Post-Modernism

There are a lot of different definitions for post-modernism and it has been used in different ways at different times. It suggests how everything is a copy of a copy and it's not an individual genre but instead a evolved genre. For music videos the idea relates to the fact that Music Videos copy each other through the use of Intertextuality, Playing with Conventions, Bricolage (in art or literature - construction or creation from a diverse range of available things.),Hybridization etc. Therefore they use other videos to create their own, no idea is really unique. A few of the artists that can be considered post modernists are; Lady Gaga, Lorde, The Beatles, Madonna, Iggy Azalea, Nicki Minaj, Green Day etc.

Dominic Strinati - a key post modernist theorist suggests how post modernist TV and film has become preoccupied with surface style and imagery rather than deep underlying themes. Kaplan (1987) found how pop and rock videos show post modernist culture as they abandon all notion of narrative structure - he says there is no attempt to 'tell a story' but to rather show off the power of the video by showing random images with the music.

Post-modernists also see society as hybrid instead of unique, they feel as though young people now a days can pick and choose what they like and blend it together. This is used a lot in music videos to create an even better effect than the last best thing. A good example of this is how Hip Hop and House music use sampling to create new music styles from existing records (David Guetta - Shot me Down) This brings sounds together that come from quite different genres.

Let's take Lady Gaga - Telephone for the main example.

Lady Gaga's videos always have a cinematic feel to them this is done through the use of pastiche, this means she imitates elements of the cinema on small screen. She goes against convention as her music videos are more absurd and risque but this links into the key post modernist view of Lyotard who suggests there is a grand narrative of things (metanarrative) - this is shown as there is a lack of a strong message being present in this video but still there is a clear narrative shown.

She also makes reference to rude messages being said to her by the media when the guard says how 'I told you she didn't have a ****' this is done in a lot of pop videos to argue back what the media is saying without a lot of backlash. Looking at Andrew Goodwins theory of narrative the video is clearly disjunctive which is considered as a post-modern element. Its very post modern as it's trying to break from the norm and give off a better effect by using more than one location (picking and choosing) and using a highly combined disjunctive way to present the video.

A fair bit of product placement is shown in the video from diet coke cans, virgin phones and beats. This buys into the idea of consumerism which is a very marxist concept.

In relation to the video we will be making it's clear that we will take ideas from other older videos to make our own unique video. Our group is even using the hybrid genre of indie pop & rock therefore showing it's not original and is instead a bricolage of genres.

Inspirational Videos

The 1975 - Sex

The 1975 is a big inspiration for us as we want to do the song which is sang in this video. The motif across a lot of their videos is clearly the black and white over the clips. This can be taken and used in our music video as well. There was a music video released for the album which is different as it is shot in colour which is unique for this band. 

Echosmith - Bright

Similar styles can be found between the 1975 and Echosmith as they both show the bands playing instruments and singing without any cuts to narratives. This is usual for the indie pop genre as it shows the artists as making their own music instead of pop artists who sing whatever they're given. 

The Lumineers - Hey Ho

This again shows the artists singing and playing. Again another motif is the fact all are shot in one area/scene such as a room, hallway or barn. This cuts down the places we need for location and will make it easier to film. 

Chosen Genre

Our group discussed what genre we wanted over the app 'Whatsapp'. Conor and me initially spoke about it to find out which ones we wanted and then we finalized the agreement between Olivia and Daniel.

Our Chosen Genre: A Hybrid of Indie Pop and Rock

Extra Research Into Genre

Daniel Chandler 2001 - The word genre comes from the word for 'kind' or 'class'. The term is widely used in rhetoric, literary theory, media theory to refer to a 'distinctive type of text'

Barry Keith Grant 1995 - He suggests that subgenres allow the audience to identify them specifically by their familiar and what becomes the recognisable characteristics.

David Buckingham 1993 - 'Genre is not...simply "given" by the culture: rather, it is in a constant process of negotiation and change'

Nicholas Abercrombie 1996 - 'the boundaries between genres are shifting and become more permeable'

Andrew Tudor 1974- 'a genre...defines a moral and social world'

Jason Mittell 2001 - He argues that industries use genre to sell products to the audiences, media producers use familiar codes and conventions that often make reference to their audiences knowledge of society & other texts.

Rick Altman 1999 - Genres offers audiences a 'set of pleasures' (this basically means the genre of your text will provide subcultures/target audiences with satisfaction upon the consumption)

Christian Metz 1974 -  He argues that genres go through a typical cycle of changes during their lifetime.

Steve Neale 1995 - 'genres are instances of repetition and difference...difference is absolutely esstion to the economy of genre; mere repetition would not attract an audience' He also states how 'genres are a process of systemisation' meaning that they change over time.

All of these theories are applicable to modern day music videos. Jason Mittell's point refers to the idea of product placement and intertextuality a great example that shows this is when any type of Beat product by Dr.Dre appears in a music video or pepsi/coke etc. Other references can be made by using other texts such as film or tv and this can be referenced in the video.

Dr.Dre in Robin Thicke 'Blurred Lines'

Coca-Cola in Lady Gaga's 'Telephone'

Steve Neale and Christian Metz argue how genre can change and it does not stay stale this links to Martin Loop's theory that it blends and becomes more than just one specific genre. This is where subgenres are introduced and as Barry Keith Grant states, subgenres can allow the audience to identify more types of genres through the fact they all develop certain characteristics, If a usual rock artists makes a pop style video it's easily noticeable through the convention of the pop genres.

Researching Genre (Group Work)

Martin Loop & Jim Collins

Martin Loop: 

Genres are not pure, they are a blend

Many music videos now are more of a blend of genres than a pure genre examples of this can be found in recent music videos. As an artist develops and grows their genre and styles can change and grow whilst they do. An example of this shows through One Direction. In their first album from 2011 (Up all night) they focused primarily on a pop genre, this is due to the idea they are just starting out and need a good and suitable image. The music video 'what makes you beautiful' is one of the best-selling singles of all time.




Their second studio album released in 2012 (Take me home) is much more rock influenced. Their third studio album released in 2013 (Midnight memories) has taken it back to pop but kept its rock song. A similar pattern is being shown in this journey as they are extending out to rock they keep their music very pop to reach out to the target audience of young females. With the last album Four they claim to be more edgier but it's clear they do not want to escape the pop genre as it would create a different image therefore their music videos relate to the pop genre.  Overall they are a blend as their music changes to more rock but they like to stay within the pop genre for their music videos. An example being shown in Steal my girl - they start of with a grungy feel but it just falls into the similar pattern of the boys having fun and being ridiculous.

Jim Collins

Hybridization

This means when two genres join together and create a subgroup or entirely new genre. A good example of this is Paramore, they fit under many categories such as Alternative Rock, Pop, Punk, Emo, Power pop and Pop Rock. Thats what you get can be referred to as Pop rock however the video breaks from pop convention and looks a lot more like a rock video.

This is in stark contrast to their later video 'Still into you' which is a lot more pop and the music video also stays in very strict convention with it. An example being none of the band members playing their instruments which is a reoccurring theme in pop music videos. 

Genre Theory

Genre is when one or more media texts fit into a similar style/theme and can be recognised as the same type of style. The style is created by the editing, mis-en-scene, cinematography and sound and the way it's executed this creates similar characteristics in the videos. An example of this is a Pop Genre where they all hold the same type of theme of upbeat, happy, dance and fun and artists can be linked to this and example of this is Taylor Swift and Katy Perry having the same genre.

There also is subgroups suggesting their is genres of genre. Every genre has similar forms and conventions this is refereed to as a repertoire. If an artist is not one genre they create a hybrid genre.

Research on Andrew Goodwin

Andrew Goodwin theorizes that music videos have specific rules that are followed in order to make a music video.

1. Music videos demonstrate a typical genre characteristic
This means that a lot of artists genre's influence their videos. Rock and Metal videos will be loud and grungy where as Pop videos will present itself as upbeat and happy. Some artists might stray from this to be controversial but a lot of artists stay true to their genre and type of music video. Music videos can also link to other media texts such as Rock videos are/can be influenced by horrors.

2.The notion of looking/Voyeuristic treatment of the female body
This refers to the idea that there is an emphasis on the way a man/woman looks in a music video and if there is any sort of direct eye contact with the viewer. A lot of artists use the idea of sex sells and they intentionally make the female/male over sexual to sell more albums and look more controversial. An artist like this can be Miley Cyrus or Nicki Minaj. In society today it is very much the women who are over-sexualised in videos in comparison to males.

3. Their is a relationship between the music, lyrics and visuals
This can be either illustrative, amplifying or contradicting. A lot of artists like to have their videos be entertaining and therefore they may not even be a relationship between the music, lyric and visuals. However a lot of videos like to illustrate the points through dance or just show it as literal on the screen.

4. Demands of the Label
Many artists who are signed to big labels have to adhere to certain things whilst creating a music video. The label often demands close ups of the artists and they will try and make the artist develop a motif across their videos. An example of this is Sia - she is signed to numerous amounts of labels (none of the big 3) and across her work she uses a young dancer Maddie Ziegler as a girl in a white wig. This makes a video recognizable and for the artist to have a particular style. Some artists tell stories through their videos and they are later used in other videos such as Sia with Chandelier, Big Girls Cry, Elastic Heart then Fire meet Gasoline and Neon Trees with Animal then Lessons in Love.

5. Inter textual References
This is where the music video makes a reference to a certain film/tv show etc. This lets the audience feel in on the joke. Examples include Taylor Swift - Love Story references Romeo and Juliet and Lady Gaga and Beyonce - Telephone uses the van from Kill Bill.