Explain how far understanding of the conventions of existing media influenced the way you created your own media products. Refer to a range of examples in your answer to show how this understanding developed over time.

In year 12 for my AS media production, I had to create an opening to an Urban Y2K movie within our chosen group. In my A2 production, I worked within a group again to create a funky, hip-hop genre music video, album cover and a website.  This was a great way for me to develop my skills further, as my year 12 production presented different codes and conventions in comparison to my A2 production. However for both years I found that analysing real media texts to help identify the codes and conventions I needed to make a good film opening in year 12 and music video for year 13.

Year 12 production, gave me the opportunity to use search engine Google and YouTube, to analyse pre-existing film openings and specifically their target audience. Using Google enabled me to find information on synopsis of urban Y2K film openings, YouTube was then used to find opening sequences of Y2K films and therefore analyse the synopsis related to the opening. A good example was Kidulthood, the synopsis was as follows “a day in the lives of four poor youths living in an impoverished neighbourhood in West London, where the pressure and desperation of poverty propels each of them towards the choice between a life of bleakness, violence, and crime, and the terrifying prospect of striving for a better life”. The opening which I viewed on YouTube, demonstrated this effectively, through the codes and codes and conventions presented, there was evidence from the Mise-en-scene of bleak, dark environments, urban flats etc. I found for Y2K opening were that they were quite bleak and convey a sense of moral panic, however followed Prop’s 31 narrative code and conventions. It involved stereotypical scenes with archetypal characters so audiences could easily identify the film.  

Therefore we endeavoured to use the same effects and incorporate the similar codes and conventions into our opening film, using similar bleak, dark effects to convey more urban environments. Through the scene of our main character coming out of his estate wearing a hoodie was due to the influence of films such as Shank, Fish tank and Adulthood.

For my year 13 production, I again used the internet search engine Google and then YouTube, to analyse pre-existing products. I used Google to research images of album covers and music artist website and YouTube to analyse music videos.  When watching music videos we were able to identify the codes and conventions needed for our product, which involved, fast edits, close ups to show emotion and lip synching.  Music videos such as Diggy Simmons ‘Do it Like You’  influenced the type of video that we were to create, to follow the codes and conventions set by the video, where we see a young hip atmosphere, where there a sense of happiness and love amplified throughout. Therefore with our music video we made sure to introduce the artist and his relationship with our main girl, using the similar effects that we had analysed in Diggy Simmons video, to create a retro, vintage look to the overall video.

The album cover we created was to match the music video we had initially created in order to create brand recognition between the ancillary text and the main product of course which was the video.  Through Photoshop, we were able to create an album cover that related to the codes and conventions; we identified when analysing real media texts. Looking at a series of album covers it was quite evident to see that pop and R&B covers focused on the actual artist being portrayed rather than their being a series of fonts or artistic symbols, the artist dominated the album cover. Adele’s 21 album cover is a great example of this, it has a unique selling point which sells the artist and represents to its audience what type of music we expect to hear, from the use of colours and edits.

Our album cover therefore followed this; we were able to primarily focus on having our artist dominating the album cover. Through the use of edits create a retro/vintage look in order to match our branding.

The website was quite different to research and analyse, the reason being is because we as group have never looked or knew the codes and conventions that were to be presented in an actual website. I used Google, to search for different artist website, to see how the website was designed and whether it had set its brand. Therefore when analysing Diggy Simmons website, I noticed how it had gallery option, information about the artist and contact detail.  The background was also themed to match all his existing product, creating brand recognition. Similarly we made our website based on the existing colours seen on our products, therefore we used the similar pictures seen on the album cover and used the same type font used on the album cover. Our website also included gallery, info and contact information.

In conclusion, from looking at other real media texts, we were able to create for both years effective products and ancillary texts which included a variety of codes and conventions that could be used to gain our target audience.