CODES AND CONVENTIONS

Technical conventions

Different techniques and set of rules used to construct a music video.

Technical Conventions

usage of camera angles
different shot types
Diegetic sound and non diegetic

"Gangnam Style" - full body shot

A full body shot can be used to show the full body of the person in shot or could be to show the background around them. The person in the shot could be doing something such as dancing which requires the shot to show their full body. In this scene from Gangnam style, the person in standing in a elavator dancing and the full body shot gives context as to where they are and allows the audience to see their full body.

"Hotline Bling" - Very Long shot

Very Long shots are used to show the background, in some cases the background may be very plain and simple and which could be implying something and in other cases the background could have alot in it which they are to trying to show in the long shot to fit everything. In the hotline bling music video, the very long shot is of Drake sat on white stairs with a plain white background. The fact that he is wearing all black makes him stand out as he is also in the centre of the shot.

HSM - Estasblishing shot

An establishing shot is used to at the start of Music videos, films, tv shows and is used to give the audience information on where the scene is set and the context. Establishing shots are sometimes taken on a drone which pans over a location to let the audience know where it is set. In the start of Stick to the status quo Sharpay is stood at the balcony in the school hall as the camera pans out and shows everyone else around her.

Dutch Angle Shot

A dutch angle shot is used to create an uneasy mood to the scene. This gives the impression that something is not right and it has been rotated to make the audience feel disorientated. In the music video playing games there is a dutch angle of a man hanging from the ceiling and this is quite unusual which is why it has been used to create an abnormal feeling about the video like something is about to happen.

Low Angle Shot

A low angle shot is quite commonly used all throughout media and is to either show how powerful a character is or how weak a character is. The most common way it is used it show how powerful something is. In the boyfriend video, Ariana Grande is at the top of the staircase about to shoot a bow and arrow at her 'boyfriend' and a low angle shot is used to imply her superior character compared to him.

High Angle shot

A high angle shots are sometimes referred to as birds eye view which are also frequently used in media. They can be used show what it is like to see what is happening from above to get a better view. For example if there was a scene from the war, a high angle shot would be a great way to show everything happening. In the video "teenage fantasy" the beginning shot is a high angle from a balcony looking out onto a street and this is also an establishing shot setting the scene.

Tracking shots used in music videos

A tracking shot is where the camera follows a subject around in a single shot. The term refers to a shot where the camera placed onto a dolly then onto a rail to make a smooth shot. However you can also use handheld equipment such as a Smartphone Gimbal if you are on a budget. It uses a series of weights & gyros which counterbalance any movements by the camera person. An alternative to a tracking shot is a dolly shot where the shot is done on wheels. An example of this is the scene from The Shining where the little boy is riding a bike down a hallway and it is one long shot that lasts quite long.

Another example of a tracking shot is in the film Baby Driver where he is walking down the street at the opening scene. This shot is a tracking shot and not a dolly shot because it is not recorded on moving wheels and the camera person would have used a hand held camera to follow him and you can tell because the footage isn't as smooth and little bit shaky. This isn't a bad thing though as it gives a more relaxed effect.

An example of a tracking shot used in a music video is the song "hideaway" where the camera follows her walking down the street and it is just one long continuous shot.