The document discusses conventions used in synthpop music videos, albums, and websites. It provides examples of conventions for elements like performance, camerawork, editing, lighting, color, and graphic design. Key conventions mentioned include strong central performances, close-up shots on the chorus, fast expressive editing, back lighting, bright colors like pinks and blues, graphic designs with straight lines and altered images, and color schemes carried across related products.

1. IN WHAT WAYS DOES YOUR MEDIA
PRODUCT USE, DEVELOP OR
CHALLENGE FORMS AND
CONVENTIONS OF REAL MEDIA
PRODUCTS?
BY TABBY BELL

2. FORMS AND CONVENTIONS
• A CONVENTION IS AN ESTABLISHED WAY OF
DOING SOMETHING.
• ‘CONVENTIONS CAN BE SPLIT INTO
TECHNICAL CONVENTIONS (HOW THE VIDEO
IS TYPICALLY FILMED, LIT AND EDITED) AND
SYMBOLIC CONVENTIONS (HOW COSTUMES,
COLOUR, PERFORMANCE, SETS AND PROPS
ARE TYPICALLY USED WITHIN THE GENRE).’

3. FORMS AND CONVENTIONS
• MEDIA CONVENTIONS ARE BASICALLY ANOTHER
WORD FOR STEREOTYPE. IT IS A NUMBER OF
THINGS IN A GENRE THAT DEFINES WHAT IT IS.
FOR EXAMPLE : IF THE THE COLOUR SCHEME FOR
A BAND IS BLACK AND RED ITS QUITE OBVIOUS
THAT ITS ROCK GENRE. ALSO THAT IF THERE ARE
BRIGHT COLOURS AND ITS QUITE CHEESY ITS POP
GENRE. THERE ARE MANY DIFFERENT THINGS
FORMS AND CONVENTIONS COULD BE USED IN
FOR EXAMPLE, MUSIC, FILMS, AND EVEN PEOPLE.

4. SYNTHPOP CONVENTIONS
PERFORMANCE ELEMENT :ER
A STEREOTYPICAL SYNTHPOP MUSIC VIDEO CONVENTION WOULD FEATURE THE ARTISTS PERFORMANCE
PREDOMINANTLY AND SIMPLE AND EDGY STYLISTIC ELEMENTS WOULD FEATURE ALONG SIDE THIS. IN OUR MUSIC
VIDEO WE HAD MOST OF THE VIDEO AS A PERFORMANCE, WE USED STYLISTIC ELEMENTS SUCH AS PROJECTIONS
AND UV LIGHTS TO CREATE THE SYNTHPOP VIBE. THE STRONG PREDOMINANT PERFORMANCE ELEMENT ALLOWS
THE AUDIENCE TO SEE HER BUT THEN FOR HER TO BE ABSENT IN OTHER PARTS OF THE VIDEO – THIS IS SIMILAR TO
DYER’S THEORY OF ABSENT PRESENCE.
IN TOVE LO’S MUSIC VIDEO ‘NOT ON DRUGS’ WE SEE HER HUGELY FEATURED IN THE VIDEO LIPSYNCING. THIS ALLOWS
THE AUDIENCE TO BE ABLE TO FIND HER RECOGNISABLE AND GIVES THE AUDIENCE SOMETHNG TO FOCUS ON. FOR
OUR MUSIC VIDEO WE CHOSE IZELLA AS OUR MAIN PERFORMER THROUGHOUT HOWEVER WE ALSO CHOSE
ANOTHER STYLISTIC ELEMENT OF A DANCER AND ADDING CREATIVE EFFECTS TO KEEP THE AUDIENCE INTERESTED.
THE USE OF A LARGE PERFORMANCE ELEMENT ALSO ALLOWS THE AUDIENCE TO BY INTO HER STAR IMAGE.

5. CAMERA
THE CAMERA CONVENTIONS IN A SYNTHPOP MUSIC VIDEO IS GENERALLY QUITE SIMILAR TO A POP MUSIC
VIDEO. A NUMBER OF CHOSE UPS OF THE LIP SYNC ESPECIALLY ON THE CHORUS IS DEFINITELY A CAMERA
CONVENTION. IN CHARLIE XCX’S MUSIC VIDEO ‘BREAK THE RULES’ THERE IS A CLOSE UP OF HER ON THE
FIRST LINE OF THE CHORUS. THIS KEEPS THE AUDIENCE INTERESTED, ALSO, THE CHORUS IS GENERALLY
THE MOST IMPORTANT LINE WITH THE MAIN MEANING OF THE SONG SO A CLOSE UP TO GO WITH THAT
IS AN OBVIOUS TO SHOW WHO THE ARTIST IS FOR THE AUDIENCE AND IT MAKES THEM REMEMBER
MORE SUCCESSFULLY WHAT THE SONG IS ABOUT.
IN OUR MUSIC VIDEO WE USED A NUMBER OF CLOSE UPS OF IZELLA AS WELL AS ONE DURING THE CHORUS. IT
ADDS IMPACT TO THE LYRICS OF THE SONG AND HELPS SELL THE PRODUCT AND THE SONG MORE
SUCCESSFULLY. IT ALSO HELPS BUILD RECOGNITION FOR THE ARTIST AND THE MAKE-UP MAKES HER SEEM
ENVIABLE TO THE AUDIENCE. HAVING CLOSE UPS ON THE DIFFICULT PARTS OF THE SONG SHOWS THE
AUDIENCE HOW TALENTED AND CREATIVE SHE ALSO IT.

6. EDITING
EXPRESSIVE DISCONTINUITY EDITING IS DEFINITELY A KEY CONVENTION OF EDITING WITHIN OUR SYNTHPOP
GENRE. FAST MOTION IS DEFINITELY THE MAIN THING WE USED FOR OUR MUSIC VIDEO. IN A LOT OF
MUSIC VIDEOS PEOPLE SIMPLY JUST CUT TO THE BEAT OF THE SOUND HOWEVER FAST EDITING IS USED A
LOT IN SYNTHPOP AND MAKES IT LOOK MUCH TRIPPIER AND ALSO GOES WITH OUR DISTORTED REALITY
THEME GIVING IT A LATE NIGHT DRUG INDUCED VIBE.
WE USED THIS EDITING TECHNIQUE DURING THE INSTRUMENTAL. THIS ENABLED THE AUDIENCE TO EITHER BE
HUGELY IMPRESSED BY THE EDITING AS IT IS VERY VISUALLY APPEALING OR THEY ARE ABLE TO JUST ENJOY
THE MUSIC. THIS DEFINITELY FITTED WITH OUR DISTORTED REALITY THEME AND CREATED A TRIPPY UN
REALISTIC WORLD INSIDE OUR VIDEO.

7. EDITING
ANOTHER EDITING CONVENTION TECHNIQUE WE USED IS EXPRESSIVE EDITING. WE USED OVERLAID SHOTS
OVER OUR DANCER CRERAR TO GIVE A LATE NIGHT TRIPPY FEEL AND SO THAT IT DIDN’T JUST LOOK LIKE A
REGULAR DANCER IN A POP VIDEO. THIS STYLE OF EDITING HELPS THE AUDIENCE RELATE MORE TO THE
GENRE OF SYNTHPOP NOT JUST POP.
IN ELLIE GOULDINGS MUSIC VIDEO ‘GOODNESS GRACIOUS’ SHE USES COLOURFUL SYNTHETIC BACKGROUNDS
TO CREATE ANE EXCITING VIBRANT ATMOSPHERE. IT DOES NOT LOOK HUGELY NATURALISTIC AND IT DOES
NOT FOLLOW A NARRATIVE. WE ACHIEVED THIS IS OUR VIDEO USING OVERLAID SHOTS WHICH SHOWS
THE DISTORTED REALITY THEME. OUR EXPRESSIVE EDITING VISUALLY FITS WITH THE STYLE OF MUSIC IN
THE SYNTHPOP GENRE. WE USED OVERLAY ON OUR DANCER AND THE RIBBONS BEING SWUNG IN THE
AIR.

8. LIGHTING
THE LIGHTING CONVENTIONS ARE MAJORITY SIMILAR IN MOST MUSIC VIDEO GENRES. THE MAIN ONE WE
USED WAS LIGHTING IZELLA FROM THE BEHIND. THIS LIGHTING ENHANCES HER FEATURES ON HER FACE
MAKING HER SKIN APPEAR FLAWLESS AND MAKING THE AUDIENCE ASPIRE TO BE LIKE HER. THIS LIGHTING
MAKES HER SEEM IMPECABLE WITH BEAUTIFUL LONG SHINY HAIR THIS TECHINQUE IS USED A LOT IN
MODELLING PHOTOS TOO BECAUSE IT IS INCREDIBLY FLATTERING.
IN BEYONCE’S ‘DRUNK IN LOVE’ YOU CAN SEE SEE BACK LIGHTING GIVING HER AN INCREDIBLY FINISH. IT
MAKES THE AUDIENCE WANT TO BE LIKE HER AS WE THINKG SHE LOOKS PERFECT. WE WANTED TO USE
THIS IN OUR MUSIC VIDEO SO THAT SHE LOOKED LIKE A STAR AS WELL. IT ALSO DOESN’T ALWAYS SHOW
HER ENTIRE FACE MAKING HER SEEM ELEGANT AND PERFECT. DYERS THEORY RELATES TO THIS BY SAYING
THAT STARTS ARE EXTRODINARY PEOOPLE – THIS IS ONE WAY OF HOW IT IS ACHIEVED.

9. COLOUR
COLOURS ARE USED IN EVERY MUSIC VIDEO AND EACH COLOUR REPRESENTS A DIFFERENT VIBE AND GENRE.
WITHIN OUR VIDEO WE CHOSE BLUE/PINK AND PURPLE WE WANTED TO CREATE THE LATE NIGHT VIBE
AND GIVE THE FEELING OF A TRIPPY DRUG INDUCED EVENING AND THESE COLOURS AGAINST A DARK
BACKGROUND WORKED INCREDIBLY WELL TO HIGHLIGHT THIS. WE ALSO USED THESE COLOURS TO
CREATE A VERY STYLISED ARTIFICIAL MSIC VIDEO WHICH CONVEYED THE DISTORTED REALITY THEME
MORE SUCCESSFULLY. WE DIDN’T WANT TO CREATE A REAL LIFE ENVIRONMENT WE WANTED A STYLISTIC
TRIPPY SETTING WHICH IS MUCH MORE INTERESTING AND SURREAL AND IT ALSO MATCHES THE TRACK.
IN TOVE LO’S VIDEO ‘NOT ON DRUGS’ SHE USES VERY SIMILAR COLOURS TO OUR VIDEO. THESE BRIGHT
COLOURS GIVE OF THE VIBE OF THE SONG. THE COLOURS SHE USES CREATE A SURREAL TRIPPY EFFECT
WHICH ALSO MATCH THE LYRICS OF THE SONG.

10. DIGIPAK
DIGIPAK CONVENTIONS CONSIST OF – GRAPHIC DESIGNS, LIKE SHAPES AND LOTS OF STRAIGHT LINES AND
EDGES. SOMETIMES THE ARTIST IS ON THE FRONT AND THE ARTIST AND ALBUM NAME IS ALWAYS
SHOWED CLEARLY ON THE FRONT. IMAGES ALWAYS HAVE SOME KIND OF STYLISTIC EFFECT TO SHOW ITS
SYNTHPOP GENRE. THE OVER ALL LOOK IS QUITE DISTORTED AND LOOKS ALTERED – THE OVERALL IMAGE
IS VERY SYNTHESISED.
WE USED ALL OF THESE CONVENTIONS IN OUR DIGIPAK. WE KEPT THE COLOUR SCHEME THROUGHOUT ALL 3
PRODUCTS. WE CHANGED THE OPACITY OF A NUMBER OF SECTIONS ON THE COVERS TO CREATE A
SLIGHTLY ALTERNATIVE TRIPPY EFFECT TO IT GIVING IT A DISTORTED FEEL. CHARLIE XCX USES VERY
SIMILAR COLOURS TO US IN THE DIGIPAK. HAVING THE ARTIST ON THE FRONT COVER HELPS PROMOTE
THE ARTIST MAKING HER RECOGNISABLE HOWEVER THERE IS A BALANCE DEPENDING ON THE KIND OF
PHOTO BECAUSE DIFFERENT IMAGES COULD GIVE OF A DIFFERENT GENRE IMPRESSION. WE LIKED TOVE
LO’S ALBUM COVER BUT THE COLOURS WERE MUCH DARKER AND DIDN’T LOOK AS GOOD.

11. WEBSITE
HAVING RESEARCHED INTO ARTISTS SIMILAR TO OURS WE FOUND THAT THE KEY CONVENTIONS FOR
SYNTHPOP WERE MAINLY THE COLOUR SCHEME. A LOT OF ARTISTS SUCH AS ELLIE GOULDING AND TOVE
LO’S WEB PAGES WERE PREDOMINANTLY PINK/PURPLE/BLUE/BLACK. THIS WAS TO CREATE THE LATE
NIGHT TRIPPY VIBE. ALL THE WEBSITES SHOW QUICK THIN YET BOLD WRITING AND IT IS GENERALLY IN
WHITE OR A PALE COLOUR SO IT CONTRASTS WITH THE BACKGROUND. WE WANTED OUR WEBSITE TO
LOOK VERY SLEEK AND CLEAN BUT ALSO QUITE EDGY, MODERN AND COOL. THE WEBSITE ALSO HAS A
SELECTION OF PROFESSIONAL PICTURES OF THE ARTIST SO THAT THE FANS NO HER FOR HER FACE AS
WELL AS HER MUSIC. ANOTHER THINK I NOTICED WAS THAT ON KIEZA AND TOVE LO’S GALLERY PAGES
THEY HAVE POSTED THEIR SOCIAL MEDIA PAGE TO MAKE THEM APPEAR NORMAL SO THEY CAN RELATE
TO THE REST OF THEIR FANS. SO AS A RESULT WE HAVE USED PINK/BLUE/PURPLE COLOURS ALONG WITH
SIMPLE WHITE WRITING AND WE HAVE MADE IT LOOK VERY CLEAN AND EASY TO GET AROUND.

12. WEBSITE
ON EVERY WEBSITE THERE IS ALWAYS THE MOST UPDATED VERSION OF THE NEW ALBUMS AND SINGLES
COMING OUT ALONG WITH THE ALBUM COVER IMAGE. THIS ALLOWS THE FANS TO CONNECT WITH THE
ARTIST MUCH MORE SO THEY CAN FOLLOW WHAT THEY ARE DOING AND KEEP UPDATED. GENERALLY ON
WEBSITES THERE IS A VERY SIMPLE TOOLBAR ACROSS THE TOP SO IT IS EASY TO FIND THINGS. WE DID THIS
ON OUR WEBSITE SO THAT IT CAME UP ON EVERY PAGE NOT JUST THE HOME PAGE. THE BACKGROUND
WE USED LINKED VERY WELL TO OUR OTHER PRODUCTS. IT WAS THE SAME COLOUR AND THE USE OF
GEOMETRIC SHAPES HELPS TELL THE AUDIENCE WHAT GENRE OF MUSIC IT IS.