Conventions of a Music Video

Everything produced in media has codes and conventions and music videos are no exception. A code or convention is like a guideline of rules that music videos often follow (but do not have to) That are always dependable on genre or style. The main conventions for music videos  Relate to Camera shots and angles, Editing, Camera Movement, Mise-en-scene.

Camera angles and shots 


Camera shots and angles are as important in music videos as in any other media text. Each specific shot or angle could mean a lot more than it does in things such as films or adverts though. For example Closeups (as referenced in goodwins theory of star image) help to promote and iconize a singer and to show each expression and emotion to help show the songs emotional meaning. closeups are often used to show the product placement and company names aswell, a technique that is very common in music videos to help earn more money to make the video or to just add more money to the profit revenue. long shots can be used to establish a scene or location in the music video as well as keeping focus on the main person/people in shot at the same time, these are often very useful as they do not break your attention away for too long and can have two different effects at the same time. for example if you had a closeup on an artist who was singing and then cut to a long shot your focus will stay on the artist themselves but will also show you their surrounding area, which can also further push along the meaning to a song because the location is often metaphorically linked to the lyrics and song. the video for lady gagas telephone has a lot of good examples for the closeups and long shots as some scenes show lady gaga alone singing up close but then cut to a long shot to show the scene and her fellow back up dancers and of course in relation to goodwins theory of star image, there is always at least one closeup of her in her many different outfits. and also lots of closeups on the product placement.






Mise-en-scene


This refers to the arragement of the performers and props on the stage or in a scene for the production of a music video or any other media text. Mise-en-scene puts importance on the represention of something. A example is Bad by Neyo. This mise-en-scene involes Neyo walking down a road in a isolated room. This refelcts the isolation of his lover. Also the props include hats and  dark clothing which represent the down mood of the song. Similarly, the lighting is kept very dark as it is black and white; this connotes the angry and depressed mood.






Edting and Effects

Editing is and always will be present in all videos unless they are all done in one long shot which is sometimes done. All shots are cut together like a puzzle to make the final product.  there are many editing techniques used in music videos but there is often not that many, usually music videos rely on effects more than editing techniques and transitions, they often just use jump cuts because most music videos can jump from scene to scene without ruining continuty and therefore do not need to de-emphasize the editing so more time can be spent on effects and stylizing the video. one of the most effect filled videos i have ever seen is natalia kills controversy. it is a very simple music video just showing natalia stood staring into the camera and moving slightly and then sometimes cuts to her jumping with a hat on. While this sounds extremely boring there is always something to look at because it has been seriously messed around with. there are lots of images and videos used in a reverse green screen sort of way where natalias outline becomes the frame for the images rather than the background. The video has been edited to show loads of static and old VCR multicolour errors and old video camera text giving the video a very low tech feel and style.

Music Video Techniques

A great example of a Music technique is Andrew Goodwin's Theory. Goodwin is a significant theorist for music videos. He explains 6 key features within his theory.


Relationships between visual and lyrics

Amplifying relationships bewteen lyrics, music and visuals illustrating key meanings and constructing a narrative. Visuals edited to highlight changes which are coupled by the lyrics. The visuals and music are coupled initially there is a link to the music and the visuals, as tempo and beat lead to the animation in the video. This is to make a smooth flowing video that mirrors the mood and atsmophere in the video.


Genre Characteristics

The genre of the music fits with the theme of the band/artist. For example a pop video wouldn’t work for a rock band as the video is a representation of the band/artist.

All soul, Drum & Bass stick to same, whether it’s all of them or only a few, characteristics and conventions; the artist in this case Ben Drew/Plan b is an individual into how he dresses and how he brings himself across to the audience. In most cases Soul/ Drum and Bass artists/bands are very similar in ways like involving the audience in the video through the lyrical content used by the artist. Also, in the example below all actors aswell as Ben drew/Plan b are dresse alike.




Star Image



The star image is another vital aspect of music videos. Meta narrative which is a big story that describes the development of the star over time, it has an important part to play in the music video production process.
Star image is vital in music video techniques, especially with solo artists as they're unique and individuallarity and try to ensure that they are secure within the music industry.  Their style has to advertise them to the audience & and make them what is known as a style icon and as seen above 'Beyonce is a beautiful example. This is a good example because of its technical uses such as making sure our focus is on her and her alone showing any emotions she might feel and giving an impression of what the song means to her. When close ups are used on Beyonce while she is singing not only does it bring our focus back to her but also the lyrics and their meaning.

Voyeurism



Voyeurism plays a major part in modern music videos, especially if there is a female presence whether it’s the artist or a character/performer in the video, they would be either partially naked or wearing very little clothing. Women are often seen as objects and possessions but a number of solo female artists, like Rihanna and Lady Gaga use voyeurism in their videos as a representation of female empowerment and the control they have over the male populace.The theme of voyeurism is common in music videos. Intertextual references are popular too. The female performer in this case Lady gaga is frequently objectified. Often through combinations of camera work and fragmented body shots effectively sexualising the star.

Intertextual References

Intertextual reference is when a music video references another famous film or video. these could often be pastiche music videos drawing a lot of inspiration from the film or video. This means that the audience can often pick up on this and think more positively about the video, kind of like a puzzle. This can also be the concept for a music video to draw inspiration from another famous film or video for either reasons connected with the song or because they just couldnt think of anything, or possibly just a joke. This marina and the diamonds song shampain has a Very 80's vibe to it so the video itself has some choreography from michael jackson's Thriller video (possibly the most iconic music video of all time) mixed in with other choreography to further demonstrate the sound and style of the song itself. This is also a very good example for solo star image as it features a lot of closeups and although there are more people in the video your attention is always snapped back to marina instantly when it is supposed to be.

Different Styles of Music Video

There are three different types of music video's; Performance, Narrative and Concept based.


Performance Based

This type of music video is based upon the artist/band/group performing the song through most if not all of the video. Its most probably the easiest to do on a budget provided you can get a suitable location for filming. A good example of this would be 'Foo Fighters - Best of you'. The video is mainly performance based and another example is 'American Idiot' by Green Day.












Narrative Based

A narrative based video contains mostly footage that attempts to  tell the story through moving imagery. Usually involves actors, the story is sometimes linked to the lyrical content within the song, but this isnt always the case. This type of music video tends to be popular for a song that is featured a film and you will often see scenes cut into the music video.
Examples of this are: -






Cocept Based

This style of music video is based around a single concept or idea. These types of videos are fairly unusual utilized a particular  editing or fliming techniques. Its not often you get a purely conceptual music video as a commercial world demands things to be a bit more accessible.

The purposes of Music video

The purpose of a music video or song video is a short film intergating a short film or imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes.

Purposes of a music video

• The main purpose of a music video is to sell a song and invoke a reaction so it leaves you remembering the song.
• To give the listener a better understanding of the story. (Narrative)
• To entertain (To show of other talents the musician may have, for example acting, dancing, singing etc)
• To sell CD's and DVD's to reviewers. Creating a memorable visual for the song increases its chances of success.
• Marketing for the purposes of exposure and expansion of the artists profile.

Despite all these being factors as to why music video is important, some people still argue that the end result still has to serve one purpose; promotion. The music video is a promotional tool for the artist. It sometimes serves as a conduit to attention from a label, but more often it is a catalyst for CD sales or artist song downloads.

A good example of a enhanced music video through the power of a brand is  'EMI Group' as they are responsible for artists such as:- The Beatles, Coldplay, Gorillaz, Rolling Stones and Robbie Williams and many more.




Over the years Music Videos have become another form of advertising. Not only do they promote the Band/Artist, but now Music Videos can also promote a Film if the song is off a Film soundtrack. For example 'Hero' by Nickelback replicates Spiderman. This film was highly sucessful through this technique of music video as Nickelbak became the group they are today through spiderman.