AN - Common Codes and Conventions in Music Videos

During this past week, I have been learning about the use of media language in music videos. I will begin by talking about the codes and conventions of music videos.

• Lip-syncing, which is a technique used a lot in music videos for when the lead singer is performing. They usually have earpieces to listen to the lyrics of their own song and get the timing right. However, this has gained a high amount of controversy with the media and the public. A recent example was during the American X Factor finals.
• The use of multiple takes is another convention used in music videos. This is done to add shot variety to the video. Despite this, there are countertypes such as Velojet - Pass It Back in which the video is done in one entire take, yet it follows the daily lives on many different people. 

• The use of stereotypes is a prime convention seen in music videos. For example, there is the "Black pimp" stereotype which rap about having sex with "hoes" and how rich they are. A prime example of this is 50 Cent. This stereotype is also parodied in the Wii game, Madworld in which there is a character called the Black Baron who acts like a pimp, due to the clothes he wears and his speech pattern.

• Multi-layering is another convention used often in music videos, usually used in music videos for dance tracks and sometimes used for symbolic purposes in other music videos. e.g. to represent the state of mind.
• Special effects are also commonly used. These signify the high budget of a video and show a high range of editing techniques. e.g. Derazzed by Daft Punk
• Product placement can be often seen in music videos. For example, the Black-Eyed Peas usually promote Blackberry in a number of their music videos. Sometimes, famous brand names get mentioned in the lyrics to a song.
• Fast-paced editing is also commonly used, since it gives shot variety to a music video.