Identify the conventions of your chosen genre.
Genre is a critical tool that helps us study texts and audience responses by dividing them into categories based on common elements as well as recognised codes and conventions. All genres have sub-genres, these are divided up into specific categories. For my music video, my chosen song (Christina Perri’s Jar of hearts) is the Pop/ Piano rock genre and I will be discussing it’s conventions.
The term Pop music is used as an abbreviation for Popular music; songs that are recorded and produced commercially and are aimed towards a mainstream, youth audience. This is believed to have cultural origins in both the United States and the United Kingdom in the 1950’s and has achieved a mainstream audience ever since. Songs are usually short and simple and are influenced by other existing genres such as R’N’B and is considered as an alternative to rock ‘n’ roll. When recording Pop songs, typical instruments that are used are:
Conventionally, the Pop music genre focuses on appealing to the general audience rather than a particular ideology. It also places emphasis on the creation of the song or video, rather than the performer’s artistic qualities. The use of dance or techno beats are used to influence dancing, which also promotes the technology or the track itself rather than the live performance of the song. Pop music conventionally tends to reflect current trends in the industry rather than seeking innovation and most songs are structured in the same way; a verse-chorus , 3-5 minute long song with a hook line that is easily repeated and remembered. The lyrics of modern Pop songs are usually simple and have basic themes such as love or romantic relationships which again the youth audience are more likely to relate to. There is also an emphasis of the single rather than the album.
The music video itself usually takes the form of performance or narrative, with many of the shots being close up to promote the artist. According to Sven Carlsson (1999) music videos fall into two rough groups, conceptual clips and performance clips. As the Pop genre usually favours technology and production over live performance, the artist would take part in a filmed performance, which could take place in a recording studio etc. The video would conventionally include a dance sequence, with the artist in the middle as the main focus point. This can be seen in such videos as Cheryl Cole’s ‘Fight for this love’ and Michael Jackson’s ’Thriller’. Additionally, artist’s are also shown wearing mainstream clothing which reflects the culture of the youth audience who stereotypically care about the latest fashions and who then imitate them.
Unlike Indie artists who may cater to niche audiences, mainstream popular music is usually heard and made popular through radio stations and then through other institutions such as MTV.
Piano rock is another form of popular music that uses either the piano or keyboards. Made popular in the 1950’s by Jerry Lee Lewis and the more recent artist Elton John, a convention of Piano rock can be seen by either the artist playing the keys sporadically and frantically stood up, but also when the rock sounding electric guitar is then softened by the sound of the piano.
Similar to a Pop video, close ups and medium shots are used when filming a Piano rock music video, signifying their importance and if they are playing the piano themselves - showing their artistic qualities. Another similarity to the Pop genre is the fast cuts and transitions from each shot, the shots themselves usually only lasting a few seconds each before switching to one of the numerous locations used in the video. As in the song ‘Jar of hearts’ by Christina Perri, the video will conventionally be in the form of narrative, conveying the meaning of the lyrics making them easier for the audience to understand and relate to them. This may also include a dance sequence, usually in a contemporary style. Costume-wise, as this is more of a rockier genre compared to Pop music, the artist would perhaps be in clothing that would connote a rock star; dark jeans, dark hair jewellery etc.
The term Pop music is used as an abbreviation for Popular music; songs that are recorded and produced commercially and are aimed towards a mainstream, youth audience. This is believed to have cultural origins in both the United States and the United Kingdom in the 1950’s and has achieved a mainstream audience ever since. Songs are usually short and simple and are influenced by other existing genres such as R’N’B and is considered as an alternative to rock ‘n’ roll. When recording Pop songs, typical instruments that are used are:
- Vocals
- Electric guitar
- Drum machine
- Piano
- Synthesizer
Conventionally, the Pop music genre focuses on appealing to the general audience rather than a particular ideology. It also places emphasis on the creation of the song or video, rather than the performer’s artistic qualities. The use of dance or techno beats are used to influence dancing, which also promotes the technology or the track itself rather than the live performance of the song. Pop music conventionally tends to reflect current trends in the industry rather than seeking innovation and most songs are structured in the same way; a verse-chorus , 3-5 minute long song with a hook line that is easily repeated and remembered. The lyrics of modern Pop songs are usually simple and have basic themes such as love or romantic relationships which again the youth audience are more likely to relate to. There is also an emphasis of the single rather than the album.
The music video itself usually takes the form of performance or narrative, with many of the shots being close up to promote the artist. According to Sven Carlsson (1999) music videos fall into two rough groups, conceptual clips and performance clips. As the Pop genre usually favours technology and production over live performance, the artist would take part in a filmed performance, which could take place in a recording studio etc. The video would conventionally include a dance sequence, with the artist in the middle as the main focus point. This can be seen in such videos as Cheryl Cole’s ‘Fight for this love’ and Michael Jackson’s ’Thriller’. Additionally, artist’s are also shown wearing mainstream clothing which reflects the culture of the youth audience who stereotypically care about the latest fashions and who then imitate them.
Unlike Indie artists who may cater to niche audiences, mainstream popular music is usually heard and made popular through radio stations and then through other institutions such as MTV.
Piano rock is another form of popular music that uses either the piano or keyboards. Made popular in the 1950’s by Jerry Lee Lewis and the more recent artist Elton John, a convention of Piano rock can be seen by either the artist playing the keys sporadically and frantically stood up, but also when the rock sounding electric guitar is then softened by the sound of the piano.
Similar to a Pop video, close ups and medium shots are used when filming a Piano rock music video, signifying their importance and if they are playing the piano themselves - showing their artistic qualities. Another similarity to the Pop genre is the fast cuts and transitions from each shot, the shots themselves usually only lasting a few seconds each before switching to one of the numerous locations used in the video. As in the song ‘Jar of hearts’ by Christina Perri, the video will conventionally be in the form of narrative, conveying the meaning of the lyrics making them easier for the audience to understand and relate to them. This may also include a dance sequence, usually in a contemporary style. Costume-wise, as this is more of a rockier genre compared to Pop music, the artist would perhaps be in clothing that would connote a rock star; dark jeans, dark hair jewellery etc.
