my music video and ancillary

texts?

For my advanced media studies portfolio I had to create a music video, digipak and a magazine poster; promoting the
album/ music video.

The message within my

products
-empowerment of women
During the research and planning stages, I researched the codes and conventions of the
Trip Hop genre and identified several features found in a music video, digipak and
magazine poster that are synergised to reflect the artists brand identity and message.
I noticed that across products in the Trip Hop genre there was a general theme or
message. In my products there is a larger sociological concept and aim behind my
products that is feminism and the empowerment of females. This is reflected in my music
video as it represents a battle within the artists self, trying to decide whether she wants
to embrace her sexual desires and lose her virginity or repress it because of fears that the
patriarchal society will label her as sexually immoral.

How the female artist is

empowered in my music video?
This is represented in the music video through the lyrics and visuals. When the artist says he told
me I was so small there is a long shot of the artist hiding, appearing small and also a pan shot of
the artist diminishing from a tall position to crouch down, again appearing smaller. There are also
various high angle shots of the artist, making her appear weak/ less dominant, linking to how
oppressed women are and how they are dominated and oppressed by patriarchal society.
The music video also empowers women, as the artist says I can grow tall and there is a reversed
long shot of the artist appearing tall and empowered. When the lyrics say Water me at the end
and the artist is submersed in water, the artist is calling for patriarchal society to promote growth
and development in women like you would a plant when you water it, so it can grow and bloom,
rather than restricting and limiting women, so that they do not achieve their full potential.
The artist being submersed in water also signifies a rite of passage towards empowerment. The
artist in my music can be said to be a Third Wave feminist as she is building her own identity,
personal empowerment, and embracing her experiences and emotions. Third Wave feminism also
celebrates women's sexuality and encourages women to express themselves in whatever manner
they feel comfortable and my artist embraces her sexuality without feeling pressured by patriarchal
society to become overly sexualised.

How is the theme of

empowerment synergised
across all my products?
The message of empowerment is also signified by the theme colours across all my ancillary texts
through the warm, highly saturated colour scheme in my music video and the Gold typography
in my ancillary texts.
The images of the artist in my ancillary texts also present her as strong and independent. This
contrast to conventional portrayals of black females in media, especially in music videos where
black women are often sexualised. This links to Railton and Watsons theory that "The black
female sexuality continue to be figured as primal, wild, and uncontrollable.
The costume (long, chiffon dresses) are used across all my products, reflecting the artists brand
identity. The septum piercing is also featured in the music video and my ancillary texts,
symbolising the artist rebelling against sociological norms and as a symbol of the artists edgy
brand, linking to the alternative nature of the Trip hop genre and the artists brand identity. I think
that the synergy between all my products, created through design, colour scheme, layout and
mise-en-scene, make my products easily identifiable to my target audience.