Generic conventions of a music video - Mise En Scene

Editing and Mise-en-scene

Editing 

Music videos tend to use montage editing, this means that they use a variety of different shots that may not all appear in chronological order. Jump cuts are one of the most frequent edits used. For example it can cut to the location of the artist, then to the artists performing, and then maybe another cut to a different scene, all within 5 seconds of a song. Other type of edits used include transitions, fades, inserts and dissolves. 

No matter what type of edit is used, the edit is always in sync with the beat of a song- the technical aspects of the song heavily depends on what song it is, its genre, the beat and many other factors all affect on not only the narrative of the video but also how the video is edited. 

Mise-en-scene

The Mise-en-scene of the video mostly depends of the genre of the song. The representation and ideology that the song is trying to convey also depends on the Mise-en-scene used, for example in RnB songs, women are usually represented as sexual objects. The lighting used tends to be very artificial lights. The reason why this is used is to make the artists look dominant and enhance their appearance Music videos can also use the lighting to indicate a shift in the song, (E.g. verse to chorus). Depending on the genre, lighting can also be used to make the mood appear more upbeat.  

Props are also another essential part of music videos, they can help promote the ideology of the song. Again in RnB music videos, the props are a crucial part as they can make the performer look trendy and in-style, which can be the decisive factor between a successful or unsuccessful music video. For example a music video in which the artist has a look of good-looking women and fancy cars around him will make for a more successful one than one that does not.