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

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

When creating my media text, I watched many music videos of the same genre to gain inspiration and knowledge of the conventions. This enabled me to use similar ideas in my own music video, for example the idea of my artist walking through a forest was inspired by Taylor Swifts music video; "safe and sound" which is an indie style song.
I also found that in most music videos, (indie and other genres) direct mode of address is used therefore I had many shots throughout the video of my artist looking at the camera, this gives the video a sense of performance as it includes the lip syncing, this also makes the video appear more personal to the audience. My artist is also alone when direct mode of address is used which enhances the audiences connection with the artist.

Voyeurism is another reoccurring theme that I used in my music video which is also one of Goodwin's conventions and is therefore used in many music videos (not only indie) especially music videos with female artists, this often sexualises women, however this is most commonly done in pop music videos whereas in indie videos, voyeurism is mainly used in a non sexual way.

Another common feature of music videos is the visuals being influenced by the music. This can be done through amplification of lyrics or cutting to the beat (which is one of Goodwin's conventions). I have developed this convention throughout my music video as a way of emphasizing/drawing attention to the beats, I have also achieved this using one of Vernallis's conventions of "jump cuts."

From these two shots the use of different shot types is seen, as both a long shot and close up shots were used, close up shots are commonly used in music videos of all genres as a way in which the audience can gain a connection with the artist.


This particular shot demonstrates my use of mise-en-scene which essentially hints at the artists character. The shot shows the artist at a dining table which is fully set and finished with bottles of wine and candles. However the artist is alone which hints at her personality (which is a gothic loner). The shot also suggests rebellion and through her costume we can also see her gothic influences. The shot hints that the artist is from a middle class background which we see from the the mise-en-scene, however she seems uncomfortable with this as she is alone and appears to be angry (this is also shown in the lyrics).

I created a shadowy lighting effect for this shot to create a sense of mystery and also add to the gothic theme. I did this by only using one light on the right side of her face. Her hair is also partially covering her face which also adds mystery.


Many music videos consist of the artist going on a journey, I decided to include this in my music video I felt it would fit in with the idea of my artist not wanting to be part of society. This idea is seen in this shot.



This is another shot that coveys the idea the she doesn't want to be part of society as she removes her lips stick which may symbolise her removing her attachment to society and not caring about fitting in anymore.
This shot is also immediately followed by an outdoor shot which is a big contrast and can represent the artist being set free, her movement also suggests this as she opens her arms out to highlight her new found space which shows that she is fulfilling her desire to escape.



To conclude, although the song that I used was indie, I used and developed the conventions of mainstream videos to make my product more suitable for the genre which is similar to what many other indie music videos do. I also used shots that enabled my artists character to be revealed through the setting and the mise-en-scene.