Conventions of form and genre

There are 3 types of music videos, these are:

• Performance
• Narrative
• Abstract

PERFORMANCE

Performance based videos show only the band/artist performing the song. It is the cheapest and easiest type of video to make. Fast editing and a variety of shots need to be used in order to keep the video interesting and appealing as it could look boring with only performance. One example of this is ‘The pretender’ by Foo Fighters. This video is mainly performance with only a little intertwining story to help express the lyrics, however the performance element is interesting to watch due to the lighting and mise en scene.

NARRATIVE
Narrative based music videos contains mostly footage that shows a storyline that runs throughout the music video. Sometimes with actors and sometimes with the artist themselves, the story will either link to the lyrics of the song, or just the overall theme. If a song has been featured in a film, the music video will often show clips of film footage cut into the music video. This style of music video is good for suggesting themes to the audience as most music videos with a narrative follow the theorist Kate Domaille's ideas that narratives of music videos are influenced by the original storyline (e.g. love- Romeo and Juliet). A good example of a narrative being used in a music video is 'Dance Dance' by Fall Out Boy as it is about a boy trying to impress a girl and in the end he does. This video also has an element of performance in it as the band is playing to the audience.

ABSTRACT
Abstract videos are based around a single concept or idea. This type of video is fairly unusual as they tend to use a lot of effects and try to express emotion on the way it is filmed. These types of videos aren't very popular as some people find them hard to relate to. However, many videos will combine the abstract element with another to give off a certain feeling. A good example of an abstract music video is 'This is how we do' by Katy Perry as there are a lot of visual elements that don't relate to the lyrics and a lot of effects are used to give off a certain feeling.

Creativity

I have developed my creativity because I put a lot more thought into where I was shooting my music magazine compared to my college magazine. I shot my college magazine in the college's sports equipment cupboard as I thought it would look good in the background, however I didn't consider the lighting. In my music magazine I used my creativity as I thought that by making the background simple, I would be able to show my creativity in the conventions included on my front page e.g. how to position the plug so it would get noticed. 

By comparing my draft contents page to my final contents page, it is also evident that my creativity has developed as I have placed the conventions carefully in order to make it look like an actual contents page and to make it look interesting.

Digital technology

The development over my first year in digital technology is evident in my college magazine and my music magazine. Firstly, I didn't know how to use Photoshop very well therefore I didn't really use it in my college magazine however it was the main thing I used in my music magazine as I needed to gain an effect that was not possible to do without the use of it. I feel that Photoshop played an important part not just in my front cover but throughout my whole product like in my contents page as it also allowed me to place things where I wanted them and made my images stand out making them look more professional.

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My development in digital technology also consisted of me using my camera more effectively and understanding terms like the rule of thirds and how a medium close up is more suitable for a magazine.

The brief and chosen ancillary texts

A promotion package release of an album, to include a music promo video, together with:

• A cover for its release as part of a digipak
• a magazine advertisement for the digipak

Evaluation

Evaluation questions

1) What did you find the most challenging and why?

2) What will you do differently when you make your A2 product next year?

3) How has doing this task helped you and why? What have you taken away from this experience?

4) How successful was your product? Why do you think it was successful or unsuccessful?

5) How do you feel about developing to A2 level now you have completed this task?

6) What do you like most/least about your final product

Our final Reconstruction of Vampire Weekend- Cousins

Location

Location

We've decided on this location near Whitefriargate, Hull. It is a quite area to film and is a similar setting to the original video. 

We've decided to film on Monday the 16th June, as that's when my group and our cast are available. We've checked the weather forecast to make sure it won't be too sunny or rainy.