Conventions of Real Media Texts Essay
"Explain how significant were the Conventions of Real Media Texts in your development of creativity across your 2 years of production work."
Conventions of real media texts act as a structure and a set of rules which have a purpose. It could be argued that by having these conventions it can limit our creativity as we follow these rules in order for our media product to be recognisable to the targeted audience. Therefore if we change these conventions too much it can confuse the audience and then they won’t buy the product which is the main purpose. However the more we understand conventions the more we can adapt and change them in order to make them either more suitable to the specific media product or more visually appealing. However, conventions have a meaning and it is therefore important that this meaning is clear and not lost, this is why it is important that we understand conventions.
In AS the media product which I created was a music magazine. Therefore I had to research structural conventions of music magazines to see what was typically used. In particular I had to research conventions which were specific to the genre of rock music magazines as this was my chosen genre. Therefore, I understood that these more specific conventions would help to sell my product as they represent rock music and therefore will appeal to my target audience and connote a meaning relevant to rock music. Moreover, it would make my magazine more creative as these conventions are more unique to this particular genre. I believe that I understood that conventions created a meaning, however I did not understand this to the full extent and could only create basic meanings. I researched conventions to do with the layout, images and mise-en-scene. For example, a real media text I looked at was a ‘Kerrang’ magazine. I learnt that their masthead was denoted in large capital letters which were all cracked and denoted in black and yellow. From this I understood that this connoted warning through the colours used and destruction through the cracked letters. However, from this I only took the colours and used them in different conventions in my music magazine. This therefore demonstrates that I did not understand the purpose of this convention to its full extent and why the masthead is denoted in this way. The purpose of their masthead being denoted in this way is to make it stand out and for people to immediately identify that it is a rock music magazine as it connotes dominance, destruction and rebellion which are typical characteristics of rock artists and their music. However, by not following this convention my masthead may not signify these meanings and therefore may not be seen as a rock music magazine.
When creating my horror trailer in A2 media I identified conventions of horror trailers including transitions, speed, characters, setting etc. By year 13 my understanding of conventions has greatly expanded and this has therefore enabled me to be much more creative when creating this media product. I have understood that it is important to follow these conventions as they serve a purpose to the target audience. Therefore when it came to the structure of the trailer I viewed over 20 horror trailers and analysed the way in which they were structured through speed, transitions and text. From this I could see that they all followed the same structure which I had to therefore also follow in order to make my trailer recognisable as a horror. For example they all featured a montage at the end of the trailer. Therefore my trailer would need to include a montage which would have to feature at the end. I understand that the placing of this montage is significant for this convention to connote the disequilibrium and by placing it anywhere else in the trailer would make it confusing to the audience and not represent a horror trailer. However, due to having more knowledge in conventions and their meaning, it meant that I could slightly challenge some to make my work more creative and unique. For example, the way in which text is denoted throughout the trailer, I was able to make it convey my specific sub-genre which is a slasher. However I understand that it must be denoted in a specific way in order for it to represent this sub-genre and therefore still created it to be denoted in a horror way in order to make it recognisable.
Over the 2 years I have developed as a creative producer through my understanding and skills in following and challenging conventions of real media texts. I have learnt that some have to be followed in exactly the same way in order to convey the media product, yet others can be adapted to be made more creative and unique to the specific media product I am creating. It is important that when creating conventions that they follow the audience’s expectations and connote a meaning they know or will understand. Moreover, although in AS I understood that conventions have a meaning, in A2 I have learnt the importance of these meanings which has expanded my creativity as it has meant that from this I can adapt and create conventions with different meanings I want my media product to connote.
Conventions of real media texts act as a structure and a set of rules which have a purpose. It could be argued that by having these conventions it can limit our creativity as we follow these rules in order for our media product to be recognisable to the targeted audience. Therefore if we change these conventions too much it can confuse the audience and then they won’t buy the product which is the main purpose. However the more we understand conventions the more we can adapt and change them in order to make them either more suitable to the specific media product or more visually appealing. However, conventions have a meaning and it is therefore important that this meaning is clear and not lost, this is why it is important that we understand conventions.
In AS the media product which I created was a music magazine. Therefore I had to research structural conventions of music magazines to see what was typically used. In particular I had to research conventions which were specific to the genre of rock music magazines as this was my chosen genre. Therefore, I understood that these more specific conventions would help to sell my product as they represent rock music and therefore will appeal to my target audience and connote a meaning relevant to rock music. Moreover, it would make my magazine more creative as these conventions are more unique to this particular genre. I believe that I understood that conventions created a meaning, however I did not understand this to the full extent and could only create basic meanings. I researched conventions to do with the layout, images and mise-en-scene. For example, a real media text I looked at was a ‘Kerrang’ magazine. I learnt that their masthead was denoted in large capital letters which were all cracked and denoted in black and yellow. From this I understood that this connoted warning through the colours used and destruction through the cracked letters. However, from this I only took the colours and used them in different conventions in my music magazine. This therefore demonstrates that I did not understand the purpose of this convention to its full extent and why the masthead is denoted in this way. The purpose of their masthead being denoted in this way is to make it stand out and for people to immediately identify that it is a rock music magazine as it connotes dominance, destruction and rebellion which are typical characteristics of rock artists and their music. However, by not following this convention my masthead may not signify these meanings and therefore may not be seen as a rock music magazine.
When creating my horror trailer in A2 media I identified conventions of horror trailers including transitions, speed, characters, setting etc. By year 13 my understanding of conventions has greatly expanded and this has therefore enabled me to be much more creative when creating this media product. I have understood that it is important to follow these conventions as they serve a purpose to the target audience. Therefore when it came to the structure of the trailer I viewed over 20 horror trailers and analysed the way in which they were structured through speed, transitions and text. From this I could see that they all followed the same structure which I had to therefore also follow in order to make my trailer recognisable as a horror. For example they all featured a montage at the end of the trailer. Therefore my trailer would need to include a montage which would have to feature at the end. I understand that the placing of this montage is significant for this convention to connote the disequilibrium and by placing it anywhere else in the trailer would make it confusing to the audience and not represent a horror trailer. However, due to having more knowledge in conventions and their meaning, it meant that I could slightly challenge some to make my work more creative and unique. For example, the way in which text is denoted throughout the trailer, I was able to make it convey my specific sub-genre which is a slasher. However I understand that it must be denoted in a specific way in order for it to represent this sub-genre and therefore still created it to be denoted in a horror way in order to make it recognisable.
Over the 2 years I have developed as a creative producer through my understanding and skills in following and challenging conventions of real media texts. I have learnt that some have to be followed in exactly the same way in order to convey the media product, yet others can be adapted to be made more creative and unique to the specific media product I am creating. It is important that when creating conventions that they follow the audience’s expectations and connote a meaning they know or will understand. Moreover, although in AS I understood that conventions have a meaning, in A2 I have learnt the importance of these meanings which has expanded my creativity as it has meant that from this I can adapt and create conventions with different meanings I want my media product to connote.
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