Tuesday, 18 October 2011

Music video convention depending on the type of genre

The conventions of a music video depend much on genre of music. 
However, some general conventions are that the artist is shown performing, the lyrics of the song influence what is shown in the video, the pace of editing fits the pace of the music, and the codes of dress reflect the mood of the song. This is a general look on music conventions; different types of music genres have different conventions to typically represent them. A very good representation of the conventions can be a mood board. To keep within conventions, these are some main music video conventions 


There are three visual elements to a music video.

 -Clips of the band or artist singing/playing instruments, separate images inserted in the video.

-The vocalist can usually be part of the story/narrative in a music video, even whilst singing/playing instruments.

 -With editing, the most conventional feature used in music videos is the ‘Fast Cut Montage’ – a series of different shots cutting very quickly from one to another. 

The fast cut montage element appeals to me greatly, cutting from different shots, quickly, which has a story and this is where I want to gear my music video towards.


These are common with Pop/Dance videos, as it fits with the beat and style of the song itself. Gentler transitions can also be used to establish a more ‘downbeat’ mood. By using a fast cut montage, you ensure that people will want to watch the video again, as they didn't quite catch the ‘gist’ or see something properly. Wanting to watch the video more than once can mean promotional success, and this is why many new videos are very unique. 

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