evaluation of common codes and conventions within our promotional package.

1. IN WHAT WAYS DOES YOUR MEDIA PRODUCT USE,
DEVELOP OR CHALLENGE FORMS AND CONVENTIONS OF
REAL MEDIA PRODUCTS?When designing the promotional package the group knew as whole that to create an eminent product
that we would have to conform to common codes and conventions of each the products to appeal to
certain audiences and therefore, a lot of research was conducted around these areas in order to
ensure that we were aware of these codes and conventions so that we could include them in our own
work.
Magazine Advert
The magazine advert that we produced follows the conventions of existing album magazine adverts;
the research conducted for this element of the project showed that a lot of the existing ones were
very similar and usually consisted of the image from the front cover of the album along with a release
date of the album which is why we chose to adhere to these conventions. We found that the layout
of the magazine ad was essential in creating a realistic looking product. The image is usually displayed
in the centre of the page so that this is the main focal point as this is the most recognisable attribute
of the ad. Along with the image being central there were several other conventions that we took
notice of. One of these includes the incorporation of the band’s name as the masthead in a large and
bold font; this allows the audience to instantly recognise who the advert is about and this lets them
make a conscious decision about whether they are interested in continuing to invest their time in it.
Placing
the band’s name here immediately tells fans of the band that this will be something that they’re interested in; if an audience is
not familiar with the band, they may be prompted to skip this advert, however, we made the masthead very bold and bright with
hopes that even those who are not familiar with the band would have their attention caught and want to continue reading it
anyway.
In addition to this, another convention that we followed was positioning the information about the album at the bottom of the
page. After seeing the band’s name at the top and deciding whether they are interested, the audience can then scan down the
page to notice the information at the bottom; this can include things such as the album name, reviews, the release date and
singles from the album. As Faux Pas are not yet a signed band and they have not released many songs professionally, we chose

2. refrain from including names of singles from the album as they may not be that well known; instead we included the release date
and positive reviews from a local york music magazine which would create more anticipation for the album. The bottom third of the
page holds the most information and this was common among other
existing adverts; the quote that appears from Soundsphere was used to
convince the audience that the band are worth their time - if a well
established music magazine has rated them as four stars, others are likely
to be swayed in the way of this opinion. Other magazine ads we looked at
featured reviews from bigger music magazines like Q or NME, however we
thought that this would be inappropriate and unrealistic for the band we are representing. We also wanted to make it clear that
Faux Pas are an exciting, new, up and coming band so we included that they played on the introducing stage at Leeds Fest; this is
another element which would hopefully intrigue people because of Leeds Fest being a very established festival for this type of
music. The audience can surmise that they are good enough and respected enough to play such a prestigious show and this will
result in their trust of the band and they will most likely want to research more into them and buy the album.
Another convention that we noticed when researching other magazine adverts was the use of another entry point to the artist
which was usually a website link; this inspired us to give the audience other entry points to the band and their products so we
included their website and social media links. The social media links have been vital throughout our entire promotional package as
this is the band’s main form of promotion. Social media is a way to gain as many fans as possible as it allows the audience to see
not only the music, but the band’s personality and they can get to know Faux Pas through their posts. It is also a pivotal point of
promotion due to the development of technology in the 21st century and the easier access that audiences now have to music and
the artists behind it. If the audience were directed to the social media pages from the magazine advert, it would lead them to the
other products within the promotional package such as the music video and digipak, therefore giving them more exposure to the
public which would hopefully raise the band’s popularity even more.
Finally, an additional convention that we used was keeping the consistent colour scheme. As the advert displays the front cover
image we thought that it would be the right decision to keep the rest of the background, fonts and colours very similar, thus
ensuring that the magazine ad would be visually appealing and inkeeping with our themes. The font used for the band’s name as
the masthead is different to the one used on the front cover of the album, however, the colours are the same along with the font for
the actual album name being the same also. This makes the whole product look coherent and unified with the digipak.

3. Digipak
One convention that the group found was
that the front cover of the digipak would
have some link to show the band or have
imagery which represents them as this is
the main ‘promoter’ of the band.
Consequently we decided to use an
image that features two of the band
members which has been manipulated to
look more visually appealing. The whole
band don’t appear on the cover, however,
the fact that we chose to show more than
one member represents their ‘group’
status; this is important as boy bands
have a particular reputation as to the type
of music they will create, compared to a
single artist for example. The group
status generally means that the music will
be a lot more authentic as it is usually
written by the band members rather than
a big name producer and this is
something that potential audiences are
more likely to buy into. As I have already
mentioned, it was important for us to
create continuity throughout the products
and this is why the cover is identical to
the magazine ad and very similar to the
rest of the images used.
The back of the digipak is the
second most important
‘promoter’ of the band. This
reveals the most information
about them as it includes the
most vital convention which is
the track list. This is where fans
can see what songs are
featured on the album,
intriguing those who have
already listened and know the
songs. The back cover also
features the content of the
second disc included which is
the live footage DVD - this
adds another element of
excitement for the album and
makes it distinctive as most do
not include this; it gives the
audience the opportunity to see
the band live without actually
having to go to a performance
which gives them instant
gratification, linking to Denis
Mcquail’s uses and
gratifications theory.
Excluding the front and back covers, the rest of the
digipak is filled with further images taken at the same
gig that we filmed the live performance aspect at. Using
these images creates an immediate and direct link, in
order to create a professional and syngergistic product.
A convention that the group decided to challenge
when creating the digipak was the use of images.
Usually a dgipak would use different images on each
page or use a continued image over multiple sides,
however, we used the same image, but with slightly
different overlays so they weren’t completely
identical. The repetitive nature of the images will help
the band create an identity and a visual style that
may not be established yet as they are still unfamiliar
with the large music scene.

4. In further discussion of the back cover, we decided that the track list and DVD content should have a black background thats
slightly transparent so that the text could stand out and be legible but also so that the image behind would still be visible. The
image on the back cover could have made the text difficult to read as the colours would merge and we wanted to continue using
the same text and colours so this was the solution that made the most sense to the group. When researching other digipaks the
back cover is also where another information seems to be placed; as a consequence of this we also added some extra information
such as the band’s social media links; we realised that this may not be necessary for other artists, however, Faux Pas are still not
that renowned in the music community and they still use social media as a main platform of promotion and this is why we felt it
would be appropriate to place them here in the hopes that it would gain them more recognition, increasing the band’s fanbase,
popularity and success.
On one of the panels, we created a message as if it were from the band to their fans to thank them for the continued support as
this was another convention that we noticed when analysing other digipaks. It is important for the fans to acknowledge that the
artist appreciates the love and support they show for their music and this then further encourages their support as they feel more
of a personal connection with the band.
The discs that we produced for the digipak again feature the same image but with a different overlay. It was important that there
was a significant difference between the two discs to make it immediately obvious to the audience that they both have different
content. The actual disc for the album has the same image and fonts as the front cover so that the audience make an instant link
between the two. The main convention that we noticed in the research stages was that the discs would always display the band’s
name. We used the same fonts to keep continuity, however, we attempted to make them curve slightly in the shape of the disc so
that it would look more comprehensive.
Overall I think that the digipak we created includes a lot of elements that use the common conventions of ones that already exist
as this was the easiest way to generate a product that would look professional and realistic. Although these elements make the
digipak look authentic enough that it could appear on a shelf, I would like to think that it is individual enough to stand out from
existing ones and there are some elements (such as the colour scheme for this particular genre etc) that challenge the common
conventions to make it unique.

5. When studying the conventions of music videos before beginning the project, the main theorist that we took note of was Andrew
Goodwin. When creating the music video we attempted to include some of these conventions as he suggests that these are the
elements which create a successful music video; these include -
1. Music videos demonstrate genre characteristics
2. There will be a relationship between the lyrics and the visuals
3. There will be a relationship between the music and the visuals
4. The demands of the record label include the need for lots of close ups of the artist. This may develop motifs which recur,
giving them a visual style
5. There are frequent references to the notion of looking and the voyeuristic treatment of the female body (male gaze)
6. There will often be intertextual references
7. There must be technical aspects such as mise en scene, camerawork and editing
Along with these rules, we researched the codes and conventions that should appear in a music video in the indie genre. We found
that a very common convention was the use of live performance scenes; some indie videos were purely live performance, and the
previous music video by the band we chose also used only live performance, however, we felt that to create the most effective
video possible, we would use narrative alongside the live performance so it could appeal to a wider audience and give it more
substance and variation. The fact that we have not used live performance for the entirety of the video shows that we have tried to
challenge a convention; this was for purposes of being individual (which is typical of the indie genre) and as i previously mentioned
- to appeal to a wider audience. I believe that this is the most important element of our video as this is what demonstrates that it
belongs to the indie/rock genre. Most fans of this particular genre are fans of going to gigs
and they will usually want to experience the atmosphere of a live performance, not just the
music. This allows the audience to get instant gratification and this also demonstrates Rick
Altman’s set of pleasures that an audience can gain from a media product. The live
performance element grants the audience emotional and visceral pleasure as it creates a
strong response in the respect of them connecting with the video and feeling involved;
they feel involved as the venue is portrayed as small, intimate and chaotic, which again
makes them feel more connected. The third, intellectual aspect links more to the lyrics of
the video as they are more subtle than pop lyrics, making the audience think about the

6. song more and they are able to interpret it in any way they like, giving it a personal meaning so that it will create a further strong
response from them. The live performance element of our video was clearly very important to us, so instead of filming this section
in the college studio like many other production groups did, we decided to go to an actual live performance by the band; this has
allowed us to set our video apart from others as it looks much more authentic due to using a real life venue instead of a staged
situation. Other groups have also had to hire people to feature in their video, whereas we have the actual members of the band
performing; this means that we have attained our brief as the promotional package and video is something that the band could
actually use. We felt as though this would benefit us also because people may feature in other student videos who aren’t
necessarily familiar with the music scene or even the instruments used - the band are obviously experienced in playing smaller
gigs and this has made the video more diverse and unique. It was also a method that was much easier for us because the band
played the song which we used for our music video. This meant that when editing we could use the clips from this song and slot
them in at the appropriate times in the song, for example, when certain lyrics were being sung or when there was an instrumental
of guitar. If we chose not to use this method, the live performance element could have appeared to be very staged and unnatural.
The live performance section also satisfies Andrew Goodwin’s point about the need for close ups of the artist; the shots of live
performance are mainly mid-close ups and they display the band very clearly giving them a sense of identity. These scenes
reoccur throughout the video which is repetitive, however, this was done purposefully in order to create a certain style for the
video.Another one of Andy Goodwin’s criteria is the need for a link between the lyrics
and the visuals. When planning the video we went through many ideas, however,
we wanted to aim for a subtle relationship between the lyrics and the video
because a video which looks too connected to the lyrics and basically just explains
them can look too obvious and we wanted to avoid this so we could come up with
something more creative. The name of the song - not so sad - inspired us to create
a narrative in which the protagonist is trying to better his life with positive things
such as working hard, exercise and socialising. In the process of doing these things
the protagonist realises that life is ‘not so sad’ and learns to appreciate the things
in his life. Aside from this, the other main way that we linked them is when the
lyrics read ‘there’s a note beside my bed’ - the protagonist is seen to write a note
and then pin it above his bed; the audience then realises that this is his motivation.

7. Continuing with the theme of Andy Goodwin’s conventions, he states that not only will there be a link to the lyrics, but also a
relationship between the music and the visuals; as a group whilst editing we tried to fit this convention by making the pace of the
shots fit with the beats of the music and the cutting rate was also suitable for the song. We also tried to make certain shots land on
certain notes so that they matched with the music well. Making the editing fit the song so seamlessly was important as we knew
that it would ultimately give us a more professional and better quality video overall. If the shots weren’t in sync with the music we
risked the video looking very ametuer and poor. The live performance versus narrative also played a part here as it was essential
that we placed the live shots in parts of the song that were predominantly guitar instrumentals and not lyrics, as the audience could
make a direct link here and see that the band are passionate about playing their music and this also puts emphasis on the band’s
ability to play their instruments which is another convention of the indie genre of music videos. The use of instruments was
important to us for the live performance element so we chose to include them further in the video with the use of an acoustic guitar
played by the protagonist. This shot is seen towards the end of the video when
the song breaks down into a slower guitar solo to signify the end of the song.
The way that the protagonist was strumming matched the song, making it
appear as though he was playing. This was an important shot as it created a link
between the narrative, the live performance and the music, making an
association between them.
Point #5 from Andrew Goodwin that I previously noted mentions the ‘notion of
looking’. This was something that we featured quite frequently in our video. This
was important as we wanted the audience to notice as much as possible and
feel a connection with the video. The notion of looking is always portrayed
through the protagonist and this creates a sense of involvement for the audience
as they can follow him through his story. An example of when this is used in our video is just before the protagonist leaves his
house; we see him looking in the mirror. The normality of this shot among others in the video allow the audience to have empathy
and connect as they can relate with the everyday activities that he is performing. This particular shot aids the narrative’s storyline
also as it shows him about to go out into the world and we see him looking very determined and ready to ‘get it together’ just as
the note says and it is framed so that the audience can see the protagonist as he sees himself in the reflection and interpret him as

8. to imply the emotions that the protagonist is he then compares them to what he is wearing and clearly feels immediately
inadequate. This relates to the storyline again as this is another thing that he does to improve himself as he chooses to act upon this
and he goes to buy new, smarter clothes. As you can see from the top right image, similar to the over the shoulder mirror shot, we
see things from the protagonist’s perspective which helps the audience have a more personal opinion and connection.
Finally, we had to consider Andrew Goodwin’s last point about the technicalities such as mise en scene, camera work and editing.
These are all things that had to be thought out in a very detailed way as it is these things that make a difference when trying to
produce something that looks professional and realistic as a media product. The mise en scene was something that we put a lot of
thought into - the costume was one of the main things that we considered because this was one of the important things that
represent his changes towards improvement. As the bottom right images show, before the protagonist
decides to change, he wears dark clothing which connotes the negative state that his life is in, however,
after his attitude changes, the costume becomes much lighter in colour and smarter to show the positive
improvements by taking pride in his appearance. The different costumes help the audience understand
that things are actually changing in the protagonist’s life and the motivation from the prop of the note that
he has in the beginning becomes a reality. We used another costume in some shots which was some
exercise gear that the protagonist is seen running and cycling in; this shows a clear effort in developing his
life in a positive way by getting fit. The costume makes it clear to the audience what he is doing and his
aims within this and shows that he is serious about it. Other props used are the musical instruments as
seen in the live performance along with the shots of the protagonist playing the acoustic guitar. The use of

9. instruments is a very clear indicator of the indie/rock genre.
Overall I believe that our music video is successful in its attempt to portray the indie genre through live performance and narrative.
Although we did not use live performance for the whole video, it is still clear through other elements which genre it belongs to and
it displays many conventions of the genre and music videos in general. The live performance ensures a different and exciting
atmosphere, while the narrative that we produced was not too complicated, easy to understand and we created a storyline that a
lot of our target audience could relate to.