Music Video

Codes & Conventions

What makes a good music video?

By Farai Musamadya

Music Videos Visuals are the most important part of a music video. Everything is based on

watching on screen.

There are different categories of music videos which are:

Narrative Music Videos:These are music videos which have a storyline and theme to them. This involves acting supported by the song lyrics.

This is a great example of a narrative song which features the lyrics as the script.The lyrics are the story and the mise-en-scene support it. e.g. The female artist comes in late at night whilst her husband is waiting for her.

The Isley Brothers - Busted

Busted is the song title and is revealed as the female got busted cheating and lying.

Types of Music Videos Cont...Performance Music Videos:This involves a video with a band or artist playing alsochoreography is an important aspect of a performance based music video.

Ciara – Gimme Dat

In this Ciara “Gimme that” music video there is so much focus on her dance performance as the lyrics are about her being back with another hit “Gimme that

base” so she can dance to.

The music video included so many different scenes of dancing, including a wet scene, one with a crew of man and one with a group of Ciara’s created using CGI

Choreography based

performance

Music Videos Continued...Mixture Narrative/ Performance :This is a mixture of both performance and narrativeaspects in the music videos. Keyshia Cole – I should have cheated

Keyshia Cole is performing her song in the booth with the camera focus on her and the lyrics as well as emotion of the song

Keyshia is also featured in the narrative as

she is arguing with her boyfriend over cheating.

Mise- en- scene Props Location

(setting) Costumes Lighting Hair & Make-up Facial

Expressions

Mise-en-scene is important to the presentation of music video and different from genre to genre

Location is important as they have used a mansion in Italy showing they are rich rather than a flat in New York .

Hair & Make Up is important in the presentation of the artist. Also the accessories and nails polish can compliment the costume.

Facial expressions show the emotion and feelings of the artist supporting the lyrics as well as the body language.

Camera Angles

Birds Eyeview:This shot shows the location from above e.g. In a helicopter

Extreme Close Up:This shot shows the face up close e.g. Detail in make up, facial features and emotion.

Long Shot:Shows person whole body & surroundings

Mid Shot:Shows the upper body of the artist and they body language.

EditingEditing is very important in the aspect of continuity and

puttingmusic videos together. There has to be a flow of scenes

createdusing fading, cutting and other features such as CGI and

splitscreen to create great visual effects

Fading:Is merging two clips together without use of cutting. It involves one scene fading in and another fading out.

Split Screen:Is the use of different clips put on screen at the same time with different scenes from different places.

CGI:Make the impossible possible with the use of green screen.

By Farai Musamadya St Pauls Catholic College

Candidate No: 5500