Final evaluation music video by Rebecca Harris

1. In what ways does your
media product
use, develop or challenge
forms and conventions of
real media products?
By Rebecca Harris

2. Introduction
 Throughout the research, planning and construction of our music
video, we used conventions of the Indie genre (specifically the
pop/rock Indie genre) via the mise-en-scene and the narrative.
However, we portrayed the Indie genre by creating an alternative
within the narrative to give it a negative ending rather than the
typical ‘happily ever after’, which is used in Indie genre music
videos.

3. Indie genre conventions
The indie music genre generally stems from independent companies, which would
therefore have lower budgets on the creation of a music video in comparison to
the work of those artists such as Beyonce and Katy Perry whose videos gain
millions of views upon release. As our music video is the outcome of a media
Alevel, we also had a low budget which therefore complies with this convention of
indie music videos. Furthermore, the style of the indie music videos in which I
analysed, for example ‘Hey There Delilah’ and ‘The Man Who Can’t Be Moved’,
appear to be filmed in much more "urban" locations, if it was to be filmed in a
large city like London or Paris it would not comply with the indie convention. One
way we have conformed to using these conventional ‘indie settings’ was to keep
our filming within places that are familiar to our target audience and also
conventional settings that would be present within a relationship. For example a
bedroom- a public footpath and a high street. Furthermore, another way our
music video challenged the indie media convention was through my use of
editing, when researching for this project, I found a running theme of the use of
colour treatment within the editing style- therefore to develop this convention I
decided to create an blue/grey overlay for the flashback and present day scenes
in our music video because desaturated colours are very heavily present within
the indie genre.

4. Mise-en-scene
 Firstly, the mise-en-scene used within the video had a variety of locations to engage the
audience to watch and be interested of the video. This is key for media products such as videos
due to wanting to persuade the target audience to share and encourage others to watch and
purchase it. The locations used were a house and a field, which are typical locations of Indie
genre music videos, such as Plain White T’s ‘Hey There Delilah’ where the singer is based
within his house whilst the female is wondering the streets. The locations symbolised the
growth and deterioration of the characters relationship within our music video (Barthes
Symbolic code). This portrays Indie genre music videos due to there usually being a happy
ending, whereas my group and I have used a negative ending.
Our video
Hey there Delilah

5. Mise-en-scene
 Secondly, the costumes used were inspired by the stereotypical Indie style, which
includes denim and plain tops with natural makeup. This helped us develop our
music video by saving us time and cost due to our actors already having the
costumes and provided themselves with their makeup. For example, denim jeans
and coat with a plain black or white shirt. Also, the use of mascara and foundation
to keep the natural look of the characters. We looked at Bastille ‘Pompeii’ for
inspiration for costume and makeup.
Our video
Bastille ‘Pompeii’

6. Mise-en-scene
 Furthermore, the lighting used within the music video helped us develop the
product and use conventions of the Indie genre by using Barthes symbolic code to
make the lighting connote the characters emotions within the specific scene to help
the audience sympathise with them. For example, we used dim lighting throughout
majority of our music video ‘Retrospect’ to connote the sadness that the main
character was feeling. This portrays the typical Indie genre music video due to
there usually being bright colours used. For example, in Coldplay’s music video
‘Sky Full Of Stars’, bright colours are used to connote a positive atmosphere
between the band and the audience, which is also shown by them dancing and
singing together.

7. Editing
 Indie music videos generally exhibit the format of cutting on the beat, making the
video flow on a specific rhythm. Our music video ‘Retrospect’ portrayed the
conventions of the typical Indie genre music video due to not always using that
convention due to focusing on matching the scenes to specific lyrics of Jeff
Buckley’s ‘Hallelujah’. For example, the scene with the female taking the guitar of
the male matched the lyrics “But you don’t really care for music, do ya?”. We also
used slow and fast paces throughout, which also linked with the lyrics. For
example, the slower sung lyrics had longer shots to decrease the pace, and used
shorter shots within the buildup to the chorus of the song which accelerated the
pace.

8. Editing
 In addition, for the colour treatment, I used Photoshop. For the scenes of the
middle-aged male retracing his steps, I used the three-way-colour treatment to use
the colour blue and make the scenes look dim and cold, connoting the characters
emotions. I also used the luma-curve to darken the whole scene and make it look
eerie. For the scenes, which were flashbacks of the couple, I used a black and
white tint with a little bit of red pigment from the three-way-colour corrector to give
the sephia look, making the scene look warm and happy, again, connoting the
characters emotions.

9. Cinematography
 Indie genre music videos tend to use many medium and close-up shots due to
them usually being performance videos with the camera focusing on the lead
singer and the band themselves. My group and I portrayed this convention due to
making our video narrative rather than performance, however we used the
conventional camera shots to express the characters emotions and bod language,
which helps the audience understand what’s going on and therefore they’re able to
sympathise with them.

10. Cinematography
 Also, static camera shots are used within Indie music videos in order to give the
video a clean cut appearance. My group and I used this convention as well as
using a variety of shots such as close-up’s, medium shots, extreme close-up shots
and medium shots. This was to make multiple people fit into frame and display their
actions whilst using a static shot. This helped prevent any shaking of the camera
which usually discourages the audience to watch the video.

11. Mode of address
As a whole, I personally believe the way we would present our music
video would reach our target audience of youth. We have addressed
our target audience by deciding to upload the final music video to
YouTube, which would be effect as this is the stereotypical way to
access music v online, and the largest demographic of users for this
site is young people. We also managed to create multiple social
media sites to engage with our given audience. For example, we
created an Instagram account to gain followers of our target audience
and at the same time acting as a advertisement for our work in our
music video by releasing small teasers of at first our logo, then our
test shoots and then other photographs taken on set to demonstrate
the production process of our music video. The reason I believe
having a social media account complies and develops media
conventions of real media products because many companies now
use Instagram as a platform of publicising their work.

12. Ancillary tasks and
conventions (digipack)
When creating my digipak and website ad, the main thing to keep in mind was to make sure they looked as it they
came from the same genre and conformed to the same media conventions as the music video. this is because
otherwise the audience may be confused and not expect the digipak to actually look like that. The first way that I
made sure all my projects links was through my use of imagery. For example the front cover of my digipak and the
magazine are key frames of scenery that is feature within the final music video. For example I have chosen to take
inspiration from a particular scene in the music video in which William is sitting by the river and throwing stones into
the water as the cover for my digipack. I have then overlaid this using the image of the couple that is featured in the
music video and depicted it as being burnt, which relates to imagery shown in my music video as there is the t use of
flames and candles, which meaning of these flames change meaning across the narrative of the music video. This
then links to Barthes enigma code and semantic code as the symbol of the flame changes throughout the video as
in the beginning of the video when the couple are in a state of equilibrium (Todorov) the use of the flame is symbolic
of romance and their healthy relationship. However later in the music video there is a scene in which the older
version of William blowing out the candle, which is symbolic of their relationship coming to a close. I have
represented this in my digipack by choosing to present the image as being burnt as if their relationship[ has been
destroyed by a symbol that was previously associated with it being a happy, healthy relationship.
DigipackOur video

13. Ancillary tasks digipack and
website
Website: https://rgriffiths1999.wixsite.com/lightbeamsproduction
See blog
post
‘digipack
resultant
images’ for
complete
digipack.

14. Ancillary tasks and
conventions website
In regards to colour scheme my main and ancillary tasks are
connected through the way that colours have been adjusted
throughout the production process for example in the editing of the
music video, for colour treatment, we have used Photoshop. For the
scenes of the middle-aged male retracing his steps, we used the
three-way-colour treatment to use the colour blue and make the
scenes look dim and cold, connoting the characters emotions. We
also used the luma-curve to darken the whole scene and make it look
eerie. For the scenes, which were flashbacks of the couple, we used
a black and white tint with a little bit of red pigment from the three-
way-colour corrector to give my video a sepia look, I have therefore
continued this theme and used similar colours in my website through
the use of desaturated tones of blue, purple grey and white. Which
links to our genre because desaturated colours are very heavily
present within the indie genre.

15. Conclusion
 In conclusion, our music video used conventions of the Indie genre by the use of
cinematography such as camera angles as well as the mise-en-scene. For
example, the costumes, locations and makeup. We also included some camera
shots and angles which are not usually used. For example, low-angle and dutch
shots. Therefore portraying the conventions of a typical Indie genre music video by
altering camera angles, which makes the video more of a narrative rather than a
performance.
 The editing format was similar due to using the black and white tint, which is used
in other indie genre music videos such as Imagine Dragons ‘Thunder’ and Plain
White T’s ‘Hey There Delilah’. However, we also used other editing skills such as
the three-way-colour treatment to make the other scenes darker, portraying
conventions of the Indie genre due to them usually being bright and bold. For
example, Coldplay ‘Sky Full Of Stars’.
 Finally, our video ‘Retrospect’ has portrayed the norms of a typical Indie genre
music video by creating a love story, which ends in a negative manner, which links
to Todorov’s narrative theory by starting off at an equilibrium and ending it at a de-
equilibrium. Also, we have made our characters portray stereotypes of gender roles
by making the female superior and confident, and the male vulnerable and
emotional.