Dillan Abraham A2 Media

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

2. What is a music video?
A music video is a short film for visual which accompanies a song and helps an artist
promote the song, or it is used for other promotional purposes. Music videos are likely to
follow a narrative, performance or concept style, although not all are likely to be combined
to be seen in the same video.
My advanced portfolio has required me to create a music video from a genre of my choice,
I decided to go with the genre of Hip-Hop. This decision was made as a result of my
research into existing music videos and Hip-Hop videos stood out to me as it is one of the
most mainstream genres. I also carried out detailed research into my target audience to
make sure I had a very clear understanding of how to appeal to them as well as their
expectations and the conventions of a hip hop music video.
I also did in depth research into music videos and theorists who's work can be related to
them, such as Andrew Goodwin, Richard Dyer and Laura Mulvey. I then moved on to the
planning stages of my production as I was a lot more confident in identifying conventions
which can be associated with my chosen genre. The planning process allowed me to create
ancillary products and plan my production to very small details. For the ancillary task I
created drafts of digipaks and adverts, before creating my final products.
Research Planning Production Evaluation

3. Research Stage
This part of the process allowed me to deeply research the conventions
of music videos in general as well as genre specific conventions. This
allowed me to identify whether our idea would appeal to certain
subcultures, such as Hip Hop Heads, but would also appeal to the
general public due to how mainstream Hip Hop is. Our artist also
followed conventions in his costume and body language and facial
expressions, which further allowed us to reach a general audience. We
were able to combine Adorno’s popular culture and Hebdige’s
subculture theories and refer back to them and develop them while we
were producing our music video.

4. Planning Stage
The planning stage allowed me to identify what micro elements to
include in the music video, as well as the representations of my artist
and how I wanted him to come across to the target audience. The
storyboard helped with the general idea of what parts of the song to
film in which locations, and this heavily supported me during the
production stage.

5. Music video influences
Certain music videos and artists influenced our music video as they gave my group ideas from different kinds of music
videos which can be incorporated into our one. This allowed us to use, develop and challenge conventions.
Body language, Facial expressions, Costumes and Artist
Representation -- 67 – Take It There
Shot sizes, fast paced editing techniques -- Dave x J Hus -
Samantha
Shot sizes and slow motion editing techniques – Nines –
Trapper of the year

6. Does my product use, develop or challenge forms
and conventions of real media products?
I have used and developed many conventions throughout my music video which are highlighted in various ways:
Themes: All music videos follow their own individual themes. In hip hop music videos, youth culture, love, money and violence are themes
that stand out in this genre. The themes in my music video challenges this as it strictly follows youth culture and problems in society that
poorer youths may face. This can be unconventional for the hip hop genre as it usually follows themes of money and wealth, particularly
boasting about it as well as lavish lifestyles. We chose the themes of youth culture, hope and death as they directly challenge the conventions
and this allows us to appeal to an audience who can directly relate to it while also appealing to a mainstream audience who can just enjoy the
song and the message it puts across with the themes.
Artist representation: My artist follows conventions of some hip hop music videos in terms of body language and facial expressions, although
his representation is different as he is not trying to come across as wealthy and is not boasting about his wealth and financial status. His
appearance should be appealing to a mainstream audience as well as those of the hip hop subculture because he is wearing very casual
clothing.
Theory: Dyer’s star theory can be applied to my product as he is perceived as rather a performer rather than a pop star, as he is more likely to
perform in smaller venues and not reach high levels of the charts as pop stars do. Also he can be seen as someone who is seen as a
construction as he has a unique selling point of being a different artist to the conventional hip hop star.
Character Representation: My character follows conventions of hip hop genre costume and attire, specifically ones from the UK. My character
is portrayed this way to make him as relatable as possible to the target audience.

7. Cinematography – Shot Sizes
While researching
existing music videos
and how they
influenced my music
video. In terms of
shot sizes there
were several music
videos that
influenced me,
especially Dave – 71.
In terms of the
cinematography this
video influenced me
the most due to the
variations between
the close up and
long shots of the
artist.
Dave - 71
The male artist in Dave – 71 is shown differently in long shots, medium shots and close up
shots, we are able to see his lip syncing very clearly but also take in the lyrics as well as his star
image.
I have incorporated these shots very similarly to my music video – Goodwin’s theory can be
applied to this as my artist is performing to make it a conventional music video. Using different
shots was important to portray my artist in different ways as well as their surroundings, also to
convey Dyer’s “star” in his star theory.

8. Cinematography – Camera Angles
While doing my research I found that
artists are captured from high angles
to look weak or vulnerable – I did not
want to portray this therefore I
avoided high angle shots when I
could. I used a lot more low angle
shots which gave my artist a
dominant position to show him as
strong and persevering despite the
circumstances he may be in. I used
and developed the idea to also show
that the artist is on his own yet still a
dominant person who is able to
express himself.

9. Cinematography – Camera Movements
My research also allowed me to identify different camera movements that were conventional
and typically found in hip hop music videos. I identified tracking and panning shots – the latter
predominantly used in combination with establishing shots. These shots allowed the audience
to follow the artist properly and take in the lyrics as well as acknowledge the environment the
artist is in. I used and developed this idea to present my artist clearly and used panning shots
and tracking shots throughout.

10. Mise En Scene
There are 5 important parts to mise en scene and each of them enhance a music video in
different ways – contributing to its success. It also helps determine whether or not a music
video is conventional to its genre and the music industry as a whole. The audience and target
audience have certain expectations based on their previous experiences of music videos and
therefore expect certain mise en scene to be evident, this influences the audiences'
enjoyment of a music video greatly. In Goodwin’s theory the point of genre characteristics is
important for this as it covers elements of mise en scene.
Mise en scene consists of lighting, iconography, setting, facial expression and body language
and costume, hair and makeup.

11. Mise En Scene – Lighting and Colour
In the hip hop genre, the lighting is a mixture of low key and high key lighting,
this usually depends on the content of the song. This can also be applied to the
colours as it depends on the content of the song and what situation the artists
are in. For example if the artists were at a party there would be much lighter
colours such as white and blue and possibly even gold, but if it is a video that is
in an inner city the clothes they wear and the overall colours of cars and other
objects are darker. I used and developed this idea to make sure my lighting was
high key to keep the environment in contrast with my artist who mainly wore
darker colours such as black or dark red.

12. Mise En Scene - Setting
While researching locations I found that there are a myriad of locations used
for hip hop music videos, it greatly depended on the tone of the song and the
mood it is trying to set. A lot of big budget hip hop music videos were in
locations with large houses or inside clubs, we were unable to do this and it
would not fit the tone of the song therefore we challenged these conventions
and used locations of a skate park, fields and streets. However we did use and
develop conventions for lower budget UK based music videos who usually film
down streets or roads.

13. Mise En Scene - Iconography
In hip hop music videos I learned through my research that the conventional
iconography used is jewellery and possibly even cars as this is used to express
the wealth that the artists have. I was unable to use this and evidently chose
not to as this was not related to the tone of the video which I wanted to
convey. My artist is a young working class male with not much money and is
more concerned with social issues rather than showing off his wealth, this can
be inspired by artists such as Stormzy who rarely shows off money or flashy
cars in his music videos. Therefore I challenged conventions by not including
iconography.

14. Mise En Scene – Facial Expressions and Body
Language
In the music videos I researched the artists are generally happy or tend to keep straight faces
as hip hop videos can be more about the visuals and the lyrics rather than to evoke emotion
from the audience. Therefore I used and developed this representation by making my artist
have a straight face due to the content of the lyrics being serious, however he does challenge
conventions by showing emotion in some states as he is passionate about the song. His body
language is conventional as he is moving his arms showing his enthusiasm and showing that he
is an active young male, also he is shown dancing in some shots.

15. Mise En Scene – Costume, Hair and Makeup
The most conventional outfits for hip hop artists were bright outfits, expensive
clothes with a lot of jewellery and sometimes makeup to cover any skin flaws. I
challenged this convention as I am conveying my artist as a working class male,
this is so the target audience can relate to him as much as possible. He is
portrayed as wearing jeans and tracksuits with a black puffer jacket, as well as a
hat and a parka jacket. These are common urban clothing and therefore
challenging the conventions of the hip hop music video genre.

16. Editing
In Andrew Goodwin’s theory he stated that the editing of the music should be
reflective of the pace of the song, I used and developed this convention
ensuring that there were cuts to the beat of the song, as well as fast paced
editing during the faster bits of the song while also adding slow motion editing
where appropriate. Overall the song has a slow tone but the hi-hats of the beat
allowed us to develop the convention and also incorporate fast paced editing.
Another effect I used was a letterbox effect filter over the raw footage after
stabilizing which gave the music video a cinematic look.

17. Sound: Have you followed sound conventions
of your genre and how?
I believe I have followed sound conventions as the relationship between the
music and the visuals as well as the relationship between the lyrics and visuals
are in harmony.
My group and I researched extensively into existing music videos to identify the
use of sound conventions within the hip hop genre – this allowed us to use and
develop this using similar techniques.
Although we came across difficulties, we used Andrew Goodwin’s eight
characteristics which use the sound to overcome these difficulties and follow the
conventions to make the music video successful. I also used and developed
conventions of sound by making my visuals relate and be in sync with the music,
showing the artists social status and allowing it to be relatable to the audience.

18. Does my product use, develop or challenge forms and
conventions of real media products? (Theory specific)
• Andrew Goodwin – Characteristics of a music video
• Richard Dyer – “Star” image
• Adorno – Popular culture
• Laura Mulvey – “Male Gaze”

19. Goodwin: Using, developing and challenging
conventions
1) Genre Characteristics
2) Relationship
between lyrics and
visuals
3) Relationship
between music and
visuals
4) Star image motif’s
5) Notion of looking
6) Intertextual
references
7) Performance,
narrative or concept?
8) Technical elements
Performance Relationship between
lyrics and visuals
Star image motif’s Relationship between
music and visuals (slo
motion editing)

20. Using and developing conventions: Dyer
Stars and constructions – Artificial image
Industry and audience – Make money
Ideology and culture – Cultural values to share
Character and personality – Audience feel closer to their lifestyle
After I identified during the research and planning stages that our idea would appeal to a large audience mainly of younger
people, this included subcultures (linked to Hebdige’s subcultures) and we ensured that we presented our artist as
promoting their ideologies and culture through this music video. This would appeal to a mainstream audience but would
also be relatable specifically to working class young people who feel as if they are similar to the artist. I also promoted my
artist as a star, this is important as the artist was able to enhance their star image prior to the release of the album. I did this
by making my artist talk about things that are unconventional in mainstream hip hop music. This was enhanced with the
contrast between the bright colours in the locations and the dark coloured clothing the artist wears. My artist can also be
seen as a role model for young people as he the lyrical content is not about conventional hip hop ideas such as promoting
their own wealth and showing off in general, but rather about social issues.

21. Challenging conventions: Adorno
• Adorno states that popular music promotes particular mainstream
values and lifestyles in order to appeal to a mainstream audience.
• I challenged this idea as my artists lifestyle is not necessary a positive
idea as he is attempting to make his audience more socially aware
through his lyrics. He has a clear message to inform people that
young people are dying whether it be due to poverty or knife crime, it
is an issue. This made my artist unique as there are very little hip hop
artists that focus on social issues and if they do, it is usually about
their economic status.

22. Using, developing & challenging conventions:
Hebdige
• Hebdige suggests that subcultures are evident in the music industry as
certain genres of music and the representations of said artists appeal to
particular subcultures.
• I used and developed this idea but also I challenged the conventions of the
hip hop genre but also appealed to a wider audience as well as a
subculture. I represented my artist as a working class young male therefore
was not able to show him as a rich male who was thriving and able to show
off all of his wealth through money, cars and large houses. Instead he was
showing the realities of life and speaks on themes such as death, youth
culture and hope. This allowed for my artist to promote their unique beliefs
rather than stereotypically talking about violence from a criminal
perspective. Moreover this let a lot more of the target audience relate to
my artist. Therefore my artist could appeal to subcultures greatly which
used and developed Hebdige’s ideas.

23. Challenging conventions: Mulvey
• Although it is a convention for hip hop music videos, we decided to
challenge it and not include the male gaze in our music video as it was
unnecessary and would not make sense. We were more focussed on
bringing information to the audience about currently social issues
especially due to the lyrical content of the video. If we were to bring
in the male gaze it would be distracting for the audience and they
would not understand the message of the song that we are trying to
put across.

24. Do my ancillary products use develop or challenge forms
and conventions of real media products?
During the research stage, I observed various digipaks and adverts for music artists, particularly those of the hip
hop genre. This allowed me to identify conventions of the hip hop genre and the conventions of these digipaks
and adverts. However I first identified the generic conventions of adverts and digipaks which included:
Digipak Advert
Artist image Album title
Track list Artist name
Parental advisory label Release date
Barcode Where to purchase or stream
Album title Artist image
Company details Parental advisory logo
I identified other important features of adverts and digipaks including; the main image, lighting and colour, typography,
information, star motifs, overall layout, the theories associated with them and identifying whether these elements were
conventional to the genre.
Overall I believe my digipak and advert followed and developed the conventions of existing ancillary products, my genre and is
relevant to my music video.

25. Using and developing conventions: Digipak
After researching existing digipaks from the Hip Hop genre such as
Eminem: Relapse and The Weeknd: Starboy I identified the dark colours
and low key lighting that was used. As well as the bright typography
which contrasted the background which had a particular grainy texture.
Micro elements/conventions:
• I used dark colours combined with low key lighting for the image of
the artist which follows conventions.
• I used yellow/gold typography which juxtaposed the dark lowkey lit
image of the artist which was also following conventions.
• The artist is posed with a straight face showing no particular emotion
which followed convention.
• All the necessary information is on the album cover and the back,
including the parental advisory label which is conventional.
Macro ideas:
• Themes: Negativity, death , sorrow, hope ,hurt.
• Ideologies: The convention of the artist promoting his culture as
represented through his facial expression as well as the colours.

26. Using and developing conventions: Digipak
Theory:
• Dyer: My artist is represented as a star as he is the only one on the front cover
and his image is the focal point of the digipak, therefore he is represented as a
commodity.
• Adorno: My artist is represented as a young male who is of ethnic minority which
is therefore a convention for hip hop music and will fit in well with popular
culture.
• Hebdige: The use of contrasting colours on the digipak to reflect the themes will
appeal to certain subcultures as well as the mainstream audience as it is not a
over the top different digipak.
Conclusion:
Overall I believe I used and developed conventions of digipaks for the hip hop genre
effectively and made my digipak reflective of the genre. Also it is different enough
that is appeals to subcultures but conventional enough to stand out to mainstream
audiences. My artist looks directly into the camera showing no emotion as the
songs on the album will convey different emotions depending on the song.

27. Using and developing conventions: Advert
After looking at existing adverts from the hip hop genre, I identified the dark colours that
were used as well as the lack of emotion on the facial expression of the artist. Low key
lighting is also used which in combination with the artists facial expression or body
language portrays their views and ideologies.
Micro elements/conventions:
I used dark colours, specifically dark red and made the background and the normal image
black and white to support the dark theme of the album – Conventional.
The dark red typography stood out and could represent death or blood which shows the
artist may have been through a lot which juxtaposes the black and white background.
The artist is shown to be looking away from the camera, this can intrigue the audience as
they are unaware of his emotions or his intentions – Conventional.
All the vital information is included such as the release date, where you can purchase and
stream the album and the parental advisory label.
Themes: death, hope, sorrow, darkness, identity.
Ideology – The artist is presenting their unique beliefs which is reflected through his body
language and facial expression.

28. Using and developing conventions: Advert
Theory:
Much like the digipak:
• Dyer: My artist is represented as a star as he is the only one on the front cover and
his image is the focal point of the digipak, therefore he is represented as a
commodity.
• Adorno: My artist is represented as a young male who is of ethnic minority which is
therefore a convention for hip hop music and will fit in well with popular culture.
• Hebdige: The themes that come across to the audience in the digipak and advert
can contribute to appealing to certain subcultures as well as a mainstream
audience.
Conclusion:
Overall I used and developed the conventions for a hip hop genre advert, this made it
reflective of the genre and will therefore appeal to a mass audience to make it very
successful. Although it does have features for some niche audiences and will
therefore appeal to certain subcultures. The advert as a whole will be intriguing for
audiences as the artist is looking away from the camera which can represent many
things and cause the audience to want to find out what the album is about, the lack
of emotion also does not give it all away which will engage a lot of people.

29. Conclusion
In conclusion, throughout the process of research, planning and finalising my music
video I used, developed and challenged conventions effectively in the ways I thought
would make the music video the most successful. Using and developing conventions
was necessary to make the music video look effective and was vital to engage a
mainstream audience. We were able to make the right decisions after analysing
existing music videos. Conventions were used and developed which were associated
with micro elements which allowed me to reflect the music video properly to the hip
hop genre. We also challenged conventions where it was necessary to make our artist
unique from the genre which could make it more successful, almost like a breath of
fresh air for the industry. If we had only followed conventions we may not see the
same success as it may be repetitive for audiences. We avoided the male gaze by
implementing Mulvey’s theory, something which is conventional in the hip hop genre,
but we utilised Dyer and Hebdige’s theory to ensure we could engage a large audience
from both the mainstream and subcultures. While creating the ancillary products we
had used and developed conventions to make them conventional to existing digipaks
and the hip hop genre, therefore allowing audiences to make their own decisions
whether they like it or not, depending on their preferences of conventions.