Music Videos- Conventional Features

Music videos- conventional features

A Convention is an unwritten rule which everyone abides by and follows. In Media terms a convention would be like the structure and style of a music video, where all the producers would do the same thing because it is the media conventions that everyone knows. However, these rules can be broken to create something unique and original, possibly re-writing the conventions.

The standard music video example would contain 3 visual elements which are featured in the clip:

1. Filmed Singer/Band- playing/miming on a set

2. Inserted images mixed in- possibly a narrative

3. Experimental arty film techniques- some different images which aren’t included in the first two

A commonly-used theme is the vocalist/band actively taking part in their narrative/story, while simultaneously playing the music which is a commentary to what you are seeing. They might change outfits/clothing between shots, jump around the screen, dance, shift location or even fly but the general layout is similar to each other.

However, this is a very basic model because any video concept has huge variations because of the song and the artist’s ideas.

There are 3 main ‘pure’ forms of visual music videos-

1. Performance clip- this clip shows the artist(s) in one or more settings in each camera shot: such as a recording studio, then a street, inside a building….

There are 3 different kinds of performance clip as well: song performance, dance performance and instrumental performance. Song performances are visuals displaying the artist singing out the song, with them lip-synchronizing with the vocals. Dance performances show some actors or dancers dancing on set while the artist/band are performing, and instrumental are when the band are seen playing/miming their instruments in a controlled set environment. Almost all music videos will contain song and dance performances combined. Instrumental performances aren’t so common, but they do happen sometimes when the artist wants to split away from the crowd. There is a fourth called concept performances, but this is a live stage show in front of a crowd and these aren’t used much as the official music video.

An example of a Performance instrumental dance clip:

2. Narrative clip- this type of video contains some sort of visual story being acted out as the music is played, like a very short film. A ‘pure’ narrative clip will have no lip-synchronised singing at all, whereas a normal one will show someone miming to the song.

An example of a pure narrative clip-

3- Art clip- If a music video contains no visual narrative, no lip-synch singing or instrument playing then it is considered a pure art clip. These are very rare since popular artists like to stick to the music conventions, but more uncommon, alternative music genres might use this.