This document provides an analysis of three key still shots from a music video. It examines how each shot uses and develops conventions of music videos. For the first shot of a hand on a window, it analyzes the use of black and white, camera angles, and props to convey emotions. It determines the shot mostly meets conventions but could be improved. The second close-up shot of the artist's eyes is found to successfully challenge conventions but has a reflection that undermines its professionalism. The third high-angle shot is analyzed for its use of lighting, focus, and juxtaposition to make the artist seem significant despite the unconventional angle. While developing conventions, it is found to mostly conform by using bright lighting.

1. In what ways does your media
product use, develop or
challenge forms and conventions
of real media products?
Analysis of Nine Key Still shots from
the Music Video

2. Key shot #1
Lauren’s hand running down the
window

4. Analysis of the Still Image
• The still image shows a hand (in the actual video
this is a tracking shot of the hand running down
the window). The hand running down the
window gives the connotation of hope or
searching for hope giving the overall impression
that things are not well for the character.
• The bright light from outside represents the
source of hope. This makes the audience feel
sorry for her as she is trapped behind the window
trying to find a way to get to the hope and access
the hope. This gives the impression she isn’t
going to be able to get what she wants or access
what she wants.

5. Analysis Continued
• The wrist bands on her arm help create the connotation
she’s strong willed and a fighter, suggesting that she is
going to fight for what she wants and fight to achieve the
hope and ideas she is searching for.
• The shot being slightly slanted to the right helps to show
the hand running down the window as it more effectively
shows the hand touching the window than if it was a
straight on shot due to the perspective angle.
• The face and the rest of Lauren is purposely omitted from
the shot. This is because any other facial expression or
body language could subtract from the image of
“searching for hope” that I wanted to create. Having it just
as the hopeful hand keeps this idea of hope strong and
there is no risk of external elements subtracting from this.

6. Analysis and Conventions
• Black and white is used to create depressing
emotions for the audience and to make
everything in the video appear slower and more
nostalgic. This is the mood of the song and I am
using these video effect filters to help meet the
depressing and sad mood. This is conventional of
music videos to use video effects and filters to
achieve the feel they want. A similar effect was
used in Maddonna’s music video that I
researched into. This means that this code and
convention is being met because it is also being
done in a professional music video.
• I feel that I have used this convention well as it My Shot
does create the emotions I was aiming for and
therefore meets the criteria of this particular
convention. The use of it can be improved
though. Less contrast would work better as it
would create more shades of grey. Grey is a more
depressing colour than black and white, therefore
the video would be more depressing matching
the song and the convention aim better. Apart Shot from Madonna’s video
from that it’s met and I think this convention is
being applied in a good way.

7. Conventions formed in the shot
• Music videos tend to mostly include
close-up, medium shots and long shots.
This shot in particular is a long shot of
the hand, being used to create the
image of hope in the mind of the
audience. Shots in professional music
videos are used to create emotions, and
this is what my shot is doing. My Shot
• In this case I think I am meeting this
convention well, as the bright light, the
tracking and the window separating her
from the light create hopeful emotions
for the character and this was the
emotion I was trying to create with the
long shot. It could be improved by the
light being brighter to create a bigger
and larger sense of hope, but I still feel A long shot from Infernal’s
that I have met this convention well and ‘From Paris to Berlin’ to
made a nice shot because of this. create an adrenaline
emotion.

8. Conventions Continued
• Music videos use props to add significance and
emotions to certain people or objects. This was done
with the pearl necklace in ‘Oh Father’, Madonna’s music
video that I researched. In that case it was used to show
the young girls connection and sorrow for her mother,
and her trying to get closer to her mother who recently
died. She wants to be with her mum.
• My shot here uses the prop of wrist bands on the
wrist. These create strong, tough connotations. These
were connotations I wanted the character to have. This My Shot
suggests that she will fight for the hope she wants to try
and achieve what she is searching for.
• I don’t think I have used the wristbands well in this
shot. They don’t stand out very well against the
character’s arm and therefore aren’t noticed meaning
the tough connotations may not be noticed. To fix this,
pure black wristbands should have been used. These
would have stood out more therefore making the
emotion I was aiming to achieve with the props more The pearl shot from
apparent and noticeable to the audience. Madonna’s ‘Oh Father’

9. Intertextual References of the still shot
My shot (centre) is linked to the above two shots. The idea of the
hand came from the photo I found on iStockphoto whilst the black
and white is based on the music video ‘Oh Father’ by Madonna.
Elements I have included myself include the tracking of the hand
running down the window and the slanted the angle.
I think the intertextuality used is a strong pastiche reference to the
two sources referenced. I don’t the referencing needs improving, it
creates the emotions I was looking and hoping for therefore it’s a
good reference that works really well for what I needed it to.

10. How the Artist is represented
• This shot doesn’t create much representation of
the artist as so little of her can be seen. This does
make her appear mysterious and dark in this shot
alone. However this is good and suitable for the
song as the song is a dark song which contains
dark themes and images such as things like
death, pain and sorrow.
• The wristbands make her look tough though
creating the image of a strong independent
woman who fights for what she wants.

11. How the genre is represented
• The genre of the song is Rhythm ‘n’ blues (R’n’B). The
rhythm part comes from the rap section in the middle
whilst the rest of the song appears to be a modern sort
of blues. Because of this I focussed this shot on the
blues element.
• The Blues are usually considered to be depressing
songs that are designed to create the emotion of
sadness in the audience’s mind. Because of this lots of
depressing ideas are contained in the still shot. The use
of black and white creates depression, while the bright
light outside the window trapping her from the hope
also helps to connote sadness. All of this suggests the
ideas of blues to the audience as it is making them feel
these sad, upset emotions that the still creates.

12. Successfulness of the shot (Summary)
• I think it is a fairly successful shot. It meets most of the
codes and conventions contained fairly well with them
being used in an effective way to create the ideas of
being trapped from hope fairly well.
• There is room for improvement though. The wristband
connotations aren’t strong enough and could be more
noticeable if they were black, whilst the black and
white could be improved with less contrast as grey and
shades of grey are more depressing colours. If it
weren’t for these two minor things, I think the shot
would be extremely good and one of the best in the
entire music video.
• This shot doesn’t challenge conventions, and follows all
of the ones mentioned fairly well for the reasons stated
above.

13. Key Shot #2
The Eyes Close Up

15. Analysis of the still Image
• This still shot is a big close up of Lauren’s eyes. The eyes
are looking deep into the camera with the audience
staring back into the eyes. She is slightly facing away
from the camera which creates the connotation that she
doesn’t want to look fully into the camera. This could
represent that she is depressed or upset about
something and doesn’t want to face it, or that she is too
afraid to ask for help from what’s behind the camera as
she may not like the response she is given.
• In the exact same way as the previous still slide, this slide
is in black and white and it is following that convention in
a good clear way as it is meeting the depressing elements
and emotions that my music video shots need to convey
as that is the emotion the song “Cirlces” gives.

16. Conventions of the shot
• In some ways this shot is challenging
conventions of other music videos.
Conventional music videos don’t tend to
contain big close ups like this shot is. However
this is a successful challenge I feel. The shot is
being used to convey the character’s fear and
depressive emotion therefore it is a necessary
challenge that works to help create a
depressing music video.
• Another way that this challenge is successful is
that it helps create a relationship between the
audience and the character as it’s close to the
character and she is filling up the entire shot.
Without this the relationship between the
audience and character wouldn’t be very
strong and this shot helps to build that
relationship and create sympathy for the
character from the audience.

17. Conventions of the shot
• There is however an unsuccessful
challenge in the music video. In
Lauren’s right eye, a reflection of me
can be seen filming that particular
shot. This is negative for many
reasons. One reason that this is
negative is that it instantly makes the
video look less real to the audience as
it shows that the video was artificially
created and helps to show it has a
work of fiction that isn’t real. It also
isn’t professional of music videos and
makes my music video look less If you look
professional. This would be better if it carefully you can
wasn’t there as these elements would see me filming.
no longer be a problem.

18. Intertextuality.
• Whilst not a direct pastiche or parody reference, elements of this shot were
based on the shot from Madonna’s ‘Oh Father’. The lighting of my shot is based
on the professional shot, with half of the face being lit and half of the face
being slightly shrouded. I don’t think it’s that effective in my shot as it creates
more mysterious connotations. This does not suit the song as the song is not
that mysterious and therefore doesn’t match the song. I could improve it by
using more dark lighting on one side, bright on the other so that it turned from
mysterious to dark, suiting the dark emotions of the song better.

19. How the Artist is Represented
• This shot gives a different representation of the artist to the previous still
image.
• This one creates the representation that she isn’t that tough as she is looking
for help but too afraid to ask for her it. This is shown by the angle of her face.
She isn’t directly looking at the camera, but her eyes are therefore she wants
help, but can’t bring herself to ask for it. This could also give the idea that she is
independent and seldom and doesn’t want to ask for help.
• Apart from the above still not much is learnt about the artist. All that is seen is
her eyes, no hair, costume or clear make-up features are given. This should
keep the audience interested as they would watch more to learn more about
her and find out about her, as the use of the above connotations could create
sympathy for her.
• Half of her face being light with the other half being dark however creates
mysterious connotations as the lighting is mysterious and uneven. The song is
more dark than mysterious so this isn’t good for the song, and it could be
improved with a harsher more contrasted lighting change to change the
mysterious feel to a dark feel. This would suit the emotions of the song better.

20. How Genre is represented
• Like the previous shot, this shot is more aimed at
representing the blues side of the genre.
• The idea that she is too afraid to look at the camera
fully creates depression and sorrow for the audience
(common emotions of the blues). Apart from that,
nothing really signify genre in this shot. I feel this is a
strength of the shot however, because this is early in
the song (about twelve seconds), genre hasn’t been
created or shown to the audience yet so the ambiguity
of this shot allows for the rest of the video to form to a
different genre that matches the song, as this shot
could have been mistaken.

21. Summary
• Overall this shot tried to challenge conventions of
music videos. One successful challenge was the use of
a big close up, an unconventional shot of music videos
but in the case it was used (to create a relationship
between her and the audience and to show depressing
emotions it would work).
• However I feel the shot was mostly unsuccessful. I can
be seen filming in the eye reflection which isn’t a good
challenge and certainly makes the video look
unprofessional and the fact the lighting creates more
mystery than dark emotion when the song seems to
highly focus on dark emotions. It’s not a good
representation of the song. To improve this I would
remove my reflection and improve the lighting by
showing more dark emotions. I would improve the
lighting by having it more contrasted, more dark one
side and lighter the other.

22. Key shot #3
‘With Wings Let me Burn Tonight’
Close Up

24. Analysing the Shot
• This still image is a high angle shot. This puts her at a
lower status to the audience, making her appear less
significant. This is juxtaposed by the fact the shot is a
close up as close up shots are used to make
characters seem significant and important. Her lips
are in the middle of moving, showing that she is
singing or is going to sing part of the line that the
song requires.
• She is again looking off side at the camera again
suggesting she is afraid of the camera or doesn’t want
to look at the camera as she may not like the answers
she is given or find something different to what she is
looking for.

25. Further Analysis
• She is wearing a white vest-top. This stands out
against the black hair, clearly showing black and
white. This creates dark connotations for the
song therefore meeting the songs themes and
clearly showing the themes to the audience.
• A shallow depth-of-field has been used, to make
the background appear blurry. This again
juxtaposes the high angle idea as the blurred
background puts all of the focus on her. This
makes her seem important to the shot and shows
her to be significant in the shot.

26. Conventions of the Shot
• Whilst being used in a real music video (‘Oh Father’ by
Madonna) it is not usual of music videos to contain
high angle shots. This means that I am developing
conventions of a music video.
• The convention being developed is camera angles.
• Most professional music videos tend not to use high
angle shots. This is because they make the singer, artist My shot, showing
or character in the shot seem less significant or less a high angle
important and less powerful. Music videos tend to
want to show their artist as the opposite of this.
However I have used a high angle shot, and whilst it
makes the singer appear all of those things, other
elements have been included to make her appear
more significant and important. The use of close-up
shot has made her appear more significant as she is
A shot from Michael
dominating the screen, whilst the shallow depth-of- Jackson’s ‘Beat It’
field blurs out the background putting all of the focus Music Video showing a
on her. It is through these methods that the convention more conventional low
angle
has been challenged and further developed upon.

27. Further Conventions of the shot
• In another way though this shot is conforming
to conventions of music videos. Most music
videos tend to use bright lighting (Mise-en-
scene element) to make the artist more
noticeable, visible, vibrant and happy. Whilst I
am following the convention of using a bright
light it is being used for a different reason.
• The reason I am using a bright light is because My shot
the light is there to represent hope, the
barrier is no longer there and the hope from
the first shot is finally overpowering her. This
links into the chorus (through a flash effect) to
a bright white place to represent heaven. The
light is her transition into heaven.
• However, I am still using a bright white light so
the convention is being followed. It could be
improved if the light was getting progressively A shot from Busta
Rhymes ‘I love My
brighter to show the full transition into Chick’ music video
heaven.

28. Intertextuality
• No purposeful intertextuality was considered
for this shot. This shot was designated (since it
was thought of during the problem stages) to
be the transition into heaven through a bright
white light, it’s what I wanted to show. It
wasn’t based on anything I had seen or
heard, it’s just what I wanted to symbolise to
the audience. It may be intertextual to other
elements, but this is not intentional.

29. How the Artist is Represented
• There is a contradicting representation of the artist in
the shot. The high angle makes her appear weak and
less significant, whilst the close up and shallow depth-
of-field make her appear mores significant and
important.
• The look I tried to convey was weakness (and the high
angle showed this). It has been successful because she
is made to appear significant at the same time, which
she is, she appears most in the video. This could be
improved if the shot was slightly higher with an even
shallower depth-of-field used to make both
connotations more apparent and symbolised stronger
to the audience.

30. How the Genre is represented
• Again it’s just the blues element represented during
this shot. This is done through the use of high angle
making her appear weak to the audience. This creates
sympathy from the audience (one of the emotions of
blues music). The fact she is looking away from the
camera leads to the same depressing emotions
meaning the genre of blues is well represented in this
shot.
• It could be improved if the background was blurred
out more through a shallower depth-of-field. This
would have made her appear more alone making the
audience more depressed for her and sorry for her.

31. Summary
• Overall I think the shot is fairly effective at
creating the negative depressing emotions the
song gives off. The high angle makes her appear
weak and depressed, whilst the close up and
shallow depth-of-field still makes her appear
significant. It forms to conventions, and develops
the camera angle convention in a successful way.
• To improve the shot a progressive-brightening
light should be used to strengthen the idea of
heaven with a shallower depth-of-field used to
put more significance on her and to make her
appear more alone.

32. Key Shot #4
The Close up of the Teddy during ‘But
to me you were Perfect’

34. Analysing the Shot
• The shot shows a close up of a dead decayed teddy, with it’s
insides hanging out from the head. This creates a depressing
and sad emotion in the audience’s mind because they are
seeing someone’s childhood toy lying there, all broken and
decayed suggesting that a young child’s happy memories have
been ruined and tormented. The use of the close up allows
the audience to focus in on this and gather some strong
thoughts and ideas about the above connotations. It creates
sympathy for the teddy’s owner, all of which are dark
emotions representing the depressing mood of the song. The
high angle element to the shot also makes the teddy seem
less powerful (in a status way) creating more sympathy and
sorrow.
• The eyes aren’t visible against the black again creating further
sympathy as it appears to not have full eye sight.

35. Conventions of the shot
• Like the previous still image, this shot is further continuing
the development of the high angle idea. It is unconventional
of music videos to use high angle shots as most music
videos tend to want the singers appear like strong powerful
figures to the audience. These emotions do not fit in with
the song I am trying to represent to the audience. I am
trying to represent negative emotions to the audience. A
high angle shot conveys those emotions. Some professional My high angle shot
music videos use high angle (such as ‘Fear’ by Stopped
Making Friends), but it isn’t common.
• I think it is used successfully in this shot as well. It shows the
lack of power the teddy has by having the audience look
down on it, creating sympathy for that and the owner of the
teddy. It also helps to show the decay of the teddy as the A shot from Michael
decay appears larger and more all over the teddy than a Jackson’s ‘Beat It’
Music Video showing a
shot with a direct angle would have as it wouldn’t have had more conventional low
the added perspective. angle

36. Further Convention
• This shot also conforms to certain music video
conventions. This shot is a shot of a prop. Music
videos use props to convey emotions and feelings
or to signify certain things.
• In this case it is being used to signify the
depressing emotions of the song by showing it to
be broken, weak and decayed creating the
negative and sad feelings in the audience’s mind.
This is conforming to the convention because it is
being used to represent emotions. It creates
these emotions because a teddy has the My shot
connotation of being a precious childhood toy.
Here it is shown ripped and broken, suggesting
those childhood memories have been tormented
and ruined creating sorrow for the owner and the
teddy. It also creates the idea of abuse, again
creating sympathy for the teddy making them
feel depressed which is the emotion the song
aims for.
Pearls from Madonna's ‘Oh
• I think it is being used very effectively, with little Father’ to show her grief for
that could add to the negative emotions to her mother’s death
improve the overall feel.

37. Intertextuality
• This shot is based on the cartoon on the right which I found
on deviantart. When I first looked at it, it made me feel
depressed, sorrow and all the negative emotions I wanted
the audience to feel. Through this I came up with the idea
of using a decayed teddy in my music video to create the
same emotions to the song, and I think it has worked. It
could perhaps be improved by darkening the inside fur, or
spreading it about more or using to make it look so heavy
as it can be distracting from the actual head of the teddy
which is where I wanted the focus to be.

38. How Artist is Represented
• There isn’t much representation of the artist in
this shot. It doesn’t show her, or reveal much
about her to the audience. It gives the idea that
she has abused a teddy bear making her appear
angry and violent, this is not the connotation that
the song should suggest. This is however not a
problem as this shot is very ambiguous to it’s
artist meaning and this is cleared up in the next
shot with her in as it shows her hugging and
caressing the teddy showing it’s her precious
item and that someone else has abused it. This
suggests she is weak and defenceless which are
certain feelings the song does suggest.

39. How Genre is Represented
• Again this shot mainly represents the “Blues”
element of the R’n’B genre. It shows a
depressing sad teddy, which has been beaten
and abused creating sympathy from the
audience and creating negative emotions for
them. These are all feelings the genre of song
has, and therefore it clearly represents the
negative feelings and thoughts to the
audience.

40. Summary
• Overall I feel that this is another successful shot in the
music video, clearly showing the sad part of the multi-
genre song to the audience through the use of a
beaten teddy, tarnishing a childhood memory
(generating sorrow) through a high angle (creating
further sympathy) thus resulting in the conclusion of
the audience being sad. Conventions are being
developed (high angle) and followed (use of emotional
prop) with both of these elements being done
successfully.
• One minor thing that would make the shot perfect
would to make the fur less noticeable, by using less or
spreading it out more. This would allow more focus on
the teddy and therefore put more focus on the
negative emotions.

41. Key shot #5
Walking shot

43. Analysis of the Shot
• The shot shows her looking away from the camera into the
distance whilst walking, suggesting she is lost and looking
for something. This creates hope in the audience’s mind
that she hopes what she is looking for.
• A shallow depth-of-field has been used to put more focus
onto her as she carries on walking towards the camera
through a tracking shot. This makes the audience focus in
on her and pay more attention to her, creating a stronger
relationship with that particular character.
• A hand held camera was also used to film this shot to
create a higher sense of momentum and action through the
use of camera shake and tracking her walking. This
represents the song as it makes the video appear more fast
paced to accommodate the change in pace with the music.

44. Conventions of the shot
• In one way this shot is challenging music
video conventions. Music videos tend to
use more stable still shots, filmed on a
tripod. I am challenging this by using a
hand held camera.
• I have used the hand held camera to
create a greater sense of momentum,
movement and pace within the shot to My shot
accommodate an increased pace in the
music of the song I am trying to
represent.
• I think this has been a successful
challenge of conventions. In the video it
has appeared to increase the pace to
suit the video and made it seem like it A steady shot from
Alicia Keys ‘Another
has more energy in the video. Way to Die’.

45. Further Convention
• Another way I am challenging in
conventions is through the location of
the shot.
• Most R’n’B music videos don’t tend to
be set on a normal street, but this was a
conscious decision for the music video.
• It shows her in a normal place, allowing
the audience to instantly relate to her
(Uses and Gratifications Theory) and My shot
this is building a relationship between
the audience and the character because
there is this similarity between them.
For this reason I feel it is a successful
challenge, as it makes the audience care
for her more. This means they would
feel more sympathy, sorrow and
depression when her more negative-
emotion shots started appearing as An expensive looking location, more
convention of R’n’B music videos from
they would care for her more. Busta Rhymes ‘I love my Chick’.

46. Intertextuality
• Since this shot was to represent pace, I based it on
some of the walking shots the TV show ‘Battlestar
Galactica’ where the director of it used a hand held
camera and tracked the characters walking to give a
sense of momentum and pace. I have used the idea
and received a similar shot here by using the same shot
type and technique. I feel it has been successful as it
had created motion, it has created and made a more
fast sense within the music video.

47. How Artist is Represented
• The artist is represented to be a down-to-earth normal
woman in this shot. This is done through the use of Mise-
En-Scene. She is in a location that most of the audience
will be able to relate to, wearing a costume that again
will be relatable. This was a conscious decision to build
up a relationship between her and the audience, so that
the audience cares more about the character as they
would like the character more because of these
similarities between them. There hasn’t been anything
that has made them feel sorry for this other character
yet, which means a relationship between them would
increase the impact of the negativity from later shots.
That is why I think this is a successful challenge of
conventions.

48. How Genre is represented
• In this shot the ‘Rhythm’ of the R’n’B is represented. This is
done through increased pace and momentum (the use of a
hand held camera creates this sense) making it appear
more exciting and active compared to the rest of the music
video.
• The representation of genre could be improved however,
more standard Rhythm elements could be included to
make this more strong to the audience, without taking
away from the solitude and contempt of the character as
that would remove elements from the songs meaning or
not represent them in a fair way. Perhaps faster movement
or subtle rap poses could meet this improvement and
overall improve the representation of genre to the
audience.

49. Summary
• Overall this shot was successful in meeting it’s
aims. It did create more momentum, motion and
pace within the video, whilst using realistic and
relatable-to-the-audience features to build up a
relationship between her and the character. Both
of these were challenging conventions and both of
these were successful conventions.
• This shot could still be improved however with the
representation of genre to the audience. Subtle rap
poses and movements would make the genre more
clear and illustrate it in a more effective method
because there isn’t that much in the shot that
suggests genre apart from movement, which isn’t
something that is just linked to rhythm.

50. Key shot #6
The Pull Focus Shot

52. Analysis of Shot
• An extremely shallow depth-of-field has been
implemented in this shot. This has been used to place
all of the focus on her hand to symbolise the lyrical
value of “So hold my hand”, as it allows the audience to
really concentrate on the hand which is being held out
to them. It’s breaking the fourth wall to the audience
as it’s directly aimed at them. This makes them feel
more involved with the video and they would therefore
care more about the depressing emotions the song
tries to convey. The hand is the only element in focus
and therefore this has all of the audience’s attention.

53. Conventions
• This shot is conforming and challenging to
conventions. Music videos commonly use shallow
depth-of-field to put emphasis, significance and
attention onto the artist of the song. My music video
is using a shallow-depth-of-focus in this shot.
• However, it is being used in a different method and is
therefore developing conventions of a music video.
The shallow depth-of-field here is being used to draw My shot
attention into the hand to create a relationship with
the lyrics that show the lyrics “So hold my hand”. It is
used to help break the fourth wall to create a
stronger relationship with the audience.
• I think this is a successful development because it
makes the audience care more, and because they can
only see the hand it would make them want to hold
the hand and help the character with what she
needs.
• It could be improved if an even more shallow-depth-
of-field was used to put even more emphasis and
attention and focus on the hand to make it stand out Shallow depth-of-field
more and therefore present more significance of it to from Madonna's ‘Oh
Father’ music video.
the audience.

54. Further Conventions
• Another way this shot conforms to
conventions is through the use of camera
angles.
• Music videos commonly contain close-up
shots in the music video to make
elements, artist or ideas seem more
important and to give them more
significance. My shot
• I am using a close up of her hand to put
significance and importance onto her
hand. This is a successful conform to
conventions because it is putting
significance, status and importance on
the hand and therefore it is a successful
challenge. It could be improved with an A close up from Stop
even shallower depth-of-field to increase Making Friends ‘Fear’
the importance and significance of the music video
hand.

55. Intertextuality
• No purposeful intertextuality was considered
for this shot. This shot was designated to be a
shot that reflected the lyrics “So hold my
hand”. It wasn’t based on anything I had seen
or heard, it’s just what I wanted to symbolise
to the audience. It may be intertextual to
other elements, but this is not intentional.

56. How the Artist is Represented
• There isn’t much representation of artist in
this shot. It shows her asking for help from the
audience, by asking them to hold her hand to
give her support as she is holding it out to
them. This makes the audience feel sorry for
her because she needs help, and this makes
them want to take her hand and give her the
support she needs to try and overcome
whatever it s she is going through.

57. How the Genre is represented
• Genre isn’t really represented in this shot.
There is nothing that suggests rhythm or
blues. This does however, make the hand-
holding element more effective as it isn’t
watered down with other connotations or
representations so therefore the audience will
concentrate on the hand-holding support
element making it more effective to the user.

58. Summary
• This shots aim was to represent the lyrics “So hold my
hand”. This has been done successfully through the use of a
close-up shallow depth-of-field on the hand placing
significance and status on the hand.
• This shot is also successfully developing conventions by
using standard conventions to convey different meanings. A
shallow depth-of-field is used to make the audience sorry
for the character. It is conforming to conventions in one
way because it’s using a close-up to give significance to
something.
• The shot can be improved by using an even shallower
depth-of-field to place even more significance on the hand
increasing the sympathy the audience has.

59. Key Shot #7
Clenching the teddy

61. Analysis of the shot
• This shot shows her, in what is supposed to be
heaven (that has been made to look more grey
as grey is a more depressing colour than white
clenching the abused beaten teddy from an
earlier shot. It is a medium shot to show her,
her reaction and facial expression as well as
her clenching the teddy. The lighting is bright
to show the purity and brightness of heaven
and to try and give a stronger representation of
heaven to the audience.

62. Conventions of the Shot
• One way this shot is conforming to
conventions of music videos is the
lighting. It is conventional of music
videos to use bright lighting in their
shots, this could be to add pace, make it
more vibrant, happy or to signify
certain elements. My shot
• In this shot it is being used to try and
make it look like heaven as the
stereotypical idea of heaven is a bright
place with bright lighting. I don’t think it
has been very successful here because
the shades of grey and pale lighting
don’t create a clear image of heaven or
doesn’t suggest it to be heaven. This
could be improved with white lighting
and more white colours throughout the
shot as this would have looked more Bright lighting from Busta
like heaven. Rhymes ‘I love my chick’ music
video

63. Further Conventions
• Location of the shot is also conforming
to conventions of professional music
videos. Professional music videos use
locations that signify meaning, have
nice compositions or relate to the artist
or song themes.
• I am conforming to this convention My shot
through using a location to represent
heaven. I tried to use a plain white area
to represent and show heaven.
However, as the previous slides states
this hasn’t been successful because of
it being to grey and the lighting being
to pale as these suggest elements that
A location used to show a difficult
aren’t heavenly or aren’t expected of marriage (marriage counselling) from
heaven. Busta Rhymes ‘I love my chick’ music
video.

64. Intertextuality
• The idea of clenching a teddy comes from
films I saw when I was a child where the
protagonist is close to a teddy bear and
constantly clenches it. This was used to create
sympathy for the child. I have used it in the
same way, to create sympathy for the artist
from the audience.

65. How Artist is Represented
• The artist is represented to be upset, hurt and beaten
herself. This is shown by her clenching something that has
beaten, dead and falling apart. It suggests her past is
important to her (as a teddy would presumably be
something from her childhood) and that she doesn’t want
to let go, suggesting she was once happy. This only helps to
make the audience more depressed, more sympathetic
towards her.
• The bracelets from earlier shots are also hidden in this
shot, suggesting she doesn’t want to be tough and strong,
she doesn’t want to fight it all by herself and that she wants
the help she couldn’t ask for in earlier shots. For these
reasons I think this shot is successful at representing the
artist as it reflects the negative emotions of the song to the
audience and makes them feel the emotions the song has.

66. How Genre is represented
• Like earlier shots, this shot is again
representing the blues element of the multi-
genre song.
• It is doing this in the same method as the
artist is represented because this creates the
negativity and sadness of the blues for the
audience therefore reflecting the genre to
them.

67. Summary
• When it comes to conventions of the shot, the shot is
mostly conforming to conventions and ideas of real
music videos. These aren’t successful because they
don’t create an accurate image of heaven or a clear
representation of heaven to the audience. This would
be improved with brighter lighting and more white
tones in the shot, then it would look more like heaven
and be a better representation of heaven as I do not
think that is clear to the audience.
• However, genre and artist representations are clear in
this shot as the fact she is clenching the teddy makes
the audience feel sorry for her and they feel depressed
looking at a dead beaten teddy therefore signifying
sorrow to the artist and the blues element of the
genre.

68. Key shot #8
The Teddy’s severed head on the
floor.

70. Analysis of the Shot
• In the video this is a tracking shot of the head falling off of
the teddy and hitting the floor. This still image is of the
teddy hitting the floor. This represents decay, age and
abuse as it shows the teddy being decapitated. This
successfully represents the song because the song is about
death and abuse and this is clearly signified to the
audience.
• It is a long shot of the teddy to show how it’s been
dethatched from the body further suggesting the abusive
element and improving the reflection of the song to the
audience.
• More shades of grey are also apparent in this shot. This
keeps the depressing connotations going throughout the
video.
• The lighting is also quite dull and pale which again adds to
the depressing connotation.

71. Conventions of the shot
• One way this is conforming to conventions
of a music video is through the use of a prop
to create an emotional response (such as
the pearls are used in Madonna’s ‘Oh
Father’).
• It is being used here to convey abuse, anger
and death as the teddy bear has just “died”
in a way as it’s head has fallen off. This
My shot
creates distressing emotions as the audience
would feel sorry for the teddy, and the artist
who has just lost her childhood toy.
• It is a successful challenge as it creates
emotions that the song has and conveys. It
puts the ideas of death, harm and abuse in
the audience’s mind further emphasising the
distressing elements of both the song and
that of the shot. It could be improved if The pearls from
there was more momentum with the head Madonna's ‘Oh Father’
falling off music video.

72. Further Convention
• Another way in which this shot
conforms to conventions of music
videos is through the use of a long
shot. Music videos commonly use
long shots to show important
elements or to signify emotions. I am
using it to signify the solitude of the
head and how beaten and abused it My shot
has been.
• I think it is being used successfully
because it does show it to be solitude
(no other parts of the teddy are
shown or identified in shot) and it
does show it to be a beaten teddy
because the bits of fluff from the
teddy can be seen merging out of the
bear’s head therefore showing to A long shot from Infernal’s ‘From
have been abused and beaten. Paris to Berlin’ music video

73. Intertextuality
• The idea comes from a photo I saw on geekalerts.com which
showed a teddy bear’s head detached from the body. When
looking at this photo I felt depressed because an innocent, cute
teddy bear had been abused in what had appeared to be a malice
and cruel way. For this reason I decided to include a headless
teddy in my music video, but I also wanted to convey solitude so
for that reason my shot just shows the head.
• I think this is successful because my shot does create these ideas
in my audience’s mind and therefore makes them feel distraught
and depressed by what it is they see on screen.

74. How Artist is Represented
• Whilst there isn’t much representation of the artist,
there is some continuation from the last song. This is
that she doesn’t want to let go of her past and now her
past is falling all around her and she can’t hold on. This
creates the same idea of sorrow, negativity, distress
and sadness in the audience’s mind making them want
to help the character. It shows her to be this beacon of
depression who isn’t having any luck or anything good
happening to her.
• This is a successful representation of the artist as this is
the mood the lyrics of the song convey as the lyrics talk
about ideas of harm, abuse and death. These are all
depressing things and having her being a character
who is depressed better reflects the song than a
character who is not depressed.

75. How Genre is Represented
• Again it’s only the ‘blues’ element of the genre that is
represented with this shot. The teddy is dead, its head
is severed from the body. This makes the audience feel
sad and upset as a teddy is supposed to be something
happy that young children love and cherish. Because it
has died they would be upset and distraught because it
suggest happiness has died and that nothing good or
happy could come out from the music video. There is
nothing nice about the shot it is all sad and depressing
and therefore this is a successful representation of
genre to the audience.

76. Summary
• Overall I feel this is a successful shot. It is conforming
to conventions of an emotional shot and long shot in a
successful and emotional way as they are being used to
create distraught and negativity in the mind of the
audience. The continuing representation of artist is
also successful because of it still showing her to be
upset, weak and caressing the past. The genre
representation is also successful as it is all showing
depression and therefore suggesting the blues element
to the audience in a clear, strong way.
• It could be improved if there was more momentum of
the head actually falling from the body, but this would
only add shock value. This wouldn’t relate to the song
as it is not a shocking song.

77. Key shot #9
“It’s hard to say that everything will
be Okay” Final Close Up

79. Analysis of the Shot
• The background is more white in this shot creating a
stronger representation of heaven because it shows the
white brightness of heaven. This symbolises a holy place
and purity within the character. The fact she is in this place
also suggests that she has died which creates sympathy
from the audience as death is a tragic experience that
evokes sympathy in people for those that are lost and those
who were left behind.
• The lighting is bright and appears whiter which helps to
create stronger representations, ideas and imagery of
heaven.
• Her lips are moving which means that suggests that she is
in the middle of singing a certain line.
• It is a close up shot which makes her appear more
significant and important to the audience, making her the
key element of the shot.

80. Conventions of the shot
• One convention of this shot is the use of bright
lighting. Music videos commonly use bright lighting
to create vibrance and excitement within the shot.
• I am conforming to this convention, but for a
different reason which means there is development
of connotations. I am developing it because I am not
using it to show vibrance or excitement. I am using it
My shot
to show heaven and using bright white lighting to try
and show the happier more positive outcome of the
afterlife.
• I think this is a successful development of
conventions because the bright white lighting
connotes heaven to the audience, it suggests
heaven and the use of the white background helps
to show it as heaven. It is a much better
representation than earlier, but it could still be Bright lighting from Busta Rhymes ‘I
whiter for further improvement. love my chick’ music video.

81. Further Conventions
• Another convention being used in the shot is the
use of location. I am conforming to this location.
• Most professional music videos use locations to
represent meaning or provoke emotion in the
audience (such as the church in ‘Oh Father’ to
show the artist’s guilt). I am using a blank white
studio background to show heaven, to create the
My shot
idea of afterlife and death. This is a successful
conforming of conventions to the audience
because it clearly shows it to be heaven. It is more
successful than the previous attempt because it is
plainer, and whiter and brighter creating a better
connotation and representation of heaven to the
audience better showing it to be the afterlife to A location used to show a difficult
him. Again if it was whiter and brighter it would marriage (marriage counselling) from
Busta Rhymes ‘I love my chick’ music
look more like heaven and give them a better video.
connotation of heaven.

82. Intertextuality
• No purposeful intertextuality was considered
for this shot. This shot was designated to be a
shot that reflected the lyrics “It’s hard to say
that everything will be okay?”. It wasn’t based
on anything I had seen or heard, it’s just what
I wanted to symbolise to the audience. It may
be intertextual to other elements, but this is
not intentional.

83. How the Artist is represented
• Because the artist is in heaven there is further
sympathy created for the artist as she has died
and is no longer amongst the living. The idea and
imagery of death also creates depressing and
distraught emotions for the audience as it
represents them to be dead and no longer alive.
It also represents the artist to be a singer as she is
singing in the shot. Apart from that nothing new
is updated from the artist representation in this
shot and because it still deeply affects the
audience it is still successful.

84. How the genre is represented
• The element of “blues” in the multi-genre song is
represented again. The idea of death is a
depressing, distraught topic that commonly
appears in R’n’B songs and because she is in
heaven, she has been visualised to be dead and
no longer living, creating connotations and
themes from this genre in the video. Because this
affects and causes distraught for the audience it
is successful and effective, but can be improved
with a brighter white light and more white
colours on the video instead of the different
shades of grey.

85. Summary
• Overall I feel this was a more successful shot
in the music video. It conforms to conventions
of lighting and location, creating depressing
emotions of heaven because of it being
strongly linked to the ideas of death and the
pain there is for people when someone dies. It
could be improved with brighter lights and
more white colours but apart from that it is
still a successful shot that meets the aims it
set out to do.