Indie music and videos are less common than pop or popular music meaning the codes and conventions arent set in stone however most music videos today share the same codes and conventions even if they differentiate in genre from indie to rock. The definition of indie music is that it is a sub culture of pop or popular music but is independent music and this is where the word 'indie' comes from.
Music videos use a range of different techniques, camera shots and mise-en-scene to create a story, give emphasis and set locations.
Editing is an important factor in making a good music video the pace must coincide with the pace of the song. Jump cuts are the predominant editing technique in music videos this is because as it allows the scene to change quickly with the song.
The costumes the actors/artists/bands are wearing usually go with the genre for example in pop videos artists might wear bright clothing but in a rock video they might wear more black.
Sound is obviously dominated by the vocals of the song, instruments and in some cases they might stop the song for the talking/acting.
Lighting ties in with the type of music, for example some videos are visually bright. The props, clothing, lighting etc are all brightly coloured to tie in with the genre.
Understanding these different codes and conventions is key for creating a good music video that the target audience of that genre will want to see. I have chosen 2 videos of the same genre i would like to do for my final project. I have done this to identify and prove if the music videos do stick to the codes and conventions no matter what genre they are. The music videos that I have chosen to evaluate are Florence and The Machine - You've Got The Love and Lana Del Rey - Blue Jeans.
Above is the music video for Florence and The Machine - You've Got The Love
From watching this video you can tell it is an indie/pop song as it sticks to the codes and conventions of an indie music video.
This is the establishing shot of the video. This sticks to the codes and conventions of an indie music video as it uses dark colours and a close up.
The screenshot above is a long shot to show the location and is neutral colours not too bright and the props are also neutral.
The screenshot above is a close up of the artist and the colours are again neutral to stick to the codes and conventions the mist creates a dreamy feel to the video.
The next video is Lana Del Rey - Blue Jeans
Above is the music video for Lana Del Rey - Blue Jeans
I chose this video as it is also an indie music video but less of a pop song/video and really sticks to the codes and conventions of a true indie music video.
The screenshot above is the establishing shot for the video and this is a close up and also a long duration shot lasting for 30 seconds. Also the colours are black and white to reflect the sad nature of the song and fitting in with the genre.
This shot is an etreme close up when the artist is putting emphasis on a certain part of the song. Again the video is still in black and white.
After looking at these 2 videos, I have seen that they do include a lot of the obvious conventions that all music videos seem to have, but this genre uses and twists them in a different way. To make my text look more profesional i need to incorporate some of these specific indie codes and conventions so the target audience will be satisfied with the end product. From watching and analysing these music videos in my text i will need to maybe add black and white in, use neautral colours and have a simple background/idea.
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