The document discusses the analysis and application of codes and conventions from music videos, magazines, and albums to the creation of original media products in the indie genre. It identifies techniques used commonly such as direct eye contact with the audience, shots of band performances, and fade-outs. However, it also discusses challenging conventions by focusing more on conceptual elements than the artist's image and including shots that broaden the target audience. The goal is to create cohesive products across video, magazine, and album formats while negotiating typical industry conventions.

2.  I analysed real existing music videos, music
magazine advertisements and digipaks – identifying
the expected/common codes and conventions by
referring to theories such as Andrew Goodwin,
Richard Dyer and Sven E Carlsson.
 I also analysed how conventions are challenged in
relation to brand identity, the artist’s
representation and marketing techniques.
I then applied these codes and conventions into my
own media products, still conforming to my chosen
genre – indie.
Research and Planning

3.  In the music video, direct mode of address was
used from the artist looking at the audience through
the camera – engaging common convention.
 Linking to the indie genre,
frequent shots of the band
performing shows the audience
they’re very interested in the music
and not all about the ‘star image’.
 ‘Fade to black’ effect was used at the end of the
music video which is a common convention used to
end music videos to give a chilled ending fading
away along with the music.

4. The artists are all wearing chill casual
clothing – links to the relaxed indie genre
– not obsessed with the ‘star image’.
The website link and ‘Available on iTunes’
on the music magazine advert shows the
audience where to purchase the product –
similar on most media products.
Same location and beach theme used
throughout video – sense of continuity
similar to other music videos in the telling
of a narrative.

5.  The Kings of Leon ‘Back Down South’ music
video has influenced me to use lots of close
ups of the artists instruments and shots of the
band performing
 This gives the audience more of an insight to
what the band are like other than just their
voices - could encourage the target
audience to go to one of the band's gigs –
typical convention of the indie genre.

6. Gorillaz music
Magazine advert
Stereophonics music
magazine advert
My music
magazine advert
• Through research into music magazine adverts
of my indie/indie rock genre and other genres I
discovered that all adverts used the same
convention of presenting a sense of exclusivity
in announcing the new album release.
• This excites the audience and gives a sense of
urgency to purchase the album. I therefore
adopted this convention into my own product to
achieve the same goal.

7.  The shot of the artist lying with a girl on the lyrics
‘Another day lying with you’ – follows Goodwin’s
theory of lyrics matching the visuals. This can
also link to
Sven E Carlsson’s term
of audio-visual poetry.
 The waves crash down on time of
the exact drum beats – following
conventions of music matching the visuals.
 Linking to concept of Performance and Genre –
repetitive shots of artist singing outside e.g. on
the beach – links to indie natural genre.

8. I applied Julia Kristeva’s term of
intertextuality ("a mosaic of quotations;
any text is the absorption and
transformation of another”) in my music
video as I include close up and medium
close up shots of surfboards with their
names on which would interest members
of the target audience who surf.

9. Also the main artists shoe brand is
featured in an extreme close up which
advertises the brand ‘Puma’.
The logo on the artist’s wetsuit promotes
quiksilver as a brand as people may see it
and want to be like the artist so buy
wetsuits from the same shop.

10.  I have developed the power of continuity in my
music video by not just having a sense of
continuity within the narrative but throughout
the other products.
 For example, I have used the same location and
shots in the music magazine advert and the
digipak with the music video to make the
products more recognisable to the audience.

11. The repetitive shots of the beach location mirrors
the calm chilled tone of the song and follows the
typical codes and conventions of an indie chill
genre.
Although these locations are similar they each
have a different atmosphere which helps target the
intended audience of explorers and reformers.

12.  From my research I decided to negotiate the
male gaze theory by having a male showing his
body which challenges the conventions of an
indie genre – widens my target audience.
 I also challenged the codes and conventions of
a digipak by not having my artist/band’s feature
on the front cover to show they’re not obsessed
with the ‘star image’.

13. Michael Shore said how music videos are
‘surface without substance’ and he is
critical of the ‘recycled styles’ so I decided
to challenge codes and conventions by
focusing more on the conceptual part of
the video and not having my artist’s face
features on the ancillary products.

14. Also on the music magazine advert, the
artist gives no direct mode of address and
is facing away from the camera. This goes
against the typical codes and conventions
of a music magazine advert as the majority
of music magazine advert’s I researched had
direct mode of address which shows my
artist doesn’t conform to the mainstream
and mediates to the indie alternative genre I
intended.