Codes & Conventions of Music Videos

Camera Shots/Angles There can be a variety of shots used in a music video depending on the style and the need to attract and

draw in a wide audience.

They relate with the audience by expressing thoughts or feelings, but also show the audience what is happening.

Some common shots used in Music Videos include:

Close ups: These show the artists facial expression so that the audience are able to see what kind of emotion they are trying to convey that will suit the music video. They can also be used to emphasise the significance of smaller objects that play an important role in the storyline of the video. Another purpose of close ups is to emphasise important locations and iconic movements that are also significant to the storyline and therefore allow the audience to enjoy it and find it interesting.

Mid Shots: These shots open up the background behind the artist and allow the audience to see more of the artist. It enables them to view the setting and location of the music video whilst still focusing on the artist.

Long Shots: This type of shot reveals the whole image of the artist including their outfit, location and body movements. It allows them to develop their performance to deliver a good piece to their audience.

Close Up Mid Shot Long Shot

Some common angles used in music videos are:

Eye level: This is viewed as being a ‘real world’ angle and shows subjects as we would expect to see them in reality, which makes the audience feel as if they can relate to them.

Low Angle: This type of angle shows the artist from below them which makes them seem powerful and dominant, and therefore illustrates to the audience that they are important in that particular scene.

High Angle: This angle has the opposite effect to that of a low angle shot. It makes the artist seem vulnerable and less significant.

Eye Level Low Angle High Angle

Mise en Scene In music videos, mise en scene focuses on outfits, props, setting, lighting and hair & make-up. These

elements all depend on the style and genre of the music video. They are used to convey the importance of people in the music video and also to provide the audience with a strong concept of the story line and performance.

Lighting: The lighting in a music video can create different views by the way the scene is lit as it allows the audience to recognize the genre and style of the music video. A bright light captures the viewers attention, but a scene can be lit by using natural lighting i.e. from the sun or existing light sources, or by using artificial lights, Strobe lights and coloured lights you would most likely see in a dance pop/hip hop videos, but be very rare in say country type music videos

Props: In most music videos sometimes props are used to illustrate the narrative, and when linking the lyrics with visuals, props are commonly used. The props in a music video add to the entertainment side, and can be used in a fun imaginative way.

Hair & Make Up: The way an artists hair is, is done for a purpose, it can also show a character’s personality, or be done as a way of attracting the audience. Depending on the target audience. Hair like makeup is really just about style, and fashion and what’s in. It’s important that the appearance of the actor/ artist is of good quality as they will be looked at by the audience. Hair and make-up can be displayed in many ways for many different reasons. Here are a few examples of how makeup and hair can give an impression. Bold and bright makeup, and big hair can be used to show a person is fun and the artist stand out.

Location: The location, and scene of a music video can not only show the audience were the artist is, but also can decide on the genre, for instance locations for instance the beach, or in a car, at a party, these sort of locations you would usually find in a dance pop music video, Due to the happy and lively feel they give. If the music video was say filmed in a street, or modern house, these are the typical locations you might find a gang, and you would relate this to grime/Hip-hop type video. The location influence the genre, but also be chosen purposely to relate to the song.

Editing Final cut pro is the music video editing software that we use to edit our

music videos. Editing is the process that concludes the making of the music video. When you edit, you cut scenes down, add special effects and add the track to the music video etc..

The editing consists of the following things: -Jump Cutting -CGI effects (the process used for generating animated images by using computer graphics) Parallel editing- (A method of cutting between a couple of scenes or stories that are happening at the same time.) -Also, adding non-diegetic sound is also part of the editing.

Sound Sound consists of two main forms diegetic sound which is already

present in the film and non-diegetic sound which can be edited in. Sound is absolutely essential in any music video as this is the main reason for why people watch and listen to them, to gain a sense of art via different artists’. Sound, like footage can be edited to create different effects and variations to the normal vocals that we hear. Sound Parallel sound is when the music matches the mood of the video. An example would be if the song was slow then the video would also be slow to go with the mood of the song. Also, if it was a sad song then the video would also be sad. Some music videos have diegetic sound, where they include sound from the surroundings, such as birds, police sirens that make the video seem more realistic. However, the music itself is non-diegetic sound.