MUSIC MAGAZINE COVER

MUSIC VIDEO CODES AND CONVENTIONS

Wheatus Teenage Dirtbag

AVRIL LAVIGNE SK8ER BOI

We look at the media language, media representations and media audiences of these two music videos in class today. In the exam, we will answer a question comparing aspects of them (see below).
To prepare for the exam, today we look at the media language of music videos, such as their codes and conventions:

1. Performance - the singer / band are seen to be playing, to provide authenticity, so that followers believe in the talent and can see their star. Record labels sign stars and promote them  to ensure sales.
   Throughout the music video we see one main star, Avril Lavigne, signing about the skater boy. Avril Lavigne is seen playing her guitar, this shows Avril Lavigne is playing the song herself and this makes the listeners think she is doing it all her self. In most music videos we see the main performerlip syncing the words. By Avril Lavigne playing the guitar and singing to the audience believe it is her singing and that she really is a person who they love listening to. When recording a music video the a star is signed and promoted and advertised so they can sell more songs. 
2. Star - use of close-ups, sometimes direct eye contact with audience, to build relationship with audience The star of this music video is very clearly Avril Lavigne, we get this impression because the scenes always show Avril making eye contact with the camera. This makes the audience think she is singing to them.  When watching a music video a relationship is formed between the viewer and the star. This is because of the eye contact with the camera and also when the singer gets close to the camera and sings to it, this creates a relationship because it is as if the star is singing to you and only you.
3. The visuals (what the star and other characters are seen doing) illustrate, amplify or contradict the lyrics (the 'story in the words'). Illustration = the visuals play out the story more or less literally; amplify = the words in the lyrics are only the starting point and the story develops in other directions; contradiction / disjuncture = the visuals do not interpret the words of the lyrics and may even show something contradictory.

         In sk8er boi the visuals give a really big effect on the music video. we see car windows being smashed and this shows what the skater boi does when he has free time. We also see other acts of vandalism like grafiti and this is signifying again how different ballet girl and skater boy is. We also get to see who skater boy actually is in the video and see all of his piercings again signifying the difference between the two lovers. We also see Avril and how she is very similar to the skater boy in the music video especially how she gets the police called on her.

1. The narrative usually features the performer in 'real life' situations but often with experimental types of film making such as hand-held, dramatic camera angles, symbolic codes and lighting
2. The visuals are usually cut to the beat of the music; the editing is often fast-paced; there is often use of montage, ellipsis and intercutting, stylish effects
3. Refrain - repeated chorus, sometimes with variations
4. Intertextuality - references to other media, films, performances, events

Throughout the music video we see one main star, Avril Lavigne, signing about the skater boy. Avril Lavigne is seen playing her guitar, this shows Avril Lavigne is playing the song herself and this makes the listeners think she is doing it all her self.

EDITING IN CUFFS

PREP Analyse how editing is used in the extract from Cuffs to create meaning. Refer to at least two examples from the extract in your answer. (This means that a good candidate will write fully and freely, covering more than just 2 examples, as we practised in class).
Worth 5 marks: write half a side of A4 and post on your blog tonight. If you have DoE, take an extra 24 hours.

Editing is a huge factor in all TV shows and films. In cuffs there are many examples of a type of editing called shot/reverse shot. We see shot/reverse shot in the scene where Jake and Ryan are about to head into a high speed car chase. We can see a close up of just behind Jake's head and then it shows just behind Ryan's head. Shot/reverse shot is effective because it is a very good way to show who is talking in the scene and the emotions whilst the conversation is going on. Another useful technique when editing is called cross cutting. Cros cutting helps the viewer to understand if two events in the video are related. Cross cutting is used by putting two clips of different moments after each other to show the two sequences are related.