2. In order to attract audience and keep them interested
in music videos, there are certain conventions that are
required. For the music video to have a greater chance
of being popular and having a big effect on its
audience, directors use a wide range of these
conventions.
3. THE CAMERA
To start with, the way the camera is positioned and held are
crucial in producing a music video. It can create different effects
through different angles and movements. From looking at many
music videos it’s clear every single one uses a variety of camera
shots, angles and movements to create different techniques,
helping to make the video seem and appear unique in its own
way. Doing some research on camera shots I found out that music
videos feature a number of shots for various reasons; to help the
audience to relate to the artist’s thoughts and feelings, but also to
show the viewer what is happening.
4. CAMERA SHOT
Certain shots mostly used in a music
video include:
Very wide shot. This is where the artist
is visible shown but the emphasis is still
on placing the artist in the
location/setting.
Wide shot. This is where the artist is
shown taking up most of the shot but
the location/setting is still focused on.
Mid shot. This shows the artist from his/her
waist to head, and focuses mainly on the
subject but still giving an impression of the
location/setting. About a week ago I watched
one of Kehlani’s music videos and after typing about
these 3 previous shots I remembered seeing them in her
music video and therefore decided to use it as clear
examples.
5. Over the shoulder shot. This is a good shot used , specifically
in narrative based music videos usually when the artist is acting
and speaking to another person ,this allows the audience to see
an over the shoulder shot to display the conversation. From one
of Rita Ora’s music videos there was one which was based on a
narrative approach, I was able to get screenshot an example of
this type of camera shot.
6. CAMERAANGLES
The way in which the camera is also positioned
determines the angle of the shot. There are many
camera angles used in the production of music
videos to portray different images in the audience’s
mind.
7. Examples of camera angles are:
Eye-Level. This is a very common view being the real world angle that we
are all use to seeing; it shows subjects as we would expect to see them in real
life.
Low Angle. This is where the
subject is shown from below,
giving the impression of being more
powerful or dominant. Beyoncé is a
well-known singer/ artists and in
almost all of her music videos that she
has featured, position her in both of
these previous camera angles and a
dominant and strong person, who is still
human which we can see through the
eye-level angle.
High Angle. This is where the camera shows
the subject from above, and the camera is angled down towards the subject,
which has the effect of making them appear less powerful, less significant and
or even submissive. This is most common during narrative music videos, as
usually the artists wants to appear powerful in their music videos.
8. High Angle. This is where the camera shows the subject from above, and the camera is angled
down towards the subject, which has the effect of making them appear less powerful, less
significant and or even submissive. This is most common during narrative music videos, as
usually the artists wants to appear powerful in their music videos.
Birds Eye. This angle is showing the artist or scene from directly above, can be from an
unnatural point of view which can be used to add a dramatic effect or showing the
audience a different perspective. It can also show the positions and motions of different
characters and objects, enabling the audience to see things the character might not see.
Slanted. This is when the camera is
literally slanted. Where the camera is
purposely tilted to one side so the horizon
is on an angle, this is creative in making
interesting dramatic effects. I recently
came across a Korean band that had used
this camera angle in one of their recent
music videos, which allowed the lyrics of the
Song to be emphasised as the song was about
being sober.
9. CAMERA MOVEMENTS
The camera moves to follow the artist or to show the
performance of the artist. These movements include
panning and tracking. A director may choose to move
action along by telling the story as a series of cuts,
going from one shot to another, or they may decide to
move the camera with the action.
10. Some examples of camera movements are:
Pans. This is where the camera scans a scene horizontally. The camera is
placed on a tripod, which operates as a stationary axis point as the camera is
turned, often to follow a moving object which is kept in the middle of the
frame.
Tracking. This is where the camera is mounted on a cart which travels
along tracks for a very smooth movement. One of Beyoncé’s most
popular music videos consists of
many angle shots and movements
of camera, receiving a total of 26
million views on YouTube. This shows
that constantly keeping the camera
moving will not only make it seem
unique but will also keep the audience
interested. As well as Chris Brown’s
music video gaining 32 million views,
this consists mainly of dancing. Both
camera movements and angles fit perfectly
with the song therefore increasing its
effect on the audience.
12. EDITING TECHNIQUES
Editing is the process that concludes the making of the music
video. When producers edit, they would usually cut scenes
down, add special effects and add the track to the music video.
The editing process could sometimes consist of the CGI
effects. An example of the CGI effect is in Beyoncé’s Sweet
Dreams music video, the background has been added on.
Additionally, the effects in the second picture have also been
generated using computer graphics.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JlxByc0-V40
13. MISE-EN-SCENE
The Mise-en-scene for music videos focuses on the
lighting, props, costume, hair and makeup, location, and
colour, these elements usually depend on the genre of the
music video and the style. They are also used to represent
certain characters in different ways.
14. Lighting. The lighting in a music video can create different views by the
way the scene is lit; it allows the audience to recognize the genre and style
of the music video. A bright light draws the viewer’s attention, but a scene
can be lit by using. You can see the use of light in 3 examples from Drake’s
music videos ‘Hold On We’re Going
Home’, Started From The Bottom’
and ‘Worst Behaviour’. The bright
lighting emphasises a sense
of wealth, along with the
props such as expensive cars,
suits and jewellery.
15. The angle and direction of the light can also determine the
genre of the video as it gives the audience clues about what
time of day the scene is taking place. For example the use of
the natural lights in one of Miguel’s Music Explicit Videos has
been used very effectively. The light isn’t as focused,
enhancing the artist and making the background less important,
but relevant at the same time. It makes the audience aware of
the artists as the main
subject, and at the
same time allows
the video to be
continuous and
watchable.
16. Props. In most music videos sometimes props are used to
illustrate the narrative, and when linking the lyrics with visuals,
props are commonly used. The props in most music video add
to the entertainment side, and can be used in a fun imaginative
way. One music video that uses props to make the video more
entertaining is Lady Gaga ft Beyoncé’s music video Telephone.
18. Costume. The costume is usually used to represent certain
characters in different ways. Different artists would also wear
different clothes to represent what there are portraying in the
music video. A clear example of this would be Lady Gaga. She
often wears dramatic clothing to go with her Extravagant image.
This is clearly shown where the costumes are reflecting the
song, and has been used to create an imaginative,
fun video also
adding to the
entertainment
side.
