Conventions of a Music Video

A music video must have certain conventions in order for it to be successful, it must apply to the song that it is promoting and compliment the genre. The list of conventions applies to any genre of music, however they vary to match.

• Various shot types such as ; long shots, mid shots and close ups are essential to mix up the video and avoid viewer fatigue.
•  Location changes are another convention which help to avoid viewer fatigue, they enable the video to become more exciting and more appealing to the audience. Pop videos include locations such as beaches (like The Wanted and One Direction below) and streets, also studios, well lit rooms and night clubs. Whereas rock videos are more likely to be, set up concerts or dark studios and worn down rooms.

• Lip syncing is another essential for a music video, all professional solo artists and bands have perfect lip syncing in their videos. This also ties in with their performance; the performance of the band is a key convention of music videos. Energetic, exaggerated and overwhelming dance choreography makes a more entertaining performance to watch. 
• Costume changes are another essential to avoid viewer fatigue, dramatic costume changes make a video more appealing to the audience that the genre applies to. Nicki Minaj, hip hop and R&B artist is known for her drastic costume changes, the fact that she always has a different hair colour and style makes her unique and more interesting to watch.