Head

Genre

Katie Wales stated that “Genre is … an intertexual concept” meaning that the intertextual references it references defines a genre, therefore by drawing inspiration from an alternative rock band's music video; Linkin Park's Numb this helped to put across our genre, however we also used Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels which is a film, and therefore it could be argued that even though it has the same dark traits as some alternative rock videos, it is not alternative rock and hence this theory might not apply to our music video in full.

Jacques Derrida's theory of “A text cannot be without a genre, it cannot be without a genre” relates to our music video as the band Forerunner who's song we chose is categorised as Indie/Alternative, which is a hybrid genre, two genres combined. And due to the fact the song we chose sounded more rock/alternative, we chose to style to band so in order to add to our campaign and promotion of the band. So in effect we colour graded and implemented aspects such as inspiration from Linkin Park's numb which is also Alternative rock, in order to suit our chosen genre.

Nicholas Abercrombie claimed that 'Genres are shifting and becoming more permeable' which means that media producers are using conventions to create familiar products in order for the band to sell better. The song we chose to use for our A2 music video was from the genre Alternative Rock, and due to using this hybrid genre song, we knew it meant that our target audience was wider and as a result would be appealing to multiple audiences rather than one.  

Rick Altman argues that genre offers audiences 'a set of pleasures'

Emotional pleasure: genre films are particularly significant when they generate a strong audience response - In my A2 music video, you feel sympathy for the main character as he loses his job and cannot pay for the bills or support his family. And at the end, the audience will feel delight at the happy ending when he finds religion and quits gambling.

Visceral pleasure: (the 'gut' response) defined by the films stylistic construction and the physical effect on the audience - When the audience see that he has a gambling addition, they will react with their gut response is to feel saddened by his addiction and sympathy for his family.

Audience

Hartley

-‘Must know audience so they can target them effectively'

A2 music video, we knew our audience and therefore as we related to them we knew what to implement in our music video in which would appeal to our target audience, therefore we knew what mise en scene would appeal to our target audience.

Hartley 1987

'Institutions are obliged not only to speak about an audience, but crucially, for them - to talk to one as well; they need not only to represent audiences but to enter into relation with them'

A2 music video, due to the band we chose being a christian alternative rock band we wanted to appeal to those who are religious and those who enjoy the genre, together or separate, therefore by implementing our protagonist's journey it did this.

Postmodernism - fast cuts

In A2, I implemented fast cuts in our editing process in order to keep the attention of the audience, as we now live in a 3 minute culture. For instance, Guy Debord talks about the society of the spectacle where society has been reduced to image and superficialism therefore the look and style of our music video rather than the content, keeps the attention of the audience. 

Narrative coherence 

We implemented a narrative to our music video where a troubled man has a gambling addiction, no job, debts and a family to support and his journey fighting his addiction and in effect himself, where he eventually turns to religion and begins righting his wrongs. Our narrative has a beginning, middle and end and is relatively clear as to what is happening. In regards to whether it matters if the audience understands what is happening, I believe it does not matter as if they do not understand this will entice them to keep watching to try to understand. 

Representation

Baudrillard - Hyperreality

A2 Music Video - Baudrillard's theory of hyperreality where we are living in a society filled with simulations and false representations of reality that outperform our true reality, is prominent in my music video as the protagonist is shown to be playing poker against himself, however this is hyperreal as he is not actually playing himself, and it is a metaphor for his battle against himself to fight his addiction to gambling. We left the reveal that he was playing himself until the end of the poker sequence as this created suspense and an enigma.  In addition, he 'sees' his wife and child, and a tired, worn out version of himself in the mirror, however this is a figment of his imagination and shows his unstable frame of mind. This is hyper real, as this would not happen in reality.

Judith Butler believes that gender is a performance, so when it comes to our music video our male protagonist is portrayed stereotypically masculine, with gender traits such as his addition to poker. Furthermore, our band is made up of three males, which is stereotypical of rock bands.

Gauntlett - Identities are not given but are constructed and negotiated.

In reference to the representation of our band in our music video, we decided to portray them in a certain manner. For instance, David Gauntlett believes that we can play with our identities and representations, which applies to our band as they were posing as a band as they are not an actual band and have not performed together before our music video, hence representing a band. We chose to represent our performers as a unified band, in order to fit the conventions and stereotypes of a typical band.

O'Sullivan et all 1998 details that a stereotype is a label and that involves a process of categorisation and evaluation, meaning that having stereotypes in narratives defines our understanding of media texts such as who is good and who is evil. In regards to our A2 music video, our protagonist is male and stereotypically masculine, partly due to his addiction to poker, a masculine trait, however on the other hand we have not conformed to the usual stereotypes, for instance our main character is emasculated due to the fact he is supposed to be supporting his family and due to his addition to gambling, he cannot, therefore making him feminine rather than the stereotypical male breadwinner of the family.

Narrative

Levi - Strauss: Binary opposites 

In a media text, Claude Levi-Strauss believes that in all media texts there are binary opposites or a form of conflict.  One of the first scenes we see our protagonist with his family, they are shown to be arguing, hence showing the binary opposites of man and woman, and the power opposites they portray in the argument, where the woman is in power, therefore strong and the husband is weak. Our protagonist is fighting against a gambling addiction in our music video, and as a result fighting against himself. To show this we incorporated a poker scene which was inspired by an intertextual reference, 'Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels' and shows the protagonist playing a game of poker against an unknown player until it is revealed it is a darker version on himself, therefore it is showing good vs evil, a binary opposite. Furthermore, our choices of locations are binary opposites, as we have a church which is angelic which is juxtaposed by the poker room which is sinful. And in addition, the contrast between his 'sinful' ways is juxtaposed with the purity of his baby, hence creating another binary opposite of angel and devil.

Tim O'Sullivan states that all media texts tell some sort of story and the story they tell represent us as a culture. The narrative we used for our music video was a metaphor for the evils of today's culture and the effects they can have if not addressed sooner rather than later. For instance, by having our protagonist being addicted to poker, we aimed to show that having an addiction can have repercussions on your life and in effect, destroy it. Like in our music video, the knock on effect that his gambling has on his family, the loss of his job, debts and the downward spiral that is caused by his addition is a warning that our actions affects not only us but others around us and if we do not change it would result in a negative future.

Pam Cook - Hollywood Narratives

Pam Cook believes that stories should be linear; have a beginning, a middle and an end, in which something happens (cause and effect), causing a series of problems (enigmas) which to be solved (resolution). And hence, I believe this applies to our music video as we have a linear narrative, which begins with our protagonist having a loving family and a job, but then it all goes downhill when he loses his job and lets his poker addiction take over, resulting in bills going unpaid and friction between him and his wife. Then comes to an end when he overcomes his addiction and finds religion, resolving his problems.

Todorov - 

A2 Music Video

Stage 1 - Stable equilibrium, everything is calm at start listening to music in his room

Stage 2 - Stabilty is disrupted creating a state of disequilibrium, in our music video he is fired.

Stage 3 - Recognition of disruption has taken place - final demand letters and wife struggling at home alone with baby. He plays against himself in a game of poker (his evil side wins)

Stage 4 -  Action against disruption of equilibrium - In the bathroom scene he is washing his face and sees flashes of his wife and child and his evil counterpart in the mirror and begins to release the error of his ways. This progresses as he runs into the church and finds religion.

Stage 5 - Restoration of a new state of equilibrium: the consequences of the reaction is to change the world of the character so that the final state of equilibrium is not the same as the initial state. - The protagonist throws away the 'dirty' money he has won from gambling into a river, so in a sense cleansing him of his sins.