Script
(Podcast)
Throughout this course I've produced three products, a music video, digipak and a webpage for a fictional band I am portraying. Across all these products I've conformed to many conventions of the rock genre and music as a whole. Typical conventions would include both macro and micro elements such as props, setting and editing.
In relation to my music video, I've made use of conventions more frequently as opposed to challenging them. The mise-en-scene such as props, setting and costume is conventional as it follows the typical inclusion of relevant instruments, stage setting and simple costume. There's nothing out of the ordinary when it comes to these micro elements. The lighting and setting is also quite dark and is conventional of the type of music I have selected for the music video. Rock typically evokes a dark and heavy atmosphere through its lyrical content and instrumentation and as a result I've conformed to these conventions through a visual representation of the music. All music videos that I've conducted research on have shared a common trend of aggression and fast paces both musically and visually. The diegetic sound and visuals work together in cohesion that reflects the mood of the music and is therefore conventional, the contrast between the verses and the chorus is juxtaposed from one another both visually and musically. Costume was also quite conventional as it was simple casual clothing that is a common aesthetic within the indie rock scene coupled with the fact that costume is no longer seen as a way for bands to establish their sense of iconography neither is it a part of a larger movement such as the psychedelic rock/culture that encompassed the mid-1960s or the glam rock scene of the 1970s that was represented by the likes of David Bowie into mainstream media, again an observation made during my research. I consciously chose simple blacks and whites as stated in my pre-production to reflect on the mood and angst of the band. It's not particularly outlandish and attention grabbing but more of as an everyday clothing aesthetic - this aims to represent the idea that the music performed can apply to anyone and everyone. My music video largely aimed to conform to the modern representation of indie rock and rock music in general through these conventional use of micro elements. Macro elements such as gender, genre and representation was also conventional as rock is stereo typically a genre performed by males for male audiences. This is likely because of the genre's attitude and nature of the lyrics and instrumental is typically aggressive and rugged that appeals to alternative audiences and the misinterpreted youth that are more likely to be of a male demographic. I effectively expressed this aggression and "angst" through the editing as I frequently cut to the beat, exhibit camera shakes and mirrored "glitchy" visuals with the quirks of the music itself (i.e. static noises) I also cast young male musicians for my music video as I felt that it is a common trend in today's music that more and more younger artists are promoted in the media in contrast to the "old time folk" such as Eric Clapton, The Dire Straits and Led Zeppelin (to name a few) which have been the face of the rock genre for decades. The reasoning behind this is most likely because rock music evidently appeals to a young demographic so they have younger talents pioneering the movement resulting in audiences having more interaction with the artist through the likes of social media and live performances. This sprung up an effective marketing strategy around it as rock artists are no longer seen as untouchable by audiences but are now more involved with the musicians. Through micro elements such as performance, setting and lighting I've also conformed to a conventional representation of a moody and isolated youth act that audiences of this genre can relate to. Performance is very focused with no attempt towards showmanship or stage presence, they simply perform and leave the music to evoke an emotion which gradually influences their performance as the music progresses. This is a particular convention among debut acts as they are typically seen as shy and conservative as they first put themselves out there. A classic example of this is the Arctic Monkey's evolution throughout the years as their front man, Alex Turner, has changed from a shy indie rock adolescent known for works such as "What Ever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not" to a leather worn, slick back hair showman with their emergence of the AM album - again an observation seen during my research of costumes and digipak. The lighting and setting really go hand in hand in representing a sense of isolation and mystery as I kept the lighting quite dark all the way through and the setting was very tight and isolated. Even with the use of red and blue light filters, a sense of darkness and mystery was still kept due to the nature of the setting and the fact that the lights were still kept at a low light intensity. This again conforms to the conventions of rock acts such as Royal Blood, The Strokes and Nirvana who are known for both their mysterious and aggressive demeanor.
My music video also challenged some conventions of a band performance. One notable thing that stand out with my music video is the constant arc shots throughout the video. This style of cinematography aims to entice the audience and keep them engaged to balance out the weakness of not being able to retain audience interest. Most directors aims to circumvent this through fast paced editing, cutting to the beat and visual techniques such as extravagant lighting, smoke machines and handheld camera movement. This is most likely the reason for most band performance music videos being shot in actual live performances as a lot of the visuals are already in place so the director has no need to replicate it in a set. My music video challenges this specific convention as I shot the performance in an isolated set and most of the energy is expressed through editing and lighting rather than the atmosphere of a live concert. Arc shots are also not as consistently used in band performance videos in general which is another convention that I have challenged. This was an observation again made during my research of band performance music videos - The Stroke's "Reptilia" music video features purely static camera shots creating a fixed and structured feeling to the video. They are not the only culprits for minimal camera movement, several other band performance music videos have done this during my research. By shooting in constant arc shots I felt that I have created a fluid and captivating experience for the viewers by challenging this convention. I've also challenged the convention of a "blanket representation" of the band, meaning that the band is an identity in itself and that the band members rarely break out of this identity. I've challenged this by showcasing a variety of personalities specific to each band member, whilst still keeping a main aesthetic and not completely breaking out from the feel of the video and music. I wanted to show that each band member also has an identity of their own that can break away from the focus of the band e.g. the bassist has some whimsical tendencies, the drummer is very focused and plain and the singer/guitarist is influenced by the mood of the music. I wanted to highlight the fact they they have different roles and add a dynamic to the band rather than having a uniform representation of the band as a whole. This creates interest with the audience and encourages artist and audience interaction as they are more likely to relate to specific groups of people within the audience, creating a more diverse audience group. The ending section of the music video challenges the cut up and put together convention of music videos by shooting a continuous take on the gimbal. This add variety to the music video and breaks up the pace, what is heard as the most chaotic and hectic part of the music is juxtaposed with smooth continuous takes on the gimbal that smoothly weaves in and around the band set at a constant pace. The outlandish camera shakes were done in post-editing in sync with the beat of the music. This creates a sort of uneasy and distorted feeling that completely contrasts the steadiness beforehand. This is unconventional as band performance music videos rarely break out from the established pace they have portrayed to the audience, which may be the sole reason why performance music videos easily drop off in interest and appeal as it becomes predictable to the audience.
As stated previously, my music video aims to represent the misinterpreted youth and the alternative group that is not as easily accepted by society and the status quo. It aims to show the alternative, the different and the niche that highlights the contrasts and juxtaposition of society. This idea that there are always thorns with roses, there is a darkness to the light and a bitter to the sweet. By utilising an isolated setting, low key lighting and sparing costumes I've established a sense of disconnection with the mainstream media as it does not appeal to a large audience and satisfies an alternative niche. This is because media is mainly consumed for escapism and entertainment so by representing the niche of the alternative rock scene it breaks away from the conventional media. I've also successfully represented this group of people by casting young people, as previously mentioned, to create a connection between young demographic and the artists to bring light into the issue that the youth are a commonly misrepresented group of people in society. By giving the outcasts a place of belonging by knowing that other artists are going through similar experiences they tend to gravitate towards it - this is because these young talents have the unique ability to express the issues that the youth face into a wider context i.e. music. It gives them a voice within society that they struggle to express.
Across my digipak collection, I aimed to place more focus on the youthfulness and the depiction of indie rock hence the more colourful and abstract approach. Although I did not make as effective use of bright colours in my music video, which was discussed in my pre-production research, I instead portrayed the genre in my digipak. The front cover is quite a conventional layout for the album where the main image of the lead singer is central serving as the main visual focus. The text such as the album cover is also conventional as it is positioned on the top right and bottom left of the main image. The layout clearly follows a structured grid composition giving a uniform look to the image. I kept to a conventional layout so that consumers will have an easy time identifying what the product is and fulfills their expectation causing it to be widely accepted by the mainstream despite the use of abstract textures. This is because marketing aims to appeal to as wide a consumer base as possible and does so by conforming to what is familiar to consumers. The disc design is also quite standard as it supports continuity, it's not uncommon for digipak sets to repeat the image on the front cover onto the physical disc itself. The back cover is also conventional in regards to having all the elements in such as song titles and legal logos, barcode etc.
However, I've also challenged many conventions in my digipak. The images themselves are taken straight from the actual music video itself which challenges traditions of doing a separate photo shoot for the digipak set. This encourages cross promotion between two products where the digipak promotes the music video and in turn the music video makes use of the disc design serving as the thumbnail in YouTube. This is later displayed onto the webpage which will be discussed later. The use of abstract texture, which serves as a recurring theme across the digipak, challenges the clean and neat presentation of album covers and creates a more creative and striking outlook onto the product. The colours are a clear depiction of the liveliness that comes with youth culture as observed by genres dominated by a young demographic such as EDM discussed in my research. It is necessary for conventions to be challenged especially within independent media as it gets people to be more of an active consumer base rather than a passive consumer and think about the product they are purchasing. This promotes a loyal fanbase for the band which is the whole point of independent acts. The back cover is a good example of how I challenged conventions, I used a geometric, mosaic-style image and positioned the song titles across the shape in a sporadic manner, the images are again taken from the music video. The intricate nature of this layout creates a more appealing, and creative look by breaking away from a strict layout/grid composition briefly touched on upon in my front cover. I paid no regard for symmetry or structure as I wanted to retain the lively, creative and innovative positive connotations that the youth have. Because of the nature of young consumers, I am obliged to conform to these traits in order to appeal to them. This plays into Blumler & Katz's Uses and Gratifications theory as young consumers will have a visual gratification towards owning the product as it mirrors youth culture in a positive light. By doing so, it promotes a wider consumer base across all ages, ultimately representing a creative appeal that young people innately have, not to mention the visual appeal that the digipak clearly has.
In contrast, the main image in the front cover is stand on its own featuring only the lead singer/guitarist. This again reflects on a sense of isolation and disconnect from society. The fact that the image is a separate entity away from the background texture supports this idea which is a relatable feeling among the youth. It is also unconventional due to the lack of a direct mode of address, the singer is looking away from the camera which gives a coy, reserved and calm impression to consumers - traits that are not characteristic of the genre and behaviour of rock musicians. This humanises the idea of stardom and fame gathering a further liking among the misinterpreted youth. It wholly supports this connection between artist and audience by representing the audience through their own personal experiences and own personality.
Regarding my webpage, I've included the main conventions of a band webpage such as music video links, merchandising, album promotion and tour dates. As a whole, my webpage is conventional and simple to use. The design aesthetic again constantly relates to this idea of contrast with by using complementary colours as a visual aesthetic but at the same time trying to portray a philosophical thought. The merchandise is very depicting of a young demographic with products such as hoodies, backpacks and snapbacks that is an integral part of youth culture. I've also created different styles of the same product to cater towards the variety of tastes that teenagers typically have. They range from classic designs to more colourful and creative aesthetics, allowing products to become more personal for the consumer as teenagers value their appearance; associating it with their own identity and individuality - hence the importance of providing different styles of the same product. Each line of merchandise explicitly caters to different social groups as expressed in each slogan - again highlighting the importance of variety in an attempt to represent different social groups within youth culture. Social media links at the very end act as free promotion through word-of-mouth amongst fans of the band. It also reflects on the young target audience that the band appeals to as young people are most active on several forms of social media for entertainment purposes. It supports a modern audience and utilises contemporary marketing strategies such as this. As a result, it instantly caters to a modern society and targets a young demographic just by simply plugging in social media links. Immediately, the website establishes a sense of musicality and genre specific connotations such as dark colours, rugged images and silhouettes of instruments - particular to the header image - to create a sense of identity and promote band iconography to the general public. This is a very literal approach that serves well in appealing to fans of the genre but more importantly makes the promotion self-aware.
This idea of the media being self-aware of itself has challenged conventions of product promotion and advertising. I first discovered this trend within television ads where they become increasingly self-aware of the product they are advertising, it no longer became a purely informational advertisement but rather a self-deprecating satire towards the product. This ultimately creates a connection with the audience through sarcasm and this notion of "we know they know" acknowledging the fact that the ad is an ad. A classic example of this is Old Spice's TV advertising which featured actors Isaiah Mustafa and Terry Crews. The advertisement overtly breaks the fourth wall and constantly parodies the over-the-top nature of their advertisements. I aimed to replicate this sense of self-awareness through silhouettes of instruments but in a subtle manner. I felt that this works well as such a marketing device thrives to create a connection to the consumer which is what my whole project has been an emphasis of.
In relation to my music video, I've made use of conventions more frequently as opposed to challenging them. The mise-en-scene such as props, setting and costume is conventional as it follows the typical inclusion of relevant instruments, stage setting and simple costume. There's nothing out of the ordinary when it comes to these micro elements. The lighting and setting is also quite dark and is conventional of the type of music I have selected for the music video. Rock typically evokes a dark and heavy atmosphere through its lyrical content and instrumentation and as a result I've conformed to these conventions through a visual representation of the music. All music videos that I've conducted research on have shared a common trend of aggression and fast paces both musically and visually. The diegetic sound and visuals work together in cohesion that reflects the mood of the music and is therefore conventional, the contrast between the verses and the chorus is juxtaposed from one another both visually and musically. Costume was also quite conventional as it was simple casual clothing that is a common aesthetic within the indie rock scene coupled with the fact that costume is no longer seen as a way for bands to establish their sense of iconography neither is it a part of a larger movement such as the psychedelic rock/culture that encompassed the mid-1960s or the glam rock scene of the 1970s that was represented by the likes of David Bowie into mainstream media, again an observation made during my research. I consciously chose simple blacks and whites as stated in my pre-production to reflect on the mood and angst of the band. It's not particularly outlandish and attention grabbing but more of as an everyday clothing aesthetic - this aims to represent the idea that the music performed can apply to anyone and everyone. My music video largely aimed to conform to the modern representation of indie rock and rock music in general through these conventional use of micro elements. Macro elements such as gender, genre and representation was also conventional as rock is stereo typically a genre performed by males for male audiences. This is likely because of the genre's attitude and nature of the lyrics and instrumental is typically aggressive and rugged that appeals to alternative audiences and the misinterpreted youth that are more likely to be of a male demographic. I effectively expressed this aggression and "angst" through the editing as I frequently cut to the beat, exhibit camera shakes and mirrored "glitchy" visuals with the quirks of the music itself (i.e. static noises) I also cast young male musicians for my music video as I felt that it is a common trend in today's music that more and more younger artists are promoted in the media in contrast to the "old time folk" such as Eric Clapton, The Dire Straits and Led Zeppelin (to name a few) which have been the face of the rock genre for decades. The reasoning behind this is most likely because rock music evidently appeals to a young demographic so they have younger talents pioneering the movement resulting in audiences having more interaction with the artist through the likes of social media and live performances. This sprung up an effective marketing strategy around it as rock artists are no longer seen as untouchable by audiences but are now more involved with the musicians. Through micro elements such as performance, setting and lighting I've also conformed to a conventional representation of a moody and isolated youth act that audiences of this genre can relate to. Performance is very focused with no attempt towards showmanship or stage presence, they simply perform and leave the music to evoke an emotion which gradually influences their performance as the music progresses. This is a particular convention among debut acts as they are typically seen as shy and conservative as they first put themselves out there. A classic example of this is the Arctic Monkey's evolution throughout the years as their front man, Alex Turner, has changed from a shy indie rock adolescent known for works such as "What Ever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not" to a leather worn, slick back hair showman with their emergence of the AM album - again an observation seen during my research of costumes and digipak. The lighting and setting really go hand in hand in representing a sense of isolation and mystery as I kept the lighting quite dark all the way through and the setting was very tight and isolated. Even with the use of red and blue light filters, a sense of darkness and mystery was still kept due to the nature of the setting and the fact that the lights were still kept at a low light intensity. This again conforms to the conventions of rock acts such as Royal Blood, The Strokes and Nirvana who are known for both their mysterious and aggressive demeanor.
My music video also challenged some conventions of a band performance. One notable thing that stand out with my music video is the constant arc shots throughout the video. This style of cinematography aims to entice the audience and keep them engaged to balance out the weakness of not being able to retain audience interest. Most directors aims to circumvent this through fast paced editing, cutting to the beat and visual techniques such as extravagant lighting, smoke machines and handheld camera movement. This is most likely the reason for most band performance music videos being shot in actual live performances as a lot of the visuals are already in place so the director has no need to replicate it in a set. My music video challenges this specific convention as I shot the performance in an isolated set and most of the energy is expressed through editing and lighting rather than the atmosphere of a live concert. Arc shots are also not as consistently used in band performance videos in general which is another convention that I have challenged. This was an observation again made during my research of band performance music videos - The Stroke's "Reptilia" music video features purely static camera shots creating a fixed and structured feeling to the video. They are not the only culprits for minimal camera movement, several other band performance music videos have done this during my research. By shooting in constant arc shots I felt that I have created a fluid and captivating experience for the viewers by challenging this convention. I've also challenged the convention of a "blanket representation" of the band, meaning that the band is an identity in itself and that the band members rarely break out of this identity. I've challenged this by showcasing a variety of personalities specific to each band member, whilst still keeping a main aesthetic and not completely breaking out from the feel of the video and music. I wanted to show that each band member also has an identity of their own that can break away from the focus of the band e.g. the bassist has some whimsical tendencies, the drummer is very focused and plain and the singer/guitarist is influenced by the mood of the music. I wanted to highlight the fact they they have different roles and add a dynamic to the band rather than having a uniform representation of the band as a whole. This creates interest with the audience and encourages artist and audience interaction as they are more likely to relate to specific groups of people within the audience, creating a more diverse audience group. The ending section of the music video challenges the cut up and put together convention of music videos by shooting a continuous take on the gimbal. This add variety to the music video and breaks up the pace, what is heard as the most chaotic and hectic part of the music is juxtaposed with smooth continuous takes on the gimbal that smoothly weaves in and around the band set at a constant pace. The outlandish camera shakes were done in post-editing in sync with the beat of the music. This creates a sort of uneasy and distorted feeling that completely contrasts the steadiness beforehand. This is unconventional as band performance music videos rarely break out from the established pace they have portrayed to the audience, which may be the sole reason why performance music videos easily drop off in interest and appeal as it becomes predictable to the audience.
As stated previously, my music video aims to represent the misinterpreted youth and the alternative group that is not as easily accepted by society and the status quo. It aims to show the alternative, the different and the niche that highlights the contrasts and juxtaposition of society. This idea that there are always thorns with roses, there is a darkness to the light and a bitter to the sweet. By utilising an isolated setting, low key lighting and sparing costumes I've established a sense of disconnection with the mainstream media as it does not appeal to a large audience and satisfies an alternative niche. This is because media is mainly consumed for escapism and entertainment so by representing the niche of the alternative rock scene it breaks away from the conventional media. I've also successfully represented this group of people by casting young people, as previously mentioned, to create a connection between young demographic and the artists to bring light into the issue that the youth are a commonly misrepresented group of people in society. By giving the outcasts a place of belonging by knowing that other artists are going through similar experiences they tend to gravitate towards it - this is because these young talents have the unique ability to express the issues that the youth face into a wider context i.e. music. It gives them a voice within society that they struggle to express.
Across my digipak collection, I aimed to place more focus on the youthfulness and the depiction of indie rock hence the more colourful and abstract approach. Although I did not make as effective use of bright colours in my music video, which was discussed in my pre-production research, I instead portrayed the genre in my digipak. The front cover is quite a conventional layout for the album where the main image of the lead singer is central serving as the main visual focus. The text such as the album cover is also conventional as it is positioned on the top right and bottom left of the main image. The layout clearly follows a structured grid composition giving a uniform look to the image. I kept to a conventional layout so that consumers will have an easy time identifying what the product is and fulfills their expectation causing it to be widely accepted by the mainstream despite the use of abstract textures. This is because marketing aims to appeal to as wide a consumer base as possible and does so by conforming to what is familiar to consumers. The disc design is also quite standard as it supports continuity, it's not uncommon for digipak sets to repeat the image on the front cover onto the physical disc itself. The back cover is also conventional in regards to having all the elements in such as song titles and legal logos, barcode etc.
However, I've also challenged many conventions in my digipak. The images themselves are taken straight from the actual music video itself which challenges traditions of doing a separate photo shoot for the digipak set. This encourages cross promotion between two products where the digipak promotes the music video and in turn the music video makes use of the disc design serving as the thumbnail in YouTube. This is later displayed onto the webpage which will be discussed later. The use of abstract texture, which serves as a recurring theme across the digipak, challenges the clean and neat presentation of album covers and creates a more creative and striking outlook onto the product. The colours are a clear depiction of the liveliness that comes with youth culture as observed by genres dominated by a young demographic such as EDM discussed in my research. It is necessary for conventions to be challenged especially within independent media as it gets people to be more of an active consumer base rather than a passive consumer and think about the product they are purchasing. This promotes a loyal fanbase for the band which is the whole point of independent acts. The back cover is a good example of how I challenged conventions, I used a geometric, mosaic-style image and positioned the song titles across the shape in a sporadic manner, the images are again taken from the music video. The intricate nature of this layout creates a more appealing, and creative look by breaking away from a strict layout/grid composition briefly touched on upon in my front cover. I paid no regard for symmetry or structure as I wanted to retain the lively, creative and innovative positive connotations that the youth have. Because of the nature of young consumers, I am obliged to conform to these traits in order to appeal to them. This plays into Blumler & Katz's Uses and Gratifications theory as young consumers will have a visual gratification towards owning the product as it mirrors youth culture in a positive light. By doing so, it promotes a wider consumer base across all ages, ultimately representing a creative appeal that young people innately have, not to mention the visual appeal that the digipak clearly has.
In contrast, the main image in the front cover is stand on its own featuring only the lead singer/guitarist. This again reflects on a sense of isolation and disconnect from society. The fact that the image is a separate entity away from the background texture supports this idea which is a relatable feeling among the youth. It is also unconventional due to the lack of a direct mode of address, the singer is looking away from the camera which gives a coy, reserved and calm impression to consumers - traits that are not characteristic of the genre and behaviour of rock musicians. This humanises the idea of stardom and fame gathering a further liking among the misinterpreted youth. It wholly supports this connection between artist and audience by representing the audience through their own personal experiences and own personality.
Regarding my webpage, I've included the main conventions of a band webpage such as music video links, merchandising, album promotion and tour dates. As a whole, my webpage is conventional and simple to use. The design aesthetic again constantly relates to this idea of contrast with by using complementary colours as a visual aesthetic but at the same time trying to portray a philosophical thought. The merchandise is very depicting of a young demographic with products such as hoodies, backpacks and snapbacks that is an integral part of youth culture. I've also created different styles of the same product to cater towards the variety of tastes that teenagers typically have. They range from classic designs to more colourful and creative aesthetics, allowing products to become more personal for the consumer as teenagers value their appearance; associating it with their own identity and individuality - hence the importance of providing different styles of the same product. Each line of merchandise explicitly caters to different social groups as expressed in each slogan - again highlighting the importance of variety in an attempt to represent different social groups within youth culture. Social media links at the very end act as free promotion through word-of-mouth amongst fans of the band. It also reflects on the young target audience that the band appeals to as young people are most active on several forms of social media for entertainment purposes. It supports a modern audience and utilises contemporary marketing strategies such as this. As a result, it instantly caters to a modern society and targets a young demographic just by simply plugging in social media links. Immediately, the website establishes a sense of musicality and genre specific connotations such as dark colours, rugged images and silhouettes of instruments - particular to the header image - to create a sense of identity and promote band iconography to the general public. This is a very literal approach that serves well in appealing to fans of the genre but more importantly makes the promotion self-aware.
This idea of the media being self-aware of itself has challenged conventions of product promotion and advertising. I first discovered this trend within television ads where they become increasingly self-aware of the product they are advertising, it no longer became a purely informational advertisement but rather a self-deprecating satire towards the product. This ultimately creates a connection with the audience through sarcasm and this notion of "we know they know" acknowledging the fact that the ad is an ad. A classic example of this is Old Spice's TV advertising which featured actors Isaiah Mustafa and Terry Crews. The advertisement overtly breaks the fourth wall and constantly parodies the over-the-top nature of their advertisements. I aimed to replicate this sense of self-awareness through silhouettes of instruments but in a subtle manner. I felt that this works well as such a marketing device thrives to create a connection to the consumer which is what my whole project has been an emphasis of.