Conventions of a Pop Music Video

Pop music, or "popular music" is the most common type of music video. Though the genre does share a lot of its conventions there are some key conventions that separate the genre from other genres. Though some camera work and mise en scene depend on the tone of the music, pop music is usually upbeat so follow these conventions:

Camera work:

• Close up shots - This brings focus on the lip syncing which is an important aspect of the song.
• Long shots/ Establishing shots - These types of shot feature the surroundings of the artist/band. It also shows more of what the artist/band are wearing which usually is stereotypical of the genre.
• Tracking - This shot is frequently used for all genres. For music videos it is used to follow the artist and emphasise they are the main singer.

Mise en Scene:

• High key lighting - Bright lighting is used to emphasise the upbeat nature of genre and give an image of a happy party atmosphere.
• Colourful - The use of bright and neon colours put emphasis on the cheery atmosphere.
• Clothing - Fashionable and sometimes even branded clothing is used to highlight the popularity and that is is mainstream.
• Location - Most pop songs follow a narrative so the locations depend on the story however the convention is that they are in party atmospheres like clubs or house parties.

Editing:

• Colour correcting - The video is usually brightened to make the artist/band look like they have less imperfections.
• Jump cuts- This type of editing is used to seperate one scene from another using natural looking editing. 

Examples:

• Last Friday Night -Katy Perry
• Shake it Off - Taylor Swift

Conventions of a Rap Music Video

Rap music is a popular genre of music dating back to the 1970's.  Just like any other genre of music it has its own set of conventions that set it apart from any other genre and distinguish it. The conventions are:

Camera:

• Close up - Though close ups are used to show some lip syncing, it is mainly used in rap videos to show props and their importance to the video.
• Long and establishing shots - These types of shots are used to show the environment of the video and the mise en scene.
• Low angles - This show the artist/s looking down at the camera creating an image of superiority over the audience.
• Fish eye - Round fish eye shots are a common but old convention used in early 2000's rap videos. It makes the artist look bigger than his/her surroundings creating again an image of superiority.

Mise en Scene:

• Low key lighting - This type of lighting is used to give an image of darkness and roughness.
• Props - Props in rap videos mainly include branded clothes (mainly sports brands), large pieces of jewellery and alcohol/cigarettes/drugs. It gives an illusion of wealth and popularity.
• Locations - Clubs and parties are the normal location of a rap video.
• Dancing girls / attractive girls

Editing:

• Jump cuts - Jump cuts are a way of showing different scenes of action and locations within rap videos.
• Syncronised editing - The cuts in rap videos are done it time to the beat.
• Slo mo - The videos often show clips of slow motion parties.

Examples:

• Real Slim Shady - Eminen
• In Da Club - 50 Cent

Conventions of Indie/Alternative Rock Music Videos

Indie and alternative rock are increasingly popular genres due to the rise in independent artists and the success of some previously lesser know artists. The music videos for these genres usually have more emphasise on the meaning behind the lyrics so the focus of the video can be quite artistic and metaphorical. Due to this indie/alternative rock music videos have a branch of different conventions:

Camera:

• Mid-shots - This shot shows not only the artist/actor's face but also their environment and actions. Mid-shots are more likely to be used in this genre of music because it emphasises the importance of the mise en scene and how it links to the song as well as showing the emotion of the artist/actor.
• Close up - Like most genres close ups are frequently used to show lip syncing. It is important in this genre to show the expression linked with the lyrics.
• Hand-held - Using a hand-held camera gives the music video a more natural look as well as giving the impression of chaos in particular music videos.

Mise en Scene:

• Low key lighting - This genre often approaches more darker themes so low key lighting is used to highlight this.
• more likely to have scenes of performances instruments are a key prop in these types of music videos.
• Colours - Red, black and white are often used as they are strong contrasting colours. Black and red signifies danger whilst white signifies purity and innocence. The two ideas contrast making them interesting colours to use.
• Locations - Dark and derelict locations make a frequent appearance in these types of music videos.

Editing:

• Jump cuts - These type of music videos tend to feature different scenes so jump cuts are used to flick between them.
• Special effects - Though special effects are not a common feature of music videos, they are more likely to feature in music videos of these genres. An example of this is in "Car Radio" by Twenty One Pilots where it shows a 'glitch' effect. 

Examples:

• Lane Boy - Twenty One Pilots
• Why Do You Only Call Me When I am High - Arctic Monkeys
• Miss Jackson - Panic! at the Disco

Top 5 Music Video Directors

1.David Fincher

Sourced from factmag.com

Fincher is most well known for his work on 'Suit and Tie' by Justin Timberlake, 'Vogue' by Madonna and 'Who is it?' by Michael Jackson. He started work on music videos as a production assistant at Korty Films. After working on many productions such as 'Indian Jones and the Temple of Doom" he moved on to commericals for companies such as Pepsi, Nike and Chanel. His work in commercials inspired him to move into music video production. Fincher is also well known for his films and T.V series such as 'Se7en', 'The Social Network' and 'House of Cards' (T.V series).

Sourced from imvbd.com

2.Paul Hunter

Over the years Paul Hunter has produced over a hundred music videos including many famous ones such as 'Hollaback Girl' by Gwen Stefani and 'Lady Marmalade' by Christina Aguilera, Lil Kim, Mya and P!nk. He originally worked under the pseudonym G Thompson whilst producing music videos such as these. Just like many directors, Hunter also worked in commercial production where he was nominated for a Emmy for his Nike advert.

Sourced from slides.com

3.Jake Nava

Jake Nava got a degree in film before setting of to produce films for MTV sports. During this time he also worked in advertisement, producing commercials for brands such as Armani, Coca Cola and Puma. When he started producing music videos he produced famous videos such as 'Single Ladies' by Beyonce, 'Burn' by Usher and 'Someone Like You' by Adele.

4.Anthony Mandler

Sourced from promonews.tv

Mandler is well known for working closely with Rihanna on her music videos and overall has produced sixteen music videos for her since 2006. His most famous music videos include 'Diamond' by Rihanna and 'Find Your Love' by Drake. Before working in music video production, Mandler worked in photography, advertisement and films. His début film was 'Tokyo Vice'.

5.Nigel Dick

Sourced from resource
magonline.com

Before working in music video production, Nigel Dick's main focus was on films. He worked on many films such as 'The Elevator' and 'Seeing Double'. His focus then shifted onto music video production, playing a part in the creation of many music videos such as 'Wonderwall' by Oasis, 'Baby One More Time' by Brittany and 'Welcome to the Jungle' by Guns N' Roses. Over his years in music video production he has won many many awards including three MTV awards, two Billboard Awards and one BRIT award.