The document discusses different camera shots and angles commonly used in current pop and country music videos. Establishing shots are typically used in country music videos to establish rural settings, though some pop videos also use them. Close ups are used to show facial expressions and emotions or illustrate important elements of settings and costumes. Long shots are used to establish settings and portray character positions, while maintaining a focus. High angles illustrate dominance through characters, settings, or props. Low angles portray weakness. Straight angles maintain equilibrium without implying dominance or weakness. Mid shots focus on the artist during performances, sometimes with soft focus. Tracking shots are rarely used except when showing crowds with multiple points of interest.

1. Popular Camera Shots/Angles
In Current Pop/Country Music
Videos

2. Establishing Shot

3. Establishing shots are used more so in
country music videos. Generally, they are
used to establish the rural settings. There is
however an example of a current pop music
video using a variety of establishing shots.
The artist of this song is known as a country
singer venturing out into the pop music
industry. Despite typical conventions of pop
music, the establishing shot within this pop
music video allows the audience to
establish the country settings.

4. Close Up

5. Close ups within both country and pop
music videos are used to illustrate facial
expressions and emotions. There are a few
occasions where close ups will be used to
illustrate certain elements of the settings or
the costumes that the characters are
wearing. These close ups usually have an
encoded meaning with certain importance
to this meaning.

6. Long Shot

7. Long shots are generally used within pop
and country music videos in order to portray
a certain position of character. They are
also used with similar purpose to the
establishing shots - to establish the settings.
There is generally a focus within the shot
however the position of these focus’ varies
depending on the situation.

8. High Angle

9. High angled shots are used within these
examples to illustrate dominance. The
dominance does not necessarily come from
the character but can also come from the
size of the setting or a certain prop. For
example a large stately home encodes a
meaning of elegance, sophistication and
class - higher dominance.

10. Low Angle

11. Low angles illustrate an opposite meaning
to high angles. Instead of showing
dominance, they portray weaknesses within
characters, settings and props. The
weakness of a character is often supported
by other technical codes such as facial
expressions. Settings of lower values will
often be portrayed with a low angle as
though they are being looked down upon.

12. Straight Angle

13. Straight angles are used to maintain
equilibrium. Rather than portraying a
character as either dominant or weak, it
allows other factors and technical codes
such as lighting and sound to illustrate their
position.

14. Mid Shot

15. Mid shots are mainly used during the
performance aspect of the music videos.
There are used to put an essential focus
upon the artist and will often encounter the
use of soft focus so that the focus is
enhanced upon the artist that is singing.

16. Tracking Shots

17. In terms of movement, there is little
movement within the examples. The most
popular time for shots such as tracking
shots is when there is no focusing object on
the screen however there are multiple
points of interest for the audience, for
example a crowd.