Research into Chosen Artist (changes made)

Nina Nesbitt

Nina Nesbitt was born in Scotland on the 11th of July 1994, and therefore is 19

years old. She has not released any official albums yet, but is signed to Island, a

subliminal record label of Universal and has released 5 EP's which include

relatively well known singles such as 'Stay Out' and 'Apple Tree'. Considering

her career only started not too long ago, Nina has had many significant

achievements in her career including:

Her single 'Stay Out' reached number 21 in the official charts

She has performed at festivals such as T in the Park

She has toured with both Ed Sheeran and Example

Her single 'Apple Tree' made it to number 6 on iTunes

Her own UK headlining tour in 2012

Singles including Stay Out played on Radio 1

Nina Nesbitt is an indie artist who appeals to a niche target audience as her

music is only known minimal amount of people in comparison to bigger Indie

artists such as Ellie Goulding. As an Indie artist, she conforms to the generic

conventions regarding her simplistic music videos, appearing to be focused

on the music rather than over the top productions. This is one of the reasons

that sparked my interest in the artist as appears as down to earth and therefore

easy to relate to. Also, she is able to play the guitar, portraying her pure talent

in which I personally found appealing as she is able to contribute more than

just a voice to her music; allowing her to be more involved in which again

interested me as it gave a more accurate short representation of the artist.    

Nina Nesbitt has a limited amount of existing music videos; as a result of her

lack of popularity. Her current existing music videos are very simplistic in

content, in which we felt we could achieve ourselves. This is significant as we

can represent the artist accurately and effectively. The song 'Noserings

and Shoestrings' doesn't have a music video made by the artist to accompany

the song; this allows us as a group to create our own interpretation effectively

for others to see. The lyrics in particular influenced us to choose this song as it

has a strong narrative in which we can easily build a relationship between the

lyrics and visuals in order for he audience to have a deeper understanding of the

song.

Video Analysis

To gain further understanding of our chosen artist, we have analysed 2 other

existing music videos that she has created. By identifying the common stylistic

features of her music videos, we will be able to include such material in our

own in order to create an accurate artist representation for our target audience.

Statues

 Explain how Dyer’s star theory is used

Richard Dyer's theory proposes that artist's are commodities constructed

artificially in order to be found appealing by the target audience and therefore

consumed. Their image in consistently changing in order to be incoherent

regarding their style and image which in turn maintains the audience's interest

as they are constantly keeping up with the latest of the artist. Nina

Nesbitt opposes such theory, she is represented as an artist rather than a

commodity. She has a similar appearance in all videos suggesting that she is

being herself rather than changing her image to appear incoherent and

consequently keep the audience guessing. By having an image that is solely

based on herself, this gives the audience an accurate short representation

of the artist and therefore they are able to build a relationship with her because

they feel they 'know the real her'. This is conventional for an indie artist as

it is proposed that such genre was created as a result of rebellion

against mainstream artists that do conform to Dyer's theory. Mainstream genres

such as Pop and RnB typically consist of artists the conform to Dyer's theory by

pushing genre boundaries in order to appear rebellious. However Indie artists

are conventionally much easier to relate to as they are portrayed

as down to earth and focused on the music rather than their image, in which

Nina effectively does also.

How is Goodwin’s theory used?

an example of a close up of the artist

Goodwin's theory consists of 7 points that are proposed as guidelines to

construct a successful music video; relationship between lyrics and visuals,

relationship between music and visuals, voyeuristic treatment of the female

body in particular, demonstrative of genre characteristics, close ups of

the artist, inter-textual references, elements manipulated according to style of

music video and the notion of looking. Nina Nesbitt's video 'Statues' conforms

the Goodwin's theory in terms of a couple of his proposals, one being the often

use of close ups of the artist. Close ups of the artist as typically used so that the

audience are able to connect with the connect and familiarise themselves with

them. It is a typical requirement of the record label to include such

cinematography as it promotes the artist as well as certain clothing brands etc.

Also it conveys the artist's personality for the audience to know in order to

build such relationship and therefore maintain an interest in the

artist. This appeals to the target audience for they feel closer to the artist and therefore

more engaged in her representation; in turn they have the ability to build a relationship

with the artist and therefore an interest is initiated and maintained.

Goodwin's theory can further identified in the music video as there is a

visual relationship between music and visuals. When there is a beat in the song,

the editing coordinates as the frame changes on to the next. This encourages the

audience to become familiar with the song as there is a visual stimulus that

informs them of the beat. It also gives the music video persistent continuity as

the video is in time with the beat rather than competing with it as the target audience

are able to understand the narrative as it is parallel to the editing.

How is the artist represented?

The style of the music video consists of only artist performance as it lacks a

narrative or concept style. This makes the music video much more intimate for

the audience only focus on the artist as they have no other material to engage

with. This represents the artist as much easier to relate to, for she is

encouraging the audience to engage with her as the music video is much more

personal. Therefore the artist appears down to earth, easy to build a relationship

with and in turn, the audience feel they know the artist increasingly. She

conforms to the typical indie artist representation as being very down to earth

rather than over the top, which will appeal to the target audience for the indie

genre was in fact a reaction to mainstream genres such as pop. Individuals felt

that mainstream genres lack realistic substance that the indie genre provided;

and therefore such representation allows the audience to relate to the artist in

which they cannot do with artists in genres such as pop.

close up of artist playing the piano

Also, the performance shows the artist playing the piano and therefore provides

the audience with a short representation of the artist; as it shows that she has

another additional talent rather than just being able to sing. This additional

information appeals to the audience as they know more about the artist and

therefore are able to relate to her increasingly as they either know more about

her or have found a similar quality in which they both share; resulting in them

feeling more similar to the artist and therefore closer to her. It represents the

artist as dedicated to her music as she has given the time and effort to learn how

to play additional instruments on top of singing; conventional to the indie genre

as they can be typically recognised as being committed to their music in which

they solely focus on rather than their image for example.

the artist is wearing white

The colours evident in the music video are heavily representative of the artist.

The artist is wearing white, in which this connotes innocence and purity,

relevant to the lyrics in which the artist is singing. She sings of heartbreak and

losing a former individual in which she once knew and loved and therefore

appears innocent in this circumstance. The lack of bright colour and rather the

favour of natural and subtle colours present the artist as pure and simple,

conventional to the genre so this quality allows the target audience to be able to

relate to her and progress to building a relationship which in turn encourages

the audience to maintain a interest in her. If the artist were to use bright colours

this would suggest her happiness and therefore contradict the lyrics; the colours

used effectively create the simple and pure atmosphere in which the target

audience can easily relate to. Furthermore, the main source of light is the use of

fairy lights, and therefore reinforces the innocence and purity in which the artist

is represented as. However, this particular iconography typically will appeal to

the female target audience as it also portrays her feminine side in which females

will be able to relate to rather than males. The content of the song also will

appeal to the female target audience die to the subject of the lyrics in which a

female individual feels a sense of misery due to the loss of a romantic

relationship. As the song is sung from a female perspective, it will be easier for

the female target audience to relate to her emotion. This represents the artist as

feminine in which again, will appeal to the female target audience.

Who is the target audience?

The target audience of this song will majorly consistent of girls as her lyrics are

addressing a break up from a female's perspective. The intense emotion will

also appeal to girls as they are likely to understand what she has been through

and therefore able to connect to the song and artist. Therefore a female

audience will be able to build a relationship with the artist as they

similarity. The feminine colours and lights will also appeal to girls as it portrays

her innocence and vulnerability in her image rather than portraying sexual

appeal that would appeal to a male audience.

What is the style of the music video

The entire video is performance based as she plays the piano throughout while

singing the song; there are no narrative or concept aspects in the video. A

performance based narrative increases the emotion of the song as the artist

appears more involved in the song and therefore this gives a

short representation of the artist as being an average teenage girl who has

experienced a break up. This appeal to the target audience as they are able to

build  relationship from such representation. A performance based music video

is conventional within the indie genre, especially live performances, as it allows

the audience to focus on the music. Music videos in the indie genre lack

narrative as artist representations are conventionally based upon the music not

over the top editing that suggest they push the boundaries.

What common camera shots do the music videos use?

The artist alone with her piano

Common cinematography recognised in the music video consist of mid shots

from behind while the artist is playing the piano. This shot emphasises that she

is alone as the audience become aware that it is only her and the piano in the

room. A sense of loneliness is also portrayed in the lyrics as she speaks of

feeling alone - a link between lyrics and visuals. This increases the emotion

and vulnerability of the artist, in which the audience can relate to as these are

typical outcomes of a break up of a romantic relationship. It creates a sense of

reality as the artist expresses genuine emotion rather than materialising the song

by creating a typical narrative. 

close up

Another common camera shot used in the music video is a close up of the artist's face;

allowing the audience to familiarise themselves with the artist. This can be associated

with Richard Dyer's theory, as he proposes that an artist must be both present and

absent to maintain an audience interest. By having a close up of the artist, she is

evidently present and therefore the audience can engage in the artist's image. However,

when there is a lack of close ups of the artist she is obviously absent and in turn the

audience begin to wonder about the artist.

     

Boy, Nina Nesbitt

How is Richard Dyer's Theory used?

Richard Dyer proposed that a star must be both ordinary for the audience to relate to and extraordinary for the audience to be interested by as their lifestyle in unconventional. Nina Nesbitt appears to subvert such proposal as her representation appears to be solely ordinary; the location is familiar, she clothes appear regular and the storyline of breaking up with a boy is an issue common amongst her target audience. This conforms to the typical indie representation as the target audience prefer to be able to relate to the artist rather than take interest in their unconventional lifestyle. Also, Dyer proposed that an artist must be present and absent to evoke interest, however the artist is present throughout therefore subverting such proposal. When filming our own music video, the artist will also be present throughout in order to increase chances of the target audience to connect with her.


How is Goodwins Theory used?

Throughout the music video elements of Goodwin's theory is incorporated. There is also a link between the lyrics and the visuals in the music video. When the artist sings 'I've got to pick it up' the artist picks up a letter. This relationship between the lyrics and visuals allows the audience to have a deeper understanding of the lyrics as they are accompanied by a visual narrative. Not only do they have a visual accompaniment, but its also the artists' interpretation of the lyrics and therefore they have an understanding of the intended meaning,what the artist truly meant by her lyrics.

 Furthermore, there is a clear relationship between the music and visuals in the music video as transitions are incorporated to change the visuals on the beat of the music which encourages the audience to become quickly familiar with the song as they have a visual stimulus as to when the beat happens. Also, this increases the continuity of the visual as the visual and music are complimentary rather than contrasting which could make the audience disorientated. When creating our own music video, we will aim to create a relationship between the visual and music in order to achieve such effect and increase appeal.

 Finally, the music video largely consists of close up shots of the artist, typically when she is performing the song and therefore this provides the audience with a chance to connect with the lyrics as well as the artist as they are more familiar with her emotions, shown through facial expressions etc. This allows them to build a relationship with the artist as they understand her more and therefore can relate to her increasingly well.


How is the artist represented?

Throughout the  music video the artist is represented as a down to earth individual with typical teenage issues and therefore appears easy to relate to. Through similarities such as the topic she sings of (losing a romantic male figure) her target audience will be able to relate to such topic as it is highly probable that they have experienced a similar situation. Therefore a sense of unity is created between artist and audience in which case encourages them to build a relationship with the artist as well as having someone to look up to and admire.

The artist's image appears very conventional as she has a style that is identifiably indie; heavy fringe, eye liner and red lipstick. As her image is indie, her target audience will be able to recognise what type of artist she is immediately and will also show interest in her style. As her target audience are female teenagers, such segment is highly influenced in terms of image by the people in the public eye and therefore her image is also vital in terms of her overall representation. Also, her style is very simplistic and therefore easy to copy in which case her fans will feel more similar to her and therefore maintain an interest in her.

What style of music video is it?

The music video is primarily performance based as the artist is seen singing the song basically throughout the entire video. However there is also a vague narrative in which the artist is attempting to write a letter to the male figure, but in the end writes the song she is performing instead. The balance of both performance and narrative provide the audience with the emotion from the artist's performance as well as an understanding of the song from the lose narrative. As a group we feel this is effective and therefore will be using an identical style in our own music video as the artist is also singing of an emotional narrative and therefore will effectively provide understanding and emotion.


 What common camera shots does the music video use?

The music video often uses an over the shoulder shot to frame the mysterious romantic figure that the artist sings of, possibly for two main reasons; the first being that an over the shoulder shot hides the face of the figure and therefore his identity remain an enigma. In which case, the audience only come into contact with the artist and therefore are encourages to solely connect with the artist. By not letting the audience see anyone else the audience must take the side of the artist and therefore encourages the audience to build a relationship with her. Also, by not seeing his identity suggests his minimal importance to her, implied through the lyrics as well. Therefore such shot reinforces that he is insignificant as we begin to understand the artist increasingly. Finally, by hiding his face, this portrays the concept of unrequited love as universal, as he could be anyone. This encourages the audience to think of the figure in their own lives that is applicable to this song in order for them to connect with it more, increasing their appeal to the song as they are able to connect with it on a personal level.

Another commonly used shot in the music video, is a variety of mid shots and close ups of the artist repeatedly writing and screwing up letters. By using both mid shots and close ups intensifies the emotions of frustrations portrayed by the artist, as the repetitiveness of this emphasises such. Therefore, the audience begin to understand the artist increasingly as they become familiar with how she is feeling and therefore have an increased chance of building  relationship with her through mutual emotions. Also, the narrative of the song becomes more clear as the audience can recognise that the artist is trying to express her emotions but is failing in doing so, another issue which is easily related to.



4)     Summary

This research into our artist, has helped us as a group understand the artist in more depth in terms of her representation and the style of her music videos.

From this research we have concluded:


·      The artist conforms the typical representation of an indie artist for she subverts Richard Dyer’s proposal that artists are constructed falsely in order to be consumed by the target audience and therefore they are a commodity rather than an individual. Nina Nesbitt is represented as a down to earth and easy to relate to individual for the content of her music video is simplistic and therefore more personal to her own unique style rather than falsely constructed to appeal and consumption. It is these qualities that appeal to her target audience for she is an artist that sings of content that the audience can relate to as well as her image being easy to relate to as well. In our own music video, we will also represent our artist as being down to earth and easy to relate to rather than a commodity for this creates a coherent image for the artist; she sings of personal and simple content and therefore if we were to construct her as a commodity, the artist would lack consistency in her image and would not have a clear target audience. Such case is prone to the artist becoming unpopular across all audiences for they are not being provided an artist that specifically attends to their demand. Therefore, our artist will be down to earth and easy to relate to, in order to relate to the teenage/young adult female target audience.

·      Her music videos can be recognised for conforming to Goodwin’s proposal; specifically close ups of the artist and a link between the music and the visuals. There are many close ups of the artists in which contribute to the intimate interaction between artist and audience for this makes the music video much more personal to the artist and therefore allows the audience to understand more about the artist, encouraging them to build a relationship with her. When creating our own music video, we also plan to use close ups as this is a vital and effective methods of allowing the audience to engage with the artist. This appeals to the target audience for they feel closer to the artist. Furthermore, visual relationship between music and visuals encourages the engagement of the audience for they have a visual stimulus as well as their ability to listen to the beat of the song itself. In turn, we plan to create a similar effect be placing our transitions to frame to frame on the beat of the song for this increases the ability to understand the video for the song is parallel to the editing. It will appeal to target audience for they will be able to connect to the narrative more rather than becoming disengaged and lose interest in the video.

·      The music videos only consist of a performance and narrative based style.. The video 'Statues' lacks a narrative, in which we feel as a group would be more suited to our song ‘Nose rings and Shoestrings’ as the lyrics depict a narrative rather than focusing on emotion as this particular song does, similarly to the music video 'Boy'.  However, we feel that the performance aspect of the video is successful in allowing the audience to engage with the artist and therefore our video will consist of both performance and narrative in order for the audience to be able to connect with the artist as well as having a deeper understanding of the song which will be portrayed through the narrative. Therefore the audience will be provide with a holistic approach in the video’s ability to appeal to the audience as they have both a performance and narrative aspect.