Critical Creative Reflection

1. How does your product use or challenge conventions AND how does it represent social groups or issues?

When doing this video, we used a lot of the angles, editing and filming techniques that were researched in our research blog. An example of this would be the fade in and fade out that was used in the beginning and end of the video. Which was shown in the Selena Gomez music video called who says where it fades In and out at the beginning and end of the video. Some of the Camera angles include over the shoulder shot, 3-shot, 2-shot, long shots, and establishing shot. As for movements, we mostly used a pan since it helped to show the movement of the characters and where they were going. For sound it was mostly filmed with non-diegetic sound as well as the male lead characters singing which we got from the Demi Lavato song Heart attack. As for costumes we had the male lead wear glasses this was because in some of Justin Biebers earlier songs he would wear sunglasses. For props we decided to use some books from the library and some personal items like school's books and school bags, this was because it matched the genre we were going for. 

For me, the music video had an accurate representation on obsession and toxic love and the consequences of it. At first the music video showed a guy staring at a girl who he had a small crush on at the library. While at first everything seems to be going well with the female and male lead, towards the end of the film it is shown that the female lead does not feel the same as the male lead. Then the male lead slowly starts to become obsessed with the female lead which was shown as the guy starts to follow her at the end of the video. The music video portrayed the social struggle of unrequited love and the slow transition to it being obsession.  

How does your product engage with audiences AND how would it be distributed as a real media text?

What makes our video interesting and different from others is the combination of the song and the story of the video. What I mean by that is that while the music video talks about someone wanting their love to reciprocate the video shows someone wanting their love to be reciprocated but in a more obsessive and toxic way. This is interesting and different from other music videos since the combination of the song and the video’s plot is not often shown in modern music videos. Our team managed to create a video that is not commonly made and was able to place it in a comfortable and not strained way or in words the song fit perfectly with the contents of the music video 

 Personally, if I had to choose which social media platform, I would post this on professionally I would choose YouTube. One of the reasons for this is because despite being one of the oldest social media platform it is still widely used. Another reason for this is because with YouTube the videos are often longer than those on TikTok or other social media platforms. Which means that it is expected to be longer than those on other social media platforms. What I mean is that when someone scrolls on TikTok they only want to watch short videos. By posting the video on TikTok viewers would easily lose interest since it is longer than expected and since most modern social media platforms are the same way, I think it would be best to post it on YouTube. 

How did your production skills develop throughout this project?

Throughout this project I learned the importance of proper planning and research when planning a video. Without proper planning and research filming the music video as well as editing becomes more chaotic and difficult. Sometimes while filming we would have schedule conflicts so we would have to film on other days. Editing also becomes difficult if you do not have something to reference it to, especially if you are a beginner. I also learned that it is best to consult your teammates before making a decision that could affect the whole music video. Not to mention that there could be certain aspects of the video that the other teammates will not like and will argue about. In other words, it is best to have proper communication when working on the video in order for the music video to be its absolute best. As for filming, I learned that the filming does not have to be filmed in the order of sequence that it will be played in the music video especially since not all scenes will make it to the actual video. As for editing throughout this process I became even more comfortable with using Cap Cut and using more effects and transitions with it.  

How did you integrate technologies – software, hardware and online – in this project?

Throughout this process, I used Blogger, Cap Cut, and screen recorder and a phone for recording the music video. These apps helped me tremendously as I am still new to the filming process. I used blogger to document my process of making the music video not only because it was free and available but because it is popular and helpful, and it helps me to keep track of my blogs better.  As for why I used Cap Cut, I found out about it for a while as I would often see people used it to edit videos and make edits. At first, I was hesitant as I was scared about how difficult it would be to make the music video but, I soon realized that it was easy to use, and I instantly became comfortable with using the app. I especially liked the simplicity of the app as I would instantly be able to add transitions and effects on my first or second try. As for the screen recorder app, it really helped as I struggled with adding the song. At first, I was confused on how to use it but after I watched a few tutorial videos I was able to add the correct song to the video without any errors. As for why we chose to record on a phone we decided it was the best since it is easier to travel with. As well as the fact that we do not have to transfer the videos from the camera to the phone for editing. 

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1And88-6rgDwf9wBjCeoIDN7FlvvxkSMXLvzYYA8DcZ8/edit?usp=sharing