evaluation - question 1

Explain what you brief was
The brief of the coursework was to create a music video lasting up to 5 minutes along with ancillary products such as a magazine advert and digipak promoting the main product.The digipak was required to possess 6 slides (12x12cm each): front slide, welcome note, track list, CD, and two images of the artist. The aim was to convey the chosen genre through the use of colours, iconography and editing. This was also the specification of the magazine advert which aims to promote the artist. The artist chosen is of the pop genre; James Arthur, the song being Impossible. In order to successfully target the audience, research into music videos, music genres and the music industry in general was conducted . Research Is a vital element as it assists in creating a product that will be suited to the target market and therefore consumed. After conventions of the genre were identified, a decision had to be made whether the conventions were to be conformed to or subverted.

Introduce your group membersThe group consisted of myself, Lauren Vale, Dipika Sharma and Jamie Gregory. As I had not worked with either of the members in the previous year during the AS course, I was not initially aware of the strengths and weaknesses of the individual members. During the duration of the project, I gained knowledge of what each member could contribute to the overall success of the finished product. Lauren had the most technical ability when it came to the filming due to her knowledge of operating a camera therefore this was her most predominant role; also due to her being interested in framing and location. Dipika was mostly intrigued by the visual appeal of the music video therefore she was involves in planning the locations, colours and the artist representation. Jamie was the artist therefore he was part of the performance element and so he was responsible for the planning of the filming schedule and storyboard.

Explain what your role was and what you were responsible for and what you learned from it
One of my roles within the music video was to plan certain aspects of the music video such as the mise-en-scene which involves many significant elements such as iconography, costume and lighting. I was also involved in organisational tasks such as the filming schedule and storyboard which was a vital process prior to production. I also contributed to the editing process which involved combining separate footage into a continuous sequence. This was my most predominant role which required knowledge of how to use Final Cut Pro. I was also responsible for sourcing the iconography which is a significant element of the music video, especially the pack of cards which signified many connotations throughout. By being involved in a variety of tasks, I was able to learn many skills such as the importance of planning and time management to maintain deadlines.

Did your group work well?
Throughout the duration of the project, I learnt a variety of skills, especially the significance of team contribution. This was however a difficulty due to the work being divided unequally due to certain team members being unable to complete tasks given. Time management was also a struggle as it will difficult to arrange a time where all team members were available to film and so during the filming of certain footage, not all members were present. Throughout the planning stage, all team members were highly involved in coming up with a narrative and how to present the artist however the filming stage was most difficult due to the problems mentioned, specifically arranging meeting times which would be suitable for all members. Nevertheless, the group was extremely effective when regarding certain aspects such as maintaining discussions in which individual research and ideas were put forward and discussed.

Explain if you think you have made a successful music video and ancillary texts
The finished products i.e. the music video and ancillary texts are successful due to following conventions and being based upon the knowledge gained in the research stage. The video demonstrates aspects of effective mise-en scene; the iconography carefully considered. The representation of the artist has also been successfully sustained throughout the products. As the products have been formed on the knowledge gained when analysing real products, they are likely to appeal to the target audience. 

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

A music video is constructed primarily to promote a song’s release. It can be performance, narrative or concept based. A performance video features the artist performing i.e. singing the lyrics of the song whilst a narrative video revolves around a story the video aims to tell. A concept video is used when the artist aims to focus on a certain topic. Certain videos may go beyond the generic need and emphasise a certain concept or narrative such as homelessness as seen in Ed Sheeran’s ‘A team’. This varies depending upon the genre, music videos of the club genre typically place emphasis on conventions such as a club setting as opposed to exploring a meaningful narrative. The purpose of a music video therefore depends on the genre it aims to accompany, for example R&B style songs are known for buying into the artist lifestyle by showing the expensive possessions of the artist. The codes and conventions are the ideas that the audience would associate with a specific genre. These expectations can be either conformed to or challenged. The purpose, style and conventions must be constructed in a way that appeals to the audience i.e. consumers of the pop market.

As the pop genre is mainstream, it aims to target a wide audience. A convention that is evident in the majority of videos of this genre is the focus on narrative which aims to build a relationship between the artist and the consumer. The way the artist is represented is also highly significant and so the performance element is also evident in most music videos through featuring the artist performing the song, placing emphasis on the lyrics. This further enables the audience to form a relationship with the artist as emotions are inferred allowing the audience to relate. Another convention identified in pop music videos is the narrative exploring an aspect of relationships such as love or heartbreak. This convention has been followed as this the topic that has been explored in the music video. A relationship is portrayed through flashbacks showing the intimacy and love between the male and female.

The music video primarily focuses on the narrative and performance aspects. The artist is seen performing throughout the duration of the music video. The mise-en-scene i.e. setting and iconography of the video allows the target audience to build a relationship with the artist. Through the setting, the audience is able to focus on the artist, for example the simplicity of the studio room allows the audience to focus on the artist and his talent alone rather than focusing upon the background.This allows the audience to build a relationship with the artist through being able to see his physical representation as well as by relating to the lyrics of the song. The performance aspect has been shows through the use of a dark room as well as an outdoor setting of the White Cliffs of Dover which allow the audience to focus solely on the artist. The setting is natural and therefore conforms to Richard Dyer's theory which suggests that the artist is also ordinary for the consumer. The simplicity of both settings allows the audience to see a contrast between the calmness of the performance element against the dramatic tone of the narrative.

Whist the artist performs, a reflective narrative is shown involving a male and a female. A relationship is demonstrated through the use of flashbacks which illustrate the happiness felt. This is also reinforced through the use of cards which are built up, emphasising strength of the relationship. A significant setting used in the narrative is the bedroom which emphasises the proximity between the male and female. This setting is used in the scene in which the male and female are seen playing cards; a contrast is therefore created between the happiness felt then against the pain of the dissolution of the relationship. This is reinforced by the cards burning, connoting a sense of pain. The cards have a dominant impact on the audience due to having strong connotations. They act as a motif which re-occurs throughout the duration of the video. At the beginning of the video, they are a part of the flashbacks with are used to illustrate the happiness felt. This therefore contrasts against the dissolution of the relationship which conveys pain and heart break. The cards that have emphasised is the king and queen which are used to show a male and female; reflective of the individuals involved in the relationship. As the song progresses and the break down of the relationship is shown, the pace of the song increases also. The cards are shown tumbling down and burning which is a metaphorical representation of the relationship itself.

The narrative involves flashbacks of the relationship which are triggered through the use of photos which the female looks through. The photos therefore act as significant iconography. At the beginning of the video, the female is seen putting back the ripped pieces of a photograph and putting them back together to tell the story of the break up which has been achieved through the use of a reverse clip tool on Final Cut Pro. At the end of the music video, the photo is ripped up as seen on the left. This is highly effective as it shows the pain the female feels when remembering the relationship. Photographs are seen throughout the video and so can be regarded as dominant iconography.

Another theme evident in the music video is leaving. The female is seen throwing her clothes into a suitcase before leaving the house. Tracking shots are used, following the female from the house to the train station. The female throwing everything in a suitcase is increased in pace (2x) which illustrates the impulsive nature of the female. It is also part of the narrative which involves a break-up.

The music video uses varied types of lighting. The two performance scenes vary in lighting; the studio room being dark so that only the artist and the guitar are visible. The outdoor setting is however high key lighting so that the natural setting can be seen; the artist performing against a wooden fence. The narrative also displays varied types of lighting. The scene shown on the left is in low key lighting in order to show the negativity of the relationship when violence is present. This is highly conventional as it reflects the tone and mood the video aims to infer to the audience.

In the research stage, these two predominant theories were explored in order to gain a more in depth understanding that would then assist in the production of ancillary texts as well as the music video. Goodwin’s theory was applied when analysing music videos which provided evidence of the theory being relevant and therefore useful in targeting an audience. The theory consists of ideologies such as music videos demonstrating genre characteristics which is evident in the finished music video as well as the ancillary products. Richard Dyer's theory revolves around a set of meanings constructed around music performers in order to sell the performer to a mass audience. The star image is based upon two paradoxes, one of them being the idea that the star must be simultaneously ordinary and extra-ordinary for the consumer.

Music videos provide the record label with freedom regarding the way in which the artist is represented. The freedom refers to a variety of elements that can be diversified such as costumes, props, settings; elements of the mise-en-scene. However most music videos to mainstream music such as the pop genre conform to stereotypical genre characteristics. As well as following traditional expectations, music videos tend to follow certain theories such as Richard Dyer's and Goodwin's in order to gain a mass market appeal. Richard Dyer's theory has also been conformed through the artist's costume which involves jeans and a checkered shirt which present the artist's down to earth personality and allows the audience to relate. However the artist is also wearing a Superdry jacket which is regarded as a designer item of clothing. This enables the artist to also be regarded as being extra ordinary as mentioned in the theory. This is also reinforced by the guitar which is vital iconography throughout the music video. The guitar allows the audience to realise the artist's talent as a musician which also displays his love for music.

Goodwin's theory was studied and then considered when creating the music video.The theory mentions the need for close ups of the artist being a demand of the record label. This is evident cinematography in the music video as well as in the digipak which consists of two images of the artist, both placing emphasis on the artist’s facial expression. This encourages the audience to form a relationship with the artist as emotions felt by the artist can be depicted. Goodwin's theory also mentions inter textual references. This is present in the music video through the use of an Iphone which is also a form of product placement. The Iphone doesn't necessarily have strong connotations however it is simply used to illustrate the narrative i.e. the female receiving a message which connotes infidelity. It also appeals to the younger generation the video is targeted at.

A relationship between the lyrics/music and visuals is also evident. When editing the video, slow paced editing was used to display the narrative. This enhances the emotions involved in the video therefore allowing the audience to relate to the male and female. As the narrative evolves, the editing pace increases. It is therefore parallel to the music which conforms to Goodwin's theory. As the music aims to express the emotions felt when undergoing a break, handheld camera shots were used. The instability of the handheld camera reflects the turbulence of the relationship. This is an impactful way of illustrating the faults of the relationship as the viewer is able to see how an unstable relationship emotionally wrecks two people to the point where they feel constantly shaken up. This was used in order reflect the chaos and instability of the relationship and intensify the video's impact on the audience by providing excitement. The lyrics 'And my heart is broken' is illustrated through the heart necklace being broken which shows a relationship between the lyrics and visuals.

The theory also considers whether the video is primarily performance based, narrative based or concept based and how elements of each are used in it. The music video created is predominantly narrative based. It consists of a relationship break down due to infidelity which is conveyed through the use of a text message received from the female by another man. The relationship is presented as a tower of cards. The breakdown is illustrated by the cards burning down and breaking the strong bond of the tower i.e. the relationship. A contrast is also created between the flashbacks of the male and female experiencing happiness against the pain felt due to the break up.

The typography involved in the music video is solely the name of the artist 'Callum Blake' as well as the name of the song 'Impossible' . This is featured at the beginning and end of the music video. The beginning of the music video involves the performance aspect with the artist performing in the dark studio room as seen above. The ending of the music video consists of the cards burnt down, the fire fading away as a close up of the cards is used. The font that has been chosen is simple which is reflective of the artist's nature. It is also visible against the background of the music video and therefore effective. The font is yet again simple yet bold and can also be regarded as masculine.

In order to appeal to the target market, target market research was carried out. This was vital in terms of producing a video that suits the audience by following their expectations as well as conventions typically seen in music videos of that genre. The research that was carried out involves a questionnaire, pie charts and a vox pop. The questionnaire was given out to a variety of individuals, the results therefore providing a reliable overview of the audience and what they seek. These results were then illustrated through the use of pie charts which allow all group members to have a clear understanding of what the majority of the target market wants. To give a broader overview of target audience, a vox pop was also carried out as it allowed more questions to be asked, widening the sample that took part in the research stage. It also consisted of open questions which provided qualitative data.

The initial ideas we had were put forward to the sample of people questioned in order to find out whether the ideas were worth incorporating e.g. the use of fire. The results illustrated a preference in videos with a motif or a hidden meaning therefore it was agreed cards as well as fire would be used. The research also confirmed that a breakdown of a relationship was suited to the genre due to the majority of those questioned considering this to be concept commonly featured in music videos of the pop genre. Therefore all elements included were based upon the target audience. The breakdown of the relationship was initiated through the concept of cheating. This then caused arguments between the male and female. A rain effect has also been used as it connotes sadness which is suited to the scene and therefore has an impact on the audience.

The music video consists of a variety of camera shots. An over the shoulder shot is seen on the left as the male discovers an indicator of infidelity; the female's phone as a text from someone else is received. This allows the audience to see the events from the male's perspective. A wide range of camera shots and angles have been used in the music video; consisting of long shots, mid- shots, close ups amongst many others. For example mid shots of the artist have been used so that the guitar as well as the artist's facial expression is visible.