POMO RETROMANIA Shot-by-shot remake videos

This vaguely creepy effort by a US presenter has added a useful 1m hits to Selena Gomez' hit single. BELOW I consider examples where a different (new) track is used with a remake of an old video. There is an embedded playlist at the bottom of this post.

NB: There is some swearing from 2:38 in the video below.

More evidence that music video is the ultimate postmodern, intertextual format, the magpie medium that steals the nest eggs of previous videos and just about every audio-visual format going: the shot by shot remake videos.

The article that drew my attention to this doesn't mention an earlier filmic example of this strange phenomenon: Gus Van Sant's utterly dreadful Psycho remake (1960; 1998), adding colour and some jarring diegetic sound as the woefully miscast, towering Vince Vaughn uses his peephole. (See Wiki; trailer; FeudNation's often crude comparison flags up many of the problems using multiple clips from both) That was seen as a terribly arty effort by an auteur filmmaker - many of the music video equivalents share the element of tribute, but are much more playful and consciously postmodern.

Music vid renaissance...for the biggest acts

The big budget music video died with Michael Jackson's reign as king of pop, as the music industry faced up to the disruptive impact of digitization.
Consumer/fan-made videos are widely used by the industry, and lo-fi official videos are not uncommon.
True.
BUT, in some cases this established narrative is being undermined.


Snippet:
Film-maker Romain Gavras’s cinematic vision for Jamie xx’s Gosh – which features a cast of 400 people and eschewed CGI and 3D effects – came with one instruction for its viewers: fully immerse yourselves in the apocalyptic experience. “Please watch full-screen with loud speakers or headphones,” Gavras tweeted on its release this month. The video was a moment, rolled out for a track that was originally released more than a year ago. It’s a track that really doesn’t need a music video, let alone a physical copy, designed to look like a knock-off DVD, of a 40-second trailer for said video, which was delivered to journalists days before its official premiere.
At a time when the music world is still dealing with illegal downloads and streaming culture, such an ostentatious approach to promoting an old song may appear incongruous. But thanks to the power of a small number of elite artists, music videos are having a renaissance and once more becoming events in themselves, the way they were when Michael Jackson released Thriller or Madonna put out Erotica. Some are cinematic: Beyoncé’s visual album Lemonade, which is set to sweep the board at this year’s MTV Video Music awards; Rihanna’s Sledgehammer, the first video shot using solely Imax cameras. Others, such as David Bowie and Radiohead, have engaged with a new demographic using short, shareable Instagram vignettes.
Major artists and their labels are again spending serious money on music videos. However, unlike a few years ago, when the likes of Robin Thicke and Miley Cyrus were going for the shock factor, artists are taking artistic, inventive approaches. When they do try to provoke outrage – as with Kanye West’s Famous or Rihanna’s Bitch Better Have My Money – it’s a step beyond Blurred Lines or Wrecking Ball.
How the pop video got weird again.

PopUp site: Alice takes Whitehouse pill

The site IronMaidenbeer.com shows one side of the diversifying approach of artists in the digital era - here's another, the mock election campaign of Alice Cooper (Wiki):

Visit site.

Such satire works as smart branding and PR for an artist that released his first album back in 1969 - fans will be familiar with his song Elected, but there is enough here to encourage wide (viral) spreading of the link or just the main poster with the manifesto - including a younger demographic than his primary fanbase.

See LoudWire.

(and here's a new note on the merch issue:)

I mention beer as a great example of merch below - you can buy both Slayer and Iron Maiden beer in Luxembourg (Auchan), and Motorhead, plus some other branded wine/spirits if I recall correctly. That this is now a common strategy, especially in heavy metal, can be seen from a simple google ('heavy metal beer').See this Pinterest for a gallery (pic, right comes from it):

Teaser video, VR, crowdfunding, fan engagement - Megadeth are exemplary

social media can be enigmatic...

IN THIS POST:  a quick look at some examples of how Megadeth, a band whose debut album was in 1985, use multiple platforms to engage with existing fans and seek new ones, generating media coverage along the way. Any music video producer can learn from their strategic approach. As I can't access FB + other sites while writing this, I've used limited examples, but you can always look further yourselves.

If you're producing a music video you really should seek to engage with an audience long before you've got to the final cut stage.

Blogging does that to some extent, but being active on social media (Instagram, Twitter, FB...), posting snippets and updates of what you've been doing, should be part of that mix, generating content for a website in turn.

Just as film has the trailer, so many artists are now creating their own (often put out on record company YouTube channels) trailers (see Slayer example on this blog) and even teasers, as with this example from Megadeth (featured in a popular e-zine; marketing involves a mix of social media and publications/channels - such content will typically generate lots of articles in magazines, e-zines, radio...):

Bing (yuck) results galore, showing the success of the strategy to generate attention

Megadeth are an act skilled in keeping a buzz going, over 30 years since their debut album - they're engaging with VR (and note the serializing of the feature too, drip-feeding segments):

Official Megadeth YT channel.

INDUSTRY No Swift end to YouTube fees war

An ongoing story to keep an eye on, the fight between artists and streaming outlets such as YouTube and Spotify over the fees or royalties paid. Counted for chart positions now, there is a fierce debate over the equity of the huge revenues generated for the likes of YouTube and the very, very small payments all but the very largest artists receive.


Taylor Swift has been notably outspoken in calling for increased payments per stream. See Taylor Swift is taking on YouTube, and it won’t be an easy fight.

Work with local band: Luxembourg

I've blogged on finding a local act back in Yorkshire, England, so a quick post on how you can quickly find info/contacts for local acts - same principle applies for some very simple googling, just change key words.

It was as simple as 'luxembourg band listings' to find the following:

Fuze listing:

RateYourMusic list:

You can also simply check newspaper, magazine, online listings and go to a gig to speak to a band - or tweet, Facebook, Instagram...

Elders React

http://loudwire.com/elders-reacting-to-bring-me-the-horizon/

Blogging on 'Exemplar vids'

Start of 1 of my vid analyses: Hyperlinks,
wider research, sub-headings, top summary

There's no single right way to blog on individual videos you've looked at, but you do need to be clear on what sort of points/details you're after, and the overall purpose of undertaking this work.

Remember, you've got 3 years worth of IGS/StG student blogs to help you as well as this blog.

I'll set out the minimal expectations at the bottom of this post, but first...

QUICK LINKS:Music video examples tag; 

Pixies: Bagboy (individual video analysis); 

Pixies artist case study; 

Hetero-normativity: exploring a theme through multiple videos; 

Music videos I've selected + blogged on for raising useful issues.  

Some female fronted bands. 

I blogged on several dance vids, amongst many others, to give you an idea of good style, layout + organisation:

WHY BLOG IN DETAIL ON INDIVIDUAL MUSIC VIDS?

• Its a basic principle of any Media Studies coursework brief that you cannot create a suitable text without developing a thorough, detailed familiarity with the key codes and conventions of a particular format

Pop gender history in Vanity Fair videos

Vanity Fair (upmarket US men's magazine) has put together some useful montages of how male and female performers have evolved different looks over the decades...

The past century has seen a whole range of music icons, with distinct personas and styles, and, in this visual journey, as we did for female pop stars already, we take a look back at some of the most notable male artists from the past 100 years. We begin with Joe “King” Oliver, a preeminent 1910s jazz performer, and then work our way up through the likes of Frank Sinatra, Elvis Presley, and Michael Jackson, before reaching modern-day stars Kanye West and Justin Bieber.

MALE POP STARS


FEMALE POP STARS

...

VR pioneered by Beatles and Bjork

See the video here.

The industry keeps changing, and the pace of evolution is speeding up even further, reflecting the fast pace of technological change. A staple of sci-fi movies and series, VR is now filtering through into music video, with smartphone-connected headsets seeing this advanced technology become yet another converged offshoot of digitisation. 

(Quotes below sources: Bjork; McCartney)

Bjork has been a pioneer of utilising new technology for music promotions/expression for 2 decades, so its no suprise to see she's amongst the first to embrace the possibilities of VR:

Few among those musical stars that came of age in the 90s have evolved in such complex and interesting ways, carrying their old fans into the future and picking up a whole heap of new ones along the way. A clue to her evolution may lie in her unusual collaborations with designers, scientists, software developers, composers, instrument makers, app makers and film directors.

She has been planning VR content for years, and stresses the intimacy of the technology.

When I started working on virtual reality, it was a home for my music. It’s a journey you are on: the fact that you have your own theatre and you have this psychological drama.
At the same time, I realised it would be a couple of years before people would have this technology in their homes. It would be an impossible feat to do – it’s like going to the moon. I thought, OK, the way to do it is for people to have a place to go to and watch the videos, and it would be like a workshop and work-in-progress and if people want to see it, they can have somewhere to come.
The older I get the more I understand what is special about how we experience music. It’s either one-on-one, or thousands of people at a festival where you lose yourself. It’s not intellectual, it’s impulsive. Virtual reality is a natural continuity of that. It has a lot of intimacy. As a musician to be intimate is really important. If you want to express certain details, it’s an opportunity to do that.

Oops Britney got game

There are lots of ways artists are attempting to monetise their brand, replacing but in some cases exceeding the traditional reliance on royalties (with CD sales falling, and streaming revenues requiring huge user numbers to generate significant income). Britney is typical of the trend in some ways: it is mostly the very biggest stars who are benefitting from the opportunities of convergence.

In 2015, global music sales were $15bn (£10.3bn). Yet the three biggest mobile games companies alone – Supercell, King and GungHo Online – made $5.6bn between them, out of an estimated $30.4bn for the overall mobile gaming market.Britney Spears: American Dream is the latest experiment to see if music can capitalise on a world where many people are happier to spend their disposable income on Candy Crush Saga or Clash Royale rather than on music.The company behind Britney’s game, Glu Mobile, had a decent-sized hit with Kim Kardashian: Hollywood, and is trying to repeat the trick with musicians: besides Spears, it has signed up Katy Perry, Nicki Minaj and Taylor Swift.

SOURCE/READ MORE: Can Britney Spears succeed in mobile games where Katy Perry failed?

LISTEN TO THE BRAND Rock is Dead, Sales Are Up

Sample:

What is needed, says Jampol, in a not uncommon moment of management-marketing speak, is to locate the “artist’s essence”. “Figure out what the magic is. There’s something that connects James Dean or Jim Morrison or Kurt Cobain or the Ramones to a 12-year-old whether that’s in 1957 or 2017. It could be a group of facets and then you have to find a way to be put that back into the pop culture in a way that’s credible to a teenager,” he said.

It may sound like gauzy marketing speak – Jampol also lectures as an adjunct professor in music business at UCLA – still, he has a point. Punk is 40 years old, but “questioning authority, being an outsider, not caring about the social order are absolutely not dead”.

'This is the pop culture legacy business': JAM Inc manages artists after death http://gu.com/p/4tpgh?CMP=Share_AndroidApp_Blogger

POSTMODERN WEB2.0 Metallicized Star Wars KickStarter

A nigh on perfect example of multiple concepts which I'll cross-post on MusiVidz and BritCinema, convergence being one...

An outfit called Galactic Empire are exemplifying the "former audience" principle behind the more typical, technotopian web 2.0 theorists (Keenan is an atypical exception to note), and taking UGC or fan-made video to the next level...

Star Wars fanatics and Metallica buffs, they've created a version of The Imperial Battle Theme as if played by thrash metal godfathers Metallica, hailing back to their glory days with their final two classic albums (Masters of Puppets and And Justice For All) before the pop darkness of The Black Album (and Lulu?!) descended.

The ultra-viral video features convincing (verisimilitude alert!) Star Wars costumes and even brief stormtrooper, Emperor and Wookie vocals, and Darth Vader heavy breathing on backing vocals. With a spot of Wookie headbanging and moshing.

If I was a producer of the upcoming 3rd Bill and Ted movie I'd write this lot in in the sure knowledge that the franchise's fans would consider that excellent ...

The 'band' (more accurately a wider media collective, with scripting, video concept, VFX et al kept in-house, all tools needed for a decent modern live show - Depeche Mode, with their Anton Corbijn video backdrops being the prime example) have launched a KickStarter to fund an album and tour, the ultimate expression of digital disruption and the rise of fan-made media; that web 2.0 blurring of the traditional audience-producer divide.

And how do I know any of this? Well, May the 4th is apparently International Star Wars Day, a silly idea given serious wings by social media (may the Fourth be with you).

Which is a handy hook for the MetalSucks e-zine in its article on this, which popped up on my FB timeline, read on my smartphone (from which I'm blogging the initial text-only post you're reading): convergence indeed.

There's a lot to learn here about the nature of the music industry and music promotion but equally about film marketing and the very significant role of viral marketing and fan-made media (which obviously overlap in this case). The potential of a music video to boost a movie remains profound.

I've little doubt, BTW, that were Lucas still the owner of the brand, this story would end with a cease and desist copyright infringement lawsuit (what a Jar-Jarring note that would strike ... uh, back....), but it's new big six conglomerate owners are much savvier than that, and must be revelling in such great free marketing.

So, sith tight and luke on as the Galactic Empire strike black magic. I wonder when Eric Clapton will finally release an updated classic of his own (yes, Leila...)

http://www.metalsucks.net/2016/05/04/may-fourth-galactic-empire-releases-metallicized-imperial-march/

ALBUM ART dumbed down for viral impact

Great example of BRANDING coherency:

[Beyonce font]

Memes, MP3s and the explosion of album art http://gu.com/p/4tm5y?CMP=Share_AndroidApp_Blogger

Streaming wars: Tidal, Deezer, Apple, YouTube Red etc trail Spotify

Tidal: can Prince and Beyonce save the underdog of streaming services? http://gu.com/p/4tmef?CMP=Share_AndroidApp_Blogger

Voice of the Beyhive: superfans identification

The wrath of Beyoncé's Beyhive: how fans have lost the plot http://gu.com/p/4tmtn?CMP=Share_AndroidApp_Blogger

Radiohead a business case study

Two fascinating articles looking in depth at Radiohead but equally providing a snapshot of the complex business, distribution and promotional practices that have emerged in the digitised, online era, with Radiohead often pioneering disruptors.

All surprises: Radiohead and the art of the unconventional album release

http://gu.com/p/4tneq?CMP=Share_AndroidApp_Copy_to_clipboard

Radiohead's corporate empire: inside the band's dollars and cents http://gu.com/p/4tj7d?CMP=Share_AndroidApp_Blogger

YOUTUBE attacked by stars pays less than rivals

Only a sixth of what Apple or Spotify pay according to Nikki Sixx, with a stream of big names looking set to launch a high profile campaign including an attempt to change laws to force YouTube to renegotiate.

Nikki Sixx launches campaign to get YouTube to ‘do the right thing’ over music royalties http://gu.com/p/4tt7z?CMP=Share_AndroidApp_Blogger

MARKETING INDUSTRY Beyonce on HBO, Tidal, fashion range...

Several increasing trends reflected by Beyonces album release:
Convergence: TV the platform for the launch, with an HBO show that...
Played videos for every song on the album, not just the singles
Initial exclusive for one streaming platform, Tidal
There had been no release date, an ironically publicity-generating ploy used before by Beyonce, the late David Bowie and more

Then there was the linkage to a recent launch of a fashion range, and the proximity to the Superbowl half time show, with ongoing controversy over her Black Panther salute seeming very unlikely to damage sales - indeed, this but of grittiness is likely to strengthen the brand.

Beyoncé launches new 'visual album' Lemonade on HBO http://gu.com/p/4tgg5?CMP=Share_AndroidApp_Blogger

VIDEO MASH-UP DJs From Mar do Depeche Mode Doors Tears

'The text' makes less and less sense as a media studies concept with "the former audience" so commonly turning producer to remix, re-edit, re-imagine, mash-up media institutions published material, with the music industry being a prime example of this postmodern bricolage.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=FBPhOeQh8uU&sns=fb

FINANCING Carcass crowdfund album cover with ebook offer

Grindcore/death metallers legends Carcass (a vegetarian band who have developed considerable notoriety for their album art) have launched a modest crowdfunding appeal to cover the cost of a new sleeve design - yet another great example of the web 2.0 "former audience" and that rapid blurring of audience/producer, as well as an example of how the economics and financing of the industry are being transformed by disruptive digital platforms such as this.

Note that they're offering exclusive ebooks as part of this - another means by which artists can monetise their work is tabulating their track arrangements for fans to learn and play; ebooks don't pose the challenges of high production and distribution costs, and publishing does not require a book deal - it can be added to platforms like Kindle and then offered through the likes of Amazon, as well as directly through artist websites (self-publish, self-distribute).

Exclusives are managed in many ways: limited edition digipaks or vinyl with remixes, demos, live recordings, bonus DVD etc or even collectible cover, and book/lets are fairly common too; new album only with a concert ticket (Prince, RIP, did this), music and extras exclusive to website subscribers (Metallica a great example) ...

It also demonstrates convergence - I came across a plug for this on a Facebook group via my phone; good viral marketing.

USEFUL TECHNOLOGIES: YouTube Photoshop tutorials

See more on using Photoshop + digipak design in this post + this vodcast.

You needn't be a Photoshop genius to produce some incredible FX in Photoshop - there are 100s of ace designers out there who have shared their knowledge online, producing effective guides. Have a browse and pick out one or more that can help raise your ideas to a higher level, and just follow the step by step guides!

STUDENT EXAMPLE:
2015 IGS A2 student Amber got inspired by a tutorial that looked at an effect that fitted neatly with Lady Gaga's complex relationship with the press (post link):

Here Amber goes through the techniques she used:

BRANDING DIGIPAK Anthrax album trailer, vinyl, digipak

BRANDING + MARKETING ACROSS MULTIPLE PLATFORMS

What you can learn from this example

- you should have a clear, consistent brand image and concept to promote
- that consistency would extend across multiple platforms and even merchandise
- most artists will change website banners, YouTube icon/banner (etc) to highlight their latest release or tour
- artists increasingly create video content that can be shared (ideally go viral) ... even short promo clips for an album with self-filmed interview-style footage
- artists also increasingly embrace and create content that was seen as typical of UGC/fan-made videos, notably the lyric video
- you can present research into any coursework topic by creating content that takes on a recognised media format: magazine feature, radio or TV interview/chat show appearance, e-zine interview (more informal, including setting), podcast ...
- the Anthrax Twitter's most recent update was on Record Store Day - formats like these are ideal to convey your grasp of industry topics like the role of vinyl; the issues around streaming and revenues; influences ... even technology ...
- ... it could the album producer, songwriter, video director, video editor or cinematographer (especially to discuss technology used: hardware or software) sleeve art designer, record label executive, band management, fans, ... there are many options. Great website content, research evidence, Evaluation content...

The self-produced Anthrax new album promo is like an interview or TV feature

Pics to be added - a bang up to date example of the multi-formatting that forms part of the marketing for many album releases now.

Unlike many other examples, this isn't a reissue - indeed, the thrash godfathers have put up a video of interviews to trail the album release, with the YouTube description featuring US and UK links for different formats.

Look out for magazine ads for this - drop me a link if you see one.

As usual, convergence is evident here: someone posted a link in a FB group pointing to a metal news site that had their own video which in turn linked to the band/record label's trail video...all accessed, viewed, clicked, read and blogged on through my phone - albeit pictures, saved from phone, formatting and tagging will have to wait til I'm sat at a PC/Macbook!

THE ANTHRAX ALBUM PROMO

ANTHRAX DRUMMER INTERVIEWED FOR AN E-ZINE'S PODCAST SERIES, AND E-ZINE ARTICLE ON THIS!

VINYL AUDIENCE half left unplayed, core 25+ audience

When discussing industry changes and practices you need to be precise - give figures, provide quotes from informed industry/academic figures, details from reports/surveys, and make a clear link into audience habits ...

This article is a good example of precisely the sort of research material you should be accessing, blogging on, and reflecting ('applying') within your evaluation (and potentially exam Q1a/1b too).

SAMPLE SECTION FROM ARTICLE:

Read full article here.

CIE blog improvements summary

Research + Planning improvement points

(1) review/proofread, especially for presentation: well illustrated? hyperlinks? embedded material [not links to this]? no small text? clear sub-headings? embedded material? any 'TBC'? logical post order/date? 

sans spacing!

This is obviously a HORRIBLY presented post!!! Text should never be allowed to dominate on a blog post, especially a long one. It was worse until I at least added some space between points! [see screenshot fragment] Oh ... and tags! No hyperlinks, almost no imagery, nothing embedded (though clear sub-headings, font + colour + size variation...)

(2) is your journey clear? have you reflected on shoots, edits, feedback? posted alternative versions you tried in editing? evidenced FCPX/P'shop (etc) tools you used over time? is there detail on each shoot? DETAIL on each edit (what changes, why; evidence of experimenting: short scenes with different edits [eg FX]; any feedback on this cut; how this cut reflects previous feedback; tools used; planned further changes...); have you used podcasts to anchor the sense of journey?