Evaluation Question 1

Question 1

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

Throughout the creation of my video, digipack and magazine I have tried to stick to typical convention, but along the way I have also challenged them.

Here are some music video conventions I have learnt and used in my video;

Camera Movement

Tracking shots are used in music videos to follow the movement of the artists, these are mainly used in narratives to portray a story. Below is an example of where Coldplay's The Scientist heavily used tracking shots to follow the lead singer to show a rewind of time.



I also used a tracking shot in my music video to follow the main artists movement. It also helps viewers to feel more immersed into the video.



Camera Shots

Mid-shots are dominantly used within music videos, they are mainly used to get up close to characters of importance. Most of the shots in my music video were close ups, this is because my video was heavily focused on the artist and his facial expressions. However Such a high usage of close ups does go against general music video conventions, to improve I would have used a wider range of shots.


Wide shots are often used in music videos to show the characters and there surroundings and also action that may be occurring. For example below is a wide shot from Shape of You by Ed Sheeran. The use of a wide shot so the audience can see all the characters as well as their location.


I used a wide shot so the audience could clearly see all of the characters were being lazy on a sofa together. I also wanted to show the audience there surroundings so it was clear there were in a lounge.


Establishing shots are generally used at the start of music video to show set the scene and show where the action is taking place. Below is an example where The Chainsmokers used an establishing shot to set the scene of their music video for Closer.


However I went against typical conventions and didn't use an establishing shot in my music video, as I didn't feel one was necessary to my video as it was mainly based indoors. Instead I mainly focused on mid-shots and wide shots.

mise-en-scene

Lighting is an important part of music videos especially when it comes to setting the mood and tone of the video. I had chosen a pop song which are generally happy and cheerful. I wanted to keep to this convention so I tried to consistently have bight lighting to give off a positive feeling to viewers.


Editing


I kept to conventions through the use of fast paced editing, as they are fundamental to quickly changing the scene, allowing the video to flow quicker. I used fast paced editing to go along with the beat of the song so that it feels more natural.


Fades are also used quite a lot in music videos, however this depends on the rhythm and beat. They are generally used to slowly change the time or scene. The clip below is an example of where i used it in my video as a transition to my last scene.



Ariana Grande also uses a fade in her music video of Side to side where it is used to highlight a small scene.



Representation in my video

I supported pop conventions as my video was aimed for teenagers and was very simplistic and comedic.

I also went with typical conventions and portrayed women as slightly inferior to men as they were less important and played smaller roles in my music video. They were portrayed as friends which the main artist found annoying. in one scene one of the women is seen brushing the main artists hair for instance.


Here are some music genre conventions I have learnt and used in my video;

The song I chose for my music video was The Lazy Song which is from the pop and reggae genres.

My video supports pop conventions as the video includes a lot of bright colours and the artists are wearing modern, fashionable clothing. The actors and artist are also of a young age.


However it does slightly go against stereotypes as it is not based around a love or relationships. It also doesn't feature or present females or males as objects, like in other pop videos such as Work by Rihanna in the clip below.


The video I created supports reggae conventions as it cuts to the main artist a lot during the video as you can see below. Its also has a clear link between with the lyrics and the visuals, however it goes against them as its is a concept video rather than being more narrative or performance based.


Here are some digipak conventions I have learnt and used in my digipak;

I went against typical stereotypes by not having a close up of the main artists of my cover. However I thought my front cover looked more catchy with the animal characters on the front cover as well. I thought this would make it stand out against other albums and appeal to a younger audience this way. Below is an example of  Jason Derulo's latest album.

However I kept to conventions by using similar colours throughout my digipak product, I also ensured the video was clearly linked to my album by including a shots from the filming as the image for the front cover.

I kept to conventions by using an imagine of the main characters as the inside cover, however I went against stereotypes when I decided to use a filter. I used it because I thought it went with the chilled and simple vibe of my music video.

For the back cover of my digipak I kept to conventions by keeping the design very simple and easy on the eyes. This was so consumers can focus on the songs in the album, instead of the design.

Although I did go against stereotypes as I used small images of each of the characters around the edge of the cover. I did this as it looked trendy and different, however still kept its simplistic design. Below is an image of Ellie Gouldings album 'Lights'.

The disc I created supported stereotypes with is simple design and not including an image of the characters or main artists. However I went against stereotypes by not including image instead I thought it would be more effective if I used a plain colour.  

Here are some advert conventions I have learnt and used in my advert;

*****Need to add a review to poster - BillBoard- 'simply amazing music'
***** add availible on spotify and itunes icons 
***** 10.01.17

My advert keeps to conventions by having such large font which helps it stand out to the audience. Aswell as having a large image of the characters from the music video. However I went against sterotypes as my image only takes up the middle of my advert and also doesn't consist of my main artist. I also used dark colours, stereotypically adverts use bright colours so it stand out to the crowd more, however I wanted to keep to a consistent colour throughout my digipak t keep consistency. My album also consists of reviews, release date and shows what platforms its availbe to be downloaded, which is very stereotypical.