FORMS AND CONVENTIONS OF MUSIC VIDEOS

Music videos are created to involve both the band and the music itself. Furthermore, to ensure that a product is successful, many of these conventions are followed, but on some occasions they are also challenged.

Forms and conventions are: Showing off the members of the band or artist. Making the song memorable. Showing viewers that the band is about e.g love. Representing the band in a certain light. Making the genre clearer through a video.

The following slides are related to my musicvideo and genre:

INDIE POP GENRE Forms and conventions:

Low-budget. Main settings:

Studios Empty cities Parks Woods Mysterious places.

These desolate, isolated and lonely locations make the audience focus more on the performer.

THEY INCLUDE LIVE PERFORMANCES OF THE ARTIST/BAND

This makes their career more about their passion for the music they sing rather than the money involved.

I have challenged this convention by not including a live performance to an audience, but a performance for an

audience to view on YouTube over and over again. This is because the original artist had never done a concert that’d

been filmed by me or an audience member before I finished my film.

NARRATIVE: This is used to tell the story of the song, no literally, but enough to enable the audience to understand why it had

been given that narrative.

STORY LINE:It starts off with Kezia going about her everyday life getting ready for her day, then leaving the

house and going for a walk to contemplate everything with constant flashbacks of her and Ryan together. In addition it has her lip syncing the song all the way through the video in

different locations where she walks.

MISE-EN-SCENE

Very simple with props, make up and costumes etc. The things that are used help to define the age and type of

character being portrayed in the video.

Really simple outfit:•Coat•Jeans•Scarf•Hoodie•Wellies

Simple Props:•Hair dryer•Phone

Make up:•Foundation•Mascara

SOUND Indie Pop songs usually have dialogue either at the beginning or the

end of the video to tell or conclude a story. For example – Taylor Swift “I Knew You Were Trouble” She told her audience what

she’d learned from her previous relationship. “The Heart Wants What It Wants” Selena Gomez. Also, at the beginning of her video,

she talks to her audience explaining her feelings and how upset she is.

However, I don’t exactly use this convention in my music video because I did not feel it necessary. It wouldn’t benefit my music video or story line in any way therefore I did not include this. Although, I did make Kezia write “Love” onto the shower curtain, which gives my audience the intention that the video

will be related to the word “love.” There is no diegetic sound in my music video except for the very end clip when “Love” rewinds back to

nothing.

CAMERAClose-ups (and extreme close-ups) are

most commonly used in this genre to

express emotions and introduce the

main protagonist.

Hand held shots are often used to show a memory (flashback).

Long shots and establishing shots are used to show the setting and location of the artist which helps the audience understand the message behind the video.

EDITING Filters are very often used over the top of shots or entire

clips to give a certain idea to the audience. Fast and slow editing may reflect the pace of the video.

Black and White

Slowed Pace