Evaluation 1 - Essay Form

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

 The music video I created conforms to some of Andrew Goodwin's ideas on music videos, such as the fact that there is a link between the visuals and the lyrics. This is relevant to my product as I have created literal visual representations of the words in the song. For example, a close up of lyrics on a tree , which could be linked to the lyrics: “you took my soul”. The pace of my music video might also link to Goodwin’s theory that music and visuals also intertwine at times. The song I chose “All I Want” by Kodaline is of slow tempo which then gets much faster in the middle, therefore when editing my music video, I ensured to keep a slow pace, making sure the cuts of shots were on the beat, and didn’t contradict the melody of the song. The fact I edited my music video at times with a slow motion effect might also be what made the pace so well fitted with the song.

Additionally, Goodwin states that music videos might also be used to amplify emotions and moods, without completely illustrating the song. In terms of this suggestion, my music video conforms perfectly, due to how the sad mood and sense of loneliness is displayed by the character in my narrative, capturing the essence of the song, whilst creating a completely new storyline. This grasps the audience’s attention, keeping their interest the whole way through, until the part where the character steps on stage and starts doing a live performance at the end of the video; where it is revealed that the male has died as she is doing a tribute about him.

Moreover, in terms of the representation, I attempted to create a sense of innocence and freedom within my music video. I did this essentially using mise-en-scene. For instance, by filming the majority of the video in the woods, this created a feeling of carelessness, which was essential to be portrayed as it fit into the storyline which hints that the young girl has been very sad about her lover's death and she is not able to see him ever again. Another way this was portrayed would be in the costume and make up of my model. Dressing her in a black dress, with black boots, clear complexion gives an essence of the past, reinforcing the idea of the character cannot do anything about the past and may as well stop caring. This idea complements my song choice as within it are references to childhood memories that could make audiences feel nostalgic: “you took my soul and wiped it clean”.

My music video fits into the alternative rock music genre, due to the footage within my product echoing many shots used in music videos for artists such as Kodaline, Muse, and Example. An example of this is my focus on nature and the colour black. Wide angle long shots of the sun peering through the trees and bushes towards the camera are typical shots that are used in order to create a calm feel to the video which some may say may not be a convention of rock music, as the songs usually aim to make the listener feel excited, aggressive, and tense – in contrast to perhaps indie/folk music that aims to make the listener feel calm and peaceful.

My focus on locations is what makes my music video so visually pleasing. Finding a lot of trees and different logs in order to place lyrics to film my last scenes in helps to target my video at the right audience. Those who listen to Alternative Rock music will enjoy the outdoors and will also have an interest in soft rock music. Therefore, the locations within my video are easier for my audience to identify with. On the other hand, those who listen to alternative rock music who live in city areas might find great joy in enduring within footage outside of their normal environment, creating a sense of escapism. My video would essentially appeal to young girls and boys, those from 12-24. This is because the band 'Kodaline' is in fact aimed at that age group. Their lyrics clearly portray this – therefore largely appealing to those of a similar generation. In result, I carefully picked my main actress to appear as a young girl, small in size and petite. This is so I could ensure that my audience would feel a personal identification with my actress, helping them to feel more engaged with the narrative – which also means my video applies to Bulmer and Katz' Uses and Gratifications theory.

My video reinforces the concept of how the actions you make have an impact on other people’s lives as well as your own, in the form of a linear narrative. The story begins at the start of the young girl getting ready, in which we see her brushing her teeth, putting her clothes on, and putting some make up on– reinforcing the audience's concept of rock artists. However, the restrictive narrative ensure that occasional shots to a different location which in this case is at the woods; accompanied by shots of the main character walking through the trees with the sunlight directly on the cameras highlight some negative aspects of rock conventions.  This could make my story slightly abstract, as it is not until the end that it’s revealed that the man who is 'figuratively' singing those lyrics to her is actually dead.  The use of the sun reflecting through the trees and grass and onto her face gives the character a positive aura, making audiences feel sympathetic for her as she is facing relationship problems.

Magazine Advert

My magazine advert conforms to the conventions of real-media products in relation to the Alternative Rock genre. The artists name is written clearly at top, ensuring to grasp the attention of Kodaline fans. their name is written in the same way it is on the Digipak – this creates a Rock Style and a common theme – so the artists products are easily identified each time. The title of the album is simply placed on the page, so that it sticks in the readers memory. I featured five-star ratings and quote such as: “Our of the world” and “Their best album ever” by popular magazines and newspapers such as NME  and The Times, in order to give the album a feeling of success, which audience members will appreciate as they will know spending their money on this album will not be of waste. The language I used to describe the album fit into the genre, as Kodaline's target audience will enjoy soft  music, which I feel the words I have used represent. The image of the rain which is a part of pathatic fallacy also fit into the theme of my music video, as it is set in that type of emotion and also conforms to the ‘rocky -aggressive’  convention that my target audience will probably be used to. I created one in portrait and one in landscape; this is because I wanted to ensure the album could be advertised in various places, for example, a bus stop advert in portrait and also perhaps a billboard in landscape.

Digipack Cover

 My Digipak maintains this rock style with part of a pathatic fallacy demonstrated with the raindrops on the window which highlight an emotional, touching album.  The concept of identity and reflection is something I have used throughout my project, as in my music video my artist looks at her reflection on the mirror while brushing her teeth. This is because alternative rock music is often about identity and makes the audience feel self reflective and evaluative of their own impact on society; hence my continuation of this theme throughout.
 The CD holders and back page are all photos of trees/nature. This is because I am trying to convey the tone of the album, highlighting the soft type of music Kodaline sings. Target audience members of  rock music will instantly associate themselves with albums of this look. The filters on these photos make the leaves and scenery appear sunlit and warm, making the album more appealing and eye catching. I also included a record label logo of ‘Fame records’ so that industrially audience members will begin to recognise the record label and associate it with this genre, helping to advertise the artist and the company at once. The copyright details are also included as well as typical generic conventions such as a track list and a barcode. These all contribute to making my product look as professional and as close to real-life media texts as possible.