Evaluation of Advanced PortfolioQUESTION 1: IN WHAT WAYS DOES YOUR PRODUCT USE, DEVELOP AND CHALLENGE FORMS AND CONVENTIONS OF REAL MEDIA PRODUCTS?

Music Video The song I chose for my music video, is of the genre of acoustic music. My main target audience is girls between the ages of around 16-20, who value themes of relationships and personal issues. From my research of videos produced for the genre, I found they tend to have a narrative and focus on the story of a character rather than their appearance or representation.

In Ed Sheeran’s “Small Bump” video, the central focus is on the story of the one character as he waits in a hospital ward, relating to the lyrics about waiting for a child to be born. This direct relation of the lyrics to what the video is about, is typical for this genre. It’s less about the appearance or presentation of the characters and more about their own story.

This mood board illustrates what the target audiences interests are and what they value.

The central focus of my music video, is on the romantic relationship of two young characters, a typical convention of acoustic music videos. Similarly to many music videos of this genre or similar, it revolves around a story line and is less focused on how it is presented. The casual costume matches the relaxed atmosphere of the music. This is similar to the focus of Ed Sheeran’s music video for Lego house.

Bright lighting and lens flare is used in my video, to connote relaxed and happy atmosphere. Lens flare is often used in music videos, to give a soft and nostalgic presentation of a scene.

Bright lighting and lens flare is used in Kodaline’s music video for All I Want, during the happier scenes with the man’s dog. The bright lighting in my music video, connotes a similar sense of joy and calmness to the scene.

Narrative Structure

My video incorporates a fragmented structure, as it presents different times during the two characters’ relationship. The change in costumes may break continuity, however here it is used to present a passing of time.

The shots of the couple in different situations transition through the use of fades. These slow the pace of the video, and connote the relaxed feel of the video that reflects the acoustic song. At the end of the video however, the female character fades away as if she suddenly disappears. This is to imply that she was just part of the boy’s imagination all along. This relates the narrative to the lyrics of the song “but you don’t see me though”, as it relates to how the character wants to be with a girl like this and have this ideal relationship, but he can’t find the right girl who is willing to be with him and share his sentiment.

Change of costume

Representation

The casual costume and the setting present the couple as a stereotypical, young middle class pair. I felt it was important to ensure the two characters are relatable to from my target audience, and I feel that they reflect the general dynamic of the audience well. The representation of the young couple in the music video, is that they are behaved and well mannered. This goes against the stereotype of teenagers being rebellious and constantly out to stir trouble.

At the end of the video, it is implied the male character has imagined his whole relationship with the girl who appears to have disappeared. This deals with the contemporary issues of loneliness and depression, as the character wants to be happy but there is no one to help him feel that way.

The faded streetlights provide a romantic atmosphere, that provides a calm setting and connotes a thoughtfulness between the two characters. This convention is used in Kodaline’s music video, and I have used it in my video to give similar connotations and implications in the scene.

My video correlates with Andrew Goodwin’s theory, that the visuals match up with the song. This has been portrayed in a literal sense, of the lyrics dictating what is on screen. For example “I can see it in your eyes” queues a close up of Florrie’s eyes, and “behind the smile that I know you're faking?” goes with a shot of Florrie’s smile.