The music video "Chased by a cow" uses, challenges, and develops conventions of multiple genres including indie, pop, alternative, and acoustic folk. It tells a narrative story through its plot and visuals while also incorporating contradictory elements. For example, upbeat music is paired with emotional visuals. Locations like parks and trains are used to further the story and represent themes of change. The costumes draw from both mainstream and alternative fashion to appeal to diverse audiences while reflecting the video's genres.

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

2. Introduction
Heifervecsent “Chased by a cow” music video
fits into a range of genres, all of which use,
challenge and develop forms of convections.

3. Music genre
• The music video is primarily based on a narrative,
which is essentially what character/actor Usman
performs to, for example, the plot is evolved
around Usman who has a dream of a cow that
has come to haunt him, peculiarly the cow has
mentally effected the incentive of Usman through
the belief of existence (image) and his actions
further enhance this when the he is stood outside
a cow store in “Arndale” and appears to be
running away in the video whenever a cow is seen
(Hence the name chased by a cow) with fate
beyond destiny.

4. Conventions
used
When thinking of a genre that
is applicable to this video, the
answer would be Indie, pop as
well as
alternative, however, Heifervec
sent “Chased by a cow” can
also be interoperated as an
acoustic folk genre through the
lighting. The sunlight reflects
on the camera creating an
ambient atmosphere for the
narrative. It also connotes
summer and the ideologies
that fit in with it, such as
running through plain
fields, sun baving on tree
branches, and cycling along the
river.

5. Challenging Conventions
• Another way our media product challenges
forms and conventions of real media text is
through the relationship between the visuals
and the lyrics as some of the visual illustrates
the lyric according to Andrew Goodwin’s
approach to music videos conventions.

6. Lyrics and Visuals:
Disjuncture
We used this technique in
a sarcastic way to keep up
with the style of the artist
and tone of the song. An
example of this is the lyrics
for1:22-1:24 are ‘welcome
this fantastic day’ and yet
the character’s body
language contradict this as
he looks as if it’s one of the
worst days of his entire life
and the image on the right
is evident of this though
the use of disjuncture.

7. Challenging
conventions
Furthermore, the significance of the cow is highlighting
both the dramatic swing in the music in terms of the
beat used in the video, from upbeat to downbeat and at
the same time portraying the cow in a “angry” manner,
as oppose to typically a relaxed depiction. Meanwhile a
tension looking character in Usman, furthermore
implying to the contradictory in the course of playing
upbeat tempo to a shot of a emotional character.
We felt the plot we had in mind would not be effective if
we were to limit the genre to just one, instead producing
a video that is versatile which in turn enables a range of
genres to fit in, thus by allowing multiple genre’s it
challenges new conventions, enabling the music video to
be narrative based but also include quirky elements to it
whereby it consists of both alternative and indie as well
as some conventions of folk involved. For example, the
use of cows and natural environments enhances folk
genre to be a part of the conventions in this music video.
Meanwhile, the narrative typically demonstrates the
conventions of a pop genre,

8. Developing
conventions
In the beginning of the video
(0:00-0:24 )we used a
whitening effect to give the
impression of a dream
sequence. The dream being
when he was free from the
fear of the ‘cow’. From 0:35 to
0:43, he becomes aware of
what is following him and tries
to run away from his fate.
However, as the video is for a
song from the genre of Pop,
upbeat and positivity needed
to be included, dancing shows
when our character feels like
he has gone back to not
fearing.

9. Developing
conventions
The clothing fits in with this genre of pop but also of the indie genre
through the use of colorful modern clothing (bego chinos, elbow
patched jacket) and at the same time a combination of vintage
clothing, such as the old school military boots. The lyrics and
storyline convey the genre through the ludicrous imaginary
relationship of a cow. This challenges new conventions of some
genres- R’n’B and indie pop, in which the lyrics and video convey a
superficial lifestyle that aspires the audience in perhaps a negative
way of living their “utopia”. The digipak conveys the acoustic folk
genre through the unique drawings which show the artistic element
to the genre, which in turn connotes the themes of peace and an
organic lifestyle. On the cover there is a picture of a cow which
represents the countryside which shows the conventions of the folk
genre. At the same time however, I decided to use the cow as a
multiple feature, this is shown in the digipack when the cow is
transformed in innovative was, through the use of the cow being
portrayed as an object i.e. a lottery box but at the same time the
cows head symbolizing it has more than one purpose, adding to the
genre convention of alternative.

10. Developing
Conventions
On the storyboard there were shots of the main character
by the river; however in the shooting of the music video I
decided against using too many shots and wanted to
capture more shots of “The Abney Hall scene” and
“Arndale” as this would make the location significant to the
character (Usman) as it would show routine in his day-to-
day life and create a sense of familiarity to the audience as
he would become almost an intimate person in his life.
Because the video is only three and a bit minutes the
repetition it to be over a long period of time. To break up
the emotional hatred and confusion I captured sequences
of the main character Usman catching a train down East
Didsbury train station, in Manchester, to represent change
in the narrative and continue to focus the attention on him.
To make the sequences more authentic I took shots from a
distance, using a range of long and medium shots at various
angles, behind character (Usman) and filmed.

11. This engages the audience to make them feel part of
the film and also shows the themes of “vintage” and
“homemade” in the genre. To represent the genre of
the video more precisely the costume worn by
characters were more alternative to the mainstream
fashion. I looked into the costume of more indie music
videos and to fit the genre Usman wore a, sunglass’s,
with bego chinos and to convey the “past” memories
Usman wore a deep blue knitted jumper. Even though I
wanted the clothing to be a precise mirror of the
jumper I didn’t want to stereotype and wanted to make
the video ideology appealing to all audiences. I used a
range of ethnicity to widen the audience, such as the
main character Usman whom is of an ethnic minority
background, Pakistani. The props however had to be
generic to promote the diversity of genre values of the
contradictory narrative, chased by a cow, train tickets,
and dancing. The storyline in its basic form could
portray students leaving home and moving to university
and then become isolated with species that are within
society.

12. Target Audience
However I wanted to make the storyline applicable to
older generation who may have been through similar
situations. Therefore predomately my target audience was
older teenagers. This narrative is appealing to this
audience who can identify with characters is conventional
to the genre. There is definite representation of youth in
the music video which stems from the theme of isolation
of the main character, to the imaginary “cow” in a
ludicrous world.