Semiotics

Semiotics is the study of signs and meanings. 3 areas of study are :
The sign – the picture, object, sound
The system into which signs are organised
The culture within which these signs operate

Semiotics is present and plays an important roll in music videos. If we were to watch a music video with the sound switched off we would still be able to work out the genre and style of music by the signs within the video such as: location, lighting and camera angles. For example, if a music video was fast-paced, with lots of colours, and choreographed routines with not just the artist but often backing dancers this would most likely be a pop music video, whereas indie music videos have more of a plot and tells a story. Also another way of using semiotics is in the culture within these signs operate, if the video was set in a dark location, with the artist in dark clothing this may signify the sad tone of the song. So using semiotics proves to be an important part of music video to get across the genre and tone of the song itself.