A2 Media Music Video Production Evaluation

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

Diggin’ Out Music VideoOur chosen song ‘Diggin’ Out’ is a Funk genre song by MC Milk Plus. During the

construction of the product we changed certain conventions that set it different from a truly Funk based Music Video.

Use• Like many funk genre music videos and songs, there’s always some reference to colour. • In our media product we used a variety of different colours which all represent different

meanings which contribute to the overall storytelling of the music video.

Orange

Our most prominent colour used throughout the narrative of the music video was ‘Orange’.The orange colour while a fruitful bright, playful colour, also represents egoism (self indulgence), flamboyance, arrogance and ignorance of certain commodities. We used this colour for our main character who is represented as an arrogant, self opinionated boy who is pompous and ignorant of life and the people around him. We also used this colour for our supporting character who was almost a direct portrayal of our main character, who possesses the same arrogant qualities.

Main Character Supporting Character

Purple

Another colour we used in the production was ‘Purple’. We used this colour for our supporting character who appears later in the music video.The colour purple was used to represent character traits which the supporting actor’s character possessed such as royalty, temperance and huge amount of dignity for the people around him.

Supporting Character

White‘White’ was also another colour we decided to bring into the production. We used this colour on another ofour supporting characters who (though may look hardwith the contrasting black jacket has a more purer, subtler undertone to him.

GreenThe colour ‘Green’ acted as our undertone throughout the whole

narrative. We picked specify locations which we thought would help tell the story better. The natural essence of some of our locations helped represent perfectly what the colour represents. Green is a warm primary colour which represents harmony, balance and renewal of life. It also represents abundance, vitality and nature. Above all it represents something to be down-to-earth and humble.

Supporting Character

GreenThe colour ‘Green’ acted as our undertone throughout the whole narrative. We picked specify locations which we thought would help tell the story better. The natural essence of some of our locations helped represent perfectly what the colour represents. Green

is a warm primary colour which represents harmony, balance and renewal of life. It also represents abundance, vitality and nature. Above all it represents something to be down-to-earth and humble. In the image above the colour was a backdrop to suggest that the overall narrative (its situation) was more closer to home than audiences would first perceive. This was also represented through the harmony and peace shown between our characters in the scene.

‘Performance Based Elements’ One of the main characteristics of a funk genre music video is that it is usually

performance based. We decided to stay true to that by adding in a few performance based scenes.

The screenshot images (right) depict this. The performance based scenes were achieved with carefully orchestrated camera shots . The long shot used establishes that there’s a stage forwhich our main artist is performing. This furthercontributes to the funk genre as most performancebased music videos happen away from the vicinity of the narrative. The medium long shot of the artist addressing The audience further add to it being a performance whichalso suggests this the narrative being of a funk genre.The close up used of the artist snapping his fingers add to funky rhythm and pace of the narrative. Most performancebased music videos of the funk genre have elements of dancing and lively atmospheres.

Develop‘Integrated Narrative Structure’Though we used performance based scenes in the music video, we wanted to develop

the story of the music video further by amalgamating narrative themes. The narrative (lyrical) parts of our music video were segmented from the performance based scenes of the video.

Overall the use of the narrative structure we felt would help audiences perceive the storyline better and to further their own understanding as to what the music video was really about.

• In funk genre music videos , the storyline often focuses on a singular character.

• With our music video , we decided to develop this idea halfway into the story.

• The overall theme of the music video was central to our main character who is pompous and arrogant.

• However, we decided that to further develop the story , we’d bring in other supporting characters to represent different parts of his more hidden life , thereby leaving the audience with an ‘enigma’ as to what the overall narrative is really about.

• We thought this to be most effective, as a music video based on one character is lifeless and irritating to the audience causing a disinterest in the product and thereby costing us more of our target audience (aged between 15-25).

• Finally, we developed the significance and symbolism of the supporting character.

• Rather than possessing the same sort of qualities as the main character (hence wearing a piece of orange clothing), we thought it’ll be much more effective if he acted as a mirror image almost (a reflection of the main character’s nature) ,reminding him of it where he fails to socially interact and build confidence.

Challenge• As with many funk genre music videos, there are always back up

singers and instrument players during the performances. • In our performance based scenes, there were no back up singers or

instrument players, rather it was just that singular artist. • Drawing on from this, there was also no audience phy-sically present during the performance scenes that the artist was addressing. Rather the artist was merely addressing those watching the video as his audience. We felt that this way we could better obtain a more diverse audience of any age who

may have felt drawn to this song (or music video) as well as it being something they can relate to due to their own personal issues.

• We also challenged the very nature of our main character, by not having him as an arrogant flamboyant and energetic boy, as what a funk genre usually entails. It rather shows the audience how people aren’t always who they are on the outside.

• We also challenged his portrayal as a boy and created a transition to adulthood. We achieved this at the very end of the music video where you see the main character place the orange clothing on the grass and walk away. This represents to the audience him giving up his exterior appearance and behaviour and moving on to become a man of better character.

• Common conventions of a funk genre music video includes happy ending (or positive restoration of equilibrium as asserted by media theorist Propp).

• In this music video, however, we decided to subvert that convention and end on a more sorrowful, mournful conclusion.

• It is by the end of the music video that the audience finally piece together the narrative of the video to decipher that the supporting character has passed away and now the main character is attempting to move on. It is very upsetting and the audience may feel pitiful for the supporting character who while ,is happy to see his best friend move on in life, can never be part of that journey again. In the image (bottom right) we have a long shot of him waving his hand as to say ‘bye’ to his best friend who is walking away into the

distance forever.