Our music video challenges some conventions of pop ballad music videos. While it follows conventions like a non-linear narrative and establishing shots, it breaks conventions by starting with diegetic sound instead of the music, focusing less on the protagonist by hiding her identity, and depicting Pakistani cultural and social norms of marriage instead of solely focusing on romance. Specifically, it shows the rituals and ways young brides prepare culturally for their wedding day, challenging the typical Western conventions of pop ballads emphasizing physical romance over cultural issues.

1. Critical Reflection
Evaluation Questions
Hajra Noor

2. Q.1 How do your products use or challenge conventions and how
do they represent social groups or issues?
In order to begin with my music video, I researched on the conventions that
belonged to the genre I chose for the music video. Our music video is narrative
and a performance based, which means that it doesn’t have a linear narrative.
However it has a non linear narrative because the narrative in the music video
is not continuous, the performance of the artist can also be seen in short clips
throughout the video. The music video follows a set narrative which consists
of the transition from how in Pakistani culture, a girl becomes a bride through
different stages and its shows the true meaning of a family and the relation
between the family members within our culture.
Our music video falls under the genre Pop but it has been further classified to
‘Pop Ballad’. The term 'Pop" refers to the genre of music described as popular
music. It is a type of music that is intended towards the youth market that are
the teenagers. Much of this music is intended to engage the audience to dance
as it uses dance-oriented rhythms. Ballads on the other hand refers to a song
that is narrative based and takes on the meaning of a slow love song. The song
on which our music video is based is a fusion of Pop and Ballad because the
target audience for our music video is teenagers and young adults who are
familiar with this genre.

3. In our music video we have followed most of the conventions found in the Pop Ballad music
videos. Our music video follows the conventions of Pop music videos and Ballad music
videos.
• The music videos begins with an establishing shot, where the mise-en-scene has been
explained with the help of different shots taken in order to explain that there is a wedding
going on in the family. It follows the convention of Pop music videos where the mise-en-
scene reflects the atmosphere.
Click to watch video

4. • In our music videos we have used simple camera shots and editing techniques that are
usually found in Pop and Ballad music videos. First we have used a couple of close-ups of
the artist in order to highlight the performance and for the establishing the star image.
The image on the right is the reference form Taylor Swift’s music video ‘Begin Again’ and
the left image is a picture from our music video.

5. • Furthermore, it follows the convention of Pop Ballad music videos. Ballad music videos
take the meaning of a slow form of popular love song. For this purpose our music videos
have slow-paced editing in order to give the effect of a fantasy in order to incorporate a love
story in it. Camera shots and editing techniques that are mostly used in the music videos are
mid-shots, close-ups, over the shoulder shots, fade-ins.
The top row shows the shots from our music video. Whereas the bottom row shows
references from Taylor Swifts music video ‘Begin Again’

6. • Voyeurism is one of the most prominent convention found in Pop Ballad music videos.
With the help of a sheer curtain and slow-paced movement of the camera, we were able to
follow this convention in our music video.
Click to watch video

7. Challenged any Conventions?
• Conventional Pop Ballad music videos do not depict culture with love story. Usually Pop
Ballads do not really show the bigger picture, instead they revolve around the girl and the
boy only where they have laid emphasis on the romance more. We have broken this
convention by showing a hybrid of relationship and culture. Most Pop Ballad music video
focus more on the romance instead of the culture but our music video although contains
elements of romance. Instead of focusing on the physical relation, our music video has a
narrative that is more of over tonal soviet montage since the romance revolves around the
feelings more.

8. In terms of cinematography, our music video follows the conventions of Pop Ballad music
videos as discussed before. However in some ways we have challenged the conventions.
• First we have broken the convention in the music video by starting it with a diegetic sound
whereas conventional music videos begin the music track. In our music video the music
track begins after the first 20 seconds.
• In conventional music videos, the protagonist is put on focus more whereas in our music
video we have added the hermeneutic code because the bride is not shown properly in the
video. In order to create suspense for the audience this code has been added and the identity
of the bride is revealed at the end. The ideology behind our music video is taken from our
own roots because in our society the girl (bride) is not exposed to the public and is a symbol
of respect. By adding the hermeneutic code we are supporting this ideology.
The image on the left shows the protagonist being exposed, whereas the image on the left is
from our music video where the bride has been hidden partially.

9. • Our music video is culture oriented and depict the norms and the belief and value system
in our society. It revolved around the story of a young girl during her time of the marriage.
The social cause that can be seen in the music video is the way in which the ritual bond of
marriage is valued in our society. It shows the mentality of the people on how to cherish the
special moments in order to celebrate the big day.
• Secondly it shows the stereotypical ways in which the young girl (bride) at this age is
involved in the rituals in order to beautify herself. In order to present this social cause, the
music video follows the conventions from some of the prominent references like the
Bollywood Blockbuster ‘Kuch Kuch Hota Hai’ and also a promotional video of a make-up
artist i.e. ‘Maram & Abroo’s Make-Up short film ft Iman Ali’.
Click to watch video