Richard Dyer's star theory

                              Richard Dyers star theory

Richard Dyer

 

Richard Dyer's star theory suggest that stars are constructed and manufactured for financial gain and to target a specific group of people. Richard Dyer is states that stars are constructed by the institutions to serve one specific purpose which is to make money off of the audiences as they start to become fans and idolize the artist therefore, results in the audience buying the artists products creating more revenue for the institutions, meaning more money and more profit.

This could be applied to various rap artists, and even all rap artists to some extent. One example of an artist who is built around Richard Dyers star theory, could be arguably Drake. This is because the music videos have a circular narrative, and give a lot of on screen time for the star, as he appears in the majority of camera shots within the music video. This can be seen in his music video "hotline bling" which created a big star image for the rapper which involved into consumers buying merchandise belonging to drake, profiting him and the institutions.









What I have learnt so far
I have become confident with this theorist and as a result, I can start to apply his theories into my posts to deliver a more detailed analysis in my posts to come. This could be very useful for in depth star analysis, as I can focus on how they have been constructed by the institutions.

Lyotards theory

Jean Francois Lyotard

Lyotard's narrative theory

Jean Francois Lyotard was against looking at narratives in media as one whole narrative (a meta narrative). He suggested that traditional ways of thinking, like Todorov's theory, are flawed. Lyotard argued that narrative is becoming increasingly fragmented, and that these become stories within stories (micro narratives).

Lyotard also came up with concepts of postmodernism where he published a book on these ideas. This book is called La condition post-moderne which stands for The post-modern condition: a report on knowledge. This book explains his views on postmodernism, however, Leotard himself has disclaimed some of his views on the matter.



Lyotards narrative theory can applied to the Yamborghini High music video that I have recently analysed. This music video does not have a meta narrative, but is fragmented into different episodes. This can be seen when the video uses straight cuts (editing) to transition from the star then back to cars. Therefore, this proves that Lyotards narrative theory is correct, and is evident within music videos.

What I have learnt so far
I have become confident with this theorists and as a result, I can start to apply his theories into my posts to deliver a more detailed analysis in my posts to come. 

Roles and Responsibilities

        Music Video Role - Pre-lim task

The role I will be tackling during the pre-lim task is the camera operator. I will be responsible for capturing different types of shots instructed by the cinematographer. My role will involve filming the music video using different angles, locations and shots ready for the video to be edited and published. This will be a vital part in the turn out of our video and is also a highly challenging task due to the nature and the intensity of the task at hand. However, I believe I am capable of taking this role as I have an already existing knowledge on the equipment will be using as I have got the experience to use the camera in the past. 

A camera operator

Members roles - pre-lim






Callum - Callum will be taking on the role of a director for the pre-lim task.He will be leading the group when planning, creating, and producing the music video. Callum's main tasks will consist of organizing props, actors, and where we will be filming.





Rajvinder - Rajvinder will be taking on the role as produce during the pre-lim task. she will have to complete objectives set by Callum to ensure that our video is produced on time for any deadlines we encounter. For example, if Callum wants a specific person to act in our video, Rajvinder will get the person that suits our specific needs. Rajvinder will also have the ability to make vital decisions on how we make the music video



Jacob - Jacob will be taking on the role of Director of photography during the pre-lim task. He will decide which type of shots we need to take, taking into account the angle, height and position of the camera. After this, Jacob will inform the camera operator (me) to capture the shot he wants.



Note

These roles are only for the Pre-lim task therefore, members roles are not finale for the main task

What I have learnt so far
During the process of organizing the roles and responsibilities within our group, I have realized how important each role is in the creation of the music video. This is definitely an area which we will pay attention to when planning the main task. 

Codes and conventions

       Codes and conventions of rap

There are many different codes and conventions for the rap genre. These range from generic conventions to conventions associated with a specific artist, and even different codes and conventions of the different eras of rap. 

Codes and conventions list

Gang Culture - Gang culture is a key convention displayed in rap. This has been key throughout raps history and is still a key aspect of rap in today's era which is the late 2000s.

American struggle - This specific theme is present in a lot of rap videos and lyrics. However, in the late 2000s this specific theme seems to be fading as glamour, money/ luxury life style is becoming more popular in today's rap music. 

Bling - Although contrasting to the American struggle, bling (jewellery) was very popular back in the 1980's which is a huge contrast to the themes they talk about, as bling shows wealth. However, this could act as a message to viewers demonstrating how you're life can change drastically.

Urban locations - Urban locations such as cities are a key feature in a rap music video. This is because they are able to showcase the different range of cultures such as gang culture. In American rap, city's such as Compton are featured heavily and is normally the main focus point for LA rappers. 

A picture of Los Angeles at night

Props - Guns, drugs, cars and jewellery are huge iconic symbols of the rap genre. Props such as Guns and Drugs help display the ruthlessness of gang culture and cars and jewellery portray the opposite, Luxury. This also displays evidence of Levi's theory of binary opposites. Props such as bling were a common convention in the 1980's and also are still used today by a few selected artists such as Fetty Wap. 

A picture of the artist Fetty Wap wearing bling

Colour - Black, white, blue and red are all conventional colours used in  music videos as well as album covers. Black and white colours represent the grittiness of the artists lifes and the blue and red colours could represent gang culture. This is due to the compton gangs like the crips and the bloods who have a fierce rivalry between each other. These colours symbolise this as the crips represent the blue and the red represents the bloods.

How rap has changed since 2010

Since 2010, rap has in some cases diverted from it's roots and has incorporated new elements into it for example, certain artists are using more of pop music culture into the music, and conventions such as guns are being seen less and less. However, a large majority still oblige by the old structure and foundations of rap music, as seen by a recent music video, 100 by the game. In this music video, we can still see evidence of gang culture, shown by the colour red which represents the bloods (a notorious L.A gang), and their gang symbols shown through their hand gestures. We can also still see elements of bling, like the gold necklaces around their necks, as well from over rap stars like Fetty Wap and drake.

Summary - What I have learnt so far

Overall, genre conventions in from different eras, are still consistently being used in todays modern rap to a certain extent. As the years have past, some conventions have faded away such as bling, however, this seems to have been released by physical money which symbolises the same thing, luxury and wealth. On the other hand, some rap stars still use older conventions to this day for example, Fetty was with bling and The game with gang culture.

The style I would prefer to recreate for our main music video task, would be the newer style, as it still includes older elements of rap like bling but, introduces new elements that would work well with the facilities we have. For example, we could include the music studio into our music video, as a lot of current artists contain images of them working in the studio, therefore we will be able to conform to modern and older conventions better than just older conventions.

Applying narrative theory to a music video

                                        Eminem - Stan

There are three types of narratives in music videos. These narratives are linear, circular and episodic. each of these narratives contain their own unique style and structure which can be seen when watching different music videos.

Linear Narrative

This is the structure of the linear Narrative

A linear Narrative is similar to a film as it has a clear beginning and end and shows the events leading up to the finale. This is a great narrative to tell a story as you can create a clear storyline that viewers get to make sense of due to its simplistic structure.

Circular Narrative

This is how a Circular Narrative is structured.

The circular narrative is a bit more complex than a linear narrative as its more abstract and fragmented. Although the circular narrative is least common of the three, it is mainly used to advertise the star/artist which is what a lot of record labels like to do. 

Episodic Narrative

The episodic narrative is the most fragmented and abstract narrative. This is because the narrative is broken up into different events that take place in different times. For example, it could show an event that took place in the past even if the event before hand was in the present. This type of narrative is also one of the most common as it can be used to create a brand image and advertise the star as well



Narrative theories 

Propp - Propps theory states that there are multiple different character types that are reflected in films and music videos. Some of these character types are The hero (who is on the quest), The villain (who opposes the hero) and the princess (who is the reward for the hero)

Levi-Straus - Levi's theory is about binary oppositions. An example of this would be night and day or/and good and bad. Levi states that binary opposites tended to structure stories in some shape or form.

Todorov - Todorov suggests that there are five stages to a narrative. These are equilibrium, a disruption of the equilibrium, a realisation that a disruption has happened, an attempt to repair the damage, and a restoration of the equilibrium. This can be seen at the start of the music video for stan where the equilibrium is broken, and Stan attempts to repair it by getting Eminem's attention.

Roland Barthes - barthes concept is negotiated meaning. This is when readers/viewers make up their own meanings to the text as they can relate to it in someway.

                                     Eminem - Stan music video analysis

Analysis

In eminems music video, the narrative structure is a mixture between linear and episodic. The narrative is linear at the start as it shows a clear beginning and the events that take place leading up to eminems concert scene where it becomes a bit more abstract therefore, episodic. We can see this as stan keeps on having flashbacks of when eminem rejected him at his own shows with his little brother. This is a vital part in the story as it shows key events that happened in the past which ultimately has a huge impact in the ending of the video. However, after this the structure returns to linear as it shows the events leading up to the end in chronological order, therefore creating a clear plot that viewers can understand. 

The linear narrative can be seen through the use of camera work as they use longer takes at the beginning. For example, when the camera enters the room (tracking shot) through the window and during the toilet scene, longer takes are used to show a slow progression in the storyline. Then when the episodic narrative starts, faster paced editing and shorter cuts are used to show the different events leading up to the end quicker. The episodic narrative has been used during this sequence of scenes as it allows us to see the hard hitting encounters with Eminem which gives context and makes the story understandable for the viewer. Fast paced editing is also used to show Stans irrational thoughts when driving to his death as the quick cuts creates intensity and tension which gives us an idea that Stan isn't "right in the head" which ultimately leads to his and his girlfriends death, as well as his unborn child. This also becomes evident when Eminem says the line "You got some issues Stan, I think you need some counselling" which confirms our believes that Stan needs help. These narratives are not conventional for the rap genre, however for Eminem, they are very conventional as he likes to tell a story in his lyrics and on video and by using this structure, Eminem can do exactly that.

Even though this is a video that follows a strong storyline, its hard to apply Propps character types which isn't conventional for this type of narrative as normally, they contain more character types than other narratives. However, you could say that Stan is the hero as he's on a "quest" to get Eminem's attention and become like him but he ends up killing the princess who is meant to be a reward for the hero so this character convention is broken. Propps theory is very limiting to understanding the types of characters that you get in music video's, especially one as unique and as contemporary as Eminem. This could be due to characters becoming more complex and not your generic typical character type that follows the conventions of a specific type.

Eminem's performance in this music video strongly shows how Richard Dyer's star theory is implemented into the music industry. Richard Dyer suggests that stars are constructed/manufactured to represent "real people" experiencing real emotions. We can see that Eminem is portrayed to be a "real person" as the use of medium shots as well as close ups clearly express his emotions about Stan well. At the end of the video, when Eminem realises what Stan has committed, close up shots enhance the emotions of guilt as we can understand what Eminem must feel like. This is because guilt is a very relatable emotion as almost everyone has experienced it allowing Eminem to be portrayed as a "real person". Richard Dyer then suggests that this is done to create sales and generate revenue for the institutions as people will buy more songs as they are relatable. This proves Richard Dyers theory as seen in this video, as institutions choose the linear narrative to construct a story as it is able to achieve this effect stated in Richard Dyers theory.


What I have learnt so far?
I have gained knowledge on the different types of narrative's and how they are used by the artists/institutions. For example, institutions will mainly use the circular narrative as it shows of the artist creating more revenue for the business. However, an artists like Eminem, wants to show his music as a type of art form therefore, going with a narrative that shows a clear story such as episodic, or linear narratives. This also helps my group decide on what narrative we should use for our music video.

Rick Altman's three genre pleasures

                                                                   Rick Altman

Rick Altman

Rick Altman states that there are three types of genre pleasures. Each one of these are Visceral pleasure, Intellectual pleasure and Emotional pleasure.

Visceral - The first pleasure is Visceral which is the videos stylistic construction that triggers a physical effect upon the viewers. For example, feeling sick.

Intellectual - Intellectual pleasure is experienced through the mind. Things such as puzzles create mystery which stimulates the mind. This pleasure is created through trying to uncover the plot and make sense of the narrative during a music video.

Emotional - Emotional pleasure is when the video creates a strong audience response which creates uncontrollable emotions.




A good rap artist to analysis Rick Altman's three genre pleasures is Eminem as he always tells a story through lyrics and the camera and therefore, its easy to identify the three pleasures of Rick Altman's theory. Today, we are going to be analysing Eminem's song called "Not Afraid".

                                     Eminem - Not afraid - music video 

Visceral pleasure in the video - In the music video, a very strong and powerful story is told of struggle and how to overcome it. This creates very powerful emotions which can trigger physical effects for the viewers such as being motivated and acting upon that. This effect is mainly told through the use of lyrics, as well as visuals like the storm, as it is used to imply messages about poverty, and people from the same background as Eminem can relate to this. This is also part of Richard Dyers theory where he talks about Stars being represented as "real people", as this allows the spectator to connect more with the artist. For example, the lyrics "Yeah, it's been a ride I guess I had to, go to that place, to get to this one Now some of you, might still be in that place if your trying to get out, just follow me I'll get you there" This lyric states the start of our journey with eminem himself.

Intellectual pleasure in the video - This is a key concept during this music video as it contains a strong plot, thats about the struggles of life (Especially his life) and the ideologies behind it. This is shown through the storm (mise-en-scene) during the video, as it expresses difficulties about living in poverty struck area. Therefore, viewers will find it interesting to uncover the messages behind it and start to understand the story behind Eminem, and the messages and values he is trying the express during the music video. Eminem portrays his messages in an unconventional way compared to others in the rap industry. Typically, rappers would include cinematography of poverty, for example, area's of Detroit. This is not the case with Eminem's work, as he includes the same messages, but with subtle techniques, that symbolise themes of poverty instead of implying it directly to the spectator.  This is created through the performance and narrative of the video, which eminem tells a story through acting and his lyrics.

Emotional pleasure in the video -  This pleasure comes from mainly being able to relate to the viewers as the emotions that the video creates will effect the viewer in a deeper and more powerful way. Eminem puts across emotions of fear, desire and determination that help build on the message of overcoming challenges and the struggles that not so fortunate people might have to deal with on a day to day basis. These messages, are shown through lyrics, and miss-en-scene. The lyrics "yeah, it's been a ride I guess I had to, go to that place, to get to this one Now some of you, might still be in that place if your trying to get out, just follow me I'll get you there". This could create intense emotions to the E1/D2 spectators, as they could have experienced similar situations to what Eminem is talking about, therefore, will feel more moved and engaged to what Eminem is saying in his lyrics.


What I have learnt so far
I have learnt about Rick Altman's theory and the three types of pleasures he states in the theory. I can now start to think how I will embed this theory into our music video to help create these three different genre pleasures for the viewers. This is best done when the material can relate to a person/ the viewers as they can understand the idea's and messages we are producing.

                                         

Andrew Goodwin's theory about music videos

                                                      Andrew Goodwin's theory 

Andrew Goodwin's theory states and describes different features of music videos. These are the different typical genre characteristics that each music genre has. For example, in the rap genre, a typical characteristic would be the use of flashy car, sexualising women and the use of weapons  such as guns.

Here is a stereotypical shot that a rap music video would include.
This can be seen in the use of the red Mercedes 300 gullwing and
the person holding a handgun, which resembles violence.

Andrew Goodwins theory describes five key aspects to a music video which are...

-Thought beats - visualising the sound 

- Narrative and performance 

-Relation of the visuals to the song 

-The star image 

-Technical aspect of a music video

In the music video I first analysed, all these five key aspects are visible in the video. For example, Asap Rocky (The star) is portrayed in a way that suits the characteristics of the rap genre, and not necessarily his personality in real life. This can be seen in the use of golden jewellery, which puts enthuses and shows off the fact that he is rich. This then starts to create the stars image of what the artist wants the viewers to see him as creating his overall star image.

Asap using jewellery and cars to portray a image to the viewers that
he is clearly wealthy.

Relation of the visuals to the song can be seen during this video. Lamborghini's play a big part of the music video as there are full scenes just focused on the car itself. This is relatable to the songs title and lyrics as the artists mention the brands manufacture name multiple times in the songs lyrics.

The narrative doesn't really tell a story in this video, as the lyrics don't enable it to. The lyrics seem to be very repetitive and this goes along with the episodic narrative as it brings back the same ideas and choruses over and over again.Unlike the rap genre, its easier to tell a story through something like a love song as its very generic and easy to do. This is why theres such a vast amount of music videos/songs centred around the theme of love because its simple. However, performance was a key factor in the video as there is a huge focus around the main artist as well as the other performers during this video as the camera is using the stars as the centre of attention due to the long amount of camera time the star receives.

The technical aspect to a music video is also very important. This includes things such as mine-en-scene, Lighting, camera work and editing. As you can see from this specific music video, editing was a vital asset in the production of the video. Editing has been used to create a different atmosphere to the video by changing the form of natural colours into unnatural colours.

As you can see from this image, the editing places us in a alien environment as we find the colours strange and uncomfortable. They also merge overlapped clips with static effects that gives us a unusual experience when watching the video.

What I have learnt from analysing this video.

From this music video, I can clearly see that star image is an important factor when creating a rap music video. The camera shots must be mainly focused around the star however, can briefly cut to other scenes that do not include the star just to give the video a bit more flow. I have also noticed the the variety in camera shots is extremely important as different shots and angles keep the viewer entertained and interested in the video. Performance is also key as the artist has got to look the part. This can be achieved by excellent lip syncing as well as movement such as dancing and other activities.  

A image that has been purposely distraught for the
music video