White Girl

What does 'White Girl' say about identity, youth, modernist and post modernist cocepts of identity?

'White Girl' shows how concepts of identity have changed over time. Whilst the main character, Leah, has a post modernist concept of identity, the older generations have a more modernist concept of identity and believe that Leah should inherit her identity from them. Michel Maffesoli's view that people 'try on' different identity's is demonstrated in 'White Girl' when Leah turns to religion and becomes a muslim, showing her identity through her head scarf that she wears. The rest of her family disagree with what she is doing and believe she is embarrassing them because she is different to what they believe she should be like. This shows that youth's identity fits with Mikhail Baklin's view that identity is never finalised. We are forever changing and it is a journey that we go through.

'White Girl' shows that identity is a narrative of the self. It demonstrates both Paul Ricoeur and Anthony Giddens, showing that we create a narrative for our lives and follow this is find our identity, trying on others in the mean time. Giddens said that we keep evolving our identity, this is demonstrated throughout 'White Girl' in the way Leah changes from being forced to be a drug dealer, becoming a muslim and then being with her family in the end. Her identity changes throughout the film and she shows this through the ways she dresses and behaves, which takes on a post modernist concept of identity. Leah's identity is a reflexive project which she works on through out the film to find her identity.

Lighting and performance

I decided to use a spotlight in a black dark room to emphasise the use of instruments in my music for the video.  This is because the use of instruments is a key element in the ska/indie genres.

Album cover analyses

The album cover for The Wombats is very strange. Although it doesn't involve the band, it has a lot of characters on the front hiding their identity. This suggests that this album is for young people who haven’t yet found their identity and they are searching for it and finding it through pop culture. It demonstrates how important pop culture is to young people these days. This is what our eyes are drawn to when we first look at the album because it is so unusual. The album cover is pictured on a beach, which connotes young people as being fun and care free, which contrasts with the real world because young people have a lot of stress with school etc., the music is an escape for them which means that it targets it audience. It also contrasts with other views of young people, hanging around of street corners and causing trouble. The cover is very natural, shown by the pastel colours and also creates a sense of unity with the people as they are all in the same boat, also targeting the audience because they then feel they are not alone so they are united. On the cover, the band name is written in a very playful font which suggests that the band is fun and light hearted, which targets its audience. It reflects the band members as they aren't shown on the cover. The picture looks like an old photograph and is very inviting for the audience because it is mysterious because you can't see anyone’s faces so the audience are intrigued by the album cover.




The album cover for Vampire Weekend is a blurred out photo of the band on a boat in the middle of the calm sea. This suggests that this album is an escape for young people to a calm environment which is represented by the sea. However, the blurred out effect creates a feeling of discomfort as the audience are unsure whether it is the actual band targeting the indie genre. But it could also demonstrate how youth’s lack identity and therefore gain their identity through pop culture, also demonstrating how important pop culture is to youth’s at present. It also gives the photo a feel that it has been painted by an artist, this could target the indie audience that the band will appeal to. When we first see the album our eyes are drawn to the band members stood on the boat, this is important so that the audience feel united with the band as we assume that it is them. The sail on the boat is down, suggesting there is no wind. The weather is calm, also shown by the sea which means there is a chilled out feel to the album. This is contrasted by the photo being blurred out. The cover is very natural, shown by the use of the sea and sky, and the colours reflect this which then targets the very mellow audience that this album will appeal to.

Mumford and sons music video analysis

This music video is a mixture of narrative and band performance. There is a circular narrative, both the beginning and end of the video is the singers taking the instruments to the Mexican style band and then taking them from them at the end.

The target audience for this music video is young adults between the ages of 18-24. It sets focus into the indie genre. The video begins with a wide shot of the actual band on mopeds. This is important because it establishes who the real band is. The surroundings are very isolated, however they also connote a care free environment as nobody is around to tell them what to do. The use of subtitles allows the band to introduce the mimic band who is dressed in Spanish uniform to the audience, creating a comedy care free feel to the music video. This is yet another wide shot which contrasts the real band from the mimic band.

Mumford and sons wear a typical suit in the video for ‘The Cave’, this contrast with the mimic band wearing their typical Spanish uniform. Mumford and sons also play instruments. This targets its audience because they are also likely to play instruments as they are aspirational. There are close ups throughout the video to establish the musical instruments that they are playing in the video and to also create a feeling of unity between the band and their audience as it is something they are familiar with.

For alot of the video there is close ups of the singers on their mopeds, followed by a tracking shot of the camera following them. This makes the audience feel like they are a part of the band and feel involved with them. This is continued throughout the video. There is also a jump of close ups between the real band and the mimic band. This shows the contrast between the two bands. The unsteady camera makes the audience feel part of the video because they feel like they are there watching them.

Throughout the music video, the band tries to make its audience feel as though they are united with them and a part of them. This is shown through the use of close ups because the audience are getting up close and personal with the band.

The mise en scene of the isolated cliff edge, and the isolated roads creates a sense of calmness to the video. This makes the audience feel comfortable to watch it which is important so that it will suit its target audience making them want to watch it over and over again.

Story board

This is my first couple of sequences. As it was  very hard to find someone to mime the song, I decided that I would put in instruments for the performance part of my music video. I have decised on three key instruments, drums, guitar and the instrument that will help define the ska genre the trumpet. I have decided to have them playing on a beach and chose a variety of shots that represent the calmness and the care free side to my music video.

To acknowledge what is happening in my video I decided to start by showing a couple in love on the beach, also representing the calm environment that these two people are in. It gives the audience knowledge that these two are a couple which will help with understanding the rest of the music video. The girl running down the beach also creates a sense of young people being care free. She doesn't mind what she looks like because she is happy. She doesn't care that she is being judged.

During my video, the couple have a fight and break up. I decided to use this idea because it shows that young people do have problems, which links to the lyrics, but it shows that they can get through them. It also references a lot of other music videos. I have decided to shoot this in a dark enclosed room causing a sense of chaos. This contrasts with the wide open space of the beach.

The last few scenes show the couple making up and getting back together. It is then shot outside, this also contrasts with the enclosed room as it is open and calm. There is also no body other than the couple in the shot which also creates a sense of young people being care free and they are laughing. They are happy with who they are which is what my video is all about.

Musical Profile

Analysis of similar artists

View more presentations from charlotte_bennett11.

What festivals would your audience go to?
Indie Scenesters would most likely go to Latitude festival. This is because it is a small festival which is a diverse festival which features alternative bands and artists. The audience that are likely to attend a festival like this are care free, which is shown by the website for the Latitude festival and links with the calm website for 'The Wombats'.

Due to the tabs at the top of the home page for Latitude festival, we can see that the target audience for this festival is young people and also young adults. People who use social networking sites such as facebook are often

16 - 21, however, because of the tag for twitter as well, it is obvious that this music festival is aimed at a larger audience. This also shows that it is aimed at families, which is shown by the twitter account, young adults with their children. This festival is aimed at middle class people, we can tell this because it is at Southwold, usually a place used as an urban escape for people who live in rural areas such as London. The people who go there are often middle class families with their children, therefore it is a very middle class festival.

The page gives a fairytale feel towards the festival, this is demonstrated through the font used for the word 'Latitude'. It is very similar to the font at the start of a fairytale when it says 'Once upon a time'. This gives the feel of a happily ever after, which shows that the festival is all happy and wonderful which persuades it's audience's to go to it. Along with this, the pictures/plants up the side of the page also suggest a fairytale feel, this is because on the front of fairytale books and around the pages it is likely that you will see pictures like these. Along with the fairytale likeness of the homepage, it also has a fairground feel. This is demonstrated by the quote 'more than just a music festival'. The words are in the shape of a flag, something that is regularly found at a fairground. This also connotes fun and laughter which is why the festival has linked it with these two particular memorable places and stories.

The homepage for Latitude festival is very creative, it is almost as if it has come from the 1960's arts and crafts, hippie era. We can tell this because of the pictures, but also from the colours used in the homepage. It is all very natural colours, blue and green which suggest at one with nature and harmony.

What can you learn from this information that will be useful in designing your music video/digipak/planning the marketing of the music video?
I learnt from the analyses smiilar artists that my music video needs to be fairly calm and care free, representing the target audience as this. I can construct this image by having my digipak and music video in an isolated place, such as the beach which is also calm. This can be shown by the sea being clam and the person on my digipak, or in my music video being alone. This relates to my video because I have the trumpet player sat alone on the beach, the sea is calm and he is happily playing. It creates the care free and calm attitudes of the target audience because there is no restrictions. This would develop the feeling of calmness and care free because there would be nobody else around, suggesting that there is no restrictions. I also learnt that a performance element to my music video is important for the genre.

Overview profile



Ed Sheeran The A Team music video analysis

This music video uses narrative structure throughout the video and there is no band performance. The narrative is told in a circular way, the video starts at the end. It is told from another perspective, a person watching the girls life.


Within the video there are many close ups of the protagonist. This creates a feeling of sympathy from the audience towards the protagonist because the lyrics link to what we are seeing, a wasted life. The target audience for this video are the younger generation, between the ages 15 - 25, this is similar to the singers age. The song is about drugs and this is a topic that young people get caught up in. The music video appeals to both genders because, although it is only a female in the video. it targets both because the song is about drugs which relates to both genders. 

The music begins when it has been established that drugs have killed the girl lying in the room. The shot when the music does start is a long shot of a girl lying on a bench with a sleeping bag. This suggests that she is unfortunate and doesn't have a place to live or sleep. This puts all focus on the protagonist as the audience want to know more about her and they ask questions about why she is there and what has happened to her. They are curious about her life. There is then a close up of her wiping her face and pulling the sleeping bag in around her which shows the audience she is cold, creating the audience to feel more sympathy for her. 

The mise en scene also suggests that the girl is unfortunate because the costume she is wearing. She is wearing ripped tights and also a mans coat which is too big for her. Along with this she has thick make up on which suggests she has been trying anything for money. This is also shown later on the video when there is a series of close ups of the girl putting make up on in a dodgy flat and then the long shot of her showing her legs to get the car to stop. It shows that the girl has turned to prostitution, making the audience sympathize yet again because she must be desperate to be doing that. The lighting is very natural all the way through the video which makes it realistic. However, there is key lighting is on her face which shows her negative expression. The protagonist has no power in the video, she is a damsel in distress and the drugs are there to take her away from reality. 


When the girl is walking up a hill on her own and there is nobody around her creates a sense of panic for the girl. This shows because she starts to look around as if anyone is following her. It soon changes when she looks up to the sky and smiles and then changes to a mid shot of her opening her arms. This gives the sense of freedom which contrasts with the rest of the video. The close ups in the video contrast with this shot because they are very closed in and we feel like the girl is trying to escape but can't. This is the reason that she takes an overdose at the end of the video.

This video attracts it's target audience because they are people who could be involved and trapped and it shows that it isn't a way out. The circular structure intrigues the target audience causing them to be attracted to the video.

Tribe Profile

Tribe Profile on Prezi

How is uktribe gathered?


Uktribes used many qualitative methods when gathering information to find peoples 'tribes'. It used methods such as: desk research, online forums, depth interviews, expert interviews with marketers, media, event promoters, DJs, fanzine editors etc, video and picture diaries, SMS-derived insight and a UK network of young people providing regular trend reports. However the main way was an online quiz caleld 'Find Your Tribe'. This quiz allowed youths to enter relevant information about themselves and it would define the tribe they belong to whether it is emo, chav or indie. However, there are alot of issues with the way that Uktribes is gathered. It is a very deterministic way of labelling somebody as a specific tribe. Many people don't belong to a specific tribe, they change and create their own tribes by intergrating all tribes. Uktribes doesn't take this into account and just labels people as one thing. I think that Uktribes gathered information this way because it is easily analysed. By using objective data such as online quizzes, they get easy information that they can analyse and produce results quickly.

Who gathered it and why was it gathered?
Channel 4 gathered this data, the reason they did it was so they could find youth preferences and decise what shows youths prefered so they could show them, or to put them on their websites. The quiz showed whether youth prefered tv or interenet. This meant that channel 4 could appeal to their target audience better so they would be interested in that channel. Uk tribes was made to explore youth and acknowledge the way they really think and feel rather than stereotyping them and getting it wrong therefore the tv channel would not appeal to them.             

Shooting Schedule

Date and Time	Location	Travel	Cast	Crew	Equipment	Props and costume	Scene and shots
12-08-11 3pm	Beach	Car	Josh, Sophia, Nick, Charlotte	Charlotte	Camera	Costume - Shorts, top, swimming trunks	Close up of couple Mid shot of couple long shot of beach
9-9-11 4.30pm	Sophias room	Car	Josh, Sophia	Charlotte	Camera, strobe light, Tripod	Jeans, Top	close up of arguments and making up mid shots of arguements and making up. close up of faces.
14-10-11 2pm	Park	Car	Sophia	Charlotte	Camera	Jeans, top	Girl sad after break up. Close ups of girl crying. Texts from boy.
16-10-11 1.30pm	Beach	Car	Matt Zac	Charlotte Alice	Camera	Skinny Jeans Top Coat	Boy Playing Guitar and othe Boy playing Trupmet

Shot List for my music video

1)Mid shot of boy playing drums
2)Close up of boys playing drums
3)Close up of drum
4)Long shot of band on beach
5)Close up of instruments on beach
6)Close up of trumpet in boys mouth
7)Close up of boys fingers on trumpet
8)Mid shot of beach and band
9)Long shot of boys in dunes
10)Close up of Girls back and hair running down dunes
11)Long shot of girl running to boy
12)Mid shot of kissing
13)Close Up of heart gradually breaking
14)Mid shot of arguement
15)Extreme close up of girl sad
16)Extreme close up of boy sad
17)Mid shot of girl slapping boy
18)High angle shot of arguement
19)Long shot of girl on chair swivelling
20)Mid shot of boy on bed
21)Mid shot of boy walking past girl
22)Close up of girls face
23)Close up of hand knocking on door
24)Close up of hand opening door
25)Long shot of girl letting boy in
26)Close up of couple on bed
27)High angle shot of couple cuddling
28)Long shot of couple walking away

Character/actor choices

The reason I chose the girl is because she demonstrates the indie genre through her dress sense and also what she likes. I also chose her because I wanted to have the couple in the video to have chemistry that doesn't look too fake. She did drama at GCSE so I thought she would be good at acting, also her and the boy in the video are a couple in real life therefore I thought they would work in my music video.

Tribe for target audience

My target audience ...

You are an Indie Scenester! You are at the forefront on the indie scene – you know all the major players. You’re always ahead of the game – moving on to the next thing once everyone joins in. You like to look good and your icons go beyond the centrefold of the NME – your current look is James Dean meets Grace Jones. Just wait – everyone will be wearing it in a year’s time.



Indie Scenesters occupy the space previously inhabited by Trendies (and Ravers before them) – people who want to be ahead of the crowd and are willing to invest time and effort into the paraphernalia and detail of their sub-culture. A decade ago they may well have been Ravers and a couple of years back they were listening to bands like Klaxons, the pioneers of nu-rave. Indie Scenesters exist thanks to the fashionable status of guitar music (though for them it’s often about mixing it up with more electronic sounds) and are linked to the general rise of instant fashionability – of fashion and music trends having much faster lifecycles thanks to the commodification of cool. Scenesters don't mind bands achieving mainstream success, but prefer them before the masses cotton on – their own version of second album syndrome. There is significant role reversal in the Indie Scenester Tribe, with both boys and girls dressing in tight fitting clothes and often sporting make-up and accessories. The relatively recent return of the Ray-Ban Wayfarer (in all colours) is big with this crowd as they love to be the first to pick up on the rebirth of a once popular fashion item.

Scenesters are festival goers – if they can blag it. The real action, though, is in small, sweaty, adrenalised clubs. Scenesters are more bothered about iPods and drinking than phones or conscious materialism. Online communities such as those found on drownedinsound.com are important as they allow visitors to discuss, diss or discover the latest cool bands.

The list of bands they like is ever changing. TV On the Radio, The Vivian Girls, Vampire Weekend, Spank Rock and Shit Disco are some of the sounds they like, as is hip French label Ed Banger Records, the home of Justice.

The look – skinny jeans, Converse, stripes and Americana T-shirts – shifted for a while when nu-rave came on the scene, but has come full circle as the genre became too mainstream, reflecting the fickleness and speed of quick changing trends in music having an impact on fashion. Currently labels such as American Apparel, Topshop/Topman and Uniqlo are high street staples, with House of Holland appealing to more affluent members of the Indie Scenester crowd.

Find your tribe

Apparently I am a ...

You are a Townie! Your job might be a bit boring but it brings home the bacon and helps you save up for those two weeks away to Spain. Your weekends are set in stone – trip to the shops in town, buy yourself something nice, head to the All Bar One with friends, have a laff, maybe go for a club, as long as there’s none of the indie weirdo music. Keep it straight, you say.



Most people have little choice but to start as Townies (unless, perhaps, your parents are artists, musicians or eccentrics!). You have to make a decision to join a different Tribe, to break away from normality, to find your own niche, and indeed many make this decision as they move through their teens. But then again, many do not…

This tribe is the core of the British population. Townies are relatively diverse in entertainment choices but unsurprisingly stick to mainstream options. Generally speaking, they possess conservative political views on subjects like asylum seekers and immigration. In some places the term ‘townie’ is used to refer to vaguely disruptive and boozy groupings closer to chavs, whilst in others it describes the mainstream in less pejorative terms. We refer to the latter.

TV celebs, talent contests and, still, soaps, are big with this bunch. No surprise, so is ‘consensus music’ like R’n’B, pop and mainstream hip hop. But music isn't ultimately a key cultural driver.
Instead, holidays and socialising score higher. Fashion-wise, think Ben Sherman, Ted Baker and Lyle & Scott for the boys and River Island and Miss Selfridge for the girls – complete with a winter tan. Ideas from Trendies often filter through to the Townies. And, interestingly, Ugg boots are as popular with Townies as with Rahs (though probably more like to be fake copies). Picture Cheryl Cole without the designer labels and you are well on your way.

How are music festivals changing?

How are music festivals changing? What does this reveal about the music industry, identity and target audiences?

Music festivals have rapidly changed over the past years; they have now diversified which has included music which targets a niche audience, there are festivals such as ‘Big Chill’ which targets an audience that have past their best, who used to go to raves in their younger years. Music festivals have become more corporate, festivals such Glastonbury and V festival now have large food and drink companies selling their products. Ticket prices are sky high, reaching £200 for the more expensive festivals; this supports the ideology that music festivals are becoming more mainstream. Also the prices have risen because of revenue streams, because of illegal downloading, artists need to make their money through festivals because they don’t through retail.  At many of the major festivals there are numerous stages, this has caused audience segmentation. It means that a lot more people go to the festivals however; they are split into niche audiences due to the interests of the audience. The reason that people are going to music festivals is changing, they now go for the experience, however, it is not what it once was. There is now upmarket and people can rent luxury tents. The music festivals are changing dramatically and it is affecting its audience and the artists there.

Location Shots

These are the location shots for my music video. My music video will be shot at the beach and also in a confined room which will contrast the feelings of freedom and entrapment.

The wombats - Let's dance to joy division analysis

The genre of this music video is indie; the conventional music video for this genre is usually a band performance. The music video for this song sticks to the typical conventions as there is a performance, however it is intercut with shots of children dancing. This appeals to the target audience because it shows the people in the video breaking free, therefore they could to. The storyline in the music video is about the band forcing children to break free and gain their freedom. The video challenges Todorov’s theory of equilibrium disruption and new equilibrium. There is a slight disruption where the band members start flying whilst playing their instruments. There is never a new equilibrium as it finishes with the band members still flying. The disruption is never resolved.

The video begins with many close ups of the lead vocalist of the band plugging in the instruments, the close ups create a connection between the band and its target audience. The target audience is people with alternative style, generally teenagers at school. The target audience is also people who are seriously at music. The music video is aimed at both genders, this is because although there are all males in the video, the song is about breaking free which appeals to both genders and is also shown in the video. The music starts as the lead vocalist arrives at the microphone. They are in a white room with the band’s name written on the wall. This focuses all of the attention on the band itself and the name of the band, other than the surroundings. The only lighting in the room at the start is a flashing light and when it is on it creates key lighting on the lead vocalist. Most of the shots near the start are mid shots of the band playing their instruments which give the band all of the power in the video to engage their listeners. There is a close up of the band’s name written on the wall, it creates a sense of unity among the band members, showing that they are all part of one thing and the name that the audience is familiar with. It also advertises the band; some people may hear or see the video of the song but not know who it is. Having the name written on the wall in the video means that it’s audience can download or buy their songs.

The bands genre is demonstrated greatly by the mise en scene of the closed in room, and all of the instruments around them. This is because the people who follow the indie genre are farely enclosed in themselves and with their particular group of friends and other people in that genre. The actions in the video link to the lyrics of the song, such as ‘and raise our glass to the ceiling’ links to when the band physically rise to the ceiling, this creates a sense of chaos as it is out of the ordinary and something that the audience is unfamiliar with. It shows that anything is possible for the band creating a feeling that it can be the same for their audience. The clothes that the band is wearing are stereotypical of the genre such as skinny jeans and tops, usually with bands on it, or shirts such as the lead singer is wearing. It relates to the fans style and it puts them in a position which is closer to the fans which link the two of them.

Many of the shots are quick and usually from a hand held camera which means that the music video is unstable suggesting that people who like this genre of music are different and unique. There are many high angle shots which suggest that the audience look up to the band and shows that they are in control. The quick shots create a sense of chaos, yet again, but this is before the singing starts. As soon as the lead vocalist starts singing all the focus is on him and the camera is steady. There is then a mid – shot of the band members, with a black back drop. All the light is coming from them suggesting they are god like figures and they are trying to persuade their fans to break free. This is followed by many close ups of instruments that the target audience are familiar with creating a sense of security when watching the video after the scene of chaos that was before which familiarizes the fans with what is being seen in the video once more. 

Towards the end of the video the colour of the lighting changes, the room becomes all different colours. It flashes from a black room to being lit up by one of these colours. This focuses all the attention on the band when they are on the screen as it is only for a short amount of time before the room is black again. By the end of the video everything is chaos, which links to the fast pace of the song. There are many quick shots from person to person. It is a handheld camera again which means that the shots are very shaky and disorientating for the audience.

Smaller than you - who knew

The  song I am using for my music video fits into both the genres ska and indie. Musically the key characteristics  of the indie genre was jangling guitars, a love of sixties pop and often fey, innocent lyrics.These are the lyrics to the song I am using in my music video and the demonstrate the innocent lyrics of the indie genre. However, the upbeat rhythm of the song and elements of American jazz also give the song characteristics of the ska genre. I chose this song because I like the genre of music and also because I like the song as it is upbeat and cheerful. However, in the music video I don't want to link the narrative with the lyrics.


It was very easy to see when you were looking around at me,
A face of despair,
A dream of prosperity,
But things started to change,
A decision was made,
About what you wanna do,
Who knew!
About all the troubles and hassles of life,
Run away from it all,
Run away from the light,
You can't deal with these problems later on in your life.


All the things that you said,
All the things that you've done,
Have only set in upon the minds of the young,
Actions have conscience as some may say,
And they're coming for me not you,
Who knew!
About all the troubles and hassle of life,
Run away from it all,
Run away from the light,
I can't deal with these problems later on in my life.