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

Conventions and forms of media products are foundations and components which categorize and represent specific exemplifications producers want to implicate in to a media product, where the audience can then derive the correct connotation which the producer is signifying through the media product. My media product uses develops and challenges forms and conventions of real media products in different ways.

As a producer when using, developing and challenging forms and conventions, setting and location has an imperative significance. To deliver the accurate sentiments and feeling of the music video to an audience I wanted to use specific settings and locations for the reason that I desired a specific response from the audience. The target audience of electronic music is known mainly to be a younger, as a younger generation are seen to be able to relate to this style of music. I wanted the audience to be able to relate to the music video and by using certain settings and locations I found that this was an effective method of encoding the surroundings to relate to the audience. When choosing locations I mainly focused on the urbanised landscapes of Manchester town. I did this as an audience relational technique as the young people are known to spend time outside. Graffiti art was a very significant piece of iconography I used thoroughly within my music video. This relates to using developing and challenging the forms and conventions of real media products. Teenagers who are my target audience are stereotypically related to rebellion and corruption in modern day society and by using shots of graffiti, as it is illegal this would relate to my target audience. However this also challenges conventions of the electronic music genre in relation to music videos, for the reason that Hip-hop and R&B music videos are notorious for using graffiti and street art in there videos. I researched and watched many electro music videos which include shots of graffiti art and developed this convention in to my music video by using more graffiti than any other electronic music video. I have taken this image from an electro music video ‘White Noise’ by Disclosure. Here is an image from my music video which shows I have incorporated and developed this convention in to my video. After finding many beneficial locations including a lot of graffiti I decided to use graffiti as a main theme throughout my music video.

Moreover as I was aiming my music video at a younger audience, I thought that the use of student accommodation as a location would be effective to connect with the audience as this is a place where friends can gather and listen to electronic music if this is there preferred music genre. As they are usually small confined spaces it was effective when filming in this location as I initially knew that I would be speeding clips up, by speeding up clips in a small areas it accentuates the movements of the characters I believe this was an effective was to encode a relatable atmosphere and familiar setting to my audience. By using this technique it uses conventions of real

media products by encoding specific techniques for the attention of the audience, which is a convention of a real media product.

Another successful convention of real media products I used within my music video was consistency of location I filmed the entire music video in only Walkden and Manchester which was effective as it made the product look more professional in terms of the narrative of the video. As I filmed my video in reverse linear, there was a clear structure and story to my music video the location helped emphasize this as the protagonist was travelling from area to the other, the video could have become confusing if many random locations were used However I believe by only using the two areas it kept the consistency and flow of the narrative strong. The two images used within my final product highlight the two areas in which I have filmed in this gives the audience a greater understanding of the use of location and setting.

The use of props and costume within my music video is another significant area within the video which uses, develops and challenges the forms and conventions of real media products. For example a prop that is reoccurring within my video is a bottle of alcohol. This instantly relates to the audience of my product as younger people are often related with drinking and drugs as is the electronic genre. This uses conventions of real media products as it sets consistency as do many mainstream music videos. However it challenges the conventions of real media products in the electronic music genre as electro music videos are known to be very abstract and use random and immaterial iconography. The prop is also significant to the narrative of the video as it reveals that the protagonist is intoxicated which is relatable to my younger target audience as alcohol consumption is found to be appealing to young people who enjoy electronic music. An electronic music video I researched when creating ideas for my music video was ‘Cornelius’ by the Bloody Beetroots this music video also incorporates the use of props mainly alcohol and bottles. My video uses conventions of this video in the use of props this is effective as they are the same genre of music, giving my video a conventional quality to suit the genre.

The use of costumes within my music video in comparisson to real media products use similar convetions. It uses the convetions in the way that we kept the protaganists costume the same throughout the filming for continuity effect, in other real media products although the videos can be filmed over weeks and months costumes are frequently kept identical. Regarding choosing costumes for characters the proccess was relavtively simple for the reason that we used clothing that all the characters already owned, I decided to let the characters choose an everyday outfit that they would normally wear. This was effective as the characters were cast as everday teengagers therefore by using their own clothing it played on the reality of the music video. Making it seem existent, this was effective as my younger target audienc can connect and relate to the use of costume. Also the protaganist wore a bright blue and black jacket which was highlighted well against the blander locations that we used, which indicate that he is the main

character within the story giving the audience a better understanding of the narrative . The 5 panel cap that the protagonist is wearing is stylish and fashionable amongst the consumers my chosen genre, electronic music also to other young audience, therefore the use of this costume is very relevant for the audience keeping them attracted to the music video.

To begin the title chosen for the music video I produced uses the forms and conventions of a real media product for the reason that music videos in the media are not known to name their video anything other than the title of the song. For this reason I decided to stick to a typical music video convention by naming the music video ‘Berlin’ after the title of the song that I chose. Another effective use of title relates to the genre I chose. I selected Electronic for the genre to base my music video around. I found through research that the title of my chosen song related to this genre. I found out that Berlin the capital city of Germany has a famous electro music school and that the main genre of music played in clubs and at famous festivals in this state is electro music. By choosing a song with the title Berlin I encoded conventions of the electronic genre instantaneously in to my music video giving both an audience with or without experience of this genre to immediately recognize the conventions. The font of the title is El&Font Urban Calligraphy created by Jérôme Delage. I found this on a website called Da font which is a font generating website with thousands of different fonts and styles. The one I finally decided to choose I believe was a good choice and was significant to my products.

Graffiti is the style that the font divulges I used this for the reason that within the video and all of my ancillary’s graffiti is a main component. Therefore it keeps consistency within the media products giving it a professional appearance. Also graffiti enhances the electro genre and relates to the audience; as my target audience is younger the stereotypical views on the younger generation is negative and they are seen as insubordinate and rebellious and street art ‘graffiti’ is illegal and is primarily associated with young people by using graffiti in my title and throughout my media products it relates to the audience significantly and was successfully encoded in to each of my media products.

The use of camera work and editing within my music video is successful in ways such as using, encoding, developing and challenging conventions. For example in my music video I used in and out of focus shots thoroughly throughout although this is conventional of real media products as it is a consistent use of camera work many electro music videos do not use the out of focus thoroughly or at all for example in the music video ‘Warp 1.9 by the bloody beetroots’ . The video does not go out of focus at all. Diversely in my video an out of focus shot is used in nearly every scene this is significant to my video as the protagonist is intoxicated throughout the video so I used this camera work to connote this. Therefore the use of in and out of focus is both convetional and unconvetional of real media products. I believe by having both types of

convetions is effective as it gives the video diversity and origiannlity. When editing my video the use of reverse effect throughout the entire video again both uses and challenges convetions of real media products. In the coldplay video ‘fix you’ the entire video is in reverse effect which is similar to ours, this is an abstract effective effect which gives the video and innovative feel. However other coldplay videos such as ‘paradise’ and ‘yellow’ do not use the reverse effect which could mean that this is challenging the conventions of real media products.

The narrative of my media product is interesting. Narrative structure is commonly defined as the structural framework that motivates the order and manner in which a narrative is presented to an audience. The structure of my music video is linear which is when the storyline runs smoothly from beginning to end the storyline isn’t fragmented or broken up. However my music video is in reverse meaning that the video starts at the end of the story and runs backwards to the beginning I believed this would be effective as it breaks the conventions of real media products in the way that commonly the use of linear structure is kept customary running in order. Also I believed that by doing this the video wouldn’t be predictable so the audience could guess the story however I used each scene to link to the next so the audience wouldn’t become confused and could understand that the video was linear and did involve a storyline however it was in reverse. The narrative was effective as the audience could relate to it, essentially the storyline involved a teenage boy waking up, making his way to Manchester on the train to go to a friend’s flat to socialise and drink alcohol resulting in him becoming ill and vomiting in the toilet. Stereotypically teenagers are known to spend most time socialising with friends and consuming alcohol. A theory used within the video is Todorovs theory of dis-equilibrium the protagonist is vomiting in the bathroom. This aggravates the enquiry to the audience as to how the character has come to this situation. The mystery at the beginning is then d back to equilibrium when the protagonist leaves his friends university flat. A symbolic code is accessible to the audience if they choose to see it. This lets them either perceive the character in their own way; this is the different cameras shots and angles used with the main character. Another symbol used is his costume as he is wearing distinctive colourful clothing. It constructs an illustration of the protagonist as youthful as the costume fits with the bright shots and within the unconventional narrative. The beginning of the video show extreme long shots of Manchester city skyline which reveals it I dark indicating it is night time. However when he leaves the apartment the light becomes daylight indicating that the video is in fact reversing the video in time. Levi Strauss theory of opposition is then encoded, in the flat it is dark and dull and when the character leaves the brighter colours appear and natural light opens up the shots; giving a sense of opposition. As the video was in reverse the first shot after the title is the protagonist vomiting in to the toilet therefore the basic narrative is showing the main characters entire day but in reverse. Within the narrative and storyline the landscapes and urban locations were shown to indicate stereotypical locations where young people spend their time this was to relate to the audience. This is conventional of real media products as the majority of music videos conventions try to relate to their target audience.

The genre of my music video was Electro which is generally known as an unconventional and eccentric style of music genre. Therefore I tried to incorporate and encode different elements throughout the video to both meet the conventions of real electro music videos and break the conventions of a real mainstream genre music video. Stuart Hall’s theory of encoding and decoding can be applied to a variety of features within my media products. The audience is a very significant area within producing distributing and consuming of my music video and its genre, for the reason that the music video is indicated mainly through the point of view protagonist and the target audience is the same age as this character, they can also relate to him and the narrative in the way of watching and listening to the video as they enjoy this genre. By doing this, I am allowing the audience to become involved with the video and share the point of view of the main character which allows them to construct a representation of how he thinks which is effective as I want them to feel as though the character is real and that they share the enjoyment of the genre and its conventions. As I wanted to encode the genre in to the music video to relate to the audience by using conventions of the electro genre within my video for example graffiti and relatable characters I believe that I have successfully portrayed the genre and encoded the conventions effectively.

Characters used within the music video are a significant element in portraying the accurate narrative and receiving the correct response from the audience. The protagonist is immediately introduced after the title, he is shown with his head over a toilet vomiting with his jacket and hat on the floor, I did this to create a stereotypical view of young people as rebellious and adolescent, so that a young audience could relate to the character. He is then in the same flat with his friends socialising and drinking alcohol again which a younger audience can relate to as teenagers are known to enjoy socialising with friend and drinking. The other characters within the video aren’t introduced intensely like the protagonist they are only shown in shots socialising with the main character, when the camera is focusing mainly on the protagonist which reveals them to be the central characters friends however they are not as significant as the main character as the videos narrative is showing his day out, however they are important in showing the characters lifestyle as it elaborates on the fact that he enjoys drinking and partying stereotypically like most other teenagers. The use of a central character can be both conventional and unconventional of real media products depending on the genre in mainstream songs such as chart songs for example Rihanna Russian Roulette other characters are involved however the video focuses on the protagonist mainly throughout. However in Electro songs such are ICH R U by boysnoize no characters are used within the video and only abstracts imagery is used. .

In my ancillaries for each one I used still images from my music video which I already had manipulated and applied special effects using adobe premiere after effects. I made the colours brighter and hue and saturation slightly greater. This added consistency between my ancillaries and main product which is effective as the audience can recognize

the similarities. The use of image manipulation when making the colours on the video brighter is useful in terms of relating the genre to the effects of my ancillaries, for the reason that in electro music bright bold colours enhanced through special effects and image manipulation are a thoroughly used convention for example in the daft punk video special effects are used throughout the entire video similarly in my music video the manipulation of the colours is use throughout my media products such as my ancillary 2. The use of special effects and image manipulation are effective and have been encoded in to my music video and ancillaries successfully as it sticks to the conventions of my chosen genre and indicates immediately to the audience the genre of the media products.

In conclusion I believe my media product both my music video and ancillaries uses develop and challenges forms and conventions of real media products in effective, diverse and successful ways.