3. 1. Camera
CHALLENGES the convention – the camera is a high tech tool that is almost the ‚invisible‘ tool on set
as its use is to record and show the mise-en-scéne (the content/or the action) such as the artist. We
challenge this convention by providing the feel of our artist writing on the lense of the camera and
covering the viewer‘s sight to look at him. In addition, Peter is out of focus at the same time. The
camera focuses on the writing saying ‚Foreground‘ which is the title of the song which again
challenges onventions of other music videos where the title is not particularly introduced as an
element within the video.
This could even be referred to the artist‘s image as he is a calm musician in his ‚own little world‘ shown
in the music video which is contrasting to other media products where the artist‘s aim is to show off
himself to his audience as much as possible. Also, there‘s no performance element, neither does it
contribute to a narrative.
4. 2. Style
CHALLENGES – usually, music videos focus on the artist‘s face and shoulders in the frame but in our
video, we have a lots shots where we have wide shots of him or only focus on the bottom half of him to
show the actions he is doing as opose to him singing and performing. These shots make the style
more filmic than a usual music video as it provides a certain distance to the audience.
It has also to do with the genre we produce in because comparing indie to, for example, RnB, it is
much more the music we care about than the glamour around a RnB star. No blingbling, no fancy
make up or sexy gazes into the camera. He‘s only shown walking up the stairs.
5. 3. Performance - Dancing
DEVELOPS – dancers are often used in music videos! But usually they are
rather commercial dancers in HipHop, Pop or RnB videos that dance
background or together with the artist, therefore the song is more upbeat. This is
why we neither challenge nor use this convention but we develop the dance
idea and put it into a completely different content and music genre.
The ballerina is used as another artistic element which is a high cultural image
that signifies sophistication and contributes to the seriousness of Peter‘s music.
6. Here‘s an example of Beyoncé
whose music is in the RnB/Pop
genre and she
Always uses lots of background
dancers as well as her own dancing.
But this is much more the
entertaining and sexy factor of dance
in opposition to our ballerina.
7. 4. Performance
(1)
DEVELOPS – the performance convention in music videos is
that the camera focuses particularly on the top half of the artists
singing or a wide shot showing him dancing/rapping. In our
video, Peter performs/lipsings but instead of acting it he just
stands still against a wall and doesn‘t even look into a camera.
Again, it conveys his genre and his image of the introverted
musician.
8. 5. Performance (2)
USES - the convention of an instrument playing artist. We show
the artist playing his instrument and especially CUs of his hands
playing which is commonly used in music videos that are by
bands or artists that play their music themselves to reinforce this
fact. These shots can also be used to connect a new section in
the music video to one we saw earlier, so that we are reminded
of that particular sequence creating a cohesive music video
order of events (‚narrative‘).
9. 6. Special effects
USES – especially nowdays the use of special effects in music videos is constantly increasing
as the technology gets better and better and CGI is used to add value and the level of interest,
or enhance the look of the video. This is conventional in particularly Pop genres where the
‚shell‘ meaning the look of the artist and the location is far more important as in the rock and
indie genre in our case. But we use this tool as well in order to add an element to the storyline
by making flowers come alive and by making a photograph move to remind that the world our
artist is in withing the video is not the normal life we know, even if it seems like it.
Therefore, I‘d say the difference in using special effects the way we do is that we use it to a
minimum amount but to create the same effect as high budget Pop videos to. To create
something superficiel and inaccessible for the audience. Relating back to ‚the present absent
star‘ a music artist is.
11. The font CHALLENGES conventions of album cover styles because we keep
it really realistic by using the actual artist‘s writing and scribbling to underline
the genre of Peter & The Wolf which is INDIE, in contrast to, for example,
HipHop/Pop digipaks that significantly use a lot of CGI to create an aestheticly
flashy CD cover. Our font makes the digipak more real and personal whereas
a fully computer created one underlines the distance between audience and
artist.
We also use the same background wallpaper as in the video instead of
coming up with a whole new fancy design which is rather unusual for album
designs.
12. Also, we don‘t use any photos except for one polaroid
which CHALLENGES the convention of using new
technology to edit photos.
e.g.
14. CHALLENGES – as conventions of
today‘s posters are rather eye-
catching and colorful. Our‘s is simple
and no photoshoped changes are
made.
Also DEVELOPS – as we mention
quotes of critics to enhance the
promotion which is usual on
advertising photos. Using a known
photo from the music video to remind
fans of it and maybe encourage
customers and create a ‚style‘ or
unique selling point which is also
something that big stars do to create
whole face of the new album.
CHALLENGES – conventionally, in
today‘s music industry there‘s a lot of
‚sex sells‘ promotion which is
dominant on advertising posters and
spreads. We do not work with this
promotion tool.
15. How to present the artist as a person?
Convention: matching to the star image the record label gives him or
her.
In the indie world (Mochi Mochi Records) artists are signed as what
they are, which challenges the convention as they don’t have a face or
reputation that is invented for them. This image is of course displayed
on the poster.
In this case, he stares melancholicly out the window into the wide
world which refers to his genre and his image of not having a star
image – this contradiction therefore uses the convention again.
16. Example:
The Prodigy: stare with an aggressive expression right into
the camera conveying the feel that the band and their music
is tough and loud and intrusive. Also they want to take over
the world with their music whereas Peter just cares about his
music because it makes him happier and not about
marketing himself. (Of course he wants to sell his album…
this is just his reputation as a musician.)
