This document discusses conventions of music videos and how the author's media product conforms to or challenges these conventions. Some key conventions discussed include: - Music video lengths generally being 2-5 minutes - Including narrative elements beyond just the song - Using bright, eye-catching imagery in marketing The author's music video incorporates dreaming/reality dichotomies seen in other videos. It references other works through intertextuality and uses various locations tied to the narrative. The digipack design draws from album covers, with panels representing themes of reality/dreams and the performer's journey. Overall, the document examines how the author's work engages with mainstream music video conventions.

1. 1. In what ways does your media
product use, develop or challenge
forms and conventions of real
media products
By Abbie Hiscox

2. Conventions of a music video
One of the main conventions of music videos is the
length, looking at other music videos the general
length is between 2-5 minutes. If the music video
uses a long story line before or after the song. An
example of this is ‘Telephone by Lady Gaga’
This seems to have become popular with many
artists now and also seems to have become the
mainstream way that many artists showcase their
videos. Having a narrative to a music video seems
more important to an audience now, the reason
they seem to do this is because they then have a
more defined demographic to aim towards
therefore making it easier to market the music
video on social media.

3. Conventions of a music video pt 2
The marketing exercises that go on social media, on posters and in general media are designed to catch the
eye of the public and critics to want to talk about that artist further. Most posters and marketing strategies are
colourful and eye catching to make sure they are seen easily and therefore people will buy their music. For
example someone like Bowie does not need much to stand out because his name alone will sell records but
for other unsigned or smaller artists this can be a problem so they have to use marketing to make them stand
out.
Gwen Stefani for example uses the eye catching
imagery that most artists use now in the mainstream.
Mainstream media wants the public to buy and see
the product or in this case music video as quickly as
possible. In general also much like my advert the
performer that is in the music video is on the poster
therefore conforming to mainstream media.

4. Conventions of a music video pt3
Many music videos use the oppositions of dreaming and
reality into their music videos. Or simply creating another
world for the audience to connect too. They can be taken from
fairy tales, the bible or from the artist's imagination to then
project onto a screen, In my music video we took influence
from this and used dreaming and reality to show the
comparison from what our main performer wanted and what
she had. For example in this music video of Taylor Swift you
can see the real life that she has and then the life that she
once had, is gone and now misses, she was dreaming but her
reality would never compare.
In this music video Robbie Williams has his
reality and then goes into a world of fantasy.
Using Alice in Wonderland he has created a
world of reality and dreaming. This constant use
of opposition that is used in the mainstream
media shows what the audience want and what
they will consume. Using a fairy tale such as
Alice in Wonderland also gives a wider
demographic as more people are going to
recognise that fairy tale
This music video by Panic! At The
Disco uses imagery of the devil and
the bible to narrate the music video
and also create an alternate world.
This music video stays in the world
of fantasy but you could argue that
the fantasy plays out on screen in
front of us when the main performer
turns into the devil. Here the main
performer looks like he is fighting to
go to his fantasy world. In the
mainstream a dream or fantasy
world will always be better especially
in the media of a music video

5. Intertextuality
In my music video many aspects of other
media that influenced me were used. For
example in the opening when the main
performer is getting ready the reference
for Panic At The Disco’s - This is Gospel
is used. We did this by doing a similar
routine at the start but to get across a
different message to what was
happening in the narrative. PATD’s
opening narrative was about surgery
where ours was getting ready for the
morning in her reality. PATD is also in
the same genre as my music video
therefore my music video also conforms
to mainstream ideas

6. Intertextuality pt2
Another form of intertextuality that was used was The Third Man. A shot that we used of our
main performer walking down the pier replicated this to show the wide range of media music
videos can effect but also show that the same shots and camera techniques are still used today.
The use of perspective also gets the message across that the dream that you want can be far
away and the reality you are in can be hard to get away from. In media walking away from
something can symbolise death but walking towards means the rebirth of something. In my
music video the main performer is walking towards us symbolising that this is her re birth. This
is in her dream also then getting to the fact that this is the place she wants to be

7. Intertextuality pt3
The Lion, Witch and The Wardrobe is also
referenced in my music video. Two of the
main characters at one point are standing next
to lamp posts. The lamp post represents the
edge of a world that they want to go to. For
Lucy in TLWATW she is drawn to another
world that is completely different from her
reality.
The main performer in my music video
is standing at the lamp post waiting for
a bus, this symbolism of a journey
represents what she is trying to get
away from. Both characters from
these aspects of media want to get
away from something and enter a
world that is different to theirs
The symbolism of the lamp post in
TLWATW is a beacon of hope but
also a cross between the two
worlds much like in my music
video
The use of the wardrobe was used
in our music video to reference
TLWATW. The wardrobe again
represents the crossing between
worlds as the room our main
performer goes from is her
bedroom where he reality is but
she dreams into the dream that
she wants and is having

8. Locations
We used a variety of locations in our music video.
Doing this varied the mise en scene and also varied
the locations for reality and illusion. Bedroom - The
bedroom location that was used for the primary
location that our main performer was in. One of the
main influences that we used for this location was (Her
Morning Elegance - Oren Lavie) The stop motion in
this video inspired us because of the disconnection of
reality, also the white bed sheets and the white pillows
show a connection to dreaming. This location also
sets up other intertextual references such as (Panic At
The Disco - This is Gospel). As our genre is pop/punk
this fits in with our conventions perfectly.

9. Locations Pt2
Beach- We used the beach as it fit with representation of british people which was also
part of our aimed demographic. The use of the fish and chips and the beach huts
enhanced this. In one of our shots we used a camera angle that was influenced by
(The Third Man) when our main performer is walking down the pier to replicate the
shot, doing this references other media that enhances the music video. As I am aiming
at a British audience it is important to use techniques that will make the audience feel
connected to the music video

10. DigiPack - Panel 1 For panel one I knew that it needed to be eye catching, to do this I
decided to go for the read of the beach hut. Using this bright and eye
catching colour conforms to mainstream ideas that want to market at
a wider audience therefore making it bright and bold will help with
this. I researched into the use of the colour red before I decided to
use it to see if it would help market the brand. The colour red is
known for being youthful and exciting, many brands that aim at
teenagers use the colour red to attract their aimed at audience. Many
mainstream artists also have themselves on the cover of the
performer that is in the music video. In my case the performer is on
the front. The main performer is also standing in front of a beach hut,
this beach hut connotes britishness which is also part of the
demographic that I am aiming at. Doing all of this conforms to a
mainstream ideal.
These album covers from mainstream artists also
have a block colour background that brings out
the main feature of the album art therefore
conforming to pop culture.

11. DigiPack - Panel 2 For my second panel I used the symbolism of our main
performers dream and reality. In the black and white pictures
she is unhappy and in the colour pictures she is happy. I did
this in a chequered pattern to get across the feeling of
uncertainty. This mixes with the bold and the black and white
to catch the eye but as this is the second panel it does not
matter so much. Looking at this also helps the audience
understand what the music video. The black bars around the
side represent the dark reality that she is in.
U2 – The Unforgettable Fire EP
This U2 cover inspired me
because of the many faces and
the use of colour and black and
white, to me this showed a range
of different emotions that would
resemble with our main performer

12. DigiPack - Panel 2 pt2
This album cover was my main inspiration for my panel 2.
The repeating faces in different states of mood and facial
expression gave me the idea of how I wanted mine to look.
I decided to add colour into mine as I wanted it to be more
modern and look more slick. I also felt that adding colour
would reflect the dreams that our main performer was
having that she so desperately wanted to come true. The
Beatles cover and title for ‘A Hard Day’s Night’ also reflects
what our music video is about in four words. I have used
repetition in two of my panels to show the constant boring
life that is shown in our music video which I think reflects
very much in this album cover

13. DigiPack - Panel 3 For my third panel I decided on the same picture
four times, doing this will replicate the repetition
that our main performer is feeling from being stuck
in her reality. The blur in the pictures also gets
across this message. The constant use of the
same picture is the most non conventional pop
cover that I have done. It is the panel with the least
colour but I feel that it reflects the main performers
state of mind in her reality.
I felt that the blur of this image
was important as it shows the
journey that our main performer
is going on. In this Simon &
Garfunkel cover which i took
inspiration from shows a train
going past which also
symbolises a journey

14. DigiPack - Panel 4
The final panel for my digipak is about symbolism.
The shell that is the primary object in the picture is a
motif that is used in the music video and plays the
part of the crossing between reality and dreaming.
The use of the red lipstick also shows that brightness
and colour that she has in her dreams. The fact that
she is looking up symbolises the fact she is looking
away from her reality and into her dreams, the shell
in the picture enhances this