The document discusses how a student's music video project for the song "Bust Your Windows" by Jazmine Sullivan both follows and challenges conventions of real R&B music videos. It follows conventions through its locations, focus on the singer's image with close-up shots, and narrative structure. However, it also challenges conventions by having the singer wear casual clothes instead of being half-naked, and using a prop of burning a heart to portray emotion rather than just body language. The accompanying CD booklet also follows real media conventions to make the overall project seem authentic.

1. In what ways will your media product
use, develop or challenge forms and
conventions of real media products?
• The song that I chose to create a music video for is a real media product. The song
“Bust your windows” is by an American R&B singer called Jazmine Sullivan. The
song itself follows the conventions of the R&B genre as it deals with themes of
heartbreak and revenge.

2. • We followed conventions starting with the
chosen locations used for our music video
which were very typical as many real R&B
videos take place in a house or a club. Like in
most R&B videos we decided to concentrate
on the singer’s image by choosing fancy
clothing and make-up

3. • In our music video we used a lot of close-up shots
as this is typical in most R&B videos.
During research I came across this
close-up shot from a video where
you can see the singer’s emotion.
We then decided to use it in our
own video because we were going
for the same effect of showing
emotion through a close-up.

4. • We didn’t only want to follow conventions, so
we decided to develop them.
Here is how we developed conventions in our
video:
During the singing shots of the
video we included a shot of
the singer literally burning a
heart to show how she feels.
This is a development because
rarely in R&B videos do you
see a character using props to
portray emotion but instead
they use body language.

5. • In our video we challenged the forms of
sexualisation or the “male gaze” which is used
in most R&B videos.
In our video we challenged this by
The promotion of sex is usually done having the singer appear wearing
in order for an artist to sell records. casual sleeping clothes instead of
having her half-naked

6. Laura Mulvey – Male Gaze Theory
• The theory of the ‘Male Gaze’ has a very
simple idea behind it. Mulvey believes that
male audiences get a sense of power and
pleasure from watching women in the media
who are often represented as objects for male
pleasure. This type of objectified woman is
the media norm. Most media representations
of women are mainly for men – for the male
gaze.”

7. TODOROV’S EQUILIBRIUM THEORY
• In our video we used this theory through the narrative
structure of the video. Todorov’s theory suggests:
• 1. The fictional environment begins with a state of
equilibrium
This is seen in our video at the beginning when the girlfriend
is making her way downstairs and she appears to be happy in
that moment.
• 2. It then suffers some disruption (disequilibrium)
The disruption then occurs during an awkward, distant
conversation between the boyfriend and girlfriend. This then
leads to the delivery of the package with pictures and a video
of the boyfriend cheating on the girlfriend
• 3. New equilibrium is produced at the end of the narrative

8. There are five stages the narrative can progress through:
• A state of equilibrium (all is as it should be)
• A disruption of that order by an event
• A recognition that the disorder has occurred
This is shown when the girlfriend gets angry after watching the video
and then ends up trashing the living room.
• An attempt to repair the damage of the disruption
This occurs when the girlfriend plots her revenge by vandalising his car.
• A return or restoration of a NEW equilibrium
The restoration of equilibrium is shown towards the end when she is
seen smiling .

9. • The ancillary then linked back to real media
products through the CD booklet which
follows conventions used in CDs.
This is shown by having the singer on the album
cover like most R&B CDs do.
After having completed the
digipak research and looking
at existing conventions, I
included a biography page, a
lyrics page, barcode, track
list, copyright logo, record
company info to make my
ancillary look more like a real
media product.