The document discusses how the media creator's music video, digipak, and album poster both use and challenge conventions of existing media products. The music video uses stop-motion photography, which challenges the convention that music videos are typically shot with video footage. However, it also employs conventional camera techniques. The album poster includes conventional information but also unconventional elements like a QR code and social media icons that have become expected. The digipak incorporates standard back cover details but also the band's website, which may have been unconventional in the past but is now essential. Overall, the media products both draw from and adapt conventions based on changes in audience expectations over time.

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

2. I feel my media products both use and challenge forms and
conventions of existing products in a number of ways. My music video,
digipak and album poster all have aspects which follow certain
conventions of existing ones which were successful, but they also
express their own conventions.

3. The music video is made entirely with stop-motion
photography, which, even though having seen use of it, I
don’t feel is commonly seen in music videos very often.
This in its own is convention that my video is breaking –
that music videos are shot with video footage.
However, the shots that I have used in my video I have
researched from, learned from and related to the different
conventional camera shots and techniques used in a lot of
music videos today. For example, shot-reverse-
shots, wide-to-close-up shots, match-on-action etc. have
all been carefully thought about and considered just as much as the
actual subject has. Being a photography student, I feel I
have been slightly more creative with the framing on some
shots, compared to what is commonly known and seen.
However, recently I have seen a lot of varying uses of
framing throughout music videos, and alternative music
videos are becoming more widely known and seen, so in
terms of today’s conventions I would say I have developed
them in this aspect.

4. My print advert, the album poster, uses a lot of conventions
normally seen on successful posters. For example, I have included
a release date, the band’s name, the album’s name, the record
label etc. But apart from the basic things that should be seen, I
have also included things like a QR code, icons for social media
sites and a limited edition online offer. All of these things wouldn’t
have been commonly seen on album posters say a decade ago, so
in traditional senses I have developed the conventions.
However, in the rise in significance of the internet in modern
times, online social media and digital music download sites have
become very widely used outlets, as opposed to the traditional
hard copies of albums. So in terms that are contemporary, my
poster doesn’t really challenge or develop conventions, but really
just follows them. It would be quite uncommon these days for an
album poster not to provide consumers
with online opportunities.

5. For my digipak, I would say that it mostly uses
and possibly develops the conventions of an
album. For example, I have included on the
back cover all of the things you would see on
the back cover of almost any album – things like
a barcode, the band’s website address, the
record company’s name etc. On the other
hand, inclusion of the band’s website address
again relates to the fact that, maybe 10 years
ago this would not have been seen as
conventional, but nowadays is an essential
aspect to have.