The document discusses conventions in music videos and analyzes how the author's music video follows or challenges these conventions. It provides a list of common music video conventions such as performance, narrative elements, close-ups, varied locations/costumes/props, and editing that matches the song's tempo. The author analyzes their own video against this list and finds it follows most conventions through elements like lip-syncing performance, abstract narrative, and color matching the song. The author also compares their video to three other indie music videos to illustrate how they drew inspiration and conventions from these existing works.

1. Using, developing or challenging forms and
conventions of real media products
MUSIC VIDEO

2. When I was doing my planning and research, I made a list of conventions that music videos follow. I’m going back to these
now to see how many my own video follows in order to analyse how it uses or challenges conventions of real media products
• Performance (live, lip-synced or dance, usually depending on the genre)
My video makes use of performance in the form of lip-syncing as well as musical instruments with the guitar that give
the impression of live performance even if it’s pre-recorded.
• Usually the artist themselves features
This was one convention I chose to challenge slightly. The artist that performs my chosen song is a band and so I
invented a band – The Chaos – for my digipak etc. However I only wanted one person performing in the video.
Therefore it’s open to interpretation whether the audience sees him as the main character as simply an actor or as a
band member.
• A narrative, can be pure or abstract
My video uses narrative, more abstract than pure because of its lack of linearity, but it’s still there.
• Close-ups of the artist or actors within the video
I make use of lots of close-ups of my actors/performers within the cinematography so again I’ve followed conventions
here.
• A variety of mise-en-scene: locations, costumes, props etc.
I feel I’ve partly followed this convention – I do have a few different locations, colours, costumes and props although I
think I could maybe have had even more variety.
• Rhythmic editing and shot lengths that match the tempo of the song
I definitely followed this convention as all of m editing cuts to a beat.
• No sound except the non-diegetic sound of the song in the background OR use of sound breaks, again depending
on the individual video
For this convention I chose the former option, the one that most videos opt for, to have no sound other than the non-
diegetic track over the top of the footage.
• Variety of cinematography - wide-shots, mid-shots, low and high angles, movement etc.
Again I think my cinematography is conventional with a variety of angles and shot types, and a mixture of steady and
handheld camera.
• Some form of interesting editing instead of standard cuts - might be fades, dissolves, overlaps, slow motion,
reverse, adding titles
The effects/washes I put onto my footage I think demonstrate me following this convention and experimenting with
editing outside of the standard cutting.
• Use of colour to match the song and the artist's image
Colour was really significant for me when representing the artist and establishing a style so I think again I’ve followed
this convention.

3. ANALYSING HOW CONVENTIONAL MY VIDEO IS IN
COMPARISON TO EXISTING VIDEOS WITHIN THE INDIE GENRE
As well as just analysing whether my video follows the list of conventions I
produced early on in the project, I wanted to compare my work to actual existing
music videos to see where I’ve followed conventions or where I’ve challenged
them. Some of the videos I’ve chosen for comparison are ones that influenced my
process and some are ones I’ve just decided to use now as examples.

4. This video was one that really inspired
my work. I actually posted it a few
months ago during my planning and
research stage to show how it had
inspired me. Its whole vintage/retro
style is exactly what I wanted to achieve
so I found it really useful to draw ideas
from. As you can see from the
screenshots here (Wants and Lorenzo’s
video on the left, mine on the right)
there are clear similarities where I’ve
followed conventions of this video. One
area in particular was the mise-en-
scene. I modelled my actress’ make-up
off the 60s style here and included
screens with the old television as they
did too. I liked their close-ups like the
one of the light switch here and so
incorporated them into my video. I also
liked the use of 60s style effects in this
video, which you can see became an
important feature of my own video. In
general I just found this video very
inspiring and I think the simlarities
between it and my video show how I’ve
used conventions of existing products.
RHYMES – HANNAH WANTS & CHRIS LORENZO

5. HOME – EDWARD SHARPE & THE MAGNETIC ZEROES
Again this video inspired my work. I
loved the old-fashioned style of it and
how it felt really personal because of
the amateur/home video quality to the
footage. I think it made the love and
friendship themes within the song
much more genuine. The two
screenshots at the bottom show this
retro style. As you can see to the left I
took conventions from the video such
as the use of performance with guitar
and hearts in the mise-en-scene to
conventionally represent love. I also
used the sepia wash over my footage
like this video does.

6. STYLE – TAYLOR SWIFT
Although this video is more within
the pop genre, Taylor Swift’s new
sound has been said to have
elements of the Indie/Alternative
genre. Either way, it’s still a good
video in terms of comparison with
mine. The screenshots here show
similarities between my work and
the Style video. The use of effects is
the first one, with the image of the
trees imposed onto Taylor, whilst I
edited the image of water onto my
performer. The second is the
innocent/sweet representation of
women created in both with them
hiding coyly behind white
sheets/curtains. The final one is the
use of flashbacks in both, the Style
video hints at a past relationship by
interspersing handheld more
spontaneous shots with
performance and art clips. Again I’ve
chosen to follow that convention too.