Evaluation Q1

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

media products?

As this image from our final media product shows, we used a black and white filter throughout the full length of the video. This challenge’s forms of conventions of real media products because with a pop song like this, a variety of bright colours is normally used throughout to represent a happy, lively mood for the viewer and also to convey a star persona. We challenged this convention mainly because we were focusing more on the lyrics and what they meant, and wanted a neutral visual to emphasise this.

An example of what colours and filters are used in a typical pop music video:

An example of a pop ballard similar to ours – emphasising focus on the singing and the lyrics rather than bright visuals.

This image represents how we developed the use of split screen in our music video. We developed it by arranging the images in an ‘different’ way to how they are usually positioned in real music videos. This develops the conventions of real media products because it stands out and creates individuality and star persona.

How split screen is usually used in music videos:

This type of split screen is mainly used when there are 4 members in the group because it’s a simple way to show each member in one frame. But some individual artists do it to show the same person but just in a different location each time. So we developed this by positioning the boxes differently in the frame and using it to show different camera angles instead of location changes.

This image from our final media product demonstrates us using conventions of real media products because it is a close up of the artist singing. We use this convention as it shows the artist performing the song, and with a song like Just Live, it helps express the feeling of the song because it enables the viewer to see their emotion whilst performing. We didn’t think we could challenge this convention as it is a convention that is used in most real music videos.

For example:

This image from our music video shows us using another convention from real music videos. This is because it is an extreme close up of the artist features. This is usually done to create/emphasise star persona. So we used this convention to create our star persona and to make the video look like a realistic media product by allowing it to be compared to other music videos.

An example of a real media product, from Rihanna, using an extreme close up shot. This shot here emphasises Rihanna’s star persona because most people recognise her from her features and her appearance.

This still shows us developing the use of artificial lighting. In most music videos, they use artificial lighting over the artists face to create an edgy look. An example from a real media product:

We developed this convention by using the artificial light to empasise the mise-en-scene. We wanted an artificial light on the fireplace and a light illuminating behind the artist to create the same edgy effect that the conventional use of lighting creates.

This still highlights our music video challenging the conventions of real media products because we use an overlay effect of a close up and in the background, a mid shot of the artist. This challenge’s the conventions of real media products because typically in music videos where they use the overlay effect, it is normally a slow, sad song. But our song is upbeat and with a happy story conveyed in the lyrics.

We challenged this convention because we thought the close would show the artists emotions whilst performing, and then the mid shot of the artist standing still would represent to emotions in the other shot, instead of using the conventional method of split screen.

This is an image from ‘Beneath you’re beautiful’ by Emeli Sande and Labrinth. This is a ballad that uses the convention of overlay and it suits the mood. We tried to adopt this effect into our pop song.

We used the convention of clothing that you would see in a ballad/pop song. Female artists who perform similar songs with a slow pace, wear casual clothing that most people would wear themselves. This image shows one of our outfits used in the final media product.In comparison with real media products:

This uses conventional clothing similar to the one used in our music video. Casual and stylish. (star persona)

But compared to other mainstream pop songs, our music video challenges some conventions. For example, artists such as Rihanna, Katy Perry, Lady Gaga etc. all wear extravagant costumes in their music video. E.g. :

We use the conventions of real media products in this image. Most pop cultured songs have a simple mid shot of the artist in one place singing to the camera. Some examples:

We used this convention because most of the artists we researched and analysed, used this camera shot in their music video. We wanted to portray the same types of shots and the same image it gave off.

In our music video, we used and developed many location conventions. In this still, we chose a riverside location with the artist using a bike. Some pop songs like this song, with a slow pace, show the artist walking by a river or a picturesque scene like this. Another example of our conventional locations we used:

Examples from real media products: