Before getting in depth of codes and conventions of music videos, we

need to understand what codes and convention mean when

discussing music videos as previously them in the category of
magazines.
 Codes are how signs and symbols are put together to create
meaning.
 Conventions are rules or long accepted way of doing things through
repeated experiences.
In terms of music videos codes are divided into 3 further categories

Technical Symbolic Written

Technical codes include:
• Editing
• Camera techniques
• Lighting
• Exposure
All of these contribute to make the music video
visually appealing and adds to its narrative
and meaning.
 Symbolic codes include:
• Objects
• Setting
• Body language
• Clothing
All of these things describe the story being
told in the song and have a hidden meaning
such as through colors. For example
someone wearing red in the music video may
represent love and yellow happiness.
The setting/objects, also known as mise-en –
scene visually represents the songs and add
meaning to the song to some extend.
 Written codes include;
• Printed language
• Spoken language
They may include headlines, captions,
language style and speech bubbles. Verbal
codes, in the case of music videos, are really
important.
It’s the way how the singer sings according to
the narrative or genre of the song such as if
the song is about a heart break, then the
voice contains that aspect of pain. It is how a
good singer is distinguished.
Technical codes example: Beyoncé-Single Ladies
Considering the editing, camera work, lighting and exposure I think this
song is a good example because it’s technical codes are very clear. Firstly
camera moves around Beyoncé and the extras in a 360 degrees angle in
the form of pan without changing it’s height which I think enhances their
dancing as their movement stands out more. Then as far as lighting is
concerned the everyone in the frame is lit and the light on the legs and hair
show that bright light is being exposed from almost every direction which
gives the effect of shadows and the shine. I
think that the exposure also matters a lot
when playing lighting. Lastly the way the
Video has been edited into black and white is
very remarkable as the contrasts are very
well done.
Symbolic codes example: Gotye-Somebody that I used to know
This song has many symbolic meanings. Firstly the song is about how the
relationship came to end between them two and what they went through to
keep it the way it was before as them being one. Then the colors show both
of the singers in one relationship and slowly the colors fade away/come of
the girl which shows that she is out of the relationship with him. The colors
that are left on him shows that he still hasn’t moved on and is still in it
mentally.
 Styles And Elements
• Interpretive: • Surrealist: • Inter-textual:
How the viewer It is impressionist Inter-textuality is the
interoperates the dream like and It has way in which one media
music video such unreal elements. text is referenced in
as open-ended. another.

• Allusion: • Voyeuristic:
• Impressionist: When the audience is It is used in psychology
This is when the under allusion that in terms of explaining
video is more something will happen the gendered pleasures
fantasy based but the story changes and refers to the idea
rather than reality. at the end so it’s not a of gaining sexual
sit first seemed. pleasures .
These styles and elements are the basic
foundations of a music video.
 Impressionist Music Videos
Impressionist music videos’ lyrics do
not link or relate to the video itself
explicitly. The deeper meaning within a
song is usually conveyed.

SIA’s music video ‘Big Girls Cry’ is a

good example of an impressionist
music video .

In the video, young dancer Maddie Ziegler, 12, performs in front of a black
background and stays there for the whole video. She dances interpretively with a
lot of hand gestures and movements, the whole video consists of this. There is no
clear link between her actions and lyrics-which allows the viewer to interpret it
however he or she feels necessary.
 Surrealist Music Videos
These music videos are very similar to
impressionist music videos however
surrealist ones are very abstract and
may not have a relation with the music
itself.
Katy Perry’s ‘ET’ is a very good example
of a surrealist music video because
everything in it in dream-like.
Basically I think the affect this guy has on her makes her believe that
he's something other than human, he has her so infatuated that he
must be something supernatural. metaphorically, it's just a song with
a metaphor.
 Allusion music videos
Allusion is a very similar concept to inter-textual
reference but in a less obvious, less in your
face way. Sort of a subtle nod to the audience
that isn’t so much of a big deal.

"Right There" is a single by Ariana Grande. I feel

like the music video uses the allusion
convention to represent the movie Romeo and
Juliet. This is effective because it gives a hint to
the audience about the style of music or song
meaning before it has even started. After the
first 20 seconds, we already know that the
song is about love and being happy in love.
 Inter-textual Music Videos
Inter-textuality is used in music videos to
keep something familiar towards the
audience to identify from.

Robbie Williams’ ‘You Know Me’,

features the artist being taken to an
‘Alice In The Wonderland’ style setting
with him self dressed as the rabbit from
the film.

This creates inter-textuality between the film and the music video. After he finishes
exploring the fantasy world he dances with a group of women also dressed as rabbits;
however, this time he is wearing make-up to complete his transformation. Also at the end
there is a shot of the artist in Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer trademark lion replaced with the
rabbit character.
Voyeuristic Music Videos
These kind of music videos include
voyeuristic angles of a women in
order to entice a male audiences
interest in the artist and also the
lyrics to which shots represent.
Nicki Minaj’s ‘Anaconda’ is a very
basic example of these kind of
videos in which the lyrics and the
video compliment each other.
Other than that some music videos
randomly shows such feminine
angles such as in Zain Malik’s
‘Pillow Talk’.