A leve media

1. How My Music Video Conforms
to the Conventions of Form.
Evaluation Question 1

3. Lip Sync
My music video conformed to the convention of including Lip Sync. Lip
sync is seen at the start of the music video when the artist an up and
coming celebrity in the narrative, she is in control of her life and happy.
However, I challenge this convention during the drug and alcohol use
scenes, where lip sync is not used to symbolise that the artist has lost
control of her life, which is now in chaos.

4. Dancing
I included dance in my music video so conformed to this convention. However, I
challenged I the sense that I included different dance types. For example I included
street dance in early scenes to connote confidence and power, then drunken style
dancing in the later scenes. Typical music videos conventionally include one dance
style only. (See below in Beyonce’s video ‘run the world’ street dance only is seen,
and in ‘7/11 solely drunken dance is seen)

5. Dance
Street Dance Drunken Dance

6. Narrative to Follow
My product conformed to the convention of having a narrative to
follow, the artist begins in an inner city deprived area, then becomes
rich and famous through rapping, she spends her money on alcohol
and drugs, the press then turn on her, but the artist manages to turn
her life around.

7. Editing
The vast majority of music videos have medium – fast paced editing.
I conformed to this convention as the song was upbeat therefore fast
paced editing complemented this. The fast editing pace was also used
to reflect some of the mayhem in the artist’s life e.g. in the drinking
scene. Where possible I had my editing follow the rhythm of the song,
another convention of form.

8. Features the Artist
I conformed to this convention. It allowed me to create a brand which
people could buy into to generate a profit (Dyer). To ensure a brand
was created my artist was the sole person to star in the music video.

9. Performers
Many music videos contain a larger cast. I challenged this convention, only
having my artist feature, I believe this suits the Hip Hop genre where themes of
power and status are also explored (having additional cast members would make
Baby B seem less dominant).
It also reflected the narrative, where we go on a journey with Baby B throughout
her tough time on her rise to fame (therefore the story is more personal if only
she features).
See Below, Nicki Minaj has a large cast in Anaconda and Katy Perry in TGIF

10. Because there was only my artist in the music videos, some frames seemed plain or
bland, because of this I used editing effects to fill the frame (e.g. duplicating the
artist or using split screen). These meant more of the frae was filled, and ensured
my video was visually exciting despite only including one cast member. Duplicating
the artist also meant she looked dominant on the screen conforming to Hip Hop’s
representations of status and power. It linked to the narrative, where initially the
artist is confident and enjoying press attention. By stacking green screen images on
top of each other I was able to create the illusion that my artist was dancing in a
troupe, yet all group members were herself. This reflects her independence, power
and success. I chose to do a split screen, this makes the artist more dominant in the
frame as she is seen twice, it makes her seem more influential as she takes up more
of the screen.

11. Many of the techniques used are similar to those in Zara Larson’s ‘Lush
Life’ music video, where she is also the sole performer.

12. Varied framings
There is usually a variety of framing types within a music video, to
create a sense of different distances between the artist and audience,
emphasise some emotions of mise-en-scene aspects, and create a
visually exciting and varied product. I conformed to the convention of
having a variety of frames in my product, and many of the framings I
used are used for similar purposes in existing products.

13. Extreme Close Up
I included the convention of an Extreme Close Up. However, I developed it. In most existing music videos the
extreme close up is used to create a sexual tone by focusing on body parts which have sexual connotations. E.g.
in Rihanna’s Rude Boy (See below). However, I used it to focus on the artist’s eyes, to convey a sense of
desperation and sadness in the drug use scene.

14. Close Up
I used the convention of a close up. Particularly when I needed to clearly show facial expressions or for lip sync. For
example this clip is a close up shot which allows the audience to clearly see the journalist’s disgusted facial expression.
Simmilarly in Katy Perry’s TGIF a close up shot is used to establish the nerd’s facial expression as he admires Katy.

15. Medium Close Up
I believe this to be the most common framing used, as the artist still looks large and is recognisable, but mise en
scene can still be seen. I used many in my video and have seen many in existing videos. See below – Emeli Sande
‘Clown’.

16. Medium Long Shot
I used the conventional framing of a medium long shot in the music video. I found that it gave the best of
both worlds – distance whilst the artist’s expression and face were still clearly visable. I chose to use a
medium long shot, compared to the medium close up used with the journalist, this allows for baby B to
look small thus vulnerable. It means we can see her costume whilst also seeing her shocked and hurt facial
expression.
In Sledge Hammer by
Fifth Harmony we also
see a MLS. Again this
allows for the exquisite
costume to be seen,
yet the artist’s face is
still clearly visible for
the lip sync and
recognisable to create
a brand.

17. Long Shot
Long shots are extremely useful if you wish for an artist’s whole outfit to be seen, or for the frame to be including the
background. E.g. in the red carpet clip a long shot allowed for the artist’s whole exquisite outfit to be seen, and also for
the red carpet back ground to be seen. Simmilarly in Jessie J’s Bang Bang a long shot allows the whole outfit to be seen
including the helicopter in the background.

18. Varied Angles
To make my product visually exciting I chose to conform to incorporate
a variety of angles. These also aided me in creating the narrative.
This low angle shows dominance, status and
confidence.
This high angle shows vulnerability and
naivety.

19. In Adele’s ‘Hello’ a high angle is also
used to show how she was vunerable
and naïve to believe her partner would
never leave her.
Simmilar to my video, her partner is
portrayed as dominant using a low
angle.

20. Varied Movements - Zoom
I conformed to the convention of having varied movements as again
this makes the product more exciting to watch, and different
movements can be used to symbolise different aspects of the narrative.
In Katy Perry’s ‘Part of me’ a zoom is used to
show intense emotion, similarly I used a zoom in
the drug use scene to emphasise the desperation
of Baby B. However, a difference is I also used
zooms to show dominance (as the subject gets
gradually bigger in the frame) e.g. in the
journalist scene where Baby B is unaware of her
negative representations in the press.

21. Zoom
A zoom in also seems intrusive. In the journalist scene fast zooms in and out were used to represent the constant
attention the artist gets from the press as she poses. Simmilarly in ‘Bo$$’ by fifth harmony a zoom in is used as the
girls are walking down a catwalk and posing, again representing the great deal of attention they get from the press
and public.

22. Tilt
A tilt is a conventional camera movement seen in music videos of
all genres. In my music video I used it to represent people ‘looking
up and down’ the artist – to lyrics such as ‘lukatar then look at me’
or ‘checkin out my clothes’. I believe it was successful as it acted as
a point of view shot for those literally looking at Baby B and what
she is wearing. An upwards tilt suggests looking up to the artist
thus a sense of admiration.

23. Tilt cont.
A tilt is used in Queen’s Speech 4 by Lady Leshur,
also to give a sense of admiration and that people
are looking up to, and at her. As in my video, the
upwards tilt makes the audience feel as though they
are below the artist, creating a dominant,
authorative tone.

24. Zoom Out
I used the conventional technique of a zoom out to create a sense of
distance between the artist and the audience, suggesting that the real
Baby B (e.g. successful and motivated) was slipping away due to drugs
and alcohol. This is an unconventional way to utilitse zoom outs, with
more conventional music videos using them in different ways.

25. Zoom Out Cont.
In Nicki Minaj’s anaconda the zoom out is used
very differently, to establish the location by
focusing on trees, before revealing the cast by
zooming out.

26. Twist
A twist is an unconventional cinematography technique seen
in music videos as it can make the audience feel
disorientated. I chose to challenge this and include twisting
camera movements in the alcohol and drug use scenes as
this made the audience feel disorientated, reflecting how
Baby B had lost control over her life in the narrative, and
represent her confusion. A twist is used in Beyonce’s 7/11
for a similar effect.

27. Depth of Field
Depth of field is a conventional cinematography
technique seen in music videos. Conventionally the
artist seen is in focus whereas the background is
blurry. For example in Katy Perry ‘part of me’ she is in
focus but the background is blurry, representing that
she has had an epiphany, and is now going to focus
only on what is best for herself. In Katy Perry
‘Firework’ the subject is in focus, yet the background
of a pool party blurry to represent how she is a social
outcast and does not fit in the crowd.

28. Depth of Field cont.
I chose also to use depth of field in my music
video. However, I challenged the convention of
having the subject / artist in focus and the
background blurry. Instead I chose to have a
syringe in focus and the artist in the background
blurry. This is to show that the drugs are
controlling the artist’s life, and now define who
she is.

29. Editing Techniques
Whilst editing the drinking scenes I incorporated moments where the screen was only black to create a flickering
effect. This reflects the lighting in a club so is a conventional technique used in many music videos where the
atmosphere of partying is created, including Let Me Take A Selfie (see below). However, in my music video it was
also used to reflect the artist’s disjointed life since turning to drugs and alcohol.

30. Editing Techniques
I used coloured filters in the drunk scene to create a fun, happy atmosphere and also to reflect the lighting in a club.
I believe such vibrant editing will appeal to a young target audience. Coloured filters are uncommon in music videos,
they were used decades ago when they were fashionable but have since fallen out of use. I challenged this
convention. A red filter is seen in the ‘Hey Mama’ music video but for a different purpose to my usage – it is seen to
convey a sense of fear and danger to complement the ‘dare devil’ mise en scene.

31. Editing Techniques
I also used coloured filters to create fast coloured flashes during the scene leading up to
the drug use to foreshadow mayhem and represent the artist’s life turning chaotic.

32. Editing Techniques
I challenged editing conventions by using the unusual effect ‘squares’. I added the ‘background
squares’ effect as this adds movement to what was a previously still and slightly boring clip. I also
believe the squares resemble screens e.g. TVs and phones, which foreshadows the media taking
over the artist’s life. I reduced the number of squared to ensure the image was not distorted.

33. Reverse
I conformed to the conventions of existing products by including some reverse clips. During the lyrics ‘reverse that like
I’m parking the car, rac eth gnikrap mi rkil taht esrever’ The audio rewinds itself. To make the visuals match the audio I
used the ‘reverse clip’ tool. This also meant lip sync was in time without getting my artist to rap backwards. It is also a
post modern technique, it shows that celebrities in media products are not real / living normal lives (you can’t rewind
real life). To reinforce this idea I used a TV filter over the reversed clip.

34. Reverse cont.
However, unlike my music video, many of those using a reverse effect use it consistently
through the whole video. In this aspect I challenged a convention as I only used it
momentarily at small points throughout the video. See examples below:

35. Flashes
I chose to include various flashes or fast and bright light movements in the music video. For example the
Highlights effect, which makes a flash travel across the screen. Not only does this mimac lights in a club, it also
reflects how the artist is constantly in the spotlight with the paparazzi due to her fame. Or the ‘Intro Flashes’ used
in the red carpet scene which mimick lights seen when cameras take pictures of people. This effect is also seen in
‘Bo$$’ by fifth harmony when the band is on the catwalk, again to stimulate media attention.

36. Retime - Fast
I followed the convention of speeding up some of the footage, for similar reasons to many other existing products.
I sped up the artist dancing. I retimed the dancing to make it fast and thus more impressive and striking. It also
makes the dancing stand out and adds variation to the editing (something my feedback frim the first draft stated
needed working on). This technique is also seen in Beyonce’s 7/11.

37. Retime - Fast
I also retimed some of the footage in the alcohol scene. The footage was made faster to reflect the mayhem in
the artist’s life, but also to create a wild atmosphere as she is enjoying herself in a club. Simmilarly, footage of a
wild house party is sped up in Katy Perry’s TGIF.

38. Retime - Slow
I conformed to the convention of retiming some of my footage to make it slower. believe this helps to emphasise
the whip which was a very fast movement and easy to miss. A hair whip can be seen as sexual, conforming to
Mulvey’s male gaze theory, thus slowing down the footage creates a more sexualised portrayal of the artist. In Hip-
Hop, stereotypically females are portrayed in this way, therefore my product is now better suited to the genre.
Overall, the retime (slow) makes the video more aesthetically pleasing as a hair whip is impressive in slow motion
as you see the individual hairs move. In Willow Smith’s ‘Whip My Hair’ this technique is also used.

39. Black and White
As my footage came out blue, I realised I would need to put filters on it to
correct the colouring. Black and white worked to do this.
I also believe that black and white reflects that despite having lots of
money the artist is still not completely happy.
Although not really common, black and white is a conventional filter used
in music videos. It is often used to suggest sadness, so in using the filter
the way I did I conformed to the conventions of existing products. An
example is ‘Breakeven’ the narrator is unhappy since breaking up with his
girlfriend so is pictured in black and white. On the other hand, his
girlfriend is still happy and has moved on so is pictured in colour.

40. Costume Changes
I conformed to the convention of having many costume changes in the music video. This is to represent the
different stages of the artist’s journey to fame.

41. Location Changes
I also conformed to the convention of having location changes to reflect the narrative, the red carpet at the end of
the video acts as a stark contrast to the graffiti wall seen at the beginging.

42. Complementary Lighting
For the most part I conformed to the convention of having complementary lighting. Bright, white lights were used and
then an auto enhancer used to ensure the artist and all colours in the mise-en-scene were vibrant, stood out and
looked professional. I believe the white background contrasting with the enhanced artist looks like many professional
videos lighting, including Justin Bieber ‘sorry’ and Nicki Minaj’s anaconda (See below for examples).

43. Complementary Lighting
A scene where I chose not to conform to the convention of having complementary lighting was the drug use scene. I
realised that I would not need to colour correct these scenes, as the blue tint helps to make the artist look ill, and
stand out illuminated against the black background. I think the blue edge creates a sinister tone, suiting the taboo
theme. Some other music videos also challenge the convention, for example ‘When your gone’ by Avril Levigne where
blue tones in the lighting are also seen to create a sad tone as several people are seen to be dealing with the loss of a
loved one.

44. Hair and Makeup reflecting either the artist
or narrative of both.
To create a successful narrative and a ‘brand’ I chose to conform to this convention of music videos. For
example: My artist wore typical club wear, a black crop top and flowery pencil skirt, allowing the young
audience to relate to the narrative, and understand that the artist is now living a party lifestyle.
Makeup was exaggerated e.g. dark lipstick and eye makeup, again reflecting what is typically worn in clubs.

45. Narrative reflects the lyrics
It is conventional for music video’s content to reflect the lyrics of the song in some way. I ensured this
was the case in my music video. Whilst the artist was popular, successful and loved by the press we hear
lyrics such as ‘Lukatar, Lukatar then look at me’ and ‘theres no match can’t compare’. When the artist
becomes successful and rich we hear references to her performing to large crowds, and references to
clothes she can now buy what people envy. ‘When I do a show they be like Lukatar’ and ‘Checkin out my
my clothes they be like Lukatar’. When the artists lives a party lifestyle due to her excess money we hear
negative lyrics, in a third person voice to mimick what the press is saying about her: ‘just look at her, I
cant stand the look of her’ ‘what are you doing’ we also hear references to alcohol ‘90’s bubbler’. During
the journalist scene, many of the lines reflect things which would actually be said about the artist in the
press: ‘Stop rapping’ ‘wheres your album’.