Code and convention of kpop

Videos Looked at

X 정기고(JunggiGo) - 썸(Some) feat. 긱스 릴보이 (Lil Boi of Geeks)

HIGH4, IU(하이포, 아이유) _ Not Spring, Love, or Cherry Blossoms

 SoYou(소유), Kwon Soonil(권순일), Park Yongin(박용인)(Urban Zakapa) The Space Between(틈)

Narrative

The videos follow the basic narrative structure of a Hollywood and Korean romantic comedy/drama. The two leads find them separate at the start, either meet through serendipity or try to develop an existing relationship.

Then there is a problem that prevents the couple from getting together.

This is then resolved through the ending repeated chorus leaving the viewer with a positive or potentially positive resolution.

Representation

The protagonist within the narrative are the performers themselves.

They are typically young, stylish and urban.

Societal roles they have are either students or young professionals - their life is relatively stress free apart from their love life.

They are open to traditional romantic notions such as ‘love at first sight and fate’

Gender binary - girly girls, sensitive boys

Performance

There is a mixture:

1) Traditional to the camera direct address combined with coy inserts close-ups

2) Delivery of the narrative - no actual lip sync or performance of the song

3) A combination of the above

4) Choreographed group dancing more associated with the K-pop girl and boy bands

Mise-en-scene and location

The world these ballads take place in are gentrified, western influenced urban spaces.

Use of technology is significant - often reference to texts and electronic communication are explicit in the song and reflected in the visuals

The female performers are often surrounded by mise-en-scene usually associated with children - there’s a child like wonder around the videos..

Technical codes

The use of soft focus

The colors of often washed out with use of extreme whites to give it a dreamy quality

There is heavy use of parallel editing to reflect the two sides of the story

The editing is relatively fast pace switching between handheld and fixed shots of the protagonists but it the timing of the transitions is not necessarily dictated by the rhythm of the music.

The set very big and amazing