Theory Work

Conventions of Genre

Within media there are many different forms in which a text can take. Films, documentaries, TV dramas and music videos are just a few examples; although they're different, all parts of media are based on the same key concepts. The use of semiotics and codes within these texts give the audience an indication as to which genre of text they are watching,

Media Language - Narrative/Genre/Semiotics

Semiotics is the science of signs, and it focuses on the ways in which signs are used to denote meaning. Within media texts, it is suggested, by Ferdinand de Saussure, that there are two parts to a sign. 

For example, within the music video, 'Bad Blood' by Taylor Swift, the protagonist (Swift herself), wears red lipstick. If you were to acknowledge the conceptual meaning, it would just be a fashion statement. However, upon looking further into the connotations of this lip colour, it could be suggested that Swift has used this red lipstick in order to show her rage, or perhaps that she is dangerous. 

Charles Sanders Pierce argued that within media, there are the types of sign.
-Iconic - A mode in which the signifier is perceived as resembling what it signifies.
-Indexical - A mode in which the signifier is not arbitrary but is directly connected in some way.
-Symbolic - A mode in which the signifier does not  resemble the signified, but which is fundamentally arbitrary or purely conventional.

Roland Barthes noted Saussure's model of the sign focused on the denotation at the expense of connotation and it was left to subsequent theorists to offer an account of this important dimension of meaning.

John Fiske stated, 'denotation is what is photographed, connotation is how it is photographed.' This analysis is relevant as we are living in a world of semiotic imagery. Within my chosen form, music videos, this is especially relevant, as producers plan every detail of the text, even down to the camera shots they plan to use and the lighting.

Semiotics are just an aspect of media language. Narratives are also heavily relevant, as most texts rely on them to give them structure. Tim O'Sullivan argued that all media texts tell us some kind of story, and it is acknowledged that this is pertinent to music videos.

The narrative is the story and plot that lies behind a text. O'Sullivan et al suggested that all narratives have common structure, starting with the establishment of plot or theme. Roland Barthes stated that this is then followed by the development of the an enigma. After the introduction of the problem, there will often be a quest then some form of resolution which will result in re-equilibrium.

Though this is acknowledged to be the general structure of music videos, Kate Domaille went one step further than analyzing the structure, and declared that every story ever told can fit into 1 of 8 narratives. They are as they appear below:
-Achilles - The fatal flaw that leads to the destruction of the previously flawless, or almost flawless, protagonist.
-Candide - The indomitable hero who cannot be put down.
-Cinderella - The dream comes true.
-Circe - The chase, the spider and the fly.
-Faust - Selling your soul to the devil may bring riches but eventually your soul belongs to him.
-Orpheus - The loss of something personal, the journey which follows the loss.
-Romeo and Juliet - The love story.
-Tristan and Iseult - The love triangle.

This links to Michael Shore, who argued that music videos are all recycled styles, but contrasts with Andrew Goodwin's view that within music videos, 'narrative relations are highly complex'. This would suggest that the styles could not be replicated as all the relations are unique and slightly different.

Sven Carlsson proposed that music videos in general fall into two rough groups:
-Performance - Mostly shows a band or artist performing.
-Conceptual - Shows something else during the clip, often with artistic ambition. (Narrative)

Ideology - The Science of Ideas

Ronald Barthes argued that myths are the dominant ideologies of our time.

Fiske and Hartley concluded that the 1st and 2nd orders of signification (denotation and connotation) combine to produce ideology, which is the third order of signification.

Audience - Those Who Consume the Text

There are many theories behind audience and the different ways in which text should be structured in order to appeal to them.

Uses + Gratification Theory/Blumler + Katz (1959) 
- Entertainment & Diversion = Escapism.
- Personal Companion = Media is viewed as a friend.
- Personal Identity = The audience will try and relate to the text, asking questions such as how do I fit in? Who am I?
- Surveillance = Audiences use text to find out what is happening in the world.

Cultivation Theory/Gerbner + Gross (1975) 
- Audiences consume media, and gradually develop views about the world, some of which are false.
- Texts impact on the audience's understanding of representation.