INDIE
- Patri
- Oct 15, 2018
- 3 min read
Updated: Apr 21, 2019
The main idea that needs to be kept in mind is the fact that the music video should look as natural as possible. As a norm it consists of a mix between live performance and the building up of a narrative. The live performance allows the viewer to focus on the talent of the artists (promotion wise) and the passion of the artists towards music. The narrative is used in order to make the video more entertaining and less boring for the viewer.
The neighbourhood - Sweater Weather
The narrative gives an idea of what the song is about as it links with the lyrics, sometimes literally and other times metaphorically. It also allows the audience to relate to the song as the lyrics are visually displayed and therefore uses up two of the main senses (sight and hearing). It also incentives imagination as that makes it more memorable due to the fact of being created by you. It may use, but normally lacks, the use of special effects.
The Lumineers - Sleep On The Floor
The mise-èn-scene is very important for these type of videos as the focus on being as realistic as possible. The props depend on the narrative or performance that the video is based on and sometimes the narrative is not the main focus. The narrative can be exaggerated using certain props. The lighting usually uses a soft glow light bulb or natural sunlight which is positioned most of the time behind the characters in order to create shadows on their faces and appearance as they are secondary characters in the narrative. The change of lights to shadows sets the mood which normally suits the theme and the rhythm of the song. The clothing and makeup are related to the era of the narrative. It mainly focuses on the representation of the character's identity. They use subtle colours that match with the lighting and background. It is usually set on natural landscapes such as forests, beaches, fields and windy roads which evokes freedom and wildness. This allows for shots emphasising on just nature, showing appreciation and focusing on the aesthetic of the surroundings making it aesthetically pleasing to watch. The use of plain backgrounds inside studios or houses are also very common.
Milky Chance - Flashed Junk Mind
The camera uses close-ups on the artists in order to promote themselves and the band, highlighting the talent, showing the emotion related to the song and the passion towards what they are performing. Long and medium shots are used to fit both the people and the landscape in the same frame (this helps to make an establishing shot for the introduction and throughout the video). There are no use of tilts, to keep it natural, or angles, as it normally uses eye-level for more realism or low angles to show the sky. At times they use bird-eye-view shots as it gives an idea of the setting and were characters are. The use of tracking shots and hand-held shots in order to convey the idea of natural and self-made videos.
Tame Impala - The Less I Know The Better
The editing is old fashioned and normally seems to be worn out and old. This is accomplished by the use of black and white filters, sepia or actual tape effects. It normally uses cuts according to the the tempo, following Andrew Goodwin's Theory. Green screen only used when wanting to create realistic backgrounds. Slow-motion is used to emphasise on enjoyment or expressions.
Sound can have autotune due to the lack of it looking natural. It uses diegetic sounds or voiceover to set the scene and give the idea of the song. Sometimes the sound overlaps (parallel sound) and breaks the tempo, creating a non-traditional effect. It usually tends to be soft diegetic sound like weeping or crying.
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