Extra Research.

1. CODES AND CONVENTIONS OF
MUSIC VIDEOS
BY ABI SHAW

2. What are codes and
conventions?
 The codes and conventions of music videos
are the different techniques used to construct
meaning in them.
 These techniques can be divided into two
types; technical and symbolic.

3. Technical Techniques
 Technical – how meaning is conveyed using
technical equipment e.g the way the way
camera angles are used, different types of
shots, sound either diegetic and non-diegetic
sound, the pace and style of editing, and the
genre.

4. Symbolic Techniques
 Symbolic techniques are ways of showing
meanings beyond what you can see for
example through, facial expressions,
gestures, poses and mis en scene.

5. Reasons for codes and
conventions.
• The audience can become familiar with a
particular genre, as they get use to recognizing
the different conventions within a genre.
• It provides a structure that the audience can
understand.
• To ensure the lyrics of the song fit in with the
video, of how we’d expect it to be.

6. The codes and conventions
 The conventions of a music video vary
depending on genre of music. However, the
general conventions include;
 The Style
 The Camera
 The Editing Techniques
 The Sound (non diegetic and diegetic)
 Mis en Scene – props, lighting, costume –
hair and makeup, location/setting, and
colours.
 Notions of looking - stereotyping

7. The Style of music videos

8. Performance
 Performance – Performance is when the music video consists mainly of the
artists performing in the video. A good example of this is ‘Beyonce – Love on
Top’ were the video shows the artist continuously performing the song and
there is no narrative or any other scenes in the video. This style of music video
isn’t as common, as music videos that are solely dedicated to performance
are not that popular, because target audiences would not be able to engage
with the song or video, however this example is used costume and lighting to
display the performance in a creative way making it more interesting to
watch.

9. Narrative
 A Narrative music video follows a story line, there are two types of
narrative Linear and Fragmented A linear narrative starts a story at
the beginning, goes on through the middle, and ends at the end. A
fragmented narrative is one that doesn't. An example of a linear
narrative is ‘Katy Perry –’Thinking of you’ as it plays a story from the
beginning to the end.

10. Mixture
 Mixture – which is a combination of performance and narrative this
is usually found in music videos as it is hard to have a pure
performance or narrative, by using both performance and narrative
the video can be made more interesting and enjoyable to watch for
example In ‘Kelly Clarkson’s’ video – ‘Since you been gone’.

11. Cameo
 Cameo is were a band or artist features in the narrative
but does not perform . A good example of this is ‘Drake
and Rihanna’ – ‘What’s my name’ were both artists in this
case play apart in the narrative but do not perform.

12. The Camera
 The way the camera is used is crucial in
producing a music video. It can have and
create different effects by the different
Angles, and Movements. In general every
music video uses a variety of camera
Shots, Angles and Movements to create
different techniques and to make the video
different and unique in its own way, to other
music videos.

13. Camera Shots
 Music videos feature a number of shots for various reasons, to relate with the
audience by expressing thoughts and feelings, but also to show the viewer what is
happening. Certain shots that you would normally find in a music video include;
Very Wide shot – This is were the artist
is shown visible (barley) but the
emphasis is still on placing the artist in
the location/setting.
Wide shot – This is were the artist is shown taking
up most of the shot but the location/setting is still
focused on.
Mid shot – this shows the artist from his/her
waist to head, and focuses mainly on the
subject but still giving an impression of the
location/setting.

14. Medium close up- this shot is half
way between a mid shot and a close
up, showing the artist from chest to
head.
Close up – this shot shows the artists face
or can show an object that the artist is
holding, or something were the camera
focuses closely on.
Extreme close-up – this shows the artists face
extremely close , for example eyes, or mouth to
identify something it can have the effect of showing
the audience the artists thoughts and feelings or
even showing a lip sync commonly used in music
videos.

15. Over the shoulder shot – this is a good shot
used , specifically in narrative based music
videos usually when the artist is acting and
speaking to another person you tend to see an
over the shoulder shot to display the
conversation , or to show something the
character is looking at.
Cut in – this shot can be used in music
videos to show something that the lyrics
might be saying for example I will shoot
you with my gun ‘ and a gun comes in’ It
shows the object in detail, similar to a n
extreme close up, but used very quickly, or
and object that relates to the subject or
narrative.
These shots are the basic shots you expect to see in most music videos, however there can
be some more creative ways of displaying a scene through different camera angles…

16. Camera Angles
The way the camera is positioned determines the angle of the shot. There are many
different camera angles used in the production of music videos to convey different images.
Examples of camera angles are;
Eye-Level – this is a very common view being
the real world angle that we are all use to
seeing, it shows subjects as we would expect to
see them in real life.
High Angle – This is were the camera shows the
subject from above, and the camera is angled down
towards the subject, which has the effect of making
them appear less powerful, less significant and or
even submissive.
Low Angle – This is were the subject is shown from
below, giving the impression of being more
powerful o r dominant.

17. Bird's Eye – this angle is showing the subject/ scene
from directly above, and its is completely different and
can be from an unnatural point of view which can be
used to add a dramatic effect or showing a different
spatial perspective. It can also show the positions and
motions of different characters and objects, enabling
the viewer to see things the character might not see.
Slanted – this is when the camera is slanted also
known as a Dutch angle were the camera is
purposely tilted to one side so the horizon is on
an angle, this is creative in making interesting
dramatic effects. Dutch tilts are also popular
in MTV-style video production, where unusual
angles and lots of camera movement play a big
part.
Camera angles play a huge part in emphasising the artist or to show emotions and
expressions. Other camera angles that are simply the most common in music videos , are
close ups, showing the artist lip syncing, and extreme close ups were lyrics can be linked to
visuals.The camera never stays on one shot for longer than 3-5 seconds.

18. Camera Movements
 The camera moves to follow the artist or to
show the performance of the artist. These
movements include panning and tracking. A
director may choose to move action along by
telling the story as a series of cuts, going
from one shot to another, or they may decide
to move the camera with the action. Some
examples of camera movements are :
 Pans – This is were the camera scans a scene
horizontally. The camera is placed on a
tripod, which operates as a stationary axis
point as the camera is turned, often to follow
a moving object which is kept in the middle
of the frame.
 Dolly/ Tracking- This is were the camera is
mounted on a cart which travels along tracks
for a very smooth movement. Also known as
tracking.

19. Editing
Techniques
Final cut pro is the music video
editing software that we use
to edit our music videos.
 Editing is the process that concludes the making of the music video. When you
edit, you cut scenes down, add special effects and add the track to the music video
etc..The editing consists of the following things: -Jump Cutting -CGI effects (the
process used for generating animated images by using computer graphics). An
example of this is in the music video, ‘Sweet Dreams- Beyonce .’ The background has
been added on . Additionally, the effects in the second picture have also been
generated using computer graphics. -Parallel editing- (A method of cutting between a
couple of scenes or stories that are happening at the same time.) -Also, adding non-
diegetic sound is also part of the editing.

20. Sound
Sound consists of two main forms diegetic
sound which is already present in the film
and non - diegetic sound which can be
edited in. Sound is absolutely essential in
any music video as this is the main reason
for why people watch and listen to them, to
gain a sense of art via different artists’.
Sound, like footage can be edited to create
different effects and variations to the
normal vocals that we hear.
Sound Parallel sound is when the music
matches the mood of the video. An example
would be if the song was slow then the video
would also be slow to go with the mood of the
song. Also, if it was a sad song then the video
would also be sad. Some music videos have
diegetic sound, where they include sound from
the surroundings, such as birds, police sirens
that make the video seem more realistic.
However, the music itself is non-diegetic sound.

21. Mis en scene =)
 The Mis en scene for music videos focuses on the lighting,
props, costume, hair and makeup, location, and colour these
elements usually depend on the genre of the music video and
the style. These elements are also important in contributing
towards the chosen genre. They are used to convey the
importance of the people in the music videos. They are also
used to represent certain characters in different ways.
 Lighting – how the scene is lit / artificial lights/ side lights
 Props – performance equipment, band merchandise
 Costume - certain outfits
 Hair and makeup – style of the artist
 Location – concert halls venues, streets etc
 Colour - Specific colours representing a mood

22. Lighting -
The Mis en scene creates some of the thoughts and variations associated with a specific social
group, for instance; The lighting in a music video can create different views by the way the
scene is lit , it allows the audience to recognize the genre and style of the music video. A
bright light draws the viewers attention, but a scene can be lit by using – natural lighting i.e.
from the sun or existing light sources, or by using artificial lights, Strobe lights and colored
lights you would most likely see in a dance pop/hip hop videos, but be very rare in say
country type music videos . You can see the use of light differ according to the genre in these 2
examples ‘Forever and Always by Shania twain’ – which is country music, and a famous dance
pop song ‘ Release me by Agnes ‘which is dance pop.

23.  Mis en scene is clearly exhibited through the use of lighting in the video – ‘Labyrinth
ft Tinie Tempah– Earthquake’, demonstrated by the flashing lights which are in sink
with the beat, its also effectively done through the lights being very computerized,
however they stand out by the use of the colours, and the different shapes and sizes
creating different effects. The lighting stands out as the rest of the scene is low key
lighting with the odd artificial spot lights used to emphasize the genre hip hop/rap.

24.  The angle and direction of the light can also determine the genre of the video as it gives the audience clues about
what time of day the scene is taking place. For example in the video Delilah ‘Go’ the video is very dimly lit showing
that it is night time. The quality of the light in a scene can also hide or reveal things and influence the viewers
reaction for example in Delilah - ‘Go’’ The use of lights have been used very effectively, the light isn’t as focused,
enhancing the artist and making the background less important, but relevant at the same time . It makes the
audience aware of the main subject, and at the same time allows the video to be continuous and watchable due to
the lights effect. In this particular video where the artist is walking down the street, the street lights and lights from
buildings that are blurred and out of focus this allows the audience to focus mainly on the artist. it can also be good
technique in producing films making a particular scene more interesting, and state the time of day, and enhance
on a specific subject or object. This is done in kidult hood – the scene were it is raining and the lights are out of focus
in the background, to focus on the character. This is a good technique when showing the audience 2 different
scenarios, in the same scene in the foreground or the background or as a split screen, usually referring to one
another. The lighting also plays a part in showing the time laps, and can be used effectively to pass a time in a music
video or film. In music videos lighting is a highly priority because how the music video is lit influences how the
audience perceives the production, values of the video and therefore the quality of the video.

25. Props -
In most music videos sometimes props are used to illustrate the narrative, and when
linking the lyrics with visuals, props are commonly used. The props in a music video
add to the entertainment side, and can be used in a fun imaginative way. One music
video that uses props to make the video more entertaining is ‘Telephone – Lady Gaga
ft Beyonce’

26. Costume!
The costume is usually used to
represent certain characters in
different ways. Different artists
would also wear different clothes
to represent what there are
portraying in the music video. An
example of this is with Lady
Gaga’s music videos. She often
wear dramatic clothing to go
with her extravagant image.
One video in particular is ‘Bad
Romance’
Another music video that displays
costume well is in the video ‘When I
was a youngster by Rizzle Kicks’.
Costume can also illustrate the
narrative, and can relate to what
the song is about. This is shown in
the video were the costumes are
reflecting the song, and have been
used to create a imaginative, fun
video also adding to the
entertainment side.

27. Hair and Make-up
 The way an artists hair is, is done for a
purpose, it can also show a character’s
personality, or be done as a way of
attracting the audience. Depending on the
target audience. Hair like makeup is really
just about style, and fashion and what’s in.
It’s important that the appearance of the
actor/ artist is of good quality as they will
be looked at by the audience. Hair and
make-up can be displayed in many ways
for many different reasons. Here are a few
examples of how makeup and hair can give
an impression. Bold and bright makeup,
and big hair can be used to show a person
is fun and the artist stand out.
‘Rihanna Red’ is the
talk of the public, and
you can see that hair
can influence the other
people, and also
advertise products.

28. Location
 The location, and scene of a music video can not only show the audiacne were the
artist is, but also can decide on the genre, for instance locations for instance the
beach, or in a car, at a party, these sort of locations you would usually find in a dance
pop music video, Due to the happy and lively feel they give. If the music video was say
filmed in a street, or modern house, these are the typical locations you might find a
gang, and you would relate this to grime/Hip-hop type video. The location influence
the genre, but also be chosen purposely to relate to the song. One example I picked
out was a music video by ‘ Drake – Headlines‘ the locations are very much hip hop
related, and you can tell the difference between this video and say a dance pop video
for example - ‘ Katy Perry Teenage Dream ‘

29. Colour
 Colours are shown through almost everything in a music
video, lighting, costumes, hair, makeup, locations, the
way the camera is angled also plays a part in positioning
the colours we see in music videos. Colours are used in
everyday things and we generally see the use of colours
throughout music videos displaying normal day life
things. Colour can also be interoperated though to
represent a feeling or mood or to signify a certain thing.
For example some videos can be in black and white
showing no colours, this can be a way of showing a time
lapse for example flash backs, and suggest something
that happened in the past. It can also be purposely done
to show an emotional scenario for example a good
example is Beyonce – if I was a boy, it shows the
relationship between two people, the hole video is in
black and white this suggests that the relationship is on
and off, and the audience can recognise this due to the
colours. If this video was shown in normal colours the
actual narrative and relationship wouldn’t be so
significant, and wouldn’t appear so important. This is a
good example of were the colour can really add to the
atmosphere, and what the video wants to show the
audience.

30. Notions of looking - Notion of looking elaborates upon stereotypes
and labels that you may associate with a certain
Stereotyping artist or group. These stereotypes are usually
taken advantage of in many music videos in order
to appeal to specific target audiences.
A good example of a music video that does this would be ‘Keri
Hilson’s Knock you down ft. Kayne West, Ne-yo’ , which
manages to question the dominance of females. Towards the
beginning, we see an intimate hug where the male leans away
portraying a cool and steady stance, while, the female looks
venerable. This ideology allows males to idolize this masculine
behavior as it guarantees a form of supremacy, this is enhanced
as Keri lies seductively on the bed which questions whether she
is a sexual object that lures in the male audience.
Nevertheless, this perception is altered when Keri is the result
of male confrontation. Keri stands tall by maintaining her
posture that women idolize. This is then reiterated through the
lyrics, ‘cause boy you came around and you knocked me
down’, the fact that it’s written in past tense signifies the end of
the relationship. Her dominance is then shown , this is followed
by, ‘just get back up when it knocks you down’, demonstrating
her resilience and power to change her current circumstances.
From these levels, it is clear in saying that Keri is more
domineering as she looks down upon her partner.

31. End Of Slide Show
!#= By Abi Shaw =#!