Codes and Conventions

Codes and Conventions for alternative and indie rock music videos:

- Artist involvement and participation in the video/ narrative

- Lengthy shots, interrupted and broken up or let play

- Representation of mental illness and addiction

- Use of surrealist visuals and concepts

- Mystery and adoption of a 'showing not telling' style of storytelling in narratives

- Reflection of mood and tone through lighting and filters

- Performative elements even in narrative videos

- Breaking up and distortion of continuity and the course of events

- Cameos of the artist and other popular figures

- Subversion of expectations on often opinionated topics

- Exhibition of alternative fashion and unique styles such as 'gothic' and 'grunge'

- Multi-role castings, often consisting of the artist(s) featuring in many roles

- Metaphorical meanings behind the cycle of/ difference between time of day

- Moral messaging and suffusion of hope within narratives

- Choppy and punchy editing

- Use of comedy and visual ridiculosity

Codes and Conventions for generic rock music videos:

- Extreme artist aesthetics with piercings, dyed hair, extreme hairstyles, and makeup

- Dark atmospheres with high contrasting lighting

- Brutalist or outdoor locations often barren of notable features

- Exaggerated facial expressions and bodily movements

- Featuring of synonymous iconography within the rock community

- Incorporation of 'interruptions' in the song to progress narrative

- Editing in-line with fast-paced tempo of song

- Jump-cuts and montages often during climaxes in song

- Little use of special effects/ CGI

- Close-up shots and rotating shots across moving figures

- Ariel shots exhibiting location and situation of characters

- 'Example stories' of themes explored in the song, often exaggerated and fantastical in nature

- Use of performance and narrative

- Focus on characters being wronged/ rebelling against societal norms and corruption

All of these codes and conventions are explored in greater detail with examples from the music videos I analysed in my related post: