This document summarizes how the creator's music video uses and develops conventions of real music videos while also attempting to challenge some expectations. It establishes smoking as integral to the song's theme and the artist Mac Demarco's lifestyle. Performance shots in a DIY studio and of instruments being played follow conventions. Unpredictable elements like cross-dressing and a color transition challenge expectations while maintaining an independent feel. Shots are carefully timed to lyrics. Overall, the video aims to represent the quirky personality of Mac Demarco through both conventional and unconventional elements of indie music video form.

1. Question1:
In what ways does your media product use, develop or
challenge forms and conventions of real media products?
In the first frame, you
see a close up of a
young man smoking a
cigarette (the
opening shot). I have
chosen to use this as
smoking is a very
frequent convention
of Mac Demarco’s
own music videos
and reflective of his
lifestyle. This shot
indicates a very
important theme
behind the music
video and it’s narrative and helps to kick-start the video, which of course relates to a
common convention of music videos of my genre, having the action on screen reflect
the meaning of the song. And as Mac Demarco’s ‘Ode To Viceroy’ is written about
‘Viceroy’ cigarettes, the use of this is relevant.
In relation to cigarettes, within my mise-en-scene & use of props in the third frame
above, I decided to make a pack of cigarettes of a different brand, into a false pack
of ‘Viceroy’. Of course at first, I looked into buying the actual brand’s pack but soon
realised they are only sold in the US and Canada, so I decided to take matters into
my own hands and get crafty. Another point of this close up of the packet was to
have it match up to the opening vocal line “Viceroy…” as cuts to the beat are a
common convention of indie music videos and thus helped to develop the narrative
as well.
In the second frame, you see a medium close up of a selection of band members
miming the song as if they are the real band. I was lucky enough to have a friend
with a studio, which I decided to filmin because performance shots are a common
convention of indie music videos, as is the ‘DIY-esque’ home studio layout. Similarly,
with another medium close-up of the drummer, in my seventh frame above, you can
see an example of where I had shots of the music equipment and moving shots of
the instruments being played in time, which is a very common convention in mostly
indie-rock videos.
In my fifth frame is a close up of the lead role blowing smoke at the camera. In the
frame you can clearly see that I’ve used a fisheye/wide-angle lens, which is a
common use in Mac Demarco’s music videos and it helps to develop the media
representations of his personality, as he’s notoriously known for his quirky, unique
and alternative style. This links nicely onto my sixth chosen frame, where we see the
main character in cross-dress. I decided to use this idea inspired from Mac

2. Demarco’s music video of ‘My Kind Of Woman’ where he dresses up in women’s
clothing. I also decided to do this as it’s unpredictable and completely random,
which therefore challenges binary expectations of a music video and gives it’s an
independent and an individual feel, which is key to indie/alternative music and
culture.
In frame eight, I decided to further develop on this idea of alternativeness whereby
I’ve used a cross-dissolve transition and inputted some magenta image colour. It’s a
surprise to the audience and once again challenges the expectations of the indie
audience because it’s a little more surprising.
Much like the similarities I previously pointed out with my video and the conventions
of past work from my chosen artist, the subject of my ninth frame helps to
accentuate this idea of quirkiness and also elaborates on the ‘rough‘n’ready’ aspect
and clumsiness of the actual artist’s personality, and to have a character that is a
clear representation of the real artist is of course a great convention of narrative
understanding in indie music videos.
My last point on the narrative is in frame four where I’ve taken a close up shot of the
main character waking up and drawing the curtains in the morning. The timing of the
shot works well in relation to the lyrics “Viceroy, early in the morning / just trying to
let the sun in…” as he’s smoking a “Viceroy” and literally letting the sun in through
the window.