5 Potential songs

• Dead- Madison Beer
• Your Shirt- Chelsea Cutler
• Filthy Rich- Evalyn
• Dead Mans Arms- Bishop Briggs
• Drive- Halsey

From the research I have conducted with my music video analysis, over the course of the research and planning. It was evident that I wanted my music video to follow the conventions of a narrative music video. This was heavily based on the fact that, personally I believe that narrative music videos enable a wider variety of cinematic shots and also enables me to be more creative with the video. All five of these songs are similar in the sense that they all convey a certain story, whether that be about a relationship or breakup. When choosing the genre of music, I decided to focus on different sub-genres of pop on the basis that whilst researching on Spotify, a music platform, I found that I was leaning towards slower and more emotional songs. I believe this is because the individual artists's vocals inspired me to think of a variety of narrative stories.

Laura Mulvey's male gaze theory

The Male Gaze, developed by feminist, Laura Mulvey describes how the audience, or viewer, is put into the perspective of a heterosexual male. Mulvey believes that women should enjoy the attention of attracting the gaze, and put themselves in positions to be looked at. The concept of ‘the gaze’ is one that deals with how an audience views the people/person presented. Mulvey states that in film women are typically the objects, rather than the possessors, of gaze because the control of the camera (and thus the gaze) comes from factors such as the as the assumption of heterosexual men as the default target audience for most film genres.

The male gaze occurs when the camera puts the audience into the perspective of a heterosexual man. It may, for instance linger over the curves of a woman's body. 

The woman is usually displayed on two different levels: 

-         as an erotic object for both the characters within the film

-         the spectator who is watching the film

The man emerges as the dominant power within the created film fantasy. The woman is passive to the active gaze from the man. This adds an element of 'patriarchal' order and it is often seen in "illusionistic narrative film". 

Mulvey argues that, in mainstream cinema, the male gaze typically takes precedence over the female gaze, reflecting an underlying power asymmetry.

Mulvey' also states that the female gaze is the same as the male gaze because women look at themselves through the eyes of men. A feminist may see the male gaze as either a manifestation of unequal power between gazer and gazed, or as a conscious or subconscious attempt to develop that inequality. From this perspective, a woman who welcomes an objectifying gaze may be simply seeking to benefit men, welcoming such objectification may be viewed as akin to exhibitionism.

The Male Gaze typically focuses on:

-         Emphasising curves of the female body

-         Referring to women as objects rather than people

-         The display of women is how men think they should be perceived

-         Female viewers, view the content through the eyes of 

     a man

Andrew Goodwin’s seven features of music video

In his book 'Dancing in the distraction factory' Andrew Goodwin points out characteristics and features that can be found in music videos. 

1. Music videos demonstrate genre characteristic. (e.g. stage performance in metal videos, dance routine for boy/girl band, aspiration in Hip Hop)
2. There is a relationship between lyrics and visuals. The lyrics are represented with images. (either illustrative, amplifying, contradicting). 
3. there is a relationship between music and visuals. The tone and atmosphere of the visual reflects that of the music. (either illustrative, amplifying, contradicting).
4. The demands of the record label will include the need for lots of close ups of the artist and the artist may develop motifs which recur across their work (a visual style). 
5. There is frequently reference to notion of looking ( screens within screens, mirrors, stages, ect) and particularly voyeuristic treatment of the female body. 
6. The artist may develop motifs of iconography that recur across their work ( a visual style)
7. There are often intertextual reference (to films, TV programmes, other music videos ect).

A2 course outline

The course is worth 200 marks in total - 100 for the coursework and 100 for the exam.

The coursework brief consists of:

• A music video
• A CD digipak
• A magazine advert to promote the CD/album

You also have to undertake relevant research and planning and answer four evaluation questions.

The exam consists of two parts:

1. Two  30 minute questions on the work you have completed over the previous two years
2. One question on postmodern media

Mark allocation

Coursework:

• 20 marks - Research and planning
• 40 marks - Music video
• 10 marks - CD digipak
• 10 marks - Magazine advert
• 20 marks - Evaluation

Exam:

• 25 marks - Question 1a
• 25 marks - Question 1b
• 50 marks - Question 2 postmodern media