Question 1: In what ways does your product use, develop or challenge

forms and conventions of real media products?

The media product I have created is a music video for the heavy rock/pop punk music genre. The music video is for the band ‘In Transmission’ for their song ‘Tonight’ and I have gathered several various pieces of footage and ideas to create this video. The video on the whole fits intimately with that of the other music videos in the genre but is however also relatively original and interesting.

It is very common to see three main things in this particular genre:

- Firstly there is the element of the live performance shot, as stated by Andrew Goodwin as one of the 5 key aspects of a music video, most prominently in that of the rock or metal genres.

-Secondly there is the element of a dark or mysterious nature, for instance in my research of the genre I watched the music video for ‘Fixed at Zero’ by the band VersaEmerge, this video contained many dark and gothic like elements to the video such as the lead singer on the floor in the middle of a forest in a long dress

- Thirdly there is the element of drinking and partying that is a constant factor of the genre is also present in many of the videos that I watched in my research. For example the music video for the song ‘To The Stage’ by Asking Alexandria.

Andrew Goodwin stated in his general conventions of a music video that there are five main aspects to every music video production. It is noted that despite Genre, music videos most commonly consist of:

- Genre Characteristics: - A relationship between lyrics and visuals- A relationship between music and visuals- The Demands of the record label- Frequent reference to the notion of looking - Often has intertexual references

These are the general conventions of the Rock Genres Music Videos.

Narrative

These nine frames I believe explain my music video’s various aspects which I will go on to explain.

This establishing shots shows the band in their hung over state as they sleep at various points of the bedroom floor. This is an effective shot in my opinion as it first introduces the band as a everyday, normal like group who tend to enjoy themselves. The props used in this frame are extremely efficient in exploring the storyline as all the empty bottles of alcohol explain why the band are passed out on the floor. It is also important to note that the greyscale type effect has been used in post production to create a dazed and again ‘hung over’ appearance on the shot, this enables the audience to engage with how the band would be feeling at that moment in time.

This shot furthermore establishes a storyline in the video, as we see the band also have no recollection of the previous events, or idea what is going on. This shot works well as it elevates the audience to a neutral ground with the band as neither have any idea of what is to come, apart from a brief idea; the empty bottles of alcohol. It also allows the audience the first step in uncovering the path of the band, what they are like, what they enjoy doing and this is effective as it introduces the band to the audience, which would most definitely be a demand of the record label, an aspect which was observed in the threory of Andrew Goodwin.

This live performance shot is a key aspect of any music video in the rock genre, according to Andrew Goodwin. I personally think this shot is effective as it brings in the idea of the time frames with the day and time in the bottom right hand corner. It also for the first time introduces the band in their ‘professional’ role as musicians and lets the audience understand their roles in the band as a result. Once more tying into the ideas of Andrew Goodwin it creates a strong link between the music and the visuals as you see the band playing along in time with the music that accompanies it. The quick change from the greyscale to bright colours is also extremely effective as it instantly allows the audience to understand the change in time also.

This is an effective shot as it gives the viewer an on stage perspective, something which would be very rare in a live situation. It is also very common in music videos for the same reason and creates a convention which is consistently followed throughout many productions, also introducing the band individually. Furthermore tying into the link between music and visuals this shot does so very precisely as it is a close up on the drummer, enabling the viewer to analyse his every move. The lighting is also interesting as it provides a new aspect to the video and the colour red is very often used in conventions of the rock genre.

This close up shot is an extremely effective medium in introducing the lead singer of the band, also developing the ‘star image’ that is required by most record labels. Not only this but it links to another of Goodwin’s key aspects in the sense that a relationship between the lyrics of the song and the visuals in the video are clearly established. This shot is also key to conform to the conventions of the rock genre, an aspect which was important to the band in the production of their music video.

The shot present on the left I believe to be a very useful shot in gathering a sense of personality to the band. This is a very important aspect to be included as it allows the audience to come to terms with the bands personalities, which can make or break a band. If they appear to be a humorous and entertain group of people it is most likely that they will be liked and gain a larger fan base, however if they appear dull or simply uninteresting the chances of success soon diminish and it is back to the drawing board. This shot depicts the band as a fun, young group of people who like to enjoy themselves, an element I consider a success when reviewing the end result of my production piece.

I particularly think of this shot as extremely effective in conveying the bands attitude and genre. The way they are set up and their actions instantly make them recognisable as a rock band, which is useful in enabling the audience to understand the band. The long shot of the band, with a full view of the stage and every member allows the audience to view the relationship between the band members themselves. This is useful to present each band member in their own right, yet still as part of the band, for instance you see the two guitarists side by side as they play their instruments. The flashing lighting used in the background also is important to note as it creates a wild atmosphere, which you would expect to see at a live performance.

This shot was used to create a diversity within the various camera angles and shot types we have used. The rapid changes between shots is useful as it adds to the general conventions of the rock genre, as well as creating a clear sense of immediacy. The shadows cast onto the wall in front of the stage create a sense of gothic styles and imagery, which can be seen throughout the genre in various other music videos. This aspect is interesting and develops an interesting twist upon the fairly upbeat style of the video so far, and creates a heavier image for the band. It is also the view that an audience member would receive if they were backstage which is again very rare, so it is most regularly viewed in a positive aspect by many viewers.

This over the shoulder shot creates a sense of normality in the video and depicts the band as down to earth and ordinary people. The shot appears un staged and gives the shot a natural feel, as if the camera was not even there; like the viewer was merely sitting in the room with the band. The relaxed and warm lighting used creates a comfort for the audience in contrast to the flashing lights and movements in the previous scenes. It is almost like a breather for the audience before they are thrust back into the crazy world of the band, portraying the band as rather fast paced and wild.

This medium shot of the Drummer of the band waking up was taken using inspiration from Asking Alexandria’s music video for their song ‘To The Stage’. The idea of the band waking up from a drunken night runs similar to the storyline of this video, an example being the two medium shots of the band members from each video on the left. The lighting used in both videos is also similar in the sense that both videos clearly display a sense of daylight as the light shines through the curtains when panned out. In comparison between the two videos, Asking Alexandria’s video portrays the various actions that the band do before they play a gig. Whereas my video witnesses the band waking up from a crazy night, then reviewing the nights events through a camera. Although sounding different here, both videos use the aspect of the band waking up in a dazed and confused state and also portray the bands as quite wild, yet down to earth. An aspect I wanted to depict in my music video.

Once more this medium shot of the drummer is a shot type used throughout many music videos within the rock genre. In my video there is a clear focus on the drummer, engaging the viewer with the band member, establishing a relationship. The lighting used in both videos is also similar in the sense that both videos depict a flashing and vibrant colour which creates a sense of urgency and excitement, which links with the tempo and upbeat nature of the song.In Comparison between the two videos my video and Enter Shikari’s video for there song ‘Sorry Your Not A Winner’ both videos use similar elements. Both songs are fast paced and in turn need a rapid and exciting video to accentuate the success of the song. Both of our videos use fast paced cuts to gather a sense of immediacy, this again ties in with the fast paced lighting in order to gather the same sense of immediacy. Both videos interestingly use close ups of each band members which is a general convention of the rock genre.

The medium shots presented here feature members of both groups being slapped or punched in the face from a similar camera angle. Although random and not a convention of the rock genre, the unusual shot adds a sense of originality and diversity to the range of shots presented in my video. The idea did not however come from an existing music video, but from a film called ‘Jackass – The Movie”. The characters in the film are very wild and crazy and portray themselves in a very free and open manner; they do not seem to care about anything. This is a good image for a band in the rock genre as it gives them the ‘rebel’ like title that was very popular during the height of genres such as punk rock. Through including something like this into our video it depicts the bands attitude in a similar format, it allows them to seem like a carefree and humorous band who are likable. Which was the image we were going for when producing this shot type.