Evaluation - In What ways does the media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions?

A2 Productions - Evaluation

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

Product: Music video using the “Mr Brightside” track by The Killers.

One of the ways in which the music video uses forms and conventions is the narrative, being a love triangle that follows in the footsteps of videos such as “Mr Brightside”. Discontinuity editing is used for flashbacks and develops conventions of music videos, showing how mode of address is being used to engage the audience in a particular way. It’s accomplished because especially here, they’re expected to be an active audience by following a narrative that’s suggestive and put the pieces together.

The genres are alternative and indie rock within the context of this video, it makes sense as the way The media language used has an experimental perception to the text. As referred to the use of discontinuity editing isn’t an original concept within music videos, but is appropriate keeping in line with the values of the genres. One of the key flourishes of these two is an underground style as it reflects the attitude that within alternative and indie rock, there doesn’t have to be a mainstream style. Another example of how that’s shown is largely there’s natural lighting, so the mise-en-scene has little use of low or high-key lighting and adds realism. Mise-en-scene extends to the positioning, costumes and other elements as it combines to show a complete representation of the characters not having traditional beliefs, as almost nothing is compromised to display the verisimilitude as realistic in the mode of address of a music video.

Megan is the only female to make an appearance in this video and she conforms to a stereotype as she dresses to appear pretty, has make-up and the message is trying to connote that she’s a victim. This falls into conventions as females are stereotypically shown as damsels in distress, although it also develops conventions here because Megan also stands up for what she believes in by attempting to stop the quarrel between Peter and Will. The majority of music videos attempt to exaggerate the delivery to please certain audiences. Only part of this is set in a studio, contradicting the realism as well although what’s set in the studio implies as Peter is doing the song to put the situation behind him.

The target audience isn’t niche as the age range is sixteen to twenty five and there’s a sense the ideology is attempting to tell all audiences about the danger of betrayal, so here again conventions are developed.

Product: Digipack named “On The Edge” by Mr Brightside, a made-up band

It uses, develops and challenges conventions in a number of ways. To give an example the representation is quite stylised and clashes with the music video. It’s intended to subvert the ideology of the main product and evoke multiple responses, as the intention is to please the target audience but also reflect the complexity of what occurs in love triangles. The image for the front cover is a flower surrounded by grass and raindrops exaggerated by high-key lighting. Rain is a piece of iconography that evokes certain feelings but as the representation is subverted, it adjusts the ideology to something where there’s a range of emotions. In addition they connote the genres of the album by adjusting the ideology to something that covers a broader range of emotions.

Regarding the titles there are two main types of font: FromStreetArt and Hand TypeWriter. Conventions are developed as FromStreetArt presents a graffiti image, denoting the album as appealing to a younger audience although the titles indicate otherwise, ranging from the album title “On The Edge” to track/video titles including “Always Look On The Brightside Of Life”. That conforms to conventions of back covers as it lists the tracks/videos and helps the overall presentation of the digipak appear clean. This is as digipaks have a structured mode of address, where it ranges from the cover giving an introduction to the style, explaining why the cover is quite stylised to the CD and DVD itself that traditionally includes a single image, along with the album and band titles. The digipak can again been seen as following the tradition of media language as this is what the CD and DVD feature.

Colour design also follows a structure as to give an example, similar colours are used from the front to back cover. Here conventions are challenged as although there are similarities in terms of there being similar fonts and the image is the same, the colour used for the main image is different. Purple spreads so as well as doing this to appeal to the target demographic, the change in colour is attempting to connote a change in mood, reflecting the complexity hinted at by the titles. These are placed close to the top on the front, while the content listed on the back is laid in the top right and so forth. As convention doesn’t especially change, this shows an attempt to arrange the composition so audiences can spot the important information, including the tracks/videos.

To summarise the mise-en-scene almost everything is heightened, this having been referenced earlier. The location has the appearance of having gone through some big modification in post-production, and shows the exaggeration that’s often displayed within the genres of alternative and indie rock.

FromStreetArt has a graffiti look and is a metaphor for alternative and indie rock’s roots in an underground style, as well as setting up the idea the songs and videos that are featured are going to feature complex themes. “On The Edge” is the title of the album and even though it appears exaggerated, the words suggest the content could be edgy and subverts expectations, as the idea of contradictions is developed. The band’s name, “Mr Brightside” is placed below the album title, challenging what most covers would do. This was done to place emphasis on the meaning of the album however. As a result of being placed near the top it acts as an introduction and the image dominates the cover, continuing the tradition of what album covers do but as the raindrops dominate, it contradicts any optimism as it suggests people can’t escape the complexity of life. This challenges conventions.

Product: Magazine Advert

There’s a continuation of what media language is used for in the advert as there are links to the digipak. This is because the framing of the background uses the image of the front cover, an image of Peter is lifted from the CD and DVD and there’s a screenshot of the front positioned just below his neck. What it does is state the composition has been arranged so the style is linked and highlights intertextuality very well. In relation to the rest of the content, this is composed of promoting the digipak edition, as well as being able to have a free poster if pre-ordered at Amazon. Having a poster available with pre-ordering uses the ideology of adverts, as companies usually compete to offer incentive if the product is ordered from their retailer. A full-page magazine advert is around A4 size, depending on where the advert is placed so it uses convention and states the mode of address clearly, this being where the audience is directly addressed especially as Peter looks directly ahead. The positioning of him stands out as Peter dominates most of the advert; clearly stating he is the main artist.

Colour design is simple, the main use being yellow as it’s the most prominent and this is to attract the age range of sixteen to twenty-five. The other dominant colour is purple and both of these address the verisimilitude of magazine adverts, being the media language of magazine adverts is that promotion is the component that comes first and attractive colours are used. Mise-en-scene is minimal as the content is small, although there’s an association with all the texts as the location features in all of them as does the jacket that Peter wears. Overall the representation is simple but effective as the minimal content that’s shown is designed to giver Peter a star image. It contradicts what all the products are trying to communicate as the message is intend to imply the ramifications of an event, but the haunted look that’s given also keeps it intact.

Concluding the question all the texts use, develop and challenge forms and conventions by varying means. More conventions are used and the themes are intact so the target demographic is targeted effectively.   

It’s conventional for there to be similarities in style as the purpose is to promote the album, and this ties into why performers are featured in adverts. This is as they have an important role in the album so for the purposes of promotion, they need to be the people selling the album and depending on their star image, this can enhance it.

Pete takes up a large portion of the album so the layout is structured around him, meaning this is continuing a tradition. The size fits around his body so it’s creating an immersive advert, developing conventions. Placed at the top is the magazine title “Musicall”, along with introducing themselves for promoting a digipak edition of the album. Magazine titles are known for being placed at the top to promote themselves and balance the credit that’s given, so the advert continues another tradition.

A puff is the next item to appear, giving a pre-order link and there’s already a linking factor to the text at the top, as the circle’s yellow and the text stands out, being in the colour black. Conventions are used here as the puff has a pre-order link and uses a particular style to help it stand out. Placed just above the middle of Pete is an image of the front cover, both using and challenging the purpose of magazine adverts as this takes promotion further, but pushes the style as the edges and lines have been rubbed out.

This means the images transmit a variety of feelings, such as optimism but the raindrops also transmit a feeling of sadness. Overall the representation conveys passion as there’s more than one theme, especially in the titles as these suggest a range of themes across the songs and videos. One of them is “Always Look On The Brightside Of Life”. Conventions are developed as a result because messages contradict each other. They’re developed more as the font varies. FromStreetArt is an example that has a graffiti aesthetic, but there’s also font that appears professional, an example being StaticBold and one of the uses of FromStreetArt is for the tracks and videos, helping them to stand out. The variation is reminiscent of how there’s no set style in Alternative or Indie Rock, using conventions.

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