Music Videos: Arctic Monkeys - I Bet You Look Good on the Dance Floor CSP

Audience:

1) What do we know about the Arctic Monkeys audience? Think demographics, psychographics and how they got into the band.

Arctic Monkeys' audience demographics are likely to be predominantly white, male and middle-
class, considering the band members themselves are as well. The psychographics could possibly be either the reformer or the explorer, as the band is indie rock and therefore quite niche - the reformer would enjoy the band's authenticity, and the explorer would enjoy discovering their music. As of now, it could also be the mainstreamer considering how popular the band is now.

2) What audience pleasures are offered by the music video for I Bet You Look Good On The Dancefloor?

According to Blumler and Katz' theory:

• Diversion: The song is upbeat and fast - audiences could find diversion in it. Audiences could also find escapism in the 1980s feel of the music video, or just watching the performance itself.
• Personal Relationships: People who knew and followed the band before their debut / before their popularity boom may feel like they know the members personally.
• Personal Identity: Audiences could enjoy the live performance, or play an instrument themselves and see that reflected through the music video. They could also enjoy the intentional 1980s feel created.
• Surveillance: Fans could learn more about the members of Arctic Monkeys. For example, the instruments they play or what they believe about themselves - Alex Turner says "don't believe the hype."

3) Pick out three particular shots, scenes or moments in the video that would particularly appeal to Arctic Monkeys fans. Why did you choose those moments?

4) How did fans take a leading role in making Arctic Monkeys famous back in 2005?

Arctic Monkeys gained their popularity mostly through word of mouth before - they would hand out free demo CDs to people who showed up at their small-scale performances. Their music was then put up on Soundcloud or shared through P2P sites, giving the band popularity by allowing their music to be heard by a much larger audience. This created a buzz around the band online, where communities, centred around them, began to share new songs and information on the members.

5) How are fans positioned to respond to the band? What does Arctic Monkeys want fans to think about their video?

The music video is intentionally 1980s-styled: it's set in a television studio meant to mimic the '80s, and uses a genuine '80s camera called an 'Ikegami 3-tube colour TV camera' to give the video a nostalgia factor through the film grain, colours, etc. This style of music video is intentionally different from the high-budget music videos that were beginning to be made, creating a sense of authenticity surrounding the band, positioning fans to respond to them positively: they want to feel like they personally know the members, like they're part of a small, niche/underground community not many know about (to feel special), or who want to discover something new, not manufactured.

Industries:

1) How did the Arctic Monkeys first achieve success and build up their fanbase?

2) Why was P2P file sharing and Myspace an unexpected aspect to Arctic Monkeys' early success?

3) How does the rise of Arctic Monkeys differ from how BLACKPINK were formed and became famous?

4) Who is Arctic Monkeys record label and how many copies did they sell of their debut album? Why did they choose an independent record label?

5) Looking at the wider music industry, has the internet been a positive or negative development for record companies and artists? Why?