built this bond with them which she wouldn't be able to capture with a different audience; preventing her music from being able to live up to it's capacity as the wrong audience who aren't prepared to appreciate it and understand it to it's finest detail are the ones who are experiencing it. 

Asking this question meant that I had a insight as to whether or not the general audience enjoyed the way that music videos are being presented today. As my results indicate that most of the people who participated within my questionnaire appreciate the ways in which music videos are made and presented today. I shall be continuing with the current theme of music videos today, however if my results showed that the general audience weren't fans of how  music videos are being produced today then I would have looked into music videos from previous times/eras and consider why people may prefer music videos of these periods, find what elements of the music videos are better which I may be able to recreate within my own and use these elements as pieces of inspiration. Because the general audience enjoy music videos today this means that I am able to analyse music videos which are currently in the charts and discover/note elements to these which I like, find are working well, can see forming connections with the general audience and aspects which I can see working well within my own music video. It is all well and good watching a music video belonging to the dance genre and deciding that I like certain elements/codes and conventions which have been used within these music video however applying them to my own may not be beneficial for a number of reasons. For instance this could ruin the audiences experience of the music video as they are expecting a music video suiting to the soul genre as this is the style of music the artist has created as well as the general representation she has provided the audience with of herself. Hence if the artist was to add various codes and conventions belonging to the dance genre this may confuse them. As whilst they are able to see these connections with the dance genre they are unable to see as many with the soul, not only may this disappoint the audience as they are unable to spot elements to the music video they were expecting and looking forward to from the artist but it shall also confuse them as the music does belong to the dance genre but the visuals do. Often this sense of confusion shall turn the audience away from the artist and their music as they want to find music which they can instantly enjoy and relate to rather than feeling as though they are having to look for the good within the music.

As I am using Winehouse as my chosen artist I decided that it would be a good idea to discover what the perceptions and views of her are. Meaning that I would be able to act upon these elements which people really recognise with her even today.Which I shall then be able to use within my own music video so to be able to recreate the classic Winehouse atmosphere which made her so adored via her fans. As well as enchancing my ability to conform to the soul genre as I am closely following the actions of an artist of said genre therefore picking up said elements from her. Also Winehouse may have been able to create fresh conventions towards the genre of her own if I was to then follow these elements within my own music video and it become successful they would then become actual conventions towards the genre which would also help my music video to be more remembered and go down in history for it's role in this conventions creation. 

It was also essential to note what the audience thought of the artist in order for me to create a successful music video because the elements which the audience most noticeably picked up on and still remember today are most likely to be there favourite and most conventional aspects to the artist. Hence noting these elements is most beneficial to the production of my music video as it means that I am able to find pieces of inspiration from these elements for my own music video which shall work so to attract the audience in the same ways as they did in music videos I took the inspiration from. For instance one of the things audience members most noticed about Winehouse and her portrayal of herself was that she was an attractive artist. This is likely to link back to the concept of the artist dressing and styling herself in the manner of a typical female artist of the soul genre. For instance the artist applied the stereotypical make up techniques you would expect from an artist of the genre as it connotes back to the kinds of make up women applied during the period of which the genre was created (1950s/1960s) a period which the genre has seldom developed from as the audience enjoy the classical vibes of the genre. So to achieve this look Winehouse wore fairly simple looking base make up, highlighting her cheeks as well as often going over her lips to make them stand out and emphasising her eyes through the use of her signature winged eyeliner. Another signature piece of the artists which is conventional towards the genre would be her infamous 'beehive' hairstyle which is well suited to the soul genre as often women within the time period would make their hair bigger as a fashion statement. Although Winehouse's appearance is certainly conventional towards her chosen genre this isn't the only reason that the audience view the artist in an attractive manner. This likes comes for the voyuersitic approach in which the artist is presented within throughout her music videos. This is beneficial as it encourages the audience to build a stronger relationship with the artist as they view her through a different manner meaning that they are open to further connections with her. It was also comforting to know that out of everyone to participated within my questionnaire only 8% found my chosen artist boring as this meant that I had picked an artist who the general audience found they have interest in meaning that they would therefore be more likely to feel interested within my own music video. Viewing it as both a tribute to the artist as well as enjoying the same elements which have been used within Winehouse's music videos which shall be used in mine for instance the voyuerstic representation of the artist,  the same iconography elements for instance the use of alcoholic beverages, as well as the performance styles of the artist. If more of the participants had decided that they found the artist to be boring I may have opted to look into more of the artists work and work out which elements I thought the audience may have found boring or uninteresting and either changed/adapted them or left them out. I may also have opted to have looked into a different artist if it was appearing that the artist was really boring as it would have meant that I would have been able to find a more interesting artist to create a music video for which would have interested my audience further.

As evidence of my research when I got out so to fill out my pie charts which I will then go on to use so to help me create a successful music video suitable to my target audience which is members of the soul genre. But also branching out and creating a more universally likeable music video as more people shall find it interesting as enjoyable as I shall aim to add things which I know audience members of other genres prefer to see. I was able to do this simply via questioning of different audience members with different views on the genre of soul, hence I spoke to people I knew were fans of the genre, people who didn't mind the genre and people who I knew did not enjoy the genre.

Vox pops:

Another element to my research involved the filming of my vox pops which shows people vocally answering the questions to my questionnaire. It was essential to film vox pops as it provides me with further evidence of my research which helps me back up my points when speaking to other parts of my production team etc. as I am able to show them that I really have put effort into my research whilst highlighting that my research has been taken out properly and I really do know what I'm talking about. Recording Vox pops also enabled me the chance to connect more with my participants which was important as it meant that if they had any questions I was able to answer them. This also meant that I knew people were taking out the questionnaires seriously comforting me in the knowledge that I had sufficient answers which were reflective of the general audience for music as a whole. Speaking to participants meant that I was able to gather further information from them as if I liked an answer to a question I was able to poke further on this so to gain more information which I could then take back with me and apply to my production, if there answer was simply recorded on a piece of paper I wouldn't be able to perform so meaning which would be less effective. This experience also allowed me a deeper insight into the participants as meeting them meant that I had a much better understanding for them than I did than those who simply answered on sheets of paper. As I was able to see them for myself and therefore note any differences or similarities between participants answers and see if any forms of correlation were taking place. As you can see from my vox pops the older members appeared to have a better knowledge of music meaning that they were able to provide more complicated answers. Hence I was able to apply this further with the subject of the participants ages as this taught me that so to aim for older audience members it would be important to focus more so on the quality/standards of the music video e.g put more thought into the narrative. Some music videos for instance 'Complicated' by Avril Lavigne provide a narrative to their music videos however there fairly shallow and focus more on the element of the artist performing, as shown in this music video although the artist provides the tale of her and her friends 'crashing the mall' the narrative itself doesn't run particularly deep and provide the audience with any further information regarding the song and the lyrics. This is someone older audience members considering my results are likely to pick up upon and be put off by as they want to be provided with what they believe to be a better viewing experience and not simply the artist promoting themselves. This was worth noting as it encouraged me to focus more on the narrative behind the music video, rather than simply sticking to the lyrics of the song and presenting the artist to be struggling with frustrations brought on by a lover who doesn't seem able to accept that her relationship now purely physical I decided that it would create more of a relationship with the audience if they felt more able to connect with the narrative which meant that the story-line needed more to it. Due to this I opted to present the audience with questions via creating juxtaposition within my music video to highlight the chance which has taken place with the artists life. I want the audience to be really effected by the music video and to create this I need to get them thinking. So I decided to create the query of what went wrong in the relationship to change the artists attitude in such a dramatic way by showing flashbacks of the artist with her boyfriend before things went wrong. Without this the audience are likely to mistake the narrative for the artist simply being someone who is interested in a physical relationship but isn't interested in the emotional ties which come with an actual relationship. This portrays more of a depth to the artist which the audience are encouraged to explore, this can helps to create hype amongst both fans of the artist and general fans of the music industry as this allows them to discuss views and interpretations of the music video creating further hype around the music video encouraging more and more audience members to watch it, whilst applying positive connotations upon the artist as she appears to be a very creative being who is able to get people talking suggesting that she is in interesting person and a talented artist.

When looking to appeal to the audience it can be beneficial to not always look at the audience (even the target audience) as a whole but more in sectors. For instance within a target audience for a particular genre there may also be a subculture. A subculture may be defined as a group of people who are united through a common value system and the same tastes this may involve topics such as clothes, music, politics etc. A subculture is a group which is positioned outside of the mainstream, hence they go against whatever the mainstream may be. A subculture may be even more likely to form within the audience for the soul genre than other genres as the genre of soul itself may be considered fairly far away from the mainstream as the music of the genre doesn't typically consist of that which you would expect to see or hear from the mainstream. Due to this I decidedly to look into the values of a  subculture more closely so that I would be able to apply them throughout my music video and hint towards them through the representation of my artist. Some values of a subculture include; conformity and rebellion, attitude to capitalism and consumerism and traditional or 'neophyte'. Grant McCracken believes that the post-modern world is full of diversity, dynamism and creativity. McCracken states that if we look at the array of values, and ideologies then we can't say all subcultures come from one culture. His theory follows that subcultures come from various cultures, but are able to be 'self-sufficient'. The centre for contemporary cultural studies otherwise referred to as CCCS obtain a view contrasting that of McCracken. The group assumes that all subcultures come from one culture as they are a reaction to the mainstream. Another theory belonging to Hebdige argues that if you look deeper there is enough richness to warrant renaming 'subcultures' as little cultures. The CCCS generalises subcultures to be the same. It doesn't consider that teens will change between subcultures or mix and match subcultures. Also don't take into account that adults may only perform to subcultures at specific times e.g. weekends. Having fully looked into and researched the concepts of subcultures and how they may impact my music video and representation of my artist I decided to input some of their values into my music video. For instance my artist is represented to be rebelling as she is shown to be going through a faze in her life where she is changing as there is a contrast between the artists current behaviours and how she was in the flash back scenes. As the artist is seen in the present indulging in heavy alcohol abuse and living a rather wreckless party girl lifestyle where as in the flashbacks she appears a lot calmer. Hence this presents a form of rebellion as the artist appears to be going against the life she once had planned out for her and is indulging in rather dangerous and often redeemed unacceptable behaviour.

It is important to focus on the target audience as this helps both the artist and the production team to create a set of guide lines suiting this chosen segment of the audience which is set to attract them. Involving codes and conventions, music video styles etc. fore-filling the desires of the audience therefore satisfying them with this positive experience. Which audience members can then go on to spread positive word of mouth about spreading awareness of the artist and their music to audience members of other genres which encourages them to listen as they hear that it is quality music which is representative of the soul genre. Without this the artist would lack in sales meaning that she would likely be dropped by her record label as she wouldn't be creating any revenue for them. 

Applying for music copyright

The copyright law originated in the UK, the current copyright law/ act  is the copyright, designs and patents act 1988.

The law gives the creators of music and original music video the rights to control the ways in which their material is used. Said rights cover broadcast and public performance, copying or adapting, renting, issuing and lending other copies to the public. In many cases the original author shall also have rights to be credited for this new work. Copyright may be used for any form of creative work not just within the music industry.  It is put in place so to protect ones creative work.

Although the laws have been put in place that doesn't mean that copyright laws have never been broken. Artist Vanilla ice came onto the scene with his hit number one single 'Ice Ice Baby' . Ice had altered the rhythm to the baseline of Queen and Bowies hit single 'under pressure' which didn't go unnoticed although the artist supposedly applied this in an attempt to avoid question of royalties, credits, license or permission. Although the case never went to court as it was ruled evident that Ice had stolen the sample without Queen and Bowie's permission, Ice settled outside of the courts with the artists for an undisclosed but believed to be very high amount. Ice's single has since released many different versions of the song following all of the legal producers.

Here is my email to mediauk@umusic.com:

As a group we had to apply for permission to Univerisal music group (the owners to the rights and permission to Winehouse's work). We had to do this due to the company having copyrighted Winehouse's work. Obtaining copyright permission (i.e mission from the person who owns the works) is known as licensing. Once you have gained permission you have a license to use said work as you wish within the legal terms.

We made sure to apply for copyright permission as without doing so you may face consequences such as being sued by the owner which can often be for large sums as was the case with Justin Bieber and Usher.

People have been known to operate with works either illegally or through ignorance meaning that they use or apply other peoples work without having applied for consent. The problem in doing so is that ignoring the ethical issues would be that the more successful a project becomes the more likely the owner of the works is likely to hear of it and therefore seek action of meaning that you shall be sued large sums which is not only harmful for your bank account but can also form much publicity therefore damaging your reputation and credibility as a creator, questioning ones creative abilities.

It has been known that people avoid the permission process as they don't understand it, believe that it's too complicated or even too expensive however this is not the case. The fee is commonly under £200 when considering how much can be made of these works is really just a cost of production etc however in many other cases it is also free for instance in the case of me and my group creating our own music video. However the lawsuit for dealing with an unauthorised usage are known for costing a lot more and lead to a lot more time and effort in comparison.

Unfortunately we haven't received a reply  however this does mean that we are able to continue proceeding our music video regardless as we tried as much as we possibly could to inform the company they may have read our email and simply choose not to reply. Hence by rights we are able to carry on as the company had a chance to prevent our filming from taking place but didn't, plus we have done everything we could to receive permission the company clearly aren't that interested therefore in the eyes of the law we aren't committing an offence by carrying on.