My final Evaluation-writing form

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

In a music video there are certain codes and conventions involved, there are a number of guidelines seen in order to produce a successful product. To take this further people use these conventions in unique ways to make their product as successful as possible. For example when I began to create my music video in accordance to my chosen genre of singer/songwriter I decided I had to make the lyrics an important feature in my video. My idea came from analysing loads of music videos from different genres as well as my chosen genre. Other genres such as rock had a tendency to highlight the band and their performance, a video where this is seen as such would be the calling ‘wherever you will go’ .  

However, focusing on my genre I focused on selling the artist’s music and lyrics, this idea came from me choosing my song ‘Lego House’ as drawing up ideas came up with me concluding to use a Lego stop motion as by using this idea, I constantly related the audio to the visuals therefore making the lyrics ones of the key features. By doing this I aimed to produce a video to a target audience which meant I had limited my codes and conventions so I could get this right. This meant I couldn’t for example show the artist or this could fall into a rock genre. I feel this was successful as the artist in my video was shown in a different way therefore developing conventions of real media products, the Lego character of Ed Sheeran meant people could follow the lyrics like an artist whose in the singer/songwriter genre normally does. To help show ways in which my media product develops and challenges forms, the theory of Andrew Goodwin can be looked at. He has recognised a number of key features from which we can identify the music video as a form: A relationship between the lyrics and the visuals; A relationship between the music and the visuals; Genres characteristics; There are likely to be inter-textual references; Selling the artist and the The notion of looking. In response to Goodwin's theory I am able to provide examples of challenging and developing forms and conventions in my media product. We see in my music video the relationship to lyrics and the visuals where such lyrics as 'Build a Lego house' occurs at the beginning of the video, and I used stop motion for the Lego character to build a Lego house. This meant the audience would be able to focus on the lyrics as they could follow the movements and scenes in relation to the lyrics. This in my opinion is what made the video successful as people were able to identify a narrative of some sort as well as being able to fulfil the criteria of being a real media product. The second criteria in Goodwin's theory is linking the audio to the visuals, I did this by the use of editing this meant I could time the two different forms together to create a successful product, I feel I made this successful via such as in a scene where the music has a long note and I did this with the use of the Lego character opening the door fitting in with the movement. Another one of his Dimensions in developing a media product comes from selling the artist; I did this through although not showing the artist himself but a replica and fitting all movements, visuals about Ed Sheeran. I also showed videos at the beginning and end of the artist himself introducing his video therefore people being able to relate to him. I felt this was important as its a theme he uses in a majority of his videos and I wanted to continue this but without copying it. I feel I achieved this through the character of Lego Sheeran and making him a main feature throughout.

In relation to last year and my media coursework in the task of having to create a music magazine the conventions were different in which I challenged and developed them to create a successful product. Last time there had to be a set criteria of choosing a specific genre relating it to the magazine and as well as this making the colour,font and layout follow this. In hindsight of creating both task's one being of AS music magazine and another my A2 music video, I can recognize the huge importants of establishing the genre to then follow the other forms set up by Goodwin. With the genre being identified you are then able to set out what you set out to do in making a successful product via another one of Goodwin's dimensions being the link between the music and the visuals. This dimension helped me to improve my product from last year in developing those conventions as we see in the other products involved in my a2 coursework.  As well as this I also used Goodwin's theory to set conventions in my advert and digipak. This was seen where the main feature was to sell the artist and his music. This was done through many different routes, firstly via taking a shot of the video with the most favorite scene by many and making it my Cd cover. People were then able to link the two products together, showing a running theme and abiding to the forms and conventions. As well as that I sold the artist my continuing his running theme of the colour orange and black and making it a main statement in my products.