Semiotics with Music Videos.

Semiotics is the study of signs and meanings. 3 areas of study are :

1. The sign – the picture, object, sound.
2. The system into which signs are organised.
3. The culture within which these signs operate.

Semeotics are important for all media. Theefore I have researched how semiotics are important within a music video.

Music videos stripped of sound should still be able to portray the musics genre by signs within the video. The signs including location, lighting, camera angles, colours and mise-en-scene. Different music genres follow different routes within their videos, for example: a more indie genre would tell more of a story where as within pop music the video would be more of a performance with bright colours and choreographed routines. Another way semiotics can be used is in the culture within these signs operate. If the video was set in a dark location, with dark mise-en-scene and wardrope this could signify a sad tone to the song. Therefore semiotics are important for the audience to gain more knowledge of the song; genre, beat, atmosphere.