Music Video Conventions

Conventions of Music Videos

•Videos may use linear narratives telling the story of the song or performance montages to draw attention to the song or the performers

•Videos may use contrasting settings and associated lighting – location or studio or in performance, urban or rural, exotic or everyday, to match the style of music and the musician’s image

•Videos may use contrasting camerawork and editing to create a tone to match the song and the musician(s), by creating documentary style naturalism or a more stylised performance, for example

•Videos may use only the music track as soundtrack or may add diegetic elements to help create a self-contained fictional world

•Any other valid contrasting media language

•Narratives

•Mise–en-scene: Costumes, facial expressions, props

•Different camerawork and/or editing

•Representations (We will have a separate lesson on this) 

•Bright lighting

Task 1: Which pop conventions feature music videos? 
- bright colours
- bold outfits to allow Katy to stand out
- stereotypical characters (nerd, jock)
- settings such as party, bedroom, garden
- closes up shot of the artist allowing her to be centre of attention

Task 2: which genres do the 3 videos we have just seen conform to? For example: comedy / romcom / horror?List 4 genre conventions you spotted in each.

-pop

-comedy

Task 3: According, all stories have 3 parts:

Equilibrium, disruption, new equilibrium. Apply this theory to one of the above videos!

Katy wakes up the next morning confused as to why her bedroom is trashed with random people asleep. She remembers how her friend gave her a makeover to make her look cool and pretty as she was a nerd before. She parties the night away.

Task 3: According to Todorov, all stories have 3 parts:
Equilibrium, disruption, new equilibrium. Apply this theory to one of the above videos!