This document analyzes how the media product created by Saskia Tarn uses, develops, and challenges conventions of real R&B pop music products. It examines the conventions used in areas like music videos, album artwork, and websites. The music video incorporates conventions like intimate close-ups and dancing but challenges conventions through its use of lighting and shots of the male rapper. The album artwork and website also aim to attract audiences while developing the artist's image through the use of conventions and some unconventional elements.

1. EVALUATION TASK 1
In what ways does your media product use, develop or
challenge forms and conventions of real media products?
By Saskia Tarn

2. CONVENTIONS
• Conventions in the music industry are essentially signs, which create a
meaning. The conventions in music is what allows them to be put into a
specific genre by portraying stereotypes. Conventions and stereotypes
are crucial as it means an audience are able to identify the genre of
something, in my case a music campaign that includes; a digipak,
website and music video. In relation to music videos, conventions are
generally based around things such as Editing, Set design, Camera
angels and Cast.

3. CONVENTIONS
• Conventions are divided up into two categories, Technical and Symbolic
• Technical conventions are the ways in which the equipment is used to
help tell a story in a media text, for example the camera work in a music
video help show meanings through the different typography that may
be used.
• Symbolic conventions are what is shown beneath the surface, for
example through an artist’s costume or facial expressions there will be
an underlining reason to their actions for instance it will give the
audience an insight into how they are feeling.

4. R&B POP GENRE
• My group produced a product in the R&B Pop genre. This music genre
combines elements of rhythm and blues it is American music that
originated in the 1940’s however R&B Pop is a newer version of soul and
funk influenced by pop music. Artists such as Beyoncé, Usher, Jennifer
Lopez and Ne-Yo have all come to success through the R&B Pop genre

5. MUSIC VIDEO – SET DESIGN
• We chose to create a wide range of visual sets in order to portray the characteristics
of the R&B Pop genre. Our video showed many similarities to the song Beyoncé,
Shakira – Beautiful Liar. Both this video and ours shows a simplistic yet mysterious
backdrop in order to shed light on the female artist being the main star, embracing
the R&B Pop through women’s confidence and empowerment the set design in
both cases is simply there to act as a visual attraction for the audience but in reality
the artists needs to stand out and be the main attraction in the video.

6. MUSIC VIDEO – SET DESIGN
• Both sets then move on to a simple backdrop for the dancing elements,
this is to strip it back and show the sex appeal and confidence of the
artists and dancers to help convey the genre as being bold and out
there. The connotations within each video suggest the artists are strong
independent females who embody everything girls strive to be from
confidence to power. This being an important convention within the
R&B Pop genre.

7. MUSIC VIDEO – PERFORMANCE
• During the research and planning stage we found that the particular
genre of R&B Pop focuses of bold, striking dance movements. Our
performance therefore enraptured the symbolic conventions through
the meaning of her dance moves. This was similar to Destiny’s child –
Say My name where the artist has many shots where by it is just her, the
narrative focuses on the female artist almost all of the time.

8. MUSIC VIDEO – PERFORMANCE
• However, we challenged this particular convention as in our
performance we used the rapper to open the video, which subverts to
the stereotype in the R&B genre that the female has to start and finish
due to her being the ‘star’ as shown in Dyer’s star theory. Similarly,
Mariah Carey’s – I don’t ft. YG challenges the typical convention as it also
opens with a rapper, showing that despite the female artist being the
main star; by using the rapper you may be able to expand to a
secondary audience.

9. MUSIC VIDEO – LIGHTING
• Throughout our music video we used multiple lighting set ups. However, we
wanted to place a large focus on shadows and silhouettes to match the sexy
mysterious vibe that many R&B Pop music videos hold as well as bright clear
lights to show our artists face Cleary as the video progressed this meant our
artist could be both inextricably ordinary and extraordinary for the audience.
• Our video seems to embody both bright and darker lighting, instead of
focusing on one. In Ciara’s Dance like we’re making love there is clear
similarities to our video where by the lighting is dark and therefore forcing
the audience to focus on the women’s silhouettes and see that beauty
behind them by only being back lit the artist is seen like this.

10. MUSIC VIDEO – LIGHTING
• However, our video also links with Brandy’s put it down feat Chris Brown
where the artist sings with clear bright lighting, to portray the power and
confidence of the R&B genre, the lighting we used similar to Brandy’s
meant the audience can see the artists face clearly therefore making it
easier to connect with the audience seeing them as ordinary as well as
extraordinary linking with Dyer’s star theory.

11. MUSIC VIDEO – CAMERA WORK
• In terms of camera work we had to focus on showing our artist in
the best light, we did this through lots of intimate close ups to
show her facial expressions and help portray the sex appeal that
the R&B Pop genre conveys. As well as close ups we used mid
shots to show a more detailed visual to the audience of our artists
we did this as it meant in the narrative we could slowly reveal
more and more of her body to give an element of surprise and
mystery. This is similar to the videos Kelly Rowland’s Ice ft Lil
Wayne and Kelly’s video Like this ft. Eve.

12. MUSIC VIDEO – CAMERA WORK
• However, we did challenge this particular technical convention by using
extreme close ups on our male rapper this added an extra layer of detail
focusing particularly on his costume and movements, we did this as we
wanted to help attract a secondary audience who may find the male
rapper more appealing therefore tune into our artist’s song with the
goal to attract a wider audience.

13. MUSIC VIDEO – COSTUME, HAIR AND
MAKE-UP
• We felt these areas of mise-en-scene were key symbolic conventions
that had to be done right, in order to show a clear genre. We used
beauty make-up that was natural but striking at the same time and
wanted hair that looked slick and therefore oozed sex appeal and girl
power in order to conform with the R&B conventions. We found
Beyoncé’s Partition video captured the natural yet striking look in terms
of make-up and therefore linked similarly with our product.

14. MUSIC VIDEO - COSTUME, HAIR AND
MAKE-UP
• In terms of costume we wanted to focus on showing our artist as a
strong sexy woman in the aim of reaching out to younger girls within
her target audience. We therefore used striking heels and tight
bodysuits. We found our product is similar to Ariane Grande’s focus
video where both artists are wearing black figure hugging clothing
which appeals to a range of people, widening their target audience
linking with the R&B Pop genre.
•

15. MUSIC VIDEO – EDITING
• As we found editing to be so crucial to our music video, we spent a lot of
time cutting to the beat of the song in order to have the narrative work well
together. We conformed to the R&B Pop genre, by using quick, sharp cuts to
give our video a fast-pace. We felt this embodies the active, energy that the
R&B genre has in Rihanna’s umbrella video where she has lots of quick cuts
to show the energy of her as an artist embodying the R&B Pop genre.
However, we also challenged the conventions by editing our rapper to much
slower cuts to slow the whole pace of the video down when focused on him,
the idea was this would contrast with the energy and pace of our female
artist that it makes her look more appealing and visually stunning.

16. ALBUM ARTWORK – COMPARING FRONT
COVER
• For our own artist we understood she is an up and coming solo R&B
artist therefore thought it was crucial that the consumer knew what they
were purchasing, that’s why we chose to have star significantly all over
the album cover. We wanted her striking a pose on the front cover so
the audience could feel they can connect with her, whilst we had her
facing mysteriously away from the camera on the back cover to fit in
with Dyer’s theory of her being ordinary and extraordinary.

17. ALBUM ARTWORK – FRONT COVER
• In terms of the front cover I believe our artist has clearly followed the conventions of the R&B genre, she is striking a
bold pose to show of her sex appeal and confidence. In comparison Ciara has a more natural, intimate look to her
album cover perhaps to show the audience she is relatable and ordinary just like them. However, Beyoncé’s album
cover matches our artists bolder out their posture, which is important as it means consumers stop and are attracted
to the album, as a new artist I think Nand.C had to do this in order to develop a following.
• In terms of colour we put a tint on the photos, and heavily edited the pictures from the photoshoot in order to give
a more synthetic look as we felt the R&B genre is very done up and crisp, unlike the country genre for instance
which focuses on a more natural look. However once again Ciara’s album cover juxtaposes ours despite being within
the same genre and is more natural however still clearly perfected to make the artist appear as visually appealing as
possible.
• When we chose the font we used a striking font for the heading however chose a more relaxed handwritten style for
her signature to show she is not just a social construction but a real person who can connect with her audience.
Beyoncé used a bold big font to show a sassy, over the top look which matches her star image, which once again she
can afford to do as she already has an idealised image that her fans follow.
• Lastly in regarding technical conventions we used a medium close up for the front cover, the idea is that this focuses
the audience in to an intimate level focusing on the artists beauty and means the audience feel they are on the same
level as her and therefore feel they can relate to her. I found in the real media texts I compared my artists to the
other’s all used a medium close up shot therefore we conformed to the idea that the artist needs to appear very
personal towards the audience in order to help fit in with the R&B genre.

18. ALBUM COVER – BACK COVER
• We had our artist face away from the camera Initially we felt we might
have been challenging the convention by having her turned away from
the camera on the back cover however looking into other artists such as
Beyoncé’s 4 album and Ciara album ‘Jackie’ we realised this is a popular
decisions in the R&B genre when marketing I believe this is due to the
fact it shows a sexiness whilst being intriguing, however I do believe for
a new artist such as Nand.C it is risky to not show her full body the
whole way through, as she is not yet in popular demand with a
following, compared to someone like Beyoncé who has a reliable
audience and therefore within their marketing can afford to take risks to
increase demand.

19. WEBSITE – OVERVIEW
• When creating our artist’s website, we felt it was important to have her
featuring everywhere that was possible as we want her to get exposure
and have the aim that her target audience sees her website and are
immediately enraptured and intrigued by her star image as a whole.
Despite Mary J Blige and Rhianna already having a large fan following
they seem to have chosen the same style as us to help get the artist
seen as much as possible.

20. WEBSITE – HOMEPAGE
• In terms of the homepage Mary J Blige and our Nand.C both have an eye-catching
image of themselves, in comparison we have challenged the stereotype by having
photos on a loop, which change every 5 seconds or so we did this in the hope to show
off her image, and attract an audience. In comparison Rhianna clearly has a support
group therefore her homage included pictures of herself as well as her latest
endeavours whether it be her latest charity work or single she immediately lets her
fans know what she’s up to.
• All 3 websites are similar in their advertising. All three artists have placed their social
media links in a clear spot on the homepage. This is crucial as Nand.C holds a young
target audience therefore they will most likely keep up to date on her latest albums
and news through social media, all 3 artists understand how their website needs to be
a best platform for advertising their image and creating awareness and demand.

21. WEBSITE – TOUR DATES AND
MERCHANDISE
• In terms of advertising tour dates and merchandise all 3 artists including
my own have the tabs to these areas clearly marked on their homepage.
This is so important as it’s the primary way artists can make money
through their shows. Therefore, all R&B and other genre artists have to
have dates and venues clearly marked and accessible for fans to
purchase tickets. Once onto the tour dates page they are clearly marked
so its easy for anyone to select their proffered dates and book the
tickets.

22. WEBSITE – COLOUR SCHEME
• When choosing the colour scheme, we felt it was important to have clear links between
the other products in our campaign therefore we chose bright neon pinks and blues
that matched our music video, as well as darker natural colours for the homepage
which also links to our album artwork. Our website fits in with the general R&B
conventions similar to Mary J Blige who uses crisp clear colours on her homepage then
focuses on brighter colours towards her tour dates and advertising for her tour.
However, Rhianna’s website is the one that probably challenges the R&B conventions
the most as it goes for a more edgy look. The website is black and white in its entirety
and gives of a more indie look which she can afford to do as she is adapting and
growing with her audience, when she was a young female artist just starting out you
can see from older products she was more synthetic like Nand.C in order to create a
star image for herself and fit in with the R&B pop genre.