Creative Critical Reflection

 

CCR PDF LINK: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Q_hRTuxw7FtOgWYNkdAY-e9OVVZ7rWwO/view?usp=drive_link

·      How do your products represent social groups or issues?

Our mv mainly targets two social groups: (1) Gender (2) Age.

Conventionally guys are shown in a stereotypical masculine way, disconnected from their emotions. However, in fool’s mv the artist is shown as vulnerable and heartbroken because his love interest has left him. To aid this representation we have used dull tones in the mv to show the darker and sad emotions that the artist is feeling. The representation of the artist in the music video is further aided by the social media page which has more interactive content. This content also showcases the male artist as an emotional and soft being.

 On the other hand, Women are the ones who are typically represented as the more emotional beings and are shown as more loyal. Whereas men are shown as more disloyal and ignorant. In the case of our music video, the girl, the love interest is the one who has left which according to contemporary media would be unconventional. Even though in reality the concept of having and showing emotions is not related with gender but more so a part of being human. And, loyalty is not a trait related to gender but rather a part of somebody’s nature or nurture.

The age group represented in the mv is the teenage group. The artist is shown as an emotional teenager, this representation some would say is unconventional, as teenagers are shown as rebellious, or experimenting relationships rather than putting all their emotions in one relationship, on the other hand some media products would show teenagers as more emotional and sensitive. Hence, it can be debated which one if the two is more realistic. I think, in reality you can find different types of individuals in every age group. The girl in the mv is shown as more independent which is connotated by the colors she wears which are purple, blue which represent pride, independence and individuality. Now teenagers normally especially girls are not shown as emotionally stable however, we have challenged this stereotype as we believe that in reality emotional maturity and vulnerability are not affected only by age or gender and these only affect them to an extent.

·      How do the elements of your production work together to create a sense of branding?

The elementals of our whole music promotion package follow a common theme. Firstly, to define and identify our artist as a brand, we have created a logo which was introduced on the artist’s social media. This logo has a specific color palette which includes the color black, purple and brown. In addition, we have tried to incorporate the same color theme in the mv and in the content of the social media page. Furthermore, the artist specializes in the indie genre of music, hence the song has raw instrumentals and soft vocals, this is why we went for an individual with softer features so the vulnerability and sentiments can be clearly showcased throughout the video. This is why the music video follows a soft, nostalgic and evocative environment. And we have tried our best to bring the same sentiments to all the other content too such as the content on social media and the digipak pictures. Now to create a brand marketing is very important, hence the social media page has been created. Here we have also posted some merchandise of the artist to more clearly lay down the brand. This is an interactive strategy and helps in the marketing of the brand. This is because this merchandise is also specialized to follow the same theme and has a very similar color palette. In addition, through posts and stories the actor has been portrayed as a soft, emotional and sweet guy. This is done to bring the same essence of the mv to the real life. In conclusion, all the elements work together like small puzzle pieces used to complete the whole puzzle.

 

 ·      How do your products engage with the audience?

Firstly, the music video itself is constructed on a very relatable topic of this generation especially for the age group we are targeting, Teenagers and young adults. Heartbreak and love are experienced by almost everyone, hence a wide amount of audience can see themselves in place of the character and is engaged throughout the experience of watching the music video. Plus, the age group we are targeting are known to be highly emotional and hence, can relate not only with the song narrative but also song lyrics. In addition, the close-up shots and the vulnerability of the artist also engages the audience and gives them a first-hand experience of the feelings the artist is going through and they might see themselves in the artist. In addition, in our music video we have paired the flashbacks of the couple together with the artist in the shot but alone, this would again help the audience feel the true feeling of loneliness that the artist is feeling.

Now as our target audience are the teenagers and young adults, engaging through social media would be the best way and would resonate with them. Secondly, the social media allows for the artist to be more engaging with the audience. For instance, we have used polls on social media to take feedback from audience. This makes them feel like they are heard and their opinion matters. In addition, our interactive stories on the social media page also helps the audience to engage with the artist. Furthermore, selling merch and giving gifts along with the pre order allows us to create a deeper connection between the artist and the audience and makes the audience feel like a part of a community or something big. This engages the audience more as they would feel more noticed. Then we have also let the audience peek in to all the backstage process of the product through social media, this enables them to see something real, which again helps them feel more connected with the artist. Then releasing teaser and poster, hooks the audience and creates a feeling of suspense in the audience for the final release of the music video, which would in turn increase their interest, hence their engagement with the artist and his products.

 

·      How did your research inform your products and the way they use or challenge conventions?

The research we first carried out was to find out about different music genres and which song to use for our music video. We ended up choosing Fool by Cave town, a song of the indie genre. As the song is also narrative styled and the lyrics talk about a broken relationship and heartbreak, we decide to use the teenage group as they are the ones going through this the most. After deep research on the young adults and teenager and how they are represented in the media, we found a lot of conventions and stereotypical practices. For instance, Teenagers or young adults are typically shown as criminals, druggies or just purely rude. Take mean girls as an example or deadly class, where teenagers are shown as misbehaving, rude and in a lot of instances very disconnected from their emotions and reality. We wanted to challenge these conventions by showing our artist. Our actor is shown as a guy heartbroken and in love, a vulnerable person very connected with his emotions, still in the whole course of the music video even in his saddest moments does not show a sign of any drug consumption, being violent or rebellious. Instead, he’s shown reminiscing his memories and processing his emotions quite well. In addition, boys are especially shown as bad such as, not as emotional and playboys, such as Paxton in Never Have I ever. However, our actor is shown as very emotional and lovesick which once again openly challenges conventions.

Further research revealed that girls, typically young teenage girls are portrayed as only caring about what they wear, are shown as overly dramatic and boy crazy, an example is Elle in Legally Blonde. However, according to a survey when teen age girls were asked what they think about the portrayal of teenage girls on media, 15-Year-old Alexis replied: “In the media, girls are shown as self-obsessed, ditzy, and prone to do immature things, but I think most of us have fairly good judgment”. “We have other things in our lives besides daydreaming about some cute guy.” Another said: “The teenage girls in movies and on TV are attention-hungry and obsessed with their looks, clothes, popularity, and boys.” The girl shown in the mv is however, once again nothing similar to the stereotypes. The girl is not the main character and just a love interest and a supporting character hence she is not dramatic. Contrary to the conventional representation she is not shown as boy crazy, rather is the one who leaves the guy and breaks his heart. We wanted to challenge this convention because it is nowhere near the reality.