Structure for questions 1A and 1B

Structure for question 1A:

Firstly, introduce your foundation portfolio. Discuss what research you conducted and what product you constructed. Explain your synopsis of the film opening. Explain the representation of the film opening, the lighting, the image, the text that you were trying to send, and the target audience you was representing to. Describe and explain the construction of your film opening.

Then introduce your advance portfolio. Discuss what research you conducted and what product you constructed. Explain your synopsis of the music video. Explain the representation of the film opening, the lighting, the image, the text that you were trying to send, and the target audience you was representing to. Describe and explain the construction of your music video.

Conclude it with what you have learnt over the 2 year course in media.

Structure for question 1B:

Introduce your advance portfolio. Explain the genre of your music video and why you decided to choice it. Explain what research you conducted to agree on your genre and song for the music video, use examples. Use different genre theorists and refer to representation and narrative theorists. Explain how the music video links with your target audience, talk about audience gratification etc…explain your editing on the music video, the lighting, camera shots, location etc… Refer to stereotypical looks for representation and explain how the codes and conventions either conform or subvert to them. Explain your audience feedback after showing the music video to others and what improvements you had to make or would have made, discuss your strengths and weaknesses of the music video and end with a conclusion on how you would change it if you had the chance. 

Evaluate your Music Video in Relation to Representation Theories

For my A2 production (Advanced Portfolio)  I created a linear hip hop music video, the artist that we choice was Carl Carlton ‘She’s a bad mama jama’. Our music video is focused on skating and young love. We filmed our music video in a skate park in South Bank up in London. It’s about a young man skating around and meeting a young woman who he believes is a ‘bad mama jama’.

We used stereotypical codes and conventions which linked with the funk of the song from the 80’s. We used the stereotypical funky/urban clothes to represented the 80’s/90’s urban song. The bright baggy shirts with slim jeans and hoody created the stereotypical urban character.
We used different camera angles and camera shots to represent how the main character is interaction. For example, we used over the shoulder shots, and various medium and close ups to show our main characters emotions and actions.

Stereotypes are compressed and shorthand ways of referring to quite complex social relationships’ (Tessa Perkins 1979). Therefore, in our music video we would have the conventionally dressed stereotypical women that all the men would be attracted to, however, in our music video we have subverted to the stereotypical women, as we dressed our main actress in more casual clothes which were less sexual or attractive like the usual short skirts and low cut tops.

‘Differences are inborn’ (Richard Dyer 1977). Our music video partly conformed to our music video as it showed that the male character was approaching the women which are very stereotypical and common in most music videos and movies, therefore, it shows the male dominance. However, that is a minor dominance in the music video, other than that there is no other dominance over sexes; therefore, it also subverts Richard Dyers theory.

The main questions that arise in our production were the dress codes of our female character as it didn’t conform to our music video. The other critics we had about the music video was the lighting as it tended to go from light to dark, therefore, it didn’t represent our funky mood correctly. 

Evaluate your Music Video in Relation to Narrative Theories

For my A2 production I created a linear hip hop music video, the artist that we choice was Carl Carlton ‘She’s a bad mama jama’. Our music video is focused on skating and young love. We filmed our music video in a skate park in South Bank up in London. It’s about a young man skating around and meeting a young woman who he believes is a ‘bad mama jama’.

A narrative theorist that can be linked with our music video is Claude Levi Strauss, as our music video was shot in the winter the weather would be rather cloudy or dull. Therefore, it shows the binary opposition as our song is very funky and energetic; therefore, it would have been better shooting in sunny weather as it is a funky song.  

‘The narrative will establish enigmas or mysteries’; Roland’s enigma code can relate to our music video, for example, people would want to know whether Carl Carlton would get the girl at the end. This is one of Roland’s narrative codes, others that relate to our music video would be symbols and signs because in our music video the common thing that both our characters had was skating which is a symbol of similarity. Signs, such as the characters holding hands and skating together shows interest, which therefore relates to the lyrics of the song.

I think Propp’s 31 functions doesn’t relate or link to our music videos as we have no hero, villain or victim, and Propp’s functions focuses on the hero, villain and the victim. Therefore, it cannot link in with our music video, I believe Propp’s functions are mainly linked or related to films rather than music videos.

Alongside Propp’s, I believe Todorov’s theory doesn’t relate or link to our music video as we do not have an equilibrium, disequilibrium and resolution. In our music video we only have the equilibrium as there is no antagonist that gets in the protagonists way to cause conflict or a disequilibrium.

Stuart Halls encoding/decoding theory can relate to our music video as the certain way Carl Carlton sang and wrote the lyrics and the way we encoded the lyrics to our music video would get decoded by the audience and the audience would relate the lyrics to our music video and see the relation between it.  

A contemporary narrative theorist called Rosemary Huisman looked at narratives in many different concepts. 

Narrative In Media

Open publication - Free publishing - More narrative

How have your skills developed since as level in terms of specific details.

How have your skills developed since AS level in terms of specific details on Prezi