Originated in the United States and the United Kingdom in the 1980's, Indie Rock is an extremely diverse genre which is always adapting as a genre and a lifestyle. The term became associated with music genres such as alternative rock and indie pop.
The Smiths - This Charming Man (1983)
The indie rock genre is a subgenre of rock and alternative music. This therefore creates no restrictions within the conventions, meaning the music does not conform to any stereotypes. It becomes apparent from the early 80's the alternative rock, indie pop genre is categorising itself within the diverse, unique form of expression through music.
Even from early on when the indie rock genre was first starting to form, it had already become apparent that the focus of music was targeting the demographic of teenagers and young adults who are categorised within the psychographic of 'strugglers'. This is due to that target age group trying to find and express themselves and listening to alternative rock, rebel like, indie music allows them to feel as if they do not have to fit in any sort of status. This is therefore linking to the uses and gratification theory due to the individuals listening to the music for escapism purposes.
The Smiths released a song named 'This Charming Man' in 1983. Within the music video the lead singer Morrissey expresses his emotions towards feeling detached and unable to relate to the early 1980's mainstream gay culture. Individuals who also feel the same would be able to listen to this song and relate to the lyrics.
There is a clear ideology being put forward from the outset of the music video as the lead singer is wearing jewellery and a blouse which would be stereotypically linked to what a female would wear. This emphasises the alternative, indie, rock genre due to the lead singer not fitting within the conformities in society. This is therefore linking with the conformities of the genre today and raising awareness on social issues.
The mise-en-scene of the music video is set within one location. The room they are performing in is covered in flowers, this links to the 'Flower Power' movement in the early 70's. The symbolism of flowers suggests that the message within the lyrics is something that should be powerful and moving. The flowers again being linked to femininity this is challenging the conventions of the rock genre, highlighting that they are branching off and creating their own original form of music.
The use of binary opposites within this music video is portrayed due to rock normally being linked to violence and rebellion and the flowers emphasise peace and equality.
However, factors such as the performance based music video is what links this music video closely to rock. Close up shots of the instruments such as the guitar and drums is shown throughout the music video continuously. Even in contemporary music within this genre, it is conventional to show instruments within an indie rock genre, this is because it is focusing on the material used to create the song, drawing more focus on the lyrics and beat.
Lighting within this music video is coming from behind him which is creating an angelic effect. The director of this music video deliberately done this is. Again indicating that he is a role model figure and people look up to him and what he preaches within his songs. The use of angelic lighting signifies how the alternative rock, indie genre focuses on the message being put forward, raising universal awareness. The deliberate use of natural sunlight shining brightly onto his face, in some cases, creating the individual to have his identity hidden connotes that within the music genre the individuals listening are free from their identities and can escape into the lyrics, feeling as if their identity can be a different person for a few moments. Another indie band that also uses lighting to create an angelic effect is The Neighbourhood in their music video for 'Sweater Weather'
The editing within this music video sticks to conventions of what would be expected from this genre. The main focus of the song is to focus on the lyrics, which is therefore why the editing is simplistic, however in time with the beat. The camera shots change with the time of the song and switch from the main vocalist to the members playing their instruments. To this present day, this is what is conventional within the editing of a music video. An example of an indie rock band that does this is within their video is Arctic Monkeys "One For The Road". The effectiveness of editing in a simplistic way is how the focus is pointed more towards the lyrics and the message being put across. Due to my own production being narrative based, the story being put across and the link between the lyrics is what should be the main factor and incorporating simplistic editing when more focus should be on the narrative is what I believe would be most effective within my own production.
1990's
Green Day - Good Riddance (Time Of Your Life) (1997)
Green Day "Good Riddance" (Time Of Your Life) was a song released in 1997. Good Riddance could be considered one of the most punk songs the band has ever done, since punk is about rebelling against the norms. Identifiable conventions such as stage based performances are being subverted within this music video, due to the lead singer being shown playing the guitar, on a bed, creating a relaxed atmosphere, seen to be unusual within a indie rock music video which has performance.
The mise-en-scene within this shot indicates to the audience that they are gaining an insight into the singers privacy. This is conventional within the indie rock genre due to music videos being secluded, allowing the audience to feel as if they can relate to the singer and their emotions, this is an example of the uses and gratification theory. An example of a band that does this within their music video is 'Oasis - Little By Little'. Stereotypes of the audience who listen to this genre are also being replicated, with the individual being alone this could signify how the indie genre is avoided by many within society and those who listen to it are seen to be set apart.Another factor which is conventional to the indie rock genre is how the music video is minimal. This is represented through the mise-en-scene due to the bed being on the floor and little furniture in the room. Similar to the 80's song 'This Charming Man' by The Smiths, this is indicating how the indie rock genre is stripped back and focuses mainly on the message and meaning within the lyrics.
A melancholic atmosphere is created through the minimal lighting within this shot, connoting that there is little hope and happiness within his life. The lyrics link in with the atmosphere created as he states 'It's something unpredictable, but in the end it's right, I hope you had the time of your life'. The lyrics within this song is ambiguous, he could be singing about a break up, someone who has passed or another situation. This therefore broadens the audience due to them relating to the lyrics and being open to their own interpretation. This is subverting the convention that the indie rock genre is targeting only teenagers and young adults due to the lyrics being universal and targeting both male and females of any age.
Within the music video the camera jumps from one individual to another, showing a variation of different backgrounds, the shot is a slow motion shot which zooms into the individual, drawing more focus onto their age and background. This is implying that they have had a challenging situation but they are not alone and many have been faced with it in there life no matter what age. An expectation of the indie rock genre is that the lyrics are about life and the hardship some are faced with. This is seen in the song 'I'm not okay' by My Chemical Romance in 2004. The shot of the extreme close up is conventional when showing performance however, not narrative. Therefore, this music video is subverting the conventions of what would be expected through camera work within a Indie Rock music video.
Lighting within this music video is natural sunlight when showing different individuals. This creates a sense of verisimilitude as natural factors such as lighting makes the individuals more relatable and their situation more realistic. Within my own production I will be taking inspiration from the use of lighting and how it can represent a certain emotion which helps the viewer watching the music video to understand more clearly the circumstances the individual shown is in.
The dark lit lighting of the lead singer suggests that he is carrying the weight of all the suffering shown throughout the music video and he is representing suffering individuals have to cope with. Lighting plays a significant role in the indie rock genre within their music videos due to the dramatic effect being created, a more serious outlook of the overall music video is created, linking to the seriousness often seen in this genre. An example of a modern music video which uses factors such as lighting to portray emotion is The 1975 'Somebody else' which is a music video that came out in 2016.
2000's
Fall Out Boy - Dance, Dance (2005)
It becomes apparent from the outset of this music video that Fall Out Boy are creating their music video narrative based on the stereotypes linked to the indie rock genre. They are highlighting how teenagers relate to the lyrics and this is therefore why the location is in a school prom. Previous music videos such as "Wheatus/ Teenage Dirtbag" released five years before Fall Out Boy in 2000 and again this is showing the inspiration taken from previous bands following a similar narrative. The uses and gratification theory can be applied to this music video due to target audience being teenagers who spend their days in school and they can relate to the different types of characters shown within the music video.
The opening lyrics to this song are "She says she's no good with words but I'm worse. Barely stuttered out a joke of a romantic stuck to my tongue" The lyrics are again linking to the target audience, drawing attention to a character with minimal confidence around girls. This again, relating to the uses and gratification theory due to individuals who listen to this music being stereotypically set apart from the 'popular' kids at school. The music video continues to show how the music brings out the confident side to the character and helps him enjoy himself. The band are therefore trying to imply that their music is what helps one become a better person. A band who does this within their music video is "The Kooks/ Bad Habit'. The chorus of this music video states 'Dance, dance, we're falling apart to half time'. This links closely to Andrew Goodwins music video theory due to the individuals shown to be dancing. This is therefore linking the lyrics to the video.
Performance and narrative elements are shown through the music video. Linking back to older music videos of the same genre, this is expected, an example of a music video which shows both aspects is 'Green Day/ Good Riddance' released in 1997. Linking to Andrew Goodwin's theory of music videos, he believes that music videos should have repeatability, meaning that the target audience can watch the music video several times without becoming bored. This is why he mentions both narrative and performance within a music video working hand in hand.
In relation to the visual editing within this music video, the editing is mainly fast cuts, cutting from the small individual narratives to the main performance on stage. The deliberated approach to edit the shots in a way which doesn't take the focus of what is happening within the music video shows the effectiveness of continuity editing. Within my own production the editing will be minimal to keep the focus on the main narrative being put across to my target audience.
The camera shots within this music video are varied. A conventional shot often seen within the Indie Rock genre is an extreme close up of the artists face shown while he is performing. An example of a band whom does this within their music video is 'Panic! At the Disco/ This is Gospel'.
High key lighting is used to highlight the main focus of this music video which is the performance on the stage. Individuals shown also have high key lighting on their face to signify their importance and the role they hold within the narrative. However, the individuals
Diegetic speech is shown half way through the music video which is often not identified to take place in the expected stereotypical Indie Rock music video. This use of sound is subverting the conventions of what is expected within a Indie rock video. With the individuals speaking standing in a bathroom, the sound of the song being performed on stage has become quieter, creating more focus to be aimed at the conversation. More modern bands have used the idea of changing the sound of the song within the music video to keep the interest of the viewer and create them to wonder what has happened to the music. A band which does this is Arctic Monkeys in their music video for 'Snap out of it'.
The clothing they are wearing is representing the fashion trends seen within the 2000's. Due to the event being a prom, they are dressed in a formal attire, the patterned blazers and comb overs are seen many times within this music video. Over time the fashion has evolved. The comb over look is no longer seen as stylish and it is now more of a blowdried, effortless look. This is seen in many urban indie bands such as 'Mumford and Sons'. The blazers have also become outdated throughout the years within this genre and have turned into a more causal, laid back look such as a leather jacket and jeans, often seen in many bands for example 'Arctic Monkeys'.
2014
Arctic Monkeys (2014)
Conventions that were seen through past years within Indie Rock music videos have been adapted in a modernised, updated version without taking away the raw basics of where the conventions have stemmed from. Arctic Monkeys are profound for their music videos being extremely gripping and modern yet they still manage to stick to the stereotypes expected from the audience who listen to Indie Rock.
It becomes apparent from the outset that the music video is focusing on the lyrics and the character first shown is a reflection of their imagination while writing the song. The lyrics state "Arabella's got a 70s head' and the individual shown is a woman dressed in the clothing seen as fashionable within the 70's such a fur coat and a black low plunge tight dress. The female is a reflection of a stereotypical femme fatal who uses her looks to get what she wants. The female has a similar look to the most iconic sex symbol Marilyn Monroe who was most famous in the 50's. Therefore this is showing how inspiration has been taken from previous eras to make it easy for their audience to understand the ideology she represents.With the Indie rock genre known for being associated with what would be seen as out of the norms in society, this music video comes to no surprise when it becomes apparent that there is a projection/ film camera effect that has been added on in postproduction to create a vintage, retro feel to the music video.
Another way the director has created a vintage effect is by adding a black and white filter over the whole video. With previous videos of Arctic Monkeys having the black and white filter such as 'R U Mine?'. An active audience would recognise this and understand that the band are sticking to what would be expected from them. The black and white mirrors what is normally seen in a rock music video. Many rock videos have a black and white filter due to the serious, mysterious atmosphere that is created. An example of a rock music video which has this in their music video is 'Radiohead/ Street Spirit'. This is therefore showing how the Indie Rock genre is a sub-genre of different forms of music and their inspiration has been taken from many sorts of music.
Lighting within this music video is minimal, only artificial lighting is used. When the shot cuts to show individuals, the lighting is kept low. This is for the audience to focus on what the editing always cuts back to which is the main singer. High key lighting to highlight the importance of an individual is also used in the music video for Fall out Boy/ Dance, Dance released in 2005. Therefore, this is showing how factors from different eras have been kept the same.
The director created a conceptual music video due to the editing of shots not creating a narrative, leaving the video up for different interpretations. The editing jumps from different situations which flick through in the style of an old projection. Editing within this music video plays a major role in creating the atmosphere to the overall outcome. The fast cut aways keeps the audience involved within the scenarios shown. Within postproduction, some shots had been edited to be in reverse, this is highlighting the distorted, manic effect to the overall video. Similar to the effects seen in Green Days 'Time of Your Life' music video, the shots zoom in and pause as if its the effect of a photograph. This editing technique has been brought down from older eras and is an effective way to highlight the individuals being caught in the moment and creating the viewers to feel as if they can relate to the individual and their actions. This shot creates a sense of verisimilitude for the target audience due to many being teenagers and young adults who tend to go out and enjoy themselves, similar to the way portrayed within the music video.
Within my own production, inspiration has been taken from this music video due to the effectiveness of the editing. The reverse shots create a more out of the norms effect which is conventional within the Indie Rock genre. Due to the target audience of my own production being teenagers and young adults, the use of showing actions that they can relate to and real life situations is what they will associate more with and therefore feel more involved in the footage shown.
The Progression from 1980's through to Present day
It has become apparent from this extensive research that the Indie rock genre has evolved through the eras, keepings some original conventions and expanding into other genres for new ones. From the outset it is apparent that the Indie rock genre fits into the category of 'out of the norms', not categorising itself within the expectations of the mainstream music.
Conventions such as having a narrative either through the lyrics or the music video is something that has stayed the same through the years. From the outset it was originally seen for the music video to have only performance while they express the narrative vocally. This is seen in 'The Smiths- This Charming Man' music video. However, an ongoing convention within this genre is to gain the attention and grasp the emotions of their target audience by having relatable lyrics. From the outset it is apparent that the Indie genre focuses on topics which wouldn't be discussed. This, again, is seen in The Smiths music video where they discuss the discrimination and fear of being gay within the 80's. Even from the 1980's the target audience for the Indie genre are within the 'strugglers' physiographic and use music as a form of escapism. The message the Indie genre put forward to their audience has changed slightly depending on their target audience. This is seen in 'Fall Out Boys - Dance, Dance' lyrics due to them conforming to a younger audience. However, due to Indie conforming to both young and older individuals this varies the lyrics they put forward.
Throughout the eras to present day, Indie music has become a whole platform which incorporates other genres such as alternative rock. This form of subgenres has been seen more through present artists such as Arctic Monkeys. The use of subgenres broadens the target audience of the artists due to the music conforming to a wider market. When carrying out my own production, I too will be using different successful conventions of other genres when incorporating factors into my work as this will broaden my target audience and conform to other individuals who fall into the Indie rock category.
Other influences from genres such as the way the artist portrays themselves through their appearance is an evolving factor within Indie rock. It started in the 80's where their main influence was the flower power movement most popular in the 60's. The fashion then progressed into more casual wear which led the focus to be more on the lyrics of the song, for example in the 'Green Day - Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)' song, where the main vocalist is seen to be wearing a black pullover and jeans. With further development looking into the fashion inspiration, Indie have adapted their genre in a more alternative, rock overall appearance, as seen in the image of Arctic Monkeys and Fall Out Boy.
Conventions within editing has stuck to its original basis whereby extreme close up shots are what emphasise the emotion being put across. However, factors within postproduction have adapted due to fast cuts being added into the video to separate locations and make the video more enticing and grip the audience. It is seen that the editing from the 80's in The Smiths music video for 'This Charming Man' is simplistic and doesn't add anything to the video. However in the 2014 music video of Arctic Monkeys in their 'Arabella' music video, editing plays an important role in setting the overall atmosphere. This may be down to the higher level of technology and editing equipment.
Lighting plays an ongoing, important part to music videos due to it setting the overall atmosphere. The symbolism of light has stayed the same from the outset and hasn't adapted in any way. Inspiration for my own production has been taken from how light can portray a certain emotion and inflict one onto the viewer.
However, a factor which has adapted within the music videos is the filter added onto the shot. Black and white filters are now seen to be conventional in modern Indie bands as it is conforming to old, retro styles of music, again emphasising how Indie is out of modernised, mainstream genre of music. Black and white filters can instantly cause an audience member who is unaware of the band to not view the video due to it looking too old and not their music taste. This could be a weakness for the band due to the vintage feel scaring away potential audience members.
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