"All the Feels!”: Music, Critique and Affect in Fanmade Music Videos

Svegaard, Sebastian F. K. (2022) "All the Feels!”: Music, Critique and Affect in Fanmade Music Videos. Doctoral thesis, Birmingham City University.

[thumbnail of Sebastian Svegaard PhD Thesis published_Final version_Submitted Aug 2021_Final Award Jun 2022.pdf]
Preview
Text
Sebastian Svegaard PhD Thesis published_Final version_Submitted Aug 2021_Final Award Jun 2022.pdf - Accepted Version

Download (37MB)

Abstract

This study explores the fan practice of vidding and the resulting works, vids. Vids, created within transformative media fandom, are narrative grassroots music videos, which argue something about their visual source/s and use the combination of music and moving images to do so. I argue that the use of music in vids is a key element in creating meaning, and that affect is a central part of how this happens. Thereby, vids play an important part in fandom's 'feels' culture as critical reflections on media that also inspire such reflection in their (fan) audiences. Previous studies of vids have established their narrative nature and their ability to communicate through images and lyrics, but have not explored the role of music or affect in this. This study investigates these two factors.

Drawing on a theoretical framework that engages with fan studies, audiovisual music and affect, I introduce an innovative ethnographic methodology, that incorporates interviews with vidders, analysis of vids where music analysis is included and online observation of their reception. I show how such an approach allows for scholars to understand a vid's ability to communicate through an audiovisual language comprised of music and images together. The findings from this method are interrogated using a theoretical framework that incorporates fan studies, audiovisual music studies and affect theory.

I argue that vids speak through an audiovisual language that is received and understood within media fandom, and that 'feels' are a central part of the communication in this language. 'Feels', inspired through music and editing, are important to how a vid becomes critically reflexive and to its ability to inspire critical engagement in other fans. Vids merit further study within not only fan studies, but musicology and wider media studies because of their ability to communicate in this manner.

Item Type: Thesis (Doctoral)
Dates:
Date
Event
2 August 2021
Submitted
1 June 2022
Accepted
Uncontrolled Keywords: Fans, music, affect, fandom, fan studies, vids, fanvids, music video, musicology, media studies
Subjects: CAH24 - media, journalism and communications > CAH24-01 - media, journalism and communications > CAH24-01-05 - media studies
CAH25 - design, and creative and performing arts > CAH25-02 - performing arts > CAH25-02-02 - music
Divisions: Doctoral Research College > Doctoral Theses Collection
Faculty of Arts, Design and Media > College of English and Media
Depositing User: Jaycie Carter
Date Deposited: 15 Nov 2023 13:35
Last Modified: 15 Nov 2023 13:35
URI: https://www.open-access.bcu.ac.uk/id/eprint/14948

Actions (login required)

View Item View Item

Research

In this section...