1. Codes and Conventions of a
Music Videos
Jamie Allen

2. Mise en scene
• Mise-en-scene: This refers to the arrangement of
performers and props on stage or in a scene for a
production of a music video or any other media text.
Mise-en- scene puts importance on the
representation of something.
• An example is, Walk by Foo Fighters. The mise-en
scene involves him walking down a road alone,
being in a car stuck in traffic. This reflects the
parody that the narrative follows.
• Also, the props include guitars lots of traffic.
Similarly, the lighting is kept light as it is set
outside.

3. Camera shots
• Camera Shots: Music videos tend to include
many long shots, close ups and mid shots. This
is to create emphasis on the artist, location and
emotions. Also, close ups are used not only to
show emotions but to reflect the words of the
song with the movement of the lips of the artist.

4. Camera Movement
• The movement of the camera is used to follow
and trace the artist or band. Camera movements
include tilts, pans, tracking and crane shots.
• Tracking is mainly used in ‘Walk’ as it follows
him walking down the road.
• Also zooms and are used to focus on the artist
singing.

5. Editing
• Cuts or jump cuts are the predominant editing
technique used in music videos.
• This is because this allows a sudden change from
one scene to another. Similarly, transitions such
as fade and dissolve are very common in music
videos as they create a different effect to cuts.