Hello! Today, my group and I began to lay the foundation for our project by conducting thorough research on the common conventions related to our music video. To do so, we first needed to establish the genre of our song, which we determined to be alternative, or as many today call it, indie (the word indie meaning independent, or that an artist is not working in conjunction with a large, mainstream record company). Before beginning, one must first understand that there are three ways in which the indie genre approaches music videos, from either a performative stance, a narrative stance, or a mixture of both stances. Somewhat contrary to the way in which it is named, a performative indie music video concentrates mainly on the artist and their band engaging in a musical performance with the addition of instruments, as opposed to some form of a histrionic production. Said kinds of indie music videos are meant to simulate the feeling of the band is performing live, lipsyncing, and all. That is not to say, however, that storylines are never intermingled with said performances, bringing us to the narrative style of indie music videos. This kind of music video focuses heavily on the theatrical aspects of film, aiming to convey an intelligible story, with a beginning, middle, and end, by placing heavy emphasis on the portrayal of various emotions. By combining both styles together, artists can achieve a "happy medium," where they are equally able to entertain their audience visually through the use of a story, whilst also ensuring that the talents of the artist(s) are clearly exemplified. Knowing this, one can now understand how the conventions being defined below are related to the aforementioned styles.
Camera Angles, Movement, and Shots (CAMS):
The indie genre has taken the world by storm over the past couple of years, growing to become immensely popular during the latter portion of the twentieth and early twenty-first centuries. This is likely a direct result of the fact that the indie genre gives complete creative liberty to music artists and allows them to adopt innovative perspectives with the help of various camera filming techniques. Hence why camera angles, movement, and shots play such a vital role in making an artist's vision come to life.
Regarding the camera angles that are used in indie music videos, one will find that they are often eye-level, low, or high angles. The purpose of positioning a camera at eye level is to make the subject more relatable and keep the filming undistorted, as to ensure a sense of realism is maintained. Hence why indie music video thumbnails are also often at eye level, to grab the attention of the video's prospective audience by establishing a human connection before they even press a button. As for low angles, they allow the audience to get a more personal sense of what a subject is experiencing as they typically appear during times when the subject is taking a moment for introspection. This is quite interesting, as unlike the filming used in movies and short films, indie music videos use low angles for an entirely different purpose than to make a subject appear imposing or intimidating. Furthermore, high angles are used to show how small and seemingly insignificant a subject is, or feels when compared to the world around them.
Shifting one's focus over to the camera movements that are often incorporated into indie music videos, one will find that tracking shots, pans, and tilts are quite common. Looking first at tracking shots, when placed in front of the subject, they are used for the purpose of allowing the audience to "feel" the same emotion that the subject is experiencing as they can read their facial expressions; however, when they are trailing the subject, they create a feeling of disconnectedness as the audience is no longer attuned to the emotions the subject is feeling. Panning is typically used along with establishing shots to illustrate the significant magnitude of a particular location when shifting upwards or horizontally, or to have the camera settle on the primary subject of the video when shifting downwards. Titling is usually applied when trying to show more of the scene to the audience within a limited frame. Additionally, the creation of shaky movements by using handheld shots adds to the verisimilitude of the video.
Now, out of the hundreds of different shots an artist could have chosen to include, over-the-shoulder, close-up, both extreme and non-extreme, medium, establishing, two-, long, and wide are the main ones they choose to integrate into their indie music videos, and for good reason. Over-the-shoulder shots are quite common during story-driven dialogue or conversations that take place prior to the introduction of the song into the video and aim to show the relationship held between a subject and their on-screen counterpart. Close-up shots in their extreme and non-extreme forms are used to focus on a subject's face in order to emphasize their emotional state, whether it be one of contentment or melancholy, or when attempting to give the audience a clear view of the artist and their band as they lipsync to the concurrently playing song. Medium shots are used when an artist intends to introduce their audience to a new setting, as they are able to continue to keep the subject in the spotlight, whilst also keeping viewers aware of said subject's surroundings as they remain within the frame. Establishing shots are occasionally used at the start of the music video to create context and set the tone and mood of the rest of the video, or perhaps to even create a contrast between the music video's initial ambiance and the final way in which the main subject feels (that is if they aren't static, but rather a dynamic character) at the conclusion of the music video if a narrative route is taken. Two-shots are used when intimate moments are portrayed between the main subject and a fellow character on-screen to evoke a sense of romance within the audience. Finally, one can group long and wide shots together being that they both work to achieve the same effect, which is to display the sense of detachment and isolation that a subject feels from others, as well as the crushing weight of understanding about how alone they are in the large world around them.
Aside from everything I have mentioned above, I would also like to note that I noticed a severe lack of point-of-view shots, which I thought would be more common since indie music videos are all about immersing their audience in a story; however, I can understand why this creative choice was not made. Although pathos, a powerful emotional appeal, is often created by using point-of-view shots, one must also consider that because the audience is not actually affected by the events that transpire within the music video, they won't feel as moved. Hence why letting the audience view the video from the sidelines, so to speak, allows them to see the main subject live through their struggles or positive experiences, and gives them the chance to then consciously relate to and empathize with said subject, as opposed to being forced to do so with a point-of-view shot.
Sound:
Indie music videos, like any other genre, use a mixture of both diegetic and non-diegetic sound. When presented with a mainly story-driven indie music video, the song itself will be non-diegetic as the subjects in each scene will experience real-life events that directly affect their lives, meaning that they will hear what we as the audience do not. On the other hand, if the music video focuses mainly on the artist and their performance, it will use the song diegetically throughout, taking a few breaks to allow for a story, of sorts, to develop. Moreover, a variety of different noises are often used diegetically prior to the introduction of the song into the music video to establish context for the audience depending on the location in which the scene is set. Said sounds may include the ringing of an alarm clock, birds chirping, dogs barking, sirens, and even meaningful dialogue, all of which are able to effectively drive the plot along to a point at which the song will take over as the primary source of sound within the video.
Editing:
Editing is a key part of bringing any piece of film together and in a music video that is roughly three and a half minutes long, it is vital to ensure that smooth transitions are used to create a clear storyline. Having said that, throughout the numerous examples of indie music videos online, there are three kinds of editing that I found to be the most commonly employed. The first of which is crosscutting. Crosscutting is often used to show the subject's feelings of being overwhelmed by a particular emotion throughout different scenes, usually leading up to the main climax, crescendo, or beat drop in the song. The next instance of recurrent editing that I found was the use of split screening. Split screening served one of two purposes when I saw it used, to either show how two subjects have become disconnected over time after being united at one point, perhaps playing on the "right person, wrong time" idea, or to show how two subjects with completely different lives met each other by chance and, like soulmates, are just meant to be. The last common example of editing I saw was the use of blurring, which allowed the camera to either focus on someone for who the subject harbored an interest, or on the subject themselves as to highlight their detachment from both life and reality.
Mis-Én-Scene (CLAMPS):
The first component of the mis-èn-scene is costume design. In indie music videos, subjects will either wear colorful clothing to stick out from their dreary surroundings and bring life to a scene, or wear equally as bleary colors to limit the distinction the audience makes between them and the set, showing the parallels between them and the setting. Moreover, upon considering my earlier point that the indie genre refers to artists who are independent and not directly associated with a large record label, and therefore do not have immediate access to many expensive resources, it makes sense as to why comfortable, casual, and easily accessible clothing such as hoodies, graphic t-shirts, jeans, and sneakers, are regularly worn. Consequently, subjects are not usually adorned with expensive jewelry, normally not wearing any at all, or at most, simple, non-distracting pieces. In doing so, the music video is able to relate to the aforementioned core value of indie music.
The second component of the mis-èn-scene is lighting and color design. Due to the lack of dialogue, other than that of the song's lyrics, careful selection is made when choosing colors and lighting. Most indie music videos are filmed in an outdoor location, which means that ambient, or natural, lighting is incorporated to contribute to a truly lifelike and relatable effect. Additionally, when a more dramatic note is struck, or a stirring lyric is sung, low-key lighting is often used to accent shadows, and create a mysterious tone, whereas high-key lighting is used to highlight more upbeat parts of the song. Thus, it makes sense that darker, harsher lighting is added when the lyrics begin to cover more serious subjects. As for the colors being used, there is typically a red or blue tint that reflects the inner feelings of a subject, whether they be a thirst for power or a profuse sense of sorrow. Occasionally, an indie music video will be entirely in black and white, which is done to achieve an effect of reminiscence, making the audience feel like, they too, are stuck in the past alongside the subject. Other times, the music video's colors will remain desaturated throughout and have muted color tones that seek to show the absence of interest that the subject has in life.
The third component of the mis-èn-scene is acting. Considering that music videos only use their songs as the primary source for sound all the way through, there is very little opportunity for dialogue to present itself. That then means that non-verbal acting presents itself front and center, with body language becoming of huge importance. Of course, depending on the mood and tone that an artist aims to convey, the acting found within the music video will be sure to vary. If one examines an upbeat indie song, they will find that the subjects are often smiling and enjoying time with another individual, as opposed to if one were to examine a gloomier song, where they would find a single main subject who feels outcast from society or who has suffered an unimaginable loss. Regardless of any emotional connotation, however, indie music videos will often contain the artist (and their band) playing an instrument, a subject walking to either showcase their insatiable restlessness, or to emphasize their inability to escape something, and dance, whether it be some variation of the hip hop or interpretative dance styles.
The fourth component of the mis-èn-scene is makeup. Since the main focus of the video is not on the makeup being worn by the subject(s), it is either not applied, used to create a "natural" look, or used to put emphasis around the eyes of a subject. By doing the latter of the three things, the artist is able to capture the attention of their audience and keep them drawn into the story as they become unable to look away from the piercing eyes of the subject. Additionally, the use of makeup, and its trends over the years, can also be used to indicate the era in which the music video is situated, whether that be the 1950s, the 1970s, or the 2010s.
The fifth component of the mis-èn-scene is the props. Unlike a commercial, a music video isn't trying to market the audience anything, which means that there isn't a main prop, or product, to focus on. This then allows artists to have creative liberty when carefully selecting props to match with the overall atmosphere of the song and video. That is not to say that they aren't recurring props found across a number of different indie music videos because there certainly are and they can include musical instruments being actively played by a subject, papers with certain phrases written on them to achieve either a romantic purpose or to give the audience an idea as to what a certain subject is thinking or feeling, items related to the personality type of the character, such as a stuffed animal to insinuate that they are childish, or even items directly related to the song's lyrics, such as a cellphone when it becomes mentioned in the song.
The sixth component of the mis-èn-scene is the set. Indie music videos, when based around the concept of past memories and loss, for instance, do not tend to remain in one location, but rather alternate between at least two or three throughout the entire video. This, while others whose lyrics are either directly tied around a particular location, or whose storyline is only related to one particular area remain stationed in said places. With that being said, beaches, open fields, and forests are common outdoor filming locations for indie music videos because they allow the audience to feel connected to nature and show them the similarities that lie between the environment and the subject being presented. As for filming that occurs within houses, particularly within kitchens, living rooms, or bedrooms, it is meant to give a personal insight into the subject and their life, often providing subtle hints about their general disposition that will be further underscored as the video progresses. Indie music videos are also often shot on streets, whether they be in rural areas, large metropolitan cities, or suburban neighborhoods, creating the effect of loneliness that some feel despite being one of the billions of people inhabiting the planet. Upon holistically examining all of said locations, one will likely see that they are all open for public access, can be filmed on or in with a relatively low-budget, making for cost-effective choices, and are places that members of the audience are sure to have visited, allowing them to better relate to the contents of the music video and have the artist's message really resonate with them. As for the weather on set, more often than not, it is dark, gloomy, and stormy, acting like a pathetic fallacy to reflect upon the inner turmoil of the main subject.
Takeaways:
All in all, the main pieces of information that one should take away from this analysis are as follows:
• Eye-level, low, and high angle shots along with tracking shots, pans, and tilts are perfect ways to achieve variation within scenes and maintain the attention of viewers, whilst also preventing the distortion of visuals that would take away from the realism that must be created.
• Over-the-shoulder, close-up, medium, establishing, two-, long, and wide shots are effectively able to introduce new scenes and put extra emphasis on the emotions being portrayed by each of the subjects on-screen.
• Both diegetic and non-diegetic sounds are used in indie music videos, with dialogue being kept to a minimum and most sounds that are not emanating from the song occurring prior to its introduction in the video.
• Crosscutting, split screening, and blurring are all editing techniques that are commonly found within indie music videos.
• Regarding the mis-èn-scene, costume design is important in maintaining the identity of indie music, whilst lighting and color design are used to ensure emotion is clearly conveyed, and nonverbal acting is heavily relied upon to do the same. As for makeup, it isn’t as critical as the other aspects of the mis-èn-scene in indie music videos, only being used to accentuate the eyes of some subjects and add a dramatic flair to the video. With that being said, both the props and the set are able to give away subtle, but important clues as to who the subject is and the current mental state that they find themselves to be in.
Now that we're done with the research, we're officially one step closer to starting filming, so like the phenomenal Michael Stanley once sang, "Let's get the show on the road" (Let's Get the Show on the Road 1973).
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