Codes and conventions of music genres

Codes and conventions are a set of rules which act as a guideline when creating a music video, they are used so audiences can differentiate between each type of music genre, as well as a way of constructing meaning. This meaning can be separated into two different categories, symbolic and technical. 

Symbolic
Symbols are what are created behind what you are actually viewing. For example:

• Facial expressions - body gestures 
• Mise-en-scene - props, costume and generally what it is seen within the shot

Mise-en-scene can easily differentiate between different genres; usually r&b hip-hop videos contain very elaborate props and costume such as the ones in 50 Cents - Candy shop, 50 cent is seen wearing an oversized jacket, hat, trainers and is propped up against a red Ferrari  this is very typical of the r&b genre as the artists tend to show off their wealth with pricey possessions and flaunt them in their videos.    

As well as props location is also key for representing certain genres, in the pop genre videos are usually shot in party houses or beaches to link with their upbeat lyrics used in pop songs. for example One direction - What makes you beautiful is very much typical of the pop genres videos, set on a beach with the band members dressed in preppy, smart but casual clothing with a happy, friendly and positive atmosphere. 

Costume is another aspect to mise-en-scene that displays a genre of music, for example Kings of leon - Use somebody shows the bands members dressed in casual clothing such a jeans, t-shirts and vest to link to their relaxed, laid back persona as a band. 

   

Technical 

Technology is used to show how equipment and technologies are used to contrast meaning, for example: 

• Camerawork - different camera angles and shots 
• Editing - speeding up or slowing down pace, using filters or changing the contrast and/or brightness
• Sound - diegetic and non-diegetic

Camerawork is highly important when considering the codes and conventions of music videos; certain shots can define certain genres and help to create atmosphere within a scene. Music videos usually contain a lot of the same shots depending on the style as most create the right effect needed within a typical music video, these include:

• Close ups/extreme close ups - CU's and ECU's are used a lot in music videos to focus on the artist and their facial expressions. These shots are usually very effective in
  MV's because they concentrate immensely on emotion and reactions, allowing the audience to grasp a clear understand of the artist in relation to the situation around them as well as them in general. For example the string of extreme close ups in Usher - burn.  

• Low angles - low angles are used a lot to show a sense of dominance, allowing the artist to look powerful and show authority. these types of shots are usually used on performance videos, as well as showing this presentation of supremacy it also lets the audience empathise with the people in the crowd that are watching the performance as it allows the viewer to see the artist from their eyes, making us feel as if we are part of the crowd creating a sense of belonging. For example low angles shot of Kanye West and Jay-Z in Otis.

• Long shots/extreme long shots - these types of shots are used in both narrative and performance videos, LS's and ELS's allow us to see the whole human body in relation to the environment around it; this allows us to see the setting in which the video is set in, long shots and extreme long shots are mostly used at the start of a video or at the end. However in Drakes - Headlines video long shots of him surrounded by friends are used throughout the video.

• Tracking shots - tracking shots allow the audience to feel as if they are moving with the shot, whether thats with the artist walking in a narrative based video or the camera moving to from one side to another focusing on each band member in a performance video. A tracking shot is used in Nicki Minaj - the boyz, a narrative based video, where the camera follows her as she walks down the street. 

• Panning shot - panning shots give the impression of moving and allows us to see what else i sin the shot, panning shots usually start with the main attraction of the shot then pan away from them to eventually fade out, but can be used in the opposite way to build a sense of suspense as to what the camera is panning toward; this shot is mostly used in narrative based music videos. A panning shot is used to move from one girl to next in this particular shot in Seans kingsons - Beat it video. 

• Crane shots - crane shots are mostly used in performance videos to allows us to see the whole of what the artist is seeing; for example the crowd they are playing to or the environment they're in, this allows the audience to feel a connection with the performer as we're seeing what they are. However crane shots can sometimes be used in narrative music videos, for example in Chris brown and Justin Biebers - Next to you where Chris brown is seen to be jumping over a extremely wide crack in the ground.

Editing

Music videos use a number of editing techniques to create atmosphere, enhance scenes and portray certain moods to the audience, including:

1. Lighting – low key lighting can be used to create an uneasy atmosphere t create suspense and mystery, this type of lighting can include grey or blue filters to make everything in the shot look duller.  Lighting can also be used in the opposite way by using brighter lighting to present a harsher atmosphere. This harsh lighting effect is used in videos such as Drake's – find your love video, when he is captured by the villain in the video he is shown in a dark environment but with harsh lighting focused on him, to show interrogation.   

However high key lighting can also be used to make scenes look more cheery and joyful, much like in most pop videos where the light is always bright to release a sense of happiness when watching the video; much like in One directions –Best song ever where luminous, radiant lighting is used throughout. This type of lighting is mostly used in pop videos to portray their happiness and high energy fuelled songs/videos. 

2. Special effects – special effects are mostly used in pop or r&b videos to either portray their quirky personality or to make a video look effective and highly memorable; these effects can range from car explosions to floating objects; in David Guetta - I can only imagine special effects are used to present a futuristic theme of the video, such as  hi-tech pop up touch-screen projections.  

3. Filters -  filters can be used in all genres of music videos but are mostly popular with r&b videos; filters can be used in a whole video or individual sections typically used to portray flashbacks or a change in time. There are a range of different filters including: 

• Black & white to display a lack of or increase of emotion like in Beyonce - If i were a boy.

• Magenta to portray romance/anger/danger like in Bad meets Evil Ft. Bruno Mars - Lighters.

• Sepia to give an aged effect like in Christina Aguilera - Hurt. 

• Cyan to create futuristic/mysterious atmosphere like in Katy Perry Ft. Kanye West - E.T.    

4. Split screens are also a highly used editing technique used in lots of music videos; split screens are used to show two different perspectives in the same scene, this allows the audience to see both parties of the music video at the same time in two different scenarios making the viewer seem omniscient as they are seeing more than the actual artist themselves. an example of a split screen is in Keri Hilsons - Knock you down. 

Sound is used in music videos ultimately to play the track itself, but as well as this diegetic sound non-diegetic sound is used to emphasise certain lyrics or moment in the video. For example in Rihanna - Russian Roulette where the sound of a gun being loaded in added into the track to add to the visual appearance of the hand gun in the video. 

Music videos can be categorized into 2 main styles, these include: 

1. Performance
2. Narrative

1. Performance videos mainly focus on the artist/band, whether rehearsing or playing in front of an audience; they rarely use narrative within the video as the main focus is ultimately on them and their performance. These types of videos usually use a wide range of camera angles to look at all perspectives of the artist/band, typically switching from showing one band member to the next. This style of music video has been used a vast amount of times and is particularly popular with rock bands, and example of a performance video is Linken Park - Faint. 

2. Narrative videos are essentially a video with a story behind it, a visual representation of the lyrics being sung by the artist/band. A video in this style uses a very wide variety of camera shots and angles to connote a range of perspectives that link to the situation being portrayed. Narrative music videos are popular with a lot of genres but specifically pop, hip hop and r&b artists; a video that uses this narrative style is Trey Songz - Can't help but wait. This type of music video uses a range of camera shots and angles but tends to use a lot of close ups to focus on the protagonists in the narrative being performed as well as the performer themselves. 

Music videos can also fall in between both categories, where there is not only elements of narrative but performance as well. For example Taylor Swift - Fifteen has both a link to the video to the lyrics and performance sections within it.