Music video codes & conventions

1. conventions
A2 Media Studies
Anastasia Popovic

2. The ultimate purpose of a music video is to promote the artist
and their new song while entertaining the audience.
Music videos help artists in two big ways: exposure and
revenue.
Typically music videos are produced and released in the early
stage of a song’s release cycle, intended to drive exposure
through additional channels for fans to consume whether
they’re shown on TV, streamed or played in a public area. For
some artists who have videos with viral appeal, they can be a
huge driver for music sales and help to build the story to radio.
Meanwhile, when brands enter the picture and strategically
place products in music videos, it can produce a new revenue
stream for the artist while also building exposure for the
brand.

3. 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.
Technical codes are all the ways in which
equipment is used to tell the story in a
media text. Technical – how meaning is
conveyed using technical equipment:
• the way camera angles are used
• different types of shots and movements
• diegetic vs. non-diegetic sound
• the pace and style of editing
• the genre
Symbolic codes show what is beneath the
surface of what we see:
• facial expressions
• gestures
• poses
• mis en scene

4. 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

5. Performance Music Video
This music video is probably the oldest and most commonly used
music video. In performance music videos, you'll typically see the
band, well, performing - meaning it's a recording of them playing on
their instruments.
A performance-based music video can include dancing, lip-syncing,
and band members playing their various instruments. It can even be a
recording of them playing live in some cases.
A good example of this is ‘Ed Sheeran - Visiting Hours’.

6. Narrative Music Video
A narrative-based music video is a music video where the artist(s) are
trying to tell some sort of story.
It is essentially a short film based on the song. Narrative music videos
typically include a structure of a beginning, middle, and end.
There are also usually no lip-syncing or musical performances in the
video. The band creates a narrative around the lyrics relating to the
song's themes.
There are exceptions, depending on which type of narrative music
video it is. There are three different narrative techniques used in
music videos: Illustration, Amplification, and Disjuncture.
A good example of this is ‘Carrie Underwood - Before He Cheats’.

7. Concept Music Videos
Concept music videos are videos without a storyline and typically have no
relevance to the lyrics themselves. The concept music video is usually based on
the artist's vision. It can be seen as a way to expand their creative vision with the
song.
The concept music video typically includes a performance or a narrative, so the
audience doesn't get all lost. But while there might be a smaller narrative in the
video, there is typically no structure to the video.
What makes these types of videos so attractive is their uniqueness which can
sear into the audience's brain. When talking about concept music videos, we
typically talk about two types: Thematic videos and symbolic videos.
• Thematic videos are based on a theme. The music video uses a theme based
on the genre or the song's meaning. This could be the setting of the music
video or a specific color.
• Symbolic videos are made up of different frames that build meaning with
each other. It typically features a lot of fast shots and well-utilized lighting.
A good example of this is ‘AURORA - Into the Unknown’.

8. Lyrics Music Videos
Lyric videos started out as windows movie maker videos, with a blue background
and the lyrics listed on the screen. But slowly, the industry adopted it and started
making official lyric videos with matching fonts and colors.
They have transformed from a modern karaoke-type video to become more
creative and innovative.
The lyric music videos typically include a font that matches either the theme or
the genre of the song and the background color and font color that goes along
with it.
In some cases, the words can be animated to give more meaning to the music.
Outside of that, there's usually a lot of movement in the lyric video, so it's not
just static text shown on the screen.
A good example of this is ‘Billie Eilish - What Was I Made For?’.

9. Animated Music Videos
Animated music videos mean everything from a simple 2D animation to stop
motion or CGI. Animation music videos typically follow the same structure as
other music video types.
In some ways, you can see the animated music video as a hybrid.
A good example of this is ‘Dua Lipa - Levitating’.

10. Music videos are a visual medium that can
communicate thoughts, ideas, and
emotions with images. The music video is
an opportunity for the artist to convey their
message in the most effective way possible
because it gives them creative freedom to
use visuals instead of just relying on lyrics.