This is my background research on music video conventions and a deeper analysis into the conventions of music videos within Dance music videos

1. CONVENTIONS OF
MUSIC VIDEOS

2. Camerawork + Camera Movement
• Music videos tend to have a variety of shots, however they
tend to follow very similar patterns
• The most common type of camerawork is the use of close-ups,
this is to show the audience the artist and to create an
emphasis around them
• These close ups aren’t only to show emotion emotion however,
but to also reflect the lyrics with the lips of the artist – Lip-
syncing
• Most commonly the camera movement is used to follow and
trace the artist or band such as in Coldplay’s – ‘A Sky Full Of
Stars’, where there is a constant aspect of tracking.
• Camera Movements include; tilts, pans, tracking and crane
shots

3. Mise-en-scene
• This refers to the arrangement of performers and props
used throughout the entirety of the video
• The idea of mise-en-scene is to put importance on the
way different things are represented, an example of this is
Coldplay’s – ‘Violet Hill’ in which, the backgrounds are
consistently grey which is then supported by the weather
showing the weather was likely chosen specifically for this
mise-en-scene effect. Similarly throughout the music
video they are seen to be wearing renaissance/old
fashioned clothes which alongside the choice of
instruments is clearly there for a specific effect e.g. link
the lyrics with the visuals.

4. Editing
• Lots of different editing techniques are used depending on
the speed of song/lyrics etc.
• The most common type of edits however consist of jump
cuts
• This is because it allows a sudden change from one
scene to another with no un-necessary extra footage
needed
• Other transitions are also used such as fades however
they are more infrequent however are usually used at the
beginning and end of songs

5. Other Conventions
Lighting:
• Some videos consist of black and white for a specific
effect/mood
• Others use artificial lighting to create an enhanced look
for the artists
Props:
• These are a large part of the mise-en-scene and create a
huge significance on the scene and are vital to certain
features
Sound:
• This mainly comes down to vocals however sometimes
non-diegetic/diegetic sounds are put in to help boost a
storyline/idea etc.

6. Costume + Colour
Costume:
• Similar to props this has a vital effect on the mise-en-
scene of the piece and creates an image for the viewers,
its also commonly used to help promote a certain look for
an artist which, may be a trend across their work
Colour:
• Colour tends to create the mood/atmosphere of the piece,
for example darker colours tend to create a more
rock/metal atmosphere due to its bland colours whereas
brighter colours are more likely to be seen in Pop videos
to create a lighter image

7. Electronica/Dance Music Conventions
• Electronic music consists of many different sections,
these are a few examples: Electro, House, Techno, D&B
and Dubstep
• Music videos for this genre tend not to have many
conventions, this intern allows more freedom when it
comes to creating a video
• They commonly however feature ideas of love, sexuality
and other ideas which would influence the younger
generations.
• They tend to feature ideas based around clubbing scenes
involving voyeuristic images of women dancing etc.
commonly around pools, UV lights with a general party
atmosphere

8. Conventions Continued
• Dance is obviously a very important part of ‘Dance’ music
videos, this is due to their nature commonly being used in
clubs which intern means the intentions are to make
people dance
• This is probably the most clear convention as all videos of
this genre seem to having dancing in one form or another
• Another main convention is the fact that the artists never
tend to feature in their music videos unless it’s a music
video that consists of a live performance such as a Dance
artist filming their set at ‘Tommorowland’

9. ‘Drop the Game’
• Our song’s actual music videos follows a few of these
conventions however not all of them
• The whole video consists of a single person dancing
however in a street
• The video lacks the idea of a party atmosphere and the
voyeurism of women
• However it also follows the convention of the artist not
being shown throughout the video