Music videos are short films that combine songs with visual elements to promote sales or artistic expression. They use various filmmaking techniques and styles ranging from animation to live action. The main purpose of modern music videos is to promote songs and artists through visual storytelling, entertainment, and airplay on music channels. Common conventions include lip syncing to the song, visual representations of lyrics, editing that matches the song's pace and mood, and mise-en-scene reflecting the meaning and tone.

1. Music Videos
• Music videos are short films which integrate songs and
imagery, produced for promotional or artistic
purposes. Nowadays, music videos are predominantly
made and used as a marketing device intended to
promote the sale of the song/ artist.
• Music videos use a wide range of styles of film making
techniques, including animation, live action
filming, documentaries, and non-narrative approaches
such as abstract film. Some music videos blend
different styles, such as animation and live action.
Other music videos may be without a set
concept, being merely a filmed version of the song's
live performance.

2. What is the purpose of a music video?
• In modern day, the main purpose of a music video is to promote the
song (and sometimes to give a moral or political message.) Other
purposes and ways they promote the songs they feature include:
- To make the song more memorable; and therefore encourage people to
remember it, making them more likely to buy it.
- To give the reader a better understanding of the song (Ed Sheeran’s ‘A Team’ is
a good example of this – the video tells the story of a girl addicted to heroin.)
- To entertain or show off other talents/ arts such as dance.
- To show on music channels (such as Kerrang! And MTV) when they play the
artist’s song.
• However, although there are many purposes of music videos, many
people still argue that the main (and some say only) purpose is
promotional, and for the artist/ label to make more money.

3. What are the conventions of a music video?
• Usually, the codes and conventions of a music video depend upon the
genre of music; however, there are some more general conventions that
apply to most music videos.
- Lip syncing to the song
- Visual representations of the lyrics with shots of the band/ artist
- Editing/ mise en scene that resembles the video

4. Lip syncing
• Lip syncing is the one thing
found in basically all music
videos.
• It’s usually edited between
clips of representations of the
lyrics.
• Lip syncing is vital as it is what
connects the video to the
song.

5. Visual representations of the lyrics
• The lyrics in the song usually influence what is presented in
the music video, for example:
(This often includes a story or characters)

6. Editing
• As all songs contain a beat, almost always the pace of the editing will
replicate this.
• For example if a song was very slow paced and sad it would look ridiculous
is it had fast paced editing and vice -versa.
• The pace of the editing helps to reflect the mood of the video/ song.
• For example:

7. Camera angles
• Shots: Music videos tend to consist of many long shots, and
establishing shots, as well as close ups and mid shots of the
artists. Close ups are generally used to show - in more detail –
the emotions of the artist or the characters involved. Close
ups are also used just to present the importance/ fame of the
artist. Mid shots are often used on female artists or ones with
more sex appeal if they are in revealing outfits.
• Movement: Camera movement almost constantly tracks the
artists or characters throughout the video.

8. Mise en Scene
• The mise en scene within the video, like the editing, always reflects the
lyrics and meaning of the song.
• For example if Katy Perry’s ‘I kissed a girl’ music video showed shots of a
funeral directors, with coffins and people clothed in black, it would look
completely outrageous.
• Instead it consists of pink bedding and props (representing femininity,)
flowers and feminine costumes.

9. Types of music video
• There are three main types of music video:
- Performance based: These are videos that consist mostly – if not entirely
– of the artist or band lip syncing. These videos are the cheapest and
easiest to make as they involve no actors, and less set, editing and mise en
scene than the other two types.
- Narrative based: These usually involve a story or series of events that the
lyrics could be based on. These usually involve actors/ characters and the
narrative is usually edited between shots of the artist lip syncing.
- Concept based: These are music videos based wholly on a single concept
or idea. The are usually quite weird or ‘artistic.’ Sometimes they have no
obvious connection to the lyrics and can be quite random.