conventions of a music promo

 

Camera work

 

• Close ups are used often in many music promos to show the band playing their instruments and can also be used as a form as advertisement. For example showing guitar brands like fender promotes that brand.

• There are also often audience reactions shots, these help to show that the band is popular amongst the age group shown and can also add to the narrative.

• To make the viewer seem closer to the band there are also invisible audience shots and shots of the band performing into the camera. These both help to make the viewer feel like she/he is there watching them.

 

Editing

 

• The editing is often of the era that the artist is trying to portray.

• The editing will also cut to the beat of the music which links the song and promo together.

• There is also a lot of use of the green screen, which helps to achieve some of the more usual music promos

 

 

Mise en scene

 

• Instruments are used to add credibility and depth to the performance.

• Locations often link in with the meaning or genre of the song, for example Red Hot Chilli Peppers music promo for Californiacation is based on a number of video games based in the city which is shown in the promo with the band member’s roaming round the city. 

• Stage performance and costume are also heavily linked to what the genre of the band is and what they believe in.

 

Narrative and performance

 

• The performance side to music videos are usually shot in front of an artificial audience but are very realistic.

• Intertextuality references are commonly used

• The narrative is often fragmented and can be left for the audience to discover the true meaning behind the music promo