Genre Theory

Conventions of an Indie/ Rock music video

MISE EN SCENE

LOCATIONS:

Many Indie/ Rock music videos use outdoor settings, such as city streets, parks or fields. these outdoor naturalistic settings reflect the tone of the genre- outdoor settings connoting a calm and laid back sense.  For example, the video below by The Killers, who are of a similar genre, is filmed mostly in outdoor, city locations, which reflects the tone and emotions of the song the audience receive.

COSTUMES

This image of Alex Turner (Arctic Monkeys) is an extremely stereotypical representation of a male costume within the Indie/ Rock genre of music videos. Males in videos tend to wear baggy clothing, jeans, tee's, leather jackets and hair products to convey the laid-back, rebellious image which reflects the interests of the target audience of this genre 

This image of Hannah Reid (London Grammar) reflects the costume of women featured in Indie/ Rock music videos. The women in these videos tend to dress casually, wearing jeans, leggings, coats, boots etc. This differentiates from other genres, such as pop and rap, as it connotes a more neutral and down to earth sense, reflecting the genre of music. 

PROPS

For Indie/ Rock music videos, there can be a variety of props which aid within both he performance and narrative of the video. For example, for the performance sections, there will be guitars, keyboards and other instruments. 

For the narrative sections of a music video, there are usually a variety of props use, such as cigarettes, alcohol, make up, cars- anything which reflects the story of the music video, as illustrated in Goodwins theory. 

LIGHTING

In music videos of this genre, there is a range of both high and low key lighting, however, in music videos I have researched, there is a majority of low key lighting. This is used to connote ideas and emotions to the audience. For example, when researching music videos, I analysed 'The Kooks: 'Naive', where majority of the video was in low key lighting, connoting the anxiety of the main protagonist. 

NARRATIVE AND PERFORMANCE

From the music videos I have researched, there is typically one common theme which runs throughout the narrative: Love. Normally the narrative within music videos tells the story of a relationship- whether its from one persons point of view, the aftermath, a breakup, the progression, etc- It is one of the most common themes. Within the performance aspect, Indie Bands and Solo artists are normally positioned in one place, against a backdrop with props lip syncing.

CINEMATOGRAPHY

A wide variety of shots are used in the music videos I have researched. However the most common is the close up shot in regards to Goodwins theory about star image. All of the music videos I have researched include many close ups of the artist, for recognition for their target audience. 

CONVENTIONS APPLIED IN MY MUSIC VIDEO

During pre-production, my group and myself decided to adopt many of these generic conventions to use within our music video to make it realistic- and create a sense of continuity between the Indie music videos we have researched, and the one we are making. We have used many close ups of the artist, outdoor locations, a variety of lighting, and a variety of cinematography to reflect the videos we have researched. The editing within our video is coherent with the genre- we have not used an extreme variety of techniques which would take away the realism- we are using filters, and a couple of editing techniques to enhance the video.

ANDREW GOODWINS FEATURES APPLIED TO OUR MUSIC VIDEO

Within my music video, we have used a few of Andrew Goodwin's conventions to create a realistic video. There is a relationship between the lyrics of visuals, as the lyrics tell the story of a man who is not giving up on his partner, and the lyrics reflect this by the following/ stalking which is being portrayed. There is also a sense of voyeurism, as some of the stalking scenes have been filmed using a hand held camera, representing the idea that he is following the woman with a camera. Within the video, there are multiple close ups of the main artist/ actor, which creates a recognised brand identity for the target audience. There are intertextual references to cameras and computers (other media technology forms) within the music video. Andrew Goodwin's featured applied to our music video create an unpredictable sense- the use of voyeurism and the narrative challenge the typical indie rock music video. 

REDUNDANCY AND ENTROPY

Our music video conveys both redundant and entropic elements. For example, we have redundant elements such as locations, and the narrative of a relationship between a couple. However, we have also applied entropic elements such as the twisted idea of an obsession in regards to the relationship- an idea which is unpredictable for the audience, as is the ending, featuring the suicide of the actor.

RELATED QUOTES

Steve Neale “Genre consists of instances of repetition and difference”

i agree with this quote. Music videos can contain the same generic conventions featured in other videos- these conventions are coherent, and help to establish the genre of music- i.e.  Indie/ Rock. However, there can be a difference which is unpredictable for the audience,- different conventions and entropic elements which make the music video unique, therefore capturing the audiences interest.

In our music video, we have instance of repetition, as in other music videos of the Indie/ Rock genre. This can include the outdoor locations, elements of both performance and narrative, and the costumes of the actors. However there is also a difference, with the concepts of the video, which challenge the stereotype of what audiences see in the media today.

Christine Gledhill “Differences between genres meant different audiences could be identified and catered to... This made it easier to standardise and stabilise production”

This means that each genre of music video can cater to a specific audience. A heavy rock music video with CGI, strobe lighting and all performance based would appeal to fans of that specific genre, and wouldn't appeal to pop fans. An indie Rock music video would include elements of performance, and narrative either amplifying or illustrating the lyrics, which would appeal to an audience of that specific genre.

Our music video would appeal to fans of the Indie Rock genre, as the features with follow the generic conventions of other videos, therefore maintaining a target audience of the genre as a whole.