Evaluation - Question 1

Evaluation - Question 1

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

For my advanced portfolio media production, I had to create a 3-5 minute music video for an existing song from the genre of my choice. We began to create our own individual artist's music video alongside ancillary texts such as an individual magazine advert and digipak to help with promotion. When creating the music video we had to take into consideration the narrative, style and concept of the music video, to keep our target audience engaged and to create an overall successful music video. 

A music video or song video is a short film which combines song and imagery together. The music video is produced for promotion purposes to advertise the artists new piece of music which then results in profit for the artist as this will increase their sales which is typically used with modern music videos as a source of marketing. There are many purposes of a music video. One purpose could be to advertise the song towards the artists target audience, the colours, writing and style of the advert appeals to particular audience members as certain connotations will intrigue the audience as this helps to represent the artist in a certain way. Additionally, advertising for artists can also be seen on a varied range of technology and may appeal to different target audiences. For example, a music video may generally reach a younger target audience as they may be able to use and access different types of technology easily and be interested in the genre of music which stereo typically have a music video to their music. Another purpose for a music video is to give the audience a better understanding of the song. A music video can help to tell a narrative and show a different meaning or the story behind the song and how it was created.

Music videos are a way of engaging the artists target audience. Modern music videos are usually made as a source of marketing towards the artists target audience, which ultimately promotes the sale of music recordings. There are many different genres of music videos, which appeal to different target audiences depending on their age, where they come from and the individuals interests. For example, a younger audience member may stereo typically enjoy mainstream, pop music such as an artist who is current in the charts at a particular time. A music video may generally reach a younger target audience as they may be able to use and access different types of technology with convenience and ease as this is second nature to them, in which most current and up to date artists will release a music video via social media platforms. This contrasts to possibly an older member of the public which may enjoy my selected genre of music, which is soul based on experiences in life which they have encountered and may find comfort in a soulful voice and lyrics with hidden meaning in which they can relate to.

There are many conventional aspects that can included in the soul music video that helps towards the success of the music video. Close up shots are a cinematography technique which is conventional to the soul genre. This shot usually helps to frame a person or object tightly which is used within films. I researched many successful music videos in order to see which conventional aspects needed to be included and were most effective. I analysed the music video by Paloma Faith "Only Love Can Hurt Like This". In which several close ups were used in order to convey the artists natural and raw emotion to the audience. I have used this particular shot multiple times throughout my music video when the artist is singing, a specific example of this is when the artist is performing the song against the brick wall. Close up shots help to display facial expressions and the passion and emotion as the artist is singing to the audience. A close up shot is the most conventional way for the artist to portray their emotion as the camera is so close to them that there is nowhere for the artist to hide or cover up as their genuine emotion unfolds. The audience maintain their respect for the artist as she is perceived as a down to earth person as she is willing to show her true and raw emotion for the benefit of the audience to feel as though they are not alone, and with the help of the artist can get through their current situation. In which helps to build a relationship as the audience feel as though they are beginning to know the artist on a more personal level. Furthermore, this shot is conventional to the genre as it helps to represent the artist stereo typically. This shows the artist in a vulnerable light as she is reminiscing on subjects which are sensitive and personal to sing about. This again, allows the audience to relate to the artist as they see her as an ordinary girl as somebody who they can relate to as she also has feelings much like the audience. The close up helps to conventionally show the music video and engages the audience as it is predominately based on emotion and heart felt topics which the audience may be interested in watching and listening to.

Another conventional aspect of the soul genre is the editing which is used commonly throughout the music videos. Slow pace editing is used throughout my music video, a specific example of this is when the artist is walking over the pavement through the street. I incorporated this technique from inspiration from Adele's music video "Chasing Pavements" this is used as the actress is laying on the pavement, and also walking along the pavement. The purpose of

this technique in the music video was so that the audience could focus on the narrative, and could analyse what had happened in the background, behind the artist singing. This is conventional to soul music genre as this allows the audience to see clearly the emotion of the artist. The slow editing of the shots allows a longer period of time for the audience to think about the connotations of the editing style along with them being able to sympathize for the artist as they have more time to focus on the emotion portrayed. This technique also helps to again help the audience to understand the narrative more clearly as it is predominately based around the artists feelings and emotion as she is referring back to her childhood before she found fame. Furthermore, the slow editing can make the audience sympathize for the artist as this could almost represent the overwhelming mix of emotion and feelings as though she is feeling faint and dizzy. The audience may be able to relate to this mix of emotion and overwhelming feeling, so feel as though they have something in common with the artist.

Furthermore, black and white filters are a conventional aspect of soul music videos. This certain convention is used throughout my music video. I have incorporated this into my music video as I have taken inspiration from the music video from Adele "Someone Like You" as the predominate use of colour throughout the music video was black and white. This allowed the audience to infer the artists emotion as she began singing the lyrics.  A specific example of when this was

used in my music video could be when the artist is with her friends, which is a flashback. The use of the colour black helps to represent the artists emotions of sadness and depressive state, as she is no longer happy with her lifestyle and fame status, comparing this to her past. This may gain the artist respect from the audience as she is showing her raw, and natural emotion for all to see in order to benefit and comfort the audience who may be going through a similar situation, which presents her as down to earth. The colour black contrasts dramatically from the second use of colour, white. This is because the colour white stereo typically connotes innocence and vulnerability. Making the audience sympathize for the artist as a combination of the emotions of vulnerability and depression can leave the artist feeling very low. Furthermore, with both the colours being used together, this helps to suggest both positivity and negativity. Possibly in which the audience could infer, and how this is meant to be portrayed as a memory. In which she was reminiscing on. This is conventional to the soul genre as this helps to show the narrative clearly to the audience and allow them to understand the black and white filter is representing a memory. Additionally, the audience may be engaged with the music video as they sympathize for the audience as they may have been in a similar situation themselves.

The narrative of my music video is also another conventional aspect of the soul genre. Research was essential to creating a successful, conventional narrative. I analysed Paloma Faith's music video of "Only Love Can Hurt Like This" and found that the narrative was conventional to the soul genre, as the artist is singing based on the topic of love and heartbreak. I incorporated this into my own music video, so that the narrative audience can relate.

The narrative in most soul genres contains issues surrounding heartbreak, love or personal family matters. All of which the target audience may be able to relate to in some way due to their age and experiences they may have had to have gone through throughout their adult life. The topic in which my artist is singing about in the music video is conventional to the soul genre as she is singing about personal and upsetting experiences. In which may be relatable for the audience as they may reminisce, feel sad, lonely and isolated at some point in their life, all maybe slightly different from the artists situation. This may be engaging for the target audience as they may find comfort in knowing that somebody else has gone through a similar situation and they are no longer alone. This is something that the artist was trying to achieve with her music video, to give a different approach to what artists usually do and to try and build a relationship with her target audience.

The music video has also followed conventional aspects such as performance style. The video is both narrative and performance based. This is conventional as this is the part which helps to explain what is going on throughout the music video and how for the audience to understand the lyrics and the message which is trying to be given across to the audience. The performance side of the music video helps to show why the audience originally began to like and take interest in the artist due to her soulful voice and passion for music, which can easily be distracted from due to aspects of the music video diverting the audiences attention. However, both the narrative and performance aspects of the music video allow for conventional camera shots and cinematography techniques which help to display the artists emotion conventionally in order to engage and captivate the audience as they sympathize for her.

Lastly, another conventional aspect in which I have included in my music video is the location in which the music video is shot. I have taken inspiration from Adele's music video "Someone Like You" as she has shot the video in a relatable location, Paris. Many of the audience members are able to identify this due to the landmarks which are shown in the video. Stereo typically, the location is somewhere personal to the artist and relates to the subject which they are singing about.

In my music video locations include the streets of London, a stage for the performance aspect of the video and the artists home. All locations are something personal to the artist and something in which has gotten her to where she is today. This is something personal to the artist, so the audience feel as though they are beginning to know the artist on a more personal level, not only with the trust of the artists emotions, but to be let into a place which means something to her and for a specific reason, which she may find hard opening op to others. This may also allow the artist to feel more comfortable as she is singing topics she feels strongly about and will give her full attention and passion to the song in which she is singing. This helps to build a relationship between both the audience and artist as the audience have been aloud in to something which is personal to the artist, and builds a sense of trust between the two.

Overall, I believe that I have followed conventional aspects of the soul genre when creating my music video and ancillary texts. This is because most of the aspects I have included are typically seen also in other soul music videos and their individual magazine adverts and digipak, however I have adapted them slightly in order for them to make sense and fit my individual video. This can include points in which I have listed above. Close up shots have been used frequently throughout my music video to help express and convey the artists emotion based on the topic she is singing about. Additionally, the use of the black and white filter helps to suggest to the audience that the artist is reminiscing on the past and helps to reiterate the narrative to the audience members.