CONVENTIONS: Olivia Cox

As I am unable to access the chosen song from the artist, I have analysed her previous music video conventions in order to better understand her style and see what ideas I could borrow. 

Olivia Cox Conventions by Laura Fagan on Scribd

PITCH

For my initial pitch I decided to create a moodboard of my intended visuals for the song, which is "Unlock It" by Charli XCX. I have a general idea for a performance based video using greenscreen as I am working alone, and I am also planning on being the performer. 

Initial A2 Pitch by Laura Fagan on Scribd

For my second pitch, I altered some of my ideas and added details for the gaps in my project. As I would be recording myself filming with my phone, I opted to use a DSLR Camera to shoot. For the green screen background, I would use apps such as Procreate or Adobe Fresco as I found helpful YouTube tutorials for animated background creations. I would also want to include some behind the scenes footage of the green screen for a "quirky" element, and illustrated my ideas visually with more concrete examples. 

As filming myself alone could be very complicated, I contacted a local artist named Olivia Cox who would want to work with me, but is currently making the song she would use for the video so I am unable to plan that already. 

Laura Second A2 Pitch by Laura Fagan on Scribd

 

POSTMODERNISM

Postmodernism- is a philosophy and textual analysis stance focusing on the removal of modernism's "grand narratives" and the certainty of knowledge and meaning. A postmodern text typically features self-critique such as irony or satire, and rejects binary opposition (Levi-Strauss) and linear narratives. This can be found across art, literature, and film, but music video is by design a postmodern text, due to its elliptical (Vernallis) nature.

Deconstructionism- is an approach to understanding the relationship between text and its meaning. It is part of postmodernism as it also believes in the disregard of true textual forms over appearances. 

Simulacrum (Baudrillard):

According to his 1981 book "Simulacres et Simulation", Baudrillard defines simulacrum as:"The simulacrum is never that which conceals the truth—it is the truth which conceals that there is none. The simulacrum is true."

In the book, he examines: "the relationships between reality, symbols, and society, in particular the significations and symbolism of culture and media involved in constructing an understanding of shared existence." 

According to Baudrillard, symbols and signs have replaced meaning in society, and that the human experience is a simulation. 

Simulacra refers to "copies that depict things that either had no original, or that no longer have an original", while simulation is the "imitation of the operation of a real-world process or system over time."

Possible influences: 

The conventions of electro-pop could be seen as simulacra, my evaluation question responses are a simulacrum of previously established codes and signifiers. I can also intertextually reference (Kristeva) other media formats and that would create a simulacrum.

QUEER THEORY

I read the book "Queer: A Graphic Guide" by Meg-John Barker and Jules Scheele, and have made notes on some queer theories I was interested in. 

Queer: Originally referring to strangeness or difference, and became an abusive term that is now being reclaimed. It operates as an umbrella term for people outside of the heterosexual norm. 

Michael Warner, "The Trouble with Normal" (1999) “We queer things we resist “regimes of the normal”: the normative ideals of aspiring to be normal in identity, behaviour, appearance, relationships, etc”

Post-Structruralism: the rejection of the idea that any single, universal, absolute “truth”. The critique of systems of thought that make claims to uncover truths, such as science and religion, as well as grand narratives such as Freudian theory and Marxism. Knowledge cannot be neutral or objective, it’s contingent on systems of power, and it shapes the power relations between people. Post-structuralists also offer, multiple, contradictory, readings of texts, as there can be no single true meaning. 

Queer (De Laurentis) Conference in University of California in 1990, then published in “Queer Theory: Lesbian and Gay Sexualities”, with early focus on sexuality. Refusing heteronormativity, sexuality is shaped intersectionally, post-structuralism theories examine power relations within sex, sexuality, and gender, destabilising the normative understanding, and exposing the construction and performance of sexual and gender identity. 

Queering (Queer Reading): A technique to challenge heteronormativity by analysing texts, in order to assess gender, sexuality, oppression, and identity politics. E.g. re-examining Shakespeare texts for homosexual behaviour. 

Micheal Foucault: The panopticon surveillance metaphor, a self-monitoring society, neo-liberal consumer capitalism, Bio-Power, bodies and normality, discourses and technologies of the self, power relations.

Judith Butler: Known for creating queer theory, identity politics assumption, the heterosexual matrix, gender performativity. 

Heteronormativity: Micheal Warner, the normal or natural form of attraction in relationships is culturally deemed to be that of a man towards a woman who naturally embody conventional gender roles and norms. Other forms of sexuality and gender are viewed as abnormal and everyone is assumed heterosexual until proven otherwise. 

Homonormativity: Susan Stryker, captures the way in which gay and lesbian became the primary identities associated with the LGBT movements of the 80s and 90s. We see homonormativity as the safe depictions of gay best friend/parents in TV and film.

AUDIENCE THEORY

In this post, I will be breaking down the audience theories I have studied and how I intend to apply them to my products. 

MUSIC VIDEO THEORY

In this post, I will be breaking down the music video theories I have studied and how I intent to apply them to my products. 

NARRATIVE THEORY

In this post, I will be breaking down the representation theories I have studied and how I intent to apply them to my products.