Forms and conventions in music videos

1. Forms and conventions in
music videos
Charlie Brett

2. What are codes and conventions?
 Codes and conventions are used to help construct meaning
within a media text. They help with realism and continuity.
 These can be split into different groups. The first being
technical, and the second is symbolic

3. What is technical
This is shown through the technical side of media. This
including equipment such as camera and how they portray
meaning through certain angles i.e. close ups for extreme
emotions. They also consist of the sound whether that’s
diegetic or non-diegetic, pace and style of editing, and
influences of genre.

4. What is symbolic
Symbolic is easier to spot than technical. This is because it
uses our knowledge to associate meanings to what we see
through facial expressions, body language, costumes, props,
mise-en-scene- gestures etc.

5. Why use codes and conventions?
 It helps give the audience something to begin associating
with a specific genre such as pop music having a
choreographed dance routine, rap genre sexualizing women
with men in chains and baggy trousers, and country
stereotyping country backgrounds being cowboys.
 The ensure that the lyrics match with the visual concept

6. Performance
Performance varies in all music videos. In pop videos we mainly see
artists being involved within the narrative rather than performing for a
live audience like we would expect to see in a rock/punk/metal video.
For example in videos such as Taylor Swift “we are never getting
back together we see her playing the main character as her
performance. In other videos such as thirty seconds to mars “bury
me” it follows a narrative with a live performance. This is used to help
express the lyric deeper to the audience using visuals.

7. Narrative
 All music videos will follow some form of narrative whether
that be a performance, dance routine, or just a storyline.
 There are 2 different types of narrative. The first is linear
which is when a story has a start, middle, and end. This is
apparent in “skater boy” by Avril Lavigne. The other option is
fragmented narrative which is when there is no clear
narrative or not an apparent one. These are mainly seen in
dance routines such as Beyoncé “single ladies” video.

8. Cameo
This is when artists are used to display there music and appear within
the video but don’t perform. Such as Charlie Puth “we don’t talk
anymore” but him and featuring artist Selena Gomez help the narrative
but both never perform.