Analyse one of your coursework productions in terms of Media Language

In this essay I am going to examine my A2 Advanced Portfolio Pop Music Video, which I made to the song 'Nasty' by Pixie Lott. I will apply a number of theories in order to deepen my analysis of the Media Language used within my coursework.

In terms of music videos, media language is the way in which key messages are conveyed to the audience to sell the artist, entertain the audience and provide escapism from the real world (as mentioned in Blumler and Katz's Uses and Gratifications theory). Furthermore, Andrew Goodwin, in his 1992 book 'Dancing in the Distraction Factory' explains how 'music videos rarely point to the lyrics; typically they serve to set a mood'. Rather than just pointing to the lyrics in my music video, I amplified them through the use of techniques such as iconography whereby I was able to provide the audience with a more fulfilling experience than just simply listening to the music. 

 Andrew Goodwin's book also states that a relationship is built between the artist and audience . This is relevant in my Advanced Portfolio as I used a technique called Breaking The Fourth Wall, whereby the performer is constantly looking into the camera and therefore at the audience, enticing them into the world of stardom which the performer is a part of. In terms of lyrics, my music video applies to Goodwin's theory that 'there is a link between the lyrics and visuals' as when the performer sings the word 'nasty' in the chorus, the letters of the word appear on screen, thus making it clearer for the audience as they can read the lyrics as well as hear them. This is also exemplified in the rap section at the very beginning of the video as the written lyrics are the only thing that appear on screen alongside the soundtrack. Goodwin also explains in his book that 'there are often inter-textual references'. In my Advanced Portfolio, the graffiti wall mise-en-scene is a reference to youth culture today, and how teenagers are rebellious yet fun as words like 'lol' and 'sweet' are shown on the wall. The clothes that my performer wears are brightly coloured at this location, exemplifying her bright personality 

As I have already mentioned, Blumler and Katz’s ‘Uses and Gratifications Theory’ is also significant to my advanced portfolio music video. Personal relationships were established through my performer constantly looking into the camera as she sings, in order to seem as if the is talking to her ‘friends’ (the audience). The audience are able to see my performer as a role model, and identify with her, as she is of a similar age to them and therefore they are able to feel closer to her. Obviously, my music video is designed to entertain my audience as it provides enjoyment and escapism from the real world, into an idealistic teenage lifestyle, which the young audience can aspire to.

Throughout my music video I have used a monochrome theme, this could be related to Levi-Strauss’ ‘Binary Oppositions’ as there is a contrast between the black, which is considered as bad and rebellious and the white, which is pure. Barthes ‘Theory of semiotics’ applies here, as the use of the white also represents the innocence of my artist, which then I contrasted with the black to show how her innocence is slipping away, to become more rebellious and independent. This theory applies when l used  slow motion shots of the performer flicking her hair and looking towards the camera, this could be considered as rebellious and challenges authority. Furthermore, one of my filming locations is in front of a graffiti wall, this also relates to the theory of semiotics as the artwork, colours and phone in the corner, symbolise the rebellion of young people (like the performer), there is also a fallen over traffic cone in a couple of shots, which also symbolises rebellion of young people. In addition, Barthes Theory of Semiotics can be applied to the opening scene of my music video. There is a rap to begin with, which I have the words flashing up on the screen in a pink font. The writing I use for this is very girly, so that and the colour symbolise femininity. Also at this point in the video, Andrew Goodwin’s theory can be applied as the video reflects the lyrics.

In conclusion, my A2 Advanced Portfolio Pop Music Video, presents many examples of media language, as I have used it in a way that makes it easy to build up a relationship with the audience, and present key points and ideas such as the rebelliousness of the youths today. I believe that the effective use of media language is a key part of any music video as it helps all the other aspects to be successful.

Analyse one of your coursework productions in terms of Narrative

Narrative can be described as the way in which a story is told in both fictional and non-fictional texts. Theorist Nick Lacey explains how "narrative is such a powerful and analytical tool" which has "probably existed as long as human beings". The use of a narrative enables the audience to read and make sense of a text, as we as humans enjoy the telling of stories, and have done since childhood with Fairy Tales, for example.

For this essay, I will examine my AS Foundation Portfolio, for which I created a Chick Flick Film Opening. I will also apply a group of theories to my Film Opening in order to analyse the narrative of my creation.

Firstly, according to Bulgarian theorist Todorov,all stories begin with a state of equilibrium. This is true of my Film Opening as it begins with a cheerful scene where a new girl, Miranda, arrives at a smart new school. The music is also upbeat and happy which is typical of the Chick Flick genre, and helps to present the state of calmness and equilibrium. Furthermore the lighting provided by the sunny weather in the outside scene as the protagonist drives into school reflects the equilibrium as it provides a bright and 'sunny' atmosphere. However, when the 'villain', Sophie, says to Miranda 'Let's not have a repeat of last time' the film introduces and element of disequilibrium and causes the audience to ask themselves 'What happened last time?'. Although my Film Opening only reaches the first two stages of Todorov's theory, the conventions of the Chick Flick genre mean that it is clear to the audience that as the narrative unfolds the film will eventually regain its equilibrium and everything will be sorted between the protagonist and antagonist. 

It is highly common in Chick Flick Films to use the idea of Binary Oppositions, a concept that was developed by Levi Strauss. This theory states that in the media there are opposites, in this case opposites that help to tell a story, the narrative. In my Foundation Portfolio, the hero, Miranda and villain, Sophie are presented as Binary Opposites as Miranda, the protagonist represents the naivety of the life of a new girl and how it can be difficult to fit into a new school. Opposing this, Sophie represents the popular girls, and plays upon the 'Mean Girls' stereotypes. This is exemplified by the dialogue and body language of Sophie when she looks Miranda up and down in a close up showing her emotions.

As I have already mentioned, my film opening features a 'hero' and 'villain' as this is stereotypical of Chick Flick films. This idea was developed by the Russian structuralist, Vladimir Propp who studied Fairy Stories and established a number of character types and events associated with them. Therefore in my production, Miranda is the hero, as she is the protagonist of the film and it is implied that she will be the one to solve the situation. She also has many close ups throughout the opening sequence which further implies the 'hero' status. In addition, Sophie is presented as the 'villain' through her actions and dialogue, for example when she threatens Miranda with the comment of 'Lets not have a repeat of last time'. The idea that Sophie is the 'villain' is further exemplified when an extreme close up of a phone that the protagonist is texting on, sending a message to an old friend who replies back, warning her by saying 'you better watch out!', suggesting that there is background to the hatred the pair share. This text message was used in order to  create a problem quickly into the film. This was done as in film, it is hard to create an in depth problem so soon into the narrative compared to within a book. Therefore, by the use of the extreme close ups of the text messages, it makes it clear within the narrative that there is a problem that needs solving,and causes the audience to want to know more. In addition, the point of view shot puts the audience in the position of our protagonist, naturally creating more sympathy for her which solidifies her identity as the hero.

Another structuralist, Barthes, explored the concept of narrative as a part of his work on structuralism. He created the idea of the Enigma Code, which is a narrative device that teases the audience by presenting a puzzle or riddle to be solved. In my Foundation Portfolio, the 'enigma' presented is 'what happened last time?' as by using Sophie's vague yet threatening comment, suspense is created within the narrative and causes the audience to continue watching in order to solve the mystery issue between the protagonist and antagonist. 

Theorist, Tilley said 'story-telling is a complex process with important implications', this is true of my AS Foundation Portfolio Chick Flick Film Opening as the narrative enabled me to develop the plot and provide the audience with an exciting and intriguing storyline. 

Analyse one of your coursework productions in terms of audience

I will be analysing my music video, which I made for my Advanced Portfolio. I made a pop music video to the song ‘Nasty’ by Pixie Lott. As I am the audience of this genre, I was able to abide by and challenge the conventions, as I find this genre very accessible, as David Gauntlett says ‘Making is connecting’; I am not only a member of the audience, but I have also made something for the other members of the audience.

The audience for my pop music video is generally aged between twelve and eighteen and female, however the pop music genre is accessible by anyone of any age. A psychographic profile of my audience would show that they are ‘Mainstreamers’ however also ‘Aspirers’ and ‘Explorers’. Like the artist in the video, due to their younger age, they have not yet come to a static identity. This genre probably has the widest audience in the UK, which is reflected in the performance style and representation in my music video that shows a feisty teenage girl and focuses on asserting herself and having fun. 

The mise-en-scene is very colourful, particularly with the shots in front of the graffiti wall; this presents how the performer is a fun-loving, bright girl, representative of the audience. However I also mix the genres, such as using a black and white green-screen scene, which is more common in the R&B genre, however is becoming more common in pop music videos, such as in ‘Problem’ by Ariana Grande and Iggy Azelea. In this way, my music video reflects the fact that, with a young audience, genre conventions are constantly being updated and changed. My intertextual references exemplify this idea, such as where the background changes frequently behind my artist as she dances dynamically.

The editing in my music video is fast paced, which is also conventional of the genre. It is also dynamic and use elements of humour in order to appeal to the youth audiences. I use multiple locations/scenes throughout the music video in order to keep the audience entertained and wanting to replay the video over and over again. My performer also wears lots of different outfits throughout the video. She wears on-trend clothes such as crop-tops, which are currently very popular amongst the target audience. Therefore the young girls do not only see her as a performer and singer, but also a style icon.

This links to Andrew Goodwin’s Music Video Theory from his 1992 book ‘Dancing in the Distraction Factory’, as he states that music videos typically have iconography, which appears across their work, since on the digipak, magazine advert, and in the video, she wears crop tops. Music Video Theory also suggests that music videos present a relationship between the lyrics and the visuals. This is true for my Advanced Portfolio video as at the beginning of the song, the words of the rap appear on the screen, this makes it clearer for the audience as they are able to read the words, as well as hear them. My video also includes lots of close ups of the artist, particularly as she sings significant words in the song, such as ‘nasty’. This is in order to build up a relationship with the audience so they can feel drawn into the performer’s celebrity world.

Blumler and Katz’s ‘Uses and Gratifications Theory’ is also significant to my advanced portfolio music video. Personal relationships were established through my performer constantly looking into the camera as she sings, in order to seem as if the is talking to her ‘friends’ (the audience). The audience are able to see my performer as a role model, and identify with her, as she is of a similar age to them and therefore they are able to feel closer to her. Obviously, my music video is designed to entertain my audience as it provides enjoyment and escapism from the real world, into an idealistic teenage lifestyle, which the young audience can aspire to.

I also enabled my audience to identify with my artist over several different platforms, by creating synergy between my digipak, magazine advert and video. The font is a pinky-red, which is stereotypically girls however there are aspects of the black and white theme, which links to the sophistication, which my audience aspires to. The name of my album is ‘Blockin’ Out The Haters’, a phrase that has become a viral ‘vine’ video, very popular amongst my target audience. This links to the way in which social media is so important to this generation, as the stars in music videos are becoming more accessible by the young fans, by websites such as Twitter, Instagram and now even Snapchat.

Many pop music videos conform to Laura Mulvey’s Male Gaze Theory, as to objectify women in a sexual manner. However I have subverted this theory as I wished to present my artist as a strong, independent woman. This shows to my audience that it is ok to be strong, female and sassy, as well as that you don’t have to conform to men’s rules of life.  An example of this is when she wears her crop tops. This is not done in a way as to be objectified by men, through showing flesh. Instead this is used to show how she is free to dress how she likes and not worry about what others think, and this is also relevant in her dance moves, which are dynamic and playful.

Binary oppositions are used in my music video, an example of this are with the black and white scenes. This contrasts the pure white and the rebellious black, and suggests the angel/devil sides to my performer and to the youth audience who are able to identify with this conflict of emotions that young teenagers experience. This also reflects the lyrics of the song, in that they contradict themselves when she sings ‘you’re nasty’ ‘but I don’t mind’, she is a carefree girl who makes her own way through life, and sets this example to the young audience.

In conclusion, there are many ways in my video in which the audience can identify with my performer.  As my audience were so accessible to me on social networking sites such as Facebook, I was able to receive lots of feedback, which showed me how successful my video had been, the results presented that the target audience found it entertaining and fun, which was my main aim. Therefore, I believe that the audience is one of the most important parts in creating my Advanced Portfolio Coursework Production.

Analyse one of your coursework productions in relation to genre

According to Daniel Chandler (2001), “genre is a type” which is clear in any piece of art, music or literature. For my A2 Advanced Portfolio production, I created a music video to ‘Nasty’ by Pixie Lott. I chose the pop genre, as it is a type of text that offers the ability to both abide by and challenge the genre conventions.

Andrew Goodwins ‘Music Video Theory’ that he developed in his book, ‘Dancing In The Distraction Factory’ (2002) is very useful when exploring genre in music videos. It states that ‘the record label will include the need for lots of close-ups of the artist’ which I have features in my video, as close ups are a key part of displaying my performers actions. This enables the audience to develop a relationship with the artist as she is constantly looking into the camera.

This is also supportive of David Gauntlett’s concept of ‘ideology’, which was developed by the Spice Girls. He describes that ‘The girl power concept was a celebration of self-belief, independence and friendship’ in his book ‘Media, Gender and Identity’ (2002). Therefore as my performer is constantly looking into the camera a relationship is built with the audience. Blumler and Katz’s ‘Uses and Gratifications Theory’ that audiences consume the media in order to build a relationship with the artist, I have linked to this convention in my video.

Throughout my music video I have used a monochrome theme, this could be related to Levi-Strauss’ ‘Binary Oppositions’ as there is a contrast between the black, which is considered as bad and rebellious and the white, which is pure. I also used Barthes ‘Theory of semiotics’ here, as the use of the white also represents the innocence of my artist, which then I contrasted with the black to show how her innocence is slipping away, to become more rebellious and independent. I also use this theory when l used shots of the performer flicking her hair and looking towards the camera, this could be considered as rebellious and challenges authority. Furthermore, one of my filming locations is in front of a graffiti wall, this also relates to the theory of semiotics as the artwork, colours and phone in the corner, symbolise the rebellion of young people (like the performer), there is also a fallen over traffic cone in a couple of shots, which also symbolises rebellion of young people. In addition, Barthes Theory of Semiotics can be applied to the opening scene of my music video. There is a rap to begin with, which I have the words flashing up on the screen in a pink font. The writing I use for this is very girly, so that and the colour symbolise femininity. Also at this point in the video, Andrew Goodwin’s theory can be applied as the video reflects the lyrics.

In conclusion, David Buckingham says that ‘genre is not…simply “given” by the culture: rather, it is in a constant process of negotiation and change’. This suggests that every music video slightly alters and moulds the genre of that type of music. I reflect other music video genres such as with the use of the text appearing on the screen, I am relating to the ‘indie pop/rock’ genre and the use of the urban graffiti wall could be related to the hip-hop genre. However once I have reflected the videos which are appropriate for my pop genre, I added in my own techniques which identify myself as a director.