Codes and Conventions

Codes and Conventions

Olivia and I identified that the music genre of 'Under The Table' was labelled as Alternative or Indie by both Spotify and Google. From this, we concluded that we needed to research further into our genre in order to understand the codes and conventions of it better and therefore what we can apply to our own music video. 

Similar bands and artists to Fiona Apple

Firstly, Olivia and I decided to look at some artists and bands similar to our chosen artist, Fiona Apple, and identify the codes and conventions of their music videos, as well as general patterns and similarities which we could potentially apply or consider when creating our video. We chose these artists from the Spotify profile for Fiona Apple, which had a section labelled 'fans also like...'. 

Mazzy Star - 'Fade Into You'

In this music video, the star is represented in a way that highlights her beauty and style, with shots focusing on her boots and eyes, showing her makeup. Mazzy is presented as laid back and almost in a fantasy state, with warm, film reel footage and slow-mo shots edited to blend together of deserts and cars. This gives the idea she is a nostalgic and reflective person who also isn't afraid to show her femininity, with a wide shot showing her standing in a skirt and tank top in the desert.

The storyline and narrative of the song feels very reminiscent of an older point in the artist's life. The old film reel footage gives the viewer the idea that this song is looking back on a past experience or relationship, with the numerous close ups of clothes, faces and cars reading almost like a short film telling a story. This is done quite abstractly, with it cutting between shots of deserts, trains and Mazzy's reactions to this imagery, to Mazzy then singing on stage, with the switch from warm to a cold blue lighting giving the impression of melancholy and loneliness. Conventionally, this video fits Mazzy Star's iconography, with her often being presented in a very dream-like, almost sleepy fashion. It also fits the codes and conventions of Indie/Alternative pop, with the music video seeming to have a small budget and a different way of telling a story in a more abstract tone. This is done using show don't tell and the mise-en-scene of the clothes, vehicles and sunglasses unlike how most music videos would tell them to the viewer's face.

Hole - 'Violet'

Alternatively, in this music video, the artist, Courtney Love, is represented differently to Mazzy Star, as she is dressed in corsets and white weddings dresses, unlike Mazzy who wears a dark palette and boots. Aesthetically, this contrasts with the performance of 'Violet', a loud song that fits the 'punk rock' genre of the band. The representation of the artist here is made to show what it is to be objectified, with the use of a lot of POV shots of men in the audience watching Courtney, showing the 'male gaze'. Courtney is lit by stage lighting, with the 1920s burlesque emphasizing this message to the viewer about the way women are viewed. There are also points in the video where the camera cuts to quick shots of rats, eggs and other unpleasant imagery to contrast with the white dresses and tutus the viewer is seeing. This is done to follow a narrative of the sexual exploitation of women and to remind the viewer not to romanticise the video too much. Typically, Hole has their own iconography when it comes to their music videos. This is shown in 'Violet' through the footage of them performing the song on a stage edited inbetween the shots of the burlesque girls dancing. However, this footage is edited to look like it is a part of the burlesque footage, with shots of people behind the stage moving the light towards the camera and then cutting to Courtney Love dancing on stage after performing the song with a guitar prior to this. 

Mitski - 'Washing Machine Heart'

However, in Mitski's 'Washing Machine Heart', we see the representation of the artist differently, unlike Mazzy Star's nostalgia and warmth and Courtney Love's confidence. Mitski is presented as calm and still, but also invoking a sense of uneasiness in the viewer. The video feels surreal, with the contrasts between light and dark lighting of the film noir theme, and the shot of a man's lips cutting to Mitski' touching her lips with her fingers telling the narrative of an unrequited romance that reads as very damaging for her. Also, the use of the close up shot of her empty hand cutting to the hand striking a match presents the artist in a state of longing or loneliness. Here, Mitski is telling the story of this romance without showing the other person, highlighting how damaging it is to her. This is done through continuous close ups of her neck, hand and body, telling the viewer how alone she actually is, and that she is aware of it. The shots of the pearl (a reference to her song 'A Pearl', on the same album) which quickly transitions to pins with the beat of the song, presents the artist in an eerie way to the viewer, showing her as beautiful but tortured. Similarly, the mise-en-scene of the statue she leans on and the taxidermy bird emphasizes this loneliness she feels. 

Phoebe Bridgers - 'Motion Sickness'

Compared to the others I have looked at, this music video is a lot simpler in its narrative and production. The majority of the video focuses on the star Phoebe Bridgers as she rides a scooter around a neighbourhood in Los Angeles and ends up at a karaoke bar, with this being filmed on a rickshaw dolly as we follow her around. The star is represented in a tuxedo, which is significant as she is often shown in masculine clothing, especially with this song as it relates to her accusing the person the song is about of emotional abuse. This is unconventional of most music videos as the typical female star is often presented more femininely. However, Phoebe turns this on its head by wearing a tuxedo and using the conventional power that masculinity gives someone to take away any weakness the viewer may associate with her under this context. Also, the focus of the video being Phoebe on the scooter links to the title of the song, 'Motion Sickness', with there being a link between the lyrics and what we are seeing on the screen. In the video, Phoebe puts on a bike helmet when riding the scooter which has little planet stickers on it. This code symbolises a potential representation of Phoebe's inner thoughts or stream of thoughts while she sings the lyrics of the song - as the song focuses on the inner conflict of a relationship. Overall, the video represents Phoebe Bridgers' iconography, as she is someone who often films her music videos on a lower budget, but showing a story through her clothing and the setting in which the video takes place; with a focus on nostalgia and hometowns, similar to Mazzy Star. She also often wears a skeleton costume, with her songs often focusing on halloween or death imagery. This is similar to Courtney Love and 'Hole', also to Mitski's 'Washing Machine Heart'.

Alternative/Indie codes and conventions conclusion

Overall, from these music videos, I have identified how different artists represent themselves visually to their audiences, with each artist choosing to be presented differently in terms of aesthetics but similarly in terms of the focuses of their songs. These artists tend to focus on a variety of themes, most notably nostalgia, their routes/hometowns, relationships and inner conflict. This is something I can take and use in my music video to create a detailed narrative and build the characters off with Olivia. When we come to filming our music videos, we will definetly be taking these codes and conventions in mind, with a possible inspiration from Mitski's symbolism and use of mise-en-scene, Hole's lighting and theatrical representation and Mazzy Star's unsettling warmth of her setting. 

More bands and artists which Spotify labelled as similar to Fiona Apple

- The Sundays

- The Cardigans

- Regina Spektor 

- Florence + The Machine

- Fleetwood Mac

- Alanis Morissette

- Tori Amos

- Bjork