In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media

products?

Initial ResearchBefore creating our music video, it is important that I looked at some existing videos that were in the same genre as our chosen song. Our chosen genre is Alternative Rock (Pop Rock). By looking at existing videos, I was able to gain lots of ideas and was able to find out the common codes and conventions of the genre. I decided that in order for our video to be successful we had to follow some of the genres conventions so that it fits peoples expectations. If we subverted all of the conventions, then people may not like it and our video won’t be successful at appealing to a mass audience. Therefore, it was important that we used some conventions but subverted others. This helps to make our video slightly different from existing ones and makes it more entertaining and interesting for people to watch as it is something that they might not have seen in a music video before. At the beginning of my blog, I deconstructed a number of different music videos, where I explored the representation, media language, narrative, audience and genre. Here is a wordle that I have created which shows some bands within the same genre as our chosen song:

Genre Conventions

Above is a mind map of what I believe are the typical forms and conventions of our genre. In order to show how my video has used, developed and challenged these forms and conventions, I am going to compare our final product to existing music videos. In the following slides I will be comparing our music video ‘Like We Used To’ with some of Lawson's music videos. I decided to choose Lawson as right from the start of this project they have been a big inspiration to me. I fell that their videos are very strong and engaging; also because they have a similar storyline to our video and are based on relationships, it makes it a suitable comparison to do.

Used ConventionsA common convention of Alternative Rock Music Videos is the use of natural locations. In our video we have used this convention and have shot lots of scenes in different natural locations, for example the beach, town, woods and field etc. As you can see Lawson have also used this convention and have shots at the beach and fields. I feel that in our video we have lots of different natural location, showing how we have clear developed upon this convention.

Another convention is the inclusion of instruments. In our video we have got Jonny playing an acoustic guitar. This clearly helps to show that it is a music video and is helpful in portraying the genre of music. I feel without this the video may just look like a story, so the guitar was a good prop for us to use. Lawson's’ instruments feature in all their music videos.

As you can see, Lawson are singing in all their videos. This helps to really capture their emotion and show that they have a passion for music I felt that it was important that we included some miming in our video. Again, this is a common convention that people expect to see in videos so I think it is beneficial to have some parts of Jonny miming.

As Lawson's videos and my video is about love, I can clearly compare the sort of things the couple do in their videos and whether our couple is as successful of portraying a nice, happy relationship . In Lawson's video, the couple are on the beach looking into each others eyes. Similarly, in our video, the couple are sat on the beach cuddled up in a blanket.

Lawson – Taking Over Me

In Lawson's video, you can clearly see that the couple are very happy together. A successful way in which they help to show this is through the use of eye contact between the characters. This is a feature that we have incorporated into our music video a couple of times. It helps to show the couples love for one another and their happiness they have.

At the end of Lawson's video, a transition has been used which makes the end shot gradually fade to black. This is a feature we have used at the end of our video too. I think it works well to end the video and is a common feature that is used.

Used ConventionsLawson – When She Was Mine

Within Lawson's video, they have many close up shots of the instruments. This is a feature we have used, we have many different shots of Jonny playing the guitar and have used loads close-up. By doing this, it is a way to show that the artist has a real talent and passion for music.

Lawson's lead singer is the protagonist in the video. There are flashback shots of him when he was with his girlfriend and then shots of him without her. This is similar to ours although the ex-girlfriend is now in a new relationship. It is a common convention for a member of the band to be the protagonist for the storyline of the video. Therefore, we have based our story about Jonny, walking around all lonely; contrasting him with his ex-girlfriend new life.

This shot is taken from behind one member playing guitar with the other member in the background. This shows how they have used lots of different camera angles to show them performing. It is a convention that most videos do, in order to make the performing a lot more interesting and varied. This is something we have done in our video too, as we have included many different shot angles of Jonny playing guitar.

In Lawson's video, they have shots of the character that are taken from behind. I feel by doing this it helps to show that the relationship is natural and not just put on. It is a way to show what the couple are like, without all the focus just being on their faces. In our video, we have included a shot of the couple sat on the beach with each other. I feel it works really well and is a successful shot type to use.

Within Lawson's video, there is a close-up on the guys feet as he walks around all lonely. This is a convention that we have used, I believe the feet close-ups work really well. They help to make it a lot more varied and interesting. In these cases, they help to also connote his loneliness as you can see no-one else's feet in the shot.

As you can see the couple in Lawson's video are very close to each other. It was important we showed the closeness between the couple in our video. To do this, we have used the convention of close-ups to help show their emotion and closeness.

Used ConventionsLawson – When She Was Mine

Here you can see the couple engaging with each others interests, reading a book together. This is a way to help show their similarities and show how they enjoy each others company. One way in which we have used the convention is when they are playing around on the beach, running away from the waves together.

In order to show the couple intimacy and love for each other, Lawson have used close-ups of their hands touching each other. This is a convention that we have included in our video, it really helps to show the connection of the couple and emphasises their love and admiration for each other.

In Lawson's video, the guy is looking through old Polaroid pictures of when they were together. This is where my ideas partially came from. Therefore, similarly in our music video we have a similar shot of Jonny looking at a Polaroid of him and Jess when they were together. By doing this, it shows how much he is missing her and also shows how good their old relationship was.

Within most music videos, there is some sort of drama, where the storyline changes. In Lawson's video, this is when we see the girl get out of the car and leave, showing their break up. The main bit of drama that occurs in our video is when Jonny is trying to get back with Jess and Jess shuts the door in his face. By using some drama within the music video, it helps to engage the audience more and makes the storyline more interesting.

In Lawson's video, they have promoted themselves by having close-ups of their logo which is written on the drums. We have used this convention on promoting the artist by having his name written at the beginning of the song. Viewers therefore automatically know who he is and it helps to promote our artist ‘Jono’.

Challenged ConventionsSomething that we haven’t used in our music video, is shots of the couple out with their friends like what Lawson have in their video. We have just focussed directly on the couple times together and not necessarily the time they have with their friends. I feel that this isn’t a problem and due to this we have been able to portray many good times that the couple have had.

In this shot from their video, you can see the band out drinking. We have not included alcohol in any of our shots. I feel that if we did it would promote the wrong things, and could encourage our target audience to go out and drink which is not really what we want our video to give off. We wanted people to feel sorry for Jonny and feel that we have successfully achieved this.

In our video we have not used microphones, a conventional prop that many music videos use. However, due to the fact Jonny is miming, this was not necessary. If it was a real band then it would be something we would have to consider, but due to the fact he was miming it wasn’t a prop that must be present.

In Lawson's video, they have the characters on top of each other in bed connoting a very sexual atmosphere. These shot are successful in showing their intimate, loving relationship. However, we decided to not include shots of our characters actually kissing and contact similar to this as they are not a couple and therefore it will make the situation awkward. Instead we used shots to subtly connote connotations of sex, without it being to intimate. To achieve this, we have shots of their feet at the end of the bed and shots of them just lying next to each other in bed.

Developed ConventionsAs mentioned in the previous slides, two of the common conventions are natural locations and also showing the good times of the couple featured within the video to help portray a fun, loving relationship. I feel that our video uses and develops these conventions really well due to the fact we have lots of different locations. Also, sometimes music videos are quite serious with the way that they portray couples and you only see a few of fun times they have together. However in our music video, we have included lots of fun times of the couple. Both of these conventions that I feel we have developed due to the larger number of use of them in our video, are helping to attract the audience as it is something they expect to see. But, other than that, it helps to make our video stand out, and makes it comes across as very fun, varied and entertaining.

Here are all the different locations present in our video:

Field in Sidmouth Bed Woodbury Common Byes Exmouth Beach Sidmouth Seafront Sidmouth Town Ottery Streets Laura's House

Here are all the different ‘fun times’ the couple have in the video:

Dancing in the Woods Splashing each other in the sea Throwing leaves in the air Running away from waves

Spinning each other around Putting ice cream in face Dancing in the house

Conventions of ancillary products

Above I have create a wordle of words related to my ancillary products. Again, it was important that I deconstructed some existing products to look at the codes and conventions they have. From my research, I was able to find features that I could include in my products such as clear album name, artist name, website address, record label etc. I also found that many alternative rock covers have a sort of natural feel to them, a convention that I wanted to use. As well as this, most were very simple looking, well laid out, clear, bold and easy to read. To achieve this, I have made all my products have a sepia/effect to them, I think it works well with the genre and helps to make the album come across as more natural as browns are seen as a natural, environment type colour. In the following slide I am going to be comparing my products with Ed Sheerans. I decided to compare them with Ed as I feel his products are very successful and eye catching. Also, I think that my products are fairly similar to his so I can clearly see the convention that I have used, developed or challenged.

Album Cover ComparisonUsed Conventions:. Orange/brown effect - both covers have a photo filter effect to them. The filter I used was more brown whereas Ed’s is more orangey. By doing this, it helps to make the image more interesting and eye catching. I feel it also helps to make the cover have a more natural feel to it.. Sharpness - the images used are both quite sharp, and they are of good quality. I think this is important as if the image was a rubbish quality then people would not be attracted to pick up the album.. Eye contact - both artists are looking directly at the camera, this really helps to draws viewers in and is a good way to persuade people to pick up the album.. Facial expression - the artists both have a similar facial expression. They are sort of half smiling, it helps to draw viewers attention well. I think it is important that the artists are pulling an attractive face in order to appeal to the target audience well.. Clear album name - I think that an important convention to use is having a clear title for the album. Both mine and Ed’s cover have used this convention. You can clearly see what both albums are called, with ‘+’ being in the bottom right of his cover and ‘Like We Used To’ being in the top right of my cover.. Simplicity - I believe that it is important that album covers are simple and clear, a convention that both these covers have used. They have a very simple layout to them, making them very clear and easy to read even from a distance.

Challenged Conventions:. Ed is not written on the album - On his album it has not got his name written anywhere, this subverts the ordinary conventions of album cover. In my cover I did decide to use the convention of having the artists name as this is a good way to promote the artists and to show people clearly who he is.. Guitar - in my cover and throughout my digipak, the artist Jono is playing the guitar. It is not very common to see instruments within an album cover. However, I felt that by including the guitar it would help my cover to connote the genre better, link to the video more and to also link to the other products that I have created. It clearly shows that he is the artists and shows that he has a passion for his guitar and music.

Developed Conventions:. glowing edges - a convention that I feel I have developed is the clear artist name displayed on the cover. I think I have developed this as I have made ‘Jono’ name extremely clear. I have put an outer glow effect on the text so that it stands out a lot and is clearly visible even from a distance.. linking products - I feel that another convention that I have developed is the linking of products. It is important that all promotions (album, mag ad and tour poster) link together and I think I have used and possibly even developed this convention well. To link my products I have used the same, clothing, guitar, brick wall, image colour adjustments, and fonts.

Album Promotion ComparisonUsed Conventions:. Sepia/brown effect - again both products have a sepia effect to them. This links them to the album cover and also work well with the conventions of the genre. It really helps to make the poster look more natural, due to the use of browns/orange. If it was all brightly coloured then it would have a totally different feel to it and would not fit with the genres conventions.. Artist name/album name - both magazine promotion clearly have the name of the artist and name of the album displayed clearly. This is important because if viewers didn’t know what the album is called then they would be unable to purchase it. I feel that it is clear and easy to read both on my product and Ed Sheerans.. Album cover image - both of the main images that have been used in the poster are similar to the album cover image. This is important as it helps to link the products together and viewers can clearly tell the connection between them. Also, in both posters there is an image of the album cover. I feel that this is helpful in promotion the album as it shows users what it looks like, encouraging them to go search for it in store.. Simplicity - I found that a convention of alternative rock products is that they are very clear and simple, something that my product uses. I think that too much information would make it stand out less and therefore I have included just the basic information regarding the album. I feel that the layout of both mine and Ed’s poster and very simple and clear, which works with the genre conventions well.. Magazine rating - a common feature on magazine poster is to have star relating to a magazine rating. This is a convention that both have used. I think it helps to show the popularity of the album and helps to encourage viewers to purchase it and see whether it meets their expectations too. . Fonts - I noticed that in the magazine promotions I deconstructed, only a little amount of font variation is used. This is a convention that I have used in my products. I have used two different fonts and two different font colours. Similarly, Ed has used two different font styles and two different font colours. I think by doing this it helps to make the product more simple, and professional looking.

Challenged Conventions:. Guitar - in my poster ‘Jono’ is holding his guitar. It is not very common to see the artist with their instrument. However, I feel it helps to make it link more to the video, and also help to connote his passion for his music.. Quote - in Ed’s poster there is a quote about the album. I decided not to include this feature as I wanted to make my poster simple, clear and easy to read. I feel that if there is a quote, it would be hard for viewers to read from distance and it might not be read anyway.

Developed Conventions:. linking products - a convention of promotional products is to make them link together well and make it clear that they a connected. I think I have achieved this well and possibly even developed the linking of my products. I have used the same, clothing, guitar, brick wall, image colour adjustments, and fonts. Making my products all very similar to each other, something that some artists’ products only slightly do.

Tour Poster ComparisonUsed Conventions:. Clear artist name – a convention of the tour poster is to have the artists name clearly displayed. This allows viewers to easily see who they are and tells people who may not have heard of them what they are called. I have ‘Jono’ written quite large in the bottom right and in Ed’s, he has ‘Ed Sheeran’ written quite large across the top of the page.. Tour dates – it is important that the tour dates are clear and easy to read. Viewers must be able to see what month and day they are. Both mine and Ed’s tour poster have used this convention. I feel that my dates are really easy to read, the black font is clear and stand out well. . Ticket info – a convention of tour posters is to include a website address telling viewers where they can purchase the ticket from. This is something that Ed and I have both used. I have included my website address in a brown box, helping to make it stand out and making it extremely clear for viewers.. Album ad – on most tour posters, it is common to promote the album is some way. Ed has included writing saying ‘debut album out now’ whereas I have included an image of my album cover in the bottom corner.. Orange/sepia tone – again both products have a coloured filter effect to the image. This helps to make it more interesting and eye catching. Also, it helps to connote it as being natural, suiting it with the genres conventions.. Use of font – only a little amount of different font styles have been used in both products. Something that it quite common for the genre. This helps to make it more simple and make it look more professional.

Challenged Conventions:. Different image – in Ed’s tour poster, he has used the same image of which is used for his album cover. However, I have gone against this and have used different images for each of my products. I feel this help to make it more varied and interesting for fans.. Page orientation– the majority of tour posters are portrait, enabling them to be the correct way in the magazine. However, Ed’s tour poster goes against the normal conventions and is orientated landscape.. ’Sold out’ – in many tour poster, they cross off some dates and write ‘sold out’ like in Ed’s poster. However, I decided to go against this convention and felt it wasn’t required in my product. - Support Acts – some tour poster include some information which details who the support acts for the tour is. However, I have went against this and decided to just focus on ‘Jono’.

Developed Conventions:. linking products - a convention of promotional products is to make them link together well and make it clear that they a connected. I think I have achieved this well and possibly even developed the linking of my products. I have used the same, clothing, guitar, brick wall, image colour adjustments, and fonts. Making my products all very similar to each other, something that some artists’ products only slightly do.