Music videos use similar codes and conventions that other videos within that genre use. The audience can become familiar with that genre as the video progresses, as they get used to recognising the different conventions within a genre. It provides a structure that the audience can understand, and also ensure the lyrics of the song fit in with the video of how we would expect it to be.
The conventions of a music video vary depending on the genre of the music. However the general conventions include; the style, the camera, editing techniques, the sound (non-diegetic and diegetic), mise-en-scene (props, lighting, costume, hair and make-up, location/setting, and colours, notions of looking (stereotyping).
Ed Sheeran - A Team
Similar to Ben Howard, Ed Sheeran is within the same genre as him which is singer/songwriter. Many music videos in this genre tend to show abstract imagery or the artist performing at a concert. However some follow a narrative like Ed Sheeran A Team.
When it comes to the mise-en-scene of music videos, they tend to stick to many of the conventions of that particular genre. In the video A Team, Ed Sheeran (the artist) does not appear in the video as an artist but he briefly appears in the narrative. The video follows a girl who is the main character in the video to which it revolves around her. The narrative is developed from this. The girl who is seen living on the streets and is portrayed as homeless appears in many outdoor locations like the streets. From the costume that she wears, it portrays that she is homeless, as you can see her laid on a park bench with a cover, dressed in a jumper and she is also wearing ripped tights. Her makeup adds to her character as she has dark eyeliner messy around her eyes, suggesting she has had a rough night.
Close-ups in this video are shown when their is emotion to be captured by the character. Showing a close-up when the woman is on the streets and crying adds to emphasis that she is lonely. At the start of the video the camera is focused on another woman looking down at a body which when the narrative later develops, the audience can see she is the main character in the video. Again close-ups are used to show emotion in the woman's face when she realises that someone is dead. The camera tilts down to the body of the main character and focuses on her face which is motionless, the camera blurs and zooms into her eyes, and the narrative and the song start. From this the audience will be able to infer that the video has gone back to the start.
Camera movements such as track and pan, creates how the woman feels. By tracking her movement it is like the audience are walking with her on this journey. By panning the audience can get a bigger understanding of the location and setting, and feel as though they are looking at it from her point of view. Rule of thirds are used and she is always centre frame showing she is the main character in the narrative.
The music video is shown in black and white, this can refer to how she see's the world. However at the end of the video there is colour and the woman appears to be looking down from the sky, connoting she has died and is appearing as an angle as the song lyrics refer to repeatedly.
Jamie Lawson - Wasn't expecting that
Ben Howard - Old Pine
Conventions of form and genre using textual analysis of videos
By using codes and conventions, the audience can become familiar with a particular genre, as they get use to recognising the different conventions within a genre. It provides a structure that the audience can understand, and also it ensures the lyrics of the song fit in with the video of how we would expect it to be.
The conventions of a music video vary depending on genre of music. However, the general conventions include; the style, the camera, editing techniques, the sound (non-diegetic and diegetic), mise-en-scene (props, lighting, costume, hair and make-up, location/setting, and colours, notions of looking (stereotyping).
When it comes to the mise-en-scene of music videos, they tend to stick to many of the conventions of that particular genre. In Where Have You Been, Rihanna appears in several locations this is typical of a music video within this genre. The location she is first shown in is a jungle type setting rising out of the water. Instantly the audience will be able to see that it is that sort of location because of the tree's, dark lighting, mist and the water. What adds to this setting is her costume. When we first see Rihanna rising out of the water she is wearing a bikini type top with fitted pants, this can refer to her as being a mermaid and therefore being mysterious. The dark lighting reflects of the water and creates a mysterious atmosphere within the narrative, with the audience not knowing what is going to happen.
Through editing the video cuts between different settings and locations, and it is constantly changing to keep up with the music this is known fast pace editing. Another setting is a desert location, the song lyrics state that she is looking everywhere for someone, and these settings emphasis the narrative relating it to the song. Within the mise-en-scene the props, lighting and costume help create the desert location. The setting design includes sand, tree's, rocks, fire and in the background a sky with a moon, without these we would not know that she is in a desert based location. The costume that Rihanna wears, includes red baggy pants and a fitted top, the colours of her outfits are typical as she is representing people who live/work on deserts, she also wears a head scarf to create verisimilitude which makes her look as realistic as possible. The colours of her outfit standout against the beige background, this highlights her as the main protagonist. Also, the backing dancers are wearing similar outfits so they also standout and create verisimilitude.
As well as the desert and jungle location, Rihanna is shown in other locations, such like an old building where the lighting is mixed between red and orange but is also dark at the same time. In this location she is always centre frame with the dancers in the background, not once does this change unless she is not in the shot. Throughout, this shot which is cut and spread in between other scenes she is wearing a short black dress which is fitted, this emphasises her sexuality and renders her more appealing to her audience. The dancers are also wearing similar outfits again for the audiences pleasure. In the background there is a chair acting like a thrown with a fur cover over it, this could suggest she is like royalty in the video, or even in the real world as a role model/celebrity.
When Rihanna is shown on her own without dancers, she is either infront of lights this could suggests she is in the spot light and is centre of attention. Another time when she is on her own is when she is sitting/laying under a tree. Rihanna wears a pink dress where she is shown multiple of times, relating her to a Hindu God, this also shows her power within the video as well as an artist. Her make-up also represents this image, as she has silver glitter around her eyes. Her dress also lights up and goes red this could be connotations to her been mysterious or that she is looking for love as red connotes love, which the audience will understand and infer.
Props are vital in adding to the scene and create significance's on particular objects or people. The costumes that Rihanna is seen wearing goes with the scenes in the song and reflects the genre. Costume is an important factor because it can have an influence on how the viewers will dress, because they use music stars and celebrities as role models.
Rihanna is only shown with male dancers once, and she is shown with female dancers or on her own for the rest of the video, until the end where she is surrounded by males going back into the water. When she is shown with female dancers she is in an indoor location that looks like a church because of the arched window in the background, which has an orange/red light shinning through. This again could relate to her being multiplied when she is on her own, as she could be representing the Hindu God Shiva, and that has religious connotation like the Hindu God. In this setting the lighting is dark, but Rihanna is highlighted by a green light whilst she is in the centre of the dancers. Her costume is a short black dress, which is tight this emphasises her sexuality and renders her attractive to her audience. The dancers are also wearing similar outfits, which seems to be a pattern in this video.
This video uses typical conventions of camera movements and shots, that are seen in many video's within the same genre. One of the typical camera shots are close-ups, these close-ups show Rihanna as desirable and add to the audiences pleasure. They also create empahsis on the artist, location and emotions. Also, close-ups are not only used to emotions but to reflect the words of the song with the movement of the lips of the artist. The movement of the camera is used to follow and trace the artist. Camera movements include, tilts, crane shots, tracking and pans.
Long shots showing Rihanna dancing suggests that she is a comfortable performer, but the dancing also makes the video more entertaining and viewable for the audience. The dancing refers to the song as well, as it is upbeat and it makes the video more visually pleasant for the viewers. It is conventional for music videos of this genre to contain dancing. While Rihanna is dancing she is looking directly into the camera from the distance that she is at, this shows her enthusiasm, but as the camera changes different angles such as from low to eye level it shows she is in control of the video, but as she dances with the backing dancers she is always dominant especially when it comes to framing. Rule of thirds is used, as Rihanna is centre framed in every shot this clearly points out to the audience that she is important in the video. Medium shots show Rhianna in more detail than long shots, again emphasising her dominance within the music video.
Close-ups in this video show Rihanna taking up the entire frame, especially when signing to the song. At the start of the video, the camera focuses on Rihanna rising out of the water. This is done by extreme close-ups, close-ups, median close-ups, long shots, and tilts. Extreme close-ups are used to show her face which suggests that she is lusting for someone. Close-ups work in a similar way in this video as they show her facial expressions and her emotions inparticular, but show her signing to the song as mentioned. Close-ups not only focus on her face but her body as well. When she is rising out of the water the camera focuses on her curves, this relates to her as being a sexual object (Mulvey), but she wants to be desired by the male audience. Long shots show her body and again show her as a sexual object. There is a tilt up after she has risen out of the water, the tilt starts at her waist and tilts to her face which is shown as a close-up. Slow motion is used when she is dancing, the camera slows down when focusing on her body, this is done for the viewers pleasure. When Rihanna is shown on her own it suggests that she has dominance, especially when she is multiplied referring to her as a Goddess or a female that has power.
Extreme Close Up
Close Up
Jump cuts is the predominant editing technique used in music videos. This is because it allows a sudden change from one scene to another. Similarly transitions such as fade and dissolve are very common in music videos as they create a different effect than to cuts.
Other main conventions consist of: lighting, some music videos are black and white which helps emphasise a particular mood, and some videos have artificial lighting which gives the artist an enhanced look. In this video as mentioned above the lighting varies, in some scenes it is dark and then it is light in others. Having different lights throughout the video makes it more appealing and attractive towards the audience. When Rihanna is seen on her own, there is artificial lights used, this enhances her as an artist but also makes her look more dominant in the video. There is a juxtaposition of ligthing in this video as it crosses between dark and light.
Light Juxtaposition
Special effects such as fade and cross dissolve are also used. Fade is used when the scenes are changing, this is also when cross dissolve is also used. Cross dissolve is where the main image is still on the screen and another image is slowly coming over the top of it ready for when the video changes scene. However, it does not have to change scene it can be just used as an effect.
Cross Dissolve
Colours tend to set the mood of the song through creating an atmosphere for example, dark colours are used more in rock songs such as the Snow Patrol and bright colours are seen to be used more in hip-hop and pop videos such as Little Mix.
Sound is mainly the vocals or the song, but in some cases such as Michael Jacksons Thriller, the producers can make the video into a short film. However, in this video it is purely the song that can be heard.
Cheryl - Call My Name
Within the genre pop/R&B the codes and conventions are similar in Cheryl Call My Name as to those in Rihanna's Where Have You Been music video. Codes and conventions allows more entertainment and visual pleasure for the viewers. Most songs of this genre tend to have relatable topics that the audience can refer to in their everyday lives things like love, sexuality and friendships/relationships, are the main stories/narratives that music videos follow.
Throughout this music video Cheryl engages in a dance routine, through dancing she is expressing song lyrics. The music video is very synchronised with the song, meaning that every beat matches the song, is the same to the dance routine been performed by Cheryl. The instrumental parts of the song are also been illustrated through choreography and dance moves. The video keeps up with the continuous rhythm of the song, including the fast drum beats before the song reverts back to the chorus.
A typical convention of camera movements is that there are a lot of close-ups of the artist in music videos. On the music video itself, there is a variety of close-ups and other shots like medium close-ups, long shots etc. which mainly focus on Cheryl. Like in the video for Where Have You Been it emphasises the artists importance in the video. Like Rihanna, Cheryl creates a sexual display of her body parts by close-ups. The use of dance moves in this video enhance the sexual image that she is trying to create. Her outfit is a bikini top and along with the dance moves she is creating an image for people to desire her. Another example would be Cheryl looking at her own reflection this refers to Narcissus, a man who fell in love with his own reflection. The use of close up shots suggests that women are sexualised in music videos. This is an obstacle for female artists such as Cheryl and Rihanna, because with the use of sexualised dance moves in the music video, audiences would find it difficult to take her serious as an artist. Due to the nature of this video the music video is performance based.
The angles are varied from high to low and canted as well, these all make the video interesting and keeps the audience entertained which is one of the main purposes for a music video as well as to sell their music visually. The lighting within this video is similar to that of Rihanna's, it is both contrasting from light and sunny to dark at night which is also another convention in many music video's, not just in this genre but in general. Low angles used in this video show dominance of the artist as they did in Where Have You Been. As well, there is a track of her feet in the opening scene of the video, which suggests she wants to be sexually desired or to be looked at as an object (Mulvey). Rule of thirds is used in the same way as Rihanna's video, she is always centre framed especially when she moves around male dancers, showing that she is in control.
High and low angles.
Light contrast.
Opening shot.
Centre frame.
The mise-en-scene is very important in this video as Cheryl's clothing is vibrant but revealing, which is relatable to Andrew Goodwin's theory, artist show themselves in this way to sell their music through their sex appeal. Close-ups and slow motions are used when it shows Cheryl wiping her hair which she is known for.
As mentioned the lighting is a contrast of the whole video has been dulled for the dance portion, where the artist, Cheryl is dancing in sync with a group of male dancers in what seems to be a water ally creating an urban area, in front of old school cars and bikes. The city cuts scenes however are in full contrast, with helicopter overview shots of the city at night making a huge contrast to the dulled out dance sequences.
City scene cuts.
Slow and fast motion cut scenes have also been used, creating a change of pace, as well as increasing the climax even more. Although it is rather typical of a music video in this genre, the contrast if the two opposing environments, as well as a dancing silhouette of a woman gives that extra enjoyable viewing for the audience.
As the video is filmed in a urban area within the mise-en-scene there is graffiti on the walls, creating verisimilitude, seeing a birds eye view of the skyline also adds to this. When she first starts dancing with the male dancers there are cars in the background, further on in the video she is seen driving a car which breaks the conventions of a stereotyped female as women are seen as not good drivers, but showing Cheryl driving is challenging the conventions that are held.
Graffiti = Urban area
Like Where Have you Been and Call My Name, Do it like a Dude has the typical conventions and form of that genre. The mise-en-scene in this video includes a dark room, which can connote danger. But as there is people sat around playing poker it can refer to the gang culture. We can infer this because of the tattoos, people smoking cigars and the make-up and costume that they wear. The costume is dark of the backing actors, but Jessie as the main artist wears a red hoodie, this reinforces gang culture as well as danger. The red lipstick of the extras create visual pleasure for men and they are there to be desired (Mulvey).
Tattoo of angle wings = religious connotations.
When she is dancing on her own, it looks to be a church location with the window in the background, this goes against any religion as gang culture does not really follow/believe in religion. The lyrics and the video go against the core values of the church as it is saying women can do what men do and they are equal, which in the churches view men are more dominant and powerful. Also, in this shot a spot light crosses over her, this could represent a police spot light again reinforcing gang culture. In this video her and other actors/dancers are seen sitting behind a desk with another dancer stood in front of them, this could represent a police interview.
Scenes at the start are intercut with a woman tattooing another woman, a woman slicing a pig's trotter, a woman carrying out chemical experiments which could be drugs (gang culture) and licking a bottle of "poison". These shots, which are a few out of the many radical shots within the music video help express the message that 'women are capable of undertaking what men do'.
There is a tilt up to Jessie lips, this shows her dark make-up as it is a close-up. Like the other videos it shows her lip-signing to the video conveying her emotions. Also, there is a camera blur which suggests that she is mysterious, as well as her low angle showing dominance like the other video's as well.
Dark Make-up.
Camera Blur.
low angle = dominance.
Her mannerism in the video shows that she does not feel anything on how she looks or how she acts. "Nasty face", is the lyric that is used to express this. The women on the stairs also have been portrayed to be very superior and do not feel a sense of intimidation from her, instead they make it clear that they are part of her 'people', within the video.
The song asserts it's tittle, suggesting that Jessie J is as much a man as any man, as a sample of the lyrics shows. This is similar to Rihanna's Where Have You Been video as the video narrative is referring to the song, however this can't be said for Cheryl Call My Name as that does not have a narrative and is purely performance based. All the video's that have been analysed all have performance based music video's, as they all have signing and dancing in them.
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