GENERIC CONVENTIONS

Characters of this genre, pop/punk and pop/rock, it is mainly about expressing themselves, this usually happens through the clothes and make-up that they wear or by the lyrics in their songs or the songs that they listen to.
In music videos the mood of the song tends to be quite depressing and therefore is a sad song, either about a break up or the loss of something or someone.
In emo/punk music videos the main things that you would be most likely to see is instruments being played, the character/artist/vocalist and an unusual setting such as a graveyard. 
 

Mise-en-scene:

Costume



















The costume that is usually associated with this genre is:

• Studded belts accessories
• Strips - like the socks shown in the photo above
• Tartan 
• Waistcoats and ties 
• Converse shoes 
• Bright coloured clothing
• Tutu's
• Band t-shirts
• Tops with unusual things on them
• Corsets
• ...etc

Like anything linked to this genre is it all done to make a statement and reject the norm.

Lighting

The lighting is most emo/punk music videos is usually quite dark and dull to relate to the mood of the music video. Photographs and music videos for this genre would mostly be done in black and white or sepia, this is to express the feelings and emotions that the individual undergoes.

 

As you can see from the picture above, it is a dark photograph but the colour of the guitar has been brought out in a very bright colour to express their feelings.

Also in the video below you can see that the band (Paramore) is in a darkened room and the only source of light is the light bulb that the lead singer is holding, this is very unusual as it does not happen very often in music videos, this creates a sense of fun and like the title says it emphasises 'ignorance' and an highlights that they can do whatever they want to reach out to their audiences.

Actors

In this particular genre, which used to be associated with teenagers trying to stand out and grab attention, is now more accepted, even though people still thing that they are weird and unusual it is much better than what is used to be. People today believe that it isn't just another way for teenagers to make themselves noticed but it is a way for everybody to realise that everyone is different and unique and have different ways of expressing themselves.

The actors used to mainly be males as it was seen as shameful for women to wear those kinds of clothes and look the way that they did, but since the genre has become more well-known peoples opinions have changed and it is now more excepted.


Hair and Make-up

You can see that the this genre is usually associated with big layered, multi-coloured hair and Mohawks, mainly within men. Also big, eye catching make up, which is typically linked to extreme amounts of eyeliner and eye shadow. All of these things that I have mentioned are there to make a statement and it helps the individuals to express themselves. Most usually have lots of piercings, e.g. ears, lips, nose, eye brows, etc.

Props

Instruments are usually used within a music video for this genre, for example, guitars or drums.

The reasons for this is because it helps them to explain what they are feeling. You can see in this  video that most of the shots are of the band members playing their instruments or the lead singer singing through the microphone, which has no stand which allows them to move around the set.

The props are used to express their feelings, banging the drums and the way that they jump around with the guitars and move/bang their heads to the beat, this gives it a sense of craziness.

Setting

There isn't really one location related to this genre, there are many locations that I can talk about, firstly box rooms like in this video below, this is the same video that I have used above for lighting as it has both elements in the video:

You can see that the location for this is a small dark room which is very basic as it only has the instruments and the light bulb in the room. This is one of the main shots in the music video and is the main thing that the audience remember, which means that the music video is doing a good job.

Graveyards are related to the punk, emo and rock genre also, usually in slow, sad songs, which are associated with this genre.

Iconography (signs/props)


Signs associated with this genre are mostly about expressing their emotions like everything that is to do with this genre, for example smashing guitars up or through the lyrics. 
Instruments play a big role in these types of videos, for example, Avril Lavigne with her piano and Paramore with the guitars and drums. 
Also you usually think of big make-up, eye-liner and wacky hair, e.g. Mohawks. 


 



Narrative


They are mainly linear music videos as they have a beginning, middle and end, and follow the artist throughout. Some are non-linear as they have flashbacks.
 

Themes (things that happen/occur often)


Themes usually associated with this genre is about loosing things or people, either through a relationship or something more serious, you also associate loss and sadness with this genre.