1. CODES AND
CONVENTIONS OF
MUSIC VIDEOS.

2. What are codes and
conventions?
 What are codes?: Codes are systems of signs, which create meaning.
Codes can be divided into two categories – technical and symbolic. Technical codes
are all the ways in which equipment is used to tell the story in a media text, for
example the camera work in a film. Symbolic codes show what is beneath the
surface of what we see. For example, a character's actions show you how the
character is feeling. Some codes fit both categories – music for example, is both
technical and symbolic.
 What are conventions?: Conventions are the generally accepted
ways of doing something. There are general conventions in any medium, such as the
use of interviewee quotes in a print article, but conventions are also genre specific.

3. Storylines and Meanings
 Performance: where the band or the artist are playing the song
throughout the majority- if not the entirety- of the music video.
 Narrative: when the video acts out the words or may even apply complete
different visuals to the meaning of the song.
 Mixture: the blend between the artist or band performing the song, and there
being a narrative taking place simultaneously.
 Cameo: where the musician appears in the narrative but is not actually part of
the storyline and doesn’t perform either.
 Animation: Some music videos also have the feature of having animation
edited into their videos. This adds creativity and entertainment to the video.

4. Camera
The use of camera normally depends on which genre the video being created falls into,
but also what the song is trying to convey. Examples of camera use are:
 Crane Shots: Crane shots are usually used in live performance videos as the
camera can hover around the stage and therefore capture angles that a person
would not typically be able to see.
 Pans/Tilts: These are used to move between each performer, however, they can
also be used to distinguish the location or reveal something hidden.
 Close-ups: Can be used on the musicians mouth in order to place focus onto the
lyrics, but also on characters in narrative performances in order to highlight emotion.
Other close ups can be of instruments or props to signal their importance.
 Tracking Shots: Used to monitor movement.
 Low Angle Shots: Are shot from a high angle in order to emit the idea of a bird’s
eye view.
 Establishing Shots: To set the scene.

5. Editing and Sound
 The editing process in music videos is a crucial part of the video and is very time
consuming. This is a result of the shots needing to be selected, ordered and then
edited. Lip syncing is another key part of editing in music videos so that it looks like
the artist is singing the lyrics.
 Examples include: Jump cutting.
 Split screens
 CGI Effects: many music videos use CGI in order to make the videos visually
pleasing, and also to create impossible scenarios and actions.
 Diegetic Sound: Are usually included at the start or end of narrative videos in
order to establish the scenes and bring the audiences attention to something that will
bring importance to the video.
 Changes in the level of Sound: In certain sections of the song the sound level
may change in order to draw the audiences attention to what is going on, or for other
narrative reasons.

6. Mise-en-scene
 Props: Every music video includes props in order to establish the scene but also to
make the video seem more believable. Alternatively, the genre of music video or
what the narrative is attempting to convey will affect which props are used.
 Costume: This too also depends on the lyrics of the song as well as the genre as
certain performers will have specific outfits in order to match the ideas and views
which they are trying to convey.
 Location: The setting for music videos sets the scene straight away, and settings
are normally either simple and ones which people can relate to; or scenes which are
very exotic and alien which people will not know and will thus be intrigued by.

7. Mise-en-scene in my genre
(Indie)
 Rural Areas
 Picturesque areas and filtered lens’
 Instruments (if performance based)
 Specific style of clothing. E.g. skinny jeans,
baker caps, backpacks, boots.
 Taboo subjects: Sex, drugs and alcohol.