The document discusses conventions in rock music videos and how the student's music video for the band In Transmission adheres to and challenges some of these conventions. The student analyzed nine frames from their video and explained how each frame represents different conventions such as performance shots, close-ups, varied camera angles, and establishing settings and time frames. The student also compared their video and album packaging designs to real examples to demonstrate how they both conform to and subvert genre conventions.

1. Evaluation

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

3. As my chosen band, In Transmission belong
predominantly, to the rock genre it was fundamental to
research the genre itself in depth. I began researching the
genre to find its main characteristics, how audiences
established products within this genre and how music
videos are used to reinforce the sometimes heavy messages
that the Rock genre explores.
This research proved vital not only in the success of my
music video but my ancillary products too.

4. Researching conventions of music videos
I began researching general music videos using
Andrew Goodwin’s characteristics of a music video. He
notes that, despite genre, music videos typically
demonstrate:
• genre characteristics
• A relationship between lyrics and visuals
• A relationship between music and visuals
• The demands of the record label
• Frequent reference to notion of looking
• Often intertextual reference

5. CONVENTIONS OF ROCK VIDEOS
PEFORMANC INSTRUMENTS
PARTYING
E BASED
NARRATIVE SEPIA
SPOTLIGHTS
EMOTION FAST
CLOS DARK PACED
EDITING
E UPS EXPRESSION

6. These are nine frames from my video that I have chosen as I
Close up on vocals,
feel each represents a different aspect of my music video.
emphasises emotion
Performance shot, of song and conveys
Introduces conforming to Rock Genre
narrative of feeling.
the video as 1
well as the
band Explores a
collectively. range of
camera
angles-
enables a
‘backstage
pass’ to
audiences
Close up, focused shot of lead singer-
Again serves to introduce
done to attract audiences and is often a
band in natural
demand of the record label- here we
environment, not a
supported a typical convention of the
staged shot.
music industry.

7. Explaining my Nine Frames…
This over the shoulder shot introduces
1 the band as well as the beginning of our
narrative. Audiences may feel that they
are being given an insight into the band
here and thus, audiences feel a sense of
being in this scene with the band. The
sepia effect given to this sequence
enables audiences to identify with the
different time layers created in the video.
This shot acts to represent a typical
‘morning after the night before’ and the
hung-over state of the band which is
This second frame, a wide shot often associated with the Rock Genre.
introduces the band’s on stage presence 2
and the atmosphere automatically
changes from sepia to bright and clear.
The pop up text in the bottom corner acts
as an indicator of time enabling the
distinction from the two time frames of
the video. Performance shots are once
again are common element used in rock
videos.

8. This side on close up shot emphasises
3 the dramatic and strong first bold note of
the song. This type of shot was used to
reinforce and convey the expression of
the lead singer whilst also creating a
sense of verismilitude for our audience
with the lip synching. The close up of the
lead singer could also be used to meet
the demands of the record label and to
attract female audiences. The
simple, plain background allows the lead
singer himself to stand out and thus, this
draws attention to his expression.
This mid- shot establishes yet another 4
time frame and setting. The band are
shown to be acting recklessly and
partying, another common association
with the rock genre. This frame
represents the band in a more natural
environment in which audiences can
witness and relate to them.

9. This relatively close- mid shot frame
5 represents how each band member
and their role in established early in
the video. Choosing to focus on each
member separately as well as the band
collectively allows for a range of
camera angles to be used but also
gives audiences insight into each
member and could be said to attract
fans. The down spot lighting in these
frames emphasises the significance of
each member.
This frame represents our vast range of
camera angles and positioning used in
the video, this is done to create a sense 6
of immediacy for audiences and also to
allow for quick, fast paced editing so that
one shot isn’t too long. This particular
angle gives the impression that audiences
are possibly given backstage access to
bands performance and in turn, enables
to band to be viewed from quite literally
a different side.

10. 7 This low angle shot of the lead singer,
creates the impression of the
importance of the person in shot or
their significance. Typically in music
videos, this type of shot is used to
give importance and pay attention to
the lead singer/ artist and so, this
frame represents this aspect.
Another over the shoulder the shot, this
frame serves to represent the band once
again in a natural environment as the shot 8
is not staged. This type of shot enables
audiences to feel a sense of time and place
and like they are actually in the scene, with
this atmosphere. The soft lighting here
creates this warm environment and
reinforces the notion of the band together,
etc. This type of scene is common in videos
of Bands in particular as it allows for the
band to be shown together.

11. 9 This closing frame, represents
the end of the band’s stage
performance. The stark lighting
contrast then fades out and
marks the end of the video.
The lighting could be said to
mirror that of a flash of a
camera and thus, this shot
ends the video but is like a
photo being taken of the band
as their performance ends.
This is one of the only medium
shots covering the whole band
throughout the video and this
is perhaps prominent as their
final scene.

12. Comparing my music video to real media
texts
Much like Pierce The Veil’s video for Caraphenilia which establishes a variety of
settings/locations and time frames within its narrative, I chose a similar format for
my music video for In Transmission. This simple pop up text which was added during
the post production stages helps to make the narrative clear to audiences especially
when using several narratives as to not confuse viewers. In this aspect we conformed
to this convention of real media products as it was fundamental that audiences
understood the narrative and structure of my video and to end with a clear sense of
progression.

13. In my video, I conformed to the convention of using close up and over the
shoulder shots which are often used in videos of bands to explore each
member and identify their role within the band. This convention often used
in videos is typically present in those which are performance based. As my
video centred around an unsigned, relatively unknown band and for their
debut track , it was important that individually, the band members were
established well solely for audience recognition.

14. My video Real music videos
A strong, focused close up shot often at several intervals in the song and for longer
shots, focuses on the expression and emotion of the song is present in videos of the rock genre-
we hoped to emulate this in our video.

15. In rock videos, much focus is given to
performance shots of the band- almost inviting
audiences backstage. We supported the
convention of performance within our video.

16. My Magazine Poster Real Adverts

17. As we hadn’t used the main image from our digipak
cover for the posters image, it was important to in
some way, create a synergistic link between both
my digipak and the poster for its release. By doing
this, I subverted the typical convention of real
magazine posters to use the same image for both
products. I then researched other posters which
had subverted this convention to find how a link
had been made to the digipak it is promotion. I
found a few which included an image of the digipak
itself and found this to be an effective way to link
the two products.

18. Examples of real media texts…

20. My Digipak Real Digipak’s
Whilst my choice of a more creative font than the often simple conventional ones used
for the Rock and Alternative genre, I have opted to follow the theme of nature as my
album artwork. Our idea for the bare tree stump came from the fact that this is the
band’s first album and so, as they grow and become more successful, the tree would
flourish and bloom. The dark theme of the cover; black and red conform to the darker
side that the Rock Genre explores, whilst some real media products tend to steer clear
of the conformity.

21. My Digipak’s insert panels could be likened to
that of You Me At Six’s album artwork, their of
identity report cards to introduce the band is
similar to the pages I used with individual
pictures of each band member to serve as an
introduction to fans being their debut album.

22. Some album covers use simple font styles as to not take away
from the image itself, others may use the band’s logo itself as
this can be a synergistic link between all their products. As My
Chemical Romance as an example, sometime the font itself
draws most attention to the album over the actual image. The
pulp-fiction- esqe text I have used is much more apparent
than my image itself. This is because this text is the band’s
actual logo and thus, I wanted to familiarise audiences with
the bands image.