Camera shots

A lot of focus in music videos is often on the setting that the artist is in; generally because in the music industry a lot of focus is on money and so the director likes to showcase the often luxurious setting that they are in. This can be done through a variety of wide and mid angle shots.

Lip syncing is an important aspect is most music videos with some kind of performance part. For this extreme close ups are used, with the focus on the lips and sometimes the eyes they also can be used to sexualise the performer and convey their thoughts and feelings possibly relating to the lyrics.

Cut ins are a type of extreme close ups that are used very quickly to explain something the lyrics are saying (for example if the lyrics were “I shoot a gun” and a shot of a gun in detail comes in). They are used to help create a narrative.

Over the shoulder shots are also common especially in narrative based music videos because it’s almost like you are following the performer and allows us to see what they are doing

Camera anglesEye level is an angle that is popular as is it shows how we see people in real life, and is trying to show the performer (who is generally famous) in this light too. It is also a common type of shot to use when lip syncing as we can clearly see all of their face.

Low and high angle shots are used to show who’s dominant in the video and depending on who the performer is, race, gender and genre music this will vary helping to express feelings in the song.

Camera movementsPans and tracking are often used in music videos instead of cuts to follow the action smoothly as if you are following the performer. This can be done by moving the camera along a cart and track.

EditingMost music videos are edited to the beat of the song, which can mean that it can be quite quick which is why jump cuts are used a lot. Parallel editing is often used as multiple ‘stories’ or aspects can happen in one video. The most popular example of this would be when the performance aspect and narrative aspect of a video run alongside each other. As well, additional effects such as CGI and spilt screens are added in at the editing stage of a music video.

SoundSound is essential in a music video, as the song is the reason that they are made. The song is an example of non-diegetic sound as it’s not actually happening in the scene. Parallel sound also explains how videos should match the mood of the music. This can be explain why sad songs often have a slower video and happy songs have a faster and more energetic paced video.

Lighting The lighting can create some of the thoughts and variations associated with the genre of music and different social groups, allowing when a music video is played the viewer to recognise and associate with the style of music. Natural lighting eg from the sun is something that is popular in pop videos, strobe lighting and artificial lighting is something common in dance videos and not much lighting at all is something common in rap.

PropsProps are often used in music videos to help illustrate the narrative and link the lyrics to the visuals.

CostumeCostumes are used to represent people in the video in a certain way and this would change from artist to artist depending on genre and what they are trying to portray in the video; it also helps create a star image for an artist because we associate a certain way of dressing with them- such as Lady Gaga.  

Costumes can also be used in a similar way to props: to illustrate the narrative and link the lyrics to the video. Rizzle Kicks “When I was a youngster” is a good example of this as the costumes links to the lyrics and are used in an imaginative and fun way to entertain the audience.

Regular costumes changes are also typical in music videos because they keep things interesting.

LocationMultiple locations are nearly always used in music videos. The location can also help establish the genre of music. For example pop videos will often feature beaches, cars and parties- for example Katy Perry’s teenage dream. In contrast hip hop music often takes place in darker places such as the streets- for example Drake’s Headlines.