Rock music originated in the 1950s in the United States and was influenced by genres like country, jazz, and folk. Rock music videos generally do not tell narratives but instead show the band naturally performing on stage. They are often filmed at concert venues and use stage lighting, costumes like ripped jeans and boots, and feature the audience as representatives of the target demographic. Common editing techniques include fast-paced cutting between shots that matches the intensity of the music.

1. Rock music
THE CODES AND
CONVENTIONS
OF ROCK MUSIC
VIDEOS

2. Rock music
Rock music is a popular genre which originates from the
united states of America, and first started in the 1950s. It was
originally and is often referred to as ‘rock and roll’. Rock
music has a lot of influences from other genres of music such
as country, jazz and folk which also have formed subgenres
like folk rock. Even today, rock music is one of the most
popular and recognisable genres of music, with popular
bands like Nirvana, The Foo fighters and so on.

3. Narrative
Oftentimes in typical rock music videos
there is no narrative and it is not
illustrative like many other genres of
music. However rather than a
straightforward narrative where the artist
is telling a story, they usually have a
progression as we watch each band
member come out on stage or begin to
play their instrument which acts as
somewhat of a narrative itself. Rock
music videos are more often then not
naturalistic videos rather than
expressionistic and in many cases the
bands artist are featured in the video.

4. Set/location
• Many rock music videos are set in places
like concert venues or on a stage displaying
the audience which shows to the viewers of
the music video a connection and a chance
to feel as though they are watching the live
music. This use of setting represents the
artist as a performer and allows fans ,who
may never have the opportunity to see
their favourite artist perform, a chance to
experience it.

5. Costume
In the music videos, the artists are often wearing
fashionable and stylish clothing, setting the
trends or going along with fashionable style from
what year the videos were made. The use of
stylish costume displays the artist as an
aspirational figure for the target audience,
making fans want to mimic the fashion of their
idols
These costumes include
• Ripped shirts
• Denim jeans
• Platforms/Boots
• Jewellery (piercings, bracelets,
earrings)

6. Lighting
 As shown in music videos such as
‘Thunderstruck’ by AC/DC and ‘All my life’ by
the foo fighters, the videos often use the stage
lighting which creates back lit or down lit
lighting creating a shadow effect as the stage
lights colours merge together
 Rock music videos also use artificial lights like
stage lights, strobe lights and coloured lights
to enhance the excitement and intensity of the
music in the video
 The videos use low key lighting to create
shadows as well as high key stage lighting

7. Props
In the music videos there is usually
a minimalistic set with very few
props aside the instruments
played by the band are act as
props, this helps to emphasise the
artists as performers and shows
the target audience what a live
performance is like for those who
don’t have an opportunity to go
see their favoured artist.

8. Casting
• The music videos often cast and contain a
representation of the target audience
usually shown as a crowd, which helps
form a connection between both the
artist and viewer well as a sense of
belonging with other fans to the same
band. With the crowd being shown in the
music videos, it shows an idealised
representation of the target audience.
Usually the target audience for rock
music is teenagers or young adults, who
are commonly seen in music videos .

9. Editing techniques
Music videos for the genre of rock stereotypically use the
techniques of :
 Editing the clips to change at a fast pace and cutting from shot to shot to
go along with the intensity, and energy of both the music and the
performer
 Jump cutting - using hard cuts which connect the last frame of one clip to
the beginning of the next frame
 Sound editing - cutting shots to the beat so that each clip changes with
the beat of the track, which times the video with the music. Usually using
a ‘cut’ transition to ‘cut to the beat’ of the music

10. Framing - proxemics
Rock music videos commonly use medium longshots of the artists singing or playing the
instruments, as well as extreme long shots and wide shots showing the crowd at the
concert which uses distant proxemics from the band. They also use extreme close ups
with close proxemics to show the artists facial expression and to show them lip-syncing
or performing their song. The framing of the music videos often are taken from both
high angles and low angles as they cut from different shots. The camera also uses
panning movements to scan the scene horizontally showing the entire crowd and venue.

11. Hair and makeup
Rock artists often have unique or out there
hair styles, varying from long, frizzy to
spikey. These quirky hairstyles represent
them inspirational figures making the target
audience want to copy these stylish hair cuts
to be just like their favourite artists.
As well as long hair many of the men in these
rock music videos were also counter cultural by
wearing dark makeup often round their eyes,
going against the social norms and stereotypes
of masculinity by presenting themselves with
typically “feminine” looks. This counter cultural
ideology shown in their appearances, would
further show the artists as aspirational figures as
they break rules and set trends for their target
audience.

12. Representation
 A generic convention seen music videos is the representation of an artist as a
performer, in rock music videos the artist are presented as performers through a
performance with or as part of a band. Additionally rock music videos also use
concert footage to depict the artist as a performer as well as using close up to mid
shots of the artist performing the song.
 Another convention is the representation of the artist as a personality with whom
the audience can connect with. Rock artists do this by showing the idealised
representation of the target audience in their music videos to allow the audience to
feel a close association with the band or artist.
 Furthermore, music videos use the convention of representing the artist as a
aspirational figure to the target audience. Singers display themselves as
aspirational figures through their costume and makeup which makes fans want to
mimic the style choices of their favourite artists.

13. Music videos that clearly illustrate the codes and
conventions of rock music videos are:
• Thunderstruck – AC/DC
• Waterfalls – The Stone Roses
• Another one bites the dust – Queen
• Whole lotta love – Led Zeppelin
• All my life – The Foo fighters
All these videos are typical of a rock music video and all display
classic codes and conventions as well as similar mise en scenes.
All of them are similar to one another in the elements of lighting,
location ,hair ,makeup , and costume, which all correlate to the
generic representations and conventions of this particular genre
of music.
Thunder struck –
AC/DC
Waterfalls – The
Stone Roses
Another one bites the
dust – Queen
Whole lotta love – Led
Zeppelin
All my life – The Foo
Fighters
• Represents artist as
performer and as a
aspirational figure
• Set at a concert
• Displays the band
• Shows the target
audience
• Uses artificial /
coloured lighting
• A location of a gig/
concert hall
• Represents the artist
as a personality and
a performer
• Set on a stage
• Uses stage
lights/coloured
lights
• Represents the
artist as a
personality,
performer and an
aspirational figure
• Shows target
audience
• Illustrates artist as
a performer and
aspirational figure
• Set at a concert
• Displays artist
as a performer
• Set on a stage
Here is a table to display the typical codes and conventions shown in rock music videos: