Task 1 In what ways do our media products use, develop or change forms and conventions of real media products?

Having an instrument and performance element in a music video is as much established as having an artist going along to it. Therefore we looked at different music videos and we noticed that most of them show a band playing their instruments. We wanted to create the image of a ‘lonely wolf’ for our artist and therefore we thought about a way how we can include a performance element without looking commercial. Therefore we decided to have a piano playing by itself, which was a great idea because it adds a ghostly feeling to the video and increases his loneliness. The music seems to come from a ghost hand, something superstitious that is permanently following our artist. Compared to other commotional music videos we managed to create something new out of the established performance element. 
This is a good example for a very commercial and stereo typical performance based music video. We were trying to achieve the exact opposite of that.   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aK449BfzZeU By taking out all of these elements we wanted to create something that is less common but therefore only appealing to a specific audience. We still have the performing element in it but transformed into something that suits our theme and target audience more as well as the genre the music and the artist's image is in. 

The writing element was an element that was important for our final product. It made you think that the artist is laying out his personal thoughts and feelings in front of you. It looked very personal and private and it was definitive a good choice to give some camera time on him only and simply writing. When searching for ideas we looked at a Band called Bright Eyes’ music video, which was basically showing the front singer writing out the lyrics to the song as it went along onto a glass board. (Lucky/Easy/Free) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RozuwUlX7MI&ob=av3e We simply copied their idea and used it in our video. In their video he is only writing all the time, we thought that that’s too little and it could get quite boring for the viewer, so we only used this as one element of our whole concept.

  

Having a dance element in a music video is a stereo typical element for mainstream music videos. Those dance elements are often placed really random. We chose something that is not as obvious and mainstream. Compared to this http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4m1EFMoRFvY we went the complete opposite rute by not showing something sexy and provocative.  First of all we thought about a dance style that would suit the video best and we thought that ballet would be good because the most is quite slow and classy just like the dance. The second element we thought about was how tell include her. We wanted to tell a story and not just make her appear randomly. Therefore we made the ballerina become a toy that comes to life when ‘Peter’ touches her.-Like he is bringing everything else in the house back to life. 

The Polaroid is a key theme that goes on even furthermore into ‘Peter and the Wolf’s image. The Polaroid in the video is symbolizing that he is bringing back life to a memory or simply a picture. But if you look at his CD Cover you’ll see that we have a Polaroid of him on the front and back cover. Polaroid films are known to have a certain kind of style with a certain kind of atmosphere. Lately they have become quite popular again. Normally every artist has got a certain item that he is being recognized with, for example cigarettes or a special chain. I thought it would be nice if Peter had Polaroid’s as his brand label.
For exp. the idea of moving pictures within a frame     http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xgNWGUoNs68

As well as the performing element you normally have singing in a music video. Especially in commotional music video you see the singers give a full performance dinging in front of a microphone or they are singing in the rain etc. This time we decided to change the concept of it but still keep the basic idea of having a dramatic singing performancehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bjIErrcr75A&feature=fvst. We wanted to make this part look very simple but well-constructed. Therefore we thought very carefully about the rules of third when putting him into place. We made him sing in front of some old but very beautiful wallpaper. He was lid from the side so that he was basically standing in a stop and everything else around was dark. This increased his isolation again and made it look like a very private moment again. 

Close ups of the main ‘character’ are very common in very form of video. But because we wanted to be special with our close up we decided to shoot it from outside so that we can see the window reflection at the same time as we see his face. It looks very melancholic and meaningful. Again it is open for interpretations. 
Though those kinds of shots are even used in mainstream music videos like this : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MeW0Sl0tNS8

Finally we end with having him walking into the unknown. He walks towards a door which blends out into white.  This however was not necessarily inspired by a music video but by a film. (Rendezvous with Joe Black). You often see those white out blending when someone dies or goes to heaven. We quite liked it as an ending because it is quite unusual for a music video to end like this, in a way it has an open ending. Normally if you see a music video it has a beginning, middle and end. We have all of this too and we even what an ending somehow but yet it doesn’t leave you satisfied. Your video appears to be more like an art film, or at least that what we were hoping for. Our artist is alternative and we want to break the rules that mainstream music videos have already established.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=895PZQJK5TM