1. 1. In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products?

2. Keri Hilson’s video for “Return The Favour” included many extreme close up shots throughout the video. Because the shots are so close up, it is more personal to the audience, so they connect with the artist better. Also it accentuates her beauty. I was inspired by the extreme close ups in Keri Hilson’s video, so I included many close up shots in my own video. Although I would say I DEVELOPED and CHALLENGED this feature, because I experimented with different scenes, props and unconventional/unusual makeup instead of just integrated shots of the same scene like in Keri’s video. Also I changed the hues of some of the extreme close ups to make them look more interesting. Extreme Close Ups

3. Transitions I got inspiration from Nicki Minaj’s video “Massive Attack” because the most common and effective transition throughout the video is a cross dissolve , where one image merges into another image. The cross dissolves created smooth links between the shots in her video, making it very interesting to watch . I used this feature within my own music video by including lots of cross dissolves between various shots throughout it. One shot changes to another shot by merging them together and one fades out , while another shot fades in . It creates a smooth transition between the 2 shots instead of just a cut from one shot to the next shot. It looks more aesthetically pleasing because it links the shots together.

4. Different shots of the same action In the Brick & Lace video for “Love Is Wicked” there were many examples of several different angled shots of the same action , one after the other. Many music videos use this technique because it makes the video look much more interesting and exciting , rather than just one shot for a long time. I used this technique within my own music video, by showing 3 consecutive shots of the same action/scene, but from a different angle. By incorporating this technique within my own work, it made this scene of the video look much more interesting, because what should have been one shot was broken up into 3 different angles.

5. Goodwin’s Principles In our media lessons, we learnt about the 6 principles that are commonly used within music videos according to the theorist Andrew Goodwin. So when planning, filming and editing my music video, I had Goodwin's principles in mind so that my music video could be as professional and effective as possible. Because I have included Goodwin’s principles within my own work, it would include elements that are included in real existing music videos, and so it shows that my product USES and DEVELOPS conventions of a real media product.

7. By introducing her with close-ups the audience feel on a much more personal level with the artist and the way I edited it to look intriguing and mysterious will attract their attention and draw them in right from the start. There is a demand on the part of the record company for lots of close-ups of the main artist/singer The audience feel more connected and more in favour of buying the music if they can actually see the artist instead of just hearing them, because it’s more personal . I included lots of close ups and extreme close ups of the artist, so that the audience can clearly see her , and also to show how beautiful she is, which will be appealing and attractive to the audience. This is the opening sequence/introduction of the video. I introduced the artist by showing a variety of shots of her body, her face, and also extreme close ups of her eyes and her mouth.

8. Specific or particular genres of music might have their own music video style and iconography From my research, I realised that a lot of hip-hop and R&B music videos of female singers contain many glamorous shots of them against plain backgrounds and lots of outfit changes of them wearing fashionable clothes. My video is quite similar to her video, because I included lots of different outfit changes for different shots to make the video look more interesting. One of the main focuses of female hip-hop and R&B videos is to make them look glamorous and beautiful, and i achieved this within my music video by choosing fashionable and appealing outfits, and by doing the models makeup. In my video, I included lots of shots against a plain background – it concentrates the attention and focus solely onto the artist, and also looks aesthetically pleasing. I got inspiration from Keri Hilson’s music video, where there are lots of shots of her against a plain background. In Keri Hilson’s music video she has a total of 5 outfit changes throughout the video – all very fashionable outfits.

9. During the editing process I added an effect called "Raster“ to a few certain shots - this effect put lines across the footage and made it lighter, which made it look like CCTV footage compared to the rest of the shots. There is likely to be a reference to voyeurism I edited certain shots to made them look like CCTV footage, to portray an element of voyeurism. The running theme throughout Keri Hilson’s video for “Return The Favour” contains a lot of shots that reflect voyeurism and the element of being watched . The shots and editing in this video heavily inspired my own work because it looks so creative . The editing effects used in Keri Hilson’s video hugely inspired me – the pixelated shots and shots with lines through them make them look like CCTV footage.

10. Also in some of the shots she is wearing a boys T-shirt and chains and also a men's shirt . This theme of wearing men’s style clothing could be used in future videos and appearances as part of her iconography and celebrity image , because it would make her stand out from other artists. The artist may develop their own iconography in and out of their videos, which becomes part of their celebrity image over time Katy Perry’s video for “California Girls” had a running theme throughout it of sweets and candy. Now Katy Perry is well-known for wearing clothes with pictures of sweets on, and holding sweets – because of the music video, it has become her branding . Throughout my music video I have portrayed her as being beautiful and glamorous, with lots of attitude .