FIRST PITCH.

The eight conventions of a pop music video are the following:
• The explicit and unashamed promotion of the artist’s “image” (aesthetic/generic/ideological) as a specific product with a brand identity, ready for mass consumption

• The featuring of the artist (almost without exception)

• A wide and extensive use of shot types, camera angles and movement

• Repetition of reoccurring thematic elements and generically specific iconography (one key element often being dominant and providing the skeletal structure for the promo)

• A possible narrative structure

• A possible performance element

• The flexibility to disregard Realism!

• Shots cut tightly to the beat of the track

• Use of special effects (lighting, annimation, CGIs, in-camera effects)

• A carefully constructed Mise en Scene appropriate to the content and tone of the track

• High impact instantly! (Don’t forget that competition for airplay on the main music channel outlets is intense)

The idea was not to subvert, but imitate these conventions due to the similarity between the image we are creating and the image of the original band. In the pitch to Luke; I explained that we were going to give the band a rebellious image and explained the setting for performance and what the narrative would entail. We came to the conclusion that the performance must take place in the studio and not in London, in order to save time on the shoot day and in case the local council did not approve of our endeavours. We are going to recreate the urban setting in the studio to a (hopefully) maximum level of realism. It was also decided that for the performance; we would incorporate a “behind the scenes” feel to video and instead of shooting the bar scene, we would shoot similar activities in a dressing room, shot hand held, convincing the target audience that they are up close and personal with the band.