Evaluation Question One:In what ways does your music promotional package use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of existing music promotional packages?

• Before we started making our music video, we researched the history and evolution of music videos in general. By doing this I became aware of modern, popular codes and conventions used in music videos and promotional packages. I also became aware of genre specific methods, which are relatable to my final piece. Here are 12 screen grabs of distinct frames from my music video, which I will explain the conventions and reasoning of afterwards (On the next slide)

Theorist Inspiration

• Simon Frith believed music videos came in three types: performance, narrative and conceptual. Our music video followed the performance based theory. According to Frith performance based music videos are the most common music videos but as this theory was conducted in 1998, this isn't really the case now, although they are still very popular. The goal of a performance video is to give the viewer a sense of what a concert or a direct performance feels like.

• We went for a performance based video because when we were planning and researching about the genre of ‘pop’ and girl groups we found most of the videos we came across we performance based, the videos we watched were: Fifth Harmony- BO$$, Beyonce- Love on Top, Nicki Minaj- Superbass, also people like Little Mix etc. we found the girls in the videos all were in sync not only with things like movement and dancing but also with costume, makeup and things like that. We wanted to make our ‘characters’ believable and relatable to our target audience. Typical girl groups act as a role model, especially when their fan base is a young range so we made our persona’s fit this role that is ‘traditionally’ portrayed.

• Richard Dyer’s star theory fans typically young, record label would make sure that they are in the video setting an example and breaking forth wall

Locations and settings• Filmed at “the back of tesco”, a wall and the underpass• All 11 frames include different locations and shots. We wanted the locations to

“match” each other and be consistent, and this was always our original plan. We began our music video thinking it would hold a narrative of a girl who is going through a break-up with a boys, ending with the typical “I don’t need no man” (this is a narrative music video). However, when we started to film in our original amphitheatre location parts from our plan, it did not seem to work together with the footage, it did not look professional, therefore after taking several shots we decided to get rid of the part on our story board. We then considered where else we could take the music video. Being inspired by ‘BO$$’ by Fifth Harmony and Little Mix we decided to change all three locations to suit our video idea now that we changed it to a performance based video . We  wanted to portray the themes of the song in a performance video, just like BO$$.  So instead of our music video telling a story in linear form, we created a feeling to be evoked by a series of shots seen on screen. The shots still go with the lyrics as its three young females, typically seen in a girl group video singing about a break-up and a boy. A clear example of the connotations seen in our video are close ups of us taking selfies, having a laugh and fixing our hair. All things associated with young girls of our age. But also because we had a rapper we wanted to bring that grungy feel to our video that is typically seen in a rap video, hence the graffiti underpass. We tried to follow the typical codes and conventions of a pop music video via our locations and settings, like the grungy feel was because we didn’t want the innocence too much but using the grungy feel also allowed us to reach a further audience.

Costume and Props• Costume and props were a main aspect of a video

that we had to make consistent and relatable to our genre of music (pop) and girl groups, by wearing the latest ‘fashion trends’ that are typical to our target audience would make allow us to really connect with our audience. This creates a performance element to the video, the audience will be watching their ‘idols’ and want to dress and be like them.

• The prop I used was my phone to take ‘selfies’, because it is a craze that has recently come about especially for young people.

Camera Work and Editing• The camera that we used was a Canon 550D and we filmed with this after we

realised the camera that the school provided didn’t give us the standard of video that we wanted. We used various different shots and breaking the forth wall, most of them being close ups and mid shots to gain that intimate feeling with the audience. We also wanted a fun and flirty feel to it without being too inappropriate, for example for ‘fun’ we got close ups of us taking selfies, fixing our hair, dancing and also laughing; these actions are typically seen as ‘fun’ and free like young girls should be, the three main girls are pretty so its appealing to the audiences eye. We also used tracking to also gain a sense of intimacy when the rap took place this was again, following basic codes and conventions of a pop/rap video because rappers often break the forth wall. With breaking the forth wall it encourages audience involvement and helps them to relate to the music video and song even more. Using so many close ups and mid shots on the three main girls all showing three very different characters would help define females working together with their differences and would help with individual identity and confidence because of the close intimate relationship from screen to audience.

Editing • Flash Cutting/Jump Cuts (short stutters)- In our video I deliberatly used these flash cuts where

there was a stutter in the music, these on the beat stutters would add a different aspect to the video, instead of the editing being still and having nothing different all the way through they helped break up some of the shots and made the video look very contemporary for the audiences entertainment. We also used black and white to add something new and different to the video as well.

• Mirroring- This editing was a new technique that I learnt whilst I was editing, this is a convention used mostly in rap video to go with that ‘tipsy’ feeling but when we filmed against the ‘anonymous brick wall if we repeated this shot through the video it would've become boring and repetitive, but with the mirroring shot it added an aspect that isn't typically used in a pop music video, so in that way we challenged it but in another way we worked with the conventions because we added and aspect that is appealing to the eye. We also used the mirror to portray the fun side of the video

• Reverse editing- Putting some of the shots in reverse would allow us to repeat some shots, along with the black and white would allow us to have some filler shot but again it was just appealing to the eye.

• Thought beats- By using thought beats allowed me to work with the music and made the editing process a bit easier because as there were distinct parts of the song where I could fit the footage to made it easier.

• Black and White effect- I have mentioned the black and white effect a lot before, it made the video have a but of contrast to the other shots and made the video look a little bit more professional, it has connotations of elegance and beauty so as we were three young girls, having fun this went nicely with each other and the juxtaposition of the grungy feel we wanted ended up being a nice combination

• Brightness and Contrast- This effect was used to sort some of the shots out and make sure they’re all consistent.

The Digi-pak

The Digi-pak - CD• The digipack creates synergy across products by using the same pastel and neutral theme in the music video. It successfully follows the codes and conventions of a typical digipack in order to ensure it sells successfully. The image on the front of the digipack is the same girls who play the leading females in the music video, which triggers recognition in fan members. The conventions of the digipack relate to the genre of the band and music too. Our costumes and colours and also locations are consistent with the digi-pak and our final video.

• Here is an annotated version explaining the link to the genre and the conventions:

Song list- to specifiy whats actually on the album, kept simple to draw attention to the front and also is consistent with the location in the video.

CD with a picture of the three band members in the same outfit as the front and although its not the same outfit as the song it isn’t a problem, as long as it’s a similar style to the video to shoe consistency.

Front- picture of three girls in a up to date style costume, it’s the three girls in the video so its consistent and the font is very contempory so it will catch the audiences eye when they go to look at it in a store. Its large and bold and also goes with the genre and feel of the group.Although this page is plain it still goes with the theme of the rest of the digi-pak, so it doesn’t really need much on it.

The Digi-pak (Poster)• The poster follows the costume (from the video) and pastel theme creating synergy• It has a visual image key to the production AS WELL as the digipack (synergy again)• Includes the name of the artist and the song (links to the digipack as well)• It has a review to promote both the album (digipack) and the music video• Promotes the release date (entice viewers and fans)• And the production company info (synergy across all products)

• These are all common conventions of a promotional poster, the digipack follows common conventions too. I decided to use common conventions in order to make sure the product would be successful. Because the group is a pop genre that may not be so well known and rap/hiphop I decided it would be best to stick to common promotions. I was mainly inspired by Little Mix’s promotional packages as she is extremely successful and marketing and promotions is a big key to their success. If Little Mix have the best working for them and is one of the most successful groups in the world and her production company follow common codes and conventions, then they are obviously doing it right. This inspired me to stick to the common conventions on promotional packages. However, the actual musical video I decided to add different conventions and editing techniques because I know how to edit and felt confident with my choices and decisions.