Blog task 1

In what ways do your media products use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media ?

Richard Dyer states that star image Is created from a range of materials.

We constructed aour star image from a pop promo, a digi-pack and an poster for a magazine.

Key unique qualities of our star image were constructed using various technical codes and conventions of the genre. We chose country and western genre and we sought to construct a star who symbolized some aspects of a traditional country and western star.

The term ‘star’ refers to the semi-mythological set of meaning constructed around music performers in order to sell the performer to a large and loyal audience.  Furthermore, Some common values of Music stardom are Originality, Creativity/talent and Youthfulness.  We have created an audience by using these common values. Through the use of the five technical areas of Camera, Editing, Mise en scene, sound and SPFX we have establish a star image.

In our pop video we shot our artist often from low to high establishing a ‘hero’ shot making him important and creating an audiences aspiration to be like him.   In addition through the use of diegetic gaze the audience can see and understand our artist without fully ever knowing him, making the audience want more from him but never fully getting him, drawing the audience into his world.

Fundamentally, the star image is incoherent, that is incomplete and ‘open’.  Dyer says that this is because it is based upon two key paradoxes; star must be simultaneously ordinary and extraordinary for the consumer. Secondly the star must be simultaneously present and absent for the consumer.

The incoherence of the star image ensures that audiences continually strive to ‘complete’ or to ‘make sense’ of the image. This is achieved by continued consumption of the star through their products. In the music industry, performance seems to promise the completion of the image, but it is always ultimately unsatisfying. This means that fans will go away determined to continue consuming the star in order to carry on attempting to complete their image.

Our star image is furthermore created through the use of mise en scene, including prop, location, costume and lighting.  Our Pop Video was shot as the location of Battersea Power Station which is derelict and without hope, due to the fact that it used to be used and important but is now alone and rotting.  This is reflected in our Artists performance he was once full of life which is represented by the natural sunlight surrounding him in the video however, but is now alone due to the loss of his girlfriend, which essentially has left him without hope for the his life and therefore music, as she was his muse.  This is furthermore shown by how when he finds her lying there dead the lighting is very dark and subdued.

This complies with the normal country and western star image as is often involves love and despair.  We have furthermore followed the star image of a country western star by using a leather jacket and a guitar on our artist.  However, we have modernised this star image but not using a straw hat and having him on the back of a horse with a toothpick in his mouth.  Creating a new star image which country and western audience and others can relate to and enjoy. 

In order to follow and subvert these conventions we need to establish and understanding and to learn them to be able to use them within the narrative. Negus explains them…

•      The explicit and unashamed promotion of the artist’s “image” as a specific product with a brand identity, ready for mass consumption.

•      The featuring of the artist

•      A wide and extensive use of shot types, camera angles and movement.
Repetition of reoccurring thematic elements and generically specific iconography.

•      
A possible narrative structure.

•      A possible performance element

•      Use of special effects

•      A carefully constructed Mise en Scene appropriate to the content and tone of the track

We have used many real life example to promote our star's image, and have complied with the new subverting country and western image in oder to establish a different yet still within the genre, brand image for our artist.  However, we have not conformed to the mass audience as our target audience is a smaller well educated specific set of people.  This will lead brand consumption and future following of the artists progression. 

The generic conventions that signify and genre and signal to audiences that their expectations will be met or reinforces their knowledge or different genres and products so that they can make a purchasing choice. 

Another element with are the ingredients which form a promise of expectation for the audience.  The audiences expect a direct address to become closer with the singer and establish a relationship between the two.  However, by having a unique direct address our audience are being drawn into his world but the USP is the fact that the world they are being drawn into is lonely and depressing.  Showing that the star is promising to understand his audiences pain and therefore meeting their expectations to a certain extent. 

Furthermore, our extensive use of shots and jump cuts with our editing technique gives the audience a sense of excitement and keeps them entertained and watching.  In addition the feel of a country and western Video is quite subverted as it is often quite straight forward and filled with a clear story of love or heartbreak.  Our video does not conform to this convention.  Our star is walking around battersea power station without a clear reason to, other than the fact that it represents is uncertainty of life and it is symbolic for the path around life and how it can be repetitive.  This is shown by the editing technique of recurring shots coming back and furthermore clouds going forwards and backwards showing the uncertainty of time, and how lost he is.  The reason for his walking and wonderment is then comes apparent at the end as his lover or love interest is dead.  This theme of love and death if conforming to the normal country and western conventions as this is often a theme is this genre of music.

our Digipack allows audiences to understand the brand of the bans.  it is a way of attracting those targeted audience (16- 25, up to university level so that they are well educated and can understand the themes and subverted conventions portrayed in the video and the artwork)

This back cover represents his Black Heart and how love and music is such a large part of his life and how that his heart is broken due to the passing of his love his music is also dying with her.  This conforms to the country stereotype of music, especially country music being interlinked with love and passion.  However, this stereotype is then subverted with the Poster, as although we are trying to convey the Country and Western feel with a very stereotypical leather jacket and guitar over the shoulder, it is subverted as in the background is then a derelict abandoned power station representing his dark soul filled with loneliness.