2. Live performance
It is very common for artists in the indie rock genre to do a live performance for their
music video. This way the main focus is on them as performers doing what they love
to do. It also keeps the focus on the actual music itself and the talent that the artists
have.
This is very typical in the indie/rock genre as the genre itself was never about success
but more the music and the passion that people have to perform and play.
A modern twist is now often put on this with a narrative included in-between to break up
the music video and give it a story for the reader. Also there is more room to play
around with the video if a narrative is included so many artists tend to use this
technique a lot. It also helps them to compete with other artists of other genres who do
narrative videos that are heavily based around a story to make it more memorable.
Live performances also promote the artist as people will realise how natural they are and
that they can actually sing well and sound the same when live. It takes a lot of
charisma to be able to play an instrument and still perform so the live performance
option highlights artists talents in a good way and can therefore attract an audience.
3. Narrative
A narrative video is used to tell a story throughout the video by using a sequence of
images and videos that relate to the song. This is done in such a way that it
makes sense to the audience so they can follow and link it to the lyrics.
This is very popular with all genres as it leaves room for the imagination. There are
so many different variations of this used and there's a lot of room for creativity
which can leave a video very memorable to the audience.
This is a great way of making a music video stand out from the crowd and making it
popular. This is because there are many variations so you can make it as
different and wacky as you like. Also, now due to new developments in
technology, new storylines can be created using special effects and after affects
to make the video look more realistic but also exciting.
Narrative videos also hold peoples attention better in comparison to a live
performance as what you are seeing is constantly changing and keeps people
entertained at all times. Even people who arent necessarily a fan of the artist
may still enjoy the video so this method often helps people gain success and
status.
4. Mise-en-scene
Mise en scene now plays a large role in a lot of music videos and especially the
indie rock genre. This Is because indie artists often have a retro look and this can
be created through the sets they use, props and also their own appearance
themselves.
Props can change the look of a video completely for example in Lana Del Rey’s –
National Anthem we can see her posing around her glamorous and expensive
house. This highlights that the character she is playing is wealthy and well
respected.
Costumes give people their identity and set them apart from the rest. A good
example is Lady Gaga whose known for her elaborate choice In clothing. In the
video telephone we know she wears a hate with a build in phone and this
reinforces the message that’s in her video. As this was a memorable look, people
now remember that video because of her appearance.
Makeup is also important as it can give us an indication as to which era the video is
meant to be set in. For example Paloma Faith has very subtle make up in her
videos with a pale face and red lipstick and this highlights that her music and her
5. Sound
Sound is obviously very important in a live performance as we are hearing it directly
from the instruments being played and therefore can appreciate the talent.
Different effects can be added to the sound to either distort it, fade it or even
increase it to convey different emotions in the video or even different characters if
voices are changed.
Diegetic sounds are also used throughout a lot to help set the scene at either the
end or the beginning before the main song is introduced. An example of this is in
Lana Del Rey’s national anthem as she ends the song with a small speech and it
begins with the screeching of fans.
6. Camera
In music videos extreme close ups are the most common shots used as they
introduce us to characters or the artist in the video. It may be doe to highlight that
they are singing or may to be show which emotion they are trying to convey to
the audience.
Full length shots are also commonly used to show the setting of the video and also
give us a clear view of the artists and their outfits. This is important as a lot of
artists are seen as style icons and therefore they need to be seen fully in the
videos. The setting also needs to be seen as it will help us understand the
message behind the video and the reasoning's for it.
Crane shots are used mainly in live performances as it allows you to get the artist
from many different angles and also helps to keep the focus on them throughout.
This looks effective in videos as its very continuous and hardly leaves the artist.
Tilts or pans are used to make the setting clear and can move from left to right so
we see the full set and get the most out of the choice of location. This can often
help to tell the story as it may be a key feature to the video.
7. Editing
Editing is now relied on a lot to make a music video successful especially in the
indie genre to give it that old fashioned effect. Almost all videos now will have
some sort of effect on them to make it either run more smoothly or to even add
special effects to make it more interesting.
Fast and slow cuts between shots often reflect the pace of the music and link with it
well. This helps to put across the mood in the video and also how they want the
audience to feel. This interlinks with the editing used in the actual video, for
example if a green screen is used like in Coldplay’s- Princess of China to create
a set behind and make the story look believable.
Effects are often added over the top of videos to make them look old and worn like
they are being played from old tapes. This links into the indie rock genre and is
very common in videos today. A black and white effect is normally used to convey
this but sometimes a sepia tone works too, to make it seem more rustic and raw.
Finally, special effects used in videos to make the artists fly or anything else that’s
unusual make it more interesting for the audience and once again highlight how
new advances in technology are very important and beneficial to the music
industry.
