Music videos generally fall into three categories: performance, narrative, and conceptual. Regardless of category, music videos contain similar conventions due to audience expectations and the need to recognize the song's genre. Common cinematography techniques seen in music videos include long shots to establish location and relationships to the artist, close-ups to represent emotions and draw in the audience, and mid shots combining facial expressions and movements. Camera angles like low angles can connote dominance while high angles may represent inferiority, though both have other uses depending on context.

1. Conventions of a Music Video
As already established music videos generally fall into three different categories:
Performance
Narrative
Conceptual
All music videos regardless of their category contain similar
codes and conventions, the reason that all music videos follow
the same format is as a result of:
• The audience is used to viewing music videos within this
format building up a certain expectation.
• The audience are able to instantly recognize the song’s genre
ensuring the text will be viewed.

2. Cinematography
Common camera shots, angles and movements seen within music videos:
Long Shot/ Establishing Shot:
Used to establish the location of the music video and in some cases determine the genre of the video for example a Pop music video will generally be filmed at a exotic
location with long shots determining this. In addition, the inclusion of the artist within these shots are able to establish the relation between the location and artist for
example in the screenshots we can see Flo Rida standing on top of a cliff in an exotic location, from the shots it can be connoted that Flo Rida has a God like status or at
least in his own eyes. Something seen with all artists from this genre.
As well as this long shots are able to give the audience specific information especially
within music videos which are narrative based for example in the music video for ‘When
the Sun goes down’ by the Arctic Monkeys the use of the long shots signifies the
troubles faced by the working class represented through the long shot of an estate. In
performance music videos involving groups long shots are able to show off dance moves
etc. ensuring the video is entertaining.
Close Ups:
Another extremely common shot is the close up, within music videos close ups are used to represent the emotions of the artist s
helping to amplify the lyrics of the song, thus building up a star persona.
As well as this the use of a close up can draw in an audience member through eye contact and certain facial expressions, this is
more common with female artists and a male audience. Allowing a connection to be formed.
Feminist and film theorist Laura Mulvey however would suggest the use of close ups on female artists are to exploit their image in
an attempt to sell more copies.

3. Mid Shot
Combining the aspects seen with long shots and close ups a medium shot allows the connection to be made with the audience through facial expressions and
lip synching whilst building star persona through showing parts of the costume and movements.
Low Angle/ High Angle Shots:
In Angela McRobbie’s theory she suggests that
music videos are able to demonstrate power and
authority. This is represented through low angled
shots which connote dominance or superiority-
Within narrative music videos surrounding
particular topics this shot accompanied with high
angled shots can demonstrate the good or bad
personality of a character. However, McRobbie
also suggests that women within the media are
represented as inferior and the use of certain
camera angles are able to represent this most
notably the high angled shots.
High angle shots however are not restricted to connoting inferiority, in actual fact it can be used to present dance moves by more than
one person. Within a band where there is four people plus a vast quantity of backing dancers a high angle shot can fit all of these
people in. An example being in Fight for this love.