In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge form and conventions of real media texts?

Evaluation Question 1

So that I can see which conventions of music videos, alternate rock and Paramore, I must first research the conventions of each. Within my research and planning, I discovered the conventions of music videos through Andrew Goodwin's theory. I also analyzed existing music videos to see how and if they used these conventions.

Having used many of these conventions in my product, it is evident that these conventions have influenced my music video and helped me achieve a product that has the main, important elements of a music video; improving it's overall quality, standard and effectiveness.

To ensure I was creating a music video that appealed to my target audience (fans of alternative rock & Paramore) I researched the conventions of alternative rock and Paramore's own personal conventions.

I found out how Paramore used the conventions of both music videos and the alternate rock genre in their music videos, setting me up for how to go about creating my own product that effectively fits into the alternate rock genre.

I also explored which conventions of music videos and the alternative rock genre that Paramore use and challenge. I discovered there were no key conventions of either music videos or the alternative rock genre, that Paramore didn't use, as evident below.

Demonstration of genre specific characteristics:Themes of struggle and determination A convention of the alternate rock genre.

Close upsSeveral close ups are used in many Paramore music videos.

References to self image or mirrorsHayley is seen reflecting how other people perceive her in Paramore's music video for 'Playing God'.

Performance element A convention of the alternate rock genre and music videos.

Inter-textual reference & relationship between visuals and lyrics.Reference to the bible, relating to the lyrics (repetition of 'God')

To begin to justify my choices, fist I have to evaluate which conventions I used and challenged.

It is clear from the above that I have conformed to but more so challenged the conventions of Paramore, music videos and the alternate rock genre, all for specific reasons.

Conventions I used Conventions I challenged

Links between the lyrics, visuals and music

Demonstration of genre specific characteristics

Themes of struggle and determination

Voyeuristic treatment of the female body

Inter-textual references

Self image or reflection

Close-ups of the artist

Performance element

Why did I conform to certain conventions?

Links between lyrics, visuals and musicIn my music video I made several links between the lyrics, visuals and music. For example I matched the progression of the song with the narrative; as the girl discovered the box the music was calm - As the song draws to an end and she completes the list, the music is very powerful and uplifting fitting the mood. I felt this was important as it is key to provoking emotion from an audience. Throughout the whole music video, I cut each shot on the beat. This helped the music video flow naturally with the song and gave it a certain rhythm, making it easy on the eye to watch. Like Paramore, I also included lots of different symbols that connote meaning. For example the map, connoting adventure and the bucket list connoting a goal or purpose. This was also very important to me as I wanted to make sure every detail such as these props helped capture the image and ideas I had in my mind and shared them accurately with the audience.

Themes of struggle and determinationI included themes of struggle and determination as key themes throughout my music video which are conventional themes of the alternate rock genre. As Paramore are predominantly alternative rock, 'Last Hope' is one of their more calmer, more progressive tracks of the genre. With this in mind and obviously present when listening to the song, I decided to use these themes in a more 'thoughtful' and 'meaningful' way. Making the narrative more personal and emotional, rather than two forces 'fighting' with connotations of a more violent narrative (a convention of alternative rock). The themes are also an example of links between the lyrics and visuals as the chorus of the song repeats It's enough to keep me going. Which is another reason I knew these themes were very relevant for this music video.

Demonstration of genre specific characteristicsBesides the themes of struggle and determination, a convention of alternative rock, I also used the convention of more subtle, darker colours. I conveyed this idea through grey or dark clothing of the girl throughout and also through a filter. The filter that I applied to the music video created a nostalgia, 'cool' effect which mimicked that of Paramore's music video colours. I also felt these more subtle colours throughout my music video would convey a certain serene feel to the audience, creating an overall mood to help bring out the emotion I hoped to create through the narrative.

Why did I challenge certain conventions?

Voyeuristic treatment of the female bodyUnconventionally within the alternate rock genre, I decided not to include any voyeuristic treatment of the female body, mainly because of how irrelevant to the mood and narrative this would have been. I wanted to represent the main girl as a respectable yet rather normal teenager with a certain amount of self-worth. As 'Last Hope' is a more emotional, personal song, any other representation of females such as the girl or her mother, would not be appropriate

Inter-textual references My music video doesn't feature any inter-textual references or current trends. This is mainly down to the nature of the narrative. It doesn't relate heavily to culture or trend, nor does it reference any other text. I feel as though if I did include emphasis on other texts or trends, this would take away from the overall effect. The key elements are not about image or culture but about a personal journey and I aimed for the main focus to be the girls journey.

Self image or reflectionThe idea of 'self image' or ones reflection, is something I didn't want to include in my product. Similarly to the inter-textual references, I wanted there to be little focus on how the girl dresses herself, what she owns or what role she plays in a social environment as there are issues that defeated the point of my narrative. As my narrative is focused on 'working with what you have', not dressing in expensive clothing or having fancy things, I thought including these things would distort this point. I wanted to convey a realistic, relatable story through the natural make-up and environment the girl is seen in throughout.

Close-ups of the artist & Performance element Close-ups of the artist is a convention of music videos I didn't want to include for several reasons. Firstly I felt the narrative would lose it's shine if a performance element was to be added in as it is the kind of story you have to keep up with, being quite intense and progressive - meaning if there were to be someone singing part way through, it would disjoint the whole narrative and ruin the effect. Another reason is because I would have ran the risk of it looking 'cheesy' as it would be hard to make it look realistic and due to the serious and powerful nature of the song, it made it all the more riskier. It was a risk I wasn't willing to take given I was confident in my narrative idea.

What conventions did I develop and why?

Self image or reflectionAlthough I have previously stated that I have not included self image or reflection, I would argue that a certain section in my video develops this idea of 'reflecting on yourself'. However, instead of it being in an 'image conscious' fashion, I feel the match on action I created of the girl's side profile over different shots creates more of a 'reflection on her progress' type feel. This match on action happens when the girl looks down at the bucket list and has a kind of flashback to all the different tasks she has been trying to complete. I would argue this is a way of her assessing her progress and finding more hope in her to carry on.

Close ups of the artistI feel I developed the idea of 'close ups of the artist' in a way as I do include close ups of the girl very often. Although she is not the artist nor is she meant to be acting as the artist, she is the main focus, as an artist would be. She is almost a substite, as although she is not singing the song, it is clear the lyrics are her thoughts - It's just a spark, but it's enough to keep me going. Her late grandad is her 'spark' that helps her finish the bucket list on behalf of him.

Research into the ancillary products...

Before creating my digipak or advert, I researched aspects and conventions of Paramore's adverts and digipaks in general. I did this so I could ensure my digipak and advert included the correct information in a suitable format, inspired by existing, relevant examples.

What are the conventions of digipaks & adverts?

To identify which conventions I used, I must first recap the conventions of digipaks and adverts.

Conventions of digipaks Conventions of adverts

Colour scheme Conventionally, the colour scheme used in a digipak will indicate or relate to the genre or overall tone of the music.

Information Digipaks will include a small amount of relevant information such as title, bar code, record label and tracklist.

Main images Digipaks will almost always have a main, bold, recognizable image that an audience will start to relate to the artist.

Relevance to the genre Digipaks will reflect their genre through colour, imagery etc.

Social media Adverts may reference social media links to their pages or websites containing more information or possible previews.

Information Adverts may include a small amount of relevant information such as title, record label, reviews and availability

Images Adverts almost always have a main, bold, recognizable image that an audience will start to relate to the artist. Most commonly an image of the artist themselves.

Text Adverts may use persuasive text to highlight positive features or reviews, making words such as 'Amazing' or 'Brilliant' part of the main focus.

Paramore's Conventions

I also need to review the conventions Paramore use to further understand what conventions I used, challenged and developed.

Conventions Paramore Use Conventions Paramore Challenge

Colour scheme Paramore use a black and white theme in one of their adverts to convey the dark, eerie feel their single has. This allows the audience to get a feel for the song before they even hear it.

Information Paramore include basic, generic information on both their album cover and advert.

Main images Paramore's album cover uses their ionic 'logo' which features on a lot of their merchandise. Paramore also use a unique image of the china dolls to provoke thought from the audience.

Relevance to the genre Both Paramore's digipak and album cover have main images relevant to the genre as alternative rock artists tend to have more abstract, unique imagery as artwork, hence the buttery and innocent dolls contrasting with their violent music.

Reviews Paramore don't unclude reviews on their advert for their single 'Ignorance'. Perhaps a review would clutter the simplistic format of the advert and its overall effect.

Social media Paramore don't include any social media links on their advert, only a link to their website. Perhaps this is because they are very active and popular on social media, so the advertisement is not needed.

Conventions I used and Challenged

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Key conventions I did and did not follow.

Conventions Used Conventions Challenged

Aspects of genre relevance (developed)

Information

Text

Colour scheme

Relevance to the genre

Social media

Reviews

Main images

Why did I conform to certain conventions?

Information & TextBasic, important information is key to an advert and digipak's success. The availability of the album on the advert is something that an audience will look for straight away if they are interested. Tracklists, record label, bar code and title were all elements of my digipak that I felt made it look professional and realistic. Without the 'small print', my products would look unrealistic. I chose to present the information on my advert and digipak in the iconic, recognizable font of Paramore's to make a direct link with the artist - Although they aren't on the cover, it is clear to my target audience that is it Paramore.

Colour Scheme For both my digipak and advert I applied the same nostalgic filter that I did to my music video, to conform to the conventions of the alternative rock genre of subtle, plainer colours. I felt this not only linked all three products together but created the correct mood/emotion making it clear to the audience that this album is going to be more of a progressive alternative rock album than a pure alternative rock album. For the front cover of my digipak I used original photography of the girl at sun set. I felt this gave a serene feel to the album, again making it clear to the audience that the genre is slightly different that Paramore's usual.

Social Media Although Paramore themselves don't usually include links to social media, I felt for my product it would help the advert look less plain. The white text and subtle colours of the image create an effective but simple effect, however I still felt extra information such as a link to my music video was necessary through a QR code. Links to sites such as Twitter and Facebook however I did not include, as Paramore themselves usually don't due to their ever-growing fan base.

ReviewsI included a review from Kerrang on my album advert to make it look more realistic and to persuade the target audience. Kerrang is a music channel which plays music of a similar genre to Paramore, so if they were to see that Kerrang approve, this may persuade them to buy it.

Main ImagesI tried to create iconic, memorable images for both my advert and digipak cover. I did this as it would help the audience relate the images to Paramore. As they are both of similar colours, this further links the products together and helps the audience relate the digipak to the advert, if they were to look for it in a store perhaps after seeing the advert.

Why did I challenge/develop certain conventions?

Although I did use aspects of the alternative rock genre in both my digipak and advert such as the colour scheme and font, I would also argue that I developed some conventions of the genre. For example, alternative rock artists usually use abstract or unique images to represent their work, however I decided to develop/challenge this idea and incorporate the girl from my music video into both products. The main reason I did this was to convey the 'personal journey' theme that the album contains, with themes of personal struggle and 'finding yourself'. I feel the close up of the girls profile on the advert conveys this strongly and also the 'reflecting' stance the girl has on the digipak cover, almost as though the is over looking where she has come from, is also very effective.

Overall, I would conclude that I conform to conventions of each product, more than challenge them. I feel this is evident though the fact that each product can be recognized as belonging to the alternative rock genre from their individual elements. I also feel my decisions to conform to the genre has been influenced by the success of the different conventions within the genre and how they work well together. Although I did enjoy developing and adapting the genre conventions in my own way, the original conventions I did include in my products help aim them at my target audience, which in reality would be the key to them being success for Paramore.

What did I conform to the most?

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