Analysis of Indie Genre

Performance: It is common for Indie music videos to contain extracts and shots of the band performing, whether that be through rehearsals or live performance; this is important as it helps the video to display the band's talents and their love for the music - Indie artists generally do not get into music for money or fame as it is a genre that gains less exposure. Over recent years, it has become common to include a narrative in between the performance shots as this helps to create a music video that is memorable and captivates the viewer as they become emotionally involved in the narrative; this helps to give more meaning to the lyrics and the song and evokes a greater sense of empathy in the viewer who can relate to the characters in the video.

Narrative: In Indie music videos, narratives are usually an amplification of the lyrics rather than disjuncture. As narratives are difficult to tell through a video with no direct speech, Indie videos are not usually abstract and tell the story directly through the lyrics. Music videos with narratives have become more popular as it draws the attention of viewers and offers a greater variety of possible shots to be used.

Setting: Indie Rock music videos tend to be low budget - they are often set in locations that are easy to access such as houses, studios, cities, parks etc this directs the focus more onto the performer.

Camerawork: Close-ups are one shot that are used frequently in the Indie genre in order to introduce and advertise the artist (or the artists front man/star in the case of a band). Close-up shots and mid-shots are important to display the band's look and highlight the artist's talent when performing live. Long shots are often used to establish the scene and setting. POV shots have also become common to show things from the perspective of the protagonist in the video. In Indie music videos, it is common for the front men of bands to act as the protagonist for the music video - this can be seen in music videos such as 'Sway' by The Kooks and 'Greek Tragedy' by The Wombats.

Mise-En-Scene: The mise-en-scene for Indie Rock music videos is extremely important, Indie music videos often have a retro look. Mise-en-scene can help to make a clearer narrative with the help of actors. Costumes and props are also extremely important to help the music video look legitimate and realistic, an example of this would be a guitar or drums.

Editing: Editing is an important part of Indie music videos; it is common for special effects and/or filters to be used which help the video run smoothly and to create an effect that makes the viewer feel as though they are in the video. Shots are usually fast cuts or long cuts which reflect the tempo and beat of the song, music videos of this genre are usually edited directly to the beat; this links well to Andrew Goodwin's theory. Effects such as the black and white filter are usually added to create a video that looks classical and vintage as well as connoting an emotion of sadness.