Conventions of D&B

Conventions of drum and bass music video

1. Drum and bass videos are typically very different from traditional conventional music videos. Conventionally these videos include;
2. The artist usually does not appear in the video itself
3.  Quick cuts between shots, in order to keep pace with the music.
4. The videos tend to be abstract and don’t have much too do with the lyrics of the song.
5. Drum and bass videos commonly consist of extreme sports being done in the videos, a way of attracting the target audience.
6. Commonly low key lighting, with lighting eliminating artists face.
7. Usually narrative, telling a story instead of the a live performance.
8. A wide range of camera angles and movements, often on the beat of the music.
9. High angle shots are specifically used to show a crowd, busy surrounding.
10. The musical score will play throughout.
11. The identity of the characters typically remain unknown

Examples of these conventions;

Here is a semi conventional D&B music video. The video has a lot of quick cuts and the performers do not appear in the video it self. additionally the video its self is abstract and has no relevance to the music itself, this makes it conventional as the action and narrative have no relevance to the lyrics of the song. also it is shot in one location, a sports hall, meaning it meets the conventions of featuring extreme sports, added to the fact there are a lot of movements and angles, cut on the beat the video becomes very conventional. However this video is shot in high key lighting, not a convention of the music video, also the identity of the characters is not hidden meaning the audience can relate and understand the storyline and their role with it.



Here is another conventional music video. Like the previous video it hides the identity of the performer and again there is no live performance , instead being all narrative, the typical conventions of a D&B music video. This video also has a lot of outdoor extreme sports taking place, once again a D&B characteristic. However in contrast to the previous it features a lot of low key lighting and all the characters identity remain hidden.