Codes and conventions of contemporary music videos

There are essentially 3 types of conventional music videos:

1. Performance based I.e: Live band performance

• JLS
• Arctic monkeys
• Kasabian
• Take that
• Beyonce
• U2

2. Narrative based where a story line is evident

• Beyonce

3. Abstract/ artistic music videos creative artostic music videos

• Radiohead
• Fatboy slim
• The verve

Most videos are however a combination of both (1) performance and (2) narrative in a traditional sense.

Liven performance based are traditionally a bad idea and thw synchrnisation becomes a real problem

The best way to make a music video tips

• Either make it completely abstract/ artistic with no performances
• If you are going to have a live peformance have your artist mime the song in at least 5 well lit locations.
• Make sure they mime the song from start to finish
• Take 5 separate scene sequences and assemble them on the 5 different timelines on Adobe Premiere
• Cut the video to the beat of the music as this should give you at least a rough cut of a performance in 5 different locations

Codes and Conventions of a Documentary

The opening

• The opening needs to capture the audiences' attention as quickly as possibe
• The central question of the documentary has to be posed at the beginning in order to communicate to the audience what the programme is about
• E.g: Why is Britain the teenage pregnancy capital in Europe? Will we survive a double dip recession? Are University fees exclding a genration from higher edcation?
• Some quick snippets of interviews with good responses can also draw an audience in
• Incidenta music or even a soundtrack, relavant song should usually accompany the opening sequence during some visual montage. Te music must not however override the voice over.
• Titles are all important; you need to announce the title of the documentary in some dramatic form. The name f the show should burst onto the screen

Actuality: Filming real events as they happen are a convention of real documentary, but could rove difficult with certain things like trying to film a hurricane, or explosion in Iraq and thus you may need archive footage

Fly on the wall
This is when you film real people as they do real things focsing on their lves. In terms of documentary you may be able to film things like people having a genuine conversation about issues relevant to your topic, a live sporting event, following an individual around as they do a job etc

Voice over
Most docmentaries have a voice over, a narration of what the programme is about, giving key information and intrducing the topic of debate

Grapics
Documentaries often uuse graphics with written text. Maps, drawing, still photographs can be incorporated into the open sequence through jpeg files. Graphics shuld also appear as a banner at the bottom of the screen when showing who your interviewee is and what they do for a living. e.g: Andrew Mitch, conservative MP

Interviews
An expert interview with someone has ample knowledge of your topic and can give a clear insight ito isses is vitally important. This could be a real expert, parents, students etc

Vox Pops
This is more of a random interview with ordinary people on the street woth a handheld camera, with a microhone popping up asking what they think about your topic

Talking head
A shot of someone talking directly to the camera as a presenter of the docmentary could also be used. This is called 'talking head'. The talking head is the authority figure and presents the facts

Music
Music is critical for the opening sequence but the sound of the song or music shoutld not dominate and override the sound of the voice over.You need to balance sound and imaes very carfully and fade them in appropriately.