MUSIC VIDEO CODES AND

CONVENTIONSSENI OYEWUMI

WHAT ARE CODES AND CONVENTIONS•THE CODES AND CONVENTIONS OF A MUSIC VIDEO ARE THE VARIOUS TECHNICAL AND SYMBOLIC TECHNIQUES USED IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF A MUSIC VIDEO. •THEY CAN ALSO BE SAID TO BE A SET OF RULES THAT SHOULD GENERALLY BE FOLLOWED.

WHY DO CODED AND CONVENTIONS EXIST?

• CODES AND CONVENTIONS ALLOW THE AUDIENCE FAMILIARIZE WITH THE GENRE. • AUDIENCES CAN IDENTIFY DIFFERENT GENRES THROUGH THEIR DIFFERENT

OR SIMILAR CODES AND CONVENTIONS• CODES AND CONVENTIONS GIVE A MUSIC VIDEO A STRUCTURE THAT IS

UNDERSTANDABLE TO THE AUDIENCE.

TECHNICAL CODES AND CONVENTIONS

• CAMERA: SHOT STYLES, ANGLES, DEPTH OF FIELD.• EDITING: STYLES, PACE, GRADING.• SOUND: DIEGETIC, NON-DIEGETIC, SOUND EFFECTS.

SYMBOLIC CODES AND CONVENTIONS•HIDDEN MEANING BEHIND WHAT IS ALREADY OBVIOUS •MISE EN SCENE

STYLES OF MUSIC VIDEOS

NARRATIVE• NARRATIVE VIDEOS ILLUSTRATE A STORY THAT MIGHT BE A DIRECT DEPICTION OF THE LYRICS OR A MORE ABSTRACT INTERPRETATION OF THE SONG TITLE OR THE THEMES OF THE SONGS. • AN EXAMPLE OF A NARRATIVE VIDEO IS “DILLEMA” BY NELLY AND KELLY

ROWLAND. WITHIN THE VIDEO THE AUDIENCE CAN SEE A LOVE STORY UNRAVEL. ANOTHER GOOD EXAMPLE OF A NARRATIVE VIDEO IS EMINEM'S “STAN” WHICH SEES AN OBSESSED FAN DESPERATELY TRYING TO GET THE ATTENTION OF SUPERSTAR RAPPER EMINEM.

PERFORMANCE• PERFORMANCE VIDEOS FEATURE AN ARTIST SINGING IN A LOCATION THAT

NORMALLY REFLECTS THE THEME OF THE SONG OR MEETS THE EXPECTATIONS OF THE GENRE. • GOOD EXAMPLES OF HIP HOP PERFORMANCE VIDEOS ARE “HEY YA” BY

OUTKAST AND “LOVE ON TOP” BY BEYONCÉ

MOTIF• MOTIF VIDEOS CONTAIN A RECURRING THEMATIC ELEMENT THAT ARE USED

TO REPRESENT THE THEMES OF THE SONG. • EXAMPLES OF MOTIF MUSIC VIDEOS ARE “CALIFORNIA GURLS” BY KATY

PERRY WHICH HAS A MYTHICAL SETTING AND “PIMP” BY 50 CENT WHICH IS ALL ABOUT MATERIALISM.