1. In what ways does your media
product use, develop or
challenge forms and conventions
of real media products?
2. CONVENTIONS= SO IMPORTANT!
• Conventions are vital for an audience to figure out what they are
watching. They are often the same depending on what genre of
film/video you are watching and create different signs and meanings
that allow the audience to make up conclusions for. The hypodermic
needle theory can help us prove that it depends on who the audience
is to get a desired result. Theorists such as Andrew Goodwin have
allowed me to follow/use, develop or challenge many conventions of
many different genres in order to make my music video successful.
Here it goes….!
3. Conventions I have used from The Cure’s work…
In the majority of The Cure’s music videos (and many other
British rock bands of the 80s) it just consists of the band
performing to the camera. There is rarely any clear
narrative nor is there any specification of time/day etc.
However, the edits are evidently continuous. SO in my
music video I have kept the band’s performances the same
and the use of thought beats (Cheers Andrew!) which will
makes the video more pleasing to watch. Well I think so
anyway. My actors were so energetic and natural in front of
the camera which is always the case of The Cure, and
although it might not be an applicable convention to many
other genres, it’s vital for my music video as it follows
elements of my inspiration’s work.
4. Conventions used from other work…
This is one of the music videos from a different genre that I
have used as an inspiration. The key feature that I have used in
my own work is the use of the star image/narrator. I really love
the way the whole music video is focused on Mike Dignam (the
artist) as it allows you to watch the video without any other
distractions such as narrative shifts. It’s such a calm and simple
video yet has so much to offer as a successful product. I have
also applied the theory of Levi Strauss’ to my work of which he
thought narrative focuses on the conflict of binary opposition.
In my video, not only does it focus on youth, but also isolation
vs freedom.
5. Developing…
• Despite using these conventions from The Cure’s videos, I did develop some of
them by adding in my own narrative and shift in time. Like so…
I decided to have my narrative as a girl
writing in her diary about her antics that
she’d had during the day. Despite it being
a male singer, the song is asexual
therefore could be from the point of
anyone, boy or girl. Hence the decision to
use Tilly. (Well it’s because she’s beautiful
lets face it!) This could also be seen as
challenging the conventions of its original
genre however.
6. Challenging…
• In one way or another (personally) I feel as though I have challenged
conventions of pre-existing products, especially from modern media
products, because of my choice of song. Despite the song being from the
80’s it still focuses on things that everybody thinks about in the 21st
century; Wanting to have fun, being with friends and FRIDAYS! Conventions
help you understand what you are watching yet without the song, my
video makes no sense. This is why I chose to use a young group of people
to show that you don’t need to follow certain rules, regulations and
conventions in order to live your life. The video is all about having fun,
being with your friends and living life to the full without worrying about
the slightest of things like school! This is also challenging that of a real
media product because even in the rock genre, there are videos that I
haven’t used conventions of such as a boy/girl relationship/breakup (ugh) I
really wanted to emphasise this youthfulness and just living in the moment
which is much more realistic if you’re asking me!
7. Challenging continued…
• As a 21st century audience member and from growing up in such a
heavily media reliant society, we sit down and watch a music video
from say the genre of POP and can automatically assume what we are
about to watch which is why (again) conventions are so important.
FOR EXAMPLE… If I was going to watch a music video to a Justin
Timberlake song then I can probably guess that there are going to be
dancers (the majority of them being female) JT as the protagonist/star
image and maybe some bright flashy lights to make it look pretty. This
is also the reasons behind my decision to use a group of young
teenagers at a school as I don’t think a lot of videos portray the every
day life we’re living, well enough for everybody to relate to.
