CONVENTIONS OF MUSIC VIDEOS
The image below shows a spider-diagram of the conventions of music videos. I will be going into more detail on the common conventions in music videos and will be particularly addressing those conventions that are most common within indie pop music videos. All of these different conventions are techniques in order to build meanings behind the videos. For example, they can ensure that the lyrics to the song match the music video in some way in order for the audience to gain a greater understanding.
Andrew Goodwin - Dancing in the Distraction Factory
Andrew Goodwin – Dancing in the distraction factory (1992) the rise of MTV.
In the year of 1992, after many years of research into music videos, Andrew Goodwin published a book called ‘Dancing in the Distraction Factory’. In this book, he looks at a number of different codes and conventions in music videos.
He identified that ‘music videos demonstrate certain genre characteristics. For example:
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In metal and rock music videos, there will more often than not be live stage performances.
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Dance routines will usually be implemented into boy/girl bands’ music video.
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‘Throwing signs’ in early hip hop music videos.
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Scantily clad women or bling for gangsta rap music videos.
He also recognised that there is a relationship between the music and the visuals. These illustrations could either amplify or contradict the meanings behind the lyrics.
He also suggested that there is a relationship between the actual music and the visuals. This is also often illustrative and can either amplify or contradict the music.
The demands of the record label will include the need for lots of close up shots of the artist.
The artists’ may develop some elements of iconography that will feature across their different work.
He also identified that women are usually objectified through the use of the camera without them being directly looked at, for example, they may be seen through a television screen. This is commonly known as voyeurism. The principal characteristic of voyeurism is that the voyeur does not normally interact with the subject of his/her interest, who is often unaware of being observed.
There are often intertextual references, mostly to film, television and popular culture.
Reasons for codes and conventions
Different codes and conventions are usually used for each different style genre music video, this way, the audience will be able to notice codes and conventions in similar genre videos which will enable them to familiarise themselves with a specific genre. For example, black electric guitars and drums are usually associated with the rock genre. Codes and conventions help to ensure that each music genre has its own iconography.
Specific codes and conventions consist of the following:
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Styles
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Camera
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Editing techniques
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Sound (non-diegetic and diegetic)
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Mise en scene (hair, makeup, location, lighting etc)
Technical Techniques:
This is about how meaning is conveyed through use of technical equipment, for example, the camera angles, shots and movements used in music videos. It is also conveyed through the use of sounds, diegetic and non-diegetic, as well as pace, style and genre.
Symbolic Techniques:
These are ways of showing meanings aside from what we as the viewer can see. For example, this includes the facial expressions and mise en scene that is included within the music videos.
In many music videos, women are objectified by men through the use of the camera. This is often shown through minimal clothing with their main feminine features on show. In the majority of rap music videos, the star male rapper will commonly have seductively dressed girls dancing around them. In many music videos, women are presented as just being sexual objects as many rapper videos have half naked women included in them. The camera is mainly focused on their body parts with the men looking at them as if they are nothing more than sexual objects. This is shown in the ‘Main Chick’by Kid Ink clip. In other music videos, the attention is placed solely on the female artists who are also dressed in provocative clothing in order to attract the attention of the male gaze. Examples of this are shown in the clips below including ‘Anaconda’ by Nicki Minaj and ‘Pour It Up’ by Rihanna.