Research into my music genres

Research into music genre 

Our chosen genre is mixture between dance, R&B and pop, house and techno as it is quite popular at the moment and I was inspired by the good beat it has, as I have always had a slight interest in this type of music, but has grown as my knowledge of it has enlarged too.

One artist which is similar to my chosen music artist is Beyonce, who released her Run the World video in April 2011 in her album 4.

The codes and conventions of R&B shown by this video, is the sexuality that is portrayed by Beyonce by the minimal use of clothing as her legs are on show in most of the video; this targets the male audience as Beyonce wants to be represented as an object of desire.

Also her hair is always styled in very eccentric ways as it is very eye-catching as well as her make up with dark and gold eye shadows which makes her eyes very glamorous. This helps to show her power as a woman, which is also done by the very high heels which gives her a good stance and also as many other R&B female singer wear high heels so that their legs look longer, still targeting a male audience. 

This music video breaks the gender stereotypes as it shows that women have more power than men.

This video is set in a deserted place, as we can see mountain in the background but also as the video is

filmed in an abandoned warehouse.

Her use of jewellery and make up and costumes supported her setting as it represented different cultures which were all brought together to embrace women empowerment.

 The lighting was natural as it was quite low key which helped to create a tribe atmosphere in the video.

There were many long shots which showed all the women with Beyonce at the centre dancing which helped to embrace the girls’ power concept. These also portrayed women, but especially Beyonce as regal and elegant. 
Another commonly used shot was a close up of the artist eyes as it helps to show her emotions and the expression she was giving though her eyes. This was intending to be intimidating to the men watching her video as it shows her authority over them. The close ups are also used in order to show the determination in the artist to prove that women run the world, which is also been also clearly stated by the lyrics "Who run the world, girls".  
Whilst the high angle shots, helps to give power to the artist, as the audience is forced to look up to her. All these camera shots helps to portray the message that women are more powerful than men, due to their determination, whilst men just act as if they have more power. In this video women are represented as beautiful and independent but also united. 

 

The pink, green, orange and red dresses which are worn by Beyonce as well as the back up dancers are all colours which are associated to nature, suggesting that women are natural in their beauty and strength.
Not many special effects were used in this music video as also the pase of editing was not too fast or too slow, but it went with the music. Effects such as blink and earthquake were used, at times, to emphasise power, when Beyonce was in the frame, suggesting that she is the "Queen". As Beyonce was the only woman wearing extravagant jewellery it portrayed her as the leader of the women.

When considering the iconography, the lion and fire, all connote power, strength and danger, all elements which fit in well with the concept of this song. The lion, which in continents like Africa, are associated to Kings, due to the saying "king of the jungle" and are represented as regal animals. Whilst fire and explosions, usually represent danger and are powerful due to their strength to be able to destroy what ever comes its way. The choreography in this music video is very aggressive and determined as the moves are hard and strong, connoting power, which helps to support the concept of the song. 

This music video is mainly performance and concept based, although there is a slight narrative to it. As Goodwin’s theory suggests there is also a strong link between lyrics and visuals; the women dancing in front of a barrier of male police men with shields as they are scared and intimidated by them. There is also a strong bond between the music and the visuals as the dancing goes to the beat of the music.
The target audience for this music video are young adults and adolescents females, although males have been influenced to watch the video, by the sexuality which is portrayed by Beyonce and her back up dancers.  

An other artist who is similar to Rihanna is Rita Ora Shine ya light in November 2012 on her début album Ora.
The genre convention of R&B in this video, are that as in Beyonces' video, she shows her legs to portray her as a sex object, Rita instead wears crop tops so that her stomach is on show. But instead of wearing heels, she wears trainers to break the gender stereotype and also wears jewellery which is usually worn by men in R&B music which also helps to break the stereotype. Rita Ora also wears red lipstick in her video to show power, which is something that is also used by many other R&B singers.

This video is set in Pristina Kosovo, which is the capital of Albania; the setting is quite poor as the buildings are not well taken care of and look old and scruffy.
The clothing and make up are very simple as she is wearing a grey jumper and shorts and a grey hat, this is so that she doesn't stand up to much from the scene. Her other outfits are all quite revealing as or they are showing off her legs or either her stomach. Even though kind of revealing, Rita Ora still doesn't look too vulgar or sexual, as by adding masculine accessories such as lots of jewellery, it makes her appeal more of a tomboy. 
Natural lighting is used to create a simple and tranquil atmosphere as it helps to show her sensitivity towards a poorer population as there also aren't any special effects. This also helps to show the audience, where she came from, as it seems that everyone around there knows her. This helps to relate to the audience as they can look up to her as a role model and feel inspired by what she has achieved in her life so far. 

 

The motorbikes in the video, represent Rita as a rebellious artist, someone who is not scared of taking risks, as she is very adventurous  In this video she looks very comfortable and for this reason the audience, can understand that the town of Pristina is her home town. Also the scarf that she wears at the start which represents the flag of Albania, confirms to the audience that this song is set in her home town. 
Lots of tracking shots are used to help the audience to feel more involved in her lifestyle, as the cameras are following the artist, the audience feels intrigued into her life. 

The long shots were also used frequently as it helped to show the whole scene, so that the audience could know what was going on, as a consequence it helped them feel more involved in the artists lifestyle. They also helped to show Rita Ora's posture and the way she carries herself, giving the audience a better insight to who she is, as a person rather  than a star.

The choreography in this music video,is very minimal as the only dancing that is shown is when Rita Ora is on the roof of a building and is belly dancing. This type of dance, is there to represent her in a sexy way, but unlike Rihanna, she is not portrayed as a sex object. 

The target audience for this music video are adolescents and young adults like, as the beat of the music and the modern clothing appeals more that audience range.
This video is mainly performance and concept and it also has some narrative to it. The bond between lyrics and visuals is quite weak as there isn't a good interpretation of her lyrics. Also the relationship between visuals and the music is weak as there isn't much dancing which creates the strong bond between them. 

This research has helped me to find out that in contemporary R&B/dance music videos women want to be powerful and be superior to men as they break the general stereotype. Female singer also use their hair, make-up and jewellery to help support their image of dominance. This will help me with the planning of my music video as I know what my audience will be interested in looking at.
From this research that I have gathered, I am planning to make my artists look glamorous, by making them wear dresses and lots of eye make-up. The hairstyles will be natural, as we also want to portray natural beauty. When using the camera, I will include close ups, in order for the audience to relate to my artists but also as in Beyonce's music video, it helps to show the artist emotions. I am planning to use long shots, as it will help to show the locations and also will help to focus on the artists posture and mannerisms.