Codes and Conventions of a Music Video
Codes
and conventions are the stereotypical view of a music video. The can be divided
into two sides, being technical or symbolic; technical are the usual camera
shots and editing techniques used to create a meaning, which links in with the
genre of the song. Symbolic is the use of props, costumes and the way the
actor/actress within the video uses facial expressions and body language to
create a certain mood for the intended audience.
Lyrics
The lyrics are usually the main plot behind
the storyline and the actions and scenes of a music video. Key lines can play a
huge part in visuals but are rarely used to illustrate a picture for the
audience. They generally establish the feeling of the song and enhance the mood
for whatever the genre of music the song is.
Mise en scene & Narrative
The mise en scene is the main focus when
watching a music video because the set design and location gives you a feel for
the characters background and can be symbolistic in some ways, for example: a
character in a wide space symbolises isolation. Colours can enhance the mood of
the video depending on the genre and lyrics of the song; a happy, cheerful song
with have bright colours (for instance DJ Fresh – Louder). Props and costume also generate an atmosphere
to the video by establishing the character even further. More contemporary
music videos on channels such as ‘Viva’ take notice to the scenery more than
older songs did because usually they would have a lot of footage on the band
playing the instruments instead of an actual storyline and plot.
Camerawork
Music
videos should always have an array of camera shots, but depending on the tempo,
genre and lyrics of the song each shot depends on the angle and movements used.
If each shot was analysed, they would all symbolise a different notion towards
either the lyrics or character. Close ups and long shots should be used wisely
to fit the mood of the song, so if a sad moment of a song was being sung, a
close up should be used to emphasise the emotions in the singers voice and to focus
on the sadness in his facial expressions. An excellent example of this is ‘I
Don’t Wanna Miss a Thing’ – Aerosmith. A music video is used to sell the image
and vocals of the band/singer, which means camerawork is essential to gain a
higher profile.
Editing
The editing of a video all depends on the genre of the song
because obviously if you have a fast tempo song, the editing can’t be slow
because it wouldn’t create the right atmosphere. A typical love song would have
slow editing to create the mood and atmosphere; we have already demonstrated
this type of editing in our test video on our blog.
Intertexuality
This
is used to reference another song or even a film. The Beastie Boy’s music video
for ‘Sabotage’ is a direct homage of the cops from the 1970’s ‘Starsky and
Hutch’. The production of a music video is carefully made and making the link
between other songs or films can convey underlying messages or make the
audience think about issues from this point in the song, hence making it a
powerful technique to be weary of.
Star Image & Branding
A
star can gain a bigger audience as expected due to the sheer amount of
popularity; this gains a wider demographic. The star can incorporate into the
branding of the product by making the image/personality the main focus point of
the song or video. This is how record labels sell their products and get the
audience to associate the actor/actress with their product.
Voyeurism
Obviously,
‘hot’ women in a music video attract and male audience and ‘fit’ men in a music
video attract a female audience, but the question has always been asked are
women exploited in music videos? Voyeurism is the erotic pleasure you gain from
watching half naked women/men, but honestly sex sells and it has been proved by
Rihanna’s album Loud. The breasts, legs and bum are the main features to sell
to an audience because of the sexual desire. Early videos of boy band Take That
have been shown to attract not only a female audience but a homosexual audience
also; voyeurism works if displayed right.