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

2. When creating my music video I looked at my research
to help guide me in what I wanted to achieve from my
own music video. I did this by doing research looking
into other music videos out there. What I noticed from
my music video research was that music videos fall
into a concept based video, a performance based video
or a narrative based video. For my chosen genre
(Melodic hardcore) I found out that a lot of the music
video in this scene tend to be performance based rather
than concept or narrative videos. For my music video I
have decided to challenge the conventions for my
chosen music genre.
Music video

3. For my music video I have chosen to do a
narrative based music video. I have chosen to do
this because I think the theme of this song to me
has a story like feel to it as it has references of the
past, present and future. I have also chosen to do
a narrative music video as it lets the audience
focus on the themes of the song rather than
what’s happening in the video but also it
complements each other as you understand the
meaning of the song. There are themes of love in
this song so I have tried to show this in the
visuals.

4. This is a typical music video for a melodic hardcore video they feature the band
playing a live show in front of a crowd at one of their tightly compacted venues
where there are activities such as crowd surfing, moshing and mic grabs from
the band to the audience. This image is from the melodic hardcore band, More
Than Life.
Typical videos from the melodic hardcore
genre of music

5. Conventions I have used
in my music video

6. In my music video I was strongly drawn to use black
and white for my music video. I chose to do black and
white as I think it has connotations of the past as it’s
used to show events from a long time ago. I think this
was important for my music video as the song I have
chosen has references to the past. For this black and
white I was strongly influenced by Green Day’s Macy
Day Parade video.

7. In my music video I got inspiration from Green Day’s Macy Day video. This shot
features my model seen in a mid shot which then zooms out slowly so we see this
upper torso. The setting for this image was chosen is in an outside location. I
think that because the lighting is outside that the natural lighting highlights parts
of his face. The costume chosen also has a casual feel about it but also because of
the clothing worn is fashionable it makes us think that this is the clothing which
people who listen to this genre of music will look like. Also, the model chosen is
in the age brackets of my audiences so it makes it relatable. There is direct eye
contact between the model and the camera as he looks directly into the camera as
if he is looking at us.

8. For the shots for the video I have looked at My Chemical Romances video
for ‘I Don’t Love You’ as I liked the different shot choices which they have
chosen for the video which compliment the lyrics well. Also, I think out
of all the music videos I did look at for inspiration for my own music
video this one is probably the most similar one as a lot of the setting and
the shots are alike. The image below I think looks a lot like the still shot I
have chosen in my music video as the black and white colour, shot type
and the height of the camera is the same.

9. In this scene of my music video we see the artist looking into the camera from an
angle which gives us a higher authority as we look down on him making him
look defenceless and helpless which is what comes across from the song. This
defenceless and helplessness is also shown in the music video which I was
inspired by My Chemical Romance as he looks up to the camera which
highlights his sad emotions which indicate the meaning of the song which I think
this shot shows. The setting for this shot was set outside but also the background
is very similar to the My Chemical Romance one as you can see the darker
colours in the bark which is also shown in my video, this is because of the black
and white colour.

10. For the next shot I did I looked at My Chemical Romances
video for ‘I Don’t Love You’. What I liked about this shoot
was the falling of leaves as I think it’s a symbol of death or
dying in the case for the shot this song was from was the
dying love between two people. When creating my music
video I didn’t want to show dying so I picked leaves still
on the trees with the sun glistening off them as it has
connotations of spring and rebirth.

11. When looking at the themes of my song there were references to the past and
future but also the structure of the song works in a story sort of way as it has a
beginning and an end. I have tried representing this by using leaves to show this. I
think because the season I filmed my music video which was autumn the
changing leaves colour has journey connotations as they die but come back again
the following year. Also, the nature in the video compliments the song as it makes
it a lot more calming and relaxing.

12. The next shot I liked in My Chemical Romances music video
was the touching of hands. I liked the touching of hands and
wanted it in my music video as I think that hands act as
binding each other and has connotations of closeness and
relationship. I didn’t want to have the distance in my music
video as I think it makes it look like they are growing apart
from each other but instead I wanted the hands which look
like the male put his hand on top of the girls by accident
which is typical from movies.

13. I have chosen to have hand holding in my music video as I was inspired by the
music video for My Chemical Romance as I think that there is references in the
song I have chosen about taking their time and I think that the way I have
shown this is by making my models do an action which is how the guy makes
the first move. The angle of the shot I have chosen was a low angle shot. I chose
to do this so that the camera focuses on the action of the two models than
anything in the background. I think this shot makes it a significant scene in my
music video.

14. For the next shoot I got inspiration from the music video by
Lana Del Ray – Blue Jeans. What I liked about this water
shot was the ripples of the water which was emphasised by
the black and white colouring as it also showed on the light
reflecting of the water but it also has connotations of
calming.

15. As my video has references to journey I wanted to show this by using water to
show this as water has a journey as it moves from town to town. I think that this
was quite effective as it brought the nature but also as my music video was
filmed by the riverside it made my music have the references of journey
throughout it. What I like about this shot is that the black and white colouring of
the music video highlights the sun hitting the water. This shot was inspired by
Lana Del Ray’s – Blue Jeans music video.

16. For the next shot I looked at I again got inspiration from Lana Del Rey’s Blue
Jeans video. Even though Lana Del Ray doesn’t fit into my chosen genre of music
I liked the way the video was filmed by the use of different angles and scenery. I
chose to do a similar scenery to this video as it made the video look unreal and
natural. Obviously I couldn’t do a palm tree setting but it wouldn’t have matched
the themes of my song anyway so I think choosing trees from a forest looked
more effective as it was in locations which would surround the areas where I
filmed my music video. I also liked the silhouette effect which the light gives the
trees and I wanted that in my music video.

17. This shot from my music video starts by having the camera unfocused then
focusing on the sun. What I think was effective about this shot was that the
suns rays as it came into focus it all became one making the sun. This coming
of different sun rays could be a symbol for two people becoming one. Also, I
think that it shows off the nature side of my music video which is quite
calming just like the song.

18. For my next shot in my music video I got inspiration from
My Chemical Romances video. I haven’t used their camera
shot or but the lighting used in this video I thought looked
really effective and I wanted to have that in my own music
video. Also, the setting used in their video I liked as it looked
more professional and more clean and crisp in comparison
to the more outside locations. The black and white also
emphasises the light hitting off the models but also their
clothing.

19. This shot was set in a studio setting. I chose to do a studio setting as my feedback
suggested that this is what I could have done to make my music video better by
breaking down the amount of outside locations with more professional like
settings. I think that this shot shows off the music video conventions of my chosen
genre (melodic hardcore) as a common thing which was apart in the music video
from melodic hardcore was the showing of instruments but also the videos from
melodic hardcore was a performance. The lighting used in this shot was studio
lighting which I have experience using as I am currently studying photography A
level.

20. In Andrew Goodwins Theory he says that music videos
demonstrate the genre characteristics. In my music video I think I
have shown the genre of my song by using models which would
listen to this music but they would also represent the audience
allowing them to relate to my main model as he looks and is the
same age as the people who would listen to this music. I have
challenged the conventions by not having my artist doing a stage
performance as I didn’t think it would fit the theme of my song.
He also says that the visuals represents the song. I think I have
shown this for example when the song goes ‚let’s go walking on
the boardwalk‛ I have shown this by my model walking along the
board walk.
ANDREW GOODWINS

21. Digipak

22. This is the digipak for my artist. I have taken inspiration from another band which is
also from the same record company as my own artist. What I think is similar about my
digipak in comparison to this real media product is the edgy font which a lot of the
bands in the chosen recording company (Bridge Nine Records) use. The reason why I
looked at this digipak for inspiration for my own was that it shows off the genre of the
artist because of the slow shutter speed used on the real media product which has
connotations of speed and anger. In my digipak I wanted to show off my genre for my
digipak by showing the instruments for my digipak as it shows what instruments are
played in this album. Because I picked an acoustic guitar it doesn’t match my chosen
genre which tends to have electric guitars which challenges the conventions of real
media products but my font makes the audience think that the band has an edgy feel to
it which is also emphasized by the black and white colouring as it’s quite dark which the
genre for my chosen genre has connotations for.

23. This is the back of my digipak which was inspired by Florence and The Machines back cover/ Even though
Florence and The Machine isn’t in the same genre of music as my chosen genre the album is black and white but
also is quite dark with the image of the lungs. What I liked about this image was the black and white emphasized
the lungs but also the writing. This was something which I wanted to include in my own digipak. I also liked the
layout for this digipak as the writing was beneath the image drawing attention to the image but also the way the
songs of the album were in like a paragraph I really liked. For my own digipak I used a similar layout to Florence
and The Machine as I liked that it drew attention to the image. I have also made my digipak conventional by
using the barcode which is seen on all digipaks. I placed mine on the top right hand corner as I wanted to include
my record company's logo. Adding the recording company was something which was conventional to real media
products but especially to my chosen recording company who have their logo on the back of their own digipaks.
The image chosen for my digipak isn’t conventional because the melodic hardcore genre tends to be about gigs
and the more energetic angry side of the genre but I felt that my song didn’t fit in with that energetic side of the
genre so I wanted to have images of love and couples which wasn’t conventional but it worked for my song.

24. Advert

25. For my advert I chose to a double page spread for my advert. I also included a image of my
digipak so my audience know what to look for after seeing my advert in a magazine. I
chose to do a double page spread as I think it allowed me to have a lot more room to space
all my writing and images. When creating my advert I did chose to use the same photo for
my digipak as well as my advert because I looked at the You Me At Six advert which has
used their image for their advert. I think this was effective as if someone saw the advert
they would know what they were looking for as they have seen the front cover of the
digipak. What I took from the You Me At Six advert was the ‘New Album Out 12 th June
CD/Downlaod’ I chose to copy this as it was adverting the digital copy of the song as well as
the hard album copy which you could buy in stores but also it was a way of showing the
date it was out without it looking out of place. From the Ellie Goulding advert I took the
star rating as I think that having a big company reviewing a album giving it 5 stars would
make people want to buy my album as it has good reviews. I have also put the same writing
which was on the back of my album digipak as it promotes the cd, band and merch.