Conventions of Music Videos

The Purpose…

• To advertise the artists song and encourage sales

• Usually represents the ‘artists image’. A good example of this is Lady Gaga and her sometimes extravagant videos and image.

ConventionsCamera-work

• Often use a range of shots- close-ups, long shots and

• Close-ups are often used to convey the emotion of the song, they are also used to reflect the lyrics with the movement of the artists lips

• Camera movement is dependent on the pace of the songPanning and tracking can be used to match the pace

ConventionsMise-En-Scene

• Lighting can often be used to portray emotione.g. darker lighting would suggest a depressed mood

• It can be very important for things like props or costume to reflect the theme/feeling of the song

• Colour can often reflect the mood, genre and pace of a song

ConventionsEditing

• Jump cuts are a popular technique for music videos as it allows for a quick transition to the next scene

• Transitions can be used in order to create more of an effect

• Fade is often used to end a music video