Research blog: Music Video Conventions

The genre of the song we chose is Alternative/indie. The music videos under Alternative/indie usually contain simple scenes or low-budget sets that the public can easily access. They use simple sets for the storyline, the set depends on whether the music video is narrative or non-narrative. Music videos like these tend to be simple to bring focus to the narrative. The artists/actors usually wear casual clothing to connect with the audience to a level where they can relate to the artists/actors situation.

Props can vary depending on the setting of the music video, however, the props are usually objects that people might commonly have. They incorporate unique hallucinatory effects with their editing, to bring more out of the music video. Normally, in these types of music videos, the scenes are cut to match the beat of the song. There is also a use of filters to add mood and atmosphere, the use of filters can show a change in time or feeling. Jump cuts are commonly used to show that the time has passed and show contrast between the scenes. The transitions that are sometimes seen in these music videos are fade and dissolve to make the video seem smooth. 

Typically, alternative/indie music videos have a lot of close-up shots to show emotion from the artist. The types of angles that are normally used in alternative/indie music videos are high angle, low angle, and bird's eye angle to convey different emotions. The camera tends to follow the artist, when the music video is telling a story to link the visuals to the lyrics. When artists appear in the music videos most of the time they lip-sync the lyrics of the song to convey the emotion of the lyrics.

Alternative/indie songs tend to be ecstatic and relaxing with a catchy beat. Lyrics usually contain deeper meaning as well as the visuals in the music video. The storyline of the music video always consists of a situation in which the audience might relate to in any part of their life. Which is why the visuals in these music videos have deeper meanings or hidden meanings. These songs contain many valuable lessons and messages for the audience no matter their age. Alternative/indie genre has a variety of conventions, but these are the ones that tend to be seen in these types of videos.