In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products? – This task requires you to compare the outcomes of your research of similar media products with the outcome of your group’s finished production. KOZI MUZIRA 13HXL

Goodwin key music video conventions

Using Your Research Findings – note/ bullet point typical generic conventions

Your Production – Use, Develop or Challenge

Genre characteristics (e.g. stage performance in metal video, dance routine for boy/girl band)-

1. Performance element in majority of Hip Hop videos.2. Often objectification of women in modern hip-hop, however this varies from video to video.3. Setting often reflects something about the artist, such as in a VIP section of a club shows they’re trendy. Outside a mansion shows there rich. and ‘Damien Marley’ a traditional reggae artist.

1. My video does chose to use the conventions of the video’s I researched by being heavily reliant upon the performance element.2. It chooses to challenge the conventions of modern videos by not using the objectification of women. A conscious decision was made not to include objectification as we chose not to represent our artist in that way. It does not fit with the character that is portrayed through the lyrics who is concerned with the state of society. Our target market would not find sense or reason behind the objectification and would probably not connect with the artist in the way intended.3. We have chosen to use the idea that the location can say something about the artist, however we have challenged the typical location of clubs or outsides a mansion and chosen to make the streets in general our location. This appeals to our target market as it gives the idea that our artist is ‘keeping it real’, this is desirable to our audience, as it seems the artist is similar to them and gives them more of a reason to connect with the artist.

Relationship between lyrics and visuals (either illustrative, amplifying, contradicting

1. There can be a very strong illustrative and amplifying relationship between the lyrics and visuals in hip-hop videos.An Illustrative

. Our music video chose’s to use the conventions of the video’s I studied by employing both an illustrative and amplifying relationship between the lyrics and visuals at points in our music video. An example of amplifying relationship is when the artist says ‘take a look around you’, and on screen a 360 degree shot of the artist is shown. Shots like this help to add new and extra meaning

relationship allows for what’s being said by artist to be seen on screen. The strong relationship allows for the audience to become engrossed in the song and encourages them to watch and listen intently to draw connections between the lyrics and visuals.2. An Amplifying relationship is also common in hip-hop as hip-hop it’s based mainly around the lyrics. A strong amplifying relationship allows for the visuals on screen to amplify the lyrics and spotting this was a regular occurrence in my research. •The effect of this that it that it adds a whole new layer of meaning to the song.

to the lyrics.

An example of an illustrative relationship is when the lyrics say ‘inhale the crack smoke’. At this point there is a shot of the artist making a gesture as if to smoke a cigarette. This is an attempt to show the artists lyrics on screen, allow the audience to make a connection and make the artists lyrics feel more real. This because if the artists lyrics feel more real then there is more of a connection between the artist and the audience and they are more likely to buy the music.

An example of amplifying is when parliament is shown on screen in black and white, it shows the artists feeling that they’re old fashioned in their decisions making and out of touch. This may appeal to a target audience who feel the same way as the artist.

Relationship between music and visuals (either illustrative, amplifying,

I found that with hip-hop the relationship is often illustrative. With the pace of music often dictating

In my video I would say that we use the conventions as our video is mainly illustrative relying upon the pace of music to dictate cuts, but sometimes amplifying.

contradicting).

 

the speed of the cuts on screen because it creates a video that flows very well and is exciting to watch. However it is sometimes amplifying too.

Demands of the record label will include the need for lots of close ups of the artist and the artist may develop motifs which recur across their work. (a visual style).

I found that within all music video’s, not just hip-hop, that close ups of the artist are required.

My research also showed that within hip-hop the record label will try to give the artist an image or a motif, as this gives the artist more of a personality.

Our music video has used this convention and has definitely employed the use of close ups as a way of introducing the artist to the audience. This is shown by the fact our music video starts with a close up.

I believe our video has challenged the convention of creating a motif or image for the artist, and in our video he is just portrayed as a normal person. However you could argue that that in itself is a motif which the target audience can relate to.

Notions of looking (screens within screens, telescopes, etc) and particularly voyeuristic treatment of the female body.

My research showed that voyeuristic treatment of the female body and the male body was common within modern hip-hop videos.This conforms to Freud’s theory of voyeuristic treatment of the female body in order for the audience to gain sexual pleasure. Women are mostly blacked out with only there silhouettes on display. This is sexual as it outlines their body as though there totally naked.

Our music video chose to challenge the conventions of other hip-hop videos by not including voyeuristic treatment of females or males such as in ‘6 Foot 7 Foot’ by Lil Wayne. We did this because we felt our artist was touching upon serious issues, and our target audience would not gain pleasure or make a connection that warranted the use of voyeuristic treatment. My research of music video’s also showed that artists touching upon more serious issues e.g. ‘Nah Mean’ by Damien Marley and Nas which spoke of social issue like the police and poverty chose not use the voyeuristic treatment of females as a convention. In this respect we used the convention of some Hip Hop videos although voyeuristic treatment is more likely present than not.

intertextual reference (to films, TV programmes, other music videos etc.).

My research found they were not common but they do exist, and it is often those who add in these references that are challenging conventions as they are so rare. Such as in ‘6 Foot 7 Foot’ by Lil Wayne. There is a reference towards the film from 2000, ‘The Matrix’. Although not all of the audience will not

Our film has used the conventions of hip-hop by not including any of these intertextual references.

necessarily spot the reference this need not massively detract from there pleasure , but it is often argued that greater pleasure is drawn by those members of the audience who spot the reference.

Technical DirectionsArtist/bands / actor’s positioning, movements, gestures, pose and mode of address etc.

. There is often hand gestures made by the artist, often to try get across the emotion of what is being said.. Often the poses used suggest arrogance or confidence, such as leaning back with a big smile and arms crossed.

Our video challenges these conventions as our artist often stays humble in his gestures and poses.Although we use the convention of hand gestures to convey certain emotions.

Editing directions(Match cuts, jump cut, reverse shots – cutting rthymn etc.)

Often a quick pace to the cuts dictated by the pace of the music.

Our video chose to use this convention with there often being quick cuts dictated by the pace of the music. Our video also contained a number of invisible edits which challenged the typical conventions of hip hop videos as shown by the lack of invisible edits in my videos researched.

Selection of mise-en-scène including colour, figure, pops, lighting,

We often found setting was important in hip-hop videos, with the setting

Our video used this convention by making setting a key factor in our video. With the artists’ reference towards current governments and economic references etc. We chose to use London as the

objects, costume, location and setting and use of crowds/dancers etc.

often reflecting something important about the video. Such as in ‘Candy Shop’ by 50 Cent, he was portraying him self as a successful, ladies man and the setting was a mansion which was important in completing his image.

location for our video as it is England’s capital and where major government figures and economic resources are found. We Centered around locations relevant to the topics touched on the by the artist, such as Parliament and Big Ben which are both famous memorabilia that make it clear to audience we are in London.

Framing of Shot CU, MLS, ELS etc.)

. My research showed that one of the conventions of hip-hop videos was an excessive amount of close up shots of the artist. As shown by my research of ‘6 Foot 7’ by Lil Wayne, in which close up shots are regularly present.

. Our video has definitely chosen to use this convention, by including lots of close up shots of our artist. This was done because we observed this trait throughout all music videos no matter what genre.