Friday, 6 April 2012
4. How did you use new media technologies in the construction and research, planning and evaulation stages?
How did you use new media technologies in the construction and research, planning and evaluation satges?
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2. How effective is the combination of your main product and ancillary texts?
A number of different shots and different angles were used throughout each production in the project, from posters, front and back CD cover, inlay cards and the music video itself. These were used in order to create variation so that the audience can view the artist from different angles and in turn view him as more than just a one dimensional figure. It also gives the effect of being cool because we audience see him in medium shots, close ups and low angle shots, having different poses, different clothes and different settings that serve to compliment and enhance his image all of which gives him an aura of spontaneity and the aura of not being safe and boring. Whilst we made him appear spontaneous, aloof and cool we needed him to have a baseline consistency from which the audience can recognise him. We achieved this by making the audience associate the colour blue with the artist, at the same time the colour those suggests and is seen to represent coolness, a slight detached manner and its colour variations can imply spontaneity.
The song chosen that we used for our music video was somewhat of a cross between two genres; R&B and Hip Hop. At the most basic level the hip hop aspect of our music video was represented by the rapping performed by our artist. However, we used a conventional R&B concept of boy/girl romantic narrative in order to bring the lyrics of the song to life. In order to give the music video a more hip hop vibe, the chipmunk voice in the background was used to contrast with the mellower R&B beat of the song. In our ancillary products we also tried to use elements of both R&B and Hip hop. For instance, our inlay cards; one of the inlay cards has a threshold effect which is associated with the hip hop scene. Our poster on the other hand, was a mixture of Hip hop and R&B; the Hip hop aspects included the font which was strong and rough in appearance, as well as the territorial imagery of London and specifically Wembley gave an old school, ground roots Hip hop feel. The R&B poster was represented by the colour scheme which was brighter than the usual dark black and white colours associated with Hip hop.
On the front of the CD cover, the artist is shown in profile looking off to his left as if in thought or pondering which gives the impression to the audience that the artist is a character with a lot to say than what his image or genre suggested. The music video carries on this theme by having the artist in clothing which is jeans and t-shirt which still retain the element of street style rather than having the artist in oversized clothing such as hoodies and major bling. The music video also gives the impression the artist has something to say by making the artist in the video literally saying his words to the person of interest. It is quite common for an artist to be shown in profile for reasons not pertaining to metaphor or audience analysis. For in stance the music company my choose to place an artist in profile because that is the angle from which they look best; moreover having the artist in profile mean s that half of their face is hidden which adds a sense of mystery and an element of danger that is associated with the Hip hop genre. The city of London, acts as the backdrop on the cd cover. This is to imply to the audience the artists background as a ‘Londoner’ it is also quite a territorial image as well. Furthermore, the ‘parental advisory’ stamp is included to show the audience that explicit content is used within the songs which is stereotypical to many Hip hop and R&B CDs.
On the back of the CD cover we are again shown scenery of London, but it was of the ‘London eye’. The whole image is taken at night with a few lights around it. This gave a calm feeling and does not look rough like many Hip hop CD/back CD covers. This is in contrast with the front of the CD cover which is more indicative of the conventions expected from an R&B Hip hop artist. The use of both a soft image at the back and a rougher image at the front implies a duality to the artist thereby trying to market him as the usual stereotype found in the R&B Hip hop genre but at the same time suggesting that the artist disregards these stereotypes and is his own artist. An image of the artist is shown but looking upwards, this is to show that he wants to aspire to the stars. We replicated the calm feeling in the music video by making the video have a relaxed feel since that was the nature of the sound and lyrics. Furthermore, the duality of hard and soft was represented in the music video by having the artist rap on his own during the ‘rougher’ elements of the song which gave the impression that he rely on himself and also reinforces the fact that he is his own artist. The softer element was shown by interaction that the artist had with his love interest suggesting that there is a softer side to the loner hard man image.
The promotional poster shows an image of the artist once again looking into the distance as if pondering. The fact that he is glowing shows that he is a saint (irony of his stage name ST). Along the bottom of the poster, there is a silhouetted image of London which once again shows the audience that he is a ‘Londoner’. Also, in the background is a tube map with a station of Wembley on top, this is to show the audience that Wembley is his territory. The use of graffiti is a street element that is quite pervasive in Hip hop and Grime CD covers, this is to give a sense of rawness and realism. London was integral to the promotion of this artist and we carried this on by filming the video in suburbs of London in the artist’s home area, once again reinforcing the idea of home territory.
The inlay cards show images of the artist in different angles such as side views, close ups and low angle shots which was replicated in the music video to give consistency. One of the inlay cards that show the artist from a side view shows once again that his pondering. The inlay card with a close up of the artist with threshold effect shows a stereotypical image as this effect is used in many Hip hop and Grime CD/back covers and posters/ inlay cards, this is used to show a rough effect which is a street element, however, we did not use this in the music video because the music video is a soft Hip hop/R&B music video, however, we did use this effect on the actual CD. The third inlay card consists of the artist sitting on a wall looking down which shows that he is larger than he really is in real life. This was necessary because the artist was a smaller stature and generally size and bulk is associated with masculinity and is a strong ideal that runs through the Hip hop genre.
The inlay cards show images of the artist in different angles such as side views, close ups and low angle shots which was replicated in the music video to give consistency. One of the inlay cards that show the artist from a side view shows once again that his pondering. The inlay card with a close up of the artist with threshold effect shows a stereotypical image as this effect is used in many Hip hop and Grime CD/back covers and posters/ inlay cards, this is used to show a rough effect which is a street element, however, we did not use this in the music video because the music video is a soft Hip hop/R&B music video, however, we did use this effect on the actual CD. The third inlay card consists of the artist sitting on a wall looking down which shows that he is larger than he really is in real life. This was necessary because the artist was a smaller stature and generally size and bulk is associated with masculinity and is a strong ideal that runs through the Hip hop genre.
1. In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms or conventions of real media products?
Within the Rap and Rhythm & Blues (R&B) genre, there are several stereotypes associated with the music videos. These include, numerous boys/girls parading themselves or dancing around the artist in a sexual nature, explicit lyrics, overt sexual references; typified by female objectification, materialism, and glorified ghetto and gang culture. There has been a backlash against these perceived stereotypes, both from the media and the general public; especially those presented to the extreme. However, these stereotypes are still present at the ‘softer’ end of the scale as well.
One example on which I shall expand is the boy/girls, girl/boys and the boy/girl, girl/boy scenario. We often see in music videos where the male artist is surrounded by several females, an example of this would be one of Pitbull’s music videos: 'Hotel'. If the females are not literally fawning over the male artist, then it would be replaced by female dancers, an example of this is Usher’s song ‘OMG’. The females that are used in the music videos are usually dressed in a way that they show a lot of flesh not only to appear sexy to the artist but to the audience as well. In contrast, when it is a female with several men, the men are not shown to be submissive objects, in the way women would be with the male artist, but the female artist tend to act coy and more flirtatious. An example would be Nicki Minaj’s ‘Super Bass’. Female artists sometimes have male dancers in the background but the way they are dressed, they are more casual whilst the female artist is dressed in minimal clothing, one video that supports this is Beyonce’s ‘Love On Top’; although there are exceptions.
Pitbull- Hotel 
In contrast, some videos are simple in just using a girl/boy and boy/girl scenario, these are generally videos of a romantic nature. A typical setting in this type of music video involves the male artist catching the eyes of a female, and then chasing after them in a game of predator and prey in an attempt to get to know and sweet talk them. Often, the female does catch the eyes of the artist but tends to look away and pretend not to care, but secretly enjoys the attention that she is receiving. Towards the end of the music video, the artist and female get together and tend to get touchy feely, an example of this is Chris Brown’s song ‘Excuse Me Miss’; although one can note that this scenario can work in reverse as well. Moreover, when it comes to a female artist catching an eye of a male, the majority of the time, the male still sees the female first and she decides whether or not to respond to his actions, an example of this would be a scene shown in Ciara’s ‘1,2 Step’.
The way the two protagonists were dressed also defied the stereotypes found in the Hip hop genre. Usually one would expect the artist to be dressed in oversized, designer, concealing attire accessorized with bling, a style that is usually indicative of the gangster or the ghetto. The way that the artist was dressed was not at all like a gangster with an overload of bling. He was dressed in a simple yet casual t-shirt and jeans with sunglasses; which still represented street style but on a more subtle level; thus keeping him cool without the stereotypical dress sense. In terms of the female protagonist, we chose an average female with pretty and natural looks as opposed to the over-done and exceptionally beautiful females paraded around in these genres. The way she was dressed was simple but still appealing, in casual fitted clothing. In contrast with many stereotypical R&B and Hip hop music videos, in which women tend to be dressed minimally and for the artist’s benefit with over-stylised hair and makeup.
ST- Somehow Someway 
Usher- OMG
Nicki Minaj- Super Bass
Beyonce- Love On Top
In contrast, some videos are simple in just using a girl/boy and boy/girl scenario, these are generally videos of a romantic nature. A typical setting in this type of music video involves the male artist catching the eyes of a female, and then chasing after them in a game of predator and prey in an attempt to get to know and sweet talk them. Often, the female does catch the eyes of the artist but tends to look away and pretend not to care, but secretly enjoys the attention that she is receiving. Towards the end of the music video, the artist and female get together and tend to get touchy feely, an example of this is Chris Brown’s song ‘Excuse Me Miss’; although one can note that this scenario can work in reverse as well. Moreover, when it comes to a female artist catching an eye of a male, the majority of the time, the male still sees the female first and she decides whether or not to respond to his actions, an example of this would be a scene shown in Ciara’s ‘1,2 Step’.
Chris Brown- Excuse Me Miss
Ciara- 1,2 Step
Sex appears to be a major theme in Hip Hop and R&B videos. In the majority of these videos the lyrics and the visual imagery is sexually explicit and sex orientated; with the women in particular being objectified regardless of which side they are on. The music video tends to be quite extreme in terms of what they are depicting, from French kissing, to stripping, to imitating acts of a sexual nature; an example of this would be Justin Timberlake’s ‘Sexy Back’. At the other end of the scale, we have videos which tend to depict scenarios of a more romantic nature; usually expressed in the boy/girl, girl/boy dynamic. The lyrics are more subtle in terms of how they express sex and focus more on the emotions, although the lyrics has a tendency of being on the cheesy side and to be overused, for instance the fact that they cannot live without each other or how their presence affects their heart rhythms for example Mary J. Blige’s song: ‘Be Without You’.
Justin Timberlake- Sexy back
Materialism is another stereotype associated with the Hip Hop and R&B genre. The artists surround themselves with wealth such as: cars, mansions, designer clothing, flashy jewellery and an entourage in an obvious display of wealth and the power that comes with it. We are used to seeing in these videos artists singing against a backdrop of a very expensive mansion, exotic location or exclusive club enjoying the high life, however, the lack of wealth is also rather prominently displayed as well. This is best exemplified in videos where the ghetto or rundown estates are the backdrop; typically gang culture and masculine aggression is glorified within these videos. On the other hand, music videos such as Warren G’s ‘Regulate’ and 2pac’s ‘Ghetto Gospel’ highlights the difficulties and the problems faced in these run down neighbourhoods which is a more positive use of videos in the Hip hop and R&B genre. Furthermore, in an ironic twist despite being in a dilapidated environment, there are examples of artists displaying their wealth i.e. riding a sports car through the neighbourhood whilst wearing designer clothing and oversized ‘bling’.
Warren G- Regulate
2pac- Ghetto Gospel
In our music, we simply have two performers, one boy (the artist) and his girlfriend. The music video is a typical love story despite the fact that the song is of a Hip hop genre. This means that our group challenged the stereotypes of what you would usually see in Hip hop music videos, for example, male artists endorsing themselves with women, consumer items, violence, gang culture and drugs. However, whilst we challenged the conventions of a Hip hop video, our production still resembled a traditional romantic video from the R&B genre. The focus of our music video was the relationship between the two protagonists, the artist is having a conversation with his girlfriend whilst rapping saying how wonderful she is, and how much he wants to be with her.
ST- Somehow Someway
The way the two protagonists were dressed also defied the stereotypes found in the Hip hop genre. Usually one would expect the artist to be dressed in oversized, designer, concealing attire accessorized with bling, a style that is usually indicative of the gangster or the ghetto. The way that the artist was dressed was not at all like a gangster with an overload of bling. He was dressed in a simple yet casual t-shirt and jeans with sunglasses; which still represented street style but on a more subtle level; thus keeping him cool without the stereotypical dress sense. In terms of the female protagonist, we chose an average female with pretty and natural looks as opposed to the over-done and exceptionally beautiful females paraded around in these genres. The way she was dressed was simple but still appealing, in casual fitted clothing. In contrast with many stereotypical R&B and Hip hop music videos, in which women tend to be dressed minimally and for the artist’s benefit with over-stylised hair and makeup.
In terms of lyrics we subverted the fact about what the song was about from the Hip hop perspective. Typically one would expect to see lyrics from a Hip hop video to be about casual drug taking, the sexualisation and objectification of women and what brands they own. Although, the musical style such as the beat, was similar to some Hip hop songs such as The Game: ‘I don’t need your love’. However, in terms of subverting the lyrics typically found in the R&B genre, we did not succeed. The theme in our lyrics was that of the artist (male) expressing his desire to be and continue being with his girlfriend no matter what; a similar sentiment is expressed by Usher in ‘Something special’.
Several Hip hop and R&B videos tend to have multiple locations within their music video. A handful would keep to one location however this is usually performance based videos such Beyonce’s ‘single ladies’. With our music production, we kept it to one location because we wanted to highlight the consistency of the couple’s relationship. Throughout the music video the couple do sit down a lot, this is because the artist was a small stature and we disguised this fact, this is also why we did low angle shots to make him look bigger than he really is. We did this in order to fit in with audience expectations or stereotype that the male should be taller than female. For example, where this would have benefitted would be Bow Wow featuring Ciara: ‘Like you’, where they lost what the videos message was because the audience was more focussed on the height difference between the artists.
Beyonce- Single Ladies
ST- Somehow Someway
Ciara featuring Bow Wow- Like You
Special effects were used minimally in our music video. However, we did use visual effects such as the text appearing next to the artist, as he was singing; some music videos do employ the use of many special effects. We wanted to avoid the overuse of effects because it would distract the audience from watching and appreciating what the song is really about. We wanted to limit our use of special effects in order to keep the video simple and also to show that the relationship between the couple is real and simple and true. It matches the conventions found in R&B music videos in terms of those with a romantic narrative.
The way the video ended was like many romantic music videos where the couple would walk out in the distance. This was inspiration from B.O.B featuring Bruno Mars’ ‘Nothing on you’. We did this to show that throughout the music video the couple will remain happy. Although if we had used a typical ending found in a Hip hop music video we could have had the artist walking away by himself or him posing until the camera fades out but we wanted the artist to have a positive ending.
ST- Somehow Someway
B.O.B featuring Mruno Mars- Nothing On You
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