evaluation question 1

Evaluation Question 1: In what ways does your media

product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions

of real media products?

Introduction

In our music video we have challenged and developed forms and conventions of real media products. We have used numerous amounts of forms and conventions of traditional media products in our music video. We have done this to make clear synoptic links between our own learning and understanding and developing it into something new. In our media product we have also challenged conventions of traditional media products and in this presentation, I will be thoroughly assessing what ways my music video uses, develops or challenges forms and conventions of real media products based on the key conventions of music videos from Andrew Goodwin.

Overview

To be able to thoroughly evaluate this question, we need to outline conventions that are considered to be traditional and normal in real media products and from there we will be able to distinguish what we have used that is considered to be traditional and also what we have challenged. So how do we find out what is considered to be a traditional aspect of music videos? Earlier in my blog, I had a post dedicated to Andrew Goodwin. In this post, Goodwin outlined key conventions that are seen in music videos.

Goodwin’s six key conventionsAndrew Goodwin’s 6 Features of Music VideosAndrew Goodwin points out characteristics and features that can be found in music videos.

Below is the six characteristics he believed to be conventions of the music video genre.

1. Music videos demonstrate genre characteristics.(e.g. stage performance in metal videos, dance routine for boy/girl band, aspiration in Hip Hop).

2. There is a relationship between lyrics and visuals. The lyrics are represented with images.(either illustrative, amplifying, contradicting).

3. There is a relationship between music and visuals. The tone and atmosphere of the visual reflects that of the music.(either illustrative, amplifying, contradicting).

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 (a visual style).

5. There is frequently reference to notion of looking (screens within screens, mirrors, stages, etc) and particularly voyeuristic treatment of the female body.

6. There are often intertextual reference (to films, tv programmes, other music videos etc).

Key Convention 1 – music videos demonstrate genre characteristics

• (e.g. stage performance in metal videos, dance routine for boy/girl band, aspiration in Hip Hop).

• What does Goodwin mean by music videos demonstrate genre characteristics? He means that with a specific type of genre, you are more likely to see specific conventions of that particular genre. The music genre for our music video is ska/punk. This type of music genre is actually considered to be under the metal genre branch, meaning that ska/punk is a relation to the metal genre of music. Therefore if we take Goodwin’s theory into account, he states that in metal genre music videos, there are stage performances and this is a traditional convention of the metal genre of music. In my music video, there is also a stage performance of the band so this highlights that we have developed Goodwin’s theory of a stage performance in metal genre music videos, because our stage performance is not typical because of our location. Goodwin’s forms and conventions of music videos are forms and conventions of real media products because in many metal genre music videos, there is usually a band/stage performance with a charismatic lead singer and a band of individuals dressed in the punk/rock description. From the pictures on this slide, you will be able to see similarities between what a metal genre band stage performance looks like and how this concept was developed when my group filmed our stage performance.

Key convention used, challenged

or developed?… Developed

Key Convention 2 - There is a relationship between lyrics and visuals.

• There is a relationship between lyrics and visuals. The lyrics are represented with images.(either illustrative, amplifying, contradicting).

• This is the second of Goodwin’s six key conventions of music videos. This key convention states that in music videos there is a link between the video and the lyrics. However just because there is a link between the two, it does not necessarily mean that they have to work together. Goodwin states that “the lyrics are represented with images (either illustrative, amplifying, contradicting). This key convention is clearly in every single music video and it is important to decide how the music video and lyrics should work together. For example, I have spoken about ‘The Scientist’ by Coldplay many times in my blog because I believe that this is a prime example of Goodwin’s theory of the music video and the lyrics working together well as the lyrics are illustrative of the video. If we apply this key convention to our own media product, it is easy to conclude that we have used Goodwin’s key convention theory. In our music video, the lyrics are illustrative of the video. The lyrics say “pretending I’m a superman” and then we see lead singer Tomas doing antics that you would expect Superman to do such as stopping crime therefore there is a relationship between the lyrics and the visuals.


or developed?… Used

‘The Scientist’ by Coldplay. The lyrics say “let’s go back to the start” and in the music video, it is going backwards to the start. (uses Goodwin’s key convention theory)

Key Convention 3 – There is a relationship between music and visuals

• The tone and atmosphere of the visual reflects that of the music.(either illustrative, amplifying, contradicting).

• This is the third of Goodwin’s six key conventions of music videos. This key convention suggests that there is a relationship between the actual music and the visuals. He argues that “the tone and atmosphere of the visuals reflect that of the music”. This convention means that for example, if the tone of the music was upbeat and fast, it wouldn’t be strange to see fast visuals such as a chase scene. Also if the tone of the music was dull and gloomy, the visuals could be in black and white and the pace of the editing could be extremely slow. Applying this key convention to my music video, I think I can identify that we have used this convention but we have not developed it. Where the song is fast and upbeat we have many visuals of Tomas running around pretending that he is superman, and also of the band dancing to the upbeat music, however when the song slows down, we then have a long close up of Tomas’ face. Then to proceed, the songs pace increases, we then have a chase scene with Tomas attempting to stop crime. In this way we have used Goodwin’s third key convention effectively.



Key Convention 6 - There are often intertextual references

• There are often intertextual reference (to films, tv programmes, other music videos etc).

• What is meant by an intertextual references? An intertextual reference is the way one form of product whether it is a book or a music video, draws links to another form of product. If we take this key convention and apply it to my music video, we can see that there is one huge intertextual reference that was purposely done by myself and my group. Earlier in the course, to get a sense of what is considered to be an effective music video, my Media studies teacher showed us a music video and said that we must do a blog entry about this song because of how unique the video is. This video was Sinead O’Connor’s ‘Nothing Compares 2 You’. Everyone in my group has a blog entry about the effectiveness of this video and prior to filming, my group and I decided that we would like to have an intertextual reference to this video. In this way we have effectively conveyed and used Goodwin’s key convention of intertextual references in music videos.



The Digipak• The digipak is actually part of the media product as a

whole. This, with the magazine advert and the music video together come together and make my media product. So we also need to assess how does the digipak use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products. When designing the digipak, we knew that we had to add imagery and links that the audience will be able to recognise link to the magazine advert and music video for the purposes of consistency and also so that the product looks cohesive. Therefore we knew that the digipak will have a black and white pattern colour scheme because of the connotations to the ‘ska’ genre of music that was used in our video. In the digipak we also pre identified that we will need images of Tomas our lead singer. We also wanted to include a tracklist on the back of the digipak as well as the record label. In addition we had the intention of including the bands name and album name on the digipak which conforms with Andrew Goodwin’s key convention theory that “successful albums should be representative of the song”. Overall my digipak has used forms and conventions of real media products as this was necessary to ensuring that we make a successful digipak.



Magazine Advert• In regards to the magazine advert, myself and

my group’s main priority was making sure that there was a sense of consistency between all three products but particularly between the magazine advert and the digipak. With this in mind, my group and I included the black and white chequered ‘ska’ pattern that was used in our digipak and has been ever present throughout our music video through our appearance. Going further my group and I decided to use the image that was used on the digipak of Tomas looking over the River Thames, in our magazine advert, with a few minor adjustments such as the size to fit on A4. Our magazine advert is an example of how Andrew Goodwin’s key conventions have been used and reinforced once again. On our magazine advert it states “the new album out now” which is a key convention that Goodwin suggested saying that certain words and phrases are used to help sell the product. To conclude we have once again used one of Goodwin’s key conventions of real media products and this has once again aided us in making an overall effective product.



Conclusion

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

• To conclude, there are various ways in which my media product uses and develops a lot of forms and conventions based on Andrew Goodwin’s key conventions of real media products. My media

product has not challenged any form and conventions of real media products but has used and developed them extremely effectively

with good explanations for the audience to understand the reasons behind it. The digipak, magazine advert and music video conform and develop Goodwin’s key conventions and when looking at the product as a whole it is consistent and professional making it an

effective overall media product.