For my A2 advanced portfolio in Media I have decided to create a music video alongside two supporting ancillary texts. The ancillary texts can be two of the three, a website home page, a digi pack CD case or a poster. Momentarily my decision is to concentrate on the music video itself, and then decide on the ancillary texts, I am sure I wish to produce a digi pack, however I am unsure whether to create a poster or website home page. However I am sure I will become clear after analysing the codes and conventions of each text. I will be using the skills in which I inhibited throughout AS Media Studies, and use LIIAR to analyse media texts. “A promotion package for the release of an album, to include a music promo video, together with two of the following three options”

Language: Language is the appearance of the linguistic terminology; it considers all aspects featured with the actual media texts for example the moving image. It includes the necessities of creating media texts. The main language used within music videos is the cinematography, the mise en scene, editing and sound qualities. The mise en scene (placing within stage) within a video establishes the genre and mood. It is an expression to describe the design aspects within theatre or film/ music production, generally described as the visual theme within narrative. The Mise en scene is everything which appears before the camera and its arrangement, this therefore evidences that every aspect before the camera is used for a reason, to portray a mood, genre or simply signify something, for example Kelly Clarkson’s “Because of you” music video, the narrative illustrates a couple repeatedly arguing, the mise en scene of a suitcase indicates a character leaving. Each singular piece of mise en scene has carefully been chosen to convey a simplistic narrative to an audience, resulting in complex and differential mise en scene. I believe that mise en scene in one of the main characteristics in portraying narrative within a music video, it concludes of the lighting used, costume and make up abilities, each conveying strong characteristics for the narrative. Within my finalised music video I hope to portray the characteristics of death, to create a powerful and emotional narrative. My narrative isn’t completely finalised however I do have a brief initial idea. Rather like PS. I love you; I hope to convey a person within the relationship being diesis, I hope to do this by creating memories within a black and white colour property and use the repeat of the flower lilies, as lilies represent death and flowers which are stereotypically taken to a funeral. An arrangement of light and dark colouring will be used; dark for when the character is at her weakest and light qualities when she is reminiscing on her and her partner’s life together.

The editing is another substantial quality within mise en scene; conventionally the editing should fit within the beat of the music, therefore longer shots and slower editing should be used for example with a ballad or slow themed piece of music, and upbeat dance tempo should inhibit the qualities of fast based editing. As I hope to create a music video to accompany a ballad the editing techniques I use should be slow, and fit within the pause elements of the video. Every piece of music has natural pause elements; these are where the artist takes a breath, for example to sing the next verse of the song, or where the artist is paused and it is the musical elements and the melody that is portrayed to the audience. It is these sequences where I should focus on editing the footage. Editing suits convey many video transactions and effects however I want to keep the effects to a minimal, as strong, fast and upbeat editing would completely challenge the conventions of a ballad, which within some aspects could be positive however I do not think that it would look effective, therefore I will follow the conventions.

Cinematography is an extremely important factor when closely studying music videos they contain a large range of differential stylistics of shots each conveying substantial qualities. Close ups and extreme close ups tightly frame a person or an object they are used to illustrate the raw emotion within a narrative, as it conveys the detail within a frame. A close up establishes the artist to an audience as it distinguishes a main character. Medium close ups are also used to create an effect, they allow the audience to see the upper body of the artist illustrating their body language, for example a medium close up of a girl showing flesh could illustrate a sensitive nature, someone fragile and naive. Establishing shots establish the content for a scene, so for example they indicate a specific location in which the entity of the video will be shot; an establishing shot conveys the relationship between its figures and its objects. Long shots or wide angled shots allow the audience to see the fuller picture of the music video; this allows an audience to feel more apart of the music video and to make an emotional attachment. High angled shots within a music video illustrate dominance where as low angled cinematography establishes a weak persona. A close up establishes the artist to an audience as it distinguishes a main character, which again is a convention to support a strong narrative as well as to show establishment between the artist and audience. Conventionally following a close up becomes a medium close up or a medium shot, this portrays part of subject and establishes its body language. Body language is an important factor when portraying any character especially within a music video as it shows the character to an audience and makes an audience feel like they are there and know the artist. This again establishes the artist with the audience and a medium shot becomes an effective feature within narrative and performance clips. Again following the conventions of a music video stereotypically a long shot will follow. A long shot establishes the mise en scene of the video and allows an audience to see the bigger picture; it allows the surroundings and location to add proximity to the narrative, performance or conceptual clip. A wide range of cinematography is featured within music videos and each works and corresponds to its advantages, establishing shots, high angled and low angled shots, shot reverse shot and over the shoulder shots are also typical conventions used within a music video. As well as mise en scene, editing and cinematography, sound is used within the language of music videos.

Diagetic and non diagetic are the two main features within sound. Diagetic sound within a music video is the actual song itself. Conventionally the artist may mime the lyrics, this isn’t essential however miming does establish the artist. Within my creation of the music video I hope use lip sync as I feel it establishes a professional approach as well as the use of lip sync contrasted with the use of narrative. Non diagetic sound may also be used within a music video, conventionally within narrative. Stereotypically and conventionally non diagetic sound is used within the first sequence of a music video, not always but sometimes the narrative is built before the music itself starts. For example within Akon’s “Sorry, blame it all on me” video non diagetic sound is used within the multistranded narrative within the first 60 seconds. This builds a strong narrative already and easier for an audience to understand. Sometimes the music within the video can be broken, and non diagetic sound breaks in, conventionally it is dialogue which is used to build the narrative however sound can also be used, for example the screeching of a car to highlight the effect of a car crash. Diagetic and non diagetic sound is extremely important whist creating a music video, as each adds to the effect of the narrative.

Institution: An institution is an organisation which owns particular advertising and promotional rights; it owns all producing rights and allows the music video to be advertised efficiently therefore can be promoted. The institution focuses on making the profits from the music video, an example would be Sony music entertainment. An institution strongly focuses on advertising; they do this by promoting a song and the music video through differential standards. Sony Music Entertainment Inc, Sony was Sony BMG; a joint company 50/50 between and Sony and Bertelsmann music group, however on August 5th Sony bought BMG’s 50% stake for 1.2 billion in order to have full control and was renamed Sony music entertainment Inc. Sony music entertainment is the second largest global recorded company of the Big Four (EMI, Warner music group, Universal and Sony) and is 100% owned by the Sony Corporation of America. In 2010 ¾ major record labels scored highly within the best selling album artist Universal 6/10; EMI 3/10 and Sony 1/10. A global record group founded March 3rd 2004. Sony is a multinational conglomerate which is expanding all the time due to the advantage of being able to buy independent record labels, for example Epic. Sony owns Epic records, Columbia records and RCA which is an example of horizontal integration. Epic records is a subsidiary and owns SYCO records which is a London based entertainment record, the company rarely looks for new artists they are usually founded through TV talent shows, for example the Xfactor. The Xfactor is a globalised talent show which has expanded due to its popularity and targets a mainstream audience which encourages two way communications. For many years it has achieved number 1 within the charts; however Christmas 2009 due to a Facebook group and the impact of technology Rage against the machine were number one rather than winner of Xfactor Joe McEelderry. The impact and change within technology has advantaged Sony records, Sony uses proliferation whilst mass producing their CDS as they are produced faster, as well as cheaper. Sony takes advantage of recent technologies and releases their singles digitally through the use of Itunes and YouTube. Watching videos on YouTube or social networking sites allow them to create a strong fan base, after digital production, the CDS are advertised and then distributed. Institutions advertise particular songs through the use of synergy, for example music being placed within a different format and onto a soundtrack video game to target a specific audience, i.e. a rock themed genre. An example of how Sony has used Synergy is shown within the film Hitch, where the music production has been placed over film production, to advertise one another (vertical integration) The film advertises the song; therefore if an audience likes the film they are likely to buy the song as well as advertising the artist and actor Will Smith. Artists and singles are often advertised through the use of a personal website, artists within Sony for example each have their own website where direct information about the particular artist is obtained. Alexandra Burke’s (Epic; Subsidiary of Sony) website has information on tour dates, as well as how to purchase merchandise. The institution is an extremely strong factor within the production and creating of the video, they are in charge of the capital invested within a video, the cameras, cast, equipment, locations, and mise en scene and further more.

Ideology: The Ideology is the actual purpose of the music video and its aim, for example the idea behind the creation of the video. Conventionally the ideology within a music video is to establish and promote the artist and the song itself and more than anything to entertain. Institutions take this ideology into consideration and use language terminology to create a strong music video which involves all aspects of LIIAR. Audience is an extremely strong factor to be considered and the ideology represents the values and morals of the target audience as the audience’s ideas reflect the institutions ideas. “In sociological terms, ideology is a body of ideas or set of beliefs that underpins a process or institution and leads to social relations”.

Audience: The audience are the consumers of the music video, therefore what I intend to create must be suitable for the audience I intend to target. I intend to market towards a mass audience instead of a niche, as I feel this will work more to my advantage. I have chosen to work towards a producing a music video for a ballad, as I feel I will be able to follow the conventions of a ballad rather then something stereotypical like an R and B pop type of genre. I intend to make something different, something emotional which will draw in numerous ranges of audience, as I feel everything within their life’s go through losing someone, whether it by through death or a simple break up. Stereotypically a ballad attracts a female relative audience, however I want to challenge the stereotype and have my music video attracting a mass audience of both female and male genres aged 18+. Fortunately I am not limited to an audience; where as say a pop genre’s video would be limited to teenage early twenty years. The availability of what I create can be wider, and can access a large and stable audience. I feel that the audience I wish to aspire to is adults aged eighteen to adults within their thirty’s, maybe even forties. I feel that that majority of the audience will be females, and will inhibit a limitation of males due to the ballad genre of the song. I wish to create a music video to inhibit emotion; I hope to create a video for “Hallelujah” sang by Alexandra Burke or “Fields of Gold” sand by Eva Cassidy although my knowledge upon the codes and conventions of ballads momentarily is weak.

Representation: The representation is having the ability to represent society to the audience through the product therefore through my music video. The representation of the audience’s morals and values can be represented through the creation of the music video I intend to create. I intend to create a ballad; therefore what society stereotypically expects within a ballad should be followed, i.e. through the codes and conventions.The genre of my music video is a ballad; the characters within the video will be represented as lovers. I hope to have a female and a male playing within the couple, however the male partner has died, and what the audience sees within the video is a repeat of their memories and flash backs. However conventionally flashbacks are foreseen within black and white or sepia toned footage, I hope to challenge this convention, as I feel the narrative and strength of the lyrics should overcome the convention of flashbacks and memories. It is important that I look through other ballad music videos and study the codes and conventions of ballads. The editing will continuously be slow and I will use a range of close up cinematography to convey raw emotion as well as high angled shots to illustrate weakness and insecurity, as well as vulnerability.