Research Evaluation

Research Evaluation:

As part of our research, we completed:

• 9 Textual Analysis

• 3 Artist Profiles

• Questionnaire with Analysis

• 3 Poster and Digipak Analysis

• 3 Music Video Key Changes
• 3 Ancillary Key Changes

Artist Profiles:

From gathering information from our artist within the Indie genre, we have now developed and broadened knowledge of how artists attract their audience through techniques and trademarks. Also how artists are influenced and adapt a product for their audience.

Andrew discovered that The 1975’s authentic sound was derived by the lead singers upbringing, after being surrounded by artists such as Michael Jackson, Madonna and The Vandellas. This has enabled the band to progress the indie genre through introducing new sounds and instruments which would previously be considered unconventional. The 1975’s approach to the genre incorporates sounds from the electro-pop and synth-pop genre, but with an indie undertone. These new sounds could suggest why the band attract such a large audience. 

Sophia found out that ‘The 1975’ are inspired by older artists and take inspiration from various genres e.g Hip-hop, Funk and Electro Pop.  This enables their music to stand out as the Indie genre focuses on unique ideologies making it a progressive genre.

Anna identified that ‘ The 1975’  focus on the ideologies of ‘the dark and youthful themes of sex, love, and fear’ aiming their music at teenagers and young adults. The lead singer Matty often sings about his past unfortunate experience to build a relationship with the audience and attract them not only to the music but the band themselves.

Textual Analysis:

Watching and analysing music videos allowed us to get an insight into what works well when captivating an audience from the outset.

Sophia examined how conventions were used within Indie music video. This includes both performance and narrative based videos, performance influenced by the rock genre and narrative by the hip-hop genre. This discovery of conventions have broadened our understanding of how directors incorporate features like pale cloud and lighting or social issues to captivate an audience. We will use some of these conventions in our product to create a similar feel and impact for the audience. 

The analysis of the ‘Sex' music video by The 1975 allowed Andrew to examine how the band incorporate their iconography seamlessly into their products. He realised that this allows active audiences to identify the band easily and adopt their iconography into their online profiles. Andrew also explored how the conventions of the indie genre are displayed in their music videos, such as drug use and volatile relationships. He will use this as inspiration for his final product. 

Whilst analysing ‘ This Is Gospel’ by Panic At The Disco, Anna discovered the use of direct address as the lead singer Brendon Urie first appears through a birds eye mid shot. The direct address therefore breaks the fourth wall and allows him to speak the lyrics directly to the camera. In turn, this helps relate to the audience assisting in building a relationship with them from the moment he opens his eyes. This feature would be significant to adopt in our own production to capture the audiences attention from the outset.

Ancillary and Music Video Key Changes:

Our Key Changes helped us to further develop our knowledge into the conventions of the Indie genre, displaying the progression of music video and ancillary from the 1980’s to 2016. When completing our planning, we took our Key Changes 

Sophia noticed that the artists such as ‘Kings Of Leon’ relate their ancillary work from the 2000’s to the 1980’s attracting an older audience as they progress through the Indie genre. This is further reflected within ‘The1975’  through their music  as they commonly include old funk soul relating back to the 1980’s idea of the Indie genre/ Alternative Rock.

Anna discovered the constant use of san serif blocked typography throughout the 1980’s for example in the ‘Duran Duran’ ancillary. She found that this type of typography highlighted the artists name, making it stand out in red text binary opposing the dark background it has been placed over. This then created brand awareness as the audience and was subverted within 2016 as artists went for a thinner font. Both however enabled the audience to clearly view the title and could go away and search the film using their convergent media deices through the use of web 2.0. 

While completing research into the key changes of indie music videos, Andrew discovered that the indie genre is highly progressive, changing dramatically since the 1980’s. Key conventions such as lyrics about drugs and relationships have maintained throughout the eras, but the style in which the music videos are filmed have changed. The cinematography and editing has become more advanced, with music videos takin the style and conventions of films. However, the type of music video has used the narrative format throughout the years. This effectively attracts the struggler psychographic, the target audience for the indie audience, and will be the style I will use in my music video. 

Poster and Digipak Analysis:

Completing poster and digipak gave us the opportunity to complete research which will ultimately expand our understanding of how to create a ancillary. Through finding out about conventions in depth, we now feel comfortable with using them in our product as we know them to be proven to captivate audiences.

Through completing the analysis of indie posters and digipaks through the decades, Andrew discovered that the use of vibrant colours peaked in the 1990’s, where as subtle house colours and simple designs were used during other decades. During the 00’s, he found that artists use iconic images as a form of brand identity and to attract fans of the band. This is evident in both albums from The 1975. Andrew also found that the use of social media handles such as Twitter and Facebook were included on digipaks in the 00’s to promote social interaction. 

Sophia discovered that the artists show a deeper emotion, for example on the Arctic Monkeys ‘Whatever People Say I Am, That’s Exactly What I’m Not’ the emotion of stress is being conveyed. Through carrying out this research, I have discovered that portraying emotion allows an indie target audience to relate to the individual and find escapism through the imagery. Therefore the uses and gratification theory is being applied often within their posters and digipaks.  

Anna explored that consistency between image and text is significantly important. The Mumford and Sons Sigh No More digipak denotes the back and front of a shop. The continuity and familiar locations create a sense of verisimilitude within the audience allowing them too connect and build a relationship with the audience. The equality of the four windows suggests the importance of each band member, and their balance as a band. 

Questionnaire with Analysis:

Completing a questionnaire and analysing the results helped us to fully understand our target audience. It also allowed us to see their preferences, as well as what they do not like about the indie genre, allowing us to tailor our product towards them. When planning our production our questionnaire analysis allow us decide what you audience desired to include.

Andrew examined how the questionnaire respondents identified the indie genre digipaks. He found that simple designs and consistent house colours, such as black and white, were essential to gripping the audiences attention. Moreover, he found that both genders had to be targeted, and that 15-17 year olds are primary audience. He will consider these details when designing the digipak.

Sophia discovered the participants views towards location and how they believe a serious, dark and mysterious location is more conventional for the indie genre due to it relating to the artists ideology. The location not having many people around is also an expected convention from the indie genre as this would allow an audience member to relate to the individual as they are alone. This would link to the demographic of the indie target audience as they would categorise themselves within the ‘strugglers’ demographic. 

Anna determined that the participants to a certain extent preferred mainly image to text. Within a magazine of mainly text it would be significant to add a mainly image ancillary in order for it to catch the eye of an audience; less is more will entice the audience to read the small text on the ancillary if the image is large.