Conventions of a Music Video

The tempo of the music is driven by the editing. Also, the variation in voices causes an incorporation of new sounds.

1. Music

Beyoncé's ‘check on it’ video includes a montage of fast cuts at the beginning to flow with the fast beat of the song.

Lyrics establish the general feeling/ mood/ meaning behind the song

2. Lyrics

Taylor Swifts ‘White Horse’ video includes sad lyrics about relationships which is reinforced through the video of people breaking up. Thus giving the music video a upsetting and lonely feeling behind the song.

The genre is reflected into the mise-en-scene, editing, themes, performance and camerawork.

3. Genre

One Direction’s music video ‘Kiss You’ includes a genre of pop music which is reinforced through the boy band look of polished outfits and dancing.

Close ups are dominant in the camerawork of the music videos however movement, angle and shot distance is important also for impacting the meaning of the video.

4. Camerawork

Beyoncé's ‘1+1’ video includes a frequent use of close ups to give a personal feeling to the song and causes the audience to relate to the lyrics.

The most common editing for a music video is fast cut montage however digital effects are also used to enhance the video which offer a different kind of pleasure for the audience.

5. Editing

One Direction’s ‘You and I’ music video includes a variety of editing techniques such as blending of the characters.

Includes a reference which would not significantly detract from their pleasure in the text itself which increases attentiveness.

6. Intertextuality

The artist draws upon the cinema for inspiration. 7. Movies

An example of this is Katy Perry’s music video ‘Thinking of you’ in which Perry uses the notebook scenes as inspiration for her video.

The idea that women are sexually provocative and includes sexualised gazes which are seen through a males perspective.

8. Exhibitionism

Rihanna’s ‘S&M’ music video includes a variety of sexual images and scenes of women. Additionally male gaze is used to zoom in on females features. The lyrics of the song link with the sexualised images.