Music Conventions

Genre

Conventions of a music video really depends on the choice of music, but it can be said that most conventions in music videos are generally alike. Similarities can be seen between the different genres a good example is RnB and Hip Hop, the conventions used in both are alike that is why some people do not the difference between both videos.

Hip Hop Video - Missy Elliot - Work it 

RnB Video - Destiny's Child - Lose my breathe 

The two videos are similar in terms of conventions especially the mis en scene and editing.

Artist Performance 

Most music videos have the artist involved in them, as you can imagine it is done to cause awareness. It is common for music artist to do this so their fan base grows. However some music artist choose to do the opposite and put the strangest things in their videos. This is shown in Swedish House Mafia - Save the world.

Lip Syncing 

Lip syncing is done in most music videos as it links the lyrics and the song together, some say lip syncing also allows the audience to see the emotions that the lyrics give out. This convention is key to most music videos and it is in fact one of the key conventions.

Editing 

The editing in music videos is key to most of the success the artist receives. The pace of editing has to fit the pace of the music, this is because everything has to look like it is running smoothly and that makes the audience have a better understanding of the song.

Mis en scene 

The mis en scene in the music video has to match with the mood of the song, this is vital when you want to produce a successful music video. 

If a song was very cheerful you would not have things that would be associated with sad things for example a grey sky. You would probably have a shot of people enjoying themselves at a party. 

Lighting and the costumes are all part of the mis en scene because that is all part of setting the scene. The lighting is used to create the atmosphere, the more colourful the videos are the more upbeat and happy the song is. As for costumes this reflects the genre and the costumes are important because it reflects on the way the artist presents himself.