CONVENTIONS

In order to attract audience and keep them interested in music videos, there are certain conventions that are required. For the music video to have a greater chance of being popular and having a big effect on its audience, directors use a wide range of these conventions.

THE CAMERA

To start with, the way the camera is positioned and held are crucial in producing a music video. It can create different effects through different angles and movements. From looking at many music videos it’s clear every single one uses a variety of camera shots, angles and movements to create different techniques, helping to make the video seem and appear unique in its own way. Doing some research on camera shots I found out that music videos feature a number of shots for various reasons; to help the audience to relate to the artist’s thoughts and feelings, but also to show the viewer what is happening.

CAMERA SHOT

Certain shots mostly used in a music

video include:

Very wide shot. This is where the artist

is visible shown but the emphasis is still

on placing the artist in the

location/setting.

Wide shot. This is where the artist is

shown taking up most of the shot but

the location/setting is still focused on.

Mid shot. This shows the artist from his/her

waist to head, and focuses mainly on the

subject but still giving an impression of the

location/setting. About a week ago I watched

one of Kehlani’s music videos and after typing about

these 3 previous shots I remembered seeing them in her

music video and therefore decided to use it as clear

examples.

Over the shoulder shot. This is a good shot used , specifically in narrative based music videos usually when the artist is acting and speaking to another person ,this allows the audience to see an over the shoulder shot to display the conversation. From one of Rita Ora’s music videos there was one which was based on a narrative approach, I was able to get screenshot an example of this type of camera shot.

CAMERA ANGLES

The way in which the camera is also positioned determines the angle of the shot. There are many camera angles used in the production of music videos to portray different images in the audience’s mind.

Examples of camera angles are:

Eye-Level. This is a very common view being the real world angle that we are all use to seeing; it shows subjects as we would expect to see them in real life.

Low Angle. This is where the

subject is shown from below,

giving the impression of being more

powerful or dominant. Beyoncé is a

well-known singer/ artists and in

almost all of her music videos that she

has featured, position her in both of

these previous camera angles and a

dominant and strong person, who is still

human which we can see through the

eye-level angle.

High Angle. This is where the camera shows

the subject from above, and the camera is angled down towards the subject, which has the effect of making them appear less powerful, less significant and or even submissive. This is most common during narrative music videos, as usually the artists wants to appear powerful in their music videos.

High Angle. This is where the camera shows the subject from above, and the camera is angled down towards the subject, which has the effect of making them appear less powerful, less significant and or even submissive. This is most common during narrative music videos, as usually the artists wants to appear powerful in their music videos.

Birds Eye. This angle is showing the artist or scene from directly above, can be from an unnatural point of view which can be used to add a dramatic effect or showing the

audience a different perspective. It can also show the positions and motions of different characters and objects, enabling the audience to see things the character might not see.

Slanted. This is when the camera is

literally slanted. Where the camera is

purposely tilted to one side so the horizon

is on an angle, this is creative in making

interesting dramatic effects. I recently

came across a Korean band that had used

this camera angle in one of their recent

music videos, which allowed the lyrics of the

Song to be emphasised as the song was about

being sober.

CAMERA MOVEMENTS

The camera moves to follow the artist or to show the performance of the artist. These movements include panning and tracking. A director may choose to move action along by telling the story as a series of cuts, going from one shot to another, or they may decide to move the camera with the action.

Some examples of camera movements are:

Pans. This is where the camera scans a scene horizontally. The camera is placed on a tripod, which operates as a stationary axis point as the camera is turned, often to follow a moving object which is kept in the middle of the frame.

Tracking. This is where the camera is mounted on a cart which travels along tracks for a very smooth movement. One of Beyoncé’s most

popular music videos consists of

many angle shots and movements

of camera, receiving a total of 26

million views on YouTube. This shows

that constantly keeping the camera

moving will not only make it seem

unique but will also keep the audience

interested. As well as Chris Brown’s

music video gaining 32 million views,

this consists mainly of dancing. Both

camera movements and angles fit perfectly

with the song therefore increasing its

effect on the audience.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OJBfv9CHlcw

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j3CaHeakZF4

EDITING TECHNIQUES

Editing is the process that concludes the making of the music video. When producers edit, they would usually cut scenes down, add special effects and add the track to the music video. The editing process could sometimes consist of the CGI effects. An example of the CGI effect is in Beyoncé’s Sweet Dreams music video, the background has been added on. Additionally, the effects in the second picture have also been generated using computer graphics.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JlxByc0-V40

MISE-EN-SCENE

The Mise-en-scene for music videos focuses on the lighting, props, costume, hair and makeup, location, and colour, these elements usually depend on the genre of the music video and the style. They are also used to represent certain characters in different ways.

Lighting. The lighting in a music video can create different views by the way the scene is lit; it allows the audience to recognize the genre and style of the music video. A bright light draws the viewer’s attention, but a scene can be lit by using. You can see the use of light in 3 examples from Drake’s music videos ‘Hold On We’re Going

Home’, Started From The Bottom’

and ‘Worst Behaviour’. The bright

lighting emphasises a sense

of wealth, along with the

props such as expensive cars,

suits and jewellery.

The angle and direction of the light can also determine the genre of the video as it gives the audience clues about what time of day the scene is taking place. For example the use of the natural lights in one of Miguel’s Music Explicit Videos has been used very effectively. The light isn’t as focused, enhancing the artist and making the background less important, but relevant at the same time. It makes the audience aware of the artists as the main

subject, and at the

same time allows

the video to be

continuous and

watchable.

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 most music video add to the entertainment side, and can be used in a fun imaginative way. One music video that uses props to make the video more entertaining is Lady Gaga ft Beyoncé’s music video Telephone.

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/EVBsypHzF3U" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EVBsypHzF3U

Costume. The costume is usually used to represent certain characters in different ways. Different artists would also wear different clothes to represent what there are portraying in the music video. A clear example of this would be Lady Gaga. She often wears dramatic clothing to go with her Extravagant image. This is clearly shown where the costumes are reflecting the song, and has been used to create an imaginative,

fun video also

adding to the

entertainment

side.