iN WHAT WAYS DOES YOUR MEDIA PRODUCT USE, DEVELOP OR CHALLENGE FORMS AND CONVENTIONS OF REAL MEDIA PRODUCTS?
The narrative of our video fits the conventions of Barthes Code Theory, with the hermeneutic code demonstrated throughout. For instance, clues are revealed throughout the video to develop the narrative, particularly through the use of text messages on the screen. This was needed to place the video distinctly under the indie genre, as more abstract messages are developed in the genre. For example, the protagonist of ‘Arabella’ by Arctic Monkeys is never revealed despite the song being based around the character. To keep the video engaging and highlight the product as a conventional video for the Indie genre, the antagonist face was never revealed until the end of the video. While developing and connoting mystery around the character, the genre was also displayed through the complexity of the narrative.
Conventionally, the Indie and Brit Pop genres are dominated by masculinity due to bands predominantly consisting of male members. In the video, traditional characteristics of men identified by Brannon are included. Firstly, the video consists of only men, a common feature in my research (e.g Blur- Parklife). Furthermore, Bereska (2003) ideas of hegemonic masculinity can be established, as the aggression in the fight displays the stereotypical representation of a ‘real man’. When creating the video, this was taken into consideration as audiences are likely to conform to male dominance in the genre.
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In every video, I researched and took inspiration from, I recognised the use of camera movement. Throughout the videos, perhaps due to the fast beat via the drums and guitars of the genre, the camera rarely remained in one place. In our production, we took this into consideration and care when planning the cinematography of the video. We used a variety of techniques (such as pans and zooms) to adjust the quality and movement of the shots we composed. Depending on the section of the video, different approaches were taken. For instance, following Todorov’s Narrative Theory, we attempted to use swiftly movement when building to the disruption of the equilibrium/new equilibrium of the video. This helped build a dramatic climax and engage audiences further. When establishing the equilibrium, lighter camera movement was used, enabling the viewer to form the protagonist of the narrative. To improve the quality of the fluid camera movement (as a tripod could not be used), we used a Steadicam to keep the video clean and professional.
On my Digipak and Digipak Poster I used the appropriate logos to create a product which would share conventions with a real media product. For example; on my digipak; I included the studio logo (Warner Bro Studios), Copyright information/disclaimer, a barcode; which concluded the institution information needed on the rear cover. Additionally, side panels were created (including the album name, artist, record label) which are seen on all digipaks, further highlighting the conventional approach taken. Lastly, the positioning of the text was arranged according to my research (The Artist name being the largest, followed by the album title), meaning audiences would receive the adequate information at first glance.
On the poster, social media links were also included, some audiences can interact with the artist beyond the album or find further information before purchasing. With the proliferation of social media and internet services, it is vital for artists to offer platforms for fans to follow the artist, even when my created artist is Indie/less commercial than mainstream genres such as ‘Pop’. Additionally, the broader target audience of my artist (18-35), means users of these sites are likely to be a high percentage of the intended audience. Moreover, the worldwide leading streaming service in Spotify is included on the poster, this is crucial as the site/app commands 70 million paid subscribers monthly.
The locations used in the music video developed the characteristics of the Brit Pop/Indie genre. We specifically chosen locations with an urban and run down look to portray the artist as underground and away from the mainstream. These locations included worn down Garages and Vandalised Subways/Walls, which suited the lyrics and style desired of our created artist. For instance, the song had lyrics which could potentially be interpreted as drug or crime related (‘You’ve been keeping paraphernalia’), connoting the streets and cagey areas. Oasis-Supersonic used such locations to maintain a gritty artist image, while remaining in the conventions of the genre. Similarly, the same locations were used to capture the images needed to my ancillary tasks, as I wanted to create the same effect upon the audience. Additionally, a studio was used to portray the performance element of the video. From my research, I concluded that a studio was a vital location to include, as audiences associate the chosen genre through props of the location. For instance; amplifiers, microphones, drums; can be identified in the majority of Indie videos as these instruments/components are needed to produce the music. Moreover, indie artists like to include these locations, as they imply the importance of the music above any other commercial aspects.
Another convention used was the heavily use of artist performance in the video. Throughout my research, I identified the importance of performed elements of the song, due to the genres main focus of portraying the music rather than a flamboyant narrative. This can be particularly by Liam Gallagher’s own video to ‘Wall Of Glass’, which solely focuses on the lyrics and performance of the artist. Following Andrew Goodwin and our research, we used the video to illustrate the lyrics literally, alongside subtle references. These include the props; a glass bottle; and our cinematography, as we focus on the characters ‘eyes’ when they are referred to in the song. Additionally, according to Goodwin’s Star theory, we created a star persona for our artist. In the video, this is demonstrated by our use of camera work and editing, as the artist receives the focus of the audience more than any other character in the production. For example, many close-ups are used to highlight the significance of the artist. Furthermore, 4 of the 6 digipak images consist of the artist ‘Ryan Tyler’, to help affirm the artists status as a solo artist. This is evidently used by the Arctic Monkeys on the cover of ‘Whatever they say I am, that’s what I am not’, with audiences made aware of the lead singer and face of the band.
The culture and connotations of the indie genre are portrayed in several ways in the 3 products. The costume worn by the artist on all products; jeans, Adidas Track Top and trainers; are distinctly associated with Indie, especially in the brit pop sub-genre. Following Vernallis Theory, we have attempted to ‘reflect and exaggerate cultural stereotypes’, to display the genre of the artist. When audiences identify the items of clothing, associations and acknowledgement will be made, helping to target those interested (particularly in the digipak poster advertisement). Similarly, the teenage character in the video wears a hoodie and tracksuit bottoms, connoting the troublesome stereotype of younger people. This develops the narrative, while illustrating the darker themes and conventions of the genre, which audiences may conform to.
The representation of Youth, through the effect theory, can be drawn upon as a convention of the Indie genre. Many bands/artists in the genre portray themselves as erratic, adding to the appeal of their music. For instance, RAT BOY’s music video to the song ‘Fake ID’ highlights the energetic and immature nature of younger characters. Similarly, a passive audience may align the young characters with similar stereotypes, as it is revealed one has stolen an item. Some audiences may relate to such situations, with the rough nature of the video conforming to the Brit Pop/Indie genre. Moreover, an active audience may recognise the underlying message of Karma in the video and lyrics, which the target audience of the video being more likely to recognise than those who favour more commercial music.
When planning and editing our video, we decided to develop the fast pace of editing previously seen as a conventional of the genre through my music video research. Although the pace of editing varies song to song, our video contained particularly quick cuts as the beat of the song was constant through the duration of the video. From my research, I found the importance of editing to the beat as this significantly improved the quality of the video produced. For example, the video for ‘Mr Brightside’ by The Killers. This was our first attempt at creating a video and we soon recognised how vital fast pace editing was for a conventional Indie music video. For sections of our video, the length of clips ranged from 0.3 seconds to 1.3 seconds, the latter being the average, however this depended on the location/purpose of the individual shot. As Vernallis stated, the video breaks the conventions of continuity editing, instead creating a distinctive editing style through the use of jump cuts and close ups. The majority of music videos avoid continuity editing (excluding The Verve-Bitter Sweet Symphony) , therefore showing we developed an editing style to conform the major editing conventions I discovered.
The ancillary products created (Digipak and Digipak poster) rather challenged the conventional Indie/Brit Pop versions of the product. Many artists/bands preferred a grayscale digipak and limited photo manipulation. Many of these images were abstract and unclear, preferring to intrigue audiences or highlight the alternative of the music industry. This is demonstrated by Arctic Monkey digipak cover for ‘AM’, which consisted only of a distorted line. Instead, I decided to use photo manipulation to identify the genre more clearly, choosing a VHS effect. This may attract audiences as the genre of music is implied by the era shown by the VHS effect (The 1990s), which was dominated by Brit pop artists. Furthermore, time codes and disrupted images share connotations with the era of the genre, suggesting that the use and gratifications of the album is as a form of escapism to the previous time when this type of music was formed.
The conventional role of the Artist is slightly challenged in the video we produced. Research of music videos shown that the artist is promoted as the ‘Hero’ through Propp’s character theory. However, in our video, the artist cannot be seen as the ‘Hero’ as he is not involved in the narrative or intentionally being presented as gaining his ‘Princess’. In its place, the narrative consists of two characters who could be deemed as a ‘false hero’ and ‘villain’ as they are both portrayed as criminal. This suggests that the video is also a form of entertainment under Katz and Blulmer Use and Gratifications theory.
The use of typography and logo slightly challenges the indie/Brit pop genres. Many bands or artists use regular font to display their names, however I decided to use a slightly more complex logo in a VHS effect. I decided that it was more important to continue the desired effect and include the logo to demonstrate the continuity of the product. This would later help create a brand for the artist. Although, I continued to use the conventional stance of selecting different fonts for varying purposes of the Digipak poster or Digipak. For example, I used a different font to display the track listing to the main album title. This constructs a media product which would be suitable in the real music industry, with audiences unconsciously understanding the purpose of each individual piece of text.
Fewer challenged conventions can be identified as we tried to keep our products as real as a product in the authentic music industry. I think it was important for audiences to be able to distinguish the genre of the artist with ease, allowing the product to have a better chance of engaging the desired audience. Therefore, I had to balance the factors of creating an artist to suit the genre, while keeping the artist unique. The ancillary products were rather restricted to the conventions of the Indie genre, with the music video having more opportunity to divert from the conventions. For instance, the narrative was more complex and detailed (with several crosscutting scenes occurring). Our products overly coincide with Abercrombie’s theory, who stated producers create products similar to others in the genre to appeal to target audiences.
