In order to physically re-create a music video, I found myself needing to analyse the conventions of existing media texts. In doing so, I discovered that there are a number of specific conventions of both the form and the genre; two things that are critical to real media texts, both existing and creating.
To understand the required conventions of form and genre, I analysed two music videos from very the same genre to establish whether these conventions occurred in both the same way and the same manner. These music videos were Pink's 'Family Portrait' and Ed Sheeran's 'Give Me Love', both of which are in the pop/indie pop genre field. I then devised a textual analysis on the existing music videos to compare the conventions in both.
Pink - Family Portrait
Pink's Family Portrait consisted of many high angle shots, as well as medium close ups and close up shots when it came to the cinematography element. Not only this, but many two shots have also been used throughout. Editing consisted of only simple cuts to get to the next shot, which I analysed as being purely because the audience needed to concentrate on the narrative of the video. The mise-en-scene was particularly basic in all aspects too, but the main aspect being very plain colours used throughout, again so the audience can focus on the narrative behind the music video. Sound was also limited in this music video, only using the soundtrack and nothing else.
Ed Sheeran - Give Me Love
My textual analysis of this particular music video confirmed my view that music videos of the same genre tend to have the same conventions; there are rarely any challenges to conventions - the only difference between these two music videos that I analysed are though the use of colour, as Ed's video uses many more colours than Pink's. Cinematography in this video was again limited to many close ups and medium close ups, with a few long shots on the odd occasion to establish to the audience where the filming was taking place. Editing, again, was very basic; simple cuts were used throughout, with seemingly no apparent fades etc. Again, the mies-en-scene wasn't particularly complex; plain clothing items, dark rooms etc being used throughout. Sound was no different in any aspect; the soundtrack was the only sound heard in this music video.
In conclusion, from my extremely in-depth textual analysis of two music videos consisting of the same genre, it is apparent that music videos of the same genre carry the same conventions with little challenges. Both videos conform to the expected conventions of music videos, so therefore audiences can understand them and any specific narratives the director may have wanted to portray. By completing my textual analysis of my two existing music videos, I feel I understand different forms and conventions of music videos, meaning that I could choose which specific conventions to incorporate into my music video.
My full textual analyses can be found here:
Pink's Family Portrait - http://a2mediakirstyallan.blogspot.co.uk/2015/11/textual-analysis-1.html
Ed Sheeran's Give Me Love - http://a2mediakirstyallan.blogspot.co.uk/2015/12/textual-analysis-2-ed-sheeran-give-me.html
To evaluate whether my own music video conformed or challenged these conventions of existing indie pop/indie rock music videos, I decided to conduct my own textual analysis on my final music video. For my product, I chose to flout the typical conventions of an indie pop/pop rock music video, and show my artist lip syncing most of the way through the video. I focused heavily upon the narrative of the song through the use of many two shots to establish to the audience that it is, in some aspects a love song, however does not conform to that of the typical falling in love with someone at first sight music video. My own textual analysis consists of how the use of cinematography aspects, mies-en-scene, sound and editing have been used to create both an attractive and engaging music video. (How does my music video, in general, conform or challenge the aspects of existing indie pop/indie rock music videos?)
Cinematography: As stated above and in my textual analyses, many indie rock/pop rock music videos consist of many close up shots and medium close up shots. This is conformed to in my product through the use of medium and close up shots of my actor and actress, and this has been used, like in existing media products, to show emotion on the actors faces.
Not only this, but the use of medium close ups in particular establish to the audience that they do not need to focus on the location that the video is being filmed in, but to focus on the narrative behind the lyrics of the music video, showing, again, that my product conforms to existing media products. Another convention of existing indie rock/indie pop music videos are that of two shots, which explains to the audience that, due to there being more than one actor, it is likely that there is a narrative behind the lyrics.
Mise-en-scene: Indie rock/indie pop music videos consist of very basic mies-en-scene aspects, as stated in my above comments and textual analyses. One of the very basic aspects of mine-en-scene is the idea behind the location, and, through my planning and research that I have conducted, the real music video for 'Are You Gonna Be My Girl' by Jet uses only one location, and that is a plain white room with white walls and a white floor. I conformed to this convention by also only using a single location to film my music video - meaning there is nothing that then takes the audiences attention away from the narrative.
Another thing that I have conformed to in the aspect of mise-en-scene is the idea of very plain clothing with limited colour choices. Existing indie rock/indie pop music videos consist of very basic clothing colours and do not wear many tight fitting clothes; my actor and actress wore only block colours, namely black, and a plain red coat was worn once in the shots. None of these items of clothing worn were tightly fitting, once again conforming to that of existing indie rock/indie pop music videos.
I found myself challenging the convention of limited/neutral makeup colours in the way that I used a red lipstick colour instead of nude. This, however, links with the fact that I changed the idea of the original narrative, and used the red lipstick as something that actually caught the attention of the male actor, compared to myself in the music video who wore a nude lip; this did not catch the attention of the male actor.
Editing: As stated in above paragraphs, existing indie rock/indie pop music videos have very stark editing techniques involved in the creation of the video. Simple cuts are the only editing technique used in many music videos of this genre. No fades, for example, are used, only fast paced, cuts. I have very clearly conformed to this convention by obviously using simples cuts to move from one shot to another, as well as keeping the shot types short, linking to the fact that events move swiftly in the narrative.
My music video not only conforms to that of conventions of existing music videos, but also to conventions of theories studied.
Not only did I have to make sure that my music video conformed to that of existing media texts, but also that both my ancillary texts conformed to existing products.
It was very important that I made sure that, when it came to my poster advertisement, that the colours I decided upon fitted together in the way that, not only did they look appealing to the audience, but they also conformed to that my specified genre. This therefore ensured that my product looked both realistic and believable. Not only this, but the fact that my artist is the main focus of the poster means that it links with the idea that, in indie rock/indie pop genre, the audience is expected to focus more on the narrative of the video as opposed to the location, for example, due to the fact that there is more often than not a narrative behind the lyrics.
Lana Del Rey is a very well known indie pop music artist, so hence why I used this advert as the basis for my own. I thought that, although in some aspects, this advert could be seen to be relatively basic, I found that, when I used the layout in my own work, it conformed better to the genre than that of a poster with a lot of different things going on. This therefore made my product look more realistic and professional due to the planning and research I carried out prior to physically creating my advertisement.
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