Media Studies A Level

1. In what ways does your Music
Video/Digipak/Magazine Advert use,
develop or challenge forms and
conventions of real media products?
By Jade Mason and Annie Myatt

2. Introduction
• For our media course we needed to create a Music Video, Digipack and
Advert for a chosen artists song.
• For the Music Video we needed to show our skills in creating an idea and
how we can show themes and ideas in the song through camera and film. We
focused on codes and conventions to make sure our video either conformed or
subverted stereotypes. The codes and conventions used included: costumes,
lighting, camera angles and shots, scenery, props, acting, location, makeup,
artists and editing, performance vs. narrative, visual effects.
• For the Digipack and Advert we focused on similar things such as camera
angles, costumes, scenery, props, acting, location, makeup and editing
however we also focused on typography, colour balance.
• We focused on the exploration of synergy through online medias such as
Youtube, MTV, Websites, Radio, Newspapers and Magazines.

3. Music Video

4. Music Video Theorists
• We looked at three different music video theorists including Sven E
Carlsson, Michael Shore and Andrew Goodwin, who focused on different
aspects of music videos.
• Sven E Carlsson: Performance vs. Conceptualism (Narrative).
 Performance- artists singing, dancing or instrumenting on the screen, they also typically mime onstage
 Commercial Exhibitionists where the performer is promoting an item, making the fans want to be like
them (body type, item of clothing e.c.t.) mostly positive
 Televised Bard- singing/storytelling to express their inner emotions. They don’t have to be singing if they
are still showing emotion.
 Electronic Sharman- where the performer is invisible and their voice anchors the visuals.
 Conceptualism- encode a message/belief and show the audience something else other than the artist
 He believes that they have artists visions and ambitions in order to carry different signs and signifiers
for the audience to decode as the meaning may intentionally be unusual or obscure
 He makes you think about who will understand the video, what will the audience think or feel from the
video. Is that intentional? What's the purpose of doing that?
 He believes in genre stereotypes e.g. heavy metal features anger and rap features money and wealth
 He also wants you to decode elements such as lighting and edition and what they could symbolise

5. Music Video Theorists
• Andrew Goodwin: he believes strongly in the use of conventions and
stereotypes for example a girl band would stereotypically perform a
overly cheesy dance routine. he believes that the music videos should
link to others and/or film genres. He calls this intersexuality. He
believes that voyeurisms takes a great part in modern music videos.
This is where a women is objectified for a male audience or vise
versa. He believes in the opposition or interlink between the music or
visuals.
• Michael shore: He believes that music videos are only aimed at
particular audiences. For example adolescent males will look for
videos that feature money, power, girls and wealth. Adolescent
females will look for videos featuring men, fashion and celebrities.

6. How did we show/explore these?
These theories have impacted our own production of our music video due to us
being more aware of how celebrities manufacture their videos. We got a sense
of how audiences work and thought about how we manipulate them into
thinking what we want them too.
We took into consideration our target audience and their ideas so that we
could create the video that we made suitable and professional for our target
audience.
We focused more on Sven E Carlsson’s performance theory as we thought it
was more better suited for our video. This was due to our song being more of a
ballad therefore we wanted it to be more intimate with our audience. Even
though we did focus mainly on the performance quality, we did have hints of
hybrid because there was some form of narrative between our characters.

7. Music Video Conventions
• Camera Shot Types and Movements: We used a variety of camera shot types in
our music video to show depth and variation. We used close up, wide, extreme
close up, extreme wide and medium shots. We made sure that each shot was
different and no two of the same were played after each other. This made it more
interesting for the audience and kept them engaged. We didn’t add any
movements during filming and kept that shots still on the tripod because we felt
that this appeared more professional and simple.
• Editing: we edited our video to the beat, making sure the shot lengths matched
the length of the beats in the music to make it more relaxing to watch. We
originally struggled to do this however with practice and help from our teacher
we got the hang of it and found it to be extremely effective. We decided from the
start to change the colour balance by dropping the saturation and increasing the
brightness/contrast; we tried originally to make it black and white however we
felt that this appeared quite amateur and not as professional as it appeared with
simply dropping the saturation. In the end we made sure that in our final draft
we made each shot as close to the same saturation as the next so that it ran
smoothly and flowed well.

8. Music Video Conventions
• Mise-En Scene
 Setting: we wanted our setting to be professional and neat, plain and simple,
therefore we stuck to using on the TV studio in our video. This made it clean and
easier to film in general. We also felt that this professional setting was easier to use
because we could set up the lighting exactly how we wanted because we didn’t have
the problem of dealing with natural lighting changing at different times of the day
and we had options of several different placed lights as well as the red head kit.
 Props/Costume: we kept to one costume for each actor throughout. Jade’s costume
was slightly provocative as her tummy was out however we balanced that our with
full leg trousers and a baggy oversized jacket to make sure that we didn’t steer away
certain cultures that may be offended.
 Facial Expressions/Body Language: our video focused very much on the emotion of
the lyrics so we made sure our actors showed their feelings through emotive and
distressed facial expression (growing towards more extreme during the climax of the
song). We also adding contact between the two character (including pushing and a
slap) to show the extreme emotions and manipulate the audience to side with the
female character.

9. Conclusion
We feel that our video stands out from other pop videos as we have subverted
stereotypes: most pop videos nowadays appear very over the top, with large props and
extreme locations. An example of this is Megan Trainer; she uses lots of colours and
props in her videos to create a ‘bubble-gum’ feel to her younger target audience.
However we have tried to appeal to the elder teenage audience through simplicity and
mature content/theme.
Our video however, does have similarities to more individual videos such as
FourFiveSeconds by Rihanna. She subverted from some of her own pop videos such as
‘Only Girl in the World’ as she used simple colours and smooth transitions. We have
similarities in the sense that we have one location with several different camera
angles. We also used similar costume styles of quite boyish baggy clothing to not steer
away specific cultures however still sticking to fashionable styles to appeal to younger
females.

10. Digipack

11. Digipack
• We featured several forms and conventions, subverting and conforming to
genre stereotypes in typical Digipacks.
• Artist Name/Album Name: we used a house style in our typography to make
sure that the entire digipack had a professional vibe, in the same simple
style. We decided (through subverting typical videos and our audience
questionnaire) that we would use Sans Serif styled fonts, including fonts
that are informal without flicks.
• Track List: we included a list of track names so that our audience could see
what number track would play which song. We felt this gave the audience
other songs to listen too to broaden their artist knowledge.

12. Digipack
• Main Images: We wanted to try several different poses that were inspired by
Rihanna’s FourFiveSecond images such as a silhouette and over the shoulder
poses to try and explore variation. Some of the images worked and some didn’t
however this helped us branch out from our own ideas and try to take
inspiration.
 Setting: we wanted our setting to be professional and neat, plain and simple, therefore we
stuck to using on the TV studio in our video. This made it clean and easier to film in
general. We also felt that this professional setting was easier to use because we could set
up the lighting exactly how we wanted because we didn’t have the problem of dealing with
natural lighting changing at different times of the day and we had options of several
different placed lights as well as the red head kit.
 Props/Costume: we kept to one costume for each actor throughout. Jade’s costume was
slightly provocative as her tummy was out however we balanced that our with full leg
trousers and a baggy oversized jacket to make sure that we didn’t steer away certain
cultures that may be offended.
 Facial Expressions/Body Language: our video focused very much on the emotion of the
lyrics so we made sure our actors showed their feelings through emotive and distressed
facial expression (growing towards more extreme during the climax of the song). We also
adding contact between the two character (including pushing and a slap) to show the
extreme emotions and manipulate the audience to side with the female character.

13. Digipack
• Colour scheme: we kept to a simple colour scheme of monotone colours and
we used darker variations of the brighter colours to fit in with our theme.
This was extremely effective because it reflected the emotions that are felt in
the song due to being a more sad song compared to a happy song with
brighter colours. We got the inspiration from house styles such as Ed
Sheeran ‘X’.
• Message of the artist: we made sure that the language used in our ‘Message
of Thanks’ reflected the background and age demographic of PINK as well as
trying to make it accessible to our audience demographic (young girls)
therefore we steered away from the more complicated and unseen (long)
words and stuck to simple basic English. We also kept it more professional
by not using slang and sticking to our simple sans serif font style.

14. Annie vs Jade
We each individually created a Digipack to compliment the music video created.
Below are similarities and differences between them.
We chose different images to feature as Annie wanted simpler poses of Jade just
stood there however Jade wanted images with more arms to show a distressed
emotion and to add more depth compared to the simple advert she created. Annie
also felt that she wanted all the images to look the same throughout (same
dropped saturation).
We did however decide to edit them diffrenetly with different filters; Jade decided
to drop the saturation to match the dropped saturation of the music video however
Annie decided to turn the brightness down however not as much so that Jade’s
skin lost her pigment.
We chose different fonts for the text; Jade chose to have a more red/pink toned title
to add depth however Annie wanted to keep it plain and simple to stick to the
house style of the video.
Jade decided to add an image onto her CD however Annie decided to leave it blank
with simply writing the name as she felt this was more effective and kept it simple
and clean.
Annie
Jade

15. Conclusion
We feel that our Digipacks stand out from others as we have subverted
stereotypes: most Digipacks nowadays appear very over the top, with large
props, bright colours and extravagant typography. An example of this is
Megan Trainer. As you can see on the right, Megan uses lots of bright colours
such as Pinks, Blues and Red’s. This is very over the top however does
appeal to the younger audiences.
Our Digipack however, does have similarities to more individual Digipacks
such as FourFiveSeconds by Rihanna. Rihanna sticks to the simple black
and white theme, standing out from the ‘bubble-gum’ pop styles. She has a
simple pose which we featured in our digipacks. Finally she shows a sense of
attitude within her body language and simple typography.

16. Magazine Advert

17. Magazine Advert
• We featured several forms and conventions, subverting and conforming to genre
stereotypes in typical Magazine Adverts. We also made sure that our magazine adverts
and digipacks had the same house style so that they linked and worked together, e.g.
same themes colour styles
• Artist Name/Album Name: we used a house style in our typography to make sure that
the entire digipack had a professional vibe, in the same simple style. We decided
(through subverting typical videos and our audience questionnaire) that we would use
Sans Serif styled fonts, including fonts that are informal without flicks.
• Release Date/Availability of Album: We used variety of colours in our title, signature and
websites links as well as using Photoshop to colour overlay images and brand signs such
as iTunes to match our theme. We made sure we showed the synergy available such as
digital download as our audience demographic is younger audiences who tend to use
more digital media such as iPhones and Computers.

18. Magazine Advert
• Main Images: We wanted to try several different poses that were inspired by Rihanna’s
FourFiveSecond images such as a silhouette and over the shoulder poses to try and
explore variation. Some of the images worked and some didn’t however this helped us
branch out from our own ideas and try to take inspiration.
 Setting: we wanted our setting to be professional and neat, plain and simple, therefore we stuck
to using on the TV studio in our video. This made it clean and easier to film in general. We also
felt that this professional setting was easier to use because we could set up the lighting exactly
how we wanted because we didn’t have the problem of dealing with natural lighting changing at
different times of the day and we had options of several different placed lights as well as the red
head kit.
 Props/Costume: we kept to one costume for each actor throughout. Jade’s costume was slightly
provocative as her tummy was out however we balanced that our with full leg trousers and a
baggy oversized jacket to make sure that we didn’t steer away certain cultures that may be
offended.
 Facial Expressions/Body Language: our video focused very much on the emotion of the lyrics so
we made sure our actors showed their feelings through emotive and distressed facial expression
(growing towards more extreme during the climax of the song). We also adding contact between
the two character (including pushing and a slap) to show the extreme emotions and manipulate
the audience to side with the female character.

19. Magazine Advert
• Colour Scheme: Colour scheme: we kept to a simple colour scheme of monotone colours and we used darker variations of the
brighter colours to fit in with our theme. This was extremely effective because it reflected the emotions that are felt in the
song due to being a more sad song compared to a happy song with brighter colours. We got the inspiration from house styles
such as Ed Sheeran ‘X’.
• Colour wheel:
White
White is associated with light, goodness, innocence, purity, and virginity. It is considered to be the color of perfection.
White means safety, purity, and cleanliness. As opposed to black, white usually has a positive connotation. White can represent
a successful beginning. In heraldry, white depicts faith and purity.
In advertising, white is associated with coolness and cleanliness because it's the color of snow. You can use white to suggest
simplicity in high-tech products. White is an appropriate color for charitable organizations; angels are usually imagined
wearing white clothes. White is associated with hospitals, doctors, and sterility, so you can use white to suggest safety when
promoting medical products. White is often associated with low weight, low-fat food, and dairy products.
Black
Black is associated with power, elegance, formality, death, evil, and mystery.
Black is a mysterious color associated with fear and the unknown (black holes). It usually has a negative connotation (blacklist,
black humor, 'black death'). Black denotes strength and authority; it is considered to be a very formal, elegant, and prestigious
color (black tie, black Mercedes). In heraldry, black is the symbol of grief.
Black gives the feeling of perspective and depth, but a black background diminishes readability. A black suit or dress can make
you look thinner. When designing for a gallery of art or photography, you can use a black or gray background to make the other
colors stand out. Black contrasts well with bright colors. Combined with red or orange – other very powerful colors – black gives
a very aggressive color scheme.

20. Annie vs Jade
We each individually created an Advert to compliment the music video created.
Below are similarities and differences between them.
We both decided to use the same image as we both felt it worked well with the
large amount of space we had to fill and that the pose was simple and effective for
the house style and theme of the music video.
We did however decide to edit them diffrenetly with different filters; Jade decided
to drop the saturation to match the dropped saturation of the music video however
Annie decided to turn the brightness down however not as much so that Jade’s
skin lost her pigment.
We chose different fonts for the text; Jade chose to have a more red/pink toned title
to add depth however Annie wanted to keep it plain and simple to stick to the
house style of the video.
Finally Jade decided to feature logo’s of some of the websites/apps that you could
get the song on however Annie decided to stick to typing out the names rather than
clotting the page with images to keep to her simple style.
Annie
Jade

21. Conclusion
We feel that our Adverts stand out from others as we have subverted
stereotypes: most Adverts, similar to our digipacks, nowadays appear very
over the top, with large props, bright colours and extravagant typography.
An example of this is Nicki Minaj’s Pink Friday advert; she features lots of
bright colours (pink) with an extravagant setting and props/costume. We
however wanted to subvert this idea (and use something less hard) and use
Rihanna as influence.
Similar to the advert on the right, we chose to stick to the dark colours, to
appear more simple and effective and appear to a larger target audience
(more mature audiences) and stick to our house style. We used similar
typography such as the same simple font (Sans Serif) without flicks and
simple colours of black and one other colour (RED/PINK).

22. Thanks for watching!!!