Codes and Conventions of a music video

Styles of Music Video - Music video’s can be categorized in terms of style.

• Performance – Band / artist playing.

• Narrative – Includes story.

• Mixture – Both performance and narrative based.

• Cameo – Band / artist features in the narrative but

• doesn’t perform.

• Animation – Digitally (flash) / Stop-frame.

• Abstract

• Camera Variety of shots depending on the style A lot of Close Up’s (especially in performance music videos) - Perhaps ECU of lips, guitar strings being strummed.

• Examples -

• Crane shots

• Low-angles

• Long Shots and Extreme Long Shots

• Pans / tilts – move from different

• performers.

• Tracking.

• Editing and Sound There are many different editing techniques used in music videos. Music videos usually feature jump cutting. Footage is usually edited to match the music.

• Examples –

• Split-screens

• Computer Generated Images

• Diegetic sound.

• Non- Diegetic sound

• Change in levels of sound

• Mise-en-scene

• The mise-en-scene can vary greatly depending on the genre of music and the type of music video.

• Props – performance equipment, band

• merchandise.

• Costume – certain outfits.

• Location – concert halls, venues, street.

• Facial expressions