STATEMENT OF INTENT FINAL DRAFT

For my music video, the existing artist I will be using is SZA, and the original name will be “Luna”.  I have chosen the footwear brand Timberland for the product placement due to its stylistic significance as well as being a staple in R&B fashion.  Since video embraces nostalgia, Timberland would fit into that. For my original music magazine, I have chosen the name “Vibe & Flow”. This is because the terms convey a simple and pleasurable experience for the readers of the magazine. Additionally, “Flow” is related to rhythm and fluid movement, whereas “Vibe” is connected to mood, music, and lifestyle. This will help to create an engaging experience.  

 

I aim to use a range of shots such as full shots, medium shots and wide shots. The artist's motions and stage presence are captured in a complete shot. A medium shot emphasises gestures and facial emotions, giving the performance a more intimate sense. A wide angle gives the video a more cinematic effect by putting the artist in a bigger scene. For most of the video, I will use natural lighting as well as artificial light for scenes filmed inside. While natural light contributes texture and cinematic beauty, artificial light enables reliable mood-setting. This will reinforce the convention of cinematic storytelling. I will reinforce R&B stereotypes by having my artists dress casually with minimal makeup and I will be challenging typical R&B stereotypes of people wearing minimal clothes and flashy, outgoing outfits by getting my actor to be casually dressed and in casual makeup since the vibe of my music video will be casual. This will also appeal to audiences as this may match their characteristics. The music video will showcase themes of vulnerability and heartbreak, as well as being edited in a laid-back way with some faster edited scenes.  

If we apply Stuart Hall's Reception Theory to my video, I aim for the preferred reading to be for the audience to see the person's heartbreak reflected through the song and their actions. The video will reflect social contexts as it will showcase emotional vulnerability as well as the casual clothing that defy hyper feminized views of beauty standards. Media hyperfeminization, according to van Zoonen, promotes the masculine gaze and claims that rather than accurately representing female agency, women are portrayed in ways that prioritise and sexuality to appeal to a male audience. This video will reflect cultural contexts as it’ll express the difficulty of finding an emotional connection in our increasingly individualised society. 

 

 

The target audience for this video is late teens to twenties specifically Gen Z and early Millennial. The video may be engaging to Gen Z because it features some fast cut scenes which is what they are used to seeing on TikTok. For Millennial there are some slow-paced scenes which will be more appealing to them. When looking at Goodwin’s music video theory we can talk about how R&B music videos typically have a slow and steady rhythm. My video will reflect this typical convention.  It is directed at people who have experienced heartbreak considering that is what the meaning behind the lyrics are. It is also targeted at people with an interest in the R&B genre. I believe viewers would enjoy the visuals and scenery of the video. I will aim to create the video to allow the audience to feel nostalgia, as depicted in the narrative, as well as making my video relate to the Person Identity part of the Uses and Gratifications Theory by hoping audiences will see themselves reflected in the video. My audience is likely to engage with my music video on YouTube. I would get my fans to engage with my artist by promoting the music video on different social media platforms such as Instagram and X as well as watching a preview on TikTok. The potential record company that would promote my artist would be a major media conglomerate such as Sony Music as this genre is very popular with a mass audience and they have a history with previous R&B artists such as Chris Brown and The Weeknd. 

 

 

 

For the music magazine, it will feature a cover of the star from my video as well as the rest of the pages with original photography used. There will be a consistent colour theme and house style throughout the magazine. I will use top lighting when editing images so that the features of the artist will be pronounced. Only one person will be featured in the photos. For the music magazine, I will use stereotypes in the music magazine by getting my model to dress in the typical R&B style to match the genre of the music video. Like my music video, the target audience for my magazine will be late teens to twenties. The audience may enjoy the magazine as it will show the ideas and the behind the scenes of what happens in the music video.  My audience is likely to engage with my magazine by purchasing it in shops as well as viewing it online for a subscription fee. The potential magazine publisher for my music magazine would be Conde Nast another media conglomerate.