Editing techniques in music videos are closely linked to the tempo of the song. Faster songs have more cuts over shorter periods of time, while slower songs have fewer cuts. Slow motion is also used to match slower parts of songs. Camera shots like close-ups, mid-shots, and wide shots are chosen based on the genre and message of the song. Lighting also helps set the mood, with darker lighting used for songs with that feel and brighter lighting for upbeat songs. Costume and makeup represent the artist's style and genre.

2. EDITING TECHNIQUES
The pace of editing in music videos will normally link to the tempo of
the song. For example a song such as “Hot Right Now” by DJ Fresh
with a fast beat will have shorter time between cuts and more of them
whereas a song such as “Small Bump” by Ed Sheeran has very few cuts
at all. Slow motion is also a technique that is used in relation to the
tempo of a song. In “We Can Only Live Today” by Netsky again the first
34 seconds of visuals are in slow motion as this part of the song is
slower than the rest. This helps add to the effect of the different speeds
within the song.

3. CAMERA
Different camera shots are used in music videos to stick to the genre of
the song and to portray a particular message. Close-up shots are mainly
used to promote the image of the artist in pop music videos and wide
shots if they have backing singers/dancers. Mid-shots are used in rock
and alternative performance videos to show the band playing the
instruments and singing. Long shots can be also used to show the
crowd if they are present in performance videos. For example 30
Seconds To Mars‟ video for “Closer to the Edge” features many wide
shots of the crowd as the performance was taken from one of their live
shows.

4. LIGHTING
The lighting of a music video can change the entire feel of the video as
well as the effect it has on the audience. Usually, the lighting will match
the genre and desired feel of the song. Kings Of Leon‟s “Sex On Fire”
has very low key lighting and lots of shadows to give it a dark effect,
matching their style of music. DJ Fresh‟s “Louder” has very high key
outdoor lighting to adhere to the lyrics involving beaches and upbeat
sound of the song.

5. MAKE UP & COSTUME
Costume in music videos normally represents the style and genre of the artist. Pop
musicians tend to dress in very flashy, modern clothes while rock musicians will
dress in plain clothes to draw the attention of the audience to the music instead of
their image. Hip-hop/Rap artists also wear clothes made by big name brands
however their intent is to make them look wealthy by the use of fur coats and large
jewelry. Make-up is normally only used by female artists to seem more glamorous,
however it is also used by punk or metal artists to show their desire to stand out
and be individual. An ideal example of this would be Marilyn Manson whose music
teaches people to express themselves and so he wears thick eye liner and lipstick
in all his videos, such as “Tainted Love”.

6. THE NOTION OF LOOKING
Eye contact with the camera is used in many genre‟s of music video. It is used to
make a connection between the artist and the audience, a technique that can be
universally used in the music video industry. For example Rita Ora‟s “R.I.P.”
contains many close-ups of her looking directly at the camera and is from the pop
music genre, whereas The Prodigy‟s “Firestarter” is drum and bass yet also
contains eye contact from the performing artist . The voyeuristic treatment of
women is used in most genre‟s of music such as pop, hip-hop and dance. An
example of this would be in Fedde Le Grande‟s “Put Your Hands Up For Detroit”.
However in rock and alternative music videos women are generally not featured as
the artist will tend to be as „genuine‟ as they can.