Research into chosen artist
We as a group decided to use the artist Nina Nesbitt. From the start of our group discussions it was clear we wanted to explore the Indie genre, therefore I suggested Nina Nesbitt, an artist I have supported since the start of her career. Although my fellow group members previously had only heard of her and not listened to her music, they were more than happy to trust my judgement on her music. We then listened to all of her songs as a group: The Apple Tree proved popular as well as Noserings & Shoestrings. Our final dececion was Noserings & Shoestrings because we liked the conventional slow-pace of the track as well as her meaningful lyrics we believed we could develop a strong narrative for. We as a group also liked the fact our chosen song doesn't have an original video by the artist: therefore, we decided it was a good reason to use it even more so because we could not be 'inspired' by it, therefore making our own music video original and relevant without essentially 'copying' parts.
Nina Nesbitt is a 19 year-old Scottish singer-songwriter and first came to recognition in the music industry when Ed Sheeran asked her to come backstage to play some chords on the guitar. He, an Indie artist himself was impressed by her and therefore she joined him on his European Tour and co-starred in his video to Drunk. Prior to this however, Nina had uploaded several original songs she had written onto Media platform YouTube where she received feedback and people interested in her Indie style. She was also asked to support Example after he heard her cover of one of his songs; Stay Awake. From these opportunities a small artist can dream for, Nina was presented to the public where they became more aware of her and her music and she gradually started to build her own fan base: very niche at first.
Since then, Nina has released 5 EP's (mini-albums) including the single “Stay Out” peaking the UK charts at number 21. The young artist has also recently released a cover of Fleetwood Mac's hit "Don't Stop" which is featured in the John Lewis advert (following in the footsteps of Indie artist Ellie Goulding), played often on televisions across the UK, therefore promoting the niche artist and making people aware she exists and offers the industry a fresh new face and great Indie music.
Nina is signed to Island records under Universal Music Group alongside artists including Jessie J, Jack Johnson and Rizzle Kicks. Islands Records was founded by Chris Blackwell and Graeme Goodall in Jamaica. It was based in the United Kingdom for many years and is now owned by Universal Music Group. The label operates as a division of The Island Def Jam Music Group in the Unites States, and as a standalone label in the UK. Moreover, there is a frontline local artist and repertoire label in Australia known as Island Records Australia, run by Universal Music Australia. Island Records manages a number of successful artists with music from a range of genres including artists I have mentioned above, offering a eclectic combination of somewhat diverse styles.
Our chosen artist has only released 4 singles which included; Boy in 2012 which reached no 134 in the UK charts and Stay Out, Way In The World and Don't Stop in 2013 which reached no 21, 55 and 61 in the UK charts. The rest of the songs that she released publicly were via EP's online. This is because she is still early on in her music career. Therefore, it was the most logical thing to do to gain public interest in her music. Nina is yet to produce an album for her fans as she is in the process of turning a niche audience into a mass audience which will follow with her efforts in touring, intimate gigs and the selling of Nina related merchandise. Nina has sold ____??__ records across the time she has been recognised in the industry and with her record label, which therefore makes her a successful artist of the Indie genre.
As Nina Nesbitt is an artist of the Indie genre, her style is mainly Indie-pop which evident in her songs Stay Out and Boy, two of which I will be analysing. Most of Nina's professional works displayed throughout her EP's stay true to the Indie/original genre with quirky lyrics and guitar noodling. However, Stay Out and Boy could be classified as more 'Indie-pop', a sub-genre amongst the genre as a whole. The pop element may have been added to attract a larger audience of mainstream listeners which would therefore benefit the record label Island whilst making the artist more recognisable therefore more credible and successful within the ever-growing, ever-changing industry.
Boy, Nina Nesbitt
Old fashioned love is depicted throughout the video to 'Boy' although set in a modern location of a decorated flat. By old-fashioned I am referring to the use of the pair portrayed throughout sending letters to each other as a form of communication whereas in more modern videos typically of a pop/dance genre, we as an audience would witness a couple exchanging texts/participating in a video call. Also at the end of the video, we as an audience witness the artist enclose a cassette tape in an envelope and post through the letterbox where he waits eagerly to receive it, surrounded by junk mail which signifies the time which has elapsed. Cassette tapes are generally old-fashioned as songs are most commonly purchased on iTunes then transferred onto a mobile device. This again echo's the old-fashioned love depicted throughout and implies the artist is attempting to be different and follow the Indie culture. Cassette tapes as well as old-fashioned records/vinyls are now sold in many quirky boutiques and shops such as Urban Outfitters which promotes new music in an old fashioned form, again, appealing to Indie audiences.
Dyer's Star theory draws attention to artists being sold as a commodity and the stark contrast of an artist in the industry being represented to be ordinary and extraordinary. Only one theoretical point is evident within the video to Boy as the artist is presented to be more ordinary rather than extraordinary for the majority. This is conveyed through the use of a narrative style which is evident throughout where the artist takes a role of an actress in which the audience witness the true emotions conveyed through her lyrics. Nina is also presented to be extraordinary in addition to this which presents a contrast to the audience which may make many think of the Indie artist differently. This is portrayed through the use of a microphone where the audience witness the audience sing into it and therefore mime to the camera too. This video allows the audience to view her in two different ways with two different images as explained in Dyer's Star theory: ordinary and extraordinary. Consequently, this makes the audience more relatable but also more of an iconic individual as she is seen expressing her emotions through the narrative and performance elements throughout.
Goodwin's theory is followed throughout the video to Boy by Indie artist Nina Nesbitt. There is an evident relationship between the music and visuals throughout. Clear transitions are involved in aim to change the visuals on the beat of the music to provide the audience with the visuals of a new scene. By having this element of Goodwin's theory present in the music video, it allows the narrative and performance elements to flow evenly and consistently. Because of this, the audience will therefore adopt a deeper understanding surrounding the video and will therefore also increase the entertainment value of the creative piece to benefit the audience targeted. One point heavily referenced to is the relationship between lyrics and visuals. Firstly, the song title and lyric content is stating a relationship between the artist and a 'Boy' To echo Goodwin's theory, the boy is shown, although not clearly and not on numerous occasions. This allows the audience access to the artists lifestyle and they get to view it differently and more in detail. Furthermore, the lyrics "are you gonna pick it up, pick it up?" are supported with the visuals of the artist walking to the door and picking up the letter he had posted. Therefore, using Goodwin's theory briefly.
Nina appeals mainly to young females who can relate to her lyric content which is often meaningful and littered with metaphors and morals. Her lyrics are mainly aimed at females as they present the modern day struggles of being a female with her focus heavily drawn upon males and broken relationships. Unlike music of the pop genre, Nina, an artist of the Indie genre is not mainstream which therefore attracts a more niche audience which still support her for her quirky and unique style of music and image. Relationship issues are explored throughout Nina's music but in a very different way to the way relationships are portrayed throughout songs by pop artists who are stereotyped to express sexual feelings rather than lyrics about 'soul mates' which is also evident in the videos the different artists from varying genres produce too. By exploring relationship issues throughout her music, Nina is portrayed to be an advice giver and friend rather than an actual artist in the industry, therefore attracting young females who can empathise with her.
A motif of the colour red is used throughout which connotes the artists passion for her 'boy' This comes in form of red lipstick and the red jumper she wears which presents a stark juxtaposition when compared to the white paper she is surrounded by which is natural and crisp whereas red conveys not only love but lust for another person, in this context to the male she is singing about- the central focus of the lyrical content.Flowers and feathers are also in the foreground of many performance shot frames. This introduces a 'feminine touch' to the video which evolves around a male (the artists love interest briefly spotted throughout when they interact) Whilst the flowers typically hold connotations of life, death, love and purity feathers represent the freedom the artist would like within her relationship.
Naturalistic lighting is used throughout the video to Boy. This kind of lighting follows generic conventions of what an audience would generally expect from an Indie music video. Naturalistic lighting highlights the artist to be natural in regards to both her image and lyrics, therefore appealing to her target audience.
Common shots throughout the video to Boy include the use of close-ups. The artist is mainly seen performing her song and therefore the viewers are given the opportunity to build a relationship with her as an artist (following Goodwin's theory) The close-up shots also illustrate the artists raw talent to the her target audience and provides them with a deeper insight into her personality which is fundamental to any artists success in the industry. Because Boy is primarily performance based, it therefore allows the viewers to witness Nina doing what she is famous for and what she is passionate about which further engages the audience to build a relationship with her as an artist. Many close-ups are also used and present in the music video to meet the demand of the artists record label, also following Goodwin's theory. This therefore serves an overall benefit to the 3 main priorities: the target audience (receiving the artist performance experience), the label (gaining profit and recognition) and of course the central priority; the artist (increasing in popularity by fan recognition therefore benefitting and prolonging her success/time in the industry spotlight) Many shots of the back of the 'Boy' are used, possibly to signify the way in which the artist now views him: to lack identity. In addition, by not clearly showing his face it shows the distrust in their relationship as it is only the artist we see clearly and sharply portrayed in various shots throughout.
Stay Out, Nina Nesbitt
The lyrics are based around staying out with your friends, as evident in the song title.
Nina also makes a joke of the youth of today throughout, basically patronising them in a light-hearted manner makes fun of her fans being 'hipster', a phrase often associated with the Indie genre. She sings lines such as "he's got a Rolling Stones tee, but he only knows one song", "they think they're from the 60's but they were born in 1991" and "they think they're gangsters but they've barely started at sixth form" This song is not just about 'staying out' (the literal meaning) but also identity and how it can be thieved by the media world/music industry.
Dyer's star theory is mainly evident in music videos by mainstream/iconic artists including Beyonce, Jay-Z and Madonna to name just a few in the industry. As Nina Nesbitt is a fairly small artist appealing to a rather niche audience, Dyer's star theory is not exactly as appropriate as other practitioners theories including Goodwin (which I explore below) However, one theoretical point I can briefly argue which follows Dyer is the rebellious nature of the artist. Although it is silly rather than rebellious, the artist picks up a traffic cone in the street which captures the artists care-free/laid-back nature which is displayed when she 'stays out' At the end of the video we see the artist carry it in to the bedroom where her friends are staying the night with the song title written upon it. This text serves the purpose of informing the audience the video is coming to an end.
Another example of an intertextual reference woven into the video of Stay Out is the artist enjoying an apple at the start. This, also subtle is an implicit reference to her previous single The Apple Tree where an out of focus shot is used but highlights a bowl of apples- everything else in the frame is blurred which shows it is not the central focus. This may be a novelty for the artists fans who notice it and may inform other people watching with them of her other music. Lastly, there are two explicit references of the location (also the artists hometown) These include the Scottish flag and a shop sign pointing to kilts. This may allow the audience to feel more engaged with the artists personal life and feel connected with where she is originates from therefore creating a greater relationship between the artist and her fans.
The style of the music video to Stay Out is undoubtably 90% performance focused as the artist mimes and performs to the camera throughout. This allows the audience to view her as an artist which contrasts the 10% narrative focus of the video which allows the audience to view her as a normal person. This is because the camera follows the artist and her friends on a typical night out. Unlike videos of the dance/rap genre we do not see alcohol consumption or cigarettes, it is all perceived to be very innocent and the only objective of their night is to have a laugh which appeals to her target audience.
Mise en Scene is particularly important throughout the video to Stay Out as it demonstrates the artists personality and talents. To begin, the artist is dressed in a leather jacket which is often associated with the Indie culture. Nina is also shown to wear many bracelets which also follows a very Indie style. It also presents the artist to be accepting and well-travelled as she may have received bracelets from fans and collected others from different places she has travelled to due to her career. Nina is shown to wear red lipstick and dramatic eyeliner which arguably presents a 'trademark image' and draws attention on her so that the focus is on her, not her group of friends. However, it could be seen by fans that the make-up she wears covers her identity and therefore we as an audience do not witness her as a person true to who she is but an image she has developed of herself, demonstrated by the make-up she wears. Guitar performance is also embedded throughout to relate to the acoustic nature of the song and genre. This is effective as it not only identifies the genre and displays characteristics but presents the artist to have a natural talent of voice and able to play an instrument.
Many close-up shots of the artist and her friends are adopted to capture the realism of the situation and display the artist and her friends genuinely on a night out rather than a 'staged' and 'over-planned' experience. Because it is a natural narrative naturally captured, it allows the audience to gain an insight into the artists lifestyle which may appeal to many whilst following characteristics of the Indie genre. Close-up shots also establish the artist to be the main focus of the video whilst providing the record label with their needs and expectations. Towards the end of the video, the artist takes hold of the camera to take photos of her and her friends. This is effective because it shows the artist to be involved with her friends which makes her more appealing because by this she is easier to relate to. The use of a mid-shot with a certain effect (almost polariod esque) is layered on top to highlight key moments of their night out for example eating in the Fish n' Chip shop and in the club.
The research I have conducted of my chosen artist will not only benefit myself and my group members in hindsight but will also assist me with the planning of my music video. This is because it has provided me with a detailed insight into the varying elements of Nina Nesbitt's creative work, therefore strengthening our group production as we are now aware of certain conventions we must follow in order to stay true to the artist and genre. From the research I have conducted, I have also noticed a trend that our chosen artist Nina Nesbitt tends to create music videos with a personal element embedded within them which I have recognised through the motif of house and bedroom locations within both Stay Out and Boy. Additionally, the artists personality is highlighted throughout all of the videos she has been involved with, mainly through her performance talents displayed and through her individual vintage esque clothing. By researching into our chosen artist further, especially by analysing her videos with great attention to relevant detail, it has inspired me to mimic similarities presented throughout her videos. Lastly, I have also identified the numerous close-up shots used within her music videos. Not only will this follow Goodwin's theory of 'pleasing' the record label and meeting their high demands of the artist image, it also allows the audience to feel connected with the artist more so than if they were not involved within the simplistic narrative. Therefore, I have chosen to incorporate these shots throughout my creative media production as it follows the desired conventions of a music video of the Indie genre. This will hopefully meet the aim of increasing the audiences entertainment and enjoyment emitted throughout observing the music video and in turn make the artist more successful throughout our online distribution via YouTube.
A motif in both the video to Stay Out and Boy is the use of a house location, something we as a group have not considered as we do not want to copy any elements of our chosen artists previous videos as we want to offer our target audience a fresh experience of Indie music and the videos which follow. Additionally, I have also found out that our chosen artist tends to create music videos with a personal element. This may be due to the fact that she writes her own material, typical of an Indie artist in comparison to many artists originated from the more mainstream pop genre. Nina's personality is vastly highlighted throughout both videos I have chosen to analyse which allows the audience to feel connected with her through her emotional battles and experiences which people of a similar background and age group can relate to, therefore making the artist more successful. This has inspired me to involve aspects of the artists personality into our creative media production because it will entertain the audience more so and allow a personal connection/relationship to be built by doing so. Lastly, I have also noticed the numerous amount of close-up shots employed through both of the videos I have analysed. Therefore, I will suggest that we as a group should use many close-up/mid-shots of the artist in our music video. This is because it will allow our target audience to build more of a relationship with the artist because they will experience aspects of her personality therefore benefitting primary financial aspects too. In the Stay Out video, the first shot we as an audience are presented with is a film effect when the camera rolls of the artists name followed by the song title in a bold white font layered on top of a shot of the artist applying her lipstick. The last shot in this video we see is a misty car window with the song title on it with the street lights highlighting the words. I personally enjoy these specific shots as they are quirky and not often seen in music videos, even of the Indie genre. I have been inspired by these shots and would like to possibly echo the way in which the song title and artist is presented to the audience as it is informative and eye-catching.
