Riptide narrative codes and conventions

In the Riptide music video there are elements of coherence throughout where by montage is used to constantly go back to shots of the woman as well as the sea where the riptides are. This consistency throughout is clear evidence of coherence. There is evidence of postmodernism in the video through the key postmodern aspect of nostalgia where the lyrics state what the singer was once scared of and with the lyrics matching the visuals this puts additional emphasis on the sense of nostalgia, showing this music videos postmodern approach.
The riptide is very literal and relates to roland barthes theory that constructed meanings can come to seem self evident. We can see this throughout as when the lyrics are song the images displayed are matching and this therefore makes a very obvious meaning showing they mean exactly what they are saying, with clear cut connotations.
Roland Barthes states that signs can function at the level of denotation, which involves the literal or common sense meaning of the sign, and at the level of connotation, which involves the meanings associated with or suggested by the sign. The opening line supports this concept by showing encounters of the fears that are being spoken of in the lyrics. The effect of this is to show that what he is saying is exactly what he means and is not a metaphor for something.
Other times when this is evident:
When it says running down to the riptide showing a woman running and then riptides
When it says pretty girls and starting conversations and shows an attractive woman and a book with tips.
When it says your the magicians assistant and shows a card trick
When it says and they come unstuck and shows a woman getting out of being tied up.
When it says here's this movie and shows a video tape cover
The use of the montage is to relate the woman running to the riptide showing that it is what she is running from without them being in the same shot. Lighting also ties them stronger together as each chorus of the montage the separate shots contain the same level of lighting and portrayal of colour.
The cinematic style credits are used in the opening sequence intentionally to connote that the music video is a cinematic experience as the music video itself is a narrative. The audience will see this and will subconciously expect a storyline to follow which is provided by the visuals and narrated by the lyrics, fulfilling audience expectations.
Intertextual reference to horror is shown where the woman is scared of dentists as the fear can be seen by her facial expression and the use of the shadows passing over her face which commonly connote evil. Then again when the woman is dragged into the darkness and stretches out her hand for help showing her distress, also common to the horror genre.
There is reference to western where it says this cowboy is running from himself and shows two cowboys. With cowboys being the epittamy of western culture.