Music Distributers in the UK

Virgin Records


Virgin Records

Parent company EMI
Founded 1972 (1972)
Founder Richard Branson
Distributing label Capitol Music Group (in the U.S.)
EMI Music Distribution
Genre Various
Country of origin UK
Official Website virginrecords.com

Virgin Records is a British record label founded by English entrepreneur Richard Branson, Simon Draper, and Nik Powell in 1972. It was later sold to Thorn EMI, and then, in the US, merged with Capitol Records in 2007 to create the Capitol Music Group.


Baby Ray Productions

Origin East London, England
Genres Hip hop, RnB
Occupations Producer, CEO
Years active 1988-present
Labels Ill Flava Records
Associated acts Karl Hinds, Jeff 3, Estelle, MC Creed, Wookie
Website [http://www.babyrayproductions.com

Baby Ray Productions was founded in 2003 by owner and producer RJ (AKA - Baby Ray). It is the second of his companies to role out with a great future and group of artists.

Ill Flava Records

Founded 1999
Founder Karl Hinds
Distributing label Cargo Records, Boombox Distribution
Genre Hip hop, R&B
Country of origin U.K.
Location London
Official Website Ill Flava Records

Ill Flava Records (originally Ill Flava) is an UK Hip Hop/R&B record label founded by Rainbow award winner, producer/rapper Karl "Don Gramma" Hinds in 1999 that is now partnered with Digital Dreamspace.

Questions for my Focus Group

i have chosen to conduct more research through a focus group as i found that, though my results were helpful, they were still limited. so i thought that having a group discussion, it would broaden thier answers and give others more ideas or help them to notice things they havent.

i will show them tow videos, with two different production (one from the UK and one from the USA valuces and then ask them the following questions baesed on the similarites and difference through out.

the videos i will show are :
Neyo Part of the List.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y7WUKHRTfeM

Tinchy Stryder- Take me back
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4d1xFqsPagc

the questions i will ask are questions i have made, that have generated from Andrew Goodwin writing in ‘Dancing in the Distraction Factory’ (Routledge 1992):

1. What genric characteristics can you idenetify?
2. Can you identify a relationship between the lyrics and the visuals and what do you think it is?
3. Is there a relationship between the music and the visuals?
6. what is your opinion on how women are representated in the videos?
7. How do you feel men are represented in the videos?
7. what aspects of the music video assoiciated with this genre do u find appealing~?
8. what do you find unappealling about them?
9. if you could change anything about the videos what would it be?
10. what would you like to see more of in this video, or videos associated with that genre?

Product Research - Robin Thicke- Lost Without You

Unlike the previous videos, this video is different as the female character in this vidoe is actually married to the artist.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HKNA42bj-do

Lyrics:

the lyrics song show his affection for his wife. the words 'lost without you' imply that he is dependant on her and feels the need to express his feelingss towards her.

Sartorial Codes:

there is a lot of blaack clothes worn, unlike its original dark meanings, the blaack is used to show a kind of sophisticated sexuality for both male and female charaters.

dress codes are made to math with the setting, for example in the room with the black lounge chair, the artist is wearing a black suit to show he is as sophisticated as thd chair maybe.

where as when the artist is spotlighted among the white wall, this is one of the only times where the clothes and the setting contrast.

Representation:

product Research - Neyo- She Got Her Own

www.youtube.com/watch?v=4C3xL3hMPP8

product Research - Neyo Mad

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kc0uPY10mGI

Product Research - Neyo - Part of the List

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

i chose this video as it follows a non linear story line that i wanted to achieve in my production. i have used speech bubbles to add editing to the video.

by having a non linear storyline, the director was able to link both past and present events, while using black and white to show a contrast between the two.

by doing this, the director was able to give us a reason for this song and its purpose. showing that there used to be a relationship between the artist and the female character, helps the audience to understand why it is so hard for him to lose her.

Instituitional Research- What is R'n'B

R'n'B is the abbreviation for Rhythm and Blues, this is a genre of music that was created by the African americans in the early 1940's-50's. the term R'n'B was used to replace 'race music' as it wsas found to be offensive in the post war world. According to Lawrence Cohn the words "R'nB embraced all black music, except classical and religous musicn unless a gospel song sold enough to break into the charts."


"Rhythm and blues bands usually consisted of piano, one or two guitars, bass, drums, and sax. Arrangements were rehearsed to the point of effortlessness and were sometimes accompanied by background vocalists. Simple repetitive parts mesh, creating momentum and rhythmic interplay producing mellow, lilting, and often hypnotic textures while calling attention to no individual sound. While singers are emotionally engaged with the lyrics, often intensely so, they remain cool, relaxed, and in control. Bands dressed in suits and even uniforms. Lyrics seem fatalistic and the music feels somehow inevitable."

HISTORY
in the 1930's when the african americasns migrated to to the urban industrial centrals of chicago, detriot, new york, los angeles and elswhere, this created a new market for 'jazz' and 'blues' and other related genres of music, often performed by full time musicians either in a gorup or working solo. "The precursors of rhythm and blues came from jazz and blues, which overlapped in the 1930s through musicians such as Leroy Carr, Cab Calloway, Count Basie, and T-Bone Walker. There was also increasing emphasis on the electric guitar as a lead instrument, as well as the piano and saxophone."

Results of my first attempt

from my questionnaire, i got really bad results as i was told the questionnaire was too much writing and it lacked in multiple choice questions and had too much questions where the recepiant had to think, therefore making them "BORED.COM" .

this meant that when i got them back, altough the questions had been answered, there was no tenough writing for me to conduct proper results as most of the open questions were answered with a maximum of four words.

My Second Attempt at Audience Research

Ok so i made a second attempt

My First Attempt At Audience Research

As you can see from my first attempt, some of the questions were a bit vague, therfore they did not help with the answers i was aiming for. with the age question, i narrowed the gap meaning there wasn't much of a choice, by this i mean that it would be hard for my to identify the age of my audience in order to relate thier age to stereotypes.

For the second question, i should have given more options or alternatives because the questions seems biased in a way. this is because i have made it seem like the R'n'B genre is the only type available.

For the fith question, i should have given a list of examples as the recepients may not know the actual media terms for them. because when i got my results back, this question was often left unanswered or 'i don't know' was written in the given space.

Product Research

my aim is to subvert the conventions of R'n'B videos, meaning stripping the video of all unwanted nudity and unnecessary props. at the same time, i wanted my video to show womjen doin something postive rather than dancing provocatively around the singer/ singers.



while doin this research i found that hardly any of these videos existed

Initial Breif

for my advanced portfolio, u have chosen to create a music promotion video. For my two ancillary tasks, i will produce:

A cover for a CD/DVD release

A Magazine Ad

i have chosen to da a R'n'B video that subverts the normal video conventions, for example the excess amount of jewelry and the half naked women. by doing this i am to bring originality to my video thus showing that people may still enjoy the music without nudity, and most of all to show how women are still appealing with their clothes on.

Target audience:

Demographic:

my demographic audience is ranged between 11-30+. i have opened the age gap really large as it wll help me appeal to a larger audience.

Psychographic:

people that are interested in music and have an interest in the way music videos are produced.

Lifestyle:

people that have a large interest in arts such as, dance media and music.

Similar media products to mine are videos like "Miss independant," i feel this shows what i am trying to aim at as it exerts the idea of female independacne while sticking to the r'n'b genre.

With the large intake of R&B musiic, i feel that the genre lacks any videos that aim to challenge those conventions. seeing the vast amount of media covedrgae the R&B industry gets, i fell as though my media product would be very appealing to a sector of that audience, as there are those who are tired of same different versions of the same subject.

I will use some stereotypical representations but only to the extent of where they can be subverted. i will do this because if i were to change all thd conventions, it may not be recognised as an R&B video.

I am going to have a non- linear narrative as, by doing this i will be able to subvert the audiences expectations of the characters. the narrative will be non- lineaar as it will allow me to show my characters aspirations and dreams, but at the same time it will help me to show what is stopping them from reaching them.

i will subvert the formal genric conventions of my chosen media as i dont feel that