Artist Case Study

However far from the existing image (brand) of your artist your own ideas are, you do need to evidence your awareness of this, and the research steps taken to inform yourself. You need to consider and provide info on such aspects as:

1. are they signed to an Indie or major record label?
2. considered a global artist or just UK or US success?
3. what record, if any, of chart success?
4. are they associated with any particular eras (eg the 80s)?
5. what genre/s do they work in?
6. who would be their core target audience, and consider any possible secondary audience/s?
7. are there 'leitmotifs' (common themes, symbols) in their videos, and perhaps lyrics?
8. provide a synopsis of their career
9. are there particular directors they work with? do these bring their own styles?
10. research some reviews of their videos, including YT user comments
11. comment on the media language and editing used
12. do they have any social media presence (consider how significant; the branding etc)?
13. can you find UGC (fan art, fan-made videos, lyric videos etc)?

What you can find will obviously vary depending on the status and longevity of your act. You should consider the longer list above, but here are core elements you should evidence research into and consideration of - you could split this into multiple posts with a main summary post:

BRIEF HISTORY + MEDIA PROFILE
Major releases, successes, landmark dates - don't copy/paste huge reams from Wikis. Do hyperlink/credit all sources.
Overlapping with research into target audience, sum up their media profile: what sort of media do they appear in? do they get a favourable response? does this vary by media type/audience? Make sure you suitably illustrate such points.

REPRESENTATION play gender bingo with Britney, Miley + coupla Daves

Heteronormative, objectifying; male gaze of Axl Rose?

Below: a playlist of various videos which are useful to demonstrate or at least discuss a range of gender representation terms and concepts. As the two fields are so interwoven, terms on sexuality are also included. Task instructions are also included.

SOME USEFUL TAGS ON THIS BLOG:
There is much more you can discover beyond the short, sharp snapshot of this selection and task.
Judith Butler;
Guns n Roses;
Lady Gaga;
Katy Perry;
Depeche Mode;
feminism;
(post) hetero-normativity;
(post) Miley: feminist or post-feminist?;

Is there a better example of misogyny? Read post here.

Eval Q1 Use of conventions

Also see Chief Examiner's guide 

This question provides an easy opportunity to elevate the level of your response using theories you'll need to engage with for exam Q1a/1b; have you thought of how you can discuss genre theories here for example?

Take a moment to consider carefully the question, and the very specific terms selected:

Q1: In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products?

• it's identical to a Q you answered for AS cwk!
• you will need to make detailed comparisons between each of your productions and existing vids, digipaks, ads (and any TV shows etc you've also referenced as influences)
• BUT its not just how you've reflected these conventions; you may have chosen to change, undermine, flip round some of these (perhaps countertypes in place of stereotypes for example) ... maybe even seek to take an established genre in a new direction
• the word 'rules' is NOT used. 'Conventions' means commonly occurring; frequently seen - elements which when combined help an audience to identify the genre or type of media text. Many books + articles will discuss 'rules' of a genre; what they really mean is 'conventions' - if a genre stays completely rigid it will be doomed
• [UPDATE, 2015] I suggest a 6-step structure below, but if you feel it will save time, you could simplify this by outlining format (basic conventions of music video; look at exam Q1b guide on Media Language, eg Goodwin v Vernallis) and genre conventions, discussing as you go how yours matches up or doesn't. Intertextuality is important too ... and that is a common element of music video media language.
• This is the most semiotics-based of the four questions.

So, this Q boils down to: