Analysis of Music Video Conventions

Task to be done in lessons on Friday 14th September

Pick one of the three videos – all of which feature different female artists. Identify and discuss the conventions of the music video evident in your chosen video. You can present your work as you see fit, e.g., a video voiceover, screengrabs with essay style answers, etc.  

The questions below will guide you:

-          What camera shots are used and why? Long shots? Mid shots? Close ups? ECUs? Try to identify different shot types but also explain why you think these shots are used.

-          Does the camera move? How does it move? Why? Can you identify tilts? Pans? Whip pans? Tracking shots? Crane shots? What is the overall effect of the camera movement? How does the camera movement interact with the music?

-          Is there an overall concept or theme (or even a colour scheme) in the mise-en-scene? Are there any patterns in terms of props, costumes, setting? Is expressive lighting used? What is the overall effect of the mise-en-scene?

-          What kind of editing is used and what effect does it have? Can you identify montage editing, wipes, fades, dissolves, jump cuts, etc.? How does the editing interact with the music? The lyrics? Does the editing give a sense of narrative continuity or not? Why?

-          Is the sound of the song always foregrounded? Are there any changes in the levels of the sound? Is the sound diegetic or non-diegetic?

-          Are there any special effects? What are they? What impact do they have?

-          Is the video intertextual? (In other words, does it contain references to other texts? Other videos? Other musicians? Films? Novels? TV shows?

-          Does the video feature any voyeurism? Does it feature any screens or pictures? At any point do we climb inside the picture or screen or do the characters in the picture or screen climb out?