A SAMPLE RESPONSE

 How do music video producers use generic conventions to promote artists to their target audience?

One generic convention used in music videos is promoting the artist as a passionate and skilled performer: e.g. choreographed dance routines, performance with a band, concert footage and direct mode of address. In “Stop Where You Are,” producers represent the artist in a series of low angle close ups and mid shots, which are back lit to give a halo like quality to her appearance and employ direct audience address. Her facial expression (mise en scene) constructs the representation of her passion as a performer. The connotation of this representation is of a passionate and spiritual musical artist, which positions the target audience to want to see her perform live.

Another generic convention is to represent the artist as an aspirational figure. e.g. constructing a representation of their lavish lifestyle or of them as a fashion icon for their target audience. We could argue that Bailey Rae is being represented as a fashion icon; shot two is a close up at ground level, showing her expensive shoes (mise en scene). She is also featured wearing a designer dress, a possible signifier of her wealth. It seems unlikely that the producers intend this to be aspirational in a capitalist sense because the socio-political theme of the video is not about aspiring to wealth, but rather aspiring to spiritual contentment.

Another generic convention is to create connection between artist and audience: e.g. interacting with idealised representations of the target audience, or by promoting value alignment with their socio-political perspectives. In one sequence, Bailey Rae is represented walking through a dark alleyway; the forbidding mise en scene is emphasised by the low-key lighting. She is confronted by a stereotypical representation of a young black thug, and in a shot reverse shot sequence the narrative implies that he is going to pursue her. However, a series of shots establishes that he is a breakdancer who goes on to perform for and with the artist. This vignette, typifies the progressive value transfer between Bailey-Rae and her audience as it challenges stereotypes about race by establishing a counter typical representation of a young black man.

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Another generic convention is to create connection between artist and audience: e.g. interacting with idealised representations of the target audience, or by promoting value alignment with their socio-political perspectives. One set piece features a homeless woman seemingly being ignored by a white collar worker. The framing of the shot using low key lighting and deep shadow to create a frame within a frame, positions the audience to focus on the anger of her facial expression. After a cut to Bailey Rae performing, the sequences cuts back to a high key lit shot of the white-collar worker returning with a hot drink before sitting down in a two shot medium close up that emphasises their equality by developing a matching eyeline. This narrative promotes Bailey Rae’s progressive moral perspective on homelessness by constructing a narrative that features a counter typical relationship between homeless people and the middle classes, which appeal to a younger, left-wing target audience.

Another generic convention is to imply that artists share their audience’s appreciation of other artforms, most commonly involving sophisticated filmic narratives or high production values.  There is little filmic narrative on display in “Stop Where You Are” and no use of intertextuality or similarly sophisticated story telling techniques. However, the video does imply that she has an appreciation of two urban artforms, Parkour and Breakdancing. Extreme slow motion is used in wide shots to emphasise the artistic prowess of the traceur, and in one wide shot, she is shown interacting with the breakdancer; he has his legs in the air forming a Y shape and her facial expression shows elation as she mirrors his body shape with her own raised hands. This promotes the idea that Bailey Rae is connected to the urban art scene, indicating that she is intending to appeal to a younger, left-wing target audience, who value urban artforms over what may be considered elitist artforms like film.