media language

Louis Saussures said that media texts use semiotics, signs and signifers to speak to audiences. I think my music video uses a variety of media language in order to accept Saussures theory.  


When my artist uses hand gestures on stage, this signifys the artist opening up, becoming more confident. This creates a positive image for the youth generation because at in the beginning of the music video, the artist was nervous and shy. This could be denoted through the facial expression in the front of the mirror in the bathroom. The connoted message being it creates mystery and gives a sense of realism because teenagers easily become shy. 


Another sign of media language is the fact that my artist is talking to friends in a segment of the music video. This signifys friends showing support, representing the youth generation stay together and they are not alone. The artist and friends are shown in a group shot, this camera shot signifys the artist is not alone, it also clearly shows the friends in the shot. 


The clenched fist is a gesture used by teenagers which signifys a sign of respect. This gesture is used when my artist is communicating with friends. 


Saussure also talks about iconic and indexical signs which is the theory of signification. An iconic sign is when the signifier imitates the signified, for example in my music video the lyric 'stop' is an iconic sign because it signifys the music and visuals stopping, there are no moving visuals or music. Instead, their are freeze frames which indicate time over space. Reality is fragmented because my music video only showed snapshots of what happened on stage, through the freeze frames.

My music video also uses indexical signs, for example the shot within shot, where my artist is watching himself perform on the computer. This is connected to the fact that he is watching what he is currently doing. This is a signified example of recording indexical.

The structure of my music video is in non chronological order because it used flashbacks, which is used to cause havoc, showing the past which represents present or future actions. For example, in the beginning their are flashbacks of the artists room and the genre characteristics of a hip hop artist, for example posters of famous rappers, Biggie and Tupac. Also, there is a visual of song title playing in iTunes, which signifys the artist only listens to the song by himself, in his own room. Then he is in an empty bathroom of a club, which shows the transition of listening to the song alone to performing in a club.