Codes and Conventions of Music Videos

Music videos contain a variety of different codes and conventions which help convey further meaning to an existing song. There are many different elements used to make a solid music video, and the the creative possibilities are endless.
Symbolic Codes
1. Movement
  1. Dance
    1. Especially in performance-based music videos, dance is important to compliment a song, and can even make a song be perceived as more catchy as it is danceable. Dance is a form of expression that can symbolise different themes in music videos, depending on the style. For example, contemporary dance would compliment a mellow song.
    2. In the age of social media, artists now create dance moves made to trend, as a marketing strategy, to increase popularity.
  2. Acting
    1. Acting can help portray a story in a music video more vividly- especially in narrative based videos where the storyline is a significant element of the song. Acting can be can be naturalistic or exagerated, depending on the style, and can help the audience understand the context of what is going one.
2. Mis-en-scene
  1. Lighting
    1. Depending on how a scene is lit, lighting can be used to establish the mood and tone of a music video. To establish various atmospheres, videos might use a variety of lighting hues (e.g using pink and red lighting can connote romance or danger.)
    2. In R&B music videos, the lighting in many of the videos are extremely vivid and bright. Through the use of spotlights, various visual elements, like the artist can be highlighted.
    3. In the music video 'Green Light' by Lorde, red, blue, and green flared lighting is used to encapsulate the party theme of her sophomore album, 'Melodrama'.
  2. Location
    1. The location of a music video gives the viewer background information about the characters' surroundings. The location can show so much about the context of a song, and what genre it is. For example, in the song 'Complicated' by Avril Lavigne, she sings in a skate park, which fits into the typical themes of the pop-punk genre.
  3. Costumes and makeup
    1. Costume and makeup can help convey a type of character the artist is trying to portray in their music video, and give the audience extra give the audience insight into the character.
    2. Lady Gaga is known for her extravagant costumes- both in music videos and infamously in red carpets. She has successfully branded herself as a costume artist.
  4. Props
    1. In music videos, props are utilized to expose information and provide the viewer with additional context. They may also be utilized for product placement in marketing campaigns.
3. Style
  1. Performance
    1. Performance music videos focus on entertaining the viewer, and keeping them engaged on the media presented in front of them. The majority of performance videos feature either singing or dancing (or both!
  2. Narrative
    1. Narrative music videos communicate a story logically through a series of events on screen. They are also known as storyline music videos, as their main feature is to present a story that relatively matches the song.
  3. Experimental
    1. As the name suggests, experimental music videos push existing boundaries, and don't fit into one description of a music video. They tend to be abstract, artistic, and innovative- yet difficult to classify.
Technical Codes
1. Editing
  1. Continuity editing
    1. Multiple shots are cut together in a way that feels very natural and connected to how viewers consume content. In narrative-style music videos, each shot typically shows the same information so that the viewer can easily understand the storyline the song is trying to portray.
    2. For example: Why'd You Only Call Me When You're High? By Artic Monkeys
  2. Cutting to the beat
    1. Editing technique where editors change shot on the beat of the song. Cutting videos to the beat is a powerful technique to drive the action and communicate a message to the audience in a way that is interesting, thrilling, and memorable.
    2. For example: Pink Venom by Blackpink implements lots of fast-cutting which implies excitement and compliments the hard hitting sound of the song itself. Especially during the rap parts, the cuts are very rapid to elevate the artist's rap flow.
  3. Effects
    1. Effects can bring out more excitement into a music video. Adding CGI, special effects, colour hues, and layers makes music videos eye-catching.
  4. Chroma-key
    1. A visual effects and post-production method for combining two images or video streams based on colour hues. Used when music videos are shot in front of a green screen.
    2. For example: Kiss you by One Direction Chroma key effects surround the video. This has helped them develop the comical element of their personality.
    3. It is a common technique used in music videos to give the music a comedic feel. Also used to capture the viewers' attention and keep them entertained.
2. Sound
  1. Diegetic Sound
    1. Sound that comes from a scene (for eg: a person talking). Performance- style music videos tend to use diegetic sound as the performers can be seen dancing or singing the song
  2. Non-diegetic Sound
    1. Sound that doesn't come from within the scene (for eg narration). These sounds are often added during post-production editing.
3. Camera work
  1. Camera Movements
    1. Panning shot
    2. Zoom shot
    3. Tilt shot
    4. Dolly zoom
  2. Camera Angles
    1. High angle shot
    2. Low angle shot
    3. Eye level shot
  3. Camera shots
    1. Long shot
    2. Medium shot
    3. Close up shot
    4. Extreme close up shot
    5. Establishing shot

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