Conventions of Music Videos

A convention is a set of unwritten rules and standards related to the creation of something, of which fit a certain norm or criteria. In music videos, conventions tend to apply to the vast majority of videos, as producers stick to these standards when developing, filming and editing their video. Despite this, many producers may choose to break conventions, in order to add affect and leave a lasting or challenging impression within the mind of the audience.

Typically, the standard convention of a music video would mean it would contain 3 key visual elements:

• A filmed band or singer playing to the track.
• Inserted images blended in, e.g. showing the narrative behind the lyrics.
• Experimental arty techniques.

The concept behind the standard clip can be very dynamic, and with each different song will be very different. A commonly used form of music video would include the band or singer in question performing the song, but also playing an active part in the narrative story of the track. A pure form visual music video would fit certain criteria. There are three main pure forms of which can be used.

• A performance clip - showing the singer or band playing their track in one or more settings. This could be classed as a song performance, a dance performance or an instrumental one. This is an example of a performance clip :
  
  
  
  
• A narrative clip - shows a short movie with the band's song played over. A pure narrative will contain no lip-synced singing or playing. This video by Queens of the Stone Age is a clear example of a narrative, which also uses voyeurism in displaying attractive women throughout the video
• An Art clip - This will contain no clear visual narrative or lip syncing, with visuals which may even seem irrelevant to the song. This video is an example of an art clip, in which the visuals aren't directly related to the song, yet still leave for pleasurable viewing