Using, Developing and Challenging Conventions- Music Video

Although the music video that we created was based on a Pop Rock song, it is expected that we have made use of all conventions of a Pop Rock music video, however, after analysing the video I have noticed that there are areas where the conventions have either been used, developed and even challenged.

Used Conventions
As the song 'Superman' of a pop rock genre, we have made use of conventions found in a pop video, for example the narrative is based on love, which is common (is not essential) in pop music videos. Furthermore, the characters that we have used in our narrative have been portrayed in a dramatic manor, making use of archetypes such as the Punk, Hunk and the Geek. Over exaggeration is also extremely common is pop rock music video as pop rock music is usually targeted as a young age group, therefore the use of humor is essential in order to keep the audience excited. Furthermore, it is conventional for pop rock music videos to follow a illustrative narrative, which means the lyrics are accompanied by the illustration, this was accomplished in a number of ways especially by the use of lip synchronisation as well as scenes that literally follow the narrative. For example, the scene of the Devil "..doing a deal...". Camera angles that were similar to angles used in pop rock music videos were also employed such as Medium shots, and two shots emphasised the love related narrative, and also kept the audience engaged with the emotions of the characters.

Developed Conventions
The team and I developed a number of conventions since our genre was a mix of both pop and rock, it was necessary to use conventions of both genres and develop them, but also making sure that the combination is well accompanied by the images. Firstly we developed the speed and transitions of the music video, as they are short and quick changing, the emphasis is put upon the rock element. Nevertheless, the images and clips used are commonly associated with the pop genre. Moreover, we made use of special effect editing techniques which are usually present in pop music videos is order to reveal a chronological change. However, we developed this by using other special effects such as the cartoon effects.

Challenged Conventions
We challenged a number of conventions as our target audience was of a smaller range compared to the target audience of renowned artists such as P!nk. This influenced the settings that we picked, as they revealed an urban environment, for example the flats in the background and the terraced housing. These are characteristics that appeal to a pop rock music video, however they appeal to an audience from a middle class upbringing in an urban environment.