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Audience Consumption

Audience consumption music (before new media was invented )

·         Vinyl records

·         Cassettes

·         Radio

·         TV

·         CDs

Audience consumption music videos (now)

·         Internet              

o   Web 2.0

o   Youtube

o   Blogs

o   Facebook

o   Twitter

o   Search engines

o   Myspace

o   LastFM

·         CDs (that also hold music videos) and DVDs

·         Digital music retailers

·         In the street

o   Redbull studio

·         Games consoles

o   Game platforms

o   Games

·         TV

·         Pubs and clubs

·         Shops

• Ipods
• Phones
• Ipads
• Other portable electrical devices which carry internet.

Copyright enforcement does not seem relevant any more as so many people are downloading music/music videos illegally. More ways need to be found to enhance market for music as music videos seem to mainly reach viewers through the internet. This is because technology and understanding of the internet keeps drastically evolving. No longer are music videos viewed on televisions only but everywhere on the internet. E.g. in February 2010 12.2 billion videos were watched on Youtube.

Music video analysis

Dir En Grey is a Japanese band; formed in 1997. Japan is notorious for its extreme cinema.

Dir En Grey - Obscure

Genre. Does the purpose of the video promote an artist, song or album? Does is fit a clear genre?
This music video definitely promotes this particular song very well, yet it does not promote the artist accurately. This is because this song/video is very unique compared to the rest of the band's work. This is a heavy/dark and almost gothic song which the video fits in well with. This is down to the excessive gore displayed to accentuate the heavy yet sensitive topic of abortion. This fits in well with the typical theme found amongst metal: topics of a taboo nature. This is actually the norm amongst this genre as metal bands can be very controversial.
Codes and conventions. technical and stylistic elements of the genre the video adopts.
This disturbing music video, opens with a fast-cut montage of graphic images.

• CGI used to fabricate unnatural ideas within the video.
• Very short and fast clips played in a sequence to accentuate the fast pace, structure and extremity of the music and video.
• Odd clips played in fast motion to a give disorganised feeling to match the disorganised pace. 
• Some short clips in black and white for a bleak yet dark effect.
• Display of characters usually found in a circus. A circus' aim is to make an impressed audience, laugh. This is combined with blood, gore, distress and sex in the video. This gives a subliminal impact of insanity as there is a mix up of emotions.
• Close ups of characters' and band members' faces to intensify music video.
• Overlapping layers of imagery - busy video. 

Narrative and Performance. What is the story running through the video? Is the artist performance a part of the video or a cut-away?
This story behind the video is about males and females being careless with sex and therefore having unwanted pregnancies. The brutalised geisha girls (gore, sex scene) represent girls who get hurt by sleeping with many of the wrong people and the geisha girl feeding on a baby's head represents the unnecessary killing of her own baby through abortion. The other disturbing clips and images are just to intensify the horror and distress this topic has on women and men. It also represents how this kind of event can produce more distressing problems for someone. The way this sensitive and taboo topic is portrayed in this video is extremely bold, brave yet true. It is an eye opener for the audience and even though it is a disturbing and shocking video the message is for a good cause. Lust plagues many people in varying degrees even when the consequences are carrying a child, while in ignorant or blatant disregard for responsibility of how such a decision can impact our world. The sickness is not always apparent but, truth and reflection of affliction lies in the video.
The band performing is a cut-away in the video but the individual band members are involved in some of the shocking clips. The bassist shoves a spear through his head, the guitarist rips his heart out and eats it, the drummer grows multiple arms and the lead singer expands his alien/monster-like mouth.
Representation of particular groups.
The music video doesn't represent much of a social group to an extent, but if forced to it would come under a sub genre of metal due to the overall shocking display. The song is positive due to the good message behind it but is delivered in a negative way due to the excessive gore. The shocking aspect helps deliver the message to the audience effectively. The profundity of the video derives from its underlying meaning as, whilst on the face of things it bears the usual sentiments of videos of this genre, it also embeds in the viewer's mind a disturbing sense of discomfort. This song/video represents promiscuous individuals.
Audience.
This music video is aimed at 15-30 year olds. It is attractive to this age group because it tends to be younger people who enjoy horror-like media. It is also directed at this age group as they are the most promiscuous and fertile.
Meaning
The meaning behind this music video is both explicit and implicit. This is because the meaning is buried in the video very metaphorically rather than literally, yet the metaphorical actions are very apparent.

Music Genre

"Genre" means type. E.g. science fiction films, horror novels or news programmes. Genre is a useful idea because we learn to expect certain things. As audiences expect certain conventions to be followed in a particular genre, film makers can create surprise by not following the "rules." 
The conventions of a particular genre are important. This covers almost every aspect of construction. Therefore a music video can be determined by:

• settings 
• characters
• language and words used 
• storyline/"plot"
• iconography
• props 

Metal
Fashion: long hair, band t-shirts + jeans, mainly dark coloured clothing, band merchandised clothing, designer labels rarely worn. 
Target Audience: People of all ages and from all countries.

Props: Depending on what sub genre of metal the music video is conforming to. E.g. black/death/satanic metal may have goats heads, upside down crosses etc. Metal that is not into this particular label may just have props that are relevant to what their music is about e.g. Chthonic's props are relevant to Taiwanese culture and history. 

Iconography: Masochism, satanic worship, the lower class, evil, dark, taboo, offensive, anger, death, corruption of innocence, anti-religion.
Music videos: the band performing/practising, shots of scenes relevant to the lyrics, shocking scenes.

Artists: Akercoke, Amon Amarth, Anthrax, Arch Enemy, Behemoth, Berzerker, Black Label Society, Chthonic, Cradle of Filth, Dimmu Borgir, Dream Theatre, Evile, Ensiferum, Gojira, Immortal, Lamb Of God, Mastodon, Meshuggah, Negura Bunget, Opeth, Slayer, Strapping Young Lad, Tool.
Sub genres: alternative, avant-garde, black, christian, death, technical death, doom, drone, extreme, folk, funk, glam, gothic, groove, grindcore, heavy, industrial, melodic, metalcore, neo-classical, nu, post-metal, power, progressive, sludge, speed, symphonic, thrash, viking and many more.

Rock
Fashion: Leather, piercings, tattoos, scruffy, long hair, scruffy style/clothing, boots.
Target Audience: All age groups and from all countries.
Props: Guitars, smoke machines, guitar picks, motorbikes.
Iconography: Sex, drugs, alcohol, not caring what anyone thinks, not caring about anything but music.
Music videos: The band performing/practising, solos, the audience's energy, drugs.
Sub genres and their artists: rock and roll - Elvis Presley, surf - The Beach Boys, garage rock - The D-Men, pop rock - The Everly Brothers, blues rock - Eric Clapton, folk rock - Bob Dylan, psychedelic rock - Jimi Hendrix, roots rock - The Eagles, progressive rock - Pink Floyd, punk rock - Sex Pistols, jazz rock - Jaco Pastorius, new wave/heavy metal - Iron Maiden, glam rock - David Bowie, hard rock - Led Zeppelin, punk rock - Patti Smith, new wave - Blondie, post-punk - U2, heartland rock - Bruce Springsteen, grunge -  Nirvana, post-grunge - Foo Fighters, pop punk - Green Day, indie rock - Pavement, rap rock, nu, alternative metal - Linkin Park

Dubstep
Iconography: drugs, raves, alcohol.
Fashion: casual, colourful.
Props: raving lights, strobe lights, smoke machines.
Target audience: 15 - 25 year olds.
Artists: UKF, Skrillex, Deadmau5, Document 1, Modestep.
Music videos: animation, lights, raving, narrative, abstract.

Hip Hop
Iconography: wealth, money, "bling," e.g. cars, jewellery, mansions. Sex references, "attractive" women, dominating/macho men.
Artists: Usher, Akon, 50 Cent, Jay-Z, Kanye West, The Black Eyed Peas etc.
Props: "pimped" cars, beat boxes, chains, money, expensive jewellery, mansions, undressed women are used as props.
Target audience: Teenagers mainly, 12-25 year olds.
Fashion: "bling," caps, low trousers, trainers, revealing clothes for women.
Music videos: Dancing, clubs/bars, drugs/alcohol, crime, practically naked women dancing in a sexual manner, expensive objects flaunted, wealth flaunted.

Bhangra (new):
Iconography: bright colours, connote fast tempo, up-beat music.
Fashion: colourful as the clothes look more attractive and the video stands out, bright, sarees.
Target audience: Mainly Indians, asians.
Props: dhol, tumbi.
Artists: Lehmber Hussainpuri, Aman Hayer, Heera.