Image is something which is very important to everyone today, seeing as it is reflected so greatly through music videos and promotional posters. Music fans follow the fashion and values of their favourite stars, whether it be someone like Lady Gaga who's extreme style got her so well known, or an artist such as 50 cent who has a rebellious, violent and self indulgent image and lifestyle which many teenage boys wish to follow. This makes artists marketable and appealling, as fans wish to copy and follow the way their favourite artists dress and behave. As we are shown in Richard Dyers theory of stardom. The term ‘star’ refers to the semi-mythological set of meanings constructed around music performers in order to sell the performer to a large and loyal audience. Dyer teaches us that ...
•A star is an image, not a real person, that is constructed out of a range of materials, usually through video or promotional posters etc.
•Stars are commodities produced and consumed on the strength of their meanings.
Fundamentally, the star image is incoherent, that is incomplete and ‘open’. Dyer says that this is because it is based upon two key paradoxesthe first paradox is that the star must be simultaneously ordinary and extraordinary for the consumer. This means that the star maust have the same emotions and all round being as the audience however, are some what 'god like' forcing us to believe that there is something special or extraodrinary about them. The second paradox is that the star must be simultaneously present and absent for the consumer. Therefore the audience should feel as if the person is around them for example, through posters or through the television. However it is a pereson who we will never have a physical connection with, because they are of course, god like and we will never cross paths.
The incoherence of the star image ensures that audiences continually strive to ‘complete’ or to ‘make sense of’ of the image. This means that the audience will buys merchandise and memorabilia for this artist making them feel as if they are closer to the star and getting to know everything about them.
Stars depend upon a range of subsidiary media marketing, such as, magazines, TV, radio, the internet – in order to construct an image for themselves which can be marketed to the appropriate target audiences. For example, Adele uses simplistic and ordinary pictures as she is very much so focused on her talent, not her sexuality or physique, whereas another artist such as Britney Spears uses semi naked pictures of herself on her posters as she wishes to gain sex appeal from a male audience usually because her music is about female feelings. Thereforee this type of marketing allows records companies and artists to broaden their target audiences and gain a larger following all by the way in which they portray themselves.
There are many elements in our video, digipak and promo poster, which highlight other elements of our band star image. Due to star image being of such high importance in the industry, we thought that we could represent this through the costume. Firstly, in terms of physical image, our band and actors are all wearing the stereotypical track suits worn usually by 'chavs', in dark colours with the iconic Adidas strip down the leg. Our lead singer was wearing a black hoody with dark track suit pants. This is a typical urban and grime image, which we were striving for whilst organising in our per production. We wanted to create an urban, violent and gritty video, therefore we had to be sure the costume fitted, with both our actors and band to make it seem more realistic for audiences so they could possibly relate to it. This vviolentos boisterous theme was also represented through the narrative as towards the end a group of youths are shaking the cage which the suits are captive in. We wanted this to denote animalistic behaviour, to highlight a lack of class and education, therefore tapping into the psychological where we are able to recognise these people as barbaric. This was an image we wanted to portray as we want our audience to be of the same type stereotype. We also wanted the audience to feel challenged, as if they are not tough enough to listen to this.
Another element which we use our promotional poster was the boxer. Despite the boxer model, who has no relevance to the band or the video, we thought that is image could help denote some key values of our chosen band to make it more marketable. For example, the boxer has his fist clenched tight as if he is punching into the camera. He is wearing hand wraps, and a ring. The rest of his face and body is out of focus, which helps the audience to emphasise his fist and the ring. The fist denotes the strength and power of the band, also relating to my earlier comment on the barbaric violent image which we were going for as well. It also denotes that the band may have come from a tough background and up bringing, and the fist is as if they are fighting back at anyone who told the they would not be able to be successful or that they are making their way through the music industry with determination and strength with their fists literally clenched. This gives the band a very threatening and negative image, yet it makes them very marketable as people enjoy watching rebellion and following it. Therefore it will appeal to their target audience as they are real people from the same backgrounds who are relatable.
Both of these key elements make this bands image very marketable as audiences everywhere will have some recognition for this image and will follow it. Due to audiences being able to relate to this image and lifestyle as well, the will allow them to want to know more about the band and why they behave this way, following Dyer's stardom theory where the incoherence of the star image leaves audiences striving to finding out more information and trying to be the bands biggest fan, constantly competiting to be the best. This will benefit the record companies as the audience will buy merchandise of this artist to make other feel closer to their idols.
It is very clear there is quite a specific target audience. Despite being specific it is certainly not of a small spectrum. Specifically we were aiming our video and band image toward 16 to 24 year old males. However the audience becomes much narrower, more so toward 16 - 24 year old males with a criminal record, who are rebellious, from a poor, working class background, violent and who enjoy heavy drum and bass. Even the lyrics and beat of the song reflect the type of individual who would listen to it, due to its threatening and epic nature. However despite that being a very stereotypical and narrow audience, there are others which this could appeal too as well. Due to the image that our band is portraying throughout the narrative of the video where the youths are rebelling against the suits (authority) this could have some reference to students rebelling against teachers, children against parents, employees against their boss. This is all a situation we can relate too where we wish to over throw authority. Hence why this video portrays this image so greatly as despite the youths being naughty and rebellious, they are actually the protagonists, leaving the audience to believe it is 'cool' to behave like this, therefore portraying an image which is against typical positive values, this makes the audience feel as if they are breaking free and releasing any other emotions which they are holding back.
•A star is an image, not a real person, that is constructed out of a range of materials, usually through video or promotional posters etc.
•Stars are commodities produced and consumed on the strength of their meanings.
Fundamentally, the star image is incoherent, that is incomplete and ‘open’. Dyer says that this is because it is based upon two key paradoxesthe first paradox is that the star must be simultaneously ordinary and extraordinary for the consumer. This means that the star maust have the same emotions and all round being as the audience however, are some what 'god like' forcing us to believe that there is something special or extraodrinary about them. The second paradox is that the star must be simultaneously present and absent for the consumer. Therefore the audience should feel as if the person is around them for example, through posters or through the television. However it is a pereson who we will never have a physical connection with, because they are of course, god like and we will never cross paths.
The incoherence of the star image ensures that audiences continually strive to ‘complete’ or to ‘make sense of’ of the image. This means that the audience will buys merchandise and memorabilia for this artist making them feel as if they are closer to the star and getting to know everything about them.
Stars depend upon a range of subsidiary media marketing, such as, magazines, TV, radio, the internet – in order to construct an image for themselves which can be marketed to the appropriate target audiences. For example, Adele uses simplistic and ordinary pictures as she is very much so focused on her talent, not her sexuality or physique, whereas another artist such as Britney Spears uses semi naked pictures of herself on her posters as she wishes to gain sex appeal from a male audience usually because her music is about female feelings. Thereforee this type of marketing allows records companies and artists to broaden their target audiences and gain a larger following all by the way in which they portray themselves.
There are many elements in our video, digipak and promo poster, which highlight other elements of our band star image. Due to star image being of such high importance in the industry, we thought that we could represent this through the costume. Firstly, in terms of physical image, our band and actors are all wearing the stereotypical track suits worn usually by 'chavs', in dark colours with the iconic Adidas strip down the leg. Our lead singer was wearing a black hoody with dark track suit pants. This is a typical urban and grime image, which we were striving for whilst organising in our per production. We wanted to create an urban, violent and gritty video, therefore we had to be sure the costume fitted, with both our actors and band to make it seem more realistic for audiences so they could possibly relate to it. This vviolentos boisterous theme was also represented through the narrative as towards the end a group of youths are shaking the cage which the suits are captive in. We wanted this to denote animalistic behaviour, to highlight a lack of class and education, therefore tapping into the psychological where we are able to recognise these people as barbaric. This was an image we wanted to portray as we want our audience to be of the same type stereotype. We also wanted the audience to feel challenged, as if they are not tough enough to listen to this.
Another element which we use our promotional poster was the boxer. Despite the boxer model, who has no relevance to the band or the video, we thought that is image could help denote some key values of our chosen band to make it more marketable. For example, the boxer has his fist clenched tight as if he is punching into the camera. He is wearing hand wraps, and a ring. The rest of his face and body is out of focus, which helps the audience to emphasise his fist and the ring. The fist denotes the strength and power of the band, also relating to my earlier comment on the barbaric violent image which we were going for as well. It also denotes that the band may have come from a tough background and up bringing, and the fist is as if they are fighting back at anyone who told the they would not be able to be successful or that they are making their way through the music industry with determination and strength with their fists literally clenched. This gives the band a very threatening and negative image, yet it makes them very marketable as people enjoy watching rebellion and following it. Therefore it will appeal to their target audience as they are real people from the same backgrounds who are relatable.
Both of these key elements make this bands image very marketable as audiences everywhere will have some recognition for this image and will follow it. Due to audiences being able to relate to this image and lifestyle as well, the will allow them to want to know more about the band and why they behave this way, following Dyer's stardom theory where the incoherence of the star image leaves audiences striving to finding out more information and trying to be the bands biggest fan, constantly competiting to be the best. This will benefit the record companies as the audience will buy merchandise of this artist to make other feel closer to their idols.
It is very clear there is quite a specific target audience. Despite being specific it is certainly not of a small spectrum. Specifically we were aiming our video and band image toward 16 to 24 year old males. However the audience becomes much narrower, more so toward 16 - 24 year old males with a criminal record, who are rebellious, from a poor, working class background, violent and who enjoy heavy drum and bass. Even the lyrics and beat of the song reflect the type of individual who would listen to it, due to its threatening and epic nature. However despite that being a very stereotypical and narrow audience, there are others which this could appeal too as well. Due to the image that our band is portraying throughout the narrative of the video where the youths are rebelling against the suits (authority) this could have some reference to students rebelling against teachers, children against parents, employees against their boss. This is all a situation we can relate too where we wish to over throw authority. Hence why this video portrays this image so greatly as despite the youths being naughty and rebellious, they are actually the protagonists, leaving the audience to believe it is 'cool' to behave like this, therefore portraying an image which is against typical positive values, this makes the audience feel as if they are breaking free and releasing any other emotions which they are holding back.
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