How do you intend to use the four areas of the media theoretical framework to communicate meaning and meet the requirements of your chosen brief? (approx. 400 words)
PRODUCT 1
My documentary, ‘Grassroots’, follows the lives of young musicians and their pursuit of wider success, sometimes through social media. Shot types will be very important in conveying a sense of intimacy (so the audience feels as if they are getting ‘behind the scenes content’). For example, I will include over-the-shoulder shots, point-of-view shots and vlog-style content to create a performative documentary, as theorised by Bill Nichols - the people featured in the documentary will also have a large control over the narrative. This will fulfil the BBC Three remit of having ‘innovative’ content, as well as showcasing ‘New UK Talent’. An element of ‘interactive relationships’ will be incorporated through the feature of the musicians’ social media platforms, encouraging the audience to go and follow them, and certain hashtags will also be promoted to incite conversation. As the target audience is intellectual 16-34 year-olds, I will appeal to them as the people in the documentary are young themselves, creating a sense of relatability, and they will be more likely to take an interest in the subculture of local alternative music. More intellectual elements will be added through intertextual references, such as the mention of musical influences and cover songs, and will also briefly touch on how local music venues struggle to stay open. I would like a ‘rising star’ representation - showing a binary of the musicians in their homes and then performing on stage.
PRODUCT 2
My website will have more of a fresh, professional feel than my documentary. Whilst the documentary is about the struggles of a young artist, the website should be a reflection of how the artists are wishing to represent themselves, in order to look engaging and exciting. However there will be a similar colour palette of bold greens, blues and reds in order to create convergence. To add to the intellectual content I will include an easter egg within one of the featured photos, in which I will have a video exploring the relationship between young musicians and local venues, which are currently struggling. Social media will also be heavily promoted; for example there may be a Twitter feed along the side of the website, or one musician’s Instagram feed, which appeals to the rapidly-consuming, young target audience. Other additional content such as musician profiles and interviews will be included, in order to enrich the viewer’s experience with the documentary and fulfil the ‘surveillance’ segment of their Uses and Gratifications. The musicians will be represented in their best light on the website, as it acts as the ‘final piece’ of the documentary. All of their individual talents and personalities will be collated on the website for innovation and engagement.
How do you intend to link your media products to demonstrate your knowledge and understanding of the digitally convergent nature of your media production? (approx. 100 words)
My documentary will reference my website through the use of pop-ups in the corner of the screen, which will contain hashtags to incite conversation or promote the site. This would encourage the audience to visit in order to interact with others and see their opinions. In order to acknowledge the digitally convergent nature of the musicians’ lives, there will be snippets of social media footage, for example their YouTube or Instagram videos, therefore leading the viewer to use their own accounts to find out what else the artists post.
