1B - Genre

Wednesday 21st May 2014:

• If I received a question on genre I would pick my: music video
• Genre is established in my music video by: shots of the associated instrument, which in this case is the acoustic guitar, soft lighting, emotive narrative, natural symbols and objects, slow-paced atc.

Key theorists:

• Christine Gledhill - "differences in genre meant that different audiences could be identified and catered for, making it easier to stabilise and standardise production."
• Denis McQuail - "genre is a practical device which aids in consistent and effective production and allows for it to relate to the expectations of the audience."
• Andrew Goodwin  - "all music videos have certain elements which help to identify the genre, with general rules such as; the actions match the pace of the music, colour scheme etc."

October2013:

The idea of Genre Theory can be applied to the production of my music video coursework, especially for the planning and research stages beforehand, as this will allow me to create a product which is more suitable for my target audience. Without understanding Genre Theory, my music video will not be specific enough for my target audience, and so I would not attract the viewers or sales predicted in a realistic environment.

The Basics:

• The definition of genre is it is a 'kind' or 'class' of something. It is a way of grouping texts together.
• 'Genre' is not a fixed elements, therefore there are clear distinctions between different genres, but in some cases there can also be hybrids, where a combination of genres is applied.
• A specific genre will constitute specific conventions of content (this may be the themes, or the settings used) and/or form (i.e. the structure or the style of the text). All the texts which belong to that specific genre will share most or all of such conventions.
• The specific elements which occur in the texts can be referred to as paradigms.
• The paradigms are recognised by the audience of the text, which then leads to them bringing a set of expectations to their reading of the text. 
• Paradigms cover most aspects of the text, from costumes and music to plot points and font, but it depends on the medium of the text.
• Paradigms can be structured into the following groups:
• Iconography- the main signs or symbols that you may see or hear
• Structure- the way a text is put together and it's 'shape'
• Theme- the issues and ideas the text deals with
• MUSIC VIDEO GENRES INCLUDE: performance-based, narrative-based and conceptual. After this identification of genre, a music video can then be processed into various other genres according to the paradigms based on the music genre (Pop, Rock, Blues, Indie etc). I.e. a Hip Hop music video might include paradigms such as urban settings, young male characters, and a narrative that objectifies women.

My Coursework:

In order to make my coursework good quality and have a successful result, I need to be able to suitably attract all of my target audience to watching the video, and allow them to feel some sort of connection or relief when watching the video. In a realistic situation, the success of the music video could well determine the success of an artist/band's single or album, as if people are attracted to the music video without even considering the significance of the song, they are likely to either purchase the single or look into previewing the album or even buying it. This of course then leads to sales which allows the musician to continue to create more music and more music videos. The use of Genre Theory therefore is extremely significant in the production of my music video .

What Am I Producing? A folk/indie/acoustic music video for Ed Sheeran's song 'Autumn Leaves.'

I can't give my music a specific genre, because according to Robert Stam (2000), "genres can be based on plot content, can be borrowed from literature, or from other arts or media forms. They can be based on performers, or budget based, some may be based on artistic status, racial identity, location or sexual orientation."

Genre Specifics for my music video:

• Plot content: quit nostalgic, drama, with an almost rom-com feel to it, friendship-based
• Other art or media form: documentary/home-video style
• Budget based: low-budget, student-production
• Structure: hybrid; part-narrative, part-performance

According to McQuail (1987), genre is a practical device used to help produce a text consistently and effectively. Whilst planning for my music video production, I looked at existing music videos as part of my research, especially those created for my chosen musician. I want my music video to be quite consistent, especially in the sense that I want it to be identifiable to the musician. I will use the genre theory to identify what goes into other music videos for Ed Sheeran (see powerpoint on video analysis G324) and then apply them to my own video to make the production for this artist consistent and effective. I want my viewers to be able to watch the video - without listening to the audio - and be able to guess who the song is performed by, as said by McQuail, "it helps to relate production to the expectations of customers." This idea also relates to another theorist, Ryali (1975), who said "genre can be defined as patterns/styles/structures which transcend individual art products, which supervise both their production by the artists and their reading by audiences." If I can identify these patterns within Ed Sheeran music videos, and within videos produced by the production company, I can apply some of these to my own music video to make the connection between my audience and the text more strong and significant.