Music Video Conventions

THEORY:

-Andrew Goodwin

• Relation between lyrics and visuals
• Relation between music and visuals
• Demand for lots of close ups of main artist
• Certain genres have styles + iconography
• Intertexual references- Music, film and TV
• References to voyeurism- Screens within screens, binoculars, male gaze, cameras

PURPOSE:

• Promotion and construction of band artist's image
• Main reason for music video
• Marketing other media products e.g film

EDITING:

• Fast out montage to ensure multiple viewings
• Digital effects- Split screens, CGI, colourisation
• Slow paced + gentler transitions = calmer mood

LYRICS:

• Establish general mood/ sense of subject
• All lyrics rarely illustrated
• Key lines play a part in visuals

CAMERA WORK:

• How image are sequenced
• Angles
• Movement -Makes stage performance more dramatic
•                  -May accompany artist walking/ dancing
• Close ups  -Allows eye contact
•                  -Close observation on facial expressions
•                  -Presents artist in a way that can't be represented at concerts

MUSIC:

• Music videos make use of the tempo of the track to guide the editing
• Some instruments may be more emphasised

GENRE:

• Same music videos are easily categorised
• Some music channels focus on a particular genre
• Seen through mise-en-scene themes, performance and camera editing styles