In what ways does your media product
use, develop or challenge forms and
conventions of real media products?
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SCRIPT
Our music video has one primary function: as a marketing tool, it sells the album. It is a crucial part of a package of products that together launch the album, address audiences and promote the brand, which is the artist Fij. Audiences have certain expectations of music videos, which usually adhere to genre conventions, as does ours, which uses similar forms and conventions found in other indie/alternative artists' work. We believe that we have made Fij’s brand as part of this genre convincing.
The key to understanding our approach is bound up with Fij's low-key style and the indie genre. First, visual codes, such as Fij's clothes and the teenage world that he inhabits are conveyed through sets such as the skating park, sports field, bedroom and street. For Roland Barthes, all texts can be deconstructed as signs with connotations: for example, Fij wears bright red shoes, which connotes individuality and non-conformity. One key visual code is the suitcase, which the young man packs during the course of the narrative as he prepares to leave his teenage home, activities and friends behind because he is in transition between home and university. This visual code is a strong narrative element, which illustrates Andrew Goodwin’s theory about the relationship between lyrics and visuals.
Our music video observes this convention by delivering the narrative of the lyrics through our “rights of passage” story where 'we have one more year till we disappear'. However, we also amplify the lyrics through the use of stop motion to make shots more visually interesting. We believe that CGI, stop motion and a whole range of digital effects are now expected by audiences across many platforms, so even a simple narrative like ours is likely to have some. We did not have disjuncture between the lyrics and visuals since as a narrator Jonny tells the story of his “last year” before university so therefore it would seem more fitting to have the visuals illustrate the lyrics.
Our star image motif would be Fij’s style, which like other artists such as Lilly Allen becomes apart of the artists brand and trademark. Through his low-key individual style, which is alternative, unobtrusively edgy and clearly student-like, Fij achieves a clear brand image, which is significant for not only media product but also real media products to build upon the artists star image. In this respect our media product uses the forms and conventions of real media products from the indie/alternative genre.
Our media video also incorporates close-ups of lead singer Jonny, which is a common form and convention, found in real media products. Close-ups allow the audience to form a relationship with the Star whilst lip-syncing authenticates the performance of the music video.
Jonny pushing over books: In this sequence, were creating visual codes that symbolize our central characters rejection of schoolwork and its burdens. For Roland Barthes, visual codes are signs with both denotative meaning and connotative meaning. Here, when protagonist of Fij knocks over the pile of books it stands for the rejection of the whole process.
We also apply semiotics to the car sequence, where the car symbolizes the departure of Jonny and “rights of passage”. Not being treated in a sad way but instead exuberant. When we look towards the future, Fij is looking at the future through rose tinted spectacles.
Through the use of eye contact between Fij and the audience, our music video touches upon Goodwin’s theory, “Notion of Looking” which creates a link between the audience and artists. This theory is found in many popular artists music videos, such as Pink’s Who Knew, where her continual eye contact with the camera places in her in the role of narrator which again strengths the link between audience and artist. As a consumer, you want the artist wants to be relatable too and through incorporating this theory into our music video, we effectively created this link.
Barthes Grain of Voice sees the voice, as a unique instrument and often the vocal grain even possess trademarks that incorporate the star's image. We believe this theory can be applied to our lead singer Fij whose fast rap like verse results in the song having a unique grain of voice.
Finally, our album cover along with reoccurring shots throughout the music video take place in front of a brick wall which effectively gives the impression of an urban setting. As an alternative artist, Fij is seen in often-gritty environments where he expresses his individuality through style.
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