My group and I have decided to create a music video in the genre of Indie. Here is my research into the codes and conventions that are used in the music video from this genre.
Typical conventions from the Indie genre:
Music videeos from this genre usually include
Camera:
- Close up shots
- Medium shots
- Static shots
- Over the shoulder
Mise-en-scne:
- Romantic
- Minimal/natural lighting
- Usually involves only 1 actor
- Simple clothing
- No complicated props
- Plot is following the lyrics meaning
Sound:
- Insturments used (Acoustic guitar, drums, bass, ukelele)
- Slow tempo
- Deep lyrics
Edit:
- Get ready with me (daily activities done by the actor) compilation edit
- Warm colour gradings
The narative is normally about romance.
In depth Research x2
#1 Bilal Indrajaya - Niscaya, 2022
Produced by: the organism studio and klover colour studio
Distributed by: I couldn't find the company
Distributed by: I couldn't find the company
Genre / Sub genre:
+ Romance
What conventions does it conform to?
+ It has a slow tempo which made the viewer feel relaxed, made them able to digest and understand the lyrics which the audience can relate to, which leads to them sharing the video to friends/family and result in more views to the music video.
+ It uses warm colour grading to show that the atmosphere is a safe and overall comfortable place to be in as warm is associated with love and calmness.
+ The music video has a low budget that can be seen in the introduction that didn't look as professional as other music videos in other genres. For example, the way the actors got out of the car was low quality and looked easy to replicate.
What conventions does it subvert?
+ There is no performance such: as lip-syncing, dancing, or singing from the actor themselves, in the music video. This is a way that the video subvert from its conventions because the director wanted to only highlight the acting of the actors, to show a couple spending time together, so that the audience could follow the plot easily, and make the audience connect with the actors thus making them more engaged to the music video.
What representations are there? (people/places/events)
+ Indonesian people (male and female)
+ Outdoor atmosphere, specifically in nature (garden)
What technical elements are used to give meaning to the representations?
Camera:
+ Long shot was used to show the balance between the subject (Indonesian Male) and the nature background - for the intro. Then it was used again to highlight the room they were going to stay in and show how close and connected it was with nature.
+ Medium shot was used to highlight the subject's body language and his facial expression (frowning) which means that he's not looking forward for what's about to come.
+ A low camera angle was used on the female to imply and add subtle hints that she have more control/power in the relationship between them.
+ Close up shot of the female's accessories to show that it's an important element but the audience doesn't know why yet - keeping the viewers curious/engaged.
+ Close up shot of male subject face to show his expression of neutral/abit of sadness with only one eye shown and the other is covered by his hair.
+ Close up shot of the female blowing bubbles to highlight the action itself.
+ Medium shot of the female actor smiling and laughing which shows that she feels joyful.
Mise-en-scene:
+ Subject is frowning so that the Indonesian male seemed sad when he's 'alone' but when he's with the woman, he would change and become happy.
+ Both subjects wearing black outfits which would suggest there's a slight formality between both actors.
+ Brown room which means that it is mostly made of wood and is directly link with nature and result in making the atmosphere cozy.
+ The female is blowing bubbles to show she is having a fun time then the other actor joined in and they're both having a laugh. This means they enjoy each others company and spending time together makes them both happy.
+ They sit together but a tree was in the middle between both of them which could mean they're still not too close with each other.
+ The male actor using his phone to capture the moment of her blowing bubbles that implies that he doesn't want to lose/forget this precious memory and so he could always come back to it.
+ The woman tried to hold hands but the male slowly backs away which shows that he is not interested.
+ Hugging to show intimacy between each other
+ Both looking at the camera with no expression (neutral face)
+ When the male actor sits down, half of his face was put under blue lighting which connotes sadness but when the other actor joins him and sits down, more of his face gets put under warm coloured lighting and acts more dynamic and outgoing.
+ The smile on the female's face slowly fades away as she looks at her phone and continued to do so in the next few shots.
+ Dim lighting in the room and in the forest while the subject is walking away from the camera that means that he is trying to escape from something/problem (which is most likely the woman).
Sound:
+ Diegetic sound of leaves rustling in the begining to add a sense of realism, since the scene takes place where there are many trees, and this engages the audience - making them feel as if they are there.
+ The non diegetic sound, which is the music played in the video, was in Indoensian language to target Indonesian people.
Edit:
+ Continuity and cut edit was used to make the transition of the shots seemed like it is happeing chronologically and so that the audience can follow the plot easier.
+ Fast paced edits to increase the energy of the video
+ Bluring the background so that the shot emphasizes on the main subject (focuses on their happy expressions and lively body language) instead of what's behind them.
#2 Jordan Susanto - Senopati In The Rain, 2024
Produced by: I couldn't find the company
Distributed by: I couldn't find the company
Distributed by: I couldn't find the company
Genre / Sub genre
+ Romance and Lifestyle
What conventions does it conform to?
+ The video include the subject playing the instruments such as piano, electric guitar, and bass. These are common in Indie music videos as due to the their low budget, most of the video content is just them playing the instruments and just enjoying their song.
+ It contains lip-syncing to the song of the video. In this case, he lip-synced as if he actually sang into the microphone, making it look realistic and believable. This makes tthe music video have more life in it rather than just a compliation of clips. Also, it could be seen as the singer poured his heart, soul, and showed his passion for music - which would make the audience more interested in video.
+ The music video looks low budget which conforms to the Indie convention. This is shown by shooting the shot as if he's the only one setting it up (with a tripod and limited lighting options) and it doesn't look like a high budget company produced the video - based on the quality output.
What conventions does it subvert?
+ In the video, there is only one person playing the instruments (electric guitar, bass, piano) instead of a group of people in a form of a band. Eventhough he played the instruments by himself, he recorded the clips seperately, edited them together to form the song and for the music video, he just showed the instruments one by one (depending on where in the song that the instrument can be heard).
+ In the video, there is only one person playing the instruments (electric guitar, bass, piano) instead of a group of people in a form of a band. Eventhough he played the instruments by himself, he recorded the clips seperately, edited them together to form the song and for the music video, he just showed the instruments one by one (depending on where in the song that the instrument can be heard).
What representations are there? (people/places/events)
+ Jakarta lifestyle/people
What technical elements are used to give meaning to the representations?
Camera:
+ Long shot was used to show the subject playing guitar while singing into the microphone. It also shows his background where it is full of album covers which implies that he as a deep passion/interest i music which lead him to make his own music video.
+ Long shot was used to show people hangout together to show where and how Jakarta people spend their time together with friends.
+ Random camera movement was used to add a sense of realism and made it feel as if the audience is there at that moment (in this case the camera was following a few people walking on the sidewalk).
+ Medium shot of a couple having fun to create a pleasant atmosphere.
+ Long shot was used to show the subject playing guitar while singing into the microphone. It also shows his background where it is full of album covers which implies that he as a deep passion/interest i music which lead him to make his own music video.
+ Long shot was used to show people hangout together to show where and how Jakarta people spend their time together with friends.
+ Random camera movement was used to add a sense of realism and made it feel as if the audience is there at that moment (in this case the camera was following a few people walking on the sidewalk).
+ Medium shot of a couple having fun to create a pleasant atmosphere.
Mise-en-scene:
+ Warm colours was used to suggest a calm mood and atmosphere - making the audience relax whenever they see this music video.
+ Located at a cafe which connotes that this song is suited for places like this and thus increasing the chance that it would be played in cafes to help increase people's productivity while working/studying. This was also done because Jakarta people tend to hangout at coffee shops and thus the audience can relate to it and become more engaged to the video.
+ People smiling and laughing which shows that they're having a good time together.
Sound:
+ The combination of crisp non diegetic music of the drums and other instruments coupled with the clear, soothing vocals from the singer, made it easy for the viewer to understand the video. This made it a fitting song, for the Jakarta people, to help ease their mind in the chaotic Jakarta lifestyle.
+ There were harmonies sang by lead and background singer, which blends both of their voices together and result in the enhancement of the vocals. When there is an enhancement of vocals, there would be an increase in viewer satisfaction and an increase in overall enjoyment.
Edit:
+ Split screen edit was used to highlight both the piano and the vocals. This is because they are happening at the same time it connotes that the piano and singer connect well with each other and lead to the creation of a beautiful combination.
+ Continuity editing was used to show that a previous shot lead to a logical continuation to the next shot; to add a sense of realism and easily allow the audience to follow one clip to another.
General Research x6
#1 d4vd - Here With Me, 2023
Target audience, and how are they appealed to?
+ It is targeted to people who are in relationships, mostly teenagers age ranging form 17-19. However, it is also targeted to older people since there were actors that are old in the music video, with age ranging from 60-70.
+ It is appealed to couples because there are lots of mise-en-scene that create romantic moments such as hugging, touching forehoead to forehead, holding hands and many more. With this, the addition of a slow tempo of the song and easily understandable lyrics, made the music video relatable to the targeted audience thus making them more engaged.
What would you like to use in your music video from this?
+ I would like to use the random camera movement that was shown in the video because it's use made the overall video more lively and energetic - which I enjoyed.
+ I like the use of only showing the middle part of the video, meaning the video doesn't stretch far to the sides - making it seem more cinematic. This could be part of my music video as the way the video was displayed, made it feel more focused on the subject, feel more personal, and possibly could keep the audience attention as there are less distractions on the screen.
What would you like to avoid in your music video from this?
+ I would like to avoid complex metaphors to be used in my music video. The reason is to limit the confusion to the audience so everything can be easily understood. This is because in the music video 'Here with Me', it started with a subject that is blindfolded, spewing water from his mouth, and crawling on a beach; which I don't understand the reason behind it.
#2 Pete Yorn - Real Good Love, 2024
Target audience, and how are they appealed to?
+ It is targeted to men that are in their mid 30s to 40 years old. This is because the subject is a man who looks like he's in his early 40s and the video has an edit which contains an effect that made the video feel old (slight static). However, some part of it is targeted to females as there were lots of heart shaped references (from droneshot landscapes, heart shaped cactus, art based on hearts and many more which females are drawn into).
+ It also includes black and white photos for its mise-en-scene to further emphasize that video was made in the past.
What would you like to use in your music video from this?
+ I would like to use the edit of the slight static from the music video because it could match if my video has somesort of flashback. The effect could make it feel the clip/photo is old and would add variety to the video.
What would you like to avoid in your music video from this?
+ I would like to avoid having too many pictures in my music video because not only it would look like a powerpoint presentation, it would feel boring and unenjoyable to watch - as it lacks life.
#3 Mitski - My Love Mine All Mine, 2023
Target audience, and how are they appealed to?
+ It is targeted to mostly females, age ranging from 16-mid 20s because the actor is a female but the male audience can enjoy it too.
What would you like to use in your music video from this?
+ I would like to use the slow tempo of non-diegetic music, in my video, so that it gives off a cozy feeling and so that the audience can easily understand the lyrics - resulting to a more enjoyable listening experience.
What would you like to avoid in your music video from this?
+ I would want to avoid making a music video that has little to none correlation to the lyrics of the song so that the audience is not confused. For example, during the video, the female subject is climbing up a tower of chairs but that doesn't even have a connection to the lyrics which is all about love - thus creating confusion. With this in mind, I would like to avoid that and want my audience to mostly understand what's going on in my music video while also be able to correlate the video clips with the song itself.
#4 Wet Leg - Wet Dream, 2021
Target audience, and how are they appealed to?
+ Both male and female aged 17-30. They are appealed by showing an activity that both genders can relate to such as pillow fight in the begining, also the main subject is a female which would appeal to the female viewers more, as they feel represented. Additionally, the male actors are included thus engaging the male audience as they also feel represented.
What would you like to use in your music video from this?
+ I would want to use mutilple actors to lip-sync to the song. This makes it seem unique as usually in Indie music videos, there would be only one 'singer/or a person that lipsyncs' and by using multiple people to do it at the same time, it's a way to subvert from the convention which would make the music video look interesting.
What would you like to avoid in your music video from this?
+ I would want to avoid choosing a song that repeats a phrase in the lyrics way too many times. Like in this case, this video repeated the phrase 'it's enough' 19 times in a single verse, which made the song mundane and made it feel like a robot was singing it. - which I don't enjoy listening to.
#5 juju - Wasted Summers, 2024
Target audience, and how are they appealed to?
+ People who have brothers and sisters age 15-18. This is because the music video revolves around a brother and his sister enjoying summer, dancing and having a fun time togehter which would appeal to the teenager audience.
What would you like to use in your music video from this?
+ I would like to use the cut to the beat editing technique like in the intro of this video because I thought it looked cool and the edit made the start video more interesting - making the viewers hooked.
+ I would like to use the motion blur on some clips to make the shots vary more and doesn't seem boring to the audience. Also the motion blur and slow motion made the video looked nostalgic which would make the audience relate to it thus increasing engagement, between the music video and them.
+ I would like to use the fish eye camera shot to make the clip look more personal and because it made it feel as if the 'singer' is more close/connected to the people watching.
What would you like to avoid in your music video from this?
+ I would like to avoid using complex editing techniques such as how there were many cuts and edits to make the male subject walk seemlessly from the left to the right side (during the first 20 seconds of the video). The reason for this was to save time in the editing process and limit any uncessary editing so that the editor could use his time to do something more productive such as improving other parts of the music video, based on feedback received.
#6 girl in red - Too Much, 2024
Target audience, and how are they appealed to?
+ Mostly females age ranging from 20-30. They are appeal to by using 2 main female subjects as the actors for the video and the is an ephasize of the color red which females are attracted to (red dress, red nails, red heart,etc)
What would you like to use in your music video from this?
+ I would like to use dancing as part of my music video's perfomance as I can use it as a way to subvert from the convention of Indie muic videos. This is because the videos in my genre, doesn't have much dancing in it since they focus more on the band itself and the instruments tthey play.
What would you like to avoid in your music video from this?
+ I would like to avoid using expensive props for my music video (such as the big red heart at the end), as me and my team have limited budget to spend on a music video so we'll try to find other ways to make the video look filled with other props/good.
Here is some additional research that helped me with ideas
Based on this video, I learned that when shooting a music video, I have to record atleast one base performance so that I can refer to it just in case there is a missing piece in the editing process.
Self Reflection
This genre research helped me gain the necessary information of the conventions that are in Indie music videos so that I could implement them into the project. It also includes the target audience, the way technical elements target them, and the aspects of the video that I would like to avoid in my project (which basically means learning from others 'mistakes/what I thought was not suitable for the video'. With this, I then know how to subvert from the conventions, to differ our music video from the rest so that it'll feel new and exciting. The problem with this research is that it took way too long for me to complete since I was rewatching parts too many times. This is because I wanted to explain about a specific moment in the video but I kept forgeting it thus replaying it over and over again. A solution to this was that I forced myself to watch the video (from start to finish) without pausing while I take notes. This is to speed up the process and to make me complete the research faster. Next time, I would research more Indie music videos so I have more reference to see how other videos differ from each other; and that could potentially give me a spark of inspiration, which I could utlize and implement in my own project.
