This document analyzes the genre conventions used in the music videos for "Dollhouse" by Melanie Martinez and "Toothbrush" by DNCE. It discusses how elements like mise-en-scene, camera angles, costumes, editing and locations adhere to conventions of both the indie and pop genres. For example, "Dollhouse" uses a single location and slow pacing to tell a narrative, fitting indie conventions, while "Toothbrush" features many locations, close-ups of the band and a mix of narrative and performance elements typical of pop music videos. Both videos also follow gender stereotypes through their use of color, costumes and camera angles.

1. Genre Analysis of Mu

2. Dollhouse-
Melanie Martinez
MISE EN SCENE
The colours used in the music video adhere
to gender stereotypes. The son in the music
video’s room is blue and the father wears a
blue suit. The mother and daughter both
wear pink. This represents the Pop genre as
following gender conventions.
The use of low key lighting throughout the
whole music video creates a mysterious and
haunting atmosphere, thereby reflecting the
mood of the music video, which is
stereotypical of the indie genre.
The use of heavy but perfect make-up
adheres to the conventions of the Pop genre
as female Pop artists are expected to always
look polished and beautiful.
The white spotlight is used to represent that
the artist feels as if she’s on display and
being watched, this is a common theme
across the Pop genre.
The body language exhibited by the son
through crossed arms represents him as
being powerful and in charge. This is
representative of the Pop genre as male
artists are usually regarded as being superior
to female artists.
The strong focus on narrative is typical of the
indie genre as they put a special focus on the
narrative
CAMERA ANGLES
The multi-person shots are used
to show peoples reactions to each
others behaviour.
The use of the extreme close-up
as the mother was crying
demonstrates to the audience the
different emotions so that the
audience gets a clearer, stronger
sense of the narrative. This is
similar to many other Pop music
videos as they conventionally
have a strong focus on the
narrative.
The high angles used for both the
mother and Martinez represent
the woman as being weak and
fragile.
The close up shots and the
medium shots are conventional
for the indie genre as it gives the
audience a clear narrative to
focus on.
EDITINGS AND TIMINGS
The majority of the shots are 2-3 seconds in length, this is done to make
sure that the narrative is clearly shown through the shots and timings of the
video.
NARRATIVE
The narrative follows a girl and her family, the family are shown as being
perceived as the “perfect family” but behind closed doors they aren’t as
strong as they appear as the son takes drugs, the dad is having an affair
and the mom is an alcoholic.
As is conventional with indie genre music video there is a strong emphasis
on the narrative and making sure this is portrayed through the different
elements such as mise-en-scene, location and camera angles.
LOCATION
Uses only one location which is the dollhouse, this adheres to the
conventions of the indie genre as usually one location is used as they tend to
have a lower budget compared to other genres such as Pop. Another
conventional reason that only one setting is used due to the focus on
performance in indie music videos.
The mise en scene used in the location is stereotypical of the genres; the
female room is designed using floral patterns and different shades of pink and
the props used are dolls and teddy bears. The son’s room is decorated in blue
with quite simplistic furniture and décor, which also follows the stereotypes of
the gender. This adheres to conventions of the indie genre ad as music
videos from this genre follow the gender stereotypes.
COSTUME
The costumes used in the Dollhouse music video adheres to the characters played as the mother is dressed in a
very feminine and pink coat with elegant hair and make up, the daughter is wearing a dress with heavy makeup. The
father was dressed in a smart suit and the son was wearing a shirt, braces and bow tie. The costume adheres to
gender stereotypes in order to make the narrative clear.

3. EDITING/TIMINGS
The video kept cross cutting between performance and narrative, this fits
the stereotypes associated with the genre as many pop videos feature both
a performance and narrative.
During the narrative the editing is slow paced and the movement within the
shot is also quite slow and soft.
During the performance shots, the cuts and transitions are much quicker
than throughout the narrative elements. This is done create contrast
between the performance and the narrative so that the music video isn’t too
boring from having the same pace throughout.
Toothbrush-
DNCE
MISE-EN-SCENE
During the performance, the lead singer wore a studded leather jacket to
draw attention to the fact that he is the lead singer and to separate himself
from the rest of the band. This is a common theme in Pop music videos as
there tends to be a lead singer that is the face of the band, for example One
Republic and Arctic Monkeys.
In the narrative potion of the music video the lead singer, Joe Jonas, stars
as the protagonist in the narrative, this is another convention shown in
music videos as it promotes the ‘face of the band’ and create an identity for
the band that is easily recognised.
• In the narrative they are both dressed very casually in the beginning
with the woman dressed in just her underwear and a t-shirt- these
visuals work in synergy with the lyrics ”and you’re standing there, in
your underwear with my t-shirt from the night before”. This adheres to
the
• At the beginning of the music video in the narrative element natural high
key lighting and natural make-up is used to represent the relationship
between the couple as it suggests they are comfortable with each other
and are able to be themselves around each other.
CAMERA ANGLES
• In the performance elements of the video, close ups are frequently used to show the
personality of the band and create a brand identity.
• A deep focus of the couple on the bed demonstrates to the audience that they are the
centre of the narrative
• The over the shoulder shot at the beginning of the music video suggests that we are
looking from the viewpoint of the male character and following his narrative
• The low angles of the band make them look strong and powerful
These camera angles are conventional of the genre as they represent the band as being
part of the Pop genre as the video includes a wide range of different angles and shots which
makes it more interesting and dynamic. The representation of the band as strong and
powerful is also a common stereotype of the Pop genre
COSTUME
• The modern style of the band in the performance elements of the narrative represent the
band’s Pop genre as it represents them as current and up-to-date which is typical of the
Pop genre
• The female actress is dressed quite provocatively in many of the scenes which adheres
to the stereotypes of this genre as Shuker explains that women appear and don’t act.
LOCATION
There are several locations used in the toothbrush music video such as the rooftop where
all the performance elements take place, the narrative scenes are filmed in a club hallway,
an apartment and many other locations. The use of several locations adheres to the theory
as it keeps the music video moving and changing in order to stop it looking repetitive and
boring for the audience.
NARRATIVE
The narrative of the Toothbrush music video follows the conventional love theme of the Pop
genre as it focuses on the male lead singer and his female love interest.
The mixture between narrative and performance is typical of a music video from the Pop
genre.