The document analyzes the music video for the song "Fossils" by the indie band Circa Waves. It identifies several conventions of indie music videos, including the use of tour footage to show artists living their lives, short clips in different locations to correspond with lyrics about being far from home, and performance elements to appeal to fans who enjoy live shows. The video for "Fossils" incorporates these elements to connect with audiences and establish itself as an effective indie music video.

1. Analysis of Circa Waves – Fossils
I will be analysing the video for the song “Fossils” by the indie band “Circa Waves”. The
purpose for this research is so I can identify key conventions of both form and genre for
indie music videos, so I am then able to competently create my own music video. I will also
look at how the technical elements are used, the effect they have and how artists are
represented. I also aim to discover what makes an effective indie music video, so I can then
include those qualities in my own video to ensure it is as successful as possible.
The music video, released in December 2014, was created by the British indie-rock band
Circa Waves who formed in Liverpool in 2013.
The video begins with this shot of the band’s name printed on a box used for carrying
instruments/musical equipment. This initial shot shows the audience the name of the band,
which makes them aware of who they are listening to. This type of prop is conventional to
the genre, as it links to musical instruments that are typically used in indie music. The prop
also suggests that there will be a lot of tour footage in this video, which is another
convention of the indie genre. Tour footage is commonly used in indie music videos as it
gives the audience a chance to get to know the ‘real’ artists, and see them living their lives.
Indie music videos often have themes involving freedom and indie artists are often shown
to be carefree; a conventional way of showing this is through the use of tour footage.
The music video is mainly made up of short clips of the band in many different locations.
The lyrics “I’m a long way from home” are repeated throughout the song, and so this
directly links to the images on screen. This is a convention of form, because the images seen
in a music video almost always link to the lyrics of the song in one way or another. The use
of the short clips throughout the video creates a fast pace that fits with the upbeat rhythm
of the song, which is also conventional as music videos often use the technique of cut to
beat editing, and the pace of the editing should fit with the pace of the song.

2. The filter that has been placed over the video gives the video a retro feel and makes it seem
like home video footage. This, coupled with the repeated use of point of view shots, implies
that the video is from the band’s perspective. This creates a more immersive experience for
the viewer and therefore allows the audience to feel as if they are a part of the band.

3. The performance element is seen fluently throughout the video, which is to be expected of
an indie music video. Live performances are very important within the indie music scene,
and so this is why the band have decided to include this performance and tour footage. This
will be appealing to the audience as indie fans often enjoy going to gigs, and getting to know
the bands they follow. This is a close up of the lead singer, who is performing on stage.
Shallow focus has been used to blur the background and ensure all of the focus is on the
lead singer. This use of focus also makes the prop of the microphone stand out against the
bleak colours in the background.