Research: Websites of Artists - Troye Sivan

Troye Sivan

This is a website for fans of Troye Sivan so they can see all his merchandise, tour dates and advertisement for him. The main page has a black and purple colour scheme which creates a mysterious atmosphere for the artist. This makes new audiences want to research more into him and his music. The purple colour scheme also symbolises luxury and wealth so this further creates a successful image for the artist and the record label. The simplicity of the white sans-serif text 'Bloom the new album' pops against the dark background and links the photo of Troye Sivan to create a coherent page. The text promotes his new album coming out with direct links to 'pre-order' or 'pre-save' the album if the audience is interested. These are in lilac purple boxes with a white sans-serif font, these create puffs to grab the audience's attention. Along the top where the navigation bar is there is Troye Sivan's name enlarged in white sans-serif font with 'home', 'tours', 'watch', 'music', and 'app' which turn purple when clicked on to further create cohesion among the website. The links are useful and help to promote his merchandise, tour dates, music videos, music and his very own app with exclusive content regarding the artist. To the left of the page, there are iconic symbols of social media links to again promote the artist widely with such links as Instagram, Twitter, YouTube and Spotify.

Further down the home page, the simplicity continues with two pictures containing his newest merchandise including an 'exclusive white vinyl' and the 'ultimate bloom collection'. The use of the buzzwords 'exclusive' and 'ultimate' suggest to the audience that there is nothing like this product out there and to a fan, this is a must have purchase. The purple and black synergy carries on to the merch with its black, white and purple colour scheme in the vinyl. The verb 'pre-order' and the imperative verb 'order now' almost commands the audience to buy his merchandise, the bright purple puff is again used to highlight the verbs to showcase their importance.

On the tour page the theme of black, white and purple continues with the same sans serif font promoting his new tour 'Bloom' which links into his new album also called 'Bloom' which creates great synergy for the artist. Buzzwords such as 'Exclusive' are repeated to further promote the tour and the app. There is even an offer to buy general tour dates which includes a CD copy of Bloom. The offers and the buzzword all create a semantic field of great offers worth the audiences money. The acronym 'RSVP' and the noun 'Tickets' is again displayed inside a purple puffs. The 'RVSP' takes you to a page with more information about the venue and who is supporting him in the concert. Behind the main page with the basic information for the tour, there is a picture of Troye Sivan in black and white looking off to the side seductively to promote his star image to the audience.

The final promotion at the bottom of the home page is for his new music video for his hit single with Ariana Grande. The black, white and purple colour scheme continues with a black and white photo of Troye and Ariana looking into camera which is a convention to grab the audiences attention. The 'watch now' is again in a purple box which is big enough and easily accessable to the audience.

Research: Institutions/ distribution channels research

Universal Music Group (UMG)

Universal Music Group is an American global music corporation which was founded in September 1934, 83 years ago. Their headquarters are in Santa Monica, California, US and they are known to be one of the "Big Three" record labels alongside Warner Music Group and Sony Music. Universal pictures were formally both Universal Studios - a film-making industry - and Universal Music Group but they only were split apart after a Japanese multinational conglomerate agreed to possess the company for $6.59 billion. The chairman and CEO of UMG is called Lucian Grainge who was born on the 29 September 1960 and became chairman in 2005. The CFO of Universal Media Group is called Boyd Muir came into the position in 2010 and together they have maintained a revenue of $1.552 billion. There is no way to be found easily by a record label, they are often quite picky and they are in a position to demand for more these days due to their billion dollar net worth. They want something that can sell to a mass audience so the creator has to be unique and mold-able in order for the company to create a star. Usually if you have a semi-large following through such things as social media (YouTube) they are more likely to offer you a label as you have already proved you are well loved and have talent.

YouTube

YouTube is a video sharing social media site which was founded in February 14 2005 by Steve Chen (born August 18, 1978), Chad Hurley (born January 24, 1977) and Jawed Karim (born October 28, 1979). Its headquarters can be found in San Bruno, California, US with its CEO Susan Wojcicki (born July 5, 1968 and came into the position in February 2014) who has a net worth of $410 million. Its parent site is Google from 2006 till present day which is a mass search engine for the internet with a net worth of $527 billion. Many musicians or creators can make videos of them performing and post them to you tube for free creating their own marketing and advertising for themselves. Stars such as Justin Bieber and Troye Sivan started off through posting videos to YouTube and then later got record labels with companies such as EMI and Island Records (which is child to Universal Music Group). YouTube also offers advertising revenue to the bigger creators which is based on the number of views they achieve on a video, the higher the number the higher the revenue so this allows them to become self employed. Although this is an issue as the advertising revenue has been heavily constricted so some creators are finding it hard on YouTube to create profit and to market themselves to the audience. For instance a smaller creator with only 100 subscribers wont get much attention now as YouTube gives most of its attention to the 'big money makers'.

My Initial Response to The Briefs

I have chosen to do brief 4 which is Music video and online. I am thinking of applying to a film course at university so this practical can help to prepare me for higher education. I also believe my imaginative and creative talents can feed into creating a music video which is suitable for an AB audience.

My Idea for my music video is to incorporate a love story of a gay couple where one is from wealth and the other is more from a middle classed background into a dance party scenario. The shots will include lots of partying with friends to convey conventions of dance music. There will also be intertextuality incorporated into my music video either giving a nod to some popular TV shows, such as stranger things, or some outfit choices inspired by classic films. The song I am thinking of using has lyrics targeted towards someone craving for the person they love to be with them so I believe I can link the lyrics with the shots through editing.

My initial idea also includes some futuristic inspired outfits with even some vintage styles to create interesting visuals or the AB target audience. One of the main characters will also have a high end style of fashion to further target the sophisticated AB target audience the brief has set me. As for the website to promote the artist I will maybe use colourful synergy to relate to the music video and some creative photos of the actors and ‘artists’.

Overall I do really believe that I can create an interesting and professional music video and website with the use of my creative instincts.

Backgrounds for my Advert

I like this background as it is plain and white much like advert 1 however, the rose detail in it adds dimension. Flowers are usually represented with femininity as they are delicate and pretty like how a socially expected woman should be. This would work nicely with my advert as my model is female and promoting makeup.

This background is very modern and would work nicely with the modern look of the makeup brand. The glass shard shapes would give some dimension into the advert without distracting from the product or the model. I like how it would make the advert look more updated in style which would appeal to the target audience more.

This background would again work well with my advert as it is plain so it will allow for the model to stand out yet it has a modern type hexagon pattern on it so it will bring some texture into the photo. I like how the pattern fades into white so i would probably use the left side of this image to create a subtle gradient. 

This is a simple white background which is what the original advert used. I like it as it goes with the red, black and white colour scheme and it won't distract the audience from the text or the model. Even though it is just a plain white background i think im going to go with this one as it is the most accurate to the original advert.

This background has a minimal cieling texture which would work well with my advert. It isn't too chatoic and the simple lines would work well to give some dimension into the advert. As it is so plain it will also not distract the audience from the text or the product.

This background would be good for the recreation of Advert 1 as it is simple and white. The texture of the wood would create some nice texture behind the model without visually disturibing the text on top of it. The vertical lines of the wood would work well for the portrait advert as it would flow with the model opposed to it being horrizontal and it going against the model.

Advert Research 2

The Audience
This advert features Blake Lively who is promoting the new Gucci perfume for women. She is an American actress and has starred in some big TV shows and movies meaning many people would recognise her. Gucci is also a high-end designer product meaning that the target audience would be of an upper/middle classed background fitting into the group A - C demographic. As this is a perfume 'for women' i would say the age range who would be interested in this product is 25 - 40 year-olds due to the price of the product.

Mise-en-scene
Blake is laying down on her front looking into the camera which is a convention used a lot in advertising to engage the audience with the advert. The way she is positioned off centre to the right in the medium close up shot allows the product to be placed next to her without overpowering the advert. Her makeup seems heavy and her hair is curled although there isn't much of a colour palette as the photo is in black and white. The 'dolled up' look creates representations that in order to look feminine and beautiful you need to look like Blake Lively. This obviously isn't true, however, the media has manipulated its audiences to think it is. She is wearing a sparkly elegant dress which looks expensive, this creates representations of wealth and power which then creates a brand identity for Gucci. Lively's hand is positioned running through her hair to create a gentle feminine representation, it also has a ring on which looks quite expensive and adds to the wealthy brand identity.

The way the black and white colour scheme is used allows the product to stand out. The bottle is gold and simple which gives it a clean and wealthy look, especially with how it contrasts with the 'silver' background. The gold and silver theme also links into female jewellery as the most expensive jewellery is gold and silver so this again creates a wealthy brand identity. The way the bottle is largely sized fools the audience into thinking they are getting a lot of product for the price it is at and therefore makes the audience want to buy it more.

Main Body
The brand's name 'Gucci' is positioned on top of the product in a big font size in order to show its importance in the advert. The text is in a bold serif font to create a prestigious brand identity. The name 'Gucci' also implies wealth as it is an Italian luxury brand which is available worldwide meaning it appeals to a mass audience. The text producer then inserts Gucci's signature in gold beneath the perfume bottle to emphasise on the luxury element of the brand. The text producer then uses the adjective 'Premiere' to imply to the audience that this product is one of a kind and that if they buy it they will feel as luxurious as Blake Lively. This adjective also adds to the luxury brand identity.

The text producer then uses a buzzword to sell the product. 'The new eau de toilette for women' this implies that it is an exclusive luxury product for women. The buzzword 'new' helps to add to the exclusive 'important' selling point as when the audience read this they instantly think that no one else will of had this product. The proposition of 'for' insinuates that this product is heavily targeting women who want to look like Blake Lively who is young and gorgeous. A pug is also used on the right-hand side to promote the tv advert Blake Lively starred in for Gucci. The link provided takes the audience to youtube which is a massive video sharing site in which Gucci has their own channel. The intertextuality allows the brand's audience to expand which then allows them to make more profit.

Overall the advert is cleverly put together in order to promote a wealthy brand identity for the luxury brand of Gucci.

Advert Research 1

The Audience
This advert features global superstar model Kate Moss who is promoting her new line of lipsticks for the brand 'Rimmel'. The brand is well known throughout the UK and is considered a drugstore seller meaning that this product is available to people of a demographic of A-E due to the inexpensive cost of their products. This magazine advert would have been targetting British middle/working class women of an age around 16 - 40 due to how the red is used in the advert.

Mise-en-scene
Kate Moss is positioned off centred to the left of the frame allowing for the text to be visible on the right. Her makeup is heavy with a dark smokey eyeshadow on her eyes and a bright red lip. This paired with the red dress creates a sultry atmosphere for the model as well as for the product as red is often paired with the ideology of romance. Kate is also looking straight into the camera which is a convention used to engage the audience, this creates representations of a confident woman as well because of her strong gaze which female audiences like to see. Her hair is curled and arranged away from her face in order for the audience to see the red lipstick as the main focus of the advert. The way her hand is gently resting on her face also implies a promiscuous emotion for the model.

Red is the main theme throughout this advert with the lips, dress, lipstick, logo, and text matching in the same shade of red. This is used to promote the shade 001 Rimmel lipstick to the audience further and to allow for their brand identity to become coherent. The black, red and white colour scheme works nicely together and highlights the most important aspects of the advert. For example, the text which is the most significant is highlighted in red as it is an eye-catching colour. 'new', 'red', 'created by Kate Moss' and 'London' are highlighted as they create Rimmel's brand identity. Highlighting London in red is used to tie in Kate Moss's British background with the companies British brand identity to further create continuity in the advert. The overall feel of the advert is quite classy due to the thin red dress and the makeup which creates ideologies of wealth and femininity.

Main Body
The brand's logo is positioned at the bottom of the advert with a white banner to make it stand out on top of the models dress. On top of the R for Rimmel, a red pictorial representation of a crown is used to create representations of the UK and the royal family. Beneath the logo, their slogan 'get the London look' is shown to further link the British theme of the advert together as well as to create a brand identity for the company. This remains a convention for the brand as it allows the audience to become familiar with their brand identity and therefore it allows marketing to become easier for the company.

They use a sans serif font in bold to emphasise how the lipstick is able to give the audience a bold look. This typography works well with the advert as it matches the sleek bold look of the product they are advertising. This creates a coherent advert which will then make the audience desire to purchase the product more. A pug is used in the top left corner of the advert to promote their website 'rimmellondon.com' where the audience can find further information on the brand and its products, they can also buy products from the website.

The way they use Kate Moss's signature on the top right allows the product to feel more exclusive as it is a collection made by her. This also feeds into the stereotype that an audience wants to look like and be these famous 'beautiful' models and therefore the brand is using that to their advantage to sell more products. The idea is that the audience would be more inclined to buy the product if they are to believe that they will look like the model, having Kate make the collection is a great way of doing this. The graphology of the signature is used well too as it looks like Kate Moss wrote it in the red lipstick she is promoting.

The language used is in a passive voice to try to persuade the audience to buy the product. "The first lipstick collection created by Kate Moss" recognises the fact that this is the first collection of makeup by this supermodel which then emphasises that the audience should buy it as its never seen before collection. Even though there are many collections similar to Kate Moss's line, the use of clever advertising seems like this product is exclusive. The text producer then uses a buzzword "New" to promote the product as impressive and amazing to the target audience. If something is 'new' it instantly creates ideas in the audience's minds that they should give the product a chance and buy it. The text producer also uses the verb "Get" to persuade the audience to buy the lipstick. "Get red that lasts!" this suggests that the product is worth the audience's money as it will last, this also creates representations of a good loyal brand which doesn't sell products that aren't good. 

Overall the advert is very coherent and uses colour and graphology well to sell a product.                                                                                                     

History of Radio

Origins of Radio

On 31 August 1920 the first known radio news program was broadcast by station 8MK, the unlicensed predecessor of WWJ (AM) in Detroit, Michigan. In 1922 regular wireless broadcasts for entertainment began in the UK from the Marconi Research Centre 2MT at Writtle near Chelmsford, England: an Italian inventor, proved the feasibility of radio communication. He sent and received his first radio signal in Italy in 1895.

Year	What happened
1895	Guglielmo Marconi built a wireless system capable of transmitting signals at long distances
1981	Marconi conducts the first successful transatlantic radio communication.
1905	John Felming invents the vacuum tube diode that helps to invent the Audion
1912	The wireless ship act requires all U.S. ships travelling over 200 miles off the coast to be equipped with the wireless radio
1919	Radio Corporation of America (RCA) is established
1920	The first radio program is broadcasted
1923	The Radio Act of 1927 re-assigns to clear frequencies to make radio stations for the public
1933	People use radio for entertainment during the Great Depression. Edwin Armstrong invents FM (frequency modulation) radio.
1950	TV takes over radio
1963	The first radio communication satellite, Telstar, is launched into space
1984	RDS allows small bits of data to be included in FM broadcasts, allowing stations to include artists and song information on digital radio displays.
1990	Began to use computers with audio cards to process radio signals, and the first digital transmissions begin to be broadcast
1998	The Digital Millennium Copyright Act - Internet radio to  pay additional royalty fees
2003	Online internet radio value is at $49 million
2004	Podcasting became popular
2008	Streaming music allowed radio’s revenue to rise above $500 million.

Audience

This has changed massively as in the 1920s the radio was the people’s only real new technology for entertainment. This meant it had a mass audience for quite a while especially throughout the Great Depression when entertainment was needed in order for people to cope. Although the audience decreased in 1950 due to the Television being introduced. Radio wasn’t the new craze anymore and was out shined by the likes of moving pictures.