Creative Critical Reflection
My music video is about a young girl, Hiba, who is experiencing grief and mental health struggles, particularly after losing a loved one. The narrative focuses on Hiba, whose sister has passed away, showing her life transition from joy and liveliness to sadness and isolation. My music video reflects how many young people struggle to process grief, and often deal with it silently rather than expressing their feelings openly.
My product represents young women who are dealing with grief and mental health problems, especially for those who experience the loss of a loved one and are unable to move on with their daily lives. This representation aligns with Stuart Hall's theory of representation, as the music video portrays grief as complex and ongoing rather than temporary and simple. Mainstream media often trivialises the emotions of young adults, especially women, making them feel that their emotions have no value and that they don’t matter, but this music video gives visibility to those frequently dismissed feelings. Additionally, both characters are South Asian, highlighting a strong cultural context where mental health struggles in South Asian families among teenagers are often dismissed as overreacting and are not taken seriously. By portraying grief seriously and empathetically, this music video challenges these cultural norms and encourages greater understanding of mental health among young teens. The portrayal of Hiba’s character can also be linked with Judith Butler’s theory of gender performativity, which challenges the stereotypical representation of women in media as being overly emotional and dramatic and presents a realistic depiction of how young women may experience emotional pain. Frequent close-up shots capture Hiba’s facial expression, allowing the audience to connect with the character on a deeper level. In the scene where Hiba holds Haya’s hand when she’s ill, despite being completely aware of her sister’s critical condition, she continues to hold onto hope, which shows that she’s in denial and reflects the emotional conflict within grief. In our digipak’s front cover, the representation of grief in young teens is further strengthened through Hiba’s teddy bear shirt, as it symbolises her attachment to her childhood, innocence, and the happy memories she shared with her sister. As the director of the music video, I intentionally added this teddy bear shirt and the final scene where she holds onto the necklace gifted by her sister to emphasize how grief can impact young teens and shape their emotional development.
My product consists of 3 components: the music video, digipak, and Instagram page, and all 3 of them share a cohesive visual identity, strengthening the sense of branding. A consistent colour palette of earthy tones like olive green, shades of yellow, and beige was used to create a cohesive and distinguishable aesthetic. This colour palette was also used for the countdown and cast reveal posters that were posted on our Instagram page, which further helped us create a sense of branding. To further unify the brand, a consistent visual motif of the park bench is used repeatedly in the digipak, Instagram posters, and the music video. The contrast between Hiba sitting alone on the bench on the front cover of the digipak and Hiba and Haya together on the back panel shows the shift from past happiness to present grief, emphasizing the emotional impact of loss and memory within the narrative. The slow-paced editing and soft transitions of the music video mirror Hiba’s emotional state and allow the audience to fully absorb her sense of isolation and longing. Overall, all three components worked together to create a consistent and recognisable brand identity through shared colour, imagery, symbolism, and editing style. This makes the music video, digipak, and Instagram page feel connected and helps in reinforcing the emotional theme of grief throughout the product.
Q3: HOW DO YOUR PRODUCTS ENGAGE WITH THE AUDIENCE?
As the director, I wanted my product to engage with the audience by creating an emotional and immersive experience that allows them to connect with Hiba’s story on a deeper level. My main intention was to make the audience feel as though they are experiencing Hiba’s grief alongside her rather than simply just watching a music video. The slow-paced editing, soft transitions, and minimal visuals of the music video help in reflecting the internal nature of grief and allow each emotion to sink in gradually. The opening scene, where Hiba wakes up in a hurry and instinctively tries to wake up, Haya was kept simple deliberately to establish denial, making the loss feel real for the audience. Furthermore, we used flashbacks to show the warmth and purity of their relationship to make the contrast with her present loneliness even more powerful. The music video has an unconventional ending that stays with the viewer even after the video has ended, as Hiba continues to grieve her sister. The open-ended conclusion creates a sense of curiosity, encouraging the audience to wonder how she will cope and what is next in her journey. For the Instagram page, we used the same warm and earthy palette to maintain consistency and further engage the audience. The use of relevant hashtags like #music video, #sisters, and #sisterslove helped us reach a wider audience and connect with viewers who relate to the theme. Beyond that, we focused on interactive elements like countdowns, posting images in grid formats, and using questions, polls, and slider stickers on stories to actively engage the audience and build anticipation for the music video. In addition, we asked Hiba to make a shoutout video for the Instagram page to promote her as an artist and to further engage with the audience.
From a directorial perspective, my research strongly influenced both the creative decisions in my product and how I chose to use and challenge conventions in my music video. During my research stage, I analysed a range of music videos that had a similar emotion-based narrative. It helped me understand how elements such as mise-en-scène, lighting, and editing can make or break your product. For instance, we used a combination of natural lighting and LED light in the opening scene to create a realistic sunlight effect. I saw this technique in a short film. Additionally, during my research, I observed that outdoor settings and overcast weather are commonly used to reflect melancholy and to reinforce the character’s emotional isolation, which influenced my decision to shoot film in cloudy and windy conditions. While my product follows conventions such as narrative structure, expressive close-up shots, and the use of flashbacks to engage with the audience emotionally, I also deliberately challenge typical forms. Instead of a linear and resolved ending, we chose to use an open-ended narrative that leaves the audience with a sense of emotional incompleteness, which reflects that grief does not simply end, but becomes something a person learns to live with. The ending was inspired by a quote from Elisabeth Kübler-Ross,
“You will not get over a loss; you will learn to live with it. You will be whole again, but you will never be the same.”
In addition to media research, real-life experiences also influenced my product. During the time of my research, two of my really close friends lost loved ones, and observing how they dealt with grief helped me understand how quiet and internal it can be, especially in young people. Furthermore, I chose to focus specifically on South Asian young teens, as grief and mental health struggles within this group are often dismissed as overreacting or being dramatic. By doing so, my product challenges dominant representations and highlights a socially relevant issue, creating a more realistic and thought-provoking portrayal that encourages audience reflection.
In addition to media research, real life experiences also
influenced my product. During the time of my research two of my really close
friends lost loved ones and observing how they dealt with grief helped me
understand how quiet and internal it can be, especially in young people. Furthermore,
I chose to focus specifically on South Asian young teens, representing grief
and mental health struggles within this group are often dismissed as overreacting
or being dramatic. By doing so, my product challenges dominant representations
and highlights a socially relevant issue, creating a more realistic and thought-provoking
portrayal that encourages audience reflection.
Overall, my product successfully combines narrative and visual style to create a meaningful and cohesive media product. All 3 components of my product – the music video, the digipak, and the Instagram page work together to represent important social issues such as grief and mental health in young teens, especially in South Asia, while maintaining a strong and recognisable brand identity. I was able to engage my audience emotionally and present a realistic, relatable portrayal of loss. Ultimately, my product reflects both my research and directorial vision, which is not only visually appealing but also socially impactful.
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