Research- Codes and Conventions of Music Videos

 The codes and conventions in a music video are used to construct messages and meanings. Depending on the genre and style of the video, these conventions can shift slightly. The codes and conventions consist of two techniques; technical and symbolical.

Technical Techniques: Technical techniques is how the meaning is conveyed using technical equipment. This may include things such as how the camera is used including types of angles and movements, different sound within the shot, whether its diegetic or non diegetic, whether its fast or slow editing and the genre of the song.

Symbolic Techniques: Symbolic techniques are they ways of showing meanings beyond what is obvious in front of you. It could be through the mist-en-scene including facial expressions, body language, posture, etc.

Examples of codes and conventions: Codes and conventions within music videos vary depending on the genre of music. The most general codes and conventions within music videos include:

• The style (performance, concept, narrative)
• The camera
• The editing techniques (transitions, fast, slow)
• The sound effects (non diegetic, diegetic)
• Mise-en-scene (props, lighting, costume, hair, makeup, locations, setting, colours)
• Representations (stereotyping)

Camera Shots and Movements: Music videos tend to include many long shots, close ups and mid shots. This is to create emphasis on the artist, location and emotions. Also, close ups are used not only to show emotions but to reflect the words of the song with the movement of the lips of the artist. Camera Movement: The movement of the camera is used to follow and trace the artist or band. Camera movements include tilts, pans, tracking and crane shots.

Mise-en-scene: This refers to the arrangement of performers and props on stage or in a scene for a production of a music video or any other media text. Mise-en-scene puts importance on the representation of something.

Editing: Jump cuts is the predominant editing technique used in music videos. This is because this allows a sudden change from one scene to another. Similarly, transitions such as fade and dissolve are very common in music videos as they create a different effect to cuts.

Sound:  This is definitely the most important and influential stage, as the song will determine what the video looks like. This then starts to explain why rock music has a dark horror or performance iconography, where as a pop anthem will have a fun, dance routine filled music video.