Task 1 In what ways do your media products use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products?

The genre from which our band is from in “indie rock”, our style of music video generally fits in with the conventions set within that genre.


The begging of our video is very much like the start of the music video for the ‘Kooks’ song ‘Naïve’. In which we see the lead singer walking towards us, this introduces us to the lead singer. Seeing the area they are in, but deigning the audience to as yet form a “relationship” with them as they keep there heads down or eyes away from the camera and are either far away or in the dark. This is followed with continuity shots of the lead singer coming closer to us before it is cut away to the performance shots with the band.

 

The next part of our video introduces us to the band, as they are a new band this is a vital thing to do in there first music video so that the audience knows that it is a band and not a solo artist also what each person does in the band. This is a common type of wide introductory shot used in music videos as in Franz Ferdinand’s video to “take me out” although there performance shots are a lot more stylized.

Other similarities that are video share with this video is that they both use images showing the band members with close ups on there instruments. This is to show that they are a true organic band with real skill and talent and not an industry synthetic put together.  

Another vital part of any music video is using direct address. This means having moments when the singer or band members look directly into the camera henceforth making it look like they are directly looking at the audience member. This enables the audience member to feel as if they have had a “special” moment with the artist and feel as if they have some sort of special bond with them. This is used every genre of music video.

 

We have also used elements of Now is everyone’s video to show that the they are “real” and are in the same music seen as there fans e.g. using the Boiler room as the final location as it is an upcoming artist gig venue in Guildford, also having the band keep on their music festival wristbands for the video. These are somewhat of a status symbol as they show people what type of music you are into and how loyal you are to that genre. By having the wrist bands on it connects the band to there audience. Things like this are often put into music videos of organic bands to really show there roots, where they come from and how much music is in there life outside of just performing.

Another aspect of the concept of our music video was that of the whole video the band members where in black and white and only towards the end do they come into colour. This has been done in some music videos before as it is a good visual metaphor for “seeing the light” or “seeing things in a new way” which are both messages often brought across in music.