Richard Dyer's theory: the four notions of represenation. (1997)

The four notions are:

1 - What sense do representations make of the world? What are they representing to us and how?

This first notion questions how we have reprsented our own video through different aspects. The representations in our music video are aimed to link with the story told in the lyrics and the tone created in the song itself, through the use of vocals and diegetic guitar to add to the drama and intense emotion. Consequently, in our own music video we have tried to present these factors through mise-en-scene, camerawork and editing, in order to connect with the single soundtrack of the song "4am Forever." Therefore, use of all these features of production is essential to portray the correct tone demonstrated in the song. Costume has been used effectively to maintain the conventions of the rock genre; i.e. dark clothing, black eye-make-up, dark coloured accessories such as gloves, as well as props; for example guitars. The theme of memory and flashbacks are used in the "dream-like" sequences (highlighted through an applied filter effect) featuring the female protagonist are used in the narrative to contrast and draw comparisons with the present, a concept familiar to most. A variety of close ups, medium shots and long shots at various angles are used in our music videos, accompanied with effective editing in order to represent the narrative and the video in a suiting matter to the nature and style of the song.

2 - What are the typical representations of groups in society?

      This second notion involves the types of people who would listen to Lostprophets. From research, it is evident that they have a widespread appeal, and are not simply associated with one particular social group. This is due to a compilation of various styles in each of their albums, ranging from aggressive songs such as "Everyday Combat" and "Shinobi vs. Dragon", to emotional songs such as "4am Forever" and "Always All Ways", to upbeat songs such as "Can't Stop, Gotta Date With Hate" and "Can't Catch Tomorrow."

3 - Who is speaking for whom?

      This third notion of the theory is in reference to whom produces the music video and in this case, it is Visible Noise Records.

4 - What does their example represent to me? What does it mean to others who see it?

This final notions asks the significance of Lostprophets' music for their audience. As the audience ranges in age, the meaning of their music may differ depending on the style, theme, or the message portrayed in a certain song, along with how someone interprets a song and how they individually relate to it.

Blumler and Katz  ‘Uses and Gratifications’ theory (1974)

Four broad needs fulfilled by viewers watching television:

Diversion- a form of escape or emotional release from everyday pressures;

Personal relationships- companionship via television personalities and characters, sociability through discussion about television with other people;

Personal identity- the ability to compare one’s own life with the characters and situations within the programmes, and hence explore personal problems and perspectives;

 Surveillance- a regular supply of information about ‘what’s going on’ in the world.

Lostprophets' music provide an escape from the everyday pressures of life, as well as allowing the audience to emotionally relate to the story being told through the lyrics or the emotion presented in the song. Through the use of narrative in a number of their videos, the audience could compare their own lives with those shown in the narrative according to a situation. Similarly, the message conveyed by the lyrics have the potential to adapt or change a person's mindset or view of a scenario in their own lives, thus altering their perspective on the matter. Modern attitudes are developed in such narrative videos as "For He's A Jolly Good Felon." However in the sense of surveillance, the music video for the song "Last Summer," uses the structure of comparison from three separate decades, deciphering how society has changed over time.

Stuart Hall  ‘Encoding/Decoding’ Model (1980)

Stuart Hall model identifies three types of audience decoding:

     A dominant hegemonic position- established when the audience takes the full preferred meaning offered by the text.

     A negotiated position- established when there is a mixture of adaption and opposition to the dominant codes.

    An oppositional position- established when the preferred reading is understood but rejected, drawing on alternative valves and attitudes.

Lostprophets fit into a dominant hegemonic position, as the music video is specifically structured to display the typical Lostprophets style in terms of mise-en-scene (costume, props, lighting etc.), camerawork and editing, paying particular attention to conventions of the rock genre itself. However, the interpretation of the narrative can never fully be in a dominant position, as the individual audience may differ in relation to the story, making it a somewhat negotiated position. Predominantly however, the audience are in a dominant, hegemonic position.