Conventions in an Indie music video

Clothing

Typically in Indie/ Indie Rock music videos the band wear very laid back casual (sometimes scruffy looking) clothing to go with their laid back sound. A typical piece of clothing worn in these videos would be a leather/denim jacket and Doc Martins can sometimes be worn as they are considered ‘different’.

Arctic Monkey’s ‘why do you only call me when your high’ video shows the lead singer in a leather jacket.

Lead singer of 1975 wears both a leather jacket and Docs in their music video ‘Girls’

The band of Imagine Dragons wear both casual and scruffy looking clothing in their video ‘Its Time’

Framing, expressions and propsThe framing of an Indie Band typically shows the lead singer central and at the

front. Around him is then the rest of the band as they tend to stick together promoting themselves as a whole.

If not at the front the band is almost always (At some point) shot together in their music video.

The 1975 – Chocolate Facial expressions in indie bands music videos tend to be minimal. Instruments in a band are

very important. Most bands tend to use, guitar, drums, vocalist and bassist. However not all bands what to be seen in their music videos as that’s not what their music is about. These bands tend to stick to pure narrative based music videos.

Camera shots, editing, Setting

Close ups of the lead singer tends to be used in Indie music videos, associating them with their style of music and showing of their facial expressions. Close ups of other members can also be used for example the drummer playing.

Long/Medium shots showing of the whole band. Showing a unity of the band and their style of music.

Settings if Indie music videos tend to be more Urban, e.g. backstreets and brick walls. The band can also be seen to perform in a high key studio, recording studio or pub.

Straight cut editing is extremely common in Indie bands and are used repeatedly. Some indie bands will play with the speed of their editing using slow/fast motion within a narrative part. Black and white is a repeated theme throughout Indie music videos.

The different types of Indie music videos1. Pure band.This style of video will show the band in a studio practising/playing, it may also show them out doing normal things (e.g. in a car/ shopping). This style of video is pure hand held and looks like it has been filmed by the band itself. Many indie bands use this style so their music video focuses simply on their sound.

2. Both performance and Narrative.This style of music video is the most common from an Indie Band. The band will be seen in a studio or on location (e.g. against a wall or ally), the band will play their instruments. Other shots will follow some kind of narrative usually not including the band itself but other actors, this usually follows the theme of love showing a couple, or youth showing a party.

3. Pure NarrativeA pure narrative based video doesn’t show the band at all (it is unlikely they will act in this video) the theme will be based upon love, youth or a main theme linking with the lyrics. This video will be more like a short story than a music video.