This blogpost, written by me (Maxi), outlines the decisions made regarding the usage of media language in our music video, as well as elements of our digipak, and how these choices have affected the message that our music video and digipak convey.
Since I was the one who created the screenplay of the music video, I played a large part in the creative process, which included making the decisions regarding the media language - mise-en-scene, camera movements, editing, and sound - that would be used throughout the music video to tell the story of our artist/characters and represent them as accurately as possible. In this case, the music video follows our main character KIARA, and focusses on the joy, happiness, and better life she experiences after breaking up from a toxic relationship she was in with her ex boyfriend, focussing instead on spending time with her friends, appreciating her freedom, and embracing her girlhood.
In the final music video, I believe these elements I had envisioned were all able to come together and cohesively portray the story, plot, and characters of our music video. However, not all that was intended to be included in our music video was able to be followed through with in the final product, the details of which (i.e. what was changed from the original storyboard/screenplay and what was feature in the final music video) can be seen in the Storyboard and Screenplay Development blog post.
Featured below are screenshots of scenes from our music video, along with descriptions of the media language used, how we used them to represent our characters/story, and what we intended them to convey.
Shot 1 (00:00 - 00:07)
This shot, from the very beginning of our music video, showcases our cast using a dolly walk-in as they move towards the ledge of their villa to admire the morning view after waking up, with white text that says "Feather" in a fancy font. We chose for our actors to wear pajamas throughout the first part of our music video, to indiciate that they had just awoken from their sleep, and that this is the beginning of their day. We decided to use a dolly shot from the front to follow them along as they walked to focus in on their reactions, which are all visibly happy and excited. In the background, a large lawn with flowers and a gazebo can be seen, which shows audiences that the villa/place they're staying at must be quite luxurious, expensive, and lavish, which builds the audience's view of KIARA and her friends, as many people idolize/look up to those who have wealth and money, villas and expensive homes being a common stereotype associated with that.
Furthermore, the white text overlayed on the screen was written in a fancy cursive font to further portray the connotations of wealth, since a cursive font generally connotes high class, and grandeur. Additionally, cursive fonts also are commonly connote female aura, since it is a delicate font, similar to calligraphy, an art form that many members of our target audience (teenage girls) appreciate and take part in.
Shot 2 (00:23 - 00:29)
Further, since the song is about moving on from toxic relationships, we wanted to paint the picture of KIARA's ex boyfriend as a bad partner, more specifically the term most used to refer to such people by our target audience would be a "red flag". Being a "red flag" in todays generation generally comes with many stereotypes. One such stereotype would be clothing, for which we chose our character to wear a black leather jacket, long black trousers, and have slicked back hair, as well as a cross necklace. All of these elements build connotations of being a sort of "badass", and in general an unapproachable/mean person, as dark clothing, leather jackets, and slicked hair are often associated with men who are mean, egotistical, and think too highly of themselves, which is exactly how we want our audience to see KIARA's ex boyfriend. The cross necklace however may juxtapose this, but is actually used to show that although he may be religious (since cross necklaces are often associated with Christianity, and hence purity), it may only be a facade that covers up his true personality. Such is seen in several forms of media texts, especially those that represent the sub-genre of "Mafia", such as movies like The Godfather, where religion goes hand in hand with the haunting actions/behaviour participated in by the characters throughout the course of the movie.
Shot 3 (00:30 - 00:38)
Shot 3 (00:30 - 00:38)
In this shot/sequence, we see KIARA walking towards, opening, and slamming the door on her ex after she see's him at her front door, giving her an apology and asking her to get back together with him. Here, we continue to build anticipation for our audience by showing KIARA using a medium shot walking towards the door rather confused, not knowing who she may find. The audience however knows exactly who's there, which leads them to speculate what her reaction to her ex boyfriend may be. Next, KIARA's facial expressions are focussed on with an over-the-shoulder shot once she opens the door, in which she gives a confused look, followed by an eye-line shot that shows the audience clearly the "I'm Sorry" sign that's on the bouquet her ex boyfriend has prepared. She then gives a short-lived smile, which turns into a frown, and then slams the door on him. In this case, the usage of the over the shoulder shot is important as it reminds audiences that her ex boyfriend still isn't "gone" just yet, and still is a part of this conversation/story.
The storytelling in this scene is given mainly through KIARA's expressions and acting, as a "fake smile" like the one she gives, often has connotations of not appreciating what has been given to a person. In this case, KIARA doesn't think highly of the apology that her ex boyfriend is trying to give. Furthermore, the slamming of a door conveys heavy feelings of hatred, as such an action is often associated with feelings of anger, and hatred. This should reveal to the audience the extent of which her ex boyfriend must have wronged KIARA, as most people don't slam the door on someone unless they have a valid reason to do so. This allows them to sympathize with KIARA, and build a deeper personal connection with her as they may also relate so similar traumas they've experienced in their own lives.
The storytelling in this scene is given mainly through KIARA's expressions and acting, as a "fake smile" like the one she gives, often has connotations of not appreciating what has been given to a person. In this case, KIARA doesn't think highly of the apology that her ex boyfriend is trying to give. Furthermore, the slamming of a door conveys heavy feelings of hatred, as such an action is often associated with feelings of anger, and hatred. This should reveal to the audience the extent of which her ex boyfriend must have wronged KIARA, as most people don't slam the door on someone unless they have a valid reason to do so. This allows them to sympathize with KIARA, and build a deeper personal connection with her as they may also relate so similar traumas they've experienced in their own lives.
Shot 4 (00:41 - 00:53)
The next sequence focusses on the KIARA and her girl friends having a pillow fight together, which is accompanied with practical affects such as feathers falling in the air, filmed using a combination of close up and medium shots, and are all recorded in slow-motion capture. Here, we shine the spotlight on the fun that KIARA is having with her friends, and showcasing their close connection/bond. We do this through the usage of blocking in each scene, where although the center focus of each shot is generally KIARA, her friends are always seen very close to her, which is exemplified by the various close up shots that showcase their excited and thrilled expressions. Furthermore, pillow fights are generally associated as an activity that girls stereotypically do when they have sleepovers. This however may be quite an old convention and may not be accurate for today's kids, but it's connotations still remain that it is a fun and child-like activity that kids do to have fun with friends. This childishness also represents the innocence and purity of the characters, how in their hearts, they're really all just kids that want to have fun with each other; acting as sort of an escape to the actual burdens they may face in reality (UGT - Diversion), which is what audiences may also feel when watching the music video.
The usage of slow motion shots to film the pillow fight allows for audiences to take in the actions and emotions the characters experience better, while also being a stylistic choice that enhances the dramatic effect of the pillow fights, capturing the viewer and making them want to pay attention. Lastly, the practical effects of having a pile of feathers fall in the air above the characters links the imagery in the scene to that of the song, since the feathers are shown specifically when the line "I feel so much lighter like a Feather with you out my life" is mentioned. We decided to have this occur during the pillow fight scene as pillows are often associated with having feathers in them (although no longer common), which further pushes the branding of the song, as having literal feathers appear in a song titled "Feather" improves the image and connections audiences build to the song as they watch the music video.
The usage of slow motion shots to film the pillow fight allows for audiences to take in the actions and emotions the characters experience better, while also being a stylistic choice that enhances the dramatic effect of the pillow fights, capturing the viewer and making them want to pay attention. Lastly, the practical effects of having a pile of feathers fall in the air above the characters links the imagery in the scene to that of the song, since the feathers are shown specifically when the line "I feel so much lighter like a Feather with you out my life" is mentioned. We decided to have this occur during the pillow fight scene as pillows are often associated with having feathers in them (although no longer common), which further pushes the branding of the song, as having literal feathers appear in a song titled "Feather" improves the image and connections audiences build to the song as they watch the music video.
Shot 5 (00:54 - 00:58), (1:03 - 1:05), (1:08 - 1:11)
In this next shot, we see KIARA shown lip-syncing using a medium close up, while her friends are in the background seen doing makeup. Focus pulling was used in this shot to ensure that KIARA's performance was the spotlight of the scene, as her enhanced image and placement in the foreground make sure audiences know to pay attention to her. However, although her friends are placed in the background, the actions they perform here were just as important. Makeup, and the application of makeup, is an activity synonymous with girlhood, and commonly connotes femininity as well as being a fun activity our target audience would enjoy taking part in too. Seeing KIARA's friends doing makeup will thus further allow the audience to relate to the characters, since they themselves perform such activities in their day to day life as well. This makes them feel more normal/ordinary, and could lead them to enjoying KIARA's music even more (Dyers Stardom Theory - Ordinariness).
Shot 6 (1:06 -1:08)
In this shot, the girls are shown in a full shot about to eat a pizza, having a cheers before presumably beginning to start eating. Using a full shot here allows us to capture all the characters reactions, as the focus in this scene is not on any specific character, but all of them together. Next, it is a common convention in many forms of media texts, such as movies, films, and even music videos, that characters themselves never actually EAT the food that they have with them on the screen, which is a convention we intentionally decided to follow by cutting the scene right before the characters actually start to eat. This may be due to a variety of reasons, such as how eating may make characters look ugly/silly. The act of chewing, especially on foods such as pizza's simply does not look appealing to audiences, as some may find it disgusting. Since we wanted to portray the girls as cute and innocent, chewing on food may bring down this image, as it may appear repulsive, and thus we did not decide to include it.
Shot 7 (1:11 - 1:17)
In this sequence, we are shown the girls changing their clothes, entering the villa in their pajamas, and leaving with their summer/beach outfits. This is shown through a series of jump cuts, an editing technique that is commonly utilized to showcase the passage of time. We utilized these jump cuts in the same way, showing how the girls changed clothes without having to show them literally taking off their clothes and putting new ones on.
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(Costumes/Outfits)
Here we can see the chosen costumes that the girls changed into that would then be featured throughout the rest of the music video. We collaborated with our cast of actors to choose them, for which the main theme was "summer". We intended to have white outfits that did not have too many colors on them, and remained primarily the same color. This was due to the idea of portraying our characters as girly, childish, and innocent, as white is a color that is commonly associated with innocence. The outdoorsy summer vibe of the outfits are also an important consideration, as clothing such as skirts and dresses are those that could commonly be seen at locations such as the beach or park. This makes sense to thus have them wear in our music video, as those are the locations we intended to shoot in/include in our music video.
In this next scene, we are shown tracking shots that follow the girls as they drive around in their car. Here we see their actual car for the first time, which is a HONDA HR-V 2017. Ideally, the car that would've been perfect for the aesthetic of our music video, that matched the concept of summer, sunny days, and scenic locations, would most likely have been a convertible, like the Mercedes C-Class Cabriolet. However, due to limited resources, we would not have been able to acquire such a car. Thus, we instead settled for the HONDA HR-V, which is primarily a city car. This however was still a great option, as it fits our aesthetic much more than other cars would, e.g. a jeep, minivan, pick-up truck, etc, as those cars are not stereotypically driven by women, and usually have connotations of manliness, not femininity. City cars like the HR-V generally connote comfort, and are usually driven by both men and women, and thus it makes sense to see KIARA driving such a car. It is also a regular car that a large portion of our target audience could have/actually afford, and not a luxury car, which allows for our audience to again further relate to KIARA.
Shot 9 (2:00 - 2:06)
As a part of the same sequence, this next shot shows, through handheld camera work, the girls from the inside of the car, as they drive along and continue to smile, sing, and talk. The usage of handheld camera shots here build the connection between the audience and the characters as the shakiness of such shots makes it feel as if the audience is there in the car with them, singing along and having fun too. Additionally, shaky camera work increases the thrills experiences in the scene, as it makes it seem like more is happening/going on.
Shot 10 (2:12 - 2:26)
Next, we have the beach sequence, which shows the girls at the beach, playing in the water, sitting and talking together, and taking pictures with each other. We show this sequence through a variety of shots including medium shots, medium close ups, and close ups. The beach plays a key part of the setting of this sequence as its bright sunshine, white sand, and clear waters all convey a sense of relaxation and leisure, as watching the girls have fun together at the beach may remind audiences of their own experiences with their friends, since the beach is a quite accessible location many people may go to.
Shot 11 (2:27 - 2:34)
In this sequence, we apply the usage of whip-pans to flick back and forth from KIARA to her friends as she lip syncs the lyrics of the song where she asks questions, and then we show her friends answering that question (e.g, KIARA asks "You want me?", we then whip pan to her friends who reply "I'm done"). Whip pans here are a useful element of media language that makes a sequence look intense and exhilarating, which further excites audiences watching the music video. It also is a conversation sequence between KIARA and her friends, and thus we believed that merely cutting between different shots of KIARA and her friends would not look as aesthetically pleasing. Furthermore, whip pans also help to show the chemistry and connection that KIARA has with her friends, since it goes back and forth so fast, as compared to merely cutting in between scenes/shots.
Shot 12 (2:35 - 2:53)
Next, we see KIARA and her friends now at a nice, lush, green park with a picnic blanket and basket, about to have a picnic together. We show them arriving and setting up through a variety of slow-mo shots and close ups, as well as a quick cut sequence that sees them walking towards the camera. Here, the location plays a big part in the message of the scene. Similar to the beach, the park isn't an unaccessible location for many people, but we made sure that we chose a park that was clean, green, and looked very appealing, as we've consistently been showing and presenting a high-end, and comfortable life that our characters have. The usage of close ups and slow-mo shots as well allows us to showcase the beauty and greenery of the park in the best way possible. Additionally, having them go to a nice park instead of a park that was grey, dirty, or dark, paints a great picture of the aura they have even further. These girls are not dirty, or disgusting, instead they are fancy, beautiful, cool, etc. Furthermore, the props used in this scene such as a picnic blanket and basket may be considered simulacra, since the ones that we used (red and white striped blanket, wooden foldable picnic basket) are rarely ever seen actually used in real life anymore. Instead these are just the common conventions from media that developed a very long time ago, where picnics were represented in such a way. Thus we followed those conventions, as it easily allows our audience to understand that our characters are having a picnic, since picnics also convey a sense of outdoorsy fun that our characters have been seen taking part of since the start of the video.
Shot 13 (2:54 - 3:00)
In the final shot of the music video, we show KIARA using a medium close up as she turns towards the camera to blow a kiss. As the final shot, we wanted to show KIARA saying goodbye to the audience, and thus we decided on a blown kiss. Blown kisses often connote a goodbye, while also being connoted with femininity and looking cute. We thought that this would be a perfect way for KIARA to say goodbye to her audience, as her looking into the camera and giving them a kiss directly makes it a more personal experience for KIARA's fans watching the video.
Media Language In Digipak
Featured below are the covers of our digipak, as well as the media language we used to portray and further paint a picture of KIARA's story and who she is as an artist. The research and development behind these digipak covers can be seen in the Digipak Research and Development Blogpost.
Digipak Front Cover
The digipak front cover features KIARA shown through a medium close up from a low angle, as she looks up into the sky with her hands raised up. Overlaid text reads "The 1st Mini Album", as well as the title of the album "Feather" in cursive font. Since we wanted to represent KIARA as a strong independent artist, we decided to show her using a low angle in the digipak cover, since low angle shots generally connote feelings of respect and power. KIARA looking up at the sky also has connotations of hope, while her hand gestures represent freedom, as the song Feather itself is about freeing herself from the bounds of her toxic relationship. The overlaid text saying "Feather" also uses the same font as the text shown at the beginning of our music video, which comes in to build a sense of branding between KIARA's music video as well as digipak, The cursive font again further has connotations of femininity and emphasizes KIARA's identity as a teenage girl who is very much still young and has a sense of childhood left in her. The text at the top of the cover saying "The 1st Mini Album" also represents how she is merely at the start of her career as a musician, and that fans can still be excited for whats to come next.
Digipak Inside Covers
For the inside covers featuring the track list of the digipak, we show KIARA's face using a close up shot, as she smiles and looks into the distance. The other inside cover features scenery of the park that the music video was shot at, as well as a cluster of bubbles. The green park scenery of the inside covers contrast with both the front and back covers of the digipak, revealing luscious green grass, bushes, and trees, which shows audiences that KIARA does not only have high hopes that are represented by the sky, but is also humble and down to earth, being represented by the greenery of the ground beneath her. Similar to the shots of the music video at the park, the green color represents a sense of purity and fun, as the park itself is very clean and picturesque. Furthermore, KIARA's smile and hair that flows around in the wind further conveys a sense of freedom, knowing that she is no longer being held back by the once toxic relationship she was a part of. This is because hair flowing in the wind often connotes being set free/no longer having to worry about ones problems. The bubbles on the other side of the cover also further represent an image of childhood and innocence too, as blowing bubbles is an activity that is often associated with youth, as it is often kids who are seen using bubble blowers to blow bubbles such as those seen in the cover.
Digipak Back Cover
Finally, the back cover of the digipak shows KIARA through a medium close up shot from behind, as she stands at the edge of the ocean, looking into the vast expanse of the blue waves and sky. Text overlaid at the top of the cover talks about KIARA and describes her story thus far. We decided to show KIARA from the back as since it was the back cover of the digipak, we felt that it would match having the audience see her from behind as well. Furthermore, once again using the vast expanse of the sky and ocean as KIARA'S background represent how KIARA looks off into the future, being hopeful for what comes next in her life and career. The text at the top of the cover is also a subversion of most conventional digipak covers, as such texts are not often seen anymore. It was far more popular in the era of artists such as the Beatles, or Elvis Presley, as information on artists at that time was far harder to find, compared to know where such information can be found all across the internet. This was done as we believe KIARA is all about breaking standard industry conventions, as being a solo female Asian artist in itself is already a daunting task in such a western-centric english speaking music industry. Including this also gives her fans an idea of who KIARA is as a person, which gives details into her personal life, allowing for audiences to see that she isn't some out of reach celebrity superstar, but can actually relate with her too, further building the personal connection between KIARA and her audience that she aims to inspire.
Reflection:
Through effectively planning out all elements of media language that were going to be used in the music video and digipak, we were able to successfully convey a story of who KIARA is, and allow audiences to relate and understand her better as a result. Building this story through all the aforementioned elements of media language was a very important process, as we could not just expect to throw in any elements together and create a product that would convey the emotions we wanted. All elements such as props, camera angles, costumes, expressions, and more, were all meticulously thought out and planned as to convey the most accurate story that would represent our initial ideas. This blogpost helped organize those ideas and showcase exactly what was going through the heads of the team when choosing all these specific elements, and helped out greatly when talking about the usage of media language in my creative self reflection.
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