Codes and conventions are the basis of media texts. Codes usually have a fixed meaning/ reading to the audience and there are 3 types of codes in media: technical, symbolic and written codes. Conventions are the ways in which codes are put together in a media text.
SYMBOLIC CODES - setting, mise en scene, acting, colours
TECHNICAL CODES - camerawork, editing, audio, lighting
WRITTEN CODES - printed and spoken language
CONVENTIONS - story, genre and form conventions
Symbolic codes are codes that are also present and understood in the same way in real life. For example, if you see balloons in a music video it can be associated with celebration and the same would be understood in real life.
Technical codes are fixed to media texts. For example, a low angle camera shot of a person may make someone understand that the person has a high status, however, in real life it has no connotations.
Written codes are similar to technical and symbolic codes as in they help to communicate details about any themes or characters. Eg. the tone of some dialogue (spoken language) can impact the way a character is seen or lyrics in a song can dictate its genre.
General conventions of music videos:
- Setting: the time and place of where the media product is set.
- Mise en scene: all the objects in a shot and how they are placed. E.g. costumes, props, staging and set.
- Acting: body language, facial expression, movement, voice range. Using these things, the actors can allow characters to develop and the storyline to move forward.
- Colour: all the different colours have many different connotations and contribute to transmitting certain feelings and themes.
- Camerawork: different shots, movements, positioning, framing.
- Editing: the way you arrange the images, videos and sound.
- Audio: the way the sound is used: sound effects, music, dialogue.
- Lighting: manipulating light to focus on specific things in a shot. You can change the colour, direction, source and intensity of the light.
Story conventions: stereotypical story structures. E.g. narrative, point of view.
Form conventions: how we expect media codes to be set out. E.g. credits at the end of a film
Genre conventions: common use of settings, characters or subjects linked to a certain theme/ category.
Conventions of music videos in rap/ hip-hop genre:
- Wealthy/ luxury lifestyles
- Low-key lighting
- Part atmospheres
- Lots of women
- Cars
- Expensive clothing
- Close up shots
- Urban settings
- Fast-paced editing
- Voyeurism
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