BLOG TASK 1

Task 1

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

Choose six stills from your video, two panels from your digipak cover and one of your promotional posters (you probably only have one of these anyway!)

For each image, explain how it illustrates your choices in using or challenging the existing forms and conventions of music marketing. You should illustrate each discussion with images from existing music products

- visually stylish – “artistic” mise-en-scene

- “rhythmic” montage, fragmented style

- Inter-cutting

- Experimental use of camera/editing

- Fast pace

- Conspicuous lighting and cinematography

- Often break the rules of continuity editing

- Direct address by performers

- Significant shots of band playing instruments/singing

- Significant shots of band’s attractiveness

- Significant shots of bands key USPs

- Back lighting

- Significant shots of promo’s key concept

This Screen Grab shows an example of direct address by the lead singer Jack Thomson. Our Media product uses the effect of plaisir because the lead singer looks straight into the camera while singing. However we also use juissance because there were a lot of shots before that in which he was focused on playing his guitar. Furthermore in this still you can also see that the drummer still isn’t looking at the camera. This works effectively, because it emphasises the fact that only Jack is looking at the audience and draws focus onto him as he is the lead. All the focus is therefore on the lead singer which underlines his Star Image and makes him appear to be the superstar. Also it shows how the band is natural and not created because the band is too busy playing their instruments so they don’t even have time to look at the camera.

This Screengrab shows how our band is visually stylish and we used an artistic mise-en-scene. We painted our set completely white and on the right you can see the edge of a sixties camera that we build for the video to emphasise the fact its supposed to be in the sixties. Also we used after-effects to make it black and white which underlines the sixties effect as well. The band is dressed in 60’s outfits and they are playing 60’s instruments using a 60’s microphone. Through this we meet the audience’s expectations because they can clearly and directly see the world we are trying to create.

The mise-en-scene shows how our band is stylish and neat. Also the microphone is shining and there is nothing messy about the mise-en-scene which shows what kind of a band they are.

This shot shows emphasises the star image of Jack Thomson and his band because they are already popular enough to be on a famous TV channel, have girls cheering for them and Hugo presenting them. Also it leads the audience because Hugo is sort of leading them into this world that they are in.

This shot shows how we used conventions of real media, because as our band is all male and we want to attract a male audience as well as a female audience, we used this shot to show how attractive girls love the band. This is also effective, because they are looking at him, but Jack isn’t looking straight back at them, again reinforcing his famousness and professionality. Furthermore it shows them as a real band, because they continue playing their music perfectly even though girls are messing with them. Furthermore it gives an element of realness to them because people might watch the video and go “oh they are so friendly, if I were to do that at their next concert they would probably just continue playing as well”. This makes it all look more real.

These screen grabs show how we used fast pace editing in our music video to create a sense of chaos and fun. We jump cut from shots taken with hand-held camera to create the essence that a lot of things are happening really fast. We break the rule of continuity editing and have a more fragmented montage sequence which makes it fun, chaotic and exiting to watch.

This shows not only our key concept as this is a stereotypical shot of a 60’s band on television playing, but also it shows our band playing their instruments. The key concept changes audiences expectations and challenges them because we change from 60’s into the modern world through the use of Ruby, however this shot also shows that our band is able to play their music.

This shot shows our band’s attractiveness because the lead singer is pretty attractive to a female fans or maybe even the gay fans. Also it shows how the band is actually in the real world.

All in all we made use of specific key conventions of media products which we were convinced would work perfectly. Now we need to find out through the use of feedback whether our media product is as accessible and clear as we think it is or thought it would be.