The 4 Ps

a) What band/artist related products can audiences buy?
Products range from the actual music that they produce which comes in many different formats, such as cds, downloads and dvds. Other products include the bands merchandise which fans buy to be associated with the artist. These are often mainly clothing and posters.

b) Where can audiences buy/listen to music/merchandise/hardware?
The internet has recently taken over from high street shops as online sites such as Amazon and Play have become more favourable compared to HMV and other retailers. Downloading is now popular, this applies to both paid for content and illegally downloaded music. Bands myspace pages also offer fans a chance to hear their music. All of their videos can also be freely viewed on sites such as Youtube.

c) Give 2 or 3 examples of paid-for/subscription based and free products.

• Record companys sometimes give out free sampler cds in places like magazines to give their artists greater exposure. Both Epitaph and Roadrunner records have done this in recent months.
• Mailing lists are also very popular among artists as they keep the fans up to date on breaking news.

d) List between 5 and 10 examples of creative music marketing strategies (including at least 3 internet based examples).

• If you preordered Enter Shikari's new single online you got the service charge on your gig ticket discounted for a show on their upcoming tour.
• Saosin gave fans the chance to be credited on their album booklet if they texted in their name to a given number. Example of subambulant marketing.
• Radiohead let fans decide on how much they wanted to pay for their new album. They were the first to do this and it has recently spread to other media platforms with the new 'Championship Manager' video game poised to do the same.
• Green Day released their single 'Know Your Enemy' without any warning or publicising. This started rumours that a new song was out and momentum eventually picked up and got people talking about them again.
• Slipknot posted a video on youtube and their myspace 'encouraging' fans to go to their shows on their 2008 US tour.

Referencing

I have decided to edit together some bits of other bands videos, such as shots I like that I feel would add to our music video. I realise that some may be impossible to pull off or very hard, but we could attempt to do some similar things to create the same effects.

Music Video Referencing from Simon Cardy on Vimeo.

Genre Stuff

Here is prove that the visuals of a music video really do have to match the genre of music. I was bored so decided to sync up Britney's video and August Burns Red cover of 'Hit Me Baby One More Time'. We can see that the whole mise-en-scene of the video doesn't fit the track as well as the cast. It does, however, provide a few chuckles at some points where it matches quite well.

Hit Me Baby One More Time from Simon Cardy on Vimeo.

BLK feedback

Simon, all looking good on this blog EXCEPT I can't find your teenage dirtbag evaluation and you're hardly using labels which is NOT GOOD!!

Bit of marketing research

Here is one of the videos mentioned in today's lesson to exhibit different ways of bands marketing themselves. Here is a lovely little clip of Slipknot 'encouraging' fans to come to their US tour this year.

Change of Plan

Ok, I've had a change of heart and have decided to choose 'Start Something' as my first choice and pitch option. The track is from welsh band Lostprophets and I believe it would make a great video. It is fairly heavy, but mostly singing based. I also think that the frequent changes of pace will make for a great music video. The opening section could also inspire some clever editing to the beat to build up the song and look very interesting. I believe this track would be an almighty contender for our song choice and feel that it would be a really powerful video.

Below is the song and the accompanying lyrics:



Start today, now show us how you feel
Make your way, it's time to choose
Have my say, I know, I know what I see
Have my say, they think you'll lose
For all this to mean so much to me
For all this, you make a move
Pass you by, it's all in this life you have
Pass you by, goodbye to you

[Chorus:]
1, 2, 3, 4 Move
If you don't stop there, you'll make it through.
Stop dreaming, start something
When it's in your hand just start anew

It's ok to use your ability
You must know, it's hard to choose
Time will tell, it's hard that the way you feel
means you always seem to lose
Seize the day, the one that you left behind
It seems so strange that you don't move
Frozen still in front of your own lights
Win or lose, its time to choose

[Chorus]

Band Layouts

As far as I'm concerned there are only two band layouts that we should choose between for our music video. Either the band playing together in a circle or in seperate rooms within the same location. Both offer the vocalist a lot of freedom and space to move and I believe a lot depends on what location we end up shooting at. Both of these videos display the two different setups I am decribing. Cancer Bats opt for the circular method in 'Hail Destroyer' and Every Time I Die choose to be isolated from eachother in 'Wanderlust'. I really also like the idea of the vocalist walking down the dark corridor in this video and discovering his fellow band members.