Essay Plan - Genre

“Genres are evolving.” Discuss your production in respect of the concept genre.

-Intro
Genre is a way of categorising texts based on codes and conventions
Helps audiences know what to expect
Audiences compare similar music videos
Blurred boudaries by experimenting artists eg Amy Winehouse (soul/R&B/jazz)

-Steve Neal
Repetition with variations
Audiences know what to expect but want to be surprised
Hybrid (mix of 2 categories) acoustic and indie
Typical features-narrative and performance based
CLEAR EXAMPLE

-Janet Staiger
Genre can be identified using methods like empirical and social conventions
Compared similar texts at planning stage
Explored codes and conventions
Same genre-Ellie Gouldings music video
CLEAR EXAMPLE


-Jane Feuer
Genres are synthetic, they are artificially created by intellectuals
Can be seen as a way of categorising texts by identifying trends and patterns
Agree with Feuer
Found it difficult to place artist into one genre-hybrid (acoustic and indie)
My music video blurs the boundaries between genres
But not a similar/common view for others
CLEAR EXAMPLE

-Christine Gledhill
Contemporary theorist
Creative tension with the codes and conventions means more interesting texts
Thinking outside the box
Genre gave a framework-more creative
Prevented text from being individualistic, included common conventions
CLEAR EXAMPLE


-Conclusion
Genre is important because it reinforces our ideas and values
But genre can be subjective and difficult to fit in one category
Categories are always evolving.
CLEAR EXAMPLE

Semiotics (Diana Vickers - The Boy Who Murdered Love)

Camera work:
Extreme close-ups signify the deep and powerful emotions
High angled shots signify the isolation and vulnerability
Pulling away from artist signifies and exaggerates her pulling away from her relationship and in some ways letting go, at the same time give an uneasy visual effect signifying how the artist is feeling.

Mise en scene:
Snake, medicine and knife signify the bitterness and the snake particularly gives an uneasy edge.
Arrows threw word 'love' signifies the hardship of love and relationships.
Dead roses signifies death of the relationship
Chopping roses signifies getting rid of the past and started new
Male wearing teared jeans signifies the careless attitude and 'thug like' behaviour as presented in the lyrics of the music.
Male=devil/Female=angel signifies the character roles as represented through the lyrics.
Breaking wall signifies the anger in the artist and how she is breaking out of that.

Editing
Cross cuts signify the strong, sharp emotions of the artist.

Challenging Barthes' and Propp's Theory

Barthes' Narrative Codes: Enigma, Action and Semic Code
Barthes says that all narrative is made up of plot, sequences and images, within the plot there will be cardinal functions (main events) also within the plot are catalysers (events that change the narrative). My music video challenges this theory as there are no clear carndinal functions as I use a series of flashbacks with the use of a fast cut montage effect, a convention of a music video. My music video does include an enigma (a mystery to encourage questions) as the audience is unaware of what triggers her isolation and sombre emotions as mentioned in her lyrics and I have represented this in my music video through the use of slow fades and black/white colour filter effects.

Propp's 8 Characters and Action
Using fairy tales as a basis, Propp provides a model of narrative where characters and events can be seen as constructs that exist to drive a narrative momentum. My music video challenges Propp's theory as I deliberately don't show a donar/helper for example when the artist is feeling sad and lonely, the mise en scene is isolated to emphasise these emotions. The character types in my music video seem to overlap as the main character could be seen as the protagonist as well as the vulnerable victim because she is shown as independent when the artist is walking around cheerfully and I used high camera angle to portray her confidence but also shows her vulnerability through her lyrics for example 'I want to be blind for you' showing her innocence.

Narrative Theory

Todorov
-Movement of Equilibrums

Barthes
-Narrative codes: Enigma, Action and Semic code

Propp
-8 Characters and Action

Levi-Strauss
-Binary Oppositions

Linking Narrative to own Production work

My production contains an open narrative, a text which is open to a number of interpretations so the audience tends to create their own narratives around the text this is clear in my work because of the use of cross cutting and fast cut montage effect.

Research

-Music Magazine
Qualit

-Music Video

Representation

Presentation of reality in a media text, it is NOT reality but a form of reality presented to us. Media producers have to be selective in their choice of material, however naturalistic their approach is.

SOCIAL TYPES
Which groups are over represented, misrepresented or under represented?
Representation of the female gender as innocent and needy, through posture and use of high camera angled shots. This social group has been misrepresented.
Complicated relationships in the artists life with the use of complex, emotive and dramatic lyrics. This has been over-represented.

Gauntlett's theory suggests audiences may reconfirm or challenge their identity through these social types, he says that audiences use texts as a tool kit. My audience may challenge their identity and challenge whether this representation has bee mediated.

GENDER THEORY (1)
Laura Mulvey's, the male gaze gender theory explores the idea that the camera 'sees' images through male eyes. In my music video this may be evident as the mise en scene suggests that the male is in power and control, during the scene of him picking her up and spinning her around it shows that she needs him for happiness also the editing uses a glowing effect which makes the mise en scene much more illuminated. The lyrics give connotation of the female being more needy and the male having more authority.

GENDER THEORY (2)
Judith Butler's, feminism/post feminism gender theory that suggests that gender is a performance, it is what you do at particular times rather than about who you are. This theory affected decisions made during the making of my music video, I made my music video a female performance through soft focus effects and fade transitions. Editing shows femininity with slow fades as this transition is soft and smooth reflecting the vunerability of the artist. With the use of high angled and long shots this is represented as well these particular shots portray isolation.
-Feminism=movement (c.1960s) promoting the rights of women to be equal to men and arguing that women should no longer dress or behave as men wish them to
-Post feminism=movement arguing that women have now achieved equality and should be free to dress and behave as they wish without doing so for the benefit of men

VERISIMILITUDE
My music video creates verisimilitude, the imitation of reality
-Mise en scene: using realistic locations and settings
-Camera work: use of hand held camera.
-Editing: we are overly conscious of the editing, jumps from different scenes using slow fades not continuity editing.
-Narrative: events are constructed from different viewpoints and not just one.

Ed Sheeran - The A Team
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UAWcs5H-qgQ&ob=av3n

This music video creates verisimilitude, the imitation of reality

How far does your music video encourage audiences to confirm or challenge who they are when watching your music video?

Gauntlett's theory 'constructing identity' suggests that audiences’ identities may be shaped through accessing media texts. In my music video the lyrics portray sombre emotions and make the artist look needy as they include lyrics like ‘I want to be blind for you’, this may reconfirm audiences about the particular scenario shows of heartbreak and the insecurity of the girl. His theory relates to my music video for example my music video shows a venerable girl during a complicated insecure teenage relationship, with the use of a black and white filter effect capturing the couples emotional dilemma in the past. If my audience accept this reading to reassure them that this type of behaviour and state of mind is normal during this period of the lives, then this shows that my audience are shaping their identity through my music video.

Audience Theory

Linear Models
-Hypodermic syringe theory: audiences accept the messages that are 'injected' into them via the media for example my music video shows insecurity and doubt in the artists relationship through the lyrics, therefore the audience may believe that all teenage relationships are like this.
-Two step flow theory: sender-message-receiver, ideas travel from media to opinion leaders to individuals in society. (BUT what if audience are active like contemporary audience, theory is too simplistic and audience challenge readings)
-Uses and gratifications theory: expanded by Blulmer and Katz, published in 1974. People may use my music video as a diversion (escape from everyday problems) and personal relationships (using media for emotional and other interactions).

Stuart Hall
-Encoding and decoding texts: we understand codes of media as we learn to read them, media texts are constructed and have an intended or preferred reading eg, someone dressed in black is bad. Media is encoded by producers then decoded by audiences. Active audiences have a negotiated reading, partly accepting but partly giving its own reading by the audience.

Cultural Identity
-David Gauntlett: suggests that your identity is not fixed, you are shaped by the media. Audiences use media representations to check their own identity for example in my music video audiences see the painful process of life's problems and complicated relationships as the artists insecure relationship is portrayed in the music video.

Louis Althusser
-Reinforcing the values of society: individuals believe that they are free to form their own opinions and values, my music video reinforces ideas and values that are found in popular culture of promoting innocence. Individuals are interpellated, they are unconsciously controlled by those in power, audiences are manipulated.

Cultural Position

The cultural position of my target audience is young adults, between the ages of 16-24 years who might have a dominant reading and reflect on the artists relationship as they're in the same age group as the artist.


An audience with a different ethnic background would have mixed readings towards the texts, the focus group would probably have a negotiated reading as my audience is active and would decode the text. So they might partly accept the reading of the emotions in the video that are expressed but may feel that large impact on these relationship insecurities are largely exaggerated and the real problems are undermined.


It is largely female audience rather than male that may have a oppositional reading to the text as the artist has been portrayed being needy and highly emotional, which the audience may think is untrue and believe that women have more power as well as independent. 


Audience with a similar ethnic background as the artist would probably relate to the text and feel that it is a realistic reading with a correct portrayal of themselves, they would have a dominant reading and accepting the messages.


An audience whom is poor would have an aberrant reading to the text as they might not understand the large impact on materialistic factors that have been shown to be possessed by the artist like clothes, instrument, etc. They will not be able to relate and reflect on the text as my audience is not passive but active and challenge the messages.

Real Media Conventions: The Music Video

"Sometimes, working within constraints produces the most interesting work" (Branston and Strafford). How have you used real media conventions to produce interesting or effective coursework productions?



http://www.google.co.uk/search?hl=en&safe=active&surl=1&q=%22sometimes,%20working%20within%20constraints%20produces%20the%20most%20interesting%20work%22%20how%20have%20you%20used%20real%20medoia%20conventions%20to%20produce%20interesting%20or%20effective%20coursework%20productions?&spell=1&sa=X

Editing to Create Meaning (iMovie)

Using iMovie I editing my music video and created meaning to add connotations to particular features throughout the music video. I used a fast cut montage effect as a main feature of the video, I made sure that each clip was not held for more than 5 seconds. I used the 'cut tool' to cut sections of long clips to make them shorter, this made it easy to cut off segments that didn't have the meaningful mise en scene. I ensured the mise en scene had meaning and created connotations to match the beat of the music to visuals, for example I changed to a different clip every time the tempo changed to portray the emotions of the artist.

I used the image motif of 'eyes' as a repeated enhanced visual metaphor for showing sombre and deep emotions of the music and artist. I also added a 'film aged effect' to give the music video a slight edge and create attraction for the focus group, this effect gave a connotation of 'the past' in the music video so that the audience could keep track of the storyline.

Through the use of iMovie I was able to change the pace of the pace of the clips, for example with the image motif of 'glitter' I slowed this shot down to make the mise en scene more effective. As the glitter being blown was in reality a quick action this would not have been well captured on the music video, slowing this shot down meant that each sprinkle of glitter falling gave a great effect.

'Jump cut' was used to match the beat of the music, I cut in between a long shot of the artist walking to create a quick motion of this action. This also matched the 'fast cut montage' feature of the music video as the clip was cut to smaller, short segments. This effect changed a boring shot to more interesting and creative, it matched the ideology of the artist. iMovie enabled me to edit my music video effectively and create meaning to make it more apparent to the focus group.

Creativity Essay Plan

(post pic)

Planning and Research

Time and equipment was organised in my Foundation Portfolio task with the use of micro and macro decision. Time and equipment was not a strong aspect during this task which was a real weakness to the final outcome. Micro decisions I made included creating a flat plan of my magazine which allowed me to experiment with my initial ideas and gave me a view of what I can work with to recreate for the final piece. It was a very effective aspect of my planning as I was able to see the particular parts that worked well and those that didn't work so well, to ensure that my product was successful. I did however encounter a couple of problems, my choice of image didn't seem to be as effective as I had planned. After realising this problem I conducted a questionnaire targeted at my focus group to rectify this problem. The feedback I consumed meant that I was able to change my images to match the needs of my focus group. In the Advanced Portfolio task I organised my time and equipment much more effectively, learning from the Foundation Portfolio task. An example of this is my shooting schedule which outlined each day of filming clearly and acted as a check list of what needed to done for that particular day. It also ensured that nothing was missed or left out, right from the actors involved in the shot to what equipment was needed. This shows my progression to how I turned a weak aspect of my previous task to a strength in organisational skills which made my final product successful.

In the Foundation Portfolio task I chose and organised my actors, setting and props using macro decision. I was able to choose the the actors, setting and props needed for the photo shoot to ensure that the images suited the style and genre. This planning was effective as I made the actor successfully stand out and look unique. However a problem I faced was that the chosen locations didn't seem to be very effect, I should have looked more into a range of settings that would have been better for the images. For the Advanced Portfolio I organised my actors, setting and props using social networking websites and mobile phones. I was able to contact my actors and arrange meetings, I also sent the track to the actors through this so that they were able to master lip syncing the lyrics. I had the ability to prepare the actors in terms of the costume and props that would be used. This planning showed progression as you can see that I ensured that my actors matched the Indie genre of music and that all the needed props were taken to the particular setting in the final product.

I researched existing products in the process of scripting during the Foundation task and created a draft piece. This aspect of planning was effective as it helped me to understand the use of conventions used in a music magazine. Flat planning gave me an idea of how to construct my final product effectively and gave me the benefit of showcasing my work to my focus group to adapt suiting their needs. Although I did have problems when it came to choice of locations as the location were very dull and did not fit in with the music magazine, this could have been overcome if I had looked into different locations that would have been more appropriate for the magazine. In the Advanced Portfolio task storyboarding and scripting I used was the same but much more detailed, for example I annotated my draft version much more thoroughly to gain a clear understanding on the particular aspects. I also used a theorist, Goodwins principles to study conventions of a music video to make my end product successful. This showed my more depth of progression to how much better my planning had improved, meaning a much better product in comparison to the previous one in the Foundation Portfolio task.

With the use of primary research like creating questionnaires for my focus group to gain qualitative data in the Foundation Portfolio task I was able to gain an insight on the likes and dislikes. Which meant I could include the likes in my product and avoid the dislikes. This research was useful as it affected the end feedback of my task and meant that I could minimise the likeliness of negative feedback. Although the lack of detail in the feedback created a problem during the research, I should have used open questions instead of closed questions to receive a more detailed response from which I could have gained more usage out of. For example one of the questions were 'do you like interviews featured in music magazines?' this could have been adapted to 'what features do you like included in a music magazine? (Like interviews etc, please be specific)'. For the Advanced profile I used secondary research like the use of Goodwins principles as well as primary research for example feedback from my pitch of ideas. This showed how I had progressed as I was now using more than one form of research to gain a better form of research.

In the Foundation Portfolio task I looked at existing media products and annotated them to analyse what makes them effective and reach their focus group effectively. I analysed comparable products with the same genre of music to mine to maximise attraction of my own product. This research was useful as it helped me to understand what particular aspects of the product are vital in creating brand identity and how conventions of the magazine stand out to the focus group. I did not however understand uses of house colour and how specific colours worked better than other which meant that this was a real weakness of my end product. Which could have been improved if I had added as question regarded to this in my questionnaire to receive feedback on what colours to make use of. I researched existing media products in my Advanced Portfolio, this time I ensured that I looked into the product with more depth for example looking at costume and the various camera work used. I also ensured that I looked a several different music videos to get inspiration and add creativity to my own product. Which showed how my research had expanded and I had learnt how important depth of research was during tasks, this progression was meant that my Advanced Portfolio was much more successful and met the requirements of my focus group effectively.