Music video conventions

Music videos tend to use a range of different camera shots this includes long,meduim and close up shots. These are used to show the artists the different settings and continue the narratives. The camera often follows or tracks the artist during the video. The rise-en-scene of the video depends on the gene of music as this effects the costume,setting, makeup etc of the video and how the performer is presented. Jump cuts are often heavily used in music videos to cut between the different shots. fades and dissolves are also commonly used.

Music video represntation

Music videos often display a certain ideology. Mainstream genres will often reinforce dominant values and display stereotypes to have mass appeal. While more alternative artists may feature shocking or transgressive imagery or messages in their vides in order to appear anti-establishement.

MTV-style editing  (80s/90s)
Music videos use computer effects,digital manipulation and transitions much more than narrative films.

Music video history

The defining work in the development of modern music video was the beatles first major motion picture "a hard days work" in 1964 directed by Richard Lee. The music segments in the video arguably set a criteria for modern music videos and influenced a vast number of contemporary music artists and pop and rock group music videos.

Queens "bohemian Rhapsody" also started a whole new era for using music videos as promotion . Top of the pops censored music videos this gave groups a way to promote something that then would be censored which would gain the video itself popularity.

Goodwins Theory

Godwin came up with a theory that suggests several factors that appear in a generic music video, these are:

1. Music videos demonstrate genre characteristics (peformance)
2. There is a relationship between lyrics and visuals.
3. There is a relationship between music and visuals (amplifies, illustrates and contradicts)
4. The demands of the record label will include the needs for lots of the artist and the artist may develop motifs- which recur across their work (visual style)
5. There is frequently reference to notion of looking, and particulary voyeristic treatment of the female body.
6. There is often intertextual reference (shows, videos, politics or events).

Music video history

The invention of film and cinema brought the possibility of combining music and moving image. Advances in technology has helped turn music videos in to what they are today.Music videos have been around since the 1920s,many jazz musicians such as Bessie Smith made short films to accompany their music.



The creation of the 1975 video Bohemian Rhapsody by Queen marked the beginning of the video era an set the language for modern music video .They video is considered one of the first to use advanced visual effects.

Camera movement may accompany movement of the performer such as walking it can be used to make a dynamic feel. A close up is used to show a performers emotions