I am currently experiencing problems with uploading my slideshow for my evaluation. I therefore have to change the format into a word based evaluation as opposed to a presentation.
In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products?
From my research into my chosen sector of media, music video, I have developed an understanding that each and every genre of music, whether it is Rock, Pop, Hip-Hop, etc, has a defined set of codes and conventions. Most music videos adhere to these ‘rules’ as it were, and use them more as guidelines in order to produce a successful product. However, there are some Directors who choose to subvert these conventions and challenge them in such a way that makes their product unique and therefore stand out from others in that genre, which although can be a great risk, could also be a wise move in terms of audience appeal.
After analyzing different music videos from the wide spectrum of the different music genres and comparing each of the texts, common conventions became evident, some being present in music videos of all genres, but also having separate conventions that are confined within the different genres. For example, music videos of the Punk-Rock genre tend to be more narrative based with a strong sense of comedy and have less focus on an actual performance. A prime example of this is the video for ‘What’s My Age Again?’ by Blink 182. The video draws focus on the individual personalities of the band members as goofy, fun-loving friends. Videos such as this which choose to take a less serious approach appeal to their set audience greatly as puts them in a more elated mood.
[Insert Image - BLINK 182 Printscreens]
I decided to take a different approach with my music video to that or a narrative base, and set out to create a simple, raw performance video. However, by choosing this style of music video, I had severely limited the flexibility I had in terms of the codes and conventions of the genre, and I did not want to risk producing a music video that didn’t appeal to my target audience by choosing to subvert the conventions altogether and produce something completely out there. I therefore decided to choose a genre of music that allows for more quirky and different music videos: ‘Indie’. Music videos of the ‘Indie’ genre tend to feature really artistic ideas and concepts that bewilder but overall intrigue the audience.
Once I had decided upon using the unsigned band ‘Joey Nightmare’ for my music video (a band I had seen multiple times so therefore could gauge their band style and persona) I could finally come up with an idea that suits them but more importantly the genre. I achieved this by first looking at their existing music videos and performances, and then comparing them to other music videos of the Indie genre. From this I could see how Directors of music videos in this genre stick to or challenge the conventions of the Indie genre. I chose 5 music videos which I thought best related to the style of the band, and posted them on my blog along with the analysis of the video (see blog posts from November 09). After thorough analysis, I was able to begin brainstorming ideas for my own music video (see blog post ‘Lets get To Work – Initial Ideas’ – December). The following blog posts show the development of my ideas until finally reach my final idea, which I storyboarded and put into the digital form of an animatic in order to start making my ideas more visual.
[Insert Images - Storyboard, printscreens of sunshowers by joey nightmare, animatic]
For my music video, I drew inspiration from an artistic concept called triptych, whereby a single image is divided into 3 separate images but they are of the same thing. After seeing this technique used in still photography, I wondered whether it would be possible to draw the same effect with motion picture, and not only that, but take the idea further by splitting the film into 4 instead of 3. My idea was to have 4 different angles of each of the performers, thus capturing really interesting footage and detail that the audience would have missed otherwise (see blog post ‘Final Cut: Joey Nightmare – Illuminations’).
[Comparison - triptych artwork - my 4 idea]
My target audience also had a direct effect on how I made my music video. As I was already challenging the conventions of the genre by having the footage split into 4 sections, I more or less chose to adhere to the rest of the conventions so the audience would be aesthetically pleased. The audience I targeted were people from 16-25 years of age. In order to make this video effective, I therefore had to make the video something which the audience could relate to, and achieved this through mise-en-scene and lighting. I dressed the band in clothes that are typical of my target audience (trendy, stylish) in order to give the impression that Joey Nightmare are just normal people that their fans can relate to. Additionally, I filmed the video in a loft conversion turned bedroom, to make it look small and comfortable, a haven away from the outside world, something which every teenager and young adult values. Overall, I think my music video adheres to the conventions of the genre but with the added twist of the split footage, manages to achieve a great sense of appeal and style.
How effective is the combination of your main and ancillary texts?
Part of my brief was to produce a DVD cover and an advert for the DVD’s release in order to promote my music video to its target market. The production of these ancillary texts required a lot of understanding and research into the codes and conventions of each form of media, and additionally had to fit style I had already set in the music video.
After research into Joey Nightmare’s existing cover art, and other bands within the genre’s cover art, it became evident that Indie bands opt for a retro and vintage aesthetic for their album covers. Most cover art is of the band members themselves, usually in some form of interesting setting. For example, the cover for MGMT’s album ‘Oracular Spectacular’.
[More to come]
