Media Language

Media Language

Media Language means the way that meaning is communicated using the conventions of the particular medium and type of media product. Put basically, how did you utilise or challenge the conventions of music video and what messages did you give in it?

For your coursework be absolutely sure of the following:
Identify the elements or ‘signs’ within the production that are going to be discussed.
What connotations and significations are apparent?
What codes and conventions have been used?
What semiotic techniques have been used to generate meaning? (Props, sets, colours etc)
Identify and describe the meanings generated.

Theorists
Freud - Refers to the notion that erotic pleasure may be gained by looking at a sexual object (preferably when the object is unaware of being watched).
Davis (who does a lot)
To market the band/artist and song so must feature ‘repeatability’ In other words the narrative code must be ‘suggestive’ rather than ‘realistic’ or ‘detailed’. This is because music video audiences need to be able to watch videos repeatedly and a tight realist narrative would prove too boring after the first couple of viewings.
• Musical Synaesthesia only requires the musical or lyrical ‘mood’ to latch onto to develop a narrative concept.
• Illustration – either a straightforward performance video or a simple narrative video that illustrates the meaning of the lyrics and visualizes the music - music video ‘denotation’.
• Amplification – Rather than simply illustrate the lyrics or sounds this director will ‘amplify’ both with creative interpretation, unusual ideas and surrealistic approaches. There is still a direct link to the song like a ‘connotative’ link.
• Disjuncture – also created by ‘auteur’ directors these videos are completely abstract and have no obvious link to the music, lyrics, song title or artist.
Intertextuality: not all audiences will spot a reference but pleasure might be derived by those who recognise the reference and feel flattered by this. It also increases the audience’s engagement with, and attentiveness to the product.
Goodwin - Visuals either illustrate, amplify or contradict the lyrics and music. Genres often have their own music style/iconography. Close-ups should always be included
Stewart - The music video has the aesthetics of a TV commercial, with lots of close-ups and lighting being used to focus on the star’s face.

Paragraph Example

Stewart argues that a music video should have the aesthetics of a tv commercial. In the video this was achieved through the high-key lighting of our video during the cuts to the artists performance with close ups of the artist looking directly at the camera. With a black and white filter over these shots along with the bright light gave our artist an “ageless” look and therefore made her more attractive to the audience.




Technical Conventions of a Music Video

1. Conventions of the band performance: a degree of authenticity of the performance is sought by the band so lip-sync close-up, mimed playing of instruments, repetition of chorus shots to enhance ‘repeatability’, unusual camera shots and angles e.g. the micro camera shots attached to the neck of a guitar, sweeping crane shots.
2. Conventions of solo artist performance: many of the above plus choreographed dance routines to enhance ‘repeatability’, a first person mode of address directly engaging the viewer through close up shots of eyes and gesturing and if the video is a hybrid form cutting between performance and narrative then the solo artist or band lead singer often becomes part of the narrative story, acting as narrator and participant at the same time.


Audio-Visual Technical Codes for Music Video:

Camera Shots: jumping directly between long shots, close ups and extreme close ups. Primarily the close up on the singer’s face is the main generic convention for music videos. Also the extreme close up on the lips for lip synching.

Camera Movement: whip pans, fast dolly track shots and fast overhead crane shots to follow the running, walking or dancing of performers. Also fast vertical tilts and horizontal pans.

Editing: various terms: jump cutting, MTV style editing or montage editing. Creating the visually de-centred experience of ‘jumping’ from location to person to instrument without any normal narrative continuity. Instead it is often the beat or the rhythm of the track which provides the organising principle for editing movement. The editing moves so fast it creates the need for viewing ‘repeatedly’. There are exceptions though. Some ‘continuity editing’ used such as atmospheric ‘dissolve shots’ such as in Sinead O’Connor’s ‘Nothing Compare to You’

Post-production digital effects: ‘colourisation’ ‘slow motion’ etc. Special effects are now conventional for music videos. Please look out for other innovative effects.

Lighting: Expressive lighting a key feature of music videos. Extreme artificial light to create the ‘bleaching’ effect on pop stars faces (making them seem ageless). Also the use of switching from colour to black & white or sepia to indicate a shift from chorus to verse. Also lighting effects such as strobes or flashing needs to be identified. This obviously links into the use of CGI in dance music videos to enhance the atmosphere.

Mise-en-scene: look for the overall artistic concept in a video. Is there a theme?. Does the video’s mise en scene follow the need for authenticity in performance videos by using the concert hall or rehearsal studio setting. Or is there an intentional ‘parodic’ setting to exaggerate star image?