JM - Evaluation Q1 - Forms and Conventions

Primarily our video creates a fun atmosphere; the audiences comically seeing the artist meet a variety of different types of people, and not fit in.

The form of our music video is shown through a variety of Hip-Hop genre conventions of which we gained understanding through the study of similar videos shown below. 

Firstly we used bricolage, a video combining two styles of both reflects Performance and Narrative shots creating a non linear narrative which varies it from a film, and also gives a postmodern form to the music video.  

In terms of visuals the form can be shown through the use of first person mode of address, this is where an actor directly addresses the camera and therefore the audience. To produce a connection between the audience and artist the protagonist often breaks the fourth wall and sings into the camera, this not only creates an emotional connection to the audience but also gives the video identity as a Hip Hop music video. Furthermore the prevalence of the protagonist representing the artists through meat shots also shows that the form is a music video.

The use of lip syncing with a soundtrack is also conventional of a music video so we implemented this into our video, through the use of performance shots. Furthermore in many of our narrative we also include Lip-Syncing to create a link between the narrative and performance. Leading on from this the soundtrack is in the background throughout the video, and it is also linked to the cutting rate.  

At our editing stage through the process of amplification we created our video in time with the music so that each shot which was intended to by comical, such as the Barbie Dolls, sequence was emphasized by the music and lyrics.

Through the study of other music videos of our Hip-Hop genre we were able to produce our video which conformed to the conventions of the genre. One of these videos was: 

However we also challenged some conventions of the tradition Hip-Hop videos through the use of typography. It is uncommon for Hip-Hop style music videos to contain text of any type. However we used text to add to the representation of our ‘social groups’, as we wanted the meaning of our video to be clear and ensure a more focused viewing.

For example the lyrics “I tried to get friendly with some trendies. They tired to get me to get my hair bleached No what I thought of there fashions tip, you know what thanks, But I’m happy with the natural look I’ve landed with.” For these lyrics we had two extra characters along with our protagonist (artist) sitting in a dark room with the extras surrounding the protagonist attempting to bleach his hair.

Another way in which we challenged Hip-Hop conventions is through our ‘Hippie Scene’ as it is uncommon to manipulate the colour of footage; traditional videos contain very little image manipulation.

Our playful take on the Hip-Hop genre is evident through signifiers such as the mise-en-scene, mainly of which is costume. For example the costume of the Barbie Doll clearly show a male actor dressed in women’s clothes, creating a playful message, however this is ironic for the genre, which is generally serious. This not only gives our video a postmodern twist but also makes the video easily recognisable to the audience. 

The audience would recognise our video and genre through our groups use of performance shots. Our video contains numerous different studio shots, where the protagonists  is centre of attention to the audience. The studio shots are also a large contrast in terms of mise-en-scene in comparison to many other shots in our video, meaning the audience can distinguish easily between our narrative and performance.  

For our narrative we attempted to represent the message within the lyrics. This meant that our video had to be particularly illustrative. The narrative of the video drew on social divide and criticised the use of stereotypes. Throughout our narrative therefore we represented numerous different social groups in different situations with our protagonist , ending with our protagonist criticising the representations throughout the video.

The reading of our music video is largely polysemic. This means that if our video is viewed in an ambient way the message gained is likely to be different to that if it is viewed in a focused way. However our video has been created to be viewed in a focused viewing.

 Unlike most videos which use the type of font to convey meaning, the use of text in our video is to reinforce the name and type of stereotype being represented. Moreover when the lyrics name the stereotype, the font appears at the same time.

Furthermore through the use of Mise-en-scene and the creation of visual motifs we attempted to convey the song genre and continue with the star image of the artist. The use of iconic signs has helped us to show the artists genre throughout the video. For example the New Era style cap that the protagonist  wears throughout the video expresses the artists genre as this style of clothing is often associated with Hip-Hop and its target audience. The protagonists wears the same costume throughout the video to make him appear normal in comparison to the social groups.

In terms of semiotics, we can see how the ironic use of costume throughout the video signifies to the audience that it is wrong to stereotype people on their appearance in a comical way.

The music video can also be seen as voyeuristic due to the large amount of time given to the protagonist. The voyeurism throughout the video represents the artists as somebody who cannot be taken seriously, however is fun to be with. This is shown through the jokey attitude of the protagonists and scenes he is placed within, such as with the Hippies.

Nevertheless our video challenges the dominant ideology of stereotyping. Through the illustrative nature of the video we were able to emulate the lyrics which convey this message. The ironic mis-ene-scene creating the playful attitude of the video in comparison to the serious message in the lyrics reinforces the direct challenge to stereotyping.