1. EVALUATION QUESTION 1 - MUSIC VIDEO
IN WHAT WAYS DOES YOUR MEDIA PRODUCT USE, DEVELOP OR CHALLENGE FORMS AND
CONVENTIONSOF REAL MEDIA PRODUCTS?
2. INTRODUCTION
The genre of my music video/song is alternative indie. Conventions of this genre is typically
a surrealist approach on real issues. Making them more stylised in presentation rather than
realistic. I decided to somewhat conform to the conventions of my genre to build a general
base of recognition to appeal to the audience of alternative indie. The music video, although
carries a relatively stylised approach in terms of the cinematic essence – however,
constructs its main connotations and inferences around the realistic storyline which carries
a strong sense of relatability, allowing the audience to connect with the piece.
Examples of the cinematic approach taken
3. NARRATIVE STRUCTURE
The leading narrative of my music video is the idea of a broken/unstable relationship. Due to the controlling nature
of the male figure. Mainly focusing on the idea of how actions have consequences. The male in the video is
reflecting on the relationship in the past, reminiscing on what he has potentially lost in an attempt to reach out and
get back the girl he loves. Yet in the females point of view, she is keeping relatively distant, with little attempt to
reconstruct the relationship but also flashing back on what has become broken.
I used many techniques used in my production to emphasise on this idea. The use of parallel editing brings both
characters into focus. This is evident in the lip sync shot when the male is looking out of the window, with the
females mouth dissolved over the shot. Both characters are lip syncing simultaneously which connotes the idea of
two perspectives and interpretations. Especially at the time of the first chorus, when the lyrics are ‘Anytime you
wanna just call me up’ It could, in the males perspective infer that he is trying to reach out and support the female
who he has lost. Whereas alternatively, the female could be using this as a way of temptation, presenting a more
manipulative side to the character… Telling the male to call her up in a deceptive way. This feature conforms to the
conventions of my genre as it is quite raw and down to earth, elaborating on the underlying story. The audience of
the text will also through this, be able to interoperate the views of the two characters independently, inferring their
aims and perspectives which is beneficial and more engaging for those which are more involved. Even though this
technique successfully portrayed my narrative, it could have been more consistent in the production in terms of the
parallel editing. The use of more real time shots and reduction of flashbacks could have potentially increased the
connection to the audience and made the characters’ intentions post-breakup more evident.
I used binary opposites to further define the narrative of the whole video. The use of binary opposites allows the
two characters to naturally generate their own perspectives which emphasised a multi-strand narrative almost.
Another way that the binary opposite technique is enforced is through the lighting and composition of shots. (More
analysis of camerawork and lighting in the latter part of the presentation).
Motifs, being a major part of the storyline, are considered and used throughout the entirety of the music video. The
motif is the newtons cradle which emphasises the control over the relationship, evident in the shot of the male
character setting the cradle at the beginning of the video and then stopping it at the end. Not only does this start
and end the story, making clear that the music video is more of a recap and reflection from the past, but also
defines visually how actions have consequences. This visual signifier runs alongside the clear binary opposition in
colour grading. Something that is very strong throughout the video. (Also to be detailed later in the presentation).
However, the use of the motif allows audience recognition of the video and links to to the brand identity of the
artist. This also conforms to the genre as it adds a stylised aspect to the videos construction. The motif is heavily
inspired by the film ‘inception’. In that the turners used in the film depict the difference between reality and fantasy
– being a main feature and signifier in the film. The cradle in my video, in a similar way, provides a strong
signification to the story and describes the internal message in a more cryptic way. The motif, being a main feature
in the video, successfully moulded the ideology. Yet in contrast, the cradle could have acted as more of an
interactive pro – as it just seems quite distant from the other factors involved.
This lip sync shot demonstrates the majority of
narrative structures analysed. The dissolve
presents an equilibrium of both characters, but
developing alternate ideologies. The manipulative
nature of the female is emphasised through the
lipstick which is a fetishist item of clothing,
generating a femme fatale type character.
Whereas the way that the male is looking out of
the window conforms to the narrative of the video
in that he is trying to reach out in hope.
An example of how the motif is used to start the
video. Also demonstrating how the video links to
the genre in the stylistic and filmic approach and
presentation
4. MISE-EN-SCENE / LOCATION
The main location of the music video is a playpark. With other locations being a
bedroom and a pathway. The significance of a playpark is that it is a strong
signifier of childhood, happiness and reminiscence. The shots in which the
playpark is used in my video are ones where the male and female argue and
when the male is by himself. This connotes evident instability and heartbreak
which is contrasted well by the connotations of the park itself. The use of the park
also allows the binary opposition and emotion between the two characters to
develop. This conforms to the genre of the music video as most indie songs
connote the idea of honesty and possess emotive connection through the use of
a story.
The mise-en-scene within the shots in terms of props and objects in the
background is very sparse. This is intentional as I wanted to draw full attention to
the subjects of each shot. Being flashback shots mainly, the aims connotation is
that there is a story being crafted by the male character. As he , in the video, is
presented as controlling and the reason for the relationships crumble, the lack of
additional detail and background reflects how people in relationships can only
focus on certain things and craft their view from that alone. This isolation of each
subject also draws full attention to that in question, engaging the audience and
forming a more stylistic video – further complying to the conventions of the indie
genre.
Mise-en-scene also accounts for the costuming. The costuming for the male
character will be simplistic, which generates a higher engagement of relatability
to the audience. The shirt, as mentioned in the costume planning, infers that he
is in an attempt to cover up his true self, in relation to the shirts buttons. This
links directly to how the male is ‘crafting’ his view on the relationship and by
choosing what he wants to remember, he is essentially hiding who he really is.
Whereas the female character is more independent in her clothing, wearing more
ripped items and lighter colours to directly contrast that of the male lead. The use
of costuming was greatly thought out in the planning of my production. Proving
successful in terms of keeping down with the constructed audience and not
diverting above or away from those who are targeted.
This shot examples the contrast between location and story. The
two characters are arguing in this flashback which gives
background and a starting point to the narrative which the audience
can use to understand the rest of the feature. The contrast between
the park and emotion is so extreme that it adds to the surrealism
and stylistic nature of the genre. Further elements of inference
involve how the male is centralised which infers his control and
importance. Yet also establishes him as the artist (alongside the lip
sync shots) and makes him more recognisable in the plot.
5. CHARACTERS AND COSTUMING
Male character (Harry Ames)
With the representation of the male character, I wanted to create a relatable male through heartbreak and loss.
Holding an alibi which, although not pure, carries humility and honesty. This somewhat relates to how
alternative indie songs are generically based off of generic topics like relationships, yet defies its conventions
as it presents a character who carries a equilibrium alongside the audience. This in turn, makes the video more
engaging to not only the constructed audience, but that of which isn’t targeted. Mid shots are mainly used to
present the male character. Carrying strong connotations of him being down to earth and honest. Yet some
shots are low angle, this would typically connotes power and cause the audience to feel inferior to that
character. However, the low angle shots are only used in the lip sync of the chorus. This puts the character on
an upper level which could infer that he is trying to go to all extents to reach out and reconnect with the female
in question.
Female character (Yasmin Braithwaite)
The female character is somewhat subject to debate in terms of what she represents and here ideology
throughout the video. This aim of the character in itself allows the audience to fully engage with the production
and develop their own inferences throughout the developing storyline. The female character carries
connotations of a femme fatale through her purple lipstick. This although defies typical film noir femme fatales
as it is an alternative to the colour red. It suggests that she is cold at heart and that could potentially be a
reason as to why the relationship had ended. Alongside this, the low angle shots presented allow a relatable
aspect to be applied which could enforce sympathy upon her from the audience. This controversy in character
representation makes the story more complex – adding to how there is more to be inferred alongside the story
constructed by the male character.
The costuming of the male character, in development from the previous slide, is very dark in colour, with rich
purples, blacks and greens. This in itself infers how the character is reserved and doesn’t let too much of his
personality out. Whereas, the female character supports lighter colours which in turn could represent her
personality and how she is more exposing in terms of her realistic personality. However, the light clothing
presents the female character in a way which is very ‘angelic’ and defines her as a symbol of ‘hope’. Through
this, there is link to the surrealism of the music’s genre, but also there is a very clear visual representation of
how much she means to the male character. This intensity is absorbed by the audience and appreciated in a
relatable manner. Although the stylistic approach of this connotation may be something that is considered to
draw the relatable aspect to one side, realistically, the audience would be able to use this to further sympathise
with the male character and - in their own way – feel a sense of loss when the female character walks off in the
penultimate shot. The costuming was inspired by the tv shot ‘Freaks and Geeks’ in that the character in the
show are pursuing a road to find their identity. Especially the main character Lindsay. Therefore, I thought the
use of costume to define the characters personality would be a great idea to add to the production.
6. PROPS
Few props were used in my music video. Although the use of more would have added
to the complexity of the story and also could have allowed myself to put in other hidden
meanings, the sparse use of props draws full attention to what I want the audience to
focus on. Acting as a sort of eye grab feature. We see, the male character scrolling
through some printed photographs of him and the female character in a shot leading up
to the first chorus. This visually details how he is reminiscing the times they have spent
together. I wanted to use printed images rather than those on a mobile phone due to
how the printed style would add to the more old fashioned look, as well as maintaining
the humble tone that I wanted to enforce. Although, in the modern day, nearly everyone
has a mobile phone which is a primary feature in their lives – especially the constructed
audience that I have chosen for my video – the exclusion of it in my video prevents a
relation to the production in that sense. However, the use of this prop greatly benefitted
the story visually. In terms of drawing the audiences focus throughout the video, and
the risk of too many things going on – in the shot of the images, the foreground is
blurred out with centralisation of the paper in the male characters hands, fully engaging
the audience to this prop successfully and eliminating any other distractions.
An additional and prominent prop that is used is the newtons cradle. Which is the
primary motif in my production. The cradle is used to draw a visual link between actions
and their consequences. In that if one ball is dropped, the opposite one is elevated.
This prop carries this connotation throughout the video and in a way acts as the glue to
the storyline. However, there is limited interaction with the cradle as it is more of a real
time factor and isn’t included in any of the flashback shots. Although this separates the
two time frames and doesn’t cause confusion – it is relatively isolated from the
characters in question and visually doesn’t seem like it links to them directly. Therefore,
I could have incorporated it in the flashbacks, for example, having a shot of the cradle
between the two characters - side on – with both characters talking over it.
7. LIGHTING
Lighting in my music video was highly considered to enforce ideology and inference. The direct
address lip sync shot of the male character is lit to identify the complexion and question of his
identity. The way that the light falls down half of his face contrasts the chiaroscuro style of the
remaining space on the shot. This contrast enforces how the male is to be sympathised with yet
has demons to hide alongside this. This links to the genre greatly as it demonstrates the
conventions of how alternative indie songs generally have a deeper meaning behind the
curtain. I used natural lighting out of the window. Mainly die to how it provided a relatively soft
light on the side of the face. Alongside this, the sunlight caused the rest of the shot to darken.
The lack of backlight allowed the subject of the shot to fall into isolation, this strongly reinforces
the connotation of loss and heartbreak. The lip sync shot of the chorus’, with the male character
also, presents a soft light on the front pf his face and limited light behind him. As he is looking
out of the window, it constructs the idea that the character is looking for hope/wishing to
reconstruct the relationship that is broken.
In the penultimate shot of the female character, I increased the white balance on the camera.
This, alongside the bright sunlight, casted the subject into a very euphoric and stylised shot.
This in itself presents the subject in an angelic way, adding to the story in question. In terms of
light and dark, I wanted to cast the male figure into dark, softer lit shots, whereas the female
into a harder lit shot. This reinforces the idea of binary opposites and caused further distance
between the two characters.
The newton's cradle shots were somewhat lit, using a non diegetic LED panel light to cast a
glow over the top. This allowed the cradle to be a more neutral aspect to the video, adding to
the equilibrium within the narrative.
The shot of the male and female character walking happily alongside the trees is relatively
brightly lit. The lighting casts a sort of orange/autumnal shade over the shot, being warm and
connoting love and connection. This is an inclusion in the flashback sequences of when the
relationship was strong. Alternatively, it could be argued that it is more of a hope of the male
character, being an example of what he wants the relationship to be.
The colour of this shot due to the lighting
enhances the idea of love and happiness.
Being a contrasting set of emotions to the main
story, it is extremely fair to analyse the shot in
terms of representing the hopes of the male
character. The exposure of the image gives it a
relatively misty overlay also enforcing this idea.
The light on the face truly suggests the idea of
aspiration and hope. This connotation is then
carried throughout the video (In the shot of the
male and female walking by the trees) to
emphasise his ideology and aims. The dark
shadows behind him suggests also that he is
leaving his insecurities and dark traits behind.
8. CAMERAWORK
In my production, I wanted to maintain a sense of relatability to the characters to allow audience
engagement and understanding of the story and its meaning. As discussed previously, I used mid
shots repeatedly to position the audience on the level of the characters in the shots in order to
emphasise this and perform this aim successfully. Also previously mentioned. I used low angle
shots in the chorus lip sync, presenting both characters lip syncing the same section, in order to
position the male above the female and not over the audience. Although my choices of camera
angles are successful in presenting the idealistic connotations. To enhance the complexity of the
video, I could have definitely used a wider range of angles.
I used tracking shots, handheld shots and slider shots in my production to add movement to the
production. In the shot of the male and female being happy, as well as the male and female
walking down the path separately – tracking handheld shots are used. These are used to
emphasise on the idea of instability. Especially linking to the narrative of the story. The genre
through this is conformed to greatly, as alternative indie music videos tend to have handheld shots
as their primary feature.
My production diverts away from long shots. This decision gives the video a very intense feel as
the audience is constantly faced directly with the subject of each shot. This not only adds to the
narrative, but generates a story which the audience can fully immerse themselves in due to the
visual closeness to the elements within. On the other hand, the absence of long shots creates a
smaller world in which the story/video is set. Long shots, also known as the establishing shot,
tends to predominantly set the scene in productions. As seen in a wide range of productions.
Therefore, I could have incorporated at least one establishing shot to give the audience more of a
setting as to where the video takes place.
The use of the slider is extremely subtle, yet – in my eyes – compliments the introduction of the
female character. In the shot where the female character is side on and lip syncing the second
verse of the song. The camera slides onto her face, casting her into the shot. Although this isn’t
visually obvious, it generates a ‘switch’ between character perspectives so to speak. Being
successful in that it adds upon the separation between the two character in the video.
An over the shoulder shot is used when the male character is looking through the photos of him
and the female character, reminiscing on the past. This draws focus to the photos as they are key
to the idea of revisiting memories from the past.
The shot including the slider use
In this shot, the camera tracks the female character. This
shot is greatly similar to that of the male walking don the
same path. Both shots are slow motion which could
represent both of them thinking about the past and losing
track of time. Alongside this, it gives another alternative
as to what the females perspective is on the whole
situation.
9. COMPOSITION
Composition was greatly considered in the planning for my production. To make
the shots more stylised and professional, I considered the rule of thirds
throughout all of my shots. This links to the surrealism of the genre in terms of the
stylist approach. Diverting from this rule of composition slightly, I centralised the
subject of some shots. The effect of this is that it draws the audiences focus to
what I want them to see, therefore making the technique successful in use. An
example of this is the lip sync of the male character. Although this is centralised,
the eyes of the character still falls on the upper line in terms of the rule of thirds.
Another feature that I used was eyeline trace, this further adds to the
professionalism of the edit. This is shown in the initial sequence of the male
scanning through the photos, then leading to the lip sync shot/s. As well as this
addition to the feature. It again draws the audiences focus to what I want them to
look at. Another way that I have done this is using leading lines. The leading lines
furthermore gives the impression that the characters are following a path to and
from something. Yet the audience are unaware of how long the path is and where
it is they are actually going to.
The shot of the male and female arguing on the park bench is composed to defy
the rule of thirds. The male is centralised which reinforces his importance and
identifies him as the main character/artist of the video. The way in which the
female is set to the side relatively complies to the idea of ‘avoiding the middle’ in
composition. This generates an idea of conformity and normality which contrasts
that of the male. Alongside this, shots usually contain an odd number of subjects
to be professional and good to look at, whereas this shot only has two. Th effect
of this is that it gives the shot a more of a raw and stubborn impression to the
viewer as it reflects the theme of the shot in terms of a breakup. Therefore
allowing more intimacy and engagement with the audience.
This shots includes the leading lines and the tracking
handheld camera. Adding to the instability and reflective
aspect of the narrative. It also gives the shot a more stylistic
feel, carrying inspiration from the Maccabees video for
‘Toothpaste Kisses’
10. EDITING
Flashbacks are a major aspect of my video. In that it crafts the story and develops a narrative
with depth. To create this effect of flashbacks, I crosscut between lip sync shots and narrative
throughout the video. This separation of shot styles creates a boundary almost which makes
the real-time and flashbacks more evident to the audience. I used cross dissolves to interlink
shots and thread them into one another. Doing this, I increased the sense of a dreamlike
ideology which links to the idea of reflection and hope. The layered lip sync shot presents a
connection between the two characters which adds to the contrasting idea of loss and
heartbreak.
The cuts to black at the beginning of the video could connote eyes blinking. This in turn would
infer that there is something to be woken up to/realised. In this case, by the male character.
This instantly engages the audience and intrigues them into what is being shown and what it
will lead to. Alongside this, it introduces the characters and previews the themes and issues
within the main sequences.
I have complied to the 30 degree rule and 180 degree rule in many of the shots. Examples
being in the shot at the park bench where the two characters are having an argument. This
prevents disorientation whilst watching the video and also allows the story to be understood
more intensely.
In the latter part of the video, I mirrored the lip sync of the male looking out of the window.
Adding a dissolved layer of the newtons cradle over it. This shot connotes a change in thought
for the male in that he now is talking to himself in realisation that he is the cause of the
relationships end. This is also reinforced by the cradle as it visually connotes how actions have
consequences, something that the male character has – at this point – realised. In terms of
finishing and colour grading, I wanted t maintain a relatively dark composition when presenting
the male character, and to contrast, present the female in a more lit up atmosphere to endorse
the angelic effect. This not only caused emphasis on the idea of binary opposites but also gives
the video a visual signifier of the two sides to the story. Adding mainly to how the male is
crafting his side to the story and the audience is left to infer for themselves what the female is
thinking in the process. The overall saturation of the shots of the male reinforces the idea of
how the artist is conservative. As well as allowing more availability for relatability and sympathy
to be subjected to him.
I also considered sound when editing. I maintained the sound of the cradle balls in the mirror
shot, to give it a more stylised feel, linking again to the genre of the song. Alongside this, I cut
to the beat throughout the entirety of the video to emphasise on the control aspect, then having
the male stop the cradle at the end to again replicate this idea.
11. REPRESENTATION AND THEORY RELATION
The main theme in the video is an unstable relationship. With the male presenting to the viewers his perspective in the heartbreak and then leaving the females intentions to be
considered throughout the production. I have identified with Levi Strauss’ theory of binary opposites in my video, in a attempt to divide the two characters and evident the alternating
perspectives and ideologies. Considering the implementation of dominant culture through this, I wanted to challenge this aspect and maintain an equilibrium which platforms the
characters beside the audience, giving them a sense of belonging.
Another theory which I have recognised is that of Stuart Hall. Identifying how some representations can be misunderstood and/or negotiated. This links directly to the representation of
the female character in that her perspective is blurred and not as visually evident as that of the males. Her lipstick and intensity connotes the idea of a femme fatal, making her, as a
character, seem manipulative and misleading. Yet we see later in the video a shot of her walking down the same path as the male, in slow motion, which implies reconciliation and
reflection. These alternating interpretations allow the audience to engage with the story and develop individual inferences from it.
The overall message and topic of the video is relatable and typical of the genre, yet challenges the genre through the slow approach and developed intimacy. As it lacks the generic
superficial approach. In terms of the presentation of the representations, I wants to keep the characters as realistic as possible in order to allow, as mentioned before, the audience to
identify with them. This is then contrasted by the stylisation of the video itself in an attempt to emphasise the overall ‘dreamlike’ and ‘reflective’ feel. My representations are more
contemporary as they tell an intense and heartfelt story, progressively representing young adults in early relationships.
Looking at Goodwin’s theory of music videos, my production follows many of the points addressed. My video complies with many of the genres characteristics in terms of the filmic and
stylistic approach to presentation, causing it to be recognised as that specific genre. However the representation and creation of the characters defies its conventions as they are more
intimate to suit the target audience. In terms of the relationship between the visuals and lyrics; i conformed to this convention in the chorus’. Exampling the first chorus, the male and
female are presented to the audience. Both addressing the other saying ‘Anytime you wanna just call me up’ but carrying different intentions. As well as this, the line ‘I can see the future,
we’ll be… Living it up inside’ introduces the idea of hope and attempt to rebuild the relationship in view of the future. Addressing the link between music and visuals. I cut many of the
shots to the beat to incorporate the aspect of control. Alongside this, I used the setting and stopping of the cradle to begin and end the main chunk of the track. This re-emphasises the
use of the motif and its importance and furthermore draws significance to the male character who again is identified as the main subject in the video. As I only used mid-close shots
throughout the video. It conforms greatly to Goodwin’s theory about how labels tend to feature artist close ups to develop the brand identity and allow audiences to recognise the track
more easily. The close ups are very intensely shot. With the initial lip sync shots of the artist directly addressing the audience. Voyeuristic elements isn’t something that I considered to
include in my video as I wanted to retain its realistic aspect surrounding the characters without making one of them ‘desirable’ to the audience. However, the extreme close up of the
females mouth (with the lip stick) alongside the penultimate shot of the female seem rather seductive through the femme fatale nature and also through how she is presented as a
fantasy almost. Loosely conforming to this voyeuristic consideration, my video contains it in some way which generally makes it stronger as a whole. Lastly, I involved many intertextual
referenced to cover arrange of audience types as well as to inspire my own work. The costuming, and how it assists the craft of the characters personalities hints towards the American tv
show from 1999 ‘Freaks and Geeks’ a reference that would be more appreciated by the groups in favour of a nod to nostalgia. Furthermore, the film ‘Inception’ greatly inspired the use of
the newtons cradle as explored earlier. This will appeal to the more engaged audience of which is who I have mainly constructed my video for.
In conclusion, the music video element of my product conforms well to typical conventions of music videos, abiding by the guidelines for success. However, diverting from hegemonic
traits constantly throughout in order to produce a piece of work which fulfils my aims of narrative and representation. Applying a strong sense of honest connection and relatability to a
subject which tends to be superficially used.
