Analysis of Genres (Pop, Rap and Dance)

The role of a target audience is to be entertained and hopefully buy into the package of a stars image, production, videos and material which displays their interest in support. Target audiences are approached by manipulating and shaping the potential star to appeal to their audience via their music style, conventions in other materials such as music videos and their overall image and how they present themselves to the public.
There are a lot of variables within a target audience which can change accordingly to create a new group of fans, for instance an example of a target audience is "males and females who're into Pop and are between the age of 18-25", automatically, stars that form to this image are more modern and popular artists such as Ke$ha, Taylor Swift, Katy Perry and Rihanna.
 However, if we were to change the age group to 35+ then the stars automatically change and we think of more dated R&B stars such as Brandi, R.Kelly, LL Cool J and Soul to Soul. All in all, specific audiences are attracted and more likely to buy into certain things.

POP - RITA ORA (HOW WE DO) 

The first shot we see of Rita Ora in the music video is a mid-shot of her entering the scene which is set up to look like some kind of house party - the typical "chilled" vibes that R&B music video settings have. 
The fact that she enters with a mid-shot at the beginning of the video gives the audience a good introduction to her image and persona since she's a newer artist and this is one of her first three releases in the early stages of her career. Once again the close-ups and mid-shots support Rita's target audience in being able to familiarize themselves with her since she won't be a recognizable face and if this video had little presentation of the artist then it'd disable the audience from establishing that first initial connection with Rita which is vital to stars and getting their audiences to buy into their image. A lot of Pop artists established or not use close-ups and other frames of themselves as there's a demand from their audience and the industry to see their presence in their videos and other materials (i.e. their digipaks) which conforms back to the idea of Richard Dyers paradox about stars being "present and absent simultaneously". 

"How We Do" also closely follows Goodwins' Theory of the lyrics and visuals having a relationship and amplifying one another. The obvious correlation is the lyrics in the chorus that sing "I wanna party and b*llshit & party bull, cos when the sun sets baby on the avenue" meanwhile the music video visuals continue to show Rita Ora at different locations in the party scene and in one of the jump cuts, Rita's sitting outside and it's clearly night-time. Pop lyrics are conventionally light hearted and feel good - this song and music video of Rita Ora is following this convention once again making "How We Do" more of her more Pop genre songs rather than R&B which is expected as she's technically considered a cross-over artist. 
This ensures that the target audience is seeing both sides of Rita's music as her previous releases "Hot Right Now" and "R.I.P" are more on the mainstream R&B/Dance genre of her album. "How We Do" allows her to broaden her target audience into Pop fans who may not have heard or took notice of her earlier releases. The frames allow her audience to become familiar with her image as well as form to the typical conventions of 'Pop' with jump cuts allowing her to show different parts of her image throughout one single video which is good as the more she exposes, the more her target audience will understand and be persuaded into buying into the versatility which is vital for a cross-over artist like Rita Ora.

Another shot that’s used quite often in ‘How We Do’ is the low-angled long shot. An example of when this is used is when Rita’s surrounded by actors at the party and she’s dancing with them while singing to the camera which is a form of voyeurism as she's making direct eye contact with the camera imitating eye-contact with her viewers, once again this helps to make her emotions and expressions more apparent to the audience again which is vital in the genre of Pop especially as the audience expects to have familiarity with the artist. 
The low angles place the audience below Rita and are looking up to her which could emphasise the mood of the song which is about having a good time or ‘being on a high’ and it could also place Rita in a place of authority making a metaphor of her 'rising star' status. 

Various angles are usually shown in Pop videos whilst featuring the artist as it matches the lively beats of usual Pop songs and gives multiple perspectives of the star. 
 The low angle shot also relates to the target audience of young adults around the age of 16-19 as it’s almost inviting the audience to join the party and get a feel for the mood of the song. It's important for the micro-elements of Pop to translate its 'feel good' sounds to the audience as it is very conventional and is what most of its fans look for when they buy into the Pop genre.

Towards the end of the video there are a series of shots that have been filmed in a neon, UV paint effect. They show the party at it’s liveliest with people dancing and continuing to crowd Rita Ora or make sure that she remains in the center of the majority of the frames. This way the audience can still identify which figure is Rita and continue to familiarize and observe her image and USP which in this particular music video is her unique fashion sense and trademark blonde hair and red lipstick, still noticeable in UV mode.
The colours used in the neon edited shots consist of pinks, greens, blues and oranges with a contrasting base colour of black. These are typical colours of neon, which is frequently associated with raves and parties keeping in theme with the song and the feel good atmosphere of pop music. Connotations of the selected colours could be as followed: 

• Pink - Girly and feminine, this could represent Rita Ora being an independent female artist in the music industry and being proud of her achievements as a cross-over artist, especially being partially of the R&B genre which stereo-typically is dominated by men. Also, the girly and feminine themes are typical of the 'Pop' genre as the majority of the stereo-typical artists (i.e. Britney Spears, Miley Cyrus and Katy Perry) give off some sort of girly persona. Therefore, Pink is conventional to the pop genre.
• Green - Green has connotations of freshness and growth which represents Rita Ora being fresh on the music scene as a new artist hoping to becoming established as quick as she can and earn the loyalty of fans who'll happily buy into her. Green also supports the energy behind the track of "How We Do" and the Pop genre in general. 
• Blue - Blue has associations with freedom and strength which again reinforces the connotations of "pink" but could also highlight how as a crossover artist Rita's happy with the freedom she has to create her own style of music for her audience to indulge in. Also, it highlights the usual Pop convention of how women in Pop are usually shown as strong and dominant - especially in their own videos. This is how Rita is shown in "How We Do". 
• Orange - Orange has the connotations of fire and flare, which once again like the other three colours connote the power and independence behind Rita Ora's star persona which her audience and gradually becoming familiarized with as the video progresses. 

At times the camera pans onto other party-goers in the music video which imitates the level of activeness in the music as well as the first-hand action within each frame - once again going back to Goodwin's Theory of visuals amplifying the artists music, in this case both are upbeat and energetic.
‘How We Do’ is clearly a song that suits the partying and celebratory atmosphere as it's catchy lyrics and rhythm can be quickly translated onto it's viewer and audience. Therefore, having such memorable but at the same time conventional visuals to run alongside this work well as the audience may feel comfortable with the relation the video has to the actual track as oppose to "How We Do" possibly being a deep conceptual video which could possibly take away from the free-spirited atmosphere we traditionally love about Pop music in general. 

A second editing technique used in the video are consistent jump cuts which lead the audience from one scene of the party to the next whilst all still centering Rita as the main attraction for each location. For example one is in a room where the rest of the dancers are - this room could be considered the "climax" of the party where most of the energy and movement is, as well as styles from various extras. This could probably be a good explanation as to why jump cuts are used to refer back to this scene frequently at the choruses of "How We Do", along with the other parts of the track that're high climax with possibly a faster tempo and quicker hook. 
The second scene is out in the garden in a bed of flowers and another is in a bedroom (both relaxed settings which is convention of the genre R&B - one of Rita's main crossover genres). Showing different scenes of the party brings more variety to the video and shows Rita Ora modeling different fashions and looks which indicates to her fans that she's versatile and connects to many different audiences that're broadly into mainstream, commercial music as well as the fact that being fashion conscious is usually considered "girly" which is one of the big themes in the conventions of Pop.
This is relevant to the audience and fans of the song "How We Do" because it brings more diversity and fun to the video, changing her image up and showing different sides to her - all in which the viewer wants to buy into and learn about as they're introduced, helping establish Rita's overall star image while she's rising to fame and becoming an established artist. 

Throughout the music video a variety of iconography is used by Rita herself as well as the extras in the video which all link to the overall feel-good theme of the song and video which is created when they're put together as one piece of material.

One of the main features that stood out were the varieties of costume worn by her extras which creates the feeling of diversity as well as unity. I think the purpose of dressing everybody in this video so different but statemental represents how Rita wants a lot of people to be able to relate to the video by feeling like they can connect with any individual used in the video. For instance, just from the screenshot above we can see Rita in herself fashioning an outfit which could be considered "hispter" or "street", while there's a flamingo to her left and a guy dressed in a typical "R&B", "Urban" style to her right. Since "How We Do" is generic of Pops enthusiastic and happy vibes and the visuals of the extra's and the star herself mimicking this vibe, it shows the ideology of Rita as a star in being that anybody of any gender, race and age can enjoy her music and material in hope that it may encourage them to unite as one fan-base for her hoped future success.

This relates to the target audience because as young adults a lot of people want to feel as though they can be different and develop their own style but still fit in and have a good time with people, which is the message that Rita is pushing and encouraging her fans to fulfill in their own morals and day-to-day life. 

RAP - DRAKE (OVER)

The first camera shot we get of Drake in his music video 'Over' is a low angled, long shot of him sitting on a bed in a room lit with low key lighting. The fact that a low angled shot with Drake in the center places the audience in a position where they are looking up at him, this could stand for a visual metaphor of how his fans look up to him as an established star. However, it could also play emphasis on the fact that Drake is alone in the room as this is an establishing shot which could metaphorically show how Drake is alone and reflecting on his thoughts which is conventional of Rap as it's traditionally a genre about expression and personal experiences of the artist producing and performing it.
Also the fact that the camera shot is a long shot is fitting for the first frame since it helps the audience get an overall feel for Drake and his image as a star. This relates to his target audience of young adult rap fans around 18+  as they can get to know who Drake is as an artist which is vital if his music is going to give him such an insight into his personal opinions, thoughts and experiences as the first establishing shot suggests. In addition to this, as the mainstream rap market is a very busy one with many similar artists to Drake such as Lil Wayne, Eminem, Jay-Z, Kanye West, Big Sean and Wiz Khalifia all producing music and playing an active part in the commercial part of the rap genre, it's important for fans of Drake to be able to differentiate him from other rap artists out there.

Another camera shot of Drake is a close-up of him near the beginning of the video whilst his sitting on the bed that the audience were originally introduced to him on when the music video first started, however this is just one example of where a close-up is used, frequent use of this shot appears all the way through the "Over" music video. A good reason for using close-ups is so that viewers and audience can experience a more intimate way of processing the music while watching the music video which places emphasis on the lyrics of the actual song. Seeing Drake's close-ups frequently constantly give the viewer an update on how Drake's state is while his rapping and whether his perspective has changed throughout his lyrical journey. (E.G. If he were to start the video content and ending it angry)

The only times we really see Drake before his first close up is in a low-key lighting with long shot frames which only gives us the basic outline of what his wearing, his expressions, overall image and everything else which audiences rely on to be able to relate to an artist. However, while this could be expressed as a bad thing the genre of rap is usually quite dark and cynical in the way it presents the journeys in its music hence the long shot representing Drakes isolation from other people and maybe even society as he clearly raps about issues with sentimental value to him. Having this deliberate isolation shown metaphorically through his music video could encourage his audience to anticipate his appearance and connection even further, wanting to uncover more about the "real" image of Drake. 

An interesting editing technique in 'Over' is the cutting out of his body's silhouette and overlaying it with a fire like visual. This editing technique could be a way of demonstrating Drake's inner emotions while presenting his music to his audience, slowly and gradually fulfilling their need to know more about his image and story as a star - something that's almost expected in the genre of rap.

In this case I think the fire inside of Drake is a way of showing the audience his emotions clearly and possibly amplifying underlying meanings, stories and perspectives in the lyrics that his rapping. Fire has connotations of both passion and anger which could both be related to Drake (Passion = The way he loves to express himself and give it everything his got while Anger = The more personal side of Drake which he perhaps hasn't completely surfaced in his music at this point in his career).
Again, this is relevant to his target audience because it gives a further insight to how he's actually feeling and displaying raw emotion which is what rap fans demand in order to feel a connection to the artists music and begin to be satisfied enough to buy into his image and material more and more in order to feel as though they've discovered other sides to the artist himself.

The second music video 'Over' has text overlaying the actual frames for the lines of the song:
 "One thing 'bout music when it hits you feel no pain"

I think this is done in the editing because on a contextual level it's actually quoted for Bob Marley, a Reggae/Rap music star. In emphasizing these lyrics it shows that Drake hasn't actually wrote these lyrics himself and has in fact quoted them from a star who completely changed the ideology of the music world when it came to presenting black music artists into commercial and mass audience mediums. This is convention of "Rap" as the genre is all about inspiration and staying true to thinks that have influenced the song-writer/artist - in this case for Drake it was Bob Marley and the presence of these words in his music video could suggest that the quote even sticks with him today in helping develop his own culture and ideology as a star.

Even if this lines doesn't have any sentimental or higher importance, it naturally draws attention to them as they flash up on screen at such speed regaining the viewers attention to the forefront of the frame where Drake can be seen in the distance once again helping them engage in his emotions during this part of the song. This is relevant to Drakes target audience because it'll place more emphasis and importance on the lyrics which rap fans like as it brings back that emotional impact yet again which arguably is what the genre's all about.

Although there's not a lot of mise-en-scene and iconography involved with Drakes video 'Over', it does feature other actors and more stereo-typical females standing in as the 'sex symbol' or provocative figure that almost always appears in R&B videos and commonly appears within the Rap genre which can be known as a practice of voyeurism.
This video of Drake doesn't really exploit the females in an obvious or sexual way but the second women (in the bottom image) is provocatively dressed whilst the first women (in the top image) gets a lot more of the close-up shots and at one point even shares a frame with Drake, bringing the intimacy to the video and balances the dominance of each gender for that section of the video - once again giving an inside view to Drake's views and morals in a way opposed to his lyrics which again stays true and conventional to the rap genre.
 The women could be typical features put into Drake's video by a director or someone in charge of casting to meet the expectations of a video that's of the Rap genre or the women could be metaphorical for Drakes ideology of rap; close to home and personal as well as baring all and letting down their barriers. This engages the target audience because it's almost typical and generic for females to be found in the video of rap male artists these days and it seems to be a present feature that actually works and has attracted attention from the various audiences of the stars in the same genre.

One item that is a constant piece of iconography in Drakes music video is the bed. It appears at the beginning of the video when the audience are first introduced to Drake in the bedroom setting. The idea of him sitting down on a bed and rapping to his audience within the music video gives the idea that the star feels he doesn't need any expensive cars or luxury lifestyles to get the message in his lyrics across.
 Also this could show how he doesn't want to distract the audience watching his video away from the narrative of the song with any detailed  story lines or sets. It could also be a metaphor for how Drake feels comfortable in expressing himself to his audience through his lyrics and feeling protected by the genre of rap music as it's one of the mediums that helps him express himself.
This relates but isn't limited to the target audience of dedicated rap fans because they're music fans who still want to appreciate the meaning and motives behind writing the song even though they have visual entertainment also to amplify and illustrate the lyrics that they are appreciating. 

DANCE - FLO-RIDA (CLUB CAN'T HANDLE ME)

One of the first camera shots we see from 'Club Can't Handle Me' (Flo Ridas' music video) is a long shot establishing the setting of a nightclub with a line of people queuing to get inside. Two luxury cars take the forefront of the frame along with lights giving the scene high-key lighting. A nightclub and expensive lifestyle is generic of the Dance genre as most Dance music is played in clubs and therefore keeps in with the atmosphere that this song is setting, fans of the genre appreciate this as the catchy beats and hooks (much like Pop) are translated to them and give them the rush and put them in the mood for partying which maintains the genres main purpose in some senses.

Also it highlights some of the generic themes within dance videos that are usually glamorized and expected to be seen by the Dance artists fans (i.e. Nightclubs, dancing, alcohol) - it's also relevant as these are the usual main factors that realistically make up the night for an average clubber. It's very rare a someone who is used to the clubbing scene would go to a nightclub and not see dance and alcohol, therefore I think making the music video as real for the audience as possible helps them relate more to Flo-Ridas performance in the video.
Plus, before we even hear the lyrics of the song we can already establish the type of atmosphere that we'll be seeing the star of the video in due to visuals and the opening instrumental which has the usual up tempo and catchy beat of a Dance song. This is relevant to the target audience of a younger audience once again around the age of 18+ (since this is the age people begin to go to clubs and proper parties) because it shows a place that most young adults that listen to Flo Rida and other Dance artists are probably quite familiar with which makes them feel as though they'll be able to enjoy the song as well as relate and appreciate the visuals that run long with it.

Another camera shot used in 'Club Can't Handle Me' is a long shot with Flo Rida, the star placed in the centre of a crowd of clubbers who all seem to be enjoying themselves and dancing throughout the course of the music videos in various shots sequenced together to create a more lively and intense atmosphere.

Since the audience can see Flo Rida himself standing in the club, it helps them feel as though they identify him as the "star" and admire the way he's the more dominant and flash (due to iconography) over the other clubbers which could make some viewers feel more intrigued by him as some clubbers find perks in showing off and standing out from the crowd with all eyes on them - especially those that take on the culture of music videos such as "Club Can't Handle Me" and strive to live the luxury clubbing lifestyle as oppose to the average one which is on offer to the majority of people wanting a night out.
Also, the fact that Flo-Rida is literally in the club himself and interacting directly with the camera through a variety of shots helps his audience to believe that they can relate to the situation in his music video as people who love the night-life and dance themselves, making Flo-Rida's star image more appealing for their own selves.This stimulates the target audience because a generic aim of  Dance is for its audience to be able to relate the music and sometimes its visuals to have a good and similar experience they've had themselves at a club or party. In addition, this genre usually involve much emotional meaning therefore the target audience don't ave to emphasize with the actual lyrics as such and can find entertainment into the relatable visuals as well as enjoying the beat - the fact that "The Club Can't Handle Me" is the majority performance based also helps this.

Throughout the music video a series of jump cuts are used to take the viewer from one part of the club where Flo Rida is to a different part where there are other various, anonymous clubbers - at times also accomplished by a pan.

These jump cuts and pans enable the cutting pace to be quick and on time with the quick, significant and reoccurring beats in the music which makes the video relevant to Goodwins' Theory, but also it helps the video capture the atmosphere of a real club better as the moves and actions of real club-goers usually mimic that of the music, especially when they're dancing.
For instance, if throughout the whole thing Flo Rida performed from one angle to the camera in one location, it'd make the whole video a bit tedious and not really capture the attention of the target audience since it'd be lacking the relevant and conventional liveliness and recreated atmosphere to do so. The audience which are people who want to get club vibes from music videos as they are regular club-goers enjoy the buzz and recreation of nightlife because it helps stimulate good memories from their own personal experiences in clubs which allows them to apply good feelings to the song and music video in general, making it more likely for them to want to listen to it. Also, catchy hook-lines and beats make Dance music accessible to DJ's to play in clubs where they're appearing which is a good way of promoting an artists music and vital in expanding their fan-bases.

The image to the left  is an example of a split screen, this point in the music video show two scenes in the same frame. In this case, they're showing the inside of the club where people are dancing as well as the street assumable outside the venue.
The club looks crammed and there are a lot of people in the frame all dancing, however none of them are the actual star which allows the audience to not get to hung up on watching Flo Rida which may divert them from getting the impact from the use of a split screen by the editor of the video. On the right hand side is what appears to be outside of the club which looks like the centre of a busy city, shown by the blur in neon blue and orange lights.
The fact that there are more lights in the clip of the city could metaphorically show how the party's atmosphere that's being generated from where Flo Rida is, is being spread everywhere and isn't just limited to that club. We can see this from the numerous lights coming from the street in general, buildings and reflections on the road. This is relative to the target audience because it helps them get in the mood for dancing and a feel from the genre even though it's unlikely that they're watching it from a club first hand. It helps them to get the kick from the music that they crave without actually being in the scene of a club by seeing the metaphor for the club "vibe" spreading across vast cities, making them feel a part of the effect.

Throughout the 'Club Can't Handle Me' video, Flo Rida fashions a gold chain along with other gold jewelry that's constantly in view of the audience throughout the video. The point of this iconography is to show the lifestyle of a star and glamorizes the idea of clubbing and partying. This is conventional of Dance as the genre is closely related to parties and the target audience are of course people who're more into dance music - which is usually a younger audience. It relates to the target audience as it makes the clubbing lifestyle more desired and more people want to experience it the way it's shown through Flo Rida's video, despite how realistic or unrealistic that may be. 

From this activity, I've noticed how different micro-elements vary depending on genre which is probably because like the target audience, factors change to suit certain stars. For instance, when looking at Rita Ora and her Pop video, I noticed a lot of "feel good" elements along with frames of the star herself - this tells us that conventionally, fans of Pop are used to up-beat music with catchy beats and light-hearted lyrics contrasting with the lyrics you'd find in Soul or Blues.
Following this, with the Drake video, I found a lot of close-ups of Drake which displayed how to compliment the meaningful and emotional lyrics that rap posses, its listeners like to be able to connect and visually see how the artist feels, building up a closer relationship with them.
In contrast Dance has an extreme feel good factor, more so than Pop. Of course for obvious reasons Dance relies on its catchy and memorable beats which stick within peoples heads but the music videos also consist of a lot of iconography such as fancy cars, jewelry and designer clothes, promoting the luxury and high speed lifestyle that appeals to Dance fans.
Overall this has shown me that micro-elements vary as to what is seen as "conventional" to the genres target audience in order to fulfill their needs and wants which encourages them to remain a fan of whatever artist from whatever genre and invest more into taking the time out to watch music videos as they continue to live up to their purpose of entertainment as well as literal and metaphorical visual aid.

Richard Dyer: Star Image - Analysis of Chris Brown

Chris Brown & his Star Image

From when Chris Brown started out as the 'boy next door' R&B singer with an innocent face and heart-melting songs in 2004 to the more grown up, manly 'Hip Hop Star' fashioned celebrity he is today releasing much more conventional and materialistic music, it's fair to say that Chris has had one of the most dramatic changes throughout his career seen from any star in the music industry which is why I've chose to analyse his image.

SAY GOODBYE 
Released August 2006 

Goodwin's Theory 
In 'Say Goodbye' the lyrics of the song are definitely amplified and illustrated throughout the music video. In general the lyrics are talking about Chris's feelings towards a break-up that he's experienced and the way he's going through a dilemma in how to break up with his girlfriend. Some of the key lyrics in the chorus are:

"There's never a right time to say goodbye, 
But I gotta make the first move because if I don't
you're gonna start hating me.
'Cos I really don't feel the way I once felt about you, 
girl it's not you it's me, I've gotta figure out what 
I need." 

From the lyrics we get that Chris is being very apologetic about the fact that he's breaking up with this girl and isn't finding it easier which steers him away from the "player" image that a lot of R&B male stars like to portray. Stating this, throughout the video close-ups of Chris miming the song show him with a guilty and conscious look on his face which bring out the ideology of Chris contemplating and trying to tell his former girlfriend why he's splitting with her. In addition to this, there are also frames where Chris is sitting in a completely empty studio which could show reflection and the idea of him ready to be single and go solo again hence the lyrics: "gotta figure out what I need". 

Like most R&B music videos, a dance routine is present which yet again like with the lyrics helps the visuals amplify the music. At the beginning of the video Chris is in the studio with what looks like his dance class and they're all dancing to one of his other tracks which has a message that contrasts the one of 'Say Goodbye'. Their dancing is in time to the music and hits the significant beats in the track which makes the music more present and effective, helping it work it harmony with the lyrics and the visuals themselves. Similar to this there's a pat of the video where Chris is dancing with the female actress playing the his girlfriend and the two also dance movements which emphasize the beats in the music. Also, their movements highlight the lyrics as movements they produce reflect the lyrics that Chris is singing on that part of the track, for example when Chris sings "hatin' me", the girl uses a pushing movement against him in the visual dancing routine.

However, while there are female dancers present in the video there is very minimal if any voyeurism which is unconventional of the R&B genre. The main women in the music video isn't objectified and is dressed in revealing clothing, she is also represented as Chris's equal and neither appear more dominant in the visuals which could translate Chris's outlook on women to his target audience which helps maintain his 'good boy next door' image at this point in his career. Keeping on topic conventions, 'Say Goodbye' isn't as conventional to the R&B genre as your regular video from a similar artist. While the video is in a relaxed locations (the studio, outside etc.) as most R&B videos are, nothing about the video is really materialistic and  even though Chris is wearing a chain around his neck, 'Say Goodbye' isn't glamorizing materialistic items half as much as other R&B videos tend to do so. 

The major intertexual reference that I noticed in 'Say Goodbye' is that at the beginning of the video, one of Chris's tracks 'Ain't No Way' is played which is an unreleased song off of the same album as 'Say Goodbye' which could be his managements way of promoting his album and giving his audience a sneak peak of what included tracks sound like off of his album.

Construction of a Star 
Richard Dyer said about star image:
"A star is an image not a real person that is constructed (as any other aspect of fiction is) out of a range of materials (eg advertising, magazines etc as well as films [music])."

In 'Say Goodbye' Chris's image is clearly constructed so that he appears to be a normal looking boy who could possibly be found in the neighbor hood of his target audience (mostly females but not excluding males ages 13+ who are R&B fans). This is a prime example of how Chris Brown has been constructed to suit this look in order to be more approachable to that audience since he doesn't come across as intimidating or degrading to the point where his audience feel inferior but he also has his USP which is his natural good looks and raw talent. Chris's image isn't anything too flashy or materialistic but judging by the video 'Say Goodbye' his baggy clothing and caps could quickly develop into his trademark in which fans who idolize him could mimic. 

Industry and Audience  
Richard Dyer said:
"Stars are commodities produced and consumed on the strength of their meanings."

Following the point of Chris appearing as to be your typical boy from across the street with an extraordinary talent, it is evident that during the era of 'Say Goodbye' in Chris's career it's evident that he was manufactured this way by his record company in order to sell and convince them to buy into his persona - in this case young girls - as he follows all the conventions of a 'heart throb' which typically captures the hearts of high school aged girls in particular.
We can see this image being portrayed throughout "Say Goodbye" as his gentle actions and bright smile as well as other facial expressions are shown all the way through the visuals. In addition to his overall personality coming through in the visuals, he also appeals to the 'heart throb' image and pre-teen and teenage girls because of his: casual clothing, raw talent in dancing and singing, good looks that are eye catching yet natural and his young age which is close to the audience that he's appealing to. 

I think Chris Brown's record label chose to make him fit the 'Heart throb' image because although there are many stars that're fulfilling that role (i.e. The Jonas Brothers, McFly, Zac Efron etc.), he is one of the first, young stars to fulfill that role in the R&B genre, as many stars singing similar music to him decide to take the conventional route and be more about voyeurism and materialism which normally ends up making them appeal to an older audience - therefore Chris Brown is appealing to a different audience and filling a gap in the industry which ends up generating profit for his label. Plus, the benefits of appealing to teenage girls is the fact that they're likely to come more hung up and obsessional with a star like Chris which makes it easier to persuade them to buy into his persona by downloading and purchasing their music and merchandise. 

Ideology and Culture
In 'Say Goodbye' the main beliefs and ideology that's shown from Chris Brown is his wholesomeness which again helps him to be a good role model for younger R&B fans as most of the music is more explicit. Also, it allows parents of younger fans to accept Chris Brown as a good model since he's showing his respect towards girls and their emotions which will typically capture the hearts of the pre-teen/teenage girl and also help parents who are more than likely monitoring the music mediums their children take in feel as though Chris is teaching them a good set of values and morals. 

However, even while Chris Brown's "Say Goodbye" is blatantly a break-up song, he's also showing a degree of faithfulness in the way he's lyrics have been wrote in order to 'address' the subject of the song. For example: 

"And I don't want to see you cry,
but I don't want to be the one to tell you a lie" 

That line shows how Chris's ideology and culture is all about staying faithful through relationships and even if it comes to breaking up, being sensitive (which again usually appeals to younger girls) and allows for his younger fans to be influenced by the message of the song. It teaches girls the right way to be treated for future reference and hopefully demonstrates to his male fans the right way to behave in a relationship as oppose to other influential male R&B stars who usually conform to the persona of being "players". 

Character & Personality 

Dyer says:

"In these terms it can be argued that stars are representations of persons which reinforce, legitimate or occasionally alter the prevalent preconceptions of what it is to be a human being in this society.There is a good deal at stake in such conceptions. On the one hand, our society stresses what makes them like others in the social group/class/gender to which they belong. This individualising stress involves a separation of the person's "self" from his/her social "roles", and hence poses the individual against society. On the other hand society suggests that certain norms of behaviour are appropriate to given groups of people, which many people in such groups would now wish to contest (eg the struggles over representation of blacks, women and gays in recent years).Stars are one of the ways in which conceptions of such persons are promulgated." 

In 'Say Goodbye' Chris's personality and character could be arguably said to differentiating from societies normal view of young, black males in the R&B genre. While a lot of artists around this period like Bow-Wow and Omarion with their hit single "Let Me Hold You" were big on objectifying women, acting dominant in their videos and trying to get across the alpha-male persona whilst glamorous parties and the high life, Chris strips this back and very much just focuses on the 'realness' of his lyrics. This differs from the general stereo-type of young male stars in general which once again provokes that idea of  him being a 'boy next door' with good morals and a raw talent to come to his audiences and music fans attention which acts as his USP in order to persuade them to buy into his material and into his image. 

Messages and Values of the Video and of the time 

All in all, I feel the message and the purpose of this video was for Chris as a semi-new to the music scene artist to reach out to his audience and show them his sensitive side and project the 'Heart Throb' image that his record are hoping them to buy into by targeting younger girls with his sensitive lyrics and a video to match in order accomplish this. 

STRIP
Released November 18, 2011
 

Goodwins Theory
In the music video 'Strip' the visuals once again amplify the lyrics as the words Chris Brown's singing about very much talk about women undressing and celebrating the beauty of their bodies more in the objectifying way rather than the flattering way. The video contains many close ups of the female extras in their underwear while Chris stands on a higher level above all of them connoting ownership. Some of the key lyrics in 'Strip' taken from the chorus are:

"Girl, I just want to see you strip
right now 'cos it's late,
Girl I just want to see you strip,
Girl, take your time with it,
Girl I just want to see you strip,
God damn you sexy" 

From the lyrics of the chorus it is much more apparent that Chris's more recent song has conformed to the R&B convention of objectifying women and glamorizing the ideology of girls being okay with that and bearing themselves to men. Also, the lyrics are written from Chris Brown's perspective which works with the visuals as a series of jump cuts helps the viewer follow him around what looks like a party in the mountains with three settings: out in the mountains, outside the house in the snow and in the house party.
Just like with the lyrics, the visuals compliment and amplify the music perfectly as the quick cutting rate matches the fast paced beats which give the song a Dance/R&B crossover sound. However, when it hits the chorus which is a lot slower tempo, the visuals jump to frames of usually Chris at a chilled party with the girls in their bathing suits/little clothing which illustrates the intimate feel of the R&B beat on the chorus. 

'Strip' has all the generics of the R&B convention as it shows Chris Brown in chilled community locations, voyeurism of himself and the featured women in the video and promoting materialistic items such as designer clothes, the high lifestyle and huge homes. This suggests that Chris has constructed himself into a much more R&B type star as oppose to what he was in 2006 during the release of 'Say Goodbye'. Also there is a lot of intertextual reference of the fashion front by showing Chris wearing distinctive clothing and a flat cap with a wing on it, clearly promoting a certain brand of clothing.

Construction of a Star 

Richard Dyer said:
"A star is an image not a real person that is constructed (as any other aspect of fiction is) out of a range of materials (eg advertising, magazines etc as well as films [music]).

In the music video 'Strip' Chris Brown has taken upon an entirely different image than the one that he had in "Say Goodbye" back at the beginning of his career and has taken on constructing himself into a typical R&B star with his good looks becoming more elite and commercialized, no longer looking as though he could just blend into a normal neighbor hood of his target audience and instead his persona fully shows that he's of star status. Chris has more of a fashionable, urban look ditching his baggy clothes for more fitting, stylish and up-to-date clothes which are seen as in fashion for the generation his appealing to (now possibly 18+ rather than high school aged girls).
However, although his completely changed in looks, he still has some defining characteristics which could be seen as trademarks such as his: blonde hair which differentiates him from R&B stars similar to him as blonde isn't really a natural hair colour that black males have and his geek-chic look (i.e. the wide framed glasses, knitted jumper and hat) which contrast to a usual R&B stars branded clothing with stacks upon stacks of gold chains and accessories. 

Industry and Audience 

Dyers says:
"Stars are commodities produced and consumed on the strength of their meanings."

What's interesting about Chris Brown in 'Strip' is that his image has been completely changed and manipulated into the complete opposite of how he appeared in "Say Goodbye". His now taken on a young, R&B star that's matured from his earlier days of being the 'Heart Throb' and seems a lot more manly than he did in 2006. Initially, the Media criticized this and accused Chris and his label of being a bad influence on his young, female fans and his young male fans that're all still in their high school years which is understandable as messages conveyed in songs such as "Strip" aren't exactly deemed to have good morals for children of that age. 
However, going back to Dyer's point of their label and the music industry designing the star to be a product which target market are buying into I think that Chris Browns labelled urged him to change star image to suit the changing needs of his regular fans. For instance, back in 2006 when he came onto the scene as an R&B heart throb that's what his typical high school girl consumer wanted. However, as the years in music have moved on and adapted newer and more current stars have begun to start competing in the heart-throb category such as Justin Bieber, a popular R&B/Pop crossover artist and the younger generations of 2010-2012 find him a lot more appealing as his younger and more fresh.
 Since Chris Brown is older, I believe his record label has noted that his "high school girl" audience that he once appealed to have also grown up and demand different things, hence Chris taking a much older approach to his image and music to appeal to the same audience he appealed to back in 2006. 

Ideology and Culture 

In 'Strip' it's clear that Chris Brown has taken upon a more rebellious, bad boy image ditching the cutesy ways he had in 2006 to match his almost "normal guy" image. In this video it's more apparent that Chris is more accustomed to the celebrity lifestyle and culture as 'Strip's' visuals are consistently showing the high life and promoting riches that Chris clearly possess after his amazing success in the industry. In addition to his change in image, there was also controversy about Chris Brown in the Media and his relationship issues with his love interest that changed the public's reception on him.

 This could also have some effect on the cultural ideas that his modern image gives to his audience and the ideology. In 2006 his ideologies and morals were more box standard and perfect such as: "respect women, be faithful, etc." but in the light of his new reputation and his new image on a whole, the morals he gives off now are more along the lines of "everybody makes mistakes" and "nobody's perfect" which reflect that 2006 'ordinary person' image that he had, possibly making him more relatable to his audience of now young adults who're in their real learning process of life, conquering different social situations each day.

Character & Personality 

Dyer said:

"In these terms it can be argued that stars are representations of persons which reinforce, legitimate or occasionally alter the prevalent preconceptions of what it is to be a human being in this society.There is a good deal at stake in such conceptions. On the one hand, our society stresses what makes them like others in the social group/class/gender to which they belong. This individualising stress involves a separation of the person's "self" from his/her social "roles", and hence poses the individual against society. On the other hand society suggests that certain norms of behaviour are appropriate to given groups of people, which many people in such groups would now wish to contest (eg the struggles over representation of blacks, women and gays in recent years).Stars are one of the ways in which conceptions of such persons are promulgated."

Following the idea of Chris being relatable for his audience, 'Strip' shows a clear indication that he's matured and found his sound in the music industry which is mainstream R&B with more elements of Pop than some of his earlier music which was more just pure R&B. The notions of looking that the audience are placed in during this video and Chris's voyeurism with his confident facial expressions suggest that Chris is much more confident and sure of himself as oppose to how he was in 2006. He also shows signs of having the persona and ego (nobody knows how false/real it is) of many rap/R&B stars in the industry today such as Big Sean, Kanye West, Swizz Beats, Wiz Khalifa and Lil Wayne. However, while conforming to the R&B stereotype gets rid of his old USP, he can still rely on the ideology that some of his truest and oldest fans have grown up with his music and followed his journey which is rare as not many aspiring musicians enter the industry at such an early age and are such big successes.

Also, conforming to the R&B stereo-type isn't always a bad thing as mainstream R&B is considered one of the most popular mainstream genres, producing artists like Rihanna, Beyonce and Ne-Yo. Overall, "Strip" gives Chris brown the character of a young adult socialite who's enjoying his fame and the materialistic elements that come with it, which probably keep his audience guessing where he'll be taken next so carry on buying in to his image in order to find out more.

Messages and Values of the video at the time

While this song has very little moral value, I think "Strip" was definitely a commercial way of announcing Chris's maturity and testing to see where his audience would stand with the new sound and image as it's very safe in the sense that Chris Brown has conformed to all of the R&B conventions so at least there'll be some sort of market for it but at the same time he's changed a lot from his original image in songs such as "Say Goodbye".

CHRIS BROWN AND DYER'S PARADOX'S 

• The star must be simultaneously ordinary and extraordinary for the consumer 
  On a whole Chris Brown as demonstrated and supported this paradox throughout his career to date. Looking back at the analysis of his image during "Say Goodbye" Chris had an ordinary and somewhat familiar look to him that was easily accessible to any fan willing to adopt his look but had the extraordinary element or raw talent which kept his audience fascinated by him - while he appeared ordinary from the outside, his vocals, dance moves and all round star quality suggested different. 
  Fast forwarding to the era of "Strip" and Chris Brown still pursues this paradox, this time he's showing his ordinary side through making mistakes in his own life and admitting them, putting them behind him which is a valuable moral for everybody who considers themselves a "fan" of his. However, this time the extraordinary thing about him is his image, he's developed much into an established star with a recognizable image and sound. He's commercially attractive and still has that confident star persona that makes him so desirable to his female audience.
• Simultaneously present and absent for the consumer
  Chris Brown has had one shift in image and sound that are recognizable by his fan base and audience. His initial heart-throb stage where songs and music videos such as 'With You', 'Say Goodbye' and 'Excuse Me Miss' were released. His consumers got comfortable with this sound but his whole image also got too common as the majority of his videos consisted of the same dancing and sets time and time again, not really pushing the boundaries or changing things up. (I.e. One example being With You and Excuse Me Miss both consisting of targeting a special girl and expressing love/attraction to them supported by an entourage whom he carries out dance routines with).
  As Chris along with his audience grew slightly, Chris Brown became more absent and rarely had any releases, gigs or new material compared to what he originally started out with. While it'd be logical to assume that this caused his fans to lose interest in him, it actually made them anticipate him more as they'd been deprived of any news or updates on the "image" they were buying in to. However, what his audience hadn't recognized is that behind his absence (due to working on new projects and the Rihanna situation) Chris's label had reacted quickly knowing that the recent social issue wouldn't suit his old image and almost re-branded him into more of a 'good boy gone bad' introducing him back to the music scene with songs such as "Strip", "Champion", "Look at Me Now", "Don't Judge Me" and most recently "Every Birthday". Despite whether they approved of the change, Chris's audience brought into his new product because of curiosity and to feel as though they've got a mental reasoning for their idols absence. 

Overview 
All in all, I feel although Chris Brown has appeared in two extreme states in "Say Goodbye" and "Strip", he's been the prime example of how a star has adapted through his years of being in the limelight to carry on being relevant in the industry. More often than not we see the disappearance of teen stars who start of in the music industry (i.e. Jojo, Lil Chris and Hillary Duff) as their audience grow up before they do which leaves them left behind, too old to appeal to the next generation as a newer, fresher star has arrived on the scene. "Say Goodbye" and "Strip" are the perfect example and representation of how Chris and his label have worked to prevent this and make sure they have a constant appeal to the Chris's fans who've been buying into him since 2006 as they're the ones who have displayed most interest throughout the years which suggests they are going to be the ones who stay loyal to his image no matter how much it changes which all in all makes Chris Brown's change a good thing for his career.
Some may argue that his new image gives him bad coverage from the media but if you look at the bigger picture it all works to create that sense of uncertainty and fulfills the paradox of being "both absent and present for his consumer".

Never Ever Getting Back Together Analysis

The broad purpose of a music video is to visually entertain an artist’s target audience but there are also many more purposes which work in favour of the artist. First of all, music videos portray an image – in Pop videos there’s usually a lot of narrative and sometimes performance with a constant appearance from the artist while in R&B videos, a lot of the glamorous and materialistic lifestyle is shown.

Music videos also help artists develop unique identities to make them memorable and more appealing to their target audience due to what they show in the video; for instance how they dress, whether the video is conceptual, performance or narrative based and what the lyrics of their songs are actually saying. An example of an artist who conveys a lot of image using performance, narrative and concept in her videos is Lady Gaga - her image is unmistakable and her music videos are rarely similar to other artists.

In the music video ‘Never Ever Getting Back Together’ by Taylor Swift, both the artist and her band are shown along with a male actor that plays her boyfriend throughout the narrative. This is typical of what would be considered a 'Pop genre' video because a lot of the time they give an insight to the story or concept which is being told through the initial lyrics to the song first hand, in this particular video we see a literal representation of boyfriend and girlfriend and the Snow White, fairy-tale like theme that surrounds most innocent Pop narratives.
Having Taylor playing a certain character all the way through the video enables her target audience of girls around 16-18 to relate and see things more from Taylor's perspective in real life, in addition to this having the same actor playing the 'ex-boyfriend' helps them identify characters and their role in the narrative which allows the audience to refer back to Taylor Swifts actual life. This makes Taylor Swift more of an approachable artist in which her target audience can relate to more, overall making her more appealing to them as they understand the perspective of her songs.

The beginning of this video is performance based as we’re introduced to Taylor looking out of what seems to be her bedroom window when the opening instrumental kicks in and she directly sings the lyrics to the audience before the narrative in the video progresses. This gives the target audience an opportunity to get to know Taylor as an artist if they didn't already, which could be likely because even though she's already well established, this song is the first release off of her newest album 'Red'. Plus, seeing as her targeted demographic are generally teenage girls other viewers who may typically not be seen as her initial 'fans' can benefit from those first beginning seconds in the video where they 're given the opportunity take in Taylor's whole image.
The entire theme and ideology of the video is girls having a sleepover or gossiping which is how she feeds the story of the video to her audience that are viewing the music video. Once again because her target audience are teenage girls, telling the narrative this way interests them because it's up front without many 'under lying' messages that they have to look for when wanting to find the motive's for the song but at the same time maintains high energy music and entertaining visuals which work in correlation with one another. 

As the song continues Taylor then leads the audience into the next scene of the video, the editing allows this to happen by panning to the second room of her apartment. This technique occurs a lot whenever there’s a change from verse to chorus or chorus to verse which helps the pace of the video match with the music itself. This is especially effective when the backing track gets louder for the chorus and the action is up-tempo and shows the actors in the video having a party - contrasting the usual feeling on a stereo-typical Pop 'break-up' song which are usually a lot less lively. I think making the pace of the video upbeat and 'feel-good' like the lyrics and music itself appeals to Taylor's audience as it's making the best of a bad situation.
Teenage girls are  usually quite influenced by stars in the music industry and the stories they tell in their majority, so instead of feeling like they have to be upset or miserable when they encounter relationship problems or a break-up (like singers such as Adele reflects in her music), Taylor gives an alternative and new approach to a very familiar subject which is sung about in Pop songs which engages the interest in her already loyal and potential fans.

The panning for each scene in the video could represent each chapter of the relationship slowly progressing towards the end where it’s concluded that Taylor doesn't want to get back together with her boyfriend (supporting the repeated lyrics in the chorus). The idea of showing her story in chapters goes back to the initial idea of fairy-tales and the simplistic 'boy/girl' narrative which evidently has already engaged a lot of Taylor's existing fans.
Her audience get to see that Taylor’s personal view is clearly positive as oppose to sad and negative by close-up frames throughout the video which reveal her emotions since she's smiling and grinning throughout the video unless she's referring to a previous part of the relationship (i.e. the split screen of Taylor arguing with her boyfriend which could be interpreted as a flashback).

The majority of this music video is narrative based as the audience get to see certain snippets from the relationship that are being described in the song – for example the phone call, where the frame is split screened, one half being Taylor at home and the other half being her former boyfriend in a club and they appear to be arguing - a typical 'climax' scene in any break-up song narrative.
However there is some concept based ideas and metaphors too, for example when Taylor’s walking through what appears to be a forest in the season of Spring or Summer, the couple look loved up and happy which indicates the season is representing the state of the relationship - Spring traditionally being known for new beginnings (i.e. the relationship blossoming) and Summer being known for heat and sunshine (the relationship being at its best stage before Autumn arrives).
The summer/spring season doesn't last long at all and in the background of the frame a winter scene is in sight and Taylor separates from her boyfriend which could be a way of metaphorically showing that the relationship is coming to an end. Once again this indicates how the music video is playing out in a chronological effect to show the narrative which is being described in the lyrics.

This visual metaphor is quickly followed by Taylor putting herself to bed which could be yet another metaphor for the end of the relationship. During this scene of the video, the music is a lot slower along with the lyrics that are sang at a slower pace, this is emphasized by the pace of editing slowing down and the action being delivered by the characters is also less lively than the parties and dancing in the chorus showing the audience a turning point in the visual and lyrical story.

Towards the end of the video during the last few choruses there are a series of close up of Taylor's face, generally close ups help the audience get to emphasize with the artist and understand their feelings towards the journey which is taken through the music video combined with the lyrics of the song. In this case, Taylor’s expressions in the close-ups are happy and smiling which again highlights the fact that she’s positive about this break-up and isn't sad about not getting back together with her former lover reminding the audience of which perspective Taylor is coming from and perhaps showing she has the upper-hand in the break up emotionally. This isn't usually the case as stereo-typically it's usually the girls who're crying and emotional about the ending of a relationship, making the video slightly unconventional of typical Pop ideologies.
At the very ending of the video, Taylor returns to where she was originally sitting on the window ledge – this could indicate that the whole video was a flashback but instead of taking on black and white approach like flashbacks conventionally do in the genre of music videos and film, the shots are kept in colour.
This could symbolize how Taylor doesn't look back onto the past with sadness and is happy the relationship is over since she is ready to move on which could explain the reasons for her looking out of the window at the end representing her optimism for future relationships and having the freedom to move on. Once again reforming to the contrast of usual Pop 'break-up' songs which usually carry some element of sadness, however the track and music video is very conventional to the overall Pop genre as the track is bubbly and feel-good and Taylor as the artist is very present throughout the music video. 

‘Never Ever Getting Back Together’ is a typical Pop video as it has many of the genres conventions. For example Taylor is shown throughout and the story of her break-up with her former boyfriend is shown chronologically which is usually how pop videos play out when they’re showing a song in the narrative form visually. 

To conclude, Taylor Swift has the image of a very girly girl, cute country pop-star with a streak of confidence since she’s released so many songs that very obviously name and shame people who were once a part of her life – mostly ex-boyfriends. Pop videos naturally keep in tune with the artists already constructed image so that their audiences can slowly become more familiarized and if the existing image of the artist gets a good reaction from their target audience then there's no need to chance it since it's the target audience that take interest in an artist and make them become more established and well-known through buying into the material the artist releases.

Music Channel Analysis

Objective: to be able to show an understanding of how music channels appeal to an audience

Starter:

Make a list of all the music channels that you know

MTV Hits 

MTV Base 

Kiss 

Heat 

4Music

The Box 

Scuzz 

Kerrang! 

VH1 

Channel AKA

VIVA 

Magic 

Tasks:

For each music channel answer the following questions:

MTV MUSIC TELEVISION

The target audience for MTV is youth - young people from around the age of 15-21 and it plays quite a lot of chart music by mainstream artists such as Beyonce, Example, StooShe, Katy Perry and Rizzle Kicks. These people are all commercial artists and therefore will appeal to an audience that is interested in music that's current and relevant to the time. MTV is used as a form of branding because they have many channels such as MTV Base which are suited for different audiences, for example MTV Base is suited for R&B artists. Also, they host annual award ceremonies for mainstream artists such as the VMA's and give out awards to celebrate music. For instance in 2010 Taylor Swift won 'Best Country Pop' and in the same year Beyonce won 'Music Video of the Year' award. Fans can then go on to the MTV website and vote for who they think deserves the award which therefore draws the event more publicity. The logo for MTV appeals to the target audience as the text is bubble writing and graffitied style which is more trendy and current, reflecting the tastes of the audience that tune into the MTV channel. 

VH1

The target audience for VH1 are older people from around the ages of 25-44 years of age. They usually play quite dated music that was popular back in the 80's and 90's which means it'd appeal more to people who were around when those songs were current, of course we always have to bare in mind exceptions knowing there will possibly be younger people who take an interest in VH1's music. Artists that regularly occur on these channels are artists such as Michael Jackson, The Rolling Stones and Madonna - all big musicals legends in their time. What would need to be considered is maybe eventually, the stars that feature on MTV today may eventually end up on a channel such as VH1 since MTV is a network that likes to keep up with what's current and will be happy to replace one used-to-be artist with the next big thing to keep their target audience of up to date music lovers in with the times. While I'm not aware of any other branding strategies that VH1 has, I did read an article about the channel wanting to redefine itself by broadcasting on a new network called 'adultster'. This suggests a lot about how VH1 are very specific when they say they're targeting younger people rather than younger people. Saying this, VH1's target audience can relate and feel drawn in by the bright fuschia and orange which have close connotations with the fashion in the mid-eighties of 'flower power'. 

THE BOX 

The Box has a much broader target audience than both MTV and VH1. While the two of them target specific audiences with specific music (either by date or by genre), The Box targets audiences of around the age of 13-25 who not only have an interest in music but also in the artists themselves as the channel is regularly known for having various artists usually from somewhere in the Pop genre hosting segments of what they broadcast. For example, sometimes they'll get the likes of Rita Ora or boy band One Direction to host a chart show where viewers can see parts of their personality as well as hear their opinions on particular songs or events (i.e. festivals/award ceremonies).  The Box also consists a lot of different chart countdowns rather than just playing random sequences of music videos split up by advert breaks. The Box is part of a form of branding as it also has a lot of partner music channels which are clearly owned by the same parent company, these music channels are: Magic, Kerrang, Kiss, 4Music, Smash Hits and Heat - this helps the parent company of The Box hit many target audiences in various markets. The Box logo appeals to its target audience as it varies a lot in comparison to a lot of other videos, the cut outs of basic shapes in the black boxes create a bubble effect while the 'O' resembles a television, connoting how the Box has a lot more to watch than just your average music video. 

SCUZZ 

Like VH1 and partly MTV, Scuzz has a more specific audience of younger rock audience who're particularly into heavy metal, hard rock, punk, deathcore and death metal. I'd say its audience ranges from around the ages 18-25. Artists that are regularly played on this channel are Blur, Evernesance, Slipknot, Oasis and Green Day. While all these artists are different types of the Rock genre, I think Scuzz have purposely done this to appeal to a lot of sub-cultures related to Rock to expand the target audience. As far as branding go Scuzz is owned by CSC Media Group and has sister companies such as Tiny Pop, Chart Show TV and Bliss which all differ in genre greatly. Also the channel has been present at various Rock music festivals such as the Download festival, Sonisphere, Bloodstock and Slam Dunk to name a few. The logo is written in all capitals which makes it a lot more eye catching and noticeable while the texture of the text appears to be mirroring a metal like material - relating to the metal music played on the channel, consequently making it more appealing to Rock fans that may not have watched the channel yet as oppose to choosing to tune into something like Kiss or VH1. 

KISS 

Kiss appeals to mainstream Dance, R&B and Hip-Hop fans ranging from the age of 17 to about 30+. Artists that usually feature on this channel are Ne-Yo, J.Holiday, Calvin Harris and Misha B. These people are all mainstream and are likely to see them also feature on MTV but Kiss has chosen to pick specific genres for their channel making it more niche even though it's an overall commerical channel. Kiss makes itself a brand as they've made joint ventures with other companies in the past such as Channel Four Television Corporation and Baeur to take shares in owning channels such as Smash Hits and The Box - Kiss like VH1 also has its own digital radio station where they play similar music to that on the channel. 

        Why do you think MTV is broken down into different channels?

    MTV is broken down into different channels such as MTV Hits,  MTV 2, MTV Jams, VH1, VH1 Classics etc. is to cater to as many audiences as possible which boosts their views as an overall network. Different channels that cater to different fans of various music genres allows more convenience for their viewers. MTV even has niche channels, for example there's not as big of a demand for 'VH1 Classics' as there is for the music on 'MTV Hits' but it's one more market of music lovers that they can cater for. MTV also has sister sites such as Nickelodeon and Comedy Central which are unrelated to music, this is an example of horizontal interrogation. 

      Why do you think music channels are important when having a target audience?

         Music channels are important when having a target audience because if certain audiences are tuning into channels they expect to see a specific genre of music playing. For example, audiences tuning into MTV would expect to see mainstream, commercial artists such as Beyonce, Katy Perry, One Direction, The Wanted, Justin Bieber and Rihanna as oppose to maybe indie bands like Oasis and Kaiser Cheifs. If this was to happen, the music channels views would drop due to blend of genres too big which would mean that a song a fan would like would broadcast every five times than consecutively one after the other. This is why channels such as MTV has many sub-channels to cater for everybody and play a genre of music consistently appealing to each of their market segment of music fans.

  Why do you think there are a variety of music channels?

While a few main music channels dominate such as Kiss, Mtv and The Box, there are many sub-cultures within music fans who don't necessarily like the main channels listed above.  While it's fair to say MTV, The Box, etc. all have differences but whether they play R&B, Rock or Pop, they're all mainstream and some people aren't into mainstream music whatsoever, therefore there are channels that cater to the niche audiences who prefer music from independent labels. Therefore a variety of music channels is vital to not only to cater to genre preferences of music fans but also the distribution preferences. 

  

    What have you learnt from analyzing music channels and how will it help you with your own production?
I've learned that you'll find specific artists on certain music channels and there are a lot of versatility within the channels that you can access. In the music world it's important to cater for niches as much as it's important to look for the mass market. This has helped me because I can then look at the video my production is most likely meant to be steamed on and look for similarities between those videos to cater to the target audiences needs.