Sanam Harrinanan

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

The music video me and Emily Cherry created was to the song ‘Mine’ by Beyonce ft. Drake. This is a hip-hop/ R&B song released in 2013 by Columbia Records. For this project me and Emily Cherry had to create our own music video to this song as well as promote it. To do this we had to conduct a lot of research based upon our chosen genre, plan and create a Digi Pak, magazine cover and a storyboard. Other tasks such as using media platforms like, Blogger, Youtube, Prezi, Slideshare and other online digital technology was included in helping me to present and create my work.

By creating the above ancillary text, (Digipak and magazine cover), helped us to promote the song as well as the artist we had created. Carrying out this task of creating a digipak helped me to understand how to appeal to my chosen target audience. It also allowed me to gain a better knowledge in the professionalism needed to go into the production of this and allowed me to explore the creativity within myself. I have also grasped a better understanding in the use of copyright and why it is essential to have when creating a product such as a digipak.

As well as this, creating a magazine cover along with a digipak has allowed me to promote and advertise my music video more. This was also another way in which I promoted my music video. To create this magazine cover, I tried to include as many generic conventions such as social media sites, the artist’s official website, our record label along with a release date as well as a QR code for additional ways in which audiences can find out more information.

The generic conventions of a hip-hop/R&B music video are as follows; ➢ Low angled shots as well as close ups to show the artist has power over the audience ➢ Men are surrounded by women, in clubs, next to cars, in bedrooms.➢ Money is often shown off as well as jewelry, houses and cars

Sanam Harrinanan

➢ Dark lighting if often used➢ Females are portrayed as innocent or ‘the good one’ in a

relationshipExamples such as Ignition, R-Kelly (2009) or It wasn’t me, Shaggy (2008) use women in a sexual way or have the artist surrounded by them. However in ‘It wasn’t me’, portrays the woman as being in the right as the man cheated on her but there is also a contrast as the women he cheated on her with can be shown in a bad way for getting with a guy who was supposedly in a relationship.

In our music we conformed to these forms and conventions by using the typical story type of a relationship between a boy and girl. ‘Sorry not sorry’ by Bryson Tiller (2015) is an example of a song where the artist is singing about a problem based on his relationship. Another song is ‘I’m not the only one’ Sam Smith (2014), which is yet again based on a problem in a relationship.

The song mine can be classed as a slow song, as it has a slow instrumental beat and is slow paced. Some generic conventions of a slow music video in a hip-hop/r&b genre is using soft lighting such as grey or white. Slow hip-hop/r&b music video’s also follow a narrative which includes having other stars apart from the main artist in it. There can also be a lot of sexual scenes, with a slow motion effect and close up shots of kissing, hugging or anything passionate. An example of this is ‘ I invented sex’, Trey Songz (2009). As well as this, slow hip-hop/r&b music videos consist of love, breaking up or a relationship so the music video will not contain as much nudity as a fast hip-hop/r&b music video. Women will be seen in a reasonable amount of clothing, often bright colours such as white to represent purity and innocence. However if the narrative is based on a break up, the typical convention will show the characters in dark coloured clothing and will typically use dark background colours such as black or be set in a house.

In our music video, we conformed to these conventions by having many close up shots of the artist singing with a white background as well as having her in a open field to represent she feels lonely and by herself. As well as this, we stuck with the narrative of a couple having some difficulty in their relationship. We also followed the typical costume designs of having the male dress in dark clothing, chains and being in a club environment. On the other hand, the female character was dressed in white clothing to represent the opposite of the male by being shown as innocent and also goddess like. We also included shots of the characters kissing and holding hands which is shown in many slow hip-hop/r&b music videos. The main artist is not shown as much as the two characters as the artist is singing about the problems faced in this relationship whilst the characters act it out.

We did not include many conventions such as expensive cars, money, excessive jewelry or women in minimal clothing as our song was not a fast song. We tried to stick with the generic

Sanam Harrinanan

conventions typically used in slow hip-hop/r&b music videos as this is what our chosen song was. This was proven to be successful because if we included those conventions it would not have fit in with our song and would have not made sense. By having a narrative helps the audience to connect and understand the song better. Using money or cars does not link with a love song so therefore it would have been in irrelevant convention to use. Songs such as ‘Wanna get to know you’ G-Unit ft. Joe and ‘Power trip’ J Cole ft. Miguel are some examples of hip-hop/r&b songs which such soft lightening and slow motion scenes to show the love and passion between the characters.

I demonstrated these conventions through the editing of the music video. I tried to include as many slow motion scenes to fit in with the rhythm of the song. As well as this I edited the lighting to a slightly grey/ neutral colour to represent loneliness whilst the artist is singing. Whilst filming the music video, I captured many close up shots of the artist singing to fit in with the convention of close up shots. I was inspired by ‘I’m not the only one’ Sam Smith (2014), as I loved the way the narrative of song was shown through the two characters. I thought the music video fit with the lyrics of the song and it helped to show a contrast between how a female and male are shown. This inspired me to want to have a narrative in our music video, so we were able to show a different side to hip-hop/r&b rather than just, money, cars, drugs, jewelry and other conventions.