Powerpoint describing the general codes and conventions found in Indie Music videos - OCR media studies A2

1. Codes & conventions of
indie music videos
ELLIS ROGERS – 13 ELGAR

3. Camera
- Close ups of a vocalists face.
- Use of Steadicam shots.
- Some handheld camera shots are used e.g.
running (”We found love” - “Rhianna”
- Uses a variation of camera shots,
including high angle shots, low angle shots,
extreme close ups, and extreme long shots.

4. Setting
- Location is outdoors in rural area, some times urban (but very
rare).
- Shots of indoors are in an old-fashioned environment, not in a
modern style e.g. a Victorian seaside or forest
- Settings can vary from fields and villages, to villages and towns.

5. Props
- Use of props reflect how the teenagers are being presented
in the music video. For example, if they are shown to be
childish, then a teddy bear is used as a prop. If they are
portrayed as rebellious, the use of a mobile phone &/or
cigarettes, which has connotations of trying to act older than
they are, would be an appropriate prop.

6. Protagonist character(s)
- Are usually young and act carefree: e.g. vandalizing property or smoking
- Artist is usually seen only in performance, not narrative.
- Characters complete actions that enhance their ideology.

7. Costume
- Tend to wear casual clothes.
- Sometimes hoodies worn to suggest rebellious youth, but depends on the portrayal of youth in
the video, and the meaning of the song.
- Characters usually dress scruffily/hippy like; very care free, yet costumes look glamour and very
festival like e.g. flower crowns and white dresses (is especially effective when used in a forest as
it stands out more – “Ellie Goulding”.

8. Editing
- Clean cut transitions.
- Large number of shots in a short space of time, very faced fast (though dependent on the song)
- Fade out at the end of video
- Cuts work alongside music, if it is a slow part, shots will last longer. Sometimes cutting to the
beat of the music (makes it more continuous and easy to follow)
- Filters are used (such as retro/romantic) to give it a more 60s vibe, and make it look retro/old
fashioned.

9. Lighting
- Use low-key lighting.
- Use of natural lighting, as mainly filmed outdoors.
- If filming live performance, spotlight usually used or flashing lights in correspondence with the
song (e.g. if a up beat song, lights are brighter and flash quicker).