The document summarizes an indie music video project. The student aimed to conform to conventions of the indie genre through elements like costume, location, lighting, and close-ups. Costumes represented the characters' fragmented relationship, while low-budget locations were common in indie videos. Lighting created multiple personalities for one character. Flashbacks showed the relationship's love and hate, while a Newton's cradle prop symbolized its energy. Edits matched the beat and used overlays to tell the story. The characters displayed restless body language after their sour breakup. Overall, the student strove to craft an intimate narrative exploring the paranoia of teenage relationships through cinematic techniques familiar to indie audiences.

1. In whatwaysdoesyourmedia productuse,developor challengeforms and conventions of
real media products?
For my music video, I ventured into the indie genre. To be more specific, alternative indie. Through the
majority of my music video I decided to conform to common conventions of the genre. Firstly, I used
costume as a way to project details about the character, through inference. For example, the ripped
clothing on my female character represents this idea of fragmentation, as well as this visual representation
of a relationship that is being torn apart. I also used low-budget locations for practical reasons, but also
because it’s common in the genre. An example of this would be Oasis’ music video for their song
‘Wonderwall’, the British group used an empty room. As well as this, it’s very common for lighting to
create connotations within the music videos for my genre, as well as projecting ideas, and I made sure that
in many of my shots, especially my lip-sync shots; I included this. Another common convention within my
genre is the pace of the editing matching the beat and rhythm of the song itself. This is very common in
many genres of music and helps create a steady flow/atmosphere to the music video. The entirety of my
video is to the beat of the music. Another, more unique, convention within the genre is the use of black
and white. When any type of filter is used within my genre, it’s the black and white filter, which creates a
rustic, old-fashioned feel. However, in my video I challenged this, and I will explain what connotations this
creates later on in this post. Finally, I complied with the use of many close-ups, which is very common in
my genre, as it helps the audience gain a fuller understanding of the character/artist’s emotions.
Narrative structure:
My music video was created with a target audience of whom are teenagers, both male and female. This
links to the main theme of my music video, which is this idea of teenage relationships and the paranoia
that is paired with it. The messages that this theme sends to teenage viewers is this idea that relationships
aren’t as pretty as they might be perceived to be. And my video explores this through the relationship of
my two characters. Their relationship is full of disequilibrium, as there is a constant unrest between the
two. I achieved this mainly through two shots that I used for the lip-sync. The first screenshot is of my male
character, played by Harry Ames. It could be argued that the shot is
equal, and balanced, due to the composition of the shot. Harry is in
the middle of the shot, not hiding anything, with equal amounts of
space surrounding him. Whereas on the contrary, my female
character, played by Yasmin Braithwaite, is hiding her eyes and only
showing her lips. The connotation of this is the idea that she is a
devious, mischievous character,
who creates this sense of unsettlement and therefore the
disequilibrium that the relationship is suffering from. This links to
another narrative structure that I used in my music video, which is the
binary opposite of love and hate. By using this binary opposite I was
able to show my audience both sides of their relationship, which
means they can form their own opinion, in terms of who’s to blame for
the end of the relationship etc. I did this by using flashbacks. The
flashbacks were overlaid on top of my artists lip-syncing, which
was intended so it looks like they are telling the story of their
relationship, making the music video more attractive to my
audience also, because it creates a personal relationship between
the audience and my characters. In my music video I used a
recurring motif, which was a Newton’s cradle. The use of the
cradle was used as a visual representation of many connotations
that the audience could infer. For example, a Newton’s cradle is a transition of kinetic energy, which could
be seen as similar to a relationship, and this idea that there is always this constant kinetic energy between
two people, which is what’s needed to keep the relationship alive. Another connotation is that, like a
relationship, a cradle needs someone to lift one of the balls to start it, and then someone to stop the balls

2. to stop the cradle. This is such an important connotation in my music video, as it represents this idea that
one person has begun the relationship (which is portrayed as Harry’s character, as he moves the ball) and
one person has stopped the relationship (again, Harry as he catches the ball at the end.) As well as these
connotations, the Newton’s cradle gets the audience thinking, which gives the video itself a unique selling
point, as it’s an attraction as the audience will not be able to not know what it means, and will want to
figure it out for themselves.
Costume:
Costume in my music video does hold significance, however I strongly
believe I could’ve perhaps put a bit more thought into it. However,
there is many connotations from costume in my video. Yasmin’s
character has two outfits in my music video both of them are
dungarees. However, one dungaree has a massive tear on one of the
legs; this tear is in shots where the character is actually in a relationship
with Harry. The connotations of this I believe are very clear to the
audience. The tear is a visual representation of the tear that is in their
relationship, and how the relationship is furthermore being torn apart.
Also it’s noticeable the tear is on Yasmin, which furthermore suggests
that she is the character who is feeling the pain of the relationship
more. Yasmin’s other costume is a dungaree that is not torn. The shots
with this dungaree are the present day shots, where she isn’t in the relationship with Harry. Suggesting to
the audience that she is complete, and without stress and heartbreak when she is by her lonesome. In
terms of costume for Harry’s character, I kept it nice and simple. I opted to dress him in clothes that could
be considered casual. Which is intended to represent this idea that Harry is a casual guy, and there isn’t
anything special about him, which could be why the relationship did not work out, as he was just another
guy. His clothes do not change between each part of the narrative, except from his coat, and this is to
represent that he is feeling the same after the relationship, as he did during it. Of which, the audience can
create their own connotations as to what that was, whether it be happy or it be sad. However, as I said, if I
could go back and add more detail into my costume and make the connotations more clear and vivid to the
audience, I would, as it’s an important part of music videos, within the genre of alternative indie.
Props:
In terms of props, I did not want to over-do the amount of props
I had, as I wanted my mise-en-scene and other aspects of the
production to tell the story. However, there are two noticeable
props in my production. The first is the Newton’s cradle, which I
have talked about within my analysis of the narrative structure.
And the second prop is the photos of my two character’s when
they were in their relationship. One of the most significant
things about the photos are that they are in black and white.
The idea behind having black and white photos is that is creates
this sense of history. There is this idea that the happiness in the
photos is old, and a thing of the past, which helps to inform the
audience that they are no longer happy. As well as this the
photos create a, sort of, contrast. This comes through in that
there are three photos, one is of Harry smiling by himself, one of
Yasmin smiling by herself, and one of the two together, happy.
This furthers the idea that their happiness both together and
individually has been damaged and is a thing of the past.

3. Lighting:
As I touched on in my introduction, lighting plays an
important role in the genre of alternative indie, and
therefore I wanted to make sure that lighting in my
video complied to this and held a great significance in
terms of the connotations is holds. The first shot I am
going to talk about is the mid-shot, lip-sync from Harry.
This shot, I think is the best shot in my music video. The
lighting in it is very low-key in a sense. I wanted to
create this idea that Harry has two personalities, and I
attempted to create this by having half of his face
highly lit, and the other side not lit as well. As I said this creates the connotation of multiple personalities.
The audience can infer that the well-lit side of Harry’s face represents his happier side, the side that made
my other character, Yasmin, fall in love with him. Whereas the other, less lit side represents his more
hidden side of his personality, from which the audience can infer that it is much more sinister, and
potentially the side that was the cause of the downwards spiral within their relationship. Another aspect of
my music video that I’m going to analyse is the lighting I used in this particular shot. The shot is of Yasmin,
post-relationship, and is at the end of my music video. The shot has high-key lighting, as was achieved
through over-exposing the lens to the light. The bright-shining light on her face connotes this idea that she
is the chosen one, almost as well as this idea of hope. Furthermore
this contrasts the shot of Harry lip-syncing, whilst looking out of a
window. That shot is poorly lit, which connotes the idea of a
glooming darkness within him. This is matched with the connotation
that he is looking into the light, actively searching for hope and for
something to hold onto. Whereas Yasmin's character has the light
shining on her. If I was to reshoot any particular shot, to improve the
lighting, I would reshoot the shot I have just mentioned, the shot of
Harry looking out of the window. The connotations of the shot can be made, however I would like to have
made them easier to infer, as well as this I would like to have improved the aesthetical value of the shot, as
due to the lack of man-made lighting it is not the prettiest spectacle.
Camerawork/composition:
The first piece of camerawork I want to discuss is the lip-sync shot for Harry, when he is sat in his room. I
believe that this close-up shot is the most significant shot in the whole music video. To begin with, the fact
it is a close-up creates this connotation of intimacy. It’s
very up close and personal, it’s as if Harry is looking the
audience in the eyes and telling them a story; which I
believe gives the music video a more unique, dynamic
selling point, making it more attractive. In terms of the
composition of the shot, I defied the typical rule of thirds,
and decided to place my subject in the middle of the shot.
It’s sometimes argued that this possesses a lesser
aesthetical value, whereas I disagree, and in fact I see it as
factor that contributes towards it’s the intimacy of the
shot. The connotation of the shot is that if the character is in the middle of the shot, he must be the centre
of attention, and therefore holds a great significance, as the space around him draws attention to himself.
Another shot that I used was the extreme close-up of Yasmin’s mouth when lip-syncing. I have already
touched upon this shot, however I’m going to expand more upon it. The significance of the shot is that it’s
hiding her eyes, meaning there is no eye contact, suggesting that that character herself has something to
hide from the audience. Deviance and mischief can be inferred from this, however on the contrary, a timid
and shy personality can equally be inferred; potentially creating a sense of sympathy from the audience.
Another important piece of camerawork in my music video is the close-up of Yasmin, which is matched

4. with a focus pull. The shot itself complies with Goodwin’s
common occurrences in music videos. The principle that it
complies with is that of a relationship between the
narrative and the lyrics. The shot itself pulls focus onto
Yasmin as she looks blankly into dead space as the song
says “patiently she’s sat there thinking of, what she’s
gonna do, all alone”. This creates a sense of storytelling for
the audience, making the narrative clear and the music
video easy to follow, making the video itself easy to watch
and understand for the audience. Again, I used another close-up of harry lip-syncing, looking out of the
window. The use of these close-ups, altogether, creates a sense of intimacy; which for me is important as it
makes the video feel more personal, but it also helps the music video comply with common conventions of
the alternative indie genre. Another feature of my camerawork and composition is the switch between
mid/wide shots and close ups. I mainly used wide/mid shots when the both of my characters were
together, both literally and metaphorically. This
eliminates the idea of individuality within a relationship,
and furthers the idea that in a relationship you are part of
a team, and there is nothing you can hide. This creates a
sense of comradery within the relationship of Harry and
Yasmin. This is contrasted with the use of close-ups for
individual/lonesome shots of the characters. The close
ups hide most of the background, and draws attention to
them. Which has the opposite effect of the wider shots;
of which is the idea of individuality and self-reliance/dependence when you are not in a relationship. From
which the audience can make up their mind as to which situation they would rather be in. There is another
particular shot I want to talk about, and it’s the shot of Harry and Yasmin arguing on the park bench. The
shot uses leading lines, which is a common rule of composition that I like to comply to. The use of the rule
creates this idea that the fence represents a spot-light that is drawing the audience into looking at, and
observing the events that are unfolding before them. As well as this it emphasises that there is a constant
spotlight on you when you are in a relationship; furthermore it replicates the idea that you’re always being
watched and judged by the people around you.
Editing:
Throughout my music video, I decided to keep all the cuts to the beat of the music. I did this as it created a
fluent and smooth flow, which makes the video easier to watch, and creates a sense of fluidity when telling
the story. My use of parallel editing was used to craft a two-sides of the story perspective to the audience.
I wanted the audience to feel as if they were getting both perspectives of the characters. I did this by
cutting between lip-sync shots of the two characters. I used flashbacks a lot during my music video, I used
this editing technique as it helps give the audience a deeper understanding as to why the characters are
feeling the way they feel. At the beginning of my music video, during the introduction instrumental, I
wanted to create a blinking effect. To the music, I cut between shots of Harry and shots of a blank screen,
this was intended to create this idea that we are in the minds of the characters, and with him we are
reflecting on this event that he has just experienced. The connotations to blinking, to the audience, could
be the idea of waking up and realisation for the character and the audience. As well as this, in my video I
used the mirror effect in a close-up of Harry lip-syncing. The idea of having a mirror emphasises this idea of
self-reflection and the idea that Harry’s character is talking to himself and reflecting upon what he has
experienced. This shows the audience that he is really feeling the wrath of a relationship with a sour
ending. For me, the most important and significant aspect of my editing was my use of the overlay effect. I
mainly used this effect to create a story-telling effect. For example, I would overlay a shot of Harry and
Yasmin whilst they were happy, on top of Harry lip-syncing, which creates a feeling that Harry is telling the
story of what they were like before things went down the drain. This makes the video easier to
understand, as well as it provides a deeper understanding for the audience. I used a white dissolve in my

5. music video, this was to represent the switch between Harry in present time, and the past. The whit
dissolve represents this idea of a white-light that you see when you drift in and out of consciousness,
which suggests to the audience that he unconsciously reflects on the past, as well as the idea that he could
be being haunted by it.
Characters:
In my music video, I only have two characters. These two characters are played by Harry Ames and Yasmin
Braithwaite. To put it simply, the two characters are at a sour ending to a lengthy relationship. In terms of
body language, I had made sure that they were always doing something, by this I mean they were never
still and lifeless. This connotes the idea that there is no rest within their minds, as they gather their
bearings and prepare for life without each other. As well as this, the idea of being restless connotes this
idea of over-thinking and this idea that you cannot rest for one minute. For Harry’s character I wanted to
create a typical heartbroken man after a relationship, to which some of my audience may be able to. I did
this through costume, in terms of the idea of wearing casual clothing (trying to hide any visual mental
scars), but also in the way that he sits in his room and secluded himself from everyone else; which is a
common thing to do at the end of a relationship. In terms of my female character, I wanted to create a
more devious character who could be seen as a stereotypical heartbreaker. I used blue lipstick as a way to
do this. Usually it’s red lipstick that is used to connote this idea, however, I used a deep blue to achieve
this. The connotations to blue could be this idea of being a cold person, suggesting that she’s someone
who has a cold personality and is willing to break a heart for her own benefit. For Harry’s character I made
sure there was a lot of eye-contact between him and the audience, which creates this sense of being
personal and creates a relationship between him and the audience; furthermore suggesting that he is an
open and honest person. Whereas Yasmin’s character avoids eye contact, creating this potential that she is
hiding something or that she is just a shy person.
Locations:
The locations in my music video were chosen due to the clear
connotations that could be made to them, but also because they
conformed to the typical locations of my alternative indie genre;
of which is low-budget. The first location is Harry’s bedroom.
This was a good location as it was easy to access, but also
because of the connotations. The connotations of his bedroom
are that it’s a location where he can be himself, and somewhere
where he can seclude himself and reflect upon everything. The
fact that he is in his bedroom connotes the idea that he wants to
be by himself, creating a feeling of sympathy towards him from
the audience. But also, for some of the audience, there could be
a feeling of empathy, as the main demographic are teenagers, implying that they spend a lot of time in
their room, as it’s a place where they can be alone and independent and who they want to be. I also used a
small park as another location. The park was used for shots of the couple
looking both happy and also when they were arguing. A park hold simple
connotations. A park is a place where you go to socialise and to have
fun, a park is a place where you go for a peaceful picnic. And this
connotation is complied with, as the two reflect on how they used to go
there and have fun. However, these connotations are challenged as I
used the location for the shots of the two arguing,
which furthers the sense of disequilibrium. Another
location I used was an alleyway. I used this location
for the shots of Harry walking during his flashback. The connotation to the choice of
using an alleyway is the idea of continuity. Harry walking down this alleyway is a
continuous experience, that is a long and harsh reality. This is similar to the ideas that I
wanted to project about the experience of a break up, and how it’s something that you

6. feel like will never end. For me, this is a powerful visual metaphor that I feel some of the audience might
be able to relate to, whether it be experiencing this idea of a continuous pain after a break up, or any other
experience. By creating a theme that my audience can relate to, I hope that the video becomes more
attractive, as for me personally, it’s nice to be able to relate to something.
Representation in my music video:
The representation in my music video is very simplistic, in terms of how it can be inferred, however I
believe that the themes my music video explores are that of a more complicated nature. My music video
represents the social group of age, and more specifically teenagers, and to be completely precise; teenage
relationships. One of the ways in which I achieved this representation was through the use of Claude Levi-
Strauss’ binary opposites. Strauss believes that in order to achieve success, you must have binary
opposites. The binary opposites within my music video is love and hate. The idea of love and hate, is what
makes a teenage relationship what it is. Often there is a lot of love, however due to the change of
becoming an adult, teens often butt-heads, meaning that they aren’t always as compatible as once
thought. I would like to think that my representations tap into a demographic where the audience can feel
as if they relate to the representations that I tackle, rather than it being viewed as tokenism. For me, it’s
important that the music video creates a sense of community, in terms of people who can express how
they relate to it with each other, rather than thinking it’s just another love-riddled music video. I strongly
believe that my representations are progressive. As day becomes more modern, teenagers are dealt much
more responsibility, and are much more mature than what they have been considered, when compared to
the past. In terms of linking this to my music videos, teens are represented as this (more mature) as in the
video they are dealing with a mature and serious matter, which is how to be in, and how not to be in a
relationship. Being in a relationship is stereotyped as an adult thing, but as I said, teens are entrusted with
more and more responsibility, and often find themselves in much more serious relationships at a younger
age. Therefore, I tried to make my characters as life-like and as relatable as possible; for the audience.
Does my music video conform to Goodwin’s theory of music videos?
There are many aspects of my music video that conform to Goodwin’s theory of music video. Firstly,
Goodwin believed that all music videos have a clear relationship between visuals and the lyrics. My music
video is built upon this principle. My video is essentially a story being told by the characters, therefore I
made sure that there was a clear relationship between the visuals and my lyrics. I mainly achieved this
through a mixture of lip-syncing and overlaying action shots on top of the lip-sync shots. Another principle
that my music video complies with is Goodwin’s observation that music videos contain a relationship
between the music and the visuals. I interpreted this as cutting the shots to the beat of the music. By
complying to this principle I was able to create a video that was very fluent, as smooth to watch. Another
principle that I complied with was the use of close-ups of my artist. My artist is not actually the character
played by Harry Ames, however I wanted to insinuate that it is him; and I also wanted to replicate this idea
of using close ups to create this brand identity for the artist. By using these close-ups, I am putting a name
to a face. Which logically, helps to generate more fame for the artist, and more recognition for him as a
person, rather than for just his name. it’s the process of making the artist into a public figure, rather than
just a name on the front of an album. However, my music video rejects the principle of voyeuristic
treatment of the female body. In my video, the female character is perceived and judged on her actions,
rather than the shape of her body and her appearance. I believe that my video hold a more progressive
view and representation of women, as they are treated in the exact same way as men. Goodwin also
possessed a principle within his theory of music videos that there is often intertextual references. My video
possesses many intertextual references. For example, my use of costume takes inspiration and creates an
intertextual reference to American sitcom ‘Freaks and Geeks’. The use of costume being a factor that helps
the audience understand a character’s personality is their similarity. As well as this, another intertextual
reference is the use of the overlay feature, of which I use frequently, as does Daniel Merriweather in his
music video for his song ‘Red’. Finally, Goodwin asks the question of if the music video complies/conforms
with genre conventions, of which I have analysed throughout this response, to which my conclusion is that
my music video does comply with the genre conventions of the alternative indie genre.