Statement of Intent First Draft

Statement of Intent Media Language Representation Audience Industry

Message: Fearlessly finding support in God and true friends in a world full of unsupportive people

Media Language

• Genre: Urban Rap Dance Music Video. Performance/Narrative – Interpretive. The song is Afropop.

• Meaning provided by Misenscene: Red objects/clothing/+ symbolism of Fire on screen to represent passion to do what you love.

• Green objects to symbolise growth (grass, trees).

• Heavy presence of light (natural/unnatural) to symbolise the presence of God.

• Sport/Activity { Boxing (Red Gloves) – Fighting/training} {Basketball – Game of life, ‘Ball’s in your court’} – Represents the fight in life and the fight to stay busy & keep working

• Hands = Action-work

• Feet = Direction (in life)/decision

Representation

Social groups:

• Positive – Black dancers (showcasing African talent)/negative – Black guy steals trophy from artist (insensitive stereotype) to evoke humour. However that character grows against that stereotype and later reconciles with the artist by accepting his gift and dancing to his music.

• Negative - Girls in background of main group shots (Van Zoonen’s Theory)/ positive – every extra including (including the Girls) get a mid shot of throwing a ball to the camera (important artistic shot symbolising the phrase ‘the ball’s in your court’).

• Kemi is a black female singer that is heard but not seen as much as BABYFACE , however her vocal part is integral to the hook of the song – representing her as down to earth.

• Boys & Girls (Oldest is 18 – star artist/25 – BMX rider. Youngest – 14 year old Black girl in group scene)

• Heavy emphasis on Black ethnicity – simply because it plays to the stereotype of the genre (Afropop has a strong African influence)

• White British (Girl in group shot)/Western European (Guy in group shot) are included to evoke a sense of interracial unity and community – ‘By My Side’ – isn’t just about God but about friends too.

Issues:

• Loneliness* – It may look like the start artist is alone even though he says “You’re always by my side”. It’s a visual metaphor for what faith in God looks like (saying something that may contradict a naturalistic reality).

• When he’s with the dancers, it reflects upon friendship and community (“By My Side”) – Something anyone could understand.

• When he’s by himself it reflects his personal relationship with God. The symbolism of light around the star artist (resembling God’s Omnipresence) means ‘God is everywhere – even if we can’t make him out with our eyes’ which underlines the key themes of faith and trust and pushes the message that you’re never alone with God on your side – that’s a good thing. (Binary Opposition- Light (Evidence of God through our faith) vs Darkness (Doubt in his existence).

*Loneliness – It may look like the start artist is alone even though he says “You’re always by my side”. It’s a visual metaphor for what faith in God looks like (saying something that may contradict a naturalistic reality). To different audiences it may mean different things. It might make no sense to an atheist or someone without a basic theological understanding, but the symbolism of light in the video (resembling God’s Omnipresence) may mean ‘God is omnipresent – even if we don’t see him’ which underlines the key themes of faith and trust to someone who does have that understanding.

Individuals:

• Artist - as a stylish(costume), humorously charming(through close ups of his grinning face) fighter who just wants to make music and live his best life (we see him in the studio, on the basketball court) –

Audience

–A culturally sophisticated 16-25 AB demographic

• –Includes: Urban elites/Theologians (or those with a basic theological understanding)

For the upmarket/urban elites:

• –Historical (listed) locations in areas considered ‘low-class’– give off a well established appeal. (Underlying Message: there’s a sense of sophistication even in lower classes)

• –Natural Locations – give off an aesthetic appeal.

Teenagers (16-19):

• –Relate to youths on screen/ gives a rough insight to what the quality of life is like for youths below the AB demographic (Message: age can unify people from different social background)

Older demographic (20-25):

• –Message behind the video: (deeply theological) Strength in God to go through adversity in order to pursue your dream – no regrets.

–Otherwise, there’s plenty for everyone

• –If you want dance – you’ll get it

• –If you want a story line – you’ll get one

• –If you want to see the artist or even another character for a change – you’ll see them

–But the meaning (Fearlessly finding support in God and true friends in a world full of unsupportive people) will be at the fore front.

–

Industry

–I’m an independent film company producing for a Universal Music Group artist

Production:

• –High end post production

• –Low budget pre production

Distribution:

• –Video will be uploaded to Artist’s Vevo/YouTube account

Exchange:

• –Google AdSense – channel owner gets paid by the sponsors that run adverts on the video and are watched by the audience. The channel owner would then split the percentage of proceeding to the shareholders.