The document discusses how a student's media product for a music video assignment used and challenged conventions of real hip hop music videos. The student chose the song "Automatic" by Nicki Minaj for an upbeat, fun vibe. In researching hip hop videos, the student both incorporated typical elements like close-ups of the artist and relationships between music/visuals, but challenged conventions like depictions of drugs, alcohol, and materialism to send a positive message. The final video ended up being more performance-based than the planned narrative.

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

2. The song in which me and my group decided to make out music video was Automatic- Nicki Minaj, a song within the hip-hop
genre. We chose this song because it was upbeat, fun and outgoing, exactly what we wanted our own video to be. We
researched the hip-hop subculture by watching music videos on youtube and researching various hip-hop artists such as
Nicki Minaj, who we based our own artist on. Whilst creating our music video, we both used and challenged conventions of a
typical hip-hop video to make our own video unique.
Automatic- Nicki Minaj http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l7olyho2BAM
Nicki Minaj

3. According to Andrew Goodwins theory, these are the conventions of a typical music video.
1. Music videos demonstrate genre characteristics.
Whilst researching the hip-hop subculture we found that genre characteristics usually associated with Hip-Hop music videos
tend to include drugs, alcohol and luxury items such as flashy jewellery. We felt that these props may negatively influence our
target audience of teenagers and young adults and therefore decided to challenge this convention. We planned for our own
music video to portray a message that substances such as drugs and alcohol aren’t needed to have a good time by showing
footage of artist having fun without these things. As young people are often those who feel under the most pressure to look
good by their peers, we didn’t want our music video to include a lot of materialistic items. This plan was made as a way to
send a message to our target audience that luxury items aren’t needed to look good or to impress anyone. Because we didn’t
agree with the props used in typical Hip-Hop videos, we didn’t end up using many props in our own music video as we felt
that they weren’t necessary.

4. 2. There is a relationship between lyrics and visuals
There is a clear relationship between lyrics and visuals displayed within my music video, therefore conforming to this
convention.
‘No remedy’
‘Moving my hips’ ‘Brain’
‘You’ ‘See’

5. 3. There is a relationship between music and visuals
Whilst making our music video, we created a relationship between music and
visuals by editing our footage so that that the cars and the ride moved at the
same time as the beat therefore conforming to this convention. However, this
relationship wasn’t always consistent throughout our video.

6. 4. The demands of the record label will include the need for lots of close ups of the
artist and the artist may develop motifs which recur across their work.
As the artist is in high demand, we filmed various close ups of our artist using a number of different camera shots and angles,
conforming to this convention. This was done to build a relationship with the audience.

7. 5. There is frequently reference to notion of looking and particularly voyeuristic
treatment of the female body.
Whilst watching hip-hop videos as part of my subculture research I found that the sexualized presentation of women is a heavy
genre characteristic within recent Hip-Hop music. I decided to challenge this convention as I wanted my artist to be recognised
for her success and music rather than her assets. I also wanted my video to be available to everyone whereas if it had too many
sexual images, it may only be shown on TV after a certain time.

8. 6. Whether the video is primarily performance based, narrative based or concept
based and how elements of each is used in it.
Although me and my group originally planned to make a narrative based video, as we went through the process of creating our
video we ended up changing our minds, making it more performance based. This was because we felt our video came together a
whole lot more this way than what we had originally planned. However, we did stick with the concept of showing our artist
having fun within the music video. This was accomplished using by the ‘home recording’ footages within our video.

9. Album cover research
Image of artist
Name of artist
Name of album
Parental advisory label
Album cover conventions

10. My album cover
Image of artist
Name of artist
Parental advisory label
Name of album

11. Album poster/advertisement research
Functions of poster advertisements:
To promote the artist
To sell the album/song
Conventions of poster advertisements
can vary but typically include:
Release date
Album/song title
Image of album cover
Name of artist
Information about album
Where it is available to purchase
Record label logo
Parental advisory logo
Website

12. My album poster/advertisement
Name of album
Name of artist
Release date
Image of album cover
Information about album
Parental advisory label
I kept my album poster very similar to
my album as this is common amongst
many artists.
This is done so the album is easily
recognisable to customers when they
are going to buy the album.

13. Digipak research

14. My digipak