analysis of a star and dyer's theory

Richard Dyer - Star Theory

Richard Dyer's star theory maintains the theory that the image of a celebrity is cultivated by institutions and stars are simply artificial images, even if they are represented as "real people" who experience everyday things. ("A star is an image, not a real person, that is constructed (as any other aspect of friction is) out of a range of materials (eg advertizing, magazines, etc, as well as films [music])." ~ Dyer, 1979. Stars are shaped for both financial gain as well as to target a specific audience and bring about new trends for them to share and be involved with.
 Dyer's theory can be split into four parts: 1) how does the video represent the artist? 2) can the artist be viewed as a product? 3) is the artist both ordinary and extraordinary? 4) does the video place fan for or against hegemony?

Why do artists feel the need to reinvent themselves?

For a wide range of reasons, some artists often feel the need to reinvent themselves. A predominant reason is simply that as they get older, they feel inclined to reshape the genre of their music. Even artists who stick with a rock genre may decide to move slightly away from heavier rock music and more into alternative rock music, such as Thirty Seconds to Mars. As artists mature, their audience would inevitably have to mature or come from a more mature age group. A quintessential example is Miley Cyrus, whose music source was Hannah Montana but as she reached her older teen years, she drifted closer to the pop genre and now, she has completely reinvented herself as an ultimate "pop star" as she wanted to change the public's opinion of her of the innocent character of Hannah Montana. Some artists also have the issue of having been around for so long that they have to perpetually keep up with the times - for instance, Madonna, and therefore constantly have to reinvent themselves and their music. A lot of artists such as Madonna also have to change their music so that they do keep people talking about them and create publicity for themselves to keep themselves "fresh" in the eyes of the public. There are also those artists who came into the music industry as an amateur and simply made it through my signing a record label; however, now that they have established themselves, they can now reinvent themselves to have more control over their image or brand. For example, Zayn Malik, an ex member of One Direction, is now so well-known universally that he left the band to go solo.

The artist that I am going to analyze who has reinvented themselves is Thirty Seconds to Mars. The band have only released four albums since their premise; however, they started off making a progressive metal album (titled "30 Seconds to Mars"), then later changed their genre to progressive rock (in their album "This is War") and finally, their latest album ("Love, Lust, Faith and Dreams") has moved towards the electronic genre.

The first song in the band's debut album is called "Capricorn (A brand new name)" and the music video that goes along with it takes both a performance and narrative style. This is conventional of the metal genre, particularly a performance style video as often songs of the metal genre do not have a deep enough meaning to make a narrative video. In addition, fans of the metal genre appeal to this convention of a performance video as it means that it is almost as if they are seeing the band playing live. By having performance, the artist have not only conformed to genre conventions but also established themselves as being authentic and talented as they are showing the artist what they can do. However, the use of a narrative aspect to the video is also helpful in stating something about the band; despite it not being particularly conventional, it gives the audience an idea of the thoughts behind the band and shows the meaning behind their songs, a useful way to appeal to the audience. Another generic convention the video conforms to is the use of clothing. At first glance, the band do not seem to be particularly conventional as they are wearing white. However, the use of dirt smeared all over their clothes and their generally disheveled appearance with their heavy dark eyeliner conforms to the genre stereotype. It also actually makes a status about the band, that not to be mainstream; this is something that the audience highly appeal to as they are typically people who do not submit to mainstream values. In addition, the use of the band all wearing the same color and having a similar look creates unity through the band, symbolizing that they are one and their music is personal, not about pleasing others, which genres such as pop maintain. The choice of costume and makeup is quite important in the representation of the artist. Dyer's theory maintains that an artist is both extraordinary and ordinary. In relation to 30STM's video, it can be said that the band are seen as being quite ordinary as they do not have a particularly celebrity status look about them. The dirt smeared on the clothing degrades their status, as anybody can go out and look like that. In addition, the location choice also maintains this ordinary image, as it is an extremely accessible location where anybody could make a music video. The characters in the narrative also downplay the video as they look like your everyday people, with simple clothing and a slightly wild look to them. However, it is also arguable that the band may also be seen as extraordinary due to the fact the performance aspect of the video shows that they are talented in playing musical instruments. As the band are shown altogether, playing a variety of instruments, it creates that extraordinary rock and roll look, which a lot of the audience would aspire to have. With a metal genre music video, it is actually not crucial to have the video looking as professional as other genres, as the low-key ordinariness of it appeals to the target audience as they reject mainstream values that genres such as pop have. The video ultimately is more relatable for the audience this way as the evident low-budget of it demonstrates to the audience that sending a message from the artist is more important than marketing the band. As this is the band's first song in their first album, this is an efficient way to establish their target audience. 

The target audience of the band at this stage would evidently be fans of the metal genre; however, specifically they would most likely be young adults, even as young as 13-17 year olds. This is due to the fact that the band are new to the scene and through this video they are sending messages that this age group appeal to. At this age (13-17) the audience would most likely be going through personal issues with how to publicly portray themselves. Therefore, a video such as "Capricorn" would be of huge benefit to these people as they would feel like someone understands their struggles and it gives them guidance as to what to do. In this video, the messages and values of the band are quite coherent: you do not have to conform to mainstream beliefs to be a person. The content of the music video is quite strange and the band are represented as quite wild, all showing how they do not care about how they are perceived and neither should the audience. Whereas a lot of other genres focus on the visuals, with heavy editing and special effects, 30STM focus more on their lyrics and getting a message across. Therefore, whilst watching the video the audience will feel that the video is less of a product but rather focused on caring about the audience.

Looking at the video, there is a clear relationship between the visuals and the music. Goodwin states that there is a link between the two, and in this case he is correct. The high tempo and loud vocals of the music reflect the narrative parts of the video. For example, as soon as the heavy guitar riffs start, the video jumps into action and the boy starts digging for something. This is useful in keeping the audience immersed in the video as the music determines their emotions; they will become excited when the tempo increases, etc. In addition, the fast-paced editing used help to make the visuals a lot more exciting and match the intensity of the instruments.

The second reinvention of the band was their change to the rock genre. Their music video for their song "Kings and Queens" uses a lot of codes and conventions of the rock genre. The video starts with an establishing shot of the city of Los Angeles at sunrise. A lot of rock music videos are conventionally set in big, open places as it allows for a lot of freedom to move around a lot, as usually the video is performance based (so the band can just run around and sing). Furthermore, the use of an establishing shot of the city helps to represent the artist as being quite artistic and thinking deeply about the visuals of their music video. This differs from the artist's first video, as not a lot of thought was given to the visuals, as shown through the messy appearance. This video, in stark contrast, appears to be quite clean and well-planned out. Not only in the first shot, but throughout a large portion of the video, low-key lighting is used which is again another convention of the rock genre. In addition, the costume that the band wears is a stereotypical outfit for the rock genre; leather jackets and dark pants, as you can see the lead singer, Jared Leto, wearing in this wide shot.

Another convention of the rock genre is for the music video to be a performance based one (which this is, alongside having a concept style). The variety of shots, such as wide shots and close up shots of the band members performing helps to really stress on the emotions and passion behind the artist. The isolated location on a rooftop also helps to create this emotional experience between the artist and the audience as it gives the audience an opportunity to almost get to know the artist more personally as the sole focus is on them alone. The audience can also feel as if they are actually watching the artist live. A lot of the shots feature the band being shown in low-key lighting which again demonstrates how the artist is not a product, but rather a personal symbol for the audience, as they do not but the spotlight on themselves, but rather on the audience and sending a message to them. The use of so many different characters in the video help to portray this.

This music video has a concept style in it as it displays tens of people, from all different backgrounds, on bikes, riding through the city together; the message here is about finding something like a faith, together as a unity. Despite the evident change in genre and visuals, the message and values of the band have actually maintained through their reinvention. The use of cycles helps to symbolize a sense of unity and freedom, as everyone is shown to be together despite the difference in their appearance. This again shows how the artist wants to send a message to the audience to be their own person. The fact that the artist have maintained their messages and values is crucial as it shows that the band truly is focused on their fans rather changing themselves for publicity or financial reasons.  

Again, in this video, Goodwin's proposal of there being a relationship between the visuals, and this time, the lyrics, fits in this video. The shots of people cycling around the city together link with the lyrics "we are the kings of queens of promise" and "the age of man is over". The lyrics illustrate to the audience that these people lost their way and are finding it again. This ideology would appeal to the audience, as again it fits in with the artist's perpetual message of being your own person, as well as relating to personal struggles of identity that may be occurring in the audience's life. In this stage of the artist's reinvention, the target audience would be quite similar, perhaps a year or two older, as the video is ever so slightly more mature than the metal one. The audience would have changed as the band changed as this video is conforms less to conventions of the metal band, as the rock genre focuses more on ideas and meaning rather than just performing a song. 

Dyer's theory of the artist being both ordinary and extraordinary can be applied here as the costume of the band and the use of the people riding through the city is ordinary, which the consumer can achieve themselves; however, the concept Jared Leto is trying to put across through the lyrics of being "kings and queens" demonstrates that the band is extraordinary as they have the creative freedom to achieve anything they want. The concept of being "on top of the world" can be applied here as the band are performing on the top of a very high building roof, overlooking the whole city; this can be seen as the band being extraordinary. We can also apply Goodwin's theory of intertexuality as there is an intertexual reference to Banksy's Flower Chucker graffiti throughout the whole video.

The final change in the band was shifting more into the electronic genre. The band's latest album "Love, Lust,, Faith and Dreams" uses strong electronic elements; one song in particular "Up in the Air" conveys their genre reinvention well. Their music video for the song is a concept and performance based one which features all four members of the band. This low-angle wide shot used near the beginning of the video when Jared Leto, the lead singer, walks towards the camera. The dark shades of the suit-like costume he is wearing connotes sophistication and high quality, which reflects the band's image too. There is high-key lighting shining behind Jared Leto which re-emphasizes the idea of importance; the audience is aware that this is the leader of the band. 
The video also features a lot of bright colors, which is conventional of the electronic genre as artists like aspects of the video to stand out and colors match the pace of the music. In addition, the use of editing to make the succession of shots fast-paced is another convention of the genre as it fits with the tempo of the music. This song features a lot of fast beats and dance style rhythms which means the busier the video is, the better.

Goodwin's theory is evident throughout the whole video; for example, the relationship between the visuals and music/lyrics. As the temp of the music rapidly increases, the editing changes as the cuts and frame time speeds up in order to match the music. For instance, near the beginning of the video, four shots are shown, each with one word of the album title (Love, Lust, Faith and Dreams) that is both shown and said after 4 beats, creating a mirrored relationship between the visuals and music. 

The most evident of all of Goodwin's aspects in the video is the demands of the record label as the video features a lot of shots of the main artist. In various points in the video, Jared Leto is topless; however, due to the style of the video, the shots do not imply a provocative image, but instead he is half-nakedness is represented as quite artistic. This opposed the genre convention of a male being topless for masculine authority of to portray a stereotypical "hot" man. However, as he is positioned next to two females who are wearing short dresses, it is arguable to say that Jared Leto showing his torso is subliminally used to attract a desired audience (more females). Branches of the electronic genre, eg dance music etc, conventionally use half-naked males and females as their audience desire to see these images.


However, it is also conventional of the electronic genre to feature females who are half-naked. The American burlesque dancer, model and costume designer, Dita Von Teese, stars in the video, displaying extremely provocative shots. This actually portrays the ideology to the audience that wearing almost nothing is actually empowering and displays strong confidence which all women should have. Dita Von Teese is a woman who would be deemed as "perfect" in the eyes of the largely teenage audience who would be watching the video and the audience would want to aspire to look like her. However, the use of a high-angle shot actually has a underlying contradictory message that woman are still submissive; the position of the camera looking down on Dita Von Teese makes her look quite submissive. Therefore, the males of the audience would look at the dancer and be attracted to the voyeurism used as opposed to thinking of Dita as a strong, confident woman. In addition, Dita Von Teese is a famous sexual icon, so the audience will already have expectations of the content of the video, added to the fact that it is conventional of the genre to include woman and dancing. 

Looking at Dyer's theory, it is clear that the band is represented to quite artistic due to the busy yet creative content of the video, e.g. including a man covered in bees. Thirty Seconds to Mars are represented as your typical band in the aspect that there is a singer, a guitarist and a drummer, however they all play a role throughout the video that makes both the drummer and guitarist seem less that they are simply in the background members but more involved in the video which the target audience will find appealing. For instance, the drummer is not only playing his drum set but he also leads a whole group of drummers to play a specific section of the song. Therefore, I do not think the artist can be viewed as a product as so much thought went into producing the video from each member that it seems as if there was less focus on the marketing side but more focus on giving the audience something personal from the band. The target audience of the band at this stage in their reinvention would most likely be older teenagers, starting at the age of 15. This is due to the fact that the video focuses more on art, which is stereotypically a more mature topic. 

I do think that the messages and values have slightly altered, as the band have a slightly more pop style edge to them, with their use of bright colors and the celebrities involved, as well as their trendy clothing. However, I think this is more due to the fact that now they have the resources to make a more professional looking video, and make it as creative as possible, rather than because it is a product. The messages and values of being different and thinking outside of the box have still maintained. 

I would say that the artist is both ordinary and extraordinary as we see ordinary parts to the band, such as the singing or playing instruments that they do; however, all the content of the video is more than ordinary. There has been a lot of thought and innovation included in the video which sets the band apart from other artists of the genre. The band has included electronic conventions such as provocative images, bright colors and fast pace shots, however they have also included never thought of aspects, setting a new trend. For instance, the use of not just big animals but small animals such as bees and butterflies. Therefore, I think that the video could partially cause the fans to be against hegemony, but only to a slight degree. The video gives new creative ideas, set apart from other conventional videos, but it largely does follow the conventions of electronic music videos.

Looking at all three videos, I do not think that Richard Dyer's second paradox of the star being both present and absent is applicable as in all the videos, the artist is present in the ideas they have created. All of the videos have a concept aspect to it as they give the audience an extremely similar ideology that carries on throughout their reinvention and therefore they are present.

Overall, I would say that in the beginning of Thirty Seconds to Mars' career, they started off as amateur's and therefore everything they did was quite experimental and rushed into. The use of heavy eyeliner shows this as it connotes rebelliousness and recklessness. However, as time progressed, they became more comfortable in the music industry and learnt to develop on their own and therefore made a new image for themselves as a rock genre band. Their change in costume to wearing smart/casual clothing reflects their change as it shows they have grown up more, as has their music. Altering their music genre gave them a bit more freedom to dip in and out of neighboring genres and therefore give them a larger audience group. However, during the time of their rock genre phase, they seem to be a bit on the edge with their music which therefore decided it was time to change and develop by moving towards the electronic genre, where they could incorporate elements from their rock phase yet with their maturing creativity, can now produce something a lot fresher and more personal to them. The target audience will therefore would have changed over time as the band has changed over time. It is evident that the target audience of the band when they were labelled as "progressive metal" would have consisted of specifically teenagers, as this age group find this genre appealing as the lyrics are very relatable to their own lives. The music reflects angry emotions which stereotypically a lot of teenagers perpetually feel.

The research will help choose an artist as it allows me to find an artist that I think has room for flexibility in their style of music so I could adapt it to suit my needs.