Media Platforms

Q.What is a Media Platform?

A.You just need to break it into two parts - Media (you should know what that is) and Platform (a raised surface)... the answer will be things like local news websites, local newspapers, teletext, etc. Anything that gives the news a raised base to be seen.

(http://uk.answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20080908050852AAa0iuA)

The above is a simple explanation I found on a question-and-answer website for the public to use.

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http://tedescostwocents.com/social-media-models/

I found that this website really emphasised the ever-growing list of Media Platforms, even despite being a little outdated. In fact, the fact that it was created so recently, but is still viewed as outdated highlights this further!

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In my research, I found a post from an existing blog which i felt had useful explanations and helped me to understand convergence and media platforms.

http://waltonbentleym2.blogspot.co.uk/2011/03/media-convergence.html

Convergence is the process by which a range of media platforms are interrogated within a single piece of media technology.

A good example of this is Apple's IPhone. The Iphone's primary purpose is to be a phone, but also includes an MP3 player, FM radio, and a web browser!

In relation to our chosen industry production, the music industry has to converge with elements of the film industry to produce products such as music videos, as the visual elements are filmed and edited similarly to a film or television show and the audio side of the production which of course stems out from the music industry. A music video does not stop simply at the convergence of the film and music industry's, but later introduces other media platforms into it's mixture when the video is being distributed and promoted.

When the music industry promotes it's products it has many choices, popular choices include convergence with radio, television and online sharing, engaging in a poly-platforminfrastructure.

As technology has developed over the years, a greater selection of different platforms are available to converge. For example in the 50's the music industry were severely limited in which media platforms to merge with, as there was not many around suitable, relying largelyon only the radio for promotion. Where as today, the development of media platforms such as the Internet (social network, file sharing and fan sites), radio and television.

Our group have converged several media platforms to achieve a realistic product. By merging our chosen song with a visual element we created a proffesional and successful video. Progressing from this we combined the themes and elements developed between the music video and audio track to create a website and digi-pak design to a proffessional standard. I becomes clear that the visual element is key to our convergence of media platforms and technologies.

Guardian Music Blog- Indie

"Androgyny can even been seen in the common use of falsetto by male singers as a higher register is usually associated with femininity."

"the blending of gender-coded imagery where androgyny has been consistent in clothing and physicality."

"I've often thought that indie kids try to purport a more enlightened sense of gender relations between themselves (the boys and the girls dress really similarly, for example.)"

In these three quotes from the below blog, it is suggested that, within the 'indie' genre, the boundaries and differences between masculine and feminine stereotypes are blurred; and many stereotypes, henceforth, are broken. In our music video we also plan to break stereotypes- which ironically also is following a stereotype of the genre. Additionally, we are going to dress both the males and females we choose to have, in our video, in plain coloured and styled clothing. We are going to use the basic colours of black and white, and simple clothing styles as not to draw the attention away from other things that are happening, but also to fit with stereotypes of the genre.

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http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/musicblog/2010/sep/01/gender-stereotypes-indie-music

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Ask the indie professor: Are gender stereotypes still present in indie music?

Indie likes to pride itself on having an enlightened sense of gender relations. But that doesn't stop female audience members from being groped at shows

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Surf's up ... A girl in a 'no crowd-surfing' T-shirt. Photograph: Wendy Fonarow for the Guardian

I've often thought that indie kids try to purport a more enlightened sense of gender relations between themselves (the boys and the girls dress really similarly, for example). Is this the case, and is their subculture some kind of equality-based utopia? Or are gender stereotypes still present but instead played out in a different way?
GuidedByVeal

Without a doubt, indie has a more enlightened sense of gender relations than many musical genres. You can see this in a number of areas, such as pioneering co-ed bands (Pixies, Arcade Fire, Lush, the White Stripes, Elastica, My Bloody Valentine, Quasi, Slowdive, the xx , Autolux, Beach House, the Kills, feel free to carry on) and the blending of gender-coded imagery where androgyny has been consistent in clothing and physicality. Blur didn't write "Girls who are boys, who like boys to be girls, who do boys like they're girls, who do girls like they're boys" for nothing. Androgyny can even been seen in the common use of falsetto by male singers as a higher register is usually associated with femininity. The blending of gender imagery is common in rock and pop, but the central value of equality, even between performers and audience has made humanist gender relations the ideal in indie.

However, in practicality, indie does not exist in some parallel universe. I can't tell you the number of times I've seen female musicians ignored in interviews. Additionally, female spectatorship and fanship is sexualised. There is an assumption if you are female at a show that you are sexually available to performers. Just earlier this year, on Jeopardy (a popular game show in the US), university student Lindsay Eanet said she would like to be a music journalist like the fictional character William Miller (from Almost Famous, based on the experiences of Cameron Crowewriting for Rolling Stone). The host said, "Oh, so you want to be a groupie?" As she explained that she wanted to be a professional journalist, he once again mouthed to the camera "groupie". Of course, it implies all female professionals are there to get guys in bands (like this is such a hard thing – seriously, you don't need to work in the music industry to get laid). This assumption that audiences are filled with sexually overwhelmed girls is belied by the fact that for rock and metal as well as for indie the audiences are disproportionately male. 

At indie shows, you still see gender distinctions in distribution patterns and activities. Women tend to stand right at the front and by the speaker stacks, rarely in the central area where dancing might happen. Groping is absolutely taboo, yet women are still loathe to crowd surf because it only takes one jerk in an audience to violate a woman which limits her ability to participate in audience activities available to males. During my research I've been told by countless women that they refrained from crowd-surfing and most of them (including myself) had been groped at shows (interestingly, both men and women came to my defence – this is a typical tale from many female audience members). After that happens, they often chose a different location or move further back so it won't happen again.

The restriction of female participation was part of the rationale for stopping stage diving and discouraging crowd-surfing. British indie has been – and still is – consistently and significantly more egalitarian in terms of gender relations than America. In the noughties, when indie aesthetics overtook alternative music in the US, it ostensibly produced more female equality. The musical points of reference moved from "aggressive" to "fey" and "effeminate" – in line with UK bands of the 1980s and 90s. With indie, the feminine body and voice replaced the punk rockism of grunge and Riot Grrrl.

However, even in 2006, when Pitchfork reviewed my book on the culture of indie music, the writer actually talked about my cleavage! Always something you want to include in a review of a female author's book. I'd like to say it's a big topic that needs more discussion, but if I did that, someone might call me a tease.

Clocks- Coldplay

We have chosen not to watch the official Clocks video as to not take ideas from the original. We didn't want the video to resemble the official video in anyway. We wanted to make sure it was purely our own work.

Here is a video showing the lyrics of the song;

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QGr8Y0YTJzY

Music 2.0 Research

Connect or Die: How to survive in a Music 2.0 world from Marta Kagan

Choosing the New Song

First of all we went back to our original research, and all instantly agreed that we would stick with the 'indie' genre. We then discussed all the artists we had previously researched, and all felt that Coldplay would be the most effective- and a big change from The Kooks (which we hadn't felt worked) without leaving the indie genre. Therefore, we looked at existing Coldplay products and made mental lists of songs we felt would be appropriate.

We decided to brainstorm our instant ideas when listening to each son, beginning with "God Put a Smile on Your Face"

We liked these ideas but decided to go through the remaining songs to be certain. Next we listened to 'Clocks'.

After listening to this song and discussing our ideas and sharing our notes we began to get excited and felt that this was definitely the one to choose. Henceforth, we abandoned listening to anymore songs and decided to begin brainstorming further for this idea.

http://maisieheskethmedia-advanced.blogspot.co.uk/2013/01/new-video-narrative.html

http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=6795932289792862167#editor/target=post;postID=857936051991349579

Change in Idea

Following discussions over the half-term break regarding improving our ideas, we decided to completely change our plans and go 'back to the drawing board' and begin a completely new idea. Below is as far as we got with the first cut of our original idea (She Moves In Her Own Way- The Kooks). After much discussion and feedback from peers and teachers, this is the point we decided to change our idea completely. We felt this piece was no longer moving forward and definitely felt that we could create something of a much higher standard. Looking at the shots we created they would need much more editing to create our desired effects and we would need to do much more filming of footage as the remainder of our raw footage- other than that used in the video below- we felt was inadequate.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K2nvlyqbrvw&feature=youtu.be

Feedback- The Kooks

Part way through the process of production, we asked our peers and teachers for feedback on our what we had done so far of our first-draft. They thought that our ideas and storyline were good. They also liked our use of shot types, but thought that some could be better filmed; be it a change in mise-en-scene or a slight wobble on the camera. We therefore are going to re-film some of the shots and scenes. Unfortunately, to maintain the continuity we are going to have to re-do more than just the small number of shots that needed changing. Nonetheless, this is what feedback is for- to get the best out of our abilities and product. We are going to discuss this and assess the changes that need to be made over the next week due to having a half-term holiday. We will also be staying in contact with our teachers via. email as to help us with our decision-making.