QUESTION 1: IN WHAT WAY DOES

YOUR MEDIA PRODUCT USE,

DEVELOP OR CHALLENGE FORMS

AND CONVENTIONS OF REAL MEDIA

PRODUCTS?

EXISTING VIDEOS

When viewing existing videos of a similar genre to collect ideas for my own work it was interesting to see how they had followed conventions. With Lucy Spraggans ‘Beer Fear’

song, it was interesting how they broke conventions of narrative structure through showing reverse shots from the night before along normal time shots of the day after. I like the way it was almost like an intercutting action scene yet in different time periods, with the party shots going in reverse to represent the chaos of the event. This was a great influence to the disorder of my own narrative and showed how conventions of structure could be broken but still work successfully. The research into Director Ellis Bahl’s also helped as a general insight to the use of conventions in an indie music

video. His choice of just narrative against the usual conventions of including band shots was a similar path I took, with continuity editing in scenes that reflected the time in

scenes passing. Showing both these directors and artists broke conventions of music videos made me more comfortable in challenging and developing my own work that

would then appear different to existing indie videos.

TARGET AUDIENCE

In terms of my target audience I thought I would try and stick as close to the usual

conventions for indie music videos to strengthen audience appeal. Much like previously

discussed, I wanted to initially include performance shots that demonstrate the

instruments used within the music, which is an important area of interest for indie

audiences. Yet from feedback it was made clear the videos I had included were out of

place and disrupted the narrative too much, which was already complex as it was.

Therefore I can argue that I am challenging conventions of indie music videos, creating a

purely narrative based video that disregards the idea of knowing the instrumental

construction of the music, and instead provides just a creative backdrop to which the

lyrics are visually displayed. This relates to Andrew Goodwin’s theory of the imagery

portraying the lyrics through a narrative (amplifying the music with visual illustration),

which is also an important factor to my target audience. Through initial target audience

research I found out that to indie audiences, the lyrics are a way in which they can

personally connect with the music. Therefore by visually displaying the lyrics as an

interpretation that audiences may recognise through my narrative, I have successfully

targeted my audiences and followed conventions of this genre.

GENRE

To successfully portray the indie genre my music video is based upon, I decided

to stick to as many conventions as possible. The genre of indie to me appears

quite a niche genre of music, in which making it clear my music video falls into

this category was quite a challenge. Therefore I decided to stick with the most

obvious iconography of this genre, for example, in costume where I specifically

suggested for men the typical skinny jeans and a shirt, and for women wearing

dungarees or skater skirts and shirts. These were styles I researched my

audience would wear, so I think including this style in my music video gives clear

genre type and greater audience appeal in the way in which they connect with the

video, seeing the characters to hypothetically be themselves.

I also followed conventions through props and objects used that again related to

the target audience. In one scene of the video, we see the couple dancing in a

room to a record player. Choosing to have the music playing from this device

rather than another platform reconnects the audience again with the video, this

being a common preferred way of indie audiences playing their music, as if

reconnecting with the past in a nostalgic fashion. This also then sticks to

conventions of indie music by portraying a preference of indie culture.

For locations I have also followed conventions, locating shoots in park areas, coffee

shops and the couple’s houses that reflect common places for socialising in both this

age group and subculture. For colours and lighting, I feel this is the only area I have

wavered in following generic conventions. Typically existing indie videos have

common use of filters for their videos, giving vibrant pastel colours that are not far

from the appearance of Polaroid pictures, yet I have decided to go against this and

keep with the initial colours of the shots. Not only because of time constraints did I not

include them, but I felt they would have directed focus away from the natural pathetic

fallacy that then directed the mood for each scene, for example, the rainy weather

matching the breakup in the park, and the dully lit room working with the argument in

the bedroom. Therefore for this I have challenged conventions, but in a way that

benefits the video.

NARRATIVE STRUCTURE

The narrative structure of my music video is a feature that I think makes my

product stand out from other existing indie music videos, due to the lack of

following any generic conventions of time scale. The whole narrative of my

video is displayed in reverse, each scene shown going forward in time but

collectively working backwards in the couple’s relationship. Not only does

this again relate to the lyrics “In a world that’s going backwards”, but relates

to post-modern theorist Lyotard’s concepts of the breakdown of

metanarratives and the structure in which music videos should be displayed

being disregarded, as well as acting as an important feature to the

audience-product relationship. Showing the narrative in reverse creates an

interesting way of showing the deterioration of a relationship, working from

the breakup and slowly seeing what went wrong. This way the audience

connects with the characters more, as they know the events that follow and

positions them to know more than the characters.

This particularly features in the cheating scene, where we’ve already seen

them previously arguing and breaking apart, and seeing the girl cheat with

the other boy creates backwards foreshadowing to the later scenes in the

story. Although each scene moves forward in time, the audience are still

clearly informed of the scenes collectively moving backwards, through signs

and signifiers of the time laps clock going anticlockwise in between scenes.

This and the montage sequence at the end provide great clarity to the

reverse time period this video sets up, in which breaks all generic

conventions of time scale.

EDITINGFor editing I feel I’ve also challenged conventions. Each scene is set up with numerous shots that take you

through the action with clear continuity. I wanted to make this clear difference in editing between each

individual scene and it working as a whole, as I feel by doing this the audience tend to relax into the

continuity of one scene, and are then thrown out of their comfort zone as they are shown images of

reverse clocks and other locations. I feel this style of editing stimulates the audience more, leaving it up to

them to recognise that time is going backwards and coming up with their own interpretation on how they

relate to it. This relates with Stuart Halls ‘Encoding/Decoding Effects Theory’ (1980) with the idea of the

media message having a range of possible meanings and interpretations. I initially ‘encoded’ my video to

have the main idea of the breakdown of a relationship, shown in reverse to show the components making

up this downfall. However in terms of the reading of the audience, I wanted them to have a Negotiated

reading, in which my audience may read parts of it in different ways relating to their social background and

context, giving a wider interpretation generalised around my initial concept. Through editing I’ve also made

sure that like Andrew Goodwin’s theories, the music fits with the visuals. We see this especially in the

cheating scene where the blond male opens the door to find his girlfriend with another guy, in which the

tempo of the music increases and more instruments are introduced. It is also clear in the dancing scene

where the male puts on the record to which the music slows down. This particular scene however

challenges conventions itself, the pace slowing down that differs from all the drama that we’ve previously

seen. It’s from this moment I wanted a turning point to be seen, everything after this being the happy side

of the relationship, therefore the music acting as a backdrop of control that with it decides the positive and

negative moments of the relationship.

I have also broken conventions by including a circular narrative within my

video. The opening shots of the breakup within the park are also repeated at

the end. This indulges the audience in a hyper reality (theorist) in which the

couple are the soul focus, with no particular resolution at the end. We as an

audience are left to decide therefore our own resolution to the narrative.

REPRESENTATION

Representation is another area I decided to follow conventions of, providing a

clear backdrop for which my ideas worked from. In my video I decided to convey

a generic heterosexual relationship. It shows contemporary issues such as the

unstable relationship and the idea of loneliness since their whole world revolves

around one another. This way I felt I was connecting with a proportion of my

target audience, one that viewers could relate to in terms of their general

relationships or previous breakup they’ve been in.

DIGIPAK – FRONT COVER

For my digipak I have decided to challenge most conventions of normal

layout for design, creating a unique covered indie album, which can be

read to represent the same breakdown of the relationship as the video.

For the front cover I decided to have a clock face burnt with two figures

visible within the void, all framed in a circle and text working round it. I

decided to choose this imagery so that it could represent the breakdown

in the relationship; the circular narrative which the video demonstrates is

the same as this clock face, therefore we as an audience are brought into

this hyper reality through the destruction of the clock face. The void in

which these two figures then acts as the hyper real world this relationship

exists in, shown not to be holding hands but lingering next to one another.

The burning of the clock face also relates to the breakdown of liner

narrative and time alternately going in reverse. All framed in the blue

circle again relates to the circular narrative in which breakups like these

happen again and again. The layout of this cover relates to conventions

of indie album covers, as it displays geometric shapes as a framing for its

design, influences pastel colours for the background of the clock, includes

simple but symbolic imagery that relates itself to the lyrics of the song,

and includes DK Lemon Yellow Sun font that conveys a care free hand

written title. All these then work harmoniously together to create an eye

catching cover.

BACK COVER

For the back I have brought

the same themes in colour

scheme, shape and font as the

cover. Although the licencing

info and barcode are in their

conventional places the track

list circles round the inside of

the circle breaks usual

conventions. I felt this way it

conveyed the individual layout

that an indie album would

include.

FIRST PANEL

In the opening panel I thought I would

challenge the conventions of my own design

through having a burnt edge to the circle that

frames the people. This represents the

destruction like the front cover seeping

through the digipak and into the music on the

CD. I decided to connect the colours with the

genders of the figures, as well as

representing the emotions of the characters,

the blue depressive state of the male and the

lust and danger coming from the female. The

broken heart then combines these two, with

the red of the girl looking like the blood

coming out of the rip of the heart. This design

created good continuity with the rest of the

digipak and again relating with my other

products.

MIDDLE OF DIGIPAK

Finally the inside uses the same fonts as the cover, conveying a hand written script of lyrics which is again burnt through in the centre, working with the same themes of the front cover. With the central layout of the digipak I have followed conventions of normal CDs by placing the disk position in the central panel, with an editorial from the band to the left. This not only follows conventions but provides more information from the band to the bigger fans. Overall I think digipak conveys its intended genre through its minimal imagery with thorough meanings, a simple light colour scheme and typography of an informant flowing nature that conveys the relaxed sounds of the band.

ALBUM ADVERT

The album advert follows similar ideas to the

digipak, the cover acting as the main imagery for the

advert with the same representations included. For

this I decided to have all the text shaped around the

main circle which alters conventions of usual

straight layout. For the rest of the elements, I have

stuck with conventions to create a professional

outcome, where the band name is placed first and is

the boldest, with the album name underneath the

imagery. With details on ratings and release dates, I

feel this product follows convention but still stand

out as a unique advertisement for my indie band.

CONCLUSION

Overall I feel my products have a variety of following or

challenging of conventions, clearly demonstrated through the

design. As my products were of an indie genre, it was important

to give them their own unique appearance so they stood out to

be of this music group, through colour scheme, font and layout.

Yet sometimes the conventions provided a good template as to

what created a professional looking product, in which I could

base my products design on so they too appeared like a

professional promotional package for my band.