Evaluation Question 3- Audience Research

Evaluation Q1

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Evaluation 2 & 4

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Music Video

Editing

                                     

 We've nearly finished editing our music video. One of the last things we will need to do is change the background colour (green screen). There has been a few issues with the green screen, for example when we were filming we did not have the knowledge of, and therefore access to, the green floor- so our shots have a green background but a normal floor which doesn't look as proffesional as we would have liked. There is nothing we can do now, since we have a time limit and re-filming is simply not an option. So we are going to overlook that and focus on what colour the greenscreen should be. At the moment, we have roughly decided on a plain bold coloured background and for the catwalk shots, we would like to superimpose a catwalk video from youtube in the place of the greenscreen, as the background, to make our ending catwalk scene more realistic. 

We received some audience feedback this week on our nearly completed music video. It was generously positive (for example it was mentioned that the theme is rightly obvious and it is interesting and relevant & also that the visuals correlate to the music and it is generally, ok and good to watch), so we pushed for some criticism... the one and only piece of negative feedback we could get was that there was too much repetition of some of the shots in the middle section of the video. Having noticed this earlier, it is definately something we will inspect and change in due course. All in all, the feedback was positive and we are constantly receiving it at all stages of the production to help us improve our music video and make it as good as it can be. 

Another issue we had when we were editing was that there are some (very small) gaps between our shots, this occured when we were cutting up the shots and arranging them to the time of the music. So we will be fixing that soon.

Lastly, we've experienced a difficulty with the black margins on some of the shots being "stubbon" and not the same size as on the majority of the other shots. All of the "Lesson 1..." shots have somehow incurred a slightly bigger black margin. Simon stepped in and made the black margins almost the same size as the other shots so they look fluid when played together.

Editing should be finished in about 2 weeks.

Digipak Research

Digipak's can mean a lot to some fans, take the video below...
They can offer unique merchandise and hidden tracks, and the design is key to how successful a digipak can be.

I found a blog called "sandman-chronicles.blogspot.com". The blogger is a design artist who has worked on CD/Digipak designs for Mika and Bat For Lashes. On the right is a design from his blog. I really like the CD design, it is bright and colourful and suited to Mika's style and his bubbly and up beat songs.

This digipak is simpler than the Mika one but is relevant to the band's image and is also a clever advertising technique as it continues the secretive image of the band, and moreover, the characters are what we relate to the band members. I like the way in which the digipak is constructed, with the sides folding into the middle. The images also convey the multiple characters within the band and the main focus is on the characterisations.

Lastly, this digipak appears to be a different genre and therefore imagery and tone than the other two I've displayed. However, I think the artistic imagery is very nice and gives whatever band this is, a more serious feel and gives their music a more darker or sincere tone. This digipak has a contrasting layout to The Gorillaz's digipak, it seems taller and wider and opens like a book. There is sufficient information on the side panels and no doubt there will probably be further information in the sides of the digipak.

Fandom

Unlike fans of Justin Bieber...



... Indie music fans seem to be a bit more relaxed and there is less hype and sense of "fandom" amongst them...

“Wearing jeans with Converse high tops, a retro tee, a skinny tie, and a linen blazer is one way an indie can up the fashion stakes.”

Instead of crying fans and car chasing madness- Indie fans look to fashion to bring about a sense of dedication to their music brand.

For example, http://bobnbee.com/en/ is a site used by an Indie fashion blogger in New York, it advertises new styles and also introduces new bands.

I think that Indie fandom is centred around image and lifestyle rather than obsessing or following around the actual band themself because most Indie bands are niche and unknown and the mainstream successful ones like Kings of Leon do things like spark controversy within their own fan group...

"Kings of Leon caused minor controversy at the 2009 Reading Festival when Caleb Followill tried to get the crowd going by asking, "I thought this was supposed to be the loudest crowd in the world?" Picking up on a perceived hostility towards the band, he announced "we know you're sick of Kings of Leon, so for all those who don't give a fuck about us, I understand. But we've worked fucking hard to get here. So anyone that has anything to say to us, fuck you. We're the goddamn Kings of Leon." The band later smashed their guitars in anger and made rude gestures before leaving the stage."
(http://www.nme.com/news/nme/47008)

Indie bands, like the Kings of Leon, don't perfect their image as much as stars like Justin Bieber, who has a large fanbase of teenage girls, because they simply don't need or want to. When I saw Kings of Leon at the V festival last year, they were a good hour late to the stage and the crowd were drunk and annoyed but by the time they got on and played "Use Somebody" nobody really cared anymore because we were there for the music and the music only- not for the band members or any individual.

With Indie fans, I guess the nearest they get to some form of "fandom" is the festivals. Huge gatherings of teenagers dressed in indie style, living up to the lifestyle those clothes demand of them- the drink, the smoke, the music, the dancing etc.

However, fandom is when a fan becomes obsessive and the object of that affection is a celebrity- who is usually completely unattainable. And that fandom works both ways as celebrities such as Lady GaGa reach out to fans in turn, making the fans feel wanted and complete. These sort of artists, GaGa and Bieber, give into their publicity and exposure and they increase their own fandom.

Indie artists work from the inside-out, they rely on word of mouth, they don't really care that much about their fans- supposedly they are in this business for the music they produce, and so, their fans should be too.



Who pioneered Indie music?

“Indie is something intangible, something at the aesthetic core of good music. Whatever you call it, the music keeps getting better, the number of ears keeps getting bigger, and indie rock remains an evolving genre that still challenges everyone’s expectations of what it can do and who it can reach." (Source: www.snmag.com)

Independent music or famously known as ‘Indie’ music, is used as the term to describe the independence of music from major commercial record labels. These groups are mostly autonomous, self made and more precisely are pioneers. The people from this "Indie" class do everything on their own in recording, publishing and performances. Indie groups are usually not interested in taking help of any big names from Music Industry.
The history of Indie Music dates long back in 1960′s. The format of the music then was pop, rock and roll and a slight dash of R&B. The lyrics of the songs was inspired by peace, love and anti-war thoughts.

There immerged some bands like "Velvet Underground". This was the band which could be considered as a real "Indie" band. They did everything regarding their album all on their own and created a difference in traditional music.

In the era of 1970 more experimented music originated. There were numerous groups which tried diversity in music and immerged as music bands. One more new form of music aroused during this period named as "Progressive Rock". The music was distinct from hard rock of Beatles and soft music in 1960′s. Indie music took a stiff growth in 1980s. In this period a new form of music immerged known as "alternative music", which was a group formed out of distortion of garage bands. This was the base of electronic instrumental era that took place in 1990.

The general style of indie music is credited to the early 1980s in the United Kingdom.

First Indie bands 1980s:

In the United States, the term "indie rock" was particularly associated with the abrasive, distortion-heavy sounds of Hüsker Dü, Sonic Youth, Minutemen, Meat Puppets, Dinosaur Jr., Pixies and The Replacements. R.E.M. is often associated with the college rock movement of the 1980s.

In the United Kingdom, indie pop artists such as Aztec Camera, Josef K, and Orange Juice emerged in the 1980s. The Smiths have been seen as the defining British indie-rock band of the '80s.

A number of prominent indie rock record labels were founded during the 1980s. These include Washington, DC's Dischord Records in 1980, Seattle's Sub Pop Records in 1986 and New York City's Matador Records and Durham, North Carolina's Merge Records in 1989. Chicago's Touch and Go Records was founded as a fanzine in 1979 and began to release records during the 1980s

(Source: Wikipedia)

Cultural Imperialism: Media’s representation of Women

I wanted to investigate the theme of our music video further, and so I scoured the internet for articles and information on the idea of media dominating our ideologies, and the ideologies of our society... I have created a post in the form of quotes, images, ideas and general snippets from the web...

"The concept of media and cultural imperialism was made prominent by a number of Latin American thinkers including Antonio Pasquali, Luis Ramiro Beltran, Fernando Reyes Matta, and Mario Kaplun."

"Adherents of the media imperialism tradition held that a small group of Western countries not only controlled the international media trade but used it to transmit their particular cultural and economic values, particularly individualism and consumerism, to large numbers of developing nations around the world."

(Source: Cultural imperialism: a critical introduction By John Tomlinson)

We all know the stereotypes...

... the femme fatale, the supermom, the sex kitten, the nasty corporate climber. Whatever the role, television, film and popular magazines are full of images of women and girls who are typically white, desperately thin, and made up to the hilt—even after slaying a gang of vampires or dressing down a Greek phalanx.

Many would agree that some strides have been made in how the media portray women in film, television and magazines, and that the last 20 years has also seen a growth in the presence and influence of women in media behind the scenes. Nevertheless, female stereotypes continue to thrive in the media we consume every day.This section of the site provides a snapshot of the issues around the media’s portrayal of women and girls—from effects on body image and self-identity to

ramifications in sports and politics. It looks at the economic interests behind the objectification and eroticization of females by the media as well as efforts to counter negative stereotyping. And it provides the latest articles and studies that explore the ways in which media both limit and empower women and girls in society.

Source: http://www.mediaawareness.ca/english/issues/stereotyping/women_and_girls/

Body Image and Advertising:

"The average woman sees 400 to 600 advertisements per day and by the time she is 17 years old, she has received over 250,000 commercial messages through the media. Only 9% of commercials have a direct statement about beauty, but many more implicitly emphasize the importance of beauty--particularly those that target women and girls. One study of Saturday morning toy commercials found that 50% of commercials aimed at girls spoke about physical attractiveness, while none of the commercials aimed at boys referred to appearance."

“Advertisements emphasize thinness as a standard for female beauty, and the bodies idealized in the media are frequently atypical of normal, healthy women. In fact, today's fashion models weigh 23% less than the average female, and a young woman between the ages of 18-34 has a 7% chance of being as slim as a catwalk model and a 1% chance of being as thin as a supermodel. However, 69% of girls in one study said that magazine models influence their idea of the perfect body shape, and the pervasive acceptance of this unrealistic body type creates an impractical standard for the majority of women.”

“Some researchers believe that advertisers purposely normalize unrealistically thin bodies, in order to create an unattainable desire that can drive product consumption...”

“...Considering that the diet industry alone generates $33 billion in revenue, advertisers have been successful with their marketing strategy.”

(Source: http://www.healthyplace.com/eating-disorders/main/eating-disorders-body-image-and-advertising/menu-id-58/)

Media influences on body size estimation in anorexia and bulimia.

An experimental study.

K Hamilton and G Waller.

Department of General Practice, University of Aberdeen.

"Anorexic and bulimic women overestimate their body sizes substantially more than comparison women, but little is known about the factors that influence this overestimation. This study examined the influence of media portrayal of idealized female bodies in women's fashion magazines. Comparison women were not affected by the nature of the photographs that they saw, but eating-disordered women were--they overestimated more when they had seen the pictures of women than when they saw photographs of neutral objects."
(Source: http://bjp.rcpsych.org/cgi/content/abstract/162/6/837)

The Indie Music Quiz

I found this quiz in one of the articles I mentioned in a previous post.

(Source: http://www.cracked.com/funny-1677-indie-music/)

"Who else hates digipaks?" (research)

When I searched on Google: "Why would people buy Digipaks?" (because personally, I don't buy digipaks and I don't know a lot of people of my age group that do- except some of my friends who are die-hard fans of Michael Jackson/Led Zeppelin/Lady Gaga) and the first thing that popped up was a thread from a forum on side-line.com entitled Who else hates digipaks?
I thought I would take a look and read through the posts.
I found some reasons for why digipaks may lack popularity...

1. Some people complained that digipaks are "cardboard and wear out" and so they "have to be placed at certain areas in my CD rack so they don't get smashed."
2. Another person comments "(I'm) definitely not a fan", further stating, "typically the little spines that hold the disc in place snap". 
3. Someone inputs "Digipaks are not so cool as they once were." This could possibly be a more mature person commenting on the recent trends of illegal downloading, itunes downloading- rather than the 'older/more outdated' method of buying cds and digipaks.
4. "I like digipaks in my collection. They look good, but that's about it."
Generally, I found on this particular forum, there was a lack of support for digipaks.

However some users on the forum retaliated...
"It can give a different feel to a (album) release." I think this is an interesting comment as it shows the uniqueness a digipak can encompass, and why people buy digipaks, so the extras and the hype of the album maybe. I think digipaks can be related to fan culture and the 'fandom' ideology.

And probably the most balanced post was: "I prefer limited first-run editions, digipaks and unique packaging which to me adds to the mystic of dark/ambient/noise releases. Usually if one waits long enough you can buy the same music in jewel cases once the limited sales items are depleted. By that time it could even be on sale." This user refers to the pricing, commenting on how it is usually more expensive to buy digipaks than CDs, which is why some people may be less forthcoming to buy them.

Then someone, near the end of the thread, posts "wow. this is a lot of getting worked up about digipaks."
And that's when I realised it's quite a sad and boring theme to be cyber-arguing about, and reading, and so I exited the window.

Project Schedule: What we have left to film after the Xmas Holidays...

1. Girl singing the lyrics to the camera "But this feels so unnatural, peter gabriel too." (From different angles, but close up-medium close up needed)
2. The make-up/dress transformation scene, hands coming into shot, changing her look.
3. Handbag, jewellery, general accessories handed to her.
4. Lips/eye magazine cut outs covering her face.
5. Balloons fall around her/ fake snow.
6. Chains to physically restrain her.
7. Photoshoot- she learns how to pose.
8. More close-ups of girls face, to capture her emotions.
9. The transition to catwalk scene- where the music changes in tempo and pitch so the visuals will need to change too...
10. Catwalk scene.
11. Waking up scene

Audience Research: Interviews

1. Interview with person “X”, female.

“What do you like about Indie music?”

I like Indie music because.. it erm.. makes me feel as if I am being independent even though I’m not- I’m just conforming to the masses but I can kind of relate to Indie music.

“Can you relate to Indie fan culture?”

Yeah I suppose. I mean I shop at, I shop at places where they enforce Indie culture. Yeah like Topshop. They enforce it so really a lot of aspects of my life are influenced by my music, and I go to festivals as well. Yeah. I like festivals.

“What do you like about festivals?”

You can do what you want and drink as much as you like.

(Most music genres are becoming more and more mainstream, like, you can’t be individual anymore. I don’t see how you can… (then starts talking about a jumper- independent shops/charity shops)… but I brought this jumper because I am conscious of the fact that it would look good in my… in the surroundings I’m in. People who like what I like, say my jumper is nice, like you said it was nice (referring to me)… they like things that I like. My mum knits me stuff but then I go into Topshop and I see the same things there.

“Do you listen to any other genres of music”

I do. I listen to classical music sometimes and I also listen to folk, but most genres now are crossed anyway, so I suppose I listen to some electronic music now.. rock and punk as well.

“Why do you think there is a lack of females in this industry?”

Well I think it’s because the masses can generally relate more to male artists, but the women who are kind of Indie have evolved into women who are just kind of in magazines and stuff and you don’t really know what they do. They’re cool anyway. Or many are models who go out with men who are in the Indie bands or industry so they are the roots of the Indie look and drive I suppose.

“So, why do you listen to this music?”

I think it’s because it makes me feel like I’m being different… like I’m kind of rebelling. It kind of spurs me on to have my own views but then it could be classed as not my views because they’re their views. But its generally because they sing about things like society that I think about society already.. (starts talking about not liking xfactor Christmas no.1s) So I can relate to what they are singing about and so people like it because they get a feeling like they’re independent/different when they’re listening to the music. But really they’re not.

When interviewing person X, I felt she had a realist view on indie music and her expectations of the genre and she also explained to me how she views herself as a fan of indie music. Person X seems like she is conscious of where she is concerning indie music, she states that she can feel indepedent, but that is not the reality for her. She seems to conform to the ideologies that indie music stems from, but keeps reminding me (and herself) that she is aware of the "reality" of the situation- she is not really independent, but can relate to the ideologies of the music and situation she finds herself in.

I picked up on the references to fashion, and we discussed the "Topshop phenomenon", and she said that she realises and accepts that Topshop enforces the Indie Culture and she conforms to shopping there sometimes. However, she likes to also find original clothing, to become more individual, but whilst admitting to that, she questions how anyone can be really original anymore.

She is involved in popular fan cultures, e.g. going to festivals and there she mentions some key phrases linking to the themes of 'rebellion' and 'independence'.

When I asked person X about why she thought there were a lack of females in the indie industry, I was expecting as a female, she would be quite passionate in explaining to me the injustice of this predicament, but instead she gave me an honest straightforward answer: women are sort of like the promotional means to the success of the band and they are the drive and roots behind the indie look and opens the market up for females too.

2. Interview with person “Y”, male.

“When did you first discover Indie music?”

A few years ago, I used to go online and see new music, good stuff that was out on youtube and social network sites that were always advertising things and that’s how I eventually got into Indie music.

“What do you like most about Indie music?”

I like that it’s different. It’s got a lot of beats, a lot of different sounds. Indie bands these days tend to do something unusual and unique themselves, that’s what I like most about them.

“What is your favourite Indie Band?”

Right now, my favourite Indie band would have to be The XX. I think with their music it reaches out to a certain crowd. It’s very mellow and up beat as well and I just generally like their music. It’s a different sound.

“Can you relate to the Indie fan culture?”

 Yeah I usually go to concerts and look out for the latest styles, or I look at music videos. I don’t really imitate the fashion of the Indie world but in a way it inspires me to look or dress in a certain way.

“Do you listen to any other genre of music?”

Yeah I listen to a lot of different genres. I generally like anything with a good beat to it. I listen to electro, pop, R&B, whatever- as long as it’s good it’s fine.

“What is it you like most about Indie music videos?”

Yet again, Indie music videos try something different; they always go for a different attempt, aspects, and outlooks on life.

“What is your favourite Indie music video and why?”

My favourite music video is by a band called two-door cinema club- I like the colouring of the music video and the song goes very well with the visuals too.

“Why do you think there is a lack of females in the Indie industry?”

Indie music bands? Well, I feel like the reason is the male has always been dominant in the band. Lately there has been bands with female lead singers- they are trying to make a difference and break through. I think it is just an original thing- it has always been the male singer. I think that’s how it’s always been and always will be.

“What do you think Indie music gives to people?”

I think the music mainly reaches out to the ages of 14-19, simply because at that age you become a teenager, you start exploring music and start to identify yourself and with Indie music it can encourage you to look at things from a different way. Do you know what I mean? Like to be relaxed, they teach you things.

“Do you think indie music makes people feel Individual?”

With Indie music because it’s not such a popular genre, you can feel very special with it, because not a lot of people listen to it so when they do you can be like “oh Indie music, I like that stuff”

“What about when it becomes more Mainstream?”

Once it becomes mainstream , it’s not going to be unique anymore, it’s just going to be something you hear and see on music channels all the time. It’s not going to have the same effect it usually would because everybody is listening to it. You want to feel unique when you’re listening to it. If you know what I mean..

The way in which person Y discovered Indie music is really interesting, as it was through more of a word-of-mouth technique. I noticed that person Y is a strong advocate of indie music, and you can tell he has a strong admiration for the creative expression indie music promotes. Person Y mentions how indie music is different and he is a supporter of the originality they provide for teenagers. He picks up on a key point which is, when people start growing up during adolescence they are exploring their identity and personality- Y thinks that indie music can really help someone form their opinions on life, society, and enable them to use indie music to give themselves confidence and a social group. Person Y finishes by saying it would be a bad thing if indie music becomes more mainstream because it will lose its uniqueness which essentially, he argues, is what the main attraction is to this type of music. 

Fan Culture Articles

"Indie music, and its surrounding culture, can introduce you to beautiful noise, give you a social life, touch your emotions, and if you are a guy...make it possible for you to court girls that would otherwise be way out of your league. Yes...Indie music is kinda like magic in some ways....bearded magic."
(Quote from the second article)

I found two articles which try to sum up what indie music and culture is all about:
http://www.gurl.com/findout/label/pages/0,,676288,00.html
http://www.cracked.com/funny-1677-indie-music/

Video Director Research

1.Michel Gondry

Michel Gondry is a  film, commercial and music video director and an Academy Award-winning screenwriter. He is noted for his inventive visual style and manipulation of mise en scène.
His career as a filmmaker began with creating music videos for the French rock band Oui Oui, in which he also served as a drummer. The style of his videos for Oui Oui caught the attention of music artist Björk, who asked him to direct the video for her song "Human Behaviour". The collaboration proved long-lasting, with Gondry directing a total of seven music videos for Björk. Other artists who have collaborated with Gondry on more than one occasion include Daft Punk, The White Stripes, The Chemical Brothers, The Vines, Steriogram, Radiohead, and Beck.
Michel Gondry's work is very diverse, from music videos such as "The Rolling Stones - Like A Rolling Stone" to “Kylie Minogue- Come Into My World”, his work spans through different genres of music and styles. In the "Like A Rolling Stone" music video Gondry pioneered the "bullet time" technique later adapted in The "Matrix", the disorientating feeling of this technique is really effective and innovative.


Gondry records his dreams in notebooks or on scratches of paper, making links between images he remembers in one column and what's going on in his real life in another. As he's writing the visuals down, he skips lines so he can fill them in with more details that he'll remember later on. "I put them together and I find the connection that I'm missing in the dream," he said. His films are filled with those disconnected, abstract images, which often force viewers to make their own connections.


"Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind"(2004) -
Eternal Sunshine uses many of the image manipulation techniques that Gondry had experimented with in his music videos.




I enjoyed his creative directing in the music video "Fell in Love with a Girl" by The White Stripes-

2.Floria Sigismondi

She is an Italian photographer and director.

Apart from her art exhibitions, she is best known for writing and directing The Runaways, starring Kristen Stewart and Dakota Fanning. Sigismondi has also directed music videos for Marilyn Manson, David Bowie, Björk, The Cure, Christina Aguilera, The White Stripes, Fiona Apple, Sigur Rós, Muse, Interpol, Incubus, and commercials for Old Navy, MAC, Adidas and Eaton's. Her trademark dilating, jittery camerawork, noticeable as early as her video for Manson's "The Beautiful People", has been replicated by a great number of directors since.

She directed the music video "Fighter" by Christina Aguilera-

Some of her Photography...

3.Chris Cunningham

Chris Cunningham’s directorial work is well known in the worlds of music video, commercial, and video art. He first achieved notoriety in 1997 with the horrific and comic clip for Come to Daddy by Aphex Twin. In quick succession he created six memorable and highly individual clips, each borne of his ability to extract a song’s subtleties and pour them into a visual form. Mr. Cunningham’s commercial work have also shown a bit of his ability in developing an interesting and subtle vignette out of a small bit of script.
I like the work of Chris Cunningham, especially “Afrika Shox” and "Rubber Johnny" because it is brave, controversial and most of all, different and innovative.


4.Saam Farahmand

Saam Farahmand directs films in the context of art, music, fashion, television, performance, virals and documentaries. Farahmand’s bill of buzzworthy films include colorful and clever music videos for Klaxons, Hercules & Love Affair, Janet Jackson and Simian Mobile Disco, a documentary featuring Soulwax, and a fashion film for Alexander McQueen. The London-based artist opened his own gallery, Boyschool, in the city’s East end to support the work of emerging artists and develop his own future projects.

I think this video shows that Farahmand has an eye for detail.


5.Dougal Wilson

After studying astrophysics at Durham University, he worked as a copywriter at the Leith advertising agency in Edinburgh before moving to London to pursue a career as a director.

His music videos include "Satisfaction" for Benny Benassi, "Tribulations" for LCD Soundsystem, "Who Am I" for Will Young, "Take Me Back to Your House" for Basement Jaxx, "Don't Let Him Waste Your Time" for Jarvis Cocker, "What's a Girl To Do?" for Bat for Lashes, and "Life in Technicolor II" for Coldplay.

6.So Me

So Me is an up and coming music video director, he has directed "Barbra Streisand- Duck Sauce" and "Day 'n' Nite- Kid Cudi".
"His hand-drawn illustration style, penchant for retro typography and undeniable hipster appeal have helped So Me become a sought-after name nearly overight." (Quote from an article: motionographer.com)



(Source: Wikipedia)

Record Label Research

Record label

View more documents from paperchain.

Audience Research: Questionnaire & Results

Questionnaire

View more documents from paperchain.

I sent these questionnaires to 10 of my "friends" on Facebook, who I know are fans of Indie music, and they replied to me within a week.
This is what I found out...

Q1. The majority of people expected a level of creativity and randomness from an Indie music video whereas themes like humour and band involvement were least expected. From these results I can see quite clearly that people have high expectations concerning the originality and uniqueness of indie music videos, this does emphasise the need for our music video to be full of interesting visuals etc and also randomness which is something our video is aswell. From attempting to make a music video, and plan for a music video, I can say that it is very fun but actually really difficult because absolutely anything goes. I mean this in the sense that no idea is too big or too small, too off topic or boring because with indie music you are granted that sort of interpretation which I think is reflected in the answer to this first question: creativity and randomness. And this is an expectation whereby there is no measurement of success because it is totally subjective and there are a range of indie fans who will like and dislike the finished product. I thought that it was strange that band involvement was least expected, but I guess it just reinforces that the main focus of these videos are sometimes the concepts rather than the actual band members themselves.

Q2. 8/10 people agreed with the statement: indie bands tend to be male dominated. This is probably the outcome I expected from this question, but I wanted to ask it nevertheless because I think it's crucial to understanding why Indie bands are successful. This statement is something I have seriously overlooked in my past as an indie fan- and by carelessly ignoring the lack of females in this industry I am now really inquisitive to know why. I'm not going to go into anymore detail because when I interviewed two people in depth, I found a really great answer to this question, which I will explore in another post.

Q3. When asked what appeals to them most about Indie music, the results were spread equally amongst the available answers, however the theme Style is the most popular by one vote. The theme of style (fashion) in relation to indie music is something that keeps cropping up as I explore this genre of music. It seems to be a very influencial and significant part of this music movement/indie culture. I think, when you put it in the simplest terms, the indie fashion is used as a tool in social groupings- it stems from the idea of being in a "click" and representing what music you listen to, your ideologies, what kind of friends you have and what you do in your spare time, all through the individuals styling choices, which appears quite important to this music and offers that certain individual a sense of involvment, guidance and protection.

Q4. This was an interesting question for me, as I really didn't expect the result I got. Most people thought that to make an indie band better there should be more instrumental emphasis within music videos. So this goes against the concept and visual narrative structures we see in some indie videos. Similarly I was suprised when no one thought that the styling should be different or more interesting to make an indie band stand out of a crowd where individuals are always striving for originality. The second most popular choice was the inclusion of different cultures, and I think this would make it easier for these bands to reach out to other audiences and gain more mainstream success.

Q5. I can honestly say this question was thrown into the mix partly because I ran out of questions to ask. However, I found that from the results, I can actually analyse a lot. So, it was a 50/50 split between those that would dance to indie music and those that would not, but it's crucial to remember that all participants who answered are indie music fans, on some level. This result is interesting because we could derive from it that although indie music is respected amongst the fans, it is enjoyed and used in different ways. Half of the participants said they wouldn't dance to this music, is it because they think R&B is better to dance to, or do they simply not really dance at all? Is indie music for them a pathway to relaxation or chilling out music they bung on their ipod when they are tired? There seems to be a certain limitation with indie music and its ability to connect with everybody. By contrast, the other half of the bunch said they would gladly dance to indie music... does this make them better fans, more hardcore fans maybe? I'm not sure.

Q6. I asked this question because in my opinion I think that indie music isn't very easy listening because of the strong concepts and kind of repetitiveness of the music, which makes it complicated to distinguish what a good indie track is, what an OK track is, and what a bad track is. 8/10 people thought that indie music is easy-listening, in general. First I'm going to define easy listening: A style of music involving simple and laid-back melodies. Ok, but indie music branches into different levels of intensity. For example "the XX-Islands" is a really laid-back track, doesn't cause you to think too much, it doesn't consume your head with loud noise or complicated lyrics, however "Kings of Leon- Use somebody" and "I say I love you" are both tracks with strong sounds and especially, "I say I love you" which has a high tempo which couldn't really be regarded as easy listening at all. So the point I was trying to make with this question is that it is very difficult to classify indie music because there is such a variety and diversity when it comes to all the bands and the different sounds they are going for. And Indie music is derived from rock and punk and electronic music anyway, so I dont think it can really be easy listening unless it crosses over with blues, pop or folk. Bon Iver is a good example of a band who produces a combination of indie and folk music, and this music can be described as easy-listening, but I think it has a haunting and mysterious undertone to it.

Q7. I like this question because it shows indie fans being critical of their favourite music genre, for example 6/10 people admitted that indie music can be boring at times. I think this is a valid and truthful assumption to make, on my part anyway, because of the "copy-cat" aspect to it and the idea that these bands strive for originality and independence from mainstream music, but when all bands are doing that, then they all become unified, and therefore generic as a result. It's quite ironic actually. However, I bet there are many indie bands out there and they are very niche and not as exposed (and therefore manipulated by the music industry) so it is quite special to find bands like these.

Q8. Unfortuantely, this question like question number 5, was included on impulse and the rush to create a decent questionnaire to send off on facebook. However I think I can now see that by creating these questions instinctively I have allowed myself to evaluate their meaning as I evaluate the results, simultaneously. Now, the obvious answer to this would be 'no, you wouldnt normally see naked licentious women on the cover of an indie album because you are far more likely to see artistic creative imagery, not a male manipulated sexualised fantasy, which one could argue you more likely see on R&B album covers.' And this viewpoint which I've created is reflected in the results for this question, with only one participant voting against the majority who said they expect artistic imagery for the cover art. I've realised that artistic imagery can also incorporate the image or exploitation of the female body, but I think that if featured on an indie album's cover art, it would be to expose a message of that expoitation or to simply be controversial or mocking of other genres. 

Q9. Moving on, a high % of people believe that indie bands promote the "geek" stereotype positively. I believe this has to do with how much people, maybe a certain type of person who may perceive themselves as a bit of an outsider or "geek-nerd", can relate to the music and find people to look up to that are like themselves. Just as I think the music of Marilyn Manson appeals to an audience who want to rebel and want a different sort of person to look up to enables people to become more confident, or controversially it can be misinterpreted and end badly. But Indie music shares that sort of freedom of expression and personal/individual interpretation and brings about people for fans to admire that don't necessarily look airbrushed to perfection by the industry or society.

Q10. Lastly, 6/10 people believe that indie music can branch into different genres. Which is nice as it offers yet more diversify and more people can enjoy this type of cohesion.