Codes and Conventions

 Codes and conventions of a short film/music video -
The codes and conventions of music videos are the different techniques used to construct meaning in them. They are used so that the audience can become familiar with a particular genre, to provide a structure that the audience can understand and so that the lyrics of the song match with the video. These techniques can be divided into two sections; technical and symbolic.
 Technical - how meaning is conveyed using technical equipment (the way camera angles are used, different shots, sound - diegetic and non-diegetic, and the genre)
Symbolic - ways of showing meanings beyond what you can see (facial expressions, gestures, poses and mise en scène)
General code and conventions - the style, the camera, editing techniques, use of sound, mise en scène and stereotyping.
Codes and conventions of the indie rock genre -
Indie rock and any other rock bands would usually use a lot of live performance footage in their music videos and less narrative as a lot of these artists are playing their music for themselves and not the industries.
Mise en scène - props to help tell story, make-up to help portray the genre, lighting to enhance the mood/atmosphere and coloured lighting to add again to the mood/theme of the music.
Editing - cinematic effects/ filters added to make the video appear as a mini movie and many speed changes throughout to keep in time with the music.
Camera - extreme close ups to keep emphasis on the band - representing emotions of the songs through facial expressions, and there are usually many establishing shots of the band performing.
Performance - this is a key element to show the bands energy/passion
Narrative - usually deeper/meaningful, tend to have a more cinematic feel.