This document discusses how the media product adheres to and develops conventions of real music videos and magazine advertisements. For the music video, conventions such as shot types, camera movements, mise-en-scene, editing techniques, narrative structure, and performance were followed to tell the story and relate to the song. The video portrays a journey from isolation to freedom through changes in location, costume, and emotion. The magazine advertisement adheres to conventions by including ratings from trusted music sources and links to the artist's social media to connect with fans. Real magazine ads were researched to understand what attracts audiences.

1. In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and
conventions of real media products? (2641 words)
Music video
For my A2 coursework,Imade a musicvideotoSia’s‘Chandelier’,whichcomesunderthe
mainstreampopgenre.Therefore,Ifounditfairlyeasytoadhere tothe formsand
conventionsof real mediaproductsastheyare veryclearcut andstraightforwardfor
mainstreampopvideos.Forone of myresearchtasks,I filmedavideodiscussingthe
generic/mainstreamcodesandconventionsof musicvideosincluding:camera,mise-en-
scene,editing,soundandnarrative.
In termsof camera, the shotstypesand cameramovementare veryimportantinreflecting
the emotionandmeaningof the song,as if theyare notplannedcorrectlythenitcan
undermine the entire tone of the video.Therefore,Icarefullyplannedoutthe different
shotsand camera movementsIwantedpriortofilmingtoensure Ihada varietyandalsoto
ensure thattheywentwiththe songitself.Musicvideostypicallyincorporate avarietyof
shots,such as establishingshots,longshots,midshots,close upsandextreme closeups,as
well asmovementssuchasfocuspulls,pansandtilts.Thisisto create emphasisonthe
artist,locationsusedandmostimportantlythe emotionsthe lyricsare tryingtoevoke.I
adheredtothese cameraconventionsasIwantedto notonlyenable asuccessful videothat
adheredtoconventions,butalsoinordertoemphasise the underlyingemotionandisolation
of the lyricsof the song.Moreover,for myestablishingshotIuseda close uppan of mymain
artistlyingonthe floorlookingsadlyintonothing.Islowedthisdown wheneditingonAdobe
Premiere asitallowsthe camerato be focusedsolelyonheremotions;thissetsupthe tone
for the entire musicvideoandallowsthe audience toempathise withherinitial feelingsof
isolation.Inadditiontothis,Iusedalot of longshotsin orderto portray the different
locationsof where myactresswas as itfurtheremphasisedhow alone she wasincrowdsof
people,inbusyplacessuchasLondonand Waterloostation;however,Ialsousedextreme
longshotsat the endof the videoof the peaceful countrysidetojuxtapose the busyLondon
locationswithacalm and free longshotof her standinginthe Devonshire Moors.Withsome
of the midshots,suchas the onesof her inWaterloostations,Iusedfocuspullsintomy
actressto contrast heron her ownand the busycrowdsaround her,bydrawingattentionto
the actress onher ownand blurringoutthe chaos aroundher.In regard toclose ups,I
focusedonmy actressand heremotions,aswell asthe lyricsof the song.I usedextreme
close upsto showher lipsyncinginorderjointhe performance tothe song,havingher
mouthinglyricssuchas “1,2,3” and “’CosI’mjust holdingonfortonight”as these lyricswere
the most fittingforthe tone of isolationandthe internal battle myactresswashavingwith
heremotionswithinthe musicvideo.Ibelievethisadherestothe formsand conventionsof
real mediaproductsas itfollowsthe conventionsof usingshottypestogive significanceto
locations,emotionsandthe songitself andthis enabledmymusicvideotohave a degree of
success.
Moreover,intermsof mise-en-scene,there isn’tasetconventionformusicvideosasthey
are all different,butprofessional makeupandcostume are essential inordertomake itlook
like areal andaestheticallypleasingforthe viewer.Therefore,inorderforthe audience to
notice the contrastbetweenmyactress’differentpersonalities,Ikeptthe mise-en-scene
consistentthroughoutthe video,regardingmakeup,hair,costume andprops;havingtwo
differentcostumesandsettingsinordertocontrastmy actress’differentemotions
throughoutthe video.Forall the shotsinside,myactresswasshotinthe blackbox drama
room withprofessional,warmlighting,wearingawhite floatydresswithnatural hairand
makeup– thismakeupallowedhertolookaestheticallypleasingtoboththe male and

2. female viewer,andthe white dresswasusedtoportrayherinnocence andwantfor freedom
as it acts as a symbol of tranquillityandclarity,andthe lightingenabledhertolookangelic
and at peace.Whereas,forthe shotsoutside,myactresswasshotwithsimilarhairand
makeupbuther outfitwasverydifferent.She wasdressedinabiggreencoatwitha fluffy
white hood;thisenabledhertobe instantlyrecognisable inthe busycrowdswhenIwas
filminginLondon,aswell asalsoallowingthe videotohave acold feel andmyactressto
lookcoldand isolated.
In regardto editing,the mainformsandconventionsforreal musicvideosvaryasthe tones
can be verydifferent,buttheywillalmostalwaysuse jumpcutsorfadesas theirtransitions.
I decidedtouse mainlyjumpcutsinmy musicvideo,asI editedall of myfootage onAdobe
Premiere andAfterEffectsanditmade itveryeasyto cut my footage tothe beatof the
song.In dramaticmomentsIwouldcut fromone inside sequence toanoutside one toshow
the difference inpersonalityandalsosoI couldincorporate lipsyncing.Iusedfadesonlya
couple of timesandI useditin orderto transitionfromthe hecticLondonscenestothe calm
and peaceful countryside asitreallycontraststhe differentlocationsandshowsthe
transitionof myactress’state of mind.NotonlydidI editmyfootage bycuttingit in
differentplacessoIcouldorder the videohow Ifeltworkedwell,Ialsocolourgradedmy
footage andchangedthe filteronall of the outside shotstobe blackand white,toexpress
the depressingnature of myactress’isolatedlife.Ikeptthe blackbox shotsin colourin
orderto reallyemphasisethe white dressagainstthe blackbackgroundandthe angelic
warm lighting.Ialsoenhancedthe colouronall of the countryside shotsatthe endto show
howher life hadbecome brighternow thatshe wasfree,aswell asmakingthe settinglook
more aestheticallyappealingtothe audience byusingvibrantcolours.Thisadherestothe
formsand conventionsof real musicvideosasitlooksaestheticallypleasingtothe audience
and allowsthe sequencetohave emphasisonimportantmomentandcut to the beat.
Real musicvideoswill almostalwayshave some kindof narrative thatadherestothe song,
and thisiswhat I aimedtoincorporate withinmymusicvideo,otherwise the audience
wouldn’tbe able tofollowalongandempathise withthe characterandherstory as it
wouldn’tmake sense. Narrative referstothe waythe story of a filmistold,as well asthe
actual storyitself.ItincludesaspectssuchasNarrative Structure; Thisreferstothe order in
whichthe actiontakesplace such as my actressgettingona train before gettingintoLondon
otherwise the sequence wouldn’tmake sense astohow she got there.The popgenre isone
of the mostmainstreamwithinmusicvideoindustryasitis frequentlyadramaticsequence
witha large volume of actingand performance. The narrative formymusicvideo followsa
girl escapinghercurrent,overwhelming lifeandgoingona journeytotranquillity,travelling
fromher busylife inLondonwhere she feelssuffocatedintothe peacefulandcalm
countryside whenshe finallyfeelsfreeandatpeace.In mymusicvideoIincorporate a
performance aspectwiththe turningchoreographyusedinthe blackdramaroom, as well as
syncingherperformance withthe lyricstoemphasisehow herperformance relatestowhat
hersong istryingto say. Thisgivesthe storygoodvarietyof footage sothat the audience
staysengagedwiththe musicvideoandsothat the videomakessense. Ialsousedthe
theatrical elementwithinitasmyactress has differentpersonalities/moodswithinthe
sequence,beingshotinblackandwhite whilstshe’sathome andinherbusylife toreflect
herunhappiness,incolourinthe blackbox andin a white floatydresstoaddressthe
underlyingwantof freedom,andincolourwithhappierandmore calmexpressions atthe
endof the videowhenshe hasmade itto the country andis ina happy place.
Moreover,mymusicvideo alsoadherestothe genre theoryof Andrew Goodwin.Goodwinis
a theoristwhocreatedhisowntheoryaboutgenre inrelationtomusicvideo.Hisfamous

3. theoryidentified5keyaspectsof music videosthatwe (the audience) shouldlookoutfor
whichare:
- Thoughtbeats(seeingthe sound.)
- Narrative andperformance.
- The star image.
- Relationof visualstoasong.
- Technical aspectsof musicvideos.
My videoexpressesexamplesof these 5aspects,some more prominentthanthe others.For
example,myvideoincorporatesthoughtbeatsasmyactress lipsyncsto manyof the lyricsin
the song suchas “‘Cos I’mjustholdingonfor tonight”,connectinghertothe lyricsandthe
meaningof the song.Moreover,italsoincludesthe relationof visualstothe songas itshows
herjourneyandhow the emotioninthe lyricsisportrayedbymyactress’ changingand
progressingemotionasthe videocontinues. AsImentionedearlier,mymusicvideohasa
clearnarrative inthe storyof herjourneybothmentallyandphysicallysothisalsoadheres
to Goodwin’stheory.However,Iwasunable touse star powerasI had to use an actress of
my ownchoice whowas a familyfriend,buttypicallywithinmusicvideosthe singer
themselveswouldbe init.Despite this,Istill adheredtoSia’sstyle of musicvideoasshe
neverincludesherself inthe videosandshe letsthe lyricsandperformance speakforher,
whichiswhat I intendedtodowithmyA2 work.
Overall,Ibelieve Ihave adheredtoanddevelopedthe formsandconventionsof real music
videosformyownmusicvideoas I have a strongsoloperformerwhotellsthe storyof the
videothroughherjourney.Aswell asthisIbelievethe camerashotsandmovementsreally
portray the footage well andthe editingworksinconjunctionwiththistohighlightthe key
scenes.Ithinkthe enigmaasto what my actresschosesto doat the endof the videoreally
developsthe real musicvideoformsandconventionsasitallowsthe audience tocreate
theirownendingof whattheythinkshouldhappen.
Magazine advert
In creatingmymagazine advert Iwas able to adhere tothe forms andconventionsIknew as
a consumerof real magazine advertsasI typicallyreadmagazinesthatcontainsimilartypes
of adverts,soI knowwhatworkswell toattract audiences.Thiswasreallyhelpful asIwould
be a keytargetaudience,ateenage female skew foramainstreampopvideolike Sia’s
‘Chandelier’.Firstly,Iknewthatreliable informationfromtrustedsourceswouldreallygrab
the audience’sattentionandtrust;soI decidedtoinclude ratingsfromtrustedmusic
magazines:‘Q’and‘NME’ that wouldshowcase advertsof the same orsimilargenresand
that musicloverswouldbe likelytosubscribe to.Ialsowantedtoincorporate web2.0 by
havingSia’swebsite andTwitter@onthe advert,so that fanscouldconnectwiththe artist
on platformstheywere familiarwithandenjoyedusing.Afterdoingsimilarproductresearch
intoexistingmagazineadvertsandhow theylinktothe videotheywere promoting,I
wantedtoensure I usedsimilartechniquestoenable mymagazine advertstolookas
professionalaspossible.Therefore,Iusedthe same actress frommy musicvideoinmy
magazine adverttolinkwell andbe a fluidpromotionalcampaign.Iusedashot of my
actresstwirlingwhichIalsousedwithinthe musicvideosothatthe audience couldinstantly
make the linkbetweenbothproducts.ItalsolookedprofessionalasIhad editedthe image
to make herlooklike she wastwirlingoverthe whole posterasI hadduplicatedthe image

4. and fadeditout slightly.Thiswouldgrabthe audience’sattentionasitwouldbe quite eye-
catchingin a magazine asit givesthe effectof amovingimage withinapicture.Thisissimilar
to manyfemale artistssuchas SelenaGomezandBeyoncé astheyare the sole focusof the
advertsand thisadherestopracticallyall gendersandagesasit issimplisticbuteasily
recognisable.However,the actressinthe videoisnotthe actual artist so thisisdifferentto
similarproductsastheiradvertswill typicallyinclude the artistthemselves,butIwantedto
adhere toSia’sstyle of advertas the neverincludesherself inher musicvideoorheradverts
and thisiswhat I wantedtodo to make the productsslightlysimilartoSia’sstyle.Aswell as
the picture,the albumtitle ‘1000 Formsof Fear’ andSia’sname is alsoa veryimportantpart
of the advertas itis showcasingthe whole album.Aswell asthisIensuredthatthe advert
was showcasingSia’smostfamoussongsbyhaving‘FeaturingChandelier’onthe adverttoo.
Thiswill grabpeople whomaybe are notseriousfansattentionastheywouldhave most
likelyheardthe popularmainstreamsong.Therefore Ibelieve Ihave adheredtothe
conventionsof magazine advertsaswell asdevelopingthemslightlyinordertoplayhomage
to Sia’sindividual styleandtosell the whole albumaswell asthe musicvideo.
Digipack
WhenI createdmy digipack,Iwantedtocontinue the same theme andstylingof the
magazine advertoversothat all the productslinkedwell.Therefore,the styleof picturesI
useda verysimilarandhave all beeneditedwithawarmfilterandtone inorderto keepthe
theme continuousovermythree separate products.Thisallowsmyproductstobe instantly
identifiable asthe same overall package.Idecidedtodoa 6 page digipackasthisis the
amountof contentyouwouldtypicallyseeona real digipack.Onthe pagesI includeda
varietyof contentthat reallyshowcasedthe albumandthe artistSia.The mainimage was
one of the actressfrom the musicvideowhichreflectsSia’sstyle of digipackasshe
frequentlyusesheractors/actress’onthe frontcover.Aswell asthisI followedthe typical
conventionsandincludedatrack listas thisisa feature that ison all would Moreover,these
theoriesalsoadhere tomydigipackandadvertas the theme of the narrative and the story
had to be continuedovertothese productsinorderto showcase mymainproductwhich
was the musicvideo.Ialsoensuredthattheyadheredtotypical conventionsof digipacks
and advertsbyfollowingthe structure,forexample,withinmydigipackIincludedatrack list,
a mainimage and the title of the artist Siaand heralbum‘1000 Formsof Fear’.The title and
picture of the actress,Isabella,whoIusedinmy musicvideowere alsousedinthe advertso
that all my productswouldlinkandsell the musicvideowithjustthe titleandstyle of
picture,whichwasIsabellaturningwhichisalsoincludedwithinthe musicvideo.