Miss Georgiou - Research into my chosen music genre

I have decided to branch out into the indie music genre for when coming to create my music video alongside my group. I feel as if this genre would be the best to branch out to due to a number of reasons, including the diversity which can be included within the video in regards to conventions, alongside filming restrictions. I am particularly interested in the indie music genre as it is more unique to that of the other potential genres which I could pick, to which with this genre what can be included throughout can be more diverse and offbeat to that of other genres characteristics.

I have decided to choose one of the indie artist Hoozier's song "take me to church" to look at, to which within the music video a large number of conventions. The song and music video itself is incredibly popular, receiving a large number of views on YouTube and being present on music channels and radio stations frequently. 

The first convention I have identified within the music video which is very common throughout the indie music genre is the inclusion of having retro items throughout, and giving the song and music video itself to have a old feel towards it. A clear example of this is evident at the very beginning of the music video throughout the presence of having an old fashioned music player, although alongside this there are multiple other examples of retro equipment which can be seen throughout the duration of the video. This could be done for a number of reasons, first of which could be to create an old fashioned feel towards the video, to which could assist towards the portrayal of the narrative which can be seen throughout. This could also be done to assist with showing additional emotion of the people within the music video. This is generic for the indie music genre, as the songs and music videos for such often show a narrative throughout (which is present throughout this), to which portraying more feeling through the use of visuals which is made possible through the presence of the music video, it enables for a fuller experience for the viewer, making it generally more appealing for the target audience.

Another convention which can be seen throughout the video, which links towards the video supporting Goodwin's music theory, which is the presence of having a narrative which is portrayed throughout the duration of the video. This is evident here, as from the beginning to the very end go of the video, the visuals gradually progress from the beginning of the video to the end. Evidence of the visuals progressing can be seen through the use of editing, specifically a jump cut to which the group of youths arrive at the older adults house. Due to the use of the black and white throughout the video which appears to be another genre convention of indie videos, this enables for the story to have a dark and retro feel towards it, to which appealing towards the target audience of that of indie music fans aged 15 and onwards. This is as it makes the narrative come across as being unorthodox, giving it a different specific through the use of change in saturation of the visuals, to which the viewer may appreciate due to the authenticity created through doing this, making the video for a mainstream song offbeat and different. This is as despite it containing genre conventions throughout, some conventions which many would expect to be included aren't present, the main one being the artist not being present throughout, as well as the lack of having no musical instruments throughout.

The last convention which I have identified throughout the music video is related towards the setting of the music video, to which the visuals which can be seen throughout are that of urban settings, which consist of parks, pathways, residential areas and such. This is can be specifically seen near the later segments of the song, to which streets, paths and the residential areas can be seen as being the main settings, although at the beginning the settings are still of broken down and urban areas. This is conventional of the indie genre as the settings and locations which are present throughout are often of a low budget, which is done for a number of reasons. One main reason which isn't in fact present in this music video is to enable for the main focus of the visuals to be upon the artist and there performance, although neither of which are present. Despite this, another way in which this is usually used is present within the video, which is to enable for the visuals to focus upon the narrative, making the viewer focus more upon the story. Having the low budget settings is also done as the shots are easy to gather, to which being able to portray a mysterious and dark setting, which links towards the nature of the narrative throughout the video. This is appealing towards the target audience as the use of these settings makes the audience find the narrative of the video more engaging. 

Throughout the music video, the use of mise-en-scene has a multiple number of purposes behind it, to which within this particular music video it is to convey certain feelings towards the target audience and the viewer. One example which can be gathered from throughout is that of the use of the bomb fire at the beginning of the video, relating towards the positioning of the characters and items within the frame. Having this straight at the beginning of the music video directly in the middle of the frame, being the focus establishes the nature of the music video straight from the off for the viewer, through the negative associations which are usually connected with fires and flames, often with violence. For this reason, this is appealing towards the target audience as it caters this directly towards the viewer at the beginning, being the main focus and alerting them towards the feeling of the music video at the beginning. This is conventional to the indie genre due to the presence of focusing the visuals upon something of connoted meaning, as indie songs and music videos often work upon the principal of portraying emotion towards the audience, or a message or value.

Within the video, in regards to mise-en-scene once again, the use of settings and location in which the video is shown is done to the purpose of assisting with the portrayal of the narrative which can be seen throughout, making the lyrics and visuals of the video correlate. As mentioned previously, the locations which are featured are that of urban areas, be that streets and residential areas, to which can be specifically seen near the middle segment of the narrative and music video. This has multiple purposes towards it relating to both the conventions of the genre as well as its appeal towards the target audience. Firstly it is a very common convention which is seen throughout the indie genre, to which the settings are often very cheap and easy to film, either for the sake of the artist being small and reasonably unknown, which isn't the case of this video, however the other purpose is that it relates to the song and the atmosphere and setting which would be associated with such. This is appealing towards the target audience as they are able to see a accurate portrayal of the narrative and concept which is trying to be portrayed through the everyday and urban settings, to which are relatable also as the settings aren't unfamiliar to the audience, which may enable for the message of the video to be shown in a clearer light.

The use of the element within mise-en-scene of costumes, hair and makeup, similar to that of the visuals of the location links towards the narrative of the video and general feel which is shown throughout to the viewer. The artist is not present within the video so the portrayal of them isn't evident, however the actors which are present throughout the video can be seen very dull coloured clothing, every day wear. This could potentially be done for a multiple number of reasons, firstly relating towards the indie genre and conventions, as well as the general purpose of the video. Throughout the genre, it is stereotypical for the actors to be wearing this clothing for the reason of the videos often being very budget and realistic to everyday life, to which is evident throughout the visuals behind the video. Through the portrayal of the characters which is achieved through this, it is appealing towards the target audience through the relatable element which is achieved through such, portraying those throughout the video as being everyday people which may result in the viewer/ listener to relate to the lyrics.

The people that can be seen on screen during the duration of the music videos facial expressions and body language often mimic that of the feeling in which they are portraying towards the viewer. Once again the only facial expressions and body language which can be seen is that of the external actors, to which it is evident that both of which are done to portray there emotions towards the viewer. An example of this can be taken near the beginning segment of the music video where one of the characters can be seen with a stern and unpleased facial expression, to which is shown during the part in which he is watching a gay couple meet each other. This clearly demonstrates his displease for what is happening on screen, to which is portrayed to the viewer. As songs within the indie genre are often heavily based upon narrative and concept, the portrayal of the characters emotions through the use of visuals is appealing towards the target audience as it gives them a reason to want to watch the music video oppose to just listening to the song.

Overall, the Lighting and colour of the music video would be considered as being very generic and conventional to that of the indie genre, the video starting and ending with having a black and white effect added in. This is a feature which seems to be apparent throughout a very large portion of music videos belonging to the indie genre, making it a very common convention, and with good reason and purpose behind it. In this particular instance, through the constantly eerie visuals, this portrays a dark atmosphere of the video as a whole to the viewer. This is beneficial as the concept behind the music video and portrayal of this is rather dark, which corresponds with the visuals. This is beneficial to the viewer as it gives them a more impacting music video to watch due to the change in lighting, making the overall portrayal of feelings impact more apparent. Another reason as to why this element is convention relates back to the production of the video itself, the indie genre often having low budget videos which have a retro feel, to which the black and white only assists with giving the video a retro element to it, as well as it coming across as being dull/ plain. This may come across as giving the video a cheap feel to it because of the colourless visuals, as high budget music videos are often very bright and colourful.

Throughout the video, there are a number of main camera shots which are frequently included throughout the duration of the video, two types noticeably being the most commonly used. The first of which is the use of using mid shots, which is done on a number of occasions. One I gathered in particular was that of an old fashioned style TV. Not being the only instance in which this shot is used, the purpose of it in this instance could possible relate to the visibility of the surrounding setting and the visuals on the television itself. As the camera isn't fully zoomed in towards the visuals, it allows for the viewer to see that the television is that of one which would be expected of have been found during the 1990s or around that type of time. This may have relevance as the presence of the television itself relates towards a common convention of the indie genre mentioned previously of being that the videos often have a retro items within them, and are often cheap and low budget. Through this the item of the television can be seen alongside the visuals on the TV itself, from doing this allowing for the portrayal of the narrative and concept to be easier.

Another camera shot which is frequently used throughout the music video is that of a close up/ extreme close up, to which this is often done to capture the facial expressions of the characters throughout the music video. As mentioned previously, an example to take from this is that of the man witnessing the gay couple meet each other. Through enabling the facial expression of the character to be seen, it allows for the viewer to get a greater insight towards the emotions of the characters, which in turn makes for a better narrative. This is beneficial towards the viewer as they get a more interactive and more impacting experience of the music video through this.

There are a multiple number of editing styles which are evident throughout, two of which being more noticeable than the others. The first of which being the use of jump cuts, more noticeably at the beginning of the music video to which the camera changes from focusing upon the fire, then changing to focus to the character present throughout the video, in the beginning riding his bike. Through jumping the scenery from the fire to the character, the connecting the two could relate towards the conflict in the character throughout the video and narrative, due to the conflicting images which are seen. This is appealing towards the target audience as it demonstrates a potential connoted meaning behind the visuals and choice of editing styles, to which is catered towards the target audience as it is that of an older and more mentally developed audience. This is conventional to the indie general as through the use of this editing style, the portrayal of a deeper meaning is evident, to which indie songs often go out to portray said deeper meanings towards the target audience, catering it towards them through providing an intellectual appeal.

The second editing style which is evident throughout the music video is that of fast editing, which occurs near the later end of the music video. This is done to collate a large number of shots in quick succession to speed up the visuals on screen, to which what can be seen is the beginning of the end of the developing narrative. Through doing this, it is appealing towards the target audience as it keeps them on edge in regards to the visuals, also by doing so drawing more significance towards them. The use of fast editing within this music video is conventional to the indie genre, as it once again draws more significance towards the visuals and the story that is being told, allowing for a generally more exciting and entertaining experience for potential younger viewers as the target audience for this video is wider than that of other indie artists due to the songs popularity, for which reason segments such as this appeal towards those outside of the common indie genre fan base.

The target audience by Hoosier for his music video "take me to church" more likely leans more towards it being that of an older group of people, potentially ranging from older teenagers to middle aged people. I believe this is due to the conventions which are present throughout the video, and because of the song belonging to the indie genre. This is as fans of the indie genre usually are that of an older audience, usually due to the nature of the songs and the elements which can be found throughout. Because of this, the conventions which are done to cater towards the target audience are things such as the video having retro items/ themes shown throughout, and for a large amount of indie music videos being that they are edited to be black and white. Retro items are present throughout the video, alongside the visuals being edited to be black and white, as well as the concept behind the video being portray is that of an adult nature. For these reasons, it is clearly evident that the music video is catered towards an audience of people aged potentially from 21 - over for these reasons.

The artist Hoosier is not in fact present throughout this music video of his, which is in fact very unconventional of the indie genre and music videos as a whole. Due to this, it could in fact portray the artist in a certain way despite them not in fact being present in screen. This is as it may show him as wishing to go against convention and to provide with different and unorthodox content, possibly showing him as wishing to be different to that of other artists within the indie genre, without staying too far away from conventions through the presence of very common ones such as having the visuals as being black and white. This could have been done for the reasoning behind the video and the concept, as having the artist performing on screen may cause the viewers attention to be take away from the visuals of that and focusing towards the artist instead. Despite this, this could portray the artist and possibly being insecure or simply not wishing to show himself in this particular video, wanting his viewers and fan base to focus upon the lyrics and visuals more than the artist.

The music video follows the style of being heavily narrative based, having no performances being present throughout as the artist is not in fact present throughout the visuals, and there is no clear concept behind the video although there are a few ideas which could possibly be getting connoted towards the viewer and target audience. As mentioned previously, through not having the artist on screen this could be done to assist towards the portrayal of the narrative. Having segments in which the artist is present on screen playing an instrument for example may drift the viewers attention away from potentially the main aspect of the video, being the visuals of the narrative. Through doing this, it makes it apparent that the important elements of the video come through the lyrics of the song itself, as well as the visuals and ideals of the music video.

Goodwin's music theory points are present during a number of segments throughout the video, although as the song and music genre falls into the indie genre, the visuals and ideas behind the video are rather abstract so only a number of aspects which would be expected to be present throughout a standard music video are present. One of which that is evident through a number of music videos is that of the video often having an element of having inter textual reference. This is evident on a number of occasions, one particular example which can be taken is that of the television which can be seen near the later end of the music video. This is conventional to the indie genre as the budgets for the music videos are often low, so forms of low key advertisement such as this could be done to provide for addition income for the artist to enable for better content in the future. Although, as this video got such a large number of views, and the artist is well known for it now, the use of having inter textual reference throughout must have been beneficial due to the number of people which have viewed it.

Another Goodwin's theory point which is evident throughout is that of the presence of the music video having a concept, performance and narrative. This is as throughout this music video, it is evident that there is a concept behind the video, as well there being a narrative for the viewer, although despite this there is no performance which can be seen due to the artist not being present on the video. This is conventional to the indie genre as if the videos aren't centred around the artist and there performance, it often gravitates towards being based upon a deeper meaning, and a narrative which is appealing towards the target audience.

The next music video I shall look at is "When the night comes falling from the sky" by Bob Dylan, to which falls under the indie genre also. One noticeable element straight from the off within this video

Throughout the music video, there are a number of codes and conventions of the indie genre which are present throughout the video. As mentioned previously, the one which was most noticeable to myself in comparison to the previous video is that the artist is actually present within this one, and can be seen performing to the viewer. This is a very common convention of music videos as a whole, however more so for the indie genre do the songs often conveying a lot of emotion through the lyrics, which emits off the artist and there performance. Also, as solo indie artists aren't usually particularly popular or run on a low budget, through having there face present throughout a lot of the video it makes for a form of advertisement as the artists face may get more well known and get more exposure from this. Having the artists performance being seen on the video is appealing towards the viewer also as fans of the artist get to actually see the artist performance the songs with visuals alongside the lyrics, which may assist towards fully portraying the emotions of the song. Also, through having live performances present as the music video, this may entice people that enjoyed the music video to buy a concert ticket to watch them live, benefiting the artist through having a larger fan base and more income.

Throughout the video, the settings and props which are used are certainly conventional to the indie music genre, and music videos as a whole. Throughout many segments of the song, the artist and there back up performers can be seen using musical instruments, specifically drum sets and guitars. Both of which are often present throughout the overwhelming majority of music videos which fall into the indie genre, unless the artist isn't present throughout and the video is heavily narrative or concept based. Through this mise-en-scene use in particular, it enables for the artist to identify the music video as being conventional as they would expect for the artist to be using such props throughout the video. For this reason it is appealing towards the target audience as the music video doesn't stray far away from convention this way, due to this being an element with music videos which are essential for the most part when it comes to a music video which is heavily centred around performance an visuals.

Within the music video, the use of costumes, hair and makeup is conventional to that of the indie genre and is what the viewer would expect to find when watching the music video. The clothing of everyone before performing on stage is very basic and dull, being more everyday wear. Through doing this, it portrays them as being down to earth individuals. This is appealing towards the target audience as they may be able to relate to the artist and the back up performers because of this, due to there down to earth and everyday portrayal. This is conventional to the indie genre as the artists as individuals are rarely ever shown as being an extraordinary person or star, enabling for the audience to relate to them, which can make them potentially relate to there songs as indie songs are often either personal or have a large degree of emotion behind them, making the viewer possibly be able to appreciate this more because of it coming across in a relatable way.

The facial expressions and body language of the characters throughout are often shown as being either glum or happy, being no noticeable instance of there being one in between. During shots in which the artist is present and they are performing of stage, he and his back up performers are shown as having positive body language and facial expressions, portraying them as being happy. In one particular shot which can be seen near the end of the music video in which a girl is shown with a glum facial expression (possibly linking towards a potential narrative of the video), her emotions are clearly shown towards the viewer. This is conventional of the indie genre as they are often known as showing a high degree of emotion throughout the songs, through the use of both the lyrics and incorporating them into a music video, the visuals of such further emphasising the feelings the characters are showing throughout in a clearer light. This is appealing towards the target audience and viewer of the video as the artist is portrayed as being happy, to which provides with generally a happier viewing experience, paired alongside the emotions of others throughout.



The lighting and colour of the music video is noticeable instantly straight from the off as being similar to that of the previous video, having a black and white affect filtered onto the video. This is very conventional of the indie genre and is present through a large number of indie genre music videos, to which is done for a number of reasons. As the songs often portray a retro feel towards them, this assists in doing so, the songs doing this as they often correlate towards the lyrics, and in this case the artist and there style of music, as Bob Dylan is a rather old indie artist to which his content reflects this. This is appealing towards the target audience which the majority of indie songs cater towards an older target audience of being 18- due to the elements and conventions which are seen throughout, so through making the visuals black and white this enables for an old fashioned like experience which gives the video and authentic feel, potentially making the lyrics seem more appealing and meaningful for the viewer.

The positioning of characters/ objects in the frame within this particular music video doesn't have that strong of an impact towards the viewer in comparison to the other elements of mise-en-scene which are used. An example in which this is used however can be taken from the positioning of the characters when they are performing on stage to the crowd, to which the artist Bob Dylan is placed directly in the middle of the set of performers. This is done to have the main focus upon the artist, which correlates with the video and indie genre as the artist is often the main aspect within the video. Having the artist as the main focus has a large number of benefits towards such, both relating to the artist themselves and the target audience, making them to be more of a presence in general which allows for the viewer to gain a better perspective on them. For these benefits of the positioning of the characters this is conventional to the genre and music videos as a whole, allowing for multiple benefits for both parties; the audience and artist.

Throughout the music video, there are multiple instances that can be take in which cinemagraphy use is evident through the use of camera shots, to which where some are used more than others throughout the video and that are commonly used throughout indie genre music videos. The first of which that can be take is the use of close ups/ extreme close ups, specific examples which can be taken from the video being of the artist Bob Dylan during his performance segment near the later end of the video. This is done to show the artist as being the main focus, giving the viewer a better perspective of them, to which is conventional of the indie genre; having the artist as the main viewpoint. This is beneficial for the audience as they get a better perspective on the artist, being able to see there performance through the visuals and there facial expressions.

Another camera shot which is used on a number of occasions is that of a low angle shot, more often during segments in which the artist is performing, which is evident near the later segment of the music video. This is a common camera shot across music videos as a whole and many different forms of visual media, to which it portrays the individual as looking superior and generally bigger. This is conventional to music videos and the indie genre as it shows the artist in an extraordinary light, which is evident throughout this.


Within this music video by Bob Dylan, alongside the use of cinematography, mise-en-scene and various other media techniques, multiple different editing styles. One of which that is used on a multiple number of occasions is that of a jump cut, from which the camera goes from the originally setting of the bus seen at the beginning of the music video, to that of the artist and back up performers performing on stage. This drastic change in visuals draws more attention to the viewer, alerting them to the change in scenery. Because of this it enables them to once again be the focus of the views. This is beneficial for the audience as it draws there attention towards the artist, giving them a fresh new image to focus upon, and being that of the main element of the song and video.

Similar to that of the previous video shown, I believe the target audience of this particular music video by Bob Dylan is similar, although not exactly the same. As the previous artists video had received such a large amount of publicity and was generally very popular amongst a large number of different sub cultures, it still appealed towards your standard indie audience although it was able to branch out from just this. Within this video, the focus is more upon that of the visuals of the performance of the artist oppose to the narrative or a potential meaning behind it, for that reason being more conventional towards that of the indie genre as the majority of the focus is upon the artists themselves. For this reason the target audience would be that of a mature group of those aged 18 and over, due to a number of elements which are found throughout, to which are present for the reason of appealing towards the target audience and viewer.

Throughout the video, unlike the previous music video the artist is present, for this reason the portrayal of them is evident through the onscreen visuals. Bob Dylan is portrayed in a number of ways throughout the video, originally being shown as being ordinary, to them being shown as being extraordinary. This occurs when at the beginning he is shown wearing standard everywhere clothing alongside his back up performers, to which shortly after this he and the others are shown on stage, to which they are accompanied by a large crowd of fans watching them and people attempting to watch them. For this reason, it appeals towards the audience in a number of ways through the divide which is created through this. From the artist as being portrayed as both ordinary and extraordinary, it makes relatable, but also to the point where the viewer can aspire to be like them as they are still shown in this slightly higher light. This is conventional to the indie genre as there is often a connection/ relationship created between the artist and viewer, which is achieved through the relatable aspect of such.

When it comes to the style of the music video being shown, it is subjective as to whether or not the music video has a narrative towards it  as there is one instance which hints towards this, however one style which is clearly evident is that of performance. This is as the artist can be seen at the middle and end segments of the song performing it while playing his instrument. In regards to the potential narrative, near the segments in which the artist is playing, a young woman (seen through the use of shallow focus) can be seen looking glum, to which she is shown to the viewer a number of times throughout watching the performance, to which near the end she is shown walking off. Having an element of performance is conventional to that of music videos as a whole, although more so with the indie genre and especially solo artists as the focus of the song and lyrics are often upon them, being beneficial for promotional reasons and audience benefits. An audience benefit of this is that they can watch the artist perform the song live, enabling for them to see the emotion which the artists portray throughout and there ability in regards to playing there instrument's, all of which is beneficial as this cant be achieved through just the song alone.

Throughout the video, some of Goodwin's music theory points are evidently seen. The one which is most evident is that of the song primarily being narrative, concept or performance based. As mentioned previously, despite the potential possibility for a narrative being shown and there being a lack of a concept, one element which is seen and that's evident throughout is that of being performance. A particular example of this can be taken near the later end of the music video, to which the rest of the song is a performance from the artist and back up performers. This is conventional to the indie genre and evident throughout a large number of indie songs, for the reason being the multiple benefits of the artist being the main focus. Although this aspect of Goodwin's theory is present, no other examples appear to be present throughout.


Summary

The research I have conducted into the chosen music genre of my choice (the indie genre) will assist me towards planning my own music video, to which giving me an idea of what already exists within that field of music, to which enabling me to gather what is expected to be present throughout my video, as well as whether or not I want to opt to follow or go against certain conventions and whether or not this will fit in with the type of video I wish to create. It has also given me an insight into the multiple different conventions which are present throughout some videos but not others, to which seeing when certain ones are applicable depending on what target audience I am aiming to appeal towards.
There are a number of ideas/ inspirations I have gathered through this research. Through watching and analysing a large number of indie genre songs, one convention which I have found which appears to be present in a large number of them is that of changing the visuals to being black and white, which is an idea which I may propose to my group, discussing the possibility of having the visuals within our music video to be consistently black and white.