Media Blog A2- Claudia Neal

A2 Media Studies Evaluation

The ways my media product uses forms and conventions of real media texts, is through my development and researching. I began by researching my chosen genre of music and looking at other media texts. Music videos of today are categorised into 3 different types, performance, abstract and narrative. Although you can have 2 of these categories together, for example, the song by Paramore ‘Still into you’ is an abstract video as it has no narrative but is expressing the song through movement, although, there is some performance in there as well. Whereas narrative is telling a story within the video, and this is what I chose. The song I chose was ‘me and you’ by the popular djs Disclosure. I liked the beat of the music and I had a lot of ideas when listening to the song. I looked at various media texts that link with the genre of ‘House music’ and here I discovered what conventions of form and genre I would need to consider in my music video.

Examples of this would be for cinematography mid shots, close ups and steadi cam. This is because it engages the audience making them feel like they are there in on the action. It’s a good way for the audience to communicate and understand the emotion and expression from the media text. For mise en scene the areas are represented as the lower class, run down and graffiti. Furthermore the costume is represented quite retro and a lot of top brands are worn by the types of people who are represented with the genre (Nike, New Balance, Obey) I found this by looking at other music videos done by the artist, Disclosure. For example the video ‘white noise’ really expresses all the conventions of form. It is set in a very run down area, the main character is represented as the lower class and he is dancing. There is a lot of graffiti and abandoned areas. These representations are put across like this because house music isn’t a type of music the upper class would engage in. It’s similar to the ‘rave’ type of music, which influences, drinking, drugs, dancing and these associates with the lower class. Although house music isn’t all these aspects, it can have a narrative or no narrative at all. There is a stuck stereotype with this genre that people associate drinking dancing etc. when really it can be anything it wants to be. An example of this would be the music video by ‘Clean Bandit- Rather Be’, this is a similar type of genre of music but the video is not represented to how the stereotype is. A Chinese woman is miming the song and she goes around a fish market. This genre can be represented with a narrative or with no narrative at all. Although it has a very strong stereotype of drinking and raves etc. And I wanted to break that stereotype.

The editing for this type of genre is very fast paced and has a lot of quick cuts, as represented in various media texts. I also did 3 Textual analyses on 3 different media products of the same genre. This helped me as analysing the different music videos I found similarities and the same conventions. It gave me an understanding on how to look in depth at media products and how to deconstruct them in the ways of conventions of genre, use of cinematography, use of editing, deconstructing the text in relation to connotations, how the narrative is developed and how does the text appeal to the audience. Now from researching all of that I can reflect my understanding through my work in my ancillary texts and media product.

From doing this is gave me a really clear understanding of the conventions and genre aspects which I need to include to make it a ‘house music’ media product and for my ancillary texts. For my cinematography I did a lot mid shots and kept both the characters in shot close together. This is to emphasis the necessity and love they have over each other. Keeping them close together in shot was an essential to communicate to the audience that they are inseparable. Furthermore I used a lot of steadi cam as I wanted to engage the audience even more, to make them feel as if they were there on the journey with them. It puts them in the place that they are there next to them, making the audience communicate better with my media product. Furthermore I found that this type of cinematography is presented in real media texts representing this genre. And I found this from doing my textual analysis and looking at various media texts represented to this genre.

I believe for my mise en scene it was very tricky to completely influence the stereotype of house music as getting footage of them going out and drinking would be quite difficult. So I tried a different approach of representing the genre through editing and mise en scene. The clothing I got the boy to wear was popular brands, for example, Nike, obey, new balance etc. This is because the style people wear, who listen to this type of music, is quite retro and stylish clothing. I tried to portray this but it was quite difficult as none of them owned any, so I had to get them myself from people who I know wear this type of clothing. For the girl, I think her own clothing fitted the type of clothing I wanted to style her in. Although I made a few adjustments by getting her to wear various accessories and to paint her nails red. I did this purposely because red symbolises love and passion, linking with her relationship and emotion. Furthermore for the setting, I picked various areas to link with genre conventions and some that hide deeper meanings. The abandoned area I chose because it relates to the deep house stereotype of run down areas. I also took footage of graffiti and other run down areas. This is because from researching and seeing that it’s a convention of this genre, I wanted to portray that to make my media product fit this genre. The amusements I purposely chose because of the lighting and various bright contrasting colours. This is to represent the love and emotion of the couple’s relationship and also to fit the genre conventions. For example house music is played at clubs and there are all strobe lights and lasers. Furthermore when filming them by the chimney-air, I tried to make that that was the only light near them. This is because the glow of the fire was blazing over them. Showing again there desire and love, the necessity they have together, that both of their hearts burn and glow with emotion. Additionally I got fireworks and sparklers to emphasise this same message of their emotion and lust for one another. All these type of aspects where to resemble not only the emotion and feelings of the two characters, but to resemble the genre of house music.

When I came to editing my media product I knew that the beat of the song was very fast so I had to match it with my editing. I did this by getting the music bar at the bottom to see the level of the beat, so I knew when to directly cut. This then allowed me to have quick cuts of footage on the beat of the song. I mixed up my shots so every cut they were at a different location or it was a different camera angle/shot. This is to express the various adventures then have gone on and really shows the amount of filming I have done and the many places we went. From feedback I have been told that my editing is my strong point for my music video as it really links with the house music persona, fast cuts, fast music etc.

When creating my ancillary texts I tried to reflect the genre and forms which I reflected in my music product also in them. I did this by using the same characters in my music product visualised on the front as the main attraction. I did this because in the music video they are also the main attraction so, I got an image of them stood together facing the camera (self-reflective), making it engaging for the audience as they are looking straight at them. It took quite a bit of development for me to get my final ancillary texts, as shown on my blog. I wanted the typography to be bold, contrasting and effective as it is one of the key features that needs to be very noticeable for the audience. I looked at the typography Disclosure use and I tried to replicate this so it relates to my artists and is a convention on the genre. I used the font 'Tw Cen MT Condensed' for the small print but banner headline has to be bold and contrasting as that is what the audience will see first. I put the songs on the Digi Pak in this type because they are what I want to stand out as they are the main focus on the back. Then I have put the featuring artists in that other type as they are not the main focus but they are still mentioned. The image I chose for the front will be the same image I will use for my Ancillary text, showing that I have linked the two. I created another layer and used a brush that when printed makes an image look battered and worn. I did this because it is one convention of the genre. The colours I used on my Digi Pak are quite worn and rustic colours because I wanted to represent the genre through the image. So before even watching my media product the audience will know what type of music it is. Furthermore from presenting the two characters on the front it gives the audience an idea that they have a type of involvement in the video. At first I put the iconic Disclosure mask over their faces, which instantly refers the advertisement to be a disclosure product. Although that’s a type of copy right as it’s not my design. So from this I adapted my own idea and crossed their eyes out. Furthermore this can have a deeper meaning, crossing the eyes out creates mystery and it’s kind of hiding their identity. Making the audience intrigued and wanting to find out more. It’s a strategy that gets them drawn in, making them wants to find out and watch my media product. I got this idea of a ‘pulse’ that you get when playing music, like a bass pulse. I liked the idea as it looked really good and effective and house music has a lot of bass. I created it in Photoshop and then began duplicating it and adding effects which is how I got it to stand out and be eye catching. I then used it to put on the disks and on the back of my Digi Pak. Then from getting feedback from my teacher I decided to put the back ground image of my Digi Pak the pulse design, instead

I first began thinking of ideas that I want to link with my Digi Pak and my media product so there is a link between the two. At first I wanted to carry the same colours across of the dark grey and the lighter grey. Furthermore the iconic pulse across the page I have filled in a pure white and then duplicated and added an effect to show an aftershock. This is to imitate a music pulse/ wave you get from loud pumping music.I have imitated this on my Digi Pak and also on my ancillary text show it shows that there is a link and you can see that both products are related. As shown on my blog you can see the development I went through to create my ancillary and Digi Pak. I did a lot of editing to get it just right and eye appealing and furthermore linking with my overall media product.

The images I used I purposely chose as I felt they where engaging as they are looking directly into the camera. I then edited them over Photoshop, creating the battered and old effect. I added the lyrics of chosen song as that is a convention that is involved in a music package.

I added important information in small text at the bottom to create verisimilitude. I used the colour white because it contrasts against the dark background, making it clearly visible. Then placing the pulse iconic across the image represents the type of music being advertised and what it relates to.

The banner headline is one of the key features on my ancillary texts and my Digi Pak as it is what is advertising the artist. I liked it because it is very bold and contrasting really empathizes what it is advertising. Furthermore the colours really contrast well against each other. Making it the most eye catching feature on my media text. I changed the header slightly on my Digi Pak as it believed it contrasted better against the background with the effect 'Hard Light'. The spacing between each letter emphasis the importance of each letter withing the whole word. Creating this powerful and highly structured type, representing that it is making a statement.

The banner headline for my ancillary text (on the right) I duplicated and added the effect ' Colour Burn' which is what creates this bright burning effect on the typography. I think overall the typography works really well on my ancillary text and my Digi Pak as it is one of the main focuses and really emphasis's what it is advertising. Which is the main objective for my media products.