Evaluation 1

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

According to Andrew Goodwin:

• Visuals either illustrate, amplify or contradict the lyrics and the music
• Genres have their own iconography and style
• Close ups are essential
• Music videos create and enhance star iconography
• Voyeurism is a common theme

According to John Stewart

• Lighting is used to highlight the star's face
• Visual references derive from a range of sources such as art and fashion
• Video allows more access to a performer than a stage performance

So it is clear that to create a good music video:

• The lyrics do not necessarily need to be coherent with the lyrics, but should have some relation to the lyrics
• The lighting should highlight the stars face, but at the same time attempt to reflect their mood, and the editing pace. Indie rock videos are usually dimly lit
• Voyeurism would be useful in helping to portray the lack of being in control for our video
• There should be some lip syncing or close-ups to create and enhance star iconography
• The editing should be Innovative and accurate to reflect the music.
• There should be Camera movements that enhance the music.

Artists are promoted in magazines, on television, in posters, in flyers ect. The most common method however, seems to be within music magazines. While we had a bit of spare time we decided to use it constructively and begin research on the magazine adverts. It was Megan's job to research for the digipack, and I was incharge of researching the magazine adverts.
We have to produce a magazine advertisement for the digipack. So before we can even begin to think up ideas and designs we need to understand the conventions of a magazine advert and how they are targeted at their audiences. This required intensive research on the topic.

Magazine adverts promoting artists are quite simplistic, and often the same image used on the digipack, is the image used for the magazine advert. This enhances awareness of the advert and allows the advert, and digipack to be coherent. The artists name or the digipack name is usually the largest font used for the advertisement. This is in attempt to capture their audience. There is usually very little information/text somewhere on the advert explaining things such as; release date, album name, possibly singles featured, critics opinions and possibly tour dates.

Below are examples of two promotional magazine adverts for digipacks from 'Chase and Status' and 'The Killers'

Both advertisements are for digipacks, yet they differ in many ways. The 'Chase and Status' advert is very simple and only includes the colours red, blue, black and white. The image used, is the same image used for the actual album cover. So the text colours correlate with the image. There are only two text types used, and the only information displayed on this advert is the name of the band, the name of the album, the download date, and the bands website. The 'Killers' advert is also very simple and only includes the colours pink, black, white and grey. The main image has not been taken from the album but it is a simple image of the band in a desaturated form. The touches of pink in the belt, and some of the text displays clear house style. Apart from the text used for the HMV logo, there is only one font used, and a majority of it is white. The only information displayed on the advert is the name of the band, one critic review, where it is sold, when it is sold and the HMV website.

During our spare time/free periods, we decided to use the time constructively and begin research on the digipack. It was Megan’s job to research the digipack, while I had to find out about the magazine adverts. So before we can even begin to think up ideas and designs we need to understand the conventions of a digipack and how they are targeted at their audiences. This required intensive research on the topic.

So what is a digipack? A form of jewel case, for holding one or more CDs or DVDs, in which the outer cover is of card rather than plastic. Digipacks typically consist of a gatefold (book-style) paperboard or card stock outer binding, with one or more plastic trays capable of holding a CD or DVD attached to the inside. Digipacks are not only used for CD covers but as mentioned also DVD's. However it is important that in order for our case to look professional we must use the correct sizing which is used normally. We found this information out from a website called www.4bmartinvest.co.uk which distributes the "Flexi trays" used in digipacks. The information we found out was that the typical size of a CD tray is 135mm x 125 mm. Now that we know the correct size of the tray this enables us to make correct sizing of our images on Photoshop etc.

The word digipack is really just a fancy way of saying what we would call a CD case. In modern society with an increasing competitive market in the music industry and the competition from downloading online, the digipack has become increasingly more important to the success of the single/album being sold. The CD cover is the thing which makes a CD stand out on the rack, it is the thing that makes you remember it on a TV advert or you simply see your favourite artist featured and you go out and buy it. This puts a huge importance on the design and layout of the digipack. However this also varies according to the market you are trying to appeal to. Here is an example of Rihanna's digipack and the Killers digipack.

Codes And Conventions Of Music Videos

Music videos are a marketing tool used to promote artists or bands in attempt to boost record sales. Music videos need to be aesthetically appealing in order to capture the audience’s attention, and allow the audience to recognise the artist symbolically.

Music video codes and conventions are a firm set or rules which identify the ‘type’ of music video. The codes and conventions can adapt slowly, but should not be challenger on too great a level. The codes include the cameras/equipment used, while the conventions refer more to the way things are done within the video. The codes and conventions of music videos allow the audience to become familiar with a certain genre as they become accustomed to seeing certain things. They ensure that a certain text works well and fits into its genre. Most of the different codes and conventions are dependent on genre, however generally; the lyrics of the song influence what is shown in the video, the artist is shown performing, the mode of address and Mise-en-scène reflects the mood of the music, the pace of editing fits the pace of the music.

The Lyrics are there to establish a general tone to the song, to create an emotion or sense of subject matter rather than offering a coherent meaning. Key lines play a significant part in the visuals to address the story line. There is rarely a literal or logical interpretation. Sometimes the lyrics do not even directly correlate with the music video, it may just be the tone or mood of the lyrics which is conveyed through the music video

The Music affects certain people's moods and is used to emphasise particular sounds by foregrounding instruments, such as a piano or guitar. The music video should make use of the tempo of the music to drive editing. The Music maybe emphasised in the video by the band actually performing parts of the song. The lyrics do not always match the pace and so the editing may reflect the music. However the tempo of the track should drive the editing of a music video; slow paced music should be accompanied with slow paced editing.

The Camera Work gives a dynamic feel to the video, the band and the performance. Music videos usually contain a predominate amount of close-ups of the artist for promotion purposes (especially in performance music videos).The camera work should contain a Variety of shots depending on the style and genre of the music. The movement, angle and shot distance would change depending on the music genre. How the camera is used and how images are sequenced have a significant impact on the audience and the meaning of the video.

The Editing Is most commonly a formation of short cuts and fast cut montages (making some images impossible to grasp), often to fragment the narrative content. This makes the video hard to absorb and understand at first, which should encourage multiple viewing. The editing can also contribute to creating the mood of the video through digital effects and lighting. There are many different editing techniques used in music videos so some music videos have gentler transitions because a music video should make use of the tempo of the track to drive the editing.

The Type Of Video can be Narrative or Performance Based. Narrative Videos are videos which signify a story. A narrative based music video contains mostly footage that attempts to tell a story through the moving image. A narrative is virtually a short film that corresponds in some way with the music, perhaps the tone, the actual lyrics or just the sound of the music. Often the narrative is fragmentary to reduce time, but this depends on the music style and genre. Performance Based Videos usually show the artist playing their instruments. Common conventions found in most performance music videos is obviously the performance of the artist just playing the song maybe live in-concert or just in a room. To keep such a style entertaining the video will sometimes also have cuts to clips of things to do with the lyrics if there is an underlining storyline. A music video can be a mixture of both narrative and performance based. Unknown artists usually have performance based videos, which help to familiarise the artist amongst customers and fans. Once an artist’s is established they can then use narrative music videos rather than performance based music videos

The Genre can be difficult to categorise but different genres usually has distinctive features on the video as Certain themes are used to fit the specific genre. The Genre of the music determines the conventions used in the video and the target audience because Each genre carries its own codes and conventions. Genre can be reflected through mise-en-scene such as clothing and location. Below are the different conventions for the different genres:

Rock/Metal

• Snappy and fast paced, editing, reflecting the hard, loud and fast music
• The hue of the videos are usually quite dark, but with high contrast levels, giving the video a mysterious, scary and edgy tone
• The music videos are usually incredibly performance based
• The Mise-en-scène of the artists are usually dressed in completely in black, with multiple piercings, Dark makeup, and a dark and edgy demeanour
• A variety of close ups to show the main artist singing
• Special effects are sometimes used.
• Shown on music channels such as Kerrang, or VH1, or MTV Rocks.
  

Pop

• Usually extremely performance based, as well as performing via lip syncing the words or in a narrative story that reflects the meaning of the lyrics.
• Usually a dance sequence which illustrates some of the lyrics.
• Bright and colourful settings and lighting.
• The Mise-en-scène of the artists is usually bright trendy mainstream clothing.
• Often many costume changes throughout the video
• If the lyrics and the tempo of the music are sadder the whole tone of the video will be brought down but it will still be quite bright and the artist would probably be in a more sophisticated outfit than if the video is more positive.
• Not usually any instruments present as not many pop bands actually play their own instruments.
• The main artists are almost always present in their music video in some shape of form.
• Pop music videos are usually fun and light hearted to appeal to a younger audience.
• Show on music channels such as Viva, or MTV Hits, or 4Music.
  

RnB/Hip Hop

• Rarely a strong storyline
• Have a good, positive, light-hearted feeling to them.
• Colours are often quite bright which usually emphasises expensive brands and jewellery
• Typically involves the artist in a narrative setting or simply performing in a setting such as a restaurant, beach, mansion or club.
• Often lots of people dancing and alcohol is usually present.
  Close ups are used to show the artist singing the words as well as emphasizing their assets/wealth
• Usually dancers present, to reflect the sound of the music.
• Lots of emphasis on women in revealing/skimpy clothes, parties, artist wealth, expensive champagnes and expensive cars.
• Shown on music channels such as The Box, or Kiss, or MTV Base.
  

Indie

• Huge variety of conventions
• Hue can be dark, bright or black and white depending on the tone of the lyrics.
• Editing is usually quite fast paced depending on the music.
  Special effects are often used.
• Variety of close-ups
• Can be either performance based or narrative
• Often a mixture of narrative and performance and sometimes the whole band performs and other times just the main vocalist sings.
• Sometimes the artists do not even feature in the music video.
• The narrative videos are usually arty, and symbolic, with no defined story line in correlation with the lyrics.
• Mise-en-scène of the artist is usually very casual.
• Shown on music channels such as Q, or 4music, or VH1.