evaluation of my coursework

1. How does your product represent social groups and issues?
My music video represents urban youth culture through the use of lighting, setting,
costumes and angles. The lighting suggests the clear importance and innocence of
the character within the world that they are in, creating an almost angelic halo effect,
which is in direct contrast to the criminality suggested by the costume. The costumes
(a prison jumpsuit and the sinister mask) use the color conventions of the genre but
also draw on th iconography of youth gang culture which is then subverted though
the passivity of the protagonist. I decided to use very soft lighting throughout my
music video to create a surreal atmosphere; the soft light also hints at darkness
which is a gesture towards the dullness of life. These characters in orange jumpsuits
are like highlights within this darkness which could suggest that the teenagers are
trying to make their lives more lighthearted and exciting in the midst of dark and
depressing times. I chose each setting with extreme care and relevance to my
project. I looked at places such as parks and urban built up areas to reflect isolation
and places where the youths of our world might lurk. The bright orange jumpsuit
suggests a beacon in this world of darkness and despair; their warmth is a solution
to the darkness. Within each youth, I wanted to create a sense of peace in contrast
to the stereotype where youths are always loud and rowdy. I decided to go against
the conventions of what adults might think a typical teenager might be, the
positioning( both geographical and composition of the shots) of the character
engages with the typical stereotype of teenagers. The calm and stillness of the
protagonist reflects the view of existentialism as they are pondering existence in the
world and the video reflects their journey on trying to discover the meaning. A
further layer to their existential crisis is created through the symbolism of the
jumpsuit as a projection of the labels society has implemented on them.
How do the elements of your production work together to create a sense of
branding?
I've explored how the different elements of my production work together to create a
sense of branding: colour, san serif fonts and iconography of urban youth culture.
I've used codes and conventions of the electronic and dance music genre in order to
create a sense of branding across all of my products. Branding is the process of
giving a meaning to a specific organisation, company, products or services by
creating and shaping a brand in consumers' minds. I have used branding across all
three of my products through the use of intertextuality, font, colour. The intertextuality
represents the connection between my music video and Kraftwerk (which was a
1980s synth pop band based in Germany). I have used an avant garde technique
which is new and different then previous work. The font is also something to be
attentive towards as it is a clear link between all three of my media products. As you
can see in figures 1 and 2, I have used a RECTEK font type to link my products
together. This represents the connection to the electronic and dance genre as a

2. whole. It also represents a firm representation of titles and is supposed to catch your
attention when reading on the website or within the digipak. I would like to also
mention the fact that I have used colour throughout my media products and that has
created a sense of branding. The bright colours on the dark and eerie background
represent a light in the darkness and a surreal out of world affect. It also represents
the mysteriousness of the character. It is a good example to use for a sense of
branding because it really stands out and can be recognised across all three media
products.

3. Figure 1 and 2

4. How do your products engage with the audience?
My products reflect the target audience as I have used a teenager as my central
protagonist. I wanted to create a character which my target audience can relate to
and connect with. My main protagonist represents an alienated, isolated person, who
is unaware of the people around them; focused within their own thoughts. It is as if
you are there in person but your mind is wandering. This will appeal to the young
adult demographic my music video is aimed at. As well as isolation, a particularly
resonant feeling at this time, my main character is masked which reflect existentialist
ideas around anonymity and not feeling ‘seen’.
The main character is looking towards the camera lens in the majority of shots, this
means that they are trying to get your attention, trying to connect with you on a
whole other level. This reflects that most EDM videos are not used for promotion but
are to function as ‘ambient music videos’ which provide a nice backdrop but the
focus is on listening to and dancing to the music. As with typical EDM videos, I’ve
used establishing shots to create a sense of place. Many EDM videos are set in the
countryside and I have used locations such as the heath and an open field to reflect
this. The incongruity between the music and the natural environment creates an
abstract effect, fulfilling audience expectations. I’ve also used commuting
environments such as Camden Lock to reinforce the idea of anonymity and being
just one of many thousands of individuals and creates a binary opposite with the
countryside footage.
I've created a sense of direct address through the careful composition of each
individual shot. It seems as if the protagonist is addressing the world throughout the
music video. I've made my website clear so it can be accessible around the world.
In addition, I have created an instagram account for my artist making it easier to
connect with the younger generation; they can DM the artist and actually have a
conversation with them and ask them questions if needed. The primary target
audience for these products is mainly electronic and dance fans with my sense of
branding that relates to the electronic and dance genre.

6. How does your research inform your products and the way they use or challenge
conventions?
My research has informed my products through the way that they use conventions
such as genre, text, angles and camera works. When I started researching for my
music video, digipak and website and social media page I was looking into examples
that were within the same genre with artists such as Westbam and Clalvin Harris.
My research suggested that the appropriate codes and conventions would be as
follows::
· Bold sans serif text
· Dark background colours juxtaposed with high contrast neon florescent
colours
· Urban landscapes
· Rave iconography such as open spaces such as fields and overground
stations
· Costume that is eye catching and unusual
WIthin my blog it shows the development of my ideas to achieve the end result. I
started out my research by looking of codes and conventions of electronic and dance
music videos to gain more insight into the genre and help me decide which way to
go. From there I began to do some more research into several different music videos
within that genre to develop the understanding of the common features within the
genre .
For example in Westbam – Götterstrsesse no 1 we see two figures dressed
astronauts moving though various urban landscapes. Infrared and time-lapse shots
are used to intersperse the narrative and create visual interest. These elements
worked well within the genre and for this track and so I was inspired to use similar
techniques.

7. In this example from swedish house mafia “greyhound” I have sought to reproduce
this surrealism of this establishing shot by imitating use of weird, unusual and
unexpected costumes against a backdrop where they don't belong. Both of these
screenshots come within the first few frames of the respective music videos and
establish the narrative of the unexpected within the video. In imitating this I used
establish conventions of the electronic and dance music genre.

8. One of the ways in which I have used conventions of the EDM genre in my edits.
“Imposible” by Royksopp music video which conforms to EDM genre by using morph
edits to create an ambient background visual to the the music. I have done the same
with my music video.