5 music videos indie/rock

Since the music video that we're creating is in the indie/rock genre, I have chosen to analyse 5 videos of this genre to understand the stereotypical conventions of them so the one I make will fit into this conventions or purposely oppose them.

I bet you look good on the dance floor - Artic Monkeys

This video was made on the 17th of October 2005 by the Artic Monkeys and produced by Jim Abbiss with over 38 million views on YouTube. It is a key figure for the indie/alternative genre and sets a base tone for what our music video should be along the lines of regarding the conventions and tropes of this genre.

One of the instantaneous things that you first notice is a short, introductory and out-of-character clip of the main singer informally introducing the band, before the music starts and the beat kicks in dramatically without an introduction using a Smash cut transition.

This music video is clearly and solely performance based without an overbearing storyline or any shots of anything that isn't the band themselves. However, saying this, there are many regular transitions with the camera used to pan in and out on the band, choosing angles from all around them, from an over the shoulder shot of back of their heads to close up shots of the instruments being played and of the artists. It gives the impression that while the camera is steady and well focused, it is constantly re-adjusting from position to position.

When the singer speaks the first line, 'When you stop making the eyes at me, I'll stop making the eyes at you', he starts with a side-glimpse to the camera which is a clear example of voyerism which is another clear convention of the indie/rock/alternative genre. As well as obeying with Andrew Goodwin's music video theory as there are links between the lyrics and what is happening on screen as 'making the eyes' means looking, and that is exactly what he does within the video. The trademark and iconography used by the Artic Monkeys is that looks very home grown and unprofessional, as if it is being filmed in a garage or basement, giving it an authentic feel with locations that are reasonable and are relatable.

Going with this genre also, the colours are very dimly lit and contain a grungy texture to them, making it seem lowkey and hidden, giving another element of rebellion and depreciation to the shots shown on screen as a teenage band in not a studio setting would appeal to the younger, alternative audience. 

Hopeless Wanderer - Mumford and Sons

This video classes as many different types of genres; alternative, rock and indie and was created by Mumford and Sons, released on the 4th of August 2013 with a humongous view count on YouTube of over 70 million views and is another performance video, directed by Sam Jones. 

Again to start the video, we are greeted with a black screen for a couple of seconds before there is an abrupt smash cut to a rolling title screen which fades out to black, followed by a close up shot of a single hand playing the introduction notes to the song on a classical piano, close enough so you can only see the instrument and the hand in the shot. The piano keeps playing for a few more seconds before there is a match cut, where we now see that the location has changed to a bright but homely field. 

Much like the previous video, the location that we see first is not one set in a studio. It is instead a basic location with minimal effects, where anyone could go for free which keeps the artist seeming relatable and down to earth; a key convention of specifically the indie genre.
Iconography used was mainly to do with the waistcoats and similar clothes that they wear all throughout the video which sets them apart from the other country bands as they are dressing as their target demographic might dress; not too over the top, casual yet smart.

There is also a running motif of light being used to contrast between the different locations and intertextuality with people walking through fields of wheat to relax, mostly in holiday and family adverts, maybe symbolising togetherness and family values. Nature is a key theme in most of their videos, a reoccurring theme starring is the majority of their videos, fitting it with the indie theme once again. 
When the beat kicks in, the pace changes and becomes more upbeat, the transitions changing from slow dissolves and simple cuts to whip pans and cutting on action. The shots after the break are from central and low angles, going from one person to the next as if there is a countdown and they are running out of time, which is another convention of specifically indie rock music videos along with the continuous close ups of the band members which may be demands of the record label to get the band more exposure and recognition yet it could also be another convention of the indie rock genre, which is to show expressions and body language and to also convey the correct tone for the video.

Radioactive - Imagine Dragons

Radioactive by Imagine Dragons was released in 2012 on the 10th of December and was directed by Syndrome, being classified within the genres of Rock, Alternative Rock, Indie Rock, Electronic music and Alternative Indie which is what makes this video especially interesting and complex as it will contain conventions of all of these, suppressed into one video alone.

A clear convention of the indie/rock genre hits first as there is a fade from black, leading into a narrative scene with a close up of a girl's face, emotionless with expression and with a dark hood covering her face which soon links into a over the shoulder shot where the cameras is following her walking. This isn't the only convention of the indie genre shown in the introduction, specifically as a stereotype of this genre, nature is shown within the first second. However, it acts against conventions  and rebells this in a sense as the nature isn't vibrant and luscious like the previous indie bands such as Mumford and Sons who tend to use brighter, more family friendly colours.

Controversially, this music video is a narrative, with two storylines running throughout. This video subverts many conventions as it includes features from Andrew Goodwin's 'Dancing in the distraction factory' such as lyric to on screen links and intertextuality. Intentionally or not, this video references to 'The Muppets' and 'Sesame Street', maybe even 'Avenue Q' based on the adult content within it, featuring scenes of gambling, drug abuse and organised back-street fighting.

The singers are shown in glimpses, in cutaways to different locations and the video begins with a J-Cut (and are frequent continuing), which is unusual and out of place for this type of media. The scenes are dark and dingy which resonates with the rock side of the genre conventions as it looks rebellious and eerie creating a tense atmosphere.

On the beats of the video, swift cutaway transitions are made between the storyline and the band's performance, all of which are coated in a shadow. A major feature that I have to mention is the use of special effects towards the ending, subverting expectations completely as this feature is hardly ever seen in indie/rock/alternative videos.

To sum up, this video is an anomaly for the genre, fitting into more indie video concepts but subverting them in appearance. It is a stand alone video with thorough iconography to make it memorable with an animal/puppet mascot motif. Another way it subverts is by making the storyline cyclical, where the beginning meets with the end whilst maintaining a conceptual message that a rock or indie video would have.

Somebody Told Me - The Killers

This song was made 10 years ago and released on the 17th of June, 2009. The director was Brett Simon. Despite it not being as successful as the other main song by The Killers, 'Mr Brightside', it remains one of the bands most popular songs ever created. 

The video opens with a convention of rock music videos, especially from the late 2000s, this being the projection of shadows on top of a digital background or projection screen after a fade from black, which is a very common trope that I have discovered whilst doing all this analysis on the previous videos. However, as it fits into both indie and rock, I have to say that this video favours the rock genre side, fitting more into those conventions. 

The cuts and transitions are different from the previous videos as there are more slow zooms and pans/whip pans that are in tune with the beats of the music. There is an overuse of shadows and abstract angles, keeping the faces in the dark which obeys by there laws of the conventions of indie and rock music videos by rapid, consecutive cuts to capture the artist from close ups, low angles, high angles and extreme close ups. These could be demands from the record label company to get the artist's face out there and to also give them more exposure to the public. 

The Killers use the same iconography throughout this the video, using a mix of black lights and shadows, contrasting with neon lights from the walls, allowing a dance club feel, which could be for relate-ability as this allows the viewers to know that they haven't let their fame get to them. 

However, this video also subverts conventions for the beginning of the video, catching up with them again in the second half where nature is featured, that being one of the main conventions and characteristics of indie videos specifically, solidifying this video within the genre. For a rock video, it holds up to these conventions as well with strong focus on the use of instruments with close ups featuring massively as well on over the top expressions.

This video ends with a slow fade out to black, a frequent feature in most music videos of this specific genre. 

HOW SOON IS NOW - THE SMITHS

The Smiths were a band from Manchester, making music from 1982-1987. Often regarded as one of the most important bands to come from the 1980s British indie-rock scene, The Smiths are the perfect example of the alternative style we're looking for.

The video we're looking at here, for the 1985 song 'How Soon Is Now', was directed by Paula Graif with a budget of about $5000. Despite its prominence as one of their most popular songs, many don't consider it to be representative of the band's usual style. The nature of the video is perhaps reflective of this. It was commissioned by Sire, one of the band's record labels, unauthorised. The reaction from the band was overwhelmingly negative, Morrissey even going on to call it a "degrading video". There is, however, no denying that it aided their elevation to fame in the United States and provided heavy exposure on college radio.

As for the video itself - it starts with white text.

on a black background. It's a simple beginning, one that would be very manageable with Final Cut Pro. It fades into monochrome shots of large industrial chimneys and then a girl walking. She makes eye-contact with the camera before the next cut.

The next shots, of the band, are bathed in blue lighting. The performance aspect of the alternative rock genre generally has the artist in harsh coloured lighting that contrasts with dark surroundings. From this point, we can begin to make a judgement about the elements that make up this music video - we definitely have the performance. There is also an element of concept to this video with the girl walking and the factory shots. The video continues to crosscut between her and the band, interspersed with these industrial chimneys.

"Who is she?"

"What's her relationship with the band?"

This concept raises questions that are left unanswered, perhaps elevating the intrigue for viewers. Indeed, to this day people wonder who the actress was. In this way the video is effectively promoting the band - it created mystery, something people love to talk about.

The video is relatively unvaried from these shots. It uses three locations, a staple for directors of music videos, to keep things simple and not confuse the viewer - this technique is also used to reduce filming time and keep the process of creating a video concise. In this video, I don't believe it is a technique used particularly well. Whilst it fits the criteria for a concept rather than a storyline, the visuals aren't massively engaging and there is no progression of story throughout.

Graif does use a variety of transitions when crosscutting between the band and the actress, such as dissolves (right). The lethargic dissolving effect used in this way alludes to a wistful feeling, perhaps looking back on memories. Dissolves are sometimes used in montages to show the passage of time - it adds to the mystery of the video. Some looping of certain clips is used.