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

My Music Video

1. a shot(s) that shows a link between lyrics and/or music and visuals

All four images above are screenshots from my video from some of the moments where the lyrics match the visuals. The image on the top left appears as the lyrics read "Bring the cups, I can bring the drank". The image on the top right appears when the lyrics read "Bring the drugs, baby, I could bring my pain". The bottom left image appears when the lyrics read "These fucking eyes that I'm staring at" and finally the image on the bottom right appears when the lyrics read "Look at all this cash".

I especially liked these shots because I personally find it satisfying when the lyrics match the visuals; these images appeared as cut aways been lip syncing sections of the video (See Evaluation 5 for the explanation of colour).

2. a shot(s) that typifies the way a record company would want their artist to be represented

These two shots both display how the record company would want the artiste to be represented. In the image on the left this is true because of the clothing choice; skinny, ripped jeans have become a conventional item to appear in many R&B/Soul and Hip/Hop/Rap music videos. They are fashionable and imply the artiste is modern and cool. Secondly, the image on the right shows the artiste in a positive light which is what the record company would want; I appear as well dressed in this image showing a sense of class which is reinforced by the greyscale.

3. a shot(s) that illustrates how your video uses music genre

I feel the shot on the left reflects the R&B/Soul genre because often in the music videos, the artiste leads an extravagant lifestyle which is often displayed to be their downfall. I wanted to do the same in my music video; on a lesser scale of course. I also took influence from other contemporary videos in multiple genres for the pinky/purple tones in the image. From my experience, the use of purple colour grading is popular in said videos.     

The shot on the left I feel illustrates my use of genre because of the of clothing, yet again I am wearing an item of clothing which is very popular at the moment (Puffer jacket). The use of looking at camera and direct in this image I feel conforms to the genre conventions as well as this can often be seen in videos within the genre.

4. a shot(s) that shows an intertextual reference

In my video, I wanted to include lots of intertextual references because I really like them. At first, I did some preliminary filming with lots of intertextuality, however it looked out of place and not in keeping with the tone of the song and conventions of the genre. I then decided that it would be better to include references that are very subtle that only the 'real fans' would be able to notice or look for.

One reference I decided to include was one to Kendrick Lamar's critically acclaimed video for "HUMBLE". The video had many clever uses of the camera but there was one that I felt I could recreate; that was a flicker effect which can be achieved by setting up multiple cameras (All recording from slightly different positions)and then cutting between them in editing. I liked this effect and its outcome so I decided to create the effect twice for my video.

Another reference I decided to include is in the top right image. It is probably the most subtle of all, it appears as the beat in the song hits; the accompanying flash effect reveals the background. In that background there is a series of posters; including Star Wars, James Bond and Rocky. The Star Wars and James Bond posters are probably the most relevant in the media right now as the Star Wars franchise is forever expanding with countless new products emerging from the might of Disney and the the James Bond franchise being undecided who will play the new Bond after Danial Craig. Because both of these are in the media and both very popular; it demonstrates that the artiste is relatable to the audience and is current - potentially increasing awareness and the artistes popularity.

The First actual intertextual reference to appear is the image in the middle that reads "The Weeknd". This image references Kanye West's music video for "All of the lights". That videos sequence, once the song starts has a series of graphics that display the lyrics of the song in a bright and colourful way which I felt I could recreate on a basic level.

As previously mentioned, Star Wars is in the media a lot and with the franchises latest film splitting audiences, it has been a widely discussed topic. With this in mind, I decided to directly reference said film (The Last Jedi) and a scene that confused people. The scene involved a mirror like wall, so I decided to create a similar effect in the image on the bottom left.

The image on the bottom right references another music video, Dappy's "Beautiful me". One scene in this video shows the artiste drowning underwater. I recreated this by framing it the same with myself in the centre. Although this isn't an exact recreation and a perfect intertextual reference, I still think it was worth including.

5. a shot(s) that demonstrates your use of camera

As mentioned in an earlier post, I decided to work on my own without any help at any stage of production. Due to this decision, the range of camera movements I could perform were very limited. However the images above are some examples of where I was able to create some camera shots that I liked. The image on the top left is an example of where I had to be creative with the camera; by using multiple camera to achieve a flickering effect that references Kendrick Lamar's "HUMBLE" music video. The bottom right image is an example of how I used POV. The two images in B&W are static, the bottom left image is an example of a low angle shot whilst the top right image is an example of a Long Shot (LS) that conforms to the rule of thirds.

6. a shot(s) that demonstrates your use of lighting

The majority of lighting and effects were created in post production but the images above are examples of where I took that into consideration when I was filming. Firstly, the top left image is very much like a silhouette due to the positioning of the camera and the lights above my head which made the image easy to manipulate in post production. It is similar with the image on the bottom right, I placed myself directly underneath a light so that the focus was on me and the background could be blended out. The top right and bottom left images needed lighting to be present during filming as they were filmed at night, they were filmed in a pool so to ensure the camera would be able to capture the shots; the pool light was switched on.

7. a shot that demonstrates your use of mise-en-scene

These two shots represent loneliness, this is portrayed through the use of Long Shots; showing distance. The settings reinforce this because because they are tranquil and undisturbed which can be reflected by the tempo of the song at this point. Moreover the B&W colour scheme here could be described as dull and miserable which would reinforce the idea of loneliness.

8/9. Two shots which you feel demonstrate something which shows you have watched other music videos

Firstly, I feel that the first image shows that I have watched other music videos because the image is taken from a moment in the music video where the lyrics are reflected in the visuals and this is very common throughout music videos in various genres. Secondly, the image on the right is a prime of direct address aimed towards the audience; this is also common in music videos - especially in the Hip/Hop/Rap genre.

Collation of images from above:

Real Music videos

1. a shot that shows a link between lyrics and/or music and visuals

This image is taken from Eminem's "Rap God". The lyrics read "I've got a laptop in my back pocket" which is clearly displayed in the visuals. Yet again this is very common to see in music videos; in fact, it happens multiple times throughout this video in particular.

2. a shot that typifies the way a record company would want their artiste to be represented

This image is taken from The Weeknd's music video for "Starboy". I feel that this is a good example of how a record label would want their artiste to be represented because of a couple factors. Firstly the artiste is wearing jewellery which is conventional of the R&B/Soul genre and secondly; in the background, awards are visible which portrays the artiste in a successful light.

3. a shot that illustrates how the video uses music genre

This image was taken from Due Lipa's music video "New Rules". I feel this is a prime example of the pop genre. I believe this to be true because it sexualises women; conforming to the male gaze and consisting of various dance routines.

4. a shot that shows an intertextual reference

This image was taken from Thirty Seconds to mars' music video for "The kill (bury me)". The whole video is an intertextual reference which is uncommon because intertextual references are normally subtle and easily missed. The video references Stanley Kubrick's film "The shining" as the music video was filmed in the same location and mimics the films opening sequence.

5. a shot that demonstrates the use of camera

This image was taken from The Weeknd's music video for "False Alarm". I really liked this video as it was extremely cinematic and reminded me of the opening bank sequence in Batman: The Dark Knight. Moreover this image is a perfect demonstration of the use of camera in the video; here you can see a POV shot.

6. a shot that demonstrates the use of lighting

This image was taken from Eminem's music video for his song "Walk On Water". The lighting in this video is used to convey him being in the spotlight for most of his life. 

7. a shot that demonstrates the use of mise-en-scene

This image is taken from Taylor Swifts music video for "End game". This video uses Mine-en-scene to convey location. You can clearly tell they are in London as there is an iconic red bus in the foreground and British architecture in the background. Also you get a sense of celebration from the video due to the fireworks in the sky; potentially new years.