Planning Cinematography - Miss Miller

Cinematography is vital when creating any type of media. In reference to a music video, it is essential because it makes the video look more interesting due to the different shots, angles and positioning seen. Without different types of cinematography in a music video, it will be boring and become un successful due to there not being a target audience watching it. Therefore, cinematography brings the music video to life and conveys the hidden messages behind each shot that may link to the narrative, concept or performance seen. It also is essential when showing different things for example a long shot shows the setting of the music video. Additionally, the use of cinematography helps convey different emotions and connotations within the music video which help give the audience a further understanding of the music video and what it is trying to convey.

The first camera technique my group will have in our music video, is close up shots. A close up is a camera shot that tightly frames of an object or a persons face (unless specified otherwise). A close up will be used to show the artist singing as it will help establish her current emotion as the audience will see this through her facial expressions. This will help build a relationship between the artist and the audience as it'll present the artist as expressive and the emotions conveyed could be understood by the audience and create empathy from the audience. A close up will also be used to show the characters facial expressions for example the artists partners facial expression could be looking quite annoyed as she does not want to fully expose their relationship when they're in public. Close ups are conventional to the indie genre because it represents emotion in the music video, and artists from this genre usually sing about something that is close to them, therefore the use of close ups emphasises this. I have seen this shot been used in other indie music video and I agree that it helps give deeper meanings in the music video, which get the audience thinking and maybe relating to the artist with her situation. The use of having close ups in our music video will represent our artist as open, genuine and expressive. She'll be represented as open because the close up allows her to express her feelings and emotions through her facial expressions that'll accompany her singing to give deeper meaning. Also, she will be portrayed as genuine because she is not hiding anything from her audience and they'll feel as if she can trust them, create a relationship between her and the audience.

To continue, the second camera technique that'll be used in our music video is a side view positioning. This is simply a shot that is positioned from the side of the object or person. The camera will be positioned on the side when were shooting the partner leaving the artist after hugging at the end of the video. The use of this side view will portray the partner walking away fully and the artists facial expressions to her walking away which will be sad. This will help the audience relate with the artist especially with the situation of wanting to be with someone but also at the same time having to let them go. A side view is conventional to the indie genre as it shows the location the characters are and also their facial expressions and body language from a side view that may make the viewers feel like they are there witnessing the action. The use of this positioning of the camera will represent our artist as in love, caring as it'll show her being all focused on her partner and looking sad when she leaves which shows that she's in love and always wants to be with her.

Thirdly, we will use a tilt shot (Vertical pan), which is a shot that is used to capture a feel of motion why keeping a moving subject in a sharp focus. However, since were doing a vertical panning shot, our camera will move vertically (toes to head) at the dancers. This will be used when the ballerinas are dancing and it'll introduce them in a interesting way. Horizontal panning shots are conventional to the indie genre due to it following a person around for example walking in the street. However we are going to challenge this convention and make ours a vertical pan, so that the dancers are shown fully which could represent the artist as having nothing to hide and willing to tell her story through the movements of the dancers. Furthermore, the vertical pan will represent our artist as an open book and creative. She's represented as these two descriptions because the creativity of having dancers visually dance the emotions within the narrative shows that she has different ways of communicating to her audience, and also she's represented as an open book due to her sharing her emotions and experiences through the dancing with the viewers. 

Another camera technique that my group are considering to include is a hand held shot. This shot is a filmmaking or video production technique in which a camera is held in the camera persons hands as opposed to being mounted on a tripod or other base. A hand held shot will be used when the couple are walking in the camden market where they'll be seen from the back or side. The use of this camera shot will show what the artist and her lover are doing and also show the scenery in which they're in. The reason why we have chosen to include a hand held shot in particular for this scene, is so the audience feel like they're apart of the video and are walking with them which could lead to a sense of realism. In addition, the unsteadiness will not portray the scene as steady and could help convey the business of the market which makes it relatable for the audience if they have been to a market. The hand held shot will represent our artist as ordinary as it'll show her walking in the market doing everyday things and make her look like she's one of the members of public and not a celebrity singer. This could create a relationship between the artist and the audience, as they will feel that they can relate to her in the music video with the activity of going to a normal market, therefore portraying naturalness. 

Last but not least, the camera technique that we will include in our music video is a high angle shot. A high angle shot is simply a camera shot that is positioned from above and shows the object or person below it. We will use this shot when the couple are seen playing with the firework sparklers in the bonfire scene. The use of the high angle will highlight the couple as being the most important in the scene by acting like a spotlight for them. High angle shots are conventional to the indie genre as it they help convey an object or person as inferior because they are portrayed as small. In reference to my music video, the high angle will represent the artist as vulnerable and oblivious. This is because it'll illustrate her as being focused on her partner and unaware of the things going around her. Therefore portraying the artist as emotionally invested into her partner because they're seen form a high angle shot which illuminates their connection together and how they're exposed. The use of this high angle shot will help build a relationship between the artist and the audience as it showcases the artist as being content in her relationship, which some could relate to if they were in a relationship. 


I believe our target audience will be able to build a relationship with our artist through the different types of cinematography included within our music video. Having carrying out the target audience research, this helped us choose the types of shots to include in our music video, as they were most favoured. For example a close up and long shots were proposed by the audience as they felt these were conventional to the indie genre for showing the artists facial expressions and setting that they're in to convey the narrative or concept well. Shots such as close ups and a side view positioning help give a personal feeling in the scene so that the audience get an insight on what the artist is feeling. For example, close ups show the facial expressions of the artist and characters which reflects the emotional state their in and tell the narrative through their expressions. Planning cinematography has ensured us with some camera shots that we believe the audience expect to see and be conventional to the indie genre, as well as help convey our narrative in a interesting way. For example, the high angle showing the artist as vulnerable, happy and joyful with her girlfriend in the bonfire scene playing with sparklers, helps show the part of the narrative where we show the good memories they have. 

Digipak Analysis - Miss Georgiou

A digipak is a a type of packaging for CDs or DVDs, typically made from cardboard with an internal plastic holder for one of more discs. The difference between a digipak and a CD album is that a digipak has 6 sides, whereas a CD album has 4 and has most of the detail is solely on front and the back. The reason why digipak's have 6 sides is because it allows more opportunity for visible artwork, information (such as lyrics) or promotions. Digipak's usually contain a letter/note from the artist directly to the fans, giving it a more 'personal feel' and insight to their lives. The digipak I have chosen to analyse is Gabrielle Aplin's English Rain album. This is because my artist, Birdy does not have a digipak and Gabrielle Aplin is a similar artist to her. So by analysing Gabrielle Aplin's digipak, this will help assist me with ideas on what to include in mine based on the knowledge I have gained from this research. 

The digipak cover for English rain deluxe edition, shows Gabrielle Aplin in the middle but far away in the distance on a beach. Her name and the album name is near the top, where as the text ' Deluxe Edition' is positioned at the bottom. Firstly, the artist is represented as an introvert, simplistic and innocent through the use of mise en scene. She is represented as an introvert because she is seen alone in a dark setting as the clouds are grey and the sand is black. The greyness connotes quietness, reserved and calmness as it is a neutral colour which could foreshadow that the album is going to be these traits which is conventional to the indie genre, as the songs are usually calm and reserved to the artist and their audience. As Gabrielle is holding a rainbow umbrella, this can show that she is happy when she's alone because the bright colours of the umbrella contrasts the setting. Therefore, the artist is represented as an introvert due to her hiding most of her body with a rainbow coloured umbrella. This attracts an audience as the juxtaposition of the dark setting and her umbrella emphasises her position in the middle, which makes the audience focus on her. The use of this is conventional to the indie genre, as artists usually convey themselves in isolated places however they would stand out from this isolated place with the use of colours or positioning. Also, the umbrella connotes a sense of protection for the artist, as she holds it pointing directly to the camera showing the bright colours whereas her surroundings are dark. This could represent her as not letting negativity get to her through her positive armour which is indicated through the umbrella, and represents her as optimistic as she uses this positivity that she has to get by in the world, even if it is dark or ominous. Furthermore, the artist is represented as innocent through the use of the rainbow umbrella and colourful balloons in the digipak. The use of the rainbow umbrella and colourful balloons portray her as innocent, as balloons and umbrellas are usually associated with children due to the 'fun' aspects with using them e.g playing with balloons. Also, the balloons may represent Gabrielle Aplin as free and happy because balloons connotes happiness, celebration and justice, which therefore shows her as independent. This is conventional to the indie genre as artists from this genre usually are from an independent record label, so the artists are more in control of how they want their music to be distributed and made, that's why indie music videos often convey personal messages from the artist to the audience. In consequence, it'll help build a relationship between the artists and the audience, as they portray themselves as free willed and unrestricted which shows them as powerful and real which the audience could admire about them, and see them as genuine. 
The choice of images for the artist are subversive to the indie genre, especially when presenting the artist. Gabrielle is seen in the digipak twice and in these shots she is seen from a distance through a long shot and a high angle shot. Firstly, in the front cover of the album we see her through an extreme long shot that shows her hiding behind an umbrella only showing her face but from a distance, so its hard to see her facial expressions clearly. The use of this created enigma as you may be able to see her whole body, but not fully as the umbrella is in the way and she is far in the distance. This is unconventional to the indie genre, as artist usually use close shots such as long shots and close ups to promote themselves due to the majority of artists in this genre being unknown. Whereas, Gabrielle challenges this by incorporating a long shot but not showing herself fully, which could represent her as shy and reserved. This shows the impression of Gabrielle not being bothered about the fame and only focused about the music she's putting out, which makes her look genuine and passionate about her music which could make the audience build a relationship with her as they feel she is being real with her music and letting them in without the stardom. The second image, is in the 3 sides inside the digipak that shows a cliff and Gabrielle walking on the beach holding the coloured balloons through a high angle shot. The use of this high angle shot represents her as inferior, vulnerable and oblivious which could also imply that her music showcases her raw emotions and that she is letting her audience in to explore these organic emotions and experiences expressed in her music. This helps build a relationship with the audience as they believe that she is being legitimate and sincere with her music and makes them understand more about her as she is seen as being honest towards them.

There are two CD's included in the digipak, one with an image of rainbow coloured umbrella shot from above and the other with colourful balloons. The choice of images are two props. The use of having the iconography that portray vibrant vibes and happiness suggest to the audience that what they're going to listen to will cheer them up or make them happy as it contrasts the rest of the album which is dark. Also, having iconography as the image on the CD's instead of the artist, shows that Gabrielle does not care to be seen and is only focused on making her audience happy with her music. The CD illustrates the playful ideology of the album through the images of balloons and the bird eye view of an umbrella. The use of the pastel colours represent her as delicate, feminine and the season spring which could foreshadow what the album will include. Furthermore, the pastel colours connote calm and peacefulness which could foretell how the songs will be on the album. In relation, to the pastel colours they represent the artists girlie and feminine personality, making the album a more personal creation due to it illustrating elements of her personality which the audience can acknowledge.  

The colours in the digipak are black,grey, white and multi pastel colours (e.g yellow, pink and blue of the balloons and umbrella). The dark colours are used in the setting which seems to be a sea side and cliff, and the bright colours are seen on the artist through iconography, balloons and umbrella. The use of the dark colours gives a feeling of a gloomy, dark, unpleasant day, but for Gabrielle she seems to be happy in this atmosphere as she is jumping about in the rain with her umbrella. This connotes that she brings life to a gloomy, dull day which portrays her in a positive light, which the audience could cherish about her as an artist. The use of this attracts the audience because it makes her stand out and shows her as a happy person even when its a bad day. The back of the the digipak is grey and dark grey. This seems very dark and gloomy which connotes the representation of a rainy day as it gets grey when it rains which also relates back to the title of the album "English Rain". 

Her name and the album name are seen at the top of the digipak cover and the CD's. The use of the the typography being placed at the top continuously promotes the artist as her name is seen in capitals where as the album title is in lowercase. The purpose of her name being in capitals is so that it grabs the audience attention and reminds them of her name, so that they wont forget. This is conventional to the indie genre, as it helps promote the artist name as indie artists are usually low key, for example Lorde placed her name at the top of her Pure Heroine album. Moving on to the typography, there are two types of ways in which the same font is seen in this digipak. Firstly, the artists name is in the quirky font but capitalised to show importance to her name and make sure it grabs the audiences attention. However, the album title 'english rain' is in lower case and looks cursive which gives a personal touch to the album, as it suggests its her own handwriting. The use of this cursive font for the album title represents her as patriotic as its in a handwriting font which implies that she is proud of the being English, and rain is usually associated with the UK's weather.

Furthermore, we see the typography that looks handwritten and states 'Gabrielle x'  above the umbrella on the sand. The typography looks as if it was her actual signature which gives a personal finish to the digipak as it illustrates that her album is personal and how she is willing to share it with her fans or audience. Also, the use of having 'x' below her name further connotes the personal, intimate senses as x are seen as kisses and are often used when people are showing love to someone. This could be interpreted as Gabrielle showing love to the audience through her music and makes it seem more exclusive to them as they feel like they share a bond with her. Therefore creating a relationship between the artist and audience through the signature and 'x' as it shows her dedication to her fans and how she values and cares about them. 
The style of language that is used in this digipak is quite vague and simplistic. The majority of the language used is straightforward as it just states her name throughout the digipak e.g front cover, CDs and the back cover. The use of this is to promote the artist throughout and get straight to the point so that it doesn't make the audience feel like their wasting their time. Also, the only other language that is used in the digipak, is the album title it self 'English Rain'. The adjective English connotes her patriotically as it emphasises on where she is from and makes it look more personal. The adjective is accompanies the noun Rain as it describes it as being something from England and also could attract the niche audience of English people as they can relate to her with experiences with 'English Rain' as it tends to rain a lot in this area. Therefore, by using this basic style of language it makes the audience intrigued in what is included in the music so they will listen to it to find out the further hidden meanings behind the title 'English Rain'.

The digipak promotes the indie genre in numerous ways. Firstly, the grey scale filter that is seen in the setting that she is in is conventional to the indie genre as it gives the audience a hint of what is to be included in the album in terms of themes that are quite depressing through the use of the colour. This is because of the connotations with the colours grey,black and white and these connote  that there is going to be an emotional scenario included in the music video. Therefore, this promotes the indie genre as black and white filters are used to show a flashback or scenario of what has happened in the artist life, which helps convey the narrative or concept that's being shown. In addition, the digipak promotes the genre through the use of setting which is a sea side. This location is a natural setting that the audience can relate to if they have been to the sea side as well. This promotes the genre as indie music videos stereotypically have a natural setting so that it conveys realism and relates to the audience. 

The ways in which the digipak promotes the artist is through typography and iconography. Firstly it promotes her through the typography as it simply states her name on the front cover, CD's and the back cover. On these places her name is in capitals and this promotes her as it stands out from the other typography and catches the audiences attention by being positioned either at the top or the middle. This is commonly used in the indie genre, for example Lana Del Rey has her name printed at the top of her Born to die and paradise deluxe edition albums. Also, the digipak includes her signature at the back which promotes her as it gives personal feel to the digipak, that appeals to the audience as they'll think its authentic and will want to buy it. In addition, the artist is promoted in this digipak through the use of iconography used e.g colourful umbrella and balloons. The colours portray a sense of positivity and happiness which implies that the artist feels this way in the album. Also the use of the colours promote the artist as lively, cheerful and vibrant which shows her quirkiness and promotes her personality through the iconography. 

Finally, the ways in which the digipak attracts the audience is through the positioning of the artist, typography and colours. The digipak attracts the audience through the positioning of the artist as Gabrielle is positioned in the middle from an extreme long shot in the front cover. The use of this highlights her importance in the frame as she is seen far away in an isolated setting which makes her the focal subject. Therefore, by having Gabrielle positioned in the middle but seen from a distance, this creates a sense of enigma and makes the audience intrigued to see her clearly so it'll attract them as they will want to find out more about her since she is not clearly shown.Moreover, the long distance shot is subversive to the indie genre, as you'd expect to see the artists through close up shots where you can see the artist clearly, however Gabrielle challenged this by making herself stand out from others through making her appearance not vivid. Also, the colours attract the audience especially through the contrast of the dark,gloomy setting with the vibrant pastel colours seen from the iconography. The use of this juxtaposition attracts to the audience as it creates a sense of excitement and curiosity to why it contrasts each other, so they will listen to the songs to see whether it links with the themes expressed on the album. Lastly, the typography attracts the audience, specifically through the signature. This is because it shows her actual signature that gives a personal touch to the album, appealing to the audience as they feel as if it is a gift to them which is intimately done, building a relationship between the artist and the audience. 

This analysis has helped me gather inspirations on what to consider including when planning my own digipak. I've learnt that iconography can be very vital when representing the artist and the themes that may be included in the album. For example Gabrielle Aplin used umbrella to show protection from the world and balloons to symbolise freedom which some of her songs could be about being free. Also, this analysis has prompt me with the knowledge on how colours are important when making a digipak, as they help connote different meanings that can represent the artist. For example, Gabrielle Aplin's digipak use of pastel colours connote calmness, relaxation and soothing, which could suggest that the artist is these traits or her music gives a sense of sanity. One thing I defiantly will try to include in my digipak, is the use of typography of the artists name being the biggest font and positioned at the top. I think this is essential for our digipak, as its a debut album and the use of this will reveal her name to the world and exaggerate her debut. I may even consider including our artists signature in the digipak or having a small letter inside for the fans. This is because I believe this will have a big impact on the sales, as the audience will be intrigued to see what the artist says in the digipak and also feel a bond with the artist as it is sentimental. Overall, this post will help me with my digipak planning as I've gained further knowledge on what to include in an Indie digipak to make is successful and conventional to the genre.   

Planning Setting & Iconography - Miss Miller

Planning the settings and iconography for a music video is vital. This is because the setting informs the audience where the artist or characters are and its connection to the narrative or concept. Setting is important when creating a music video as it helps create the atmosphere and mood, which the audience can understand more about e.g a location for a pop/dance artist the setting may be a club as this is the location where the genre usually is played. Iconography is essential in a music video as it helps create deeper meanings on whats being shown for example a candle could symbolise hope. Also, Iconography helps convey the narrative well and make the music video look interesting which makes the audience engage to it. 

The first location my group has chosen for our music video is a black Drama studio. This location will be used when the choreography from the two dancers are seen through a silhouette. The reason why we chose a drama studio to show the dancers dancing is because of the control of lighting we have in there, for instance we can change the lighting by making it completely dark when the spotlight is on the white sheet showing the dancers shadows. Also the location shows the dancers who'll portray the narrative of the video of a struggling relationship between two females, as one wants to come out as a lesbian and the other does not. The drama studio is helpful to use when conveying our music video as the low key lighting present in there will help showcase the low key lighting that is conventional in the indie genre when showing something is dark or creating enigma. The shots that will show the dancers dancing will be a long shot and a horizontal shot, this is so the audience can see the dancers portray the narrative through their movements clearly. The limitation that this location may provide is the lack of space. This is because we cannot change the space we have in there and if we want the dancers to move around a lot in the shot, a problem may occur if the drama studio is not big enough for the movements. A way to prevent this is to make sure the dancers choreography is not too extravagant and they make a dance within the space they have, this means we will have to make them practice their dance in the studio so that they know what it'll be like on the day of filming. A healthy and safety risk that the location poses is the equipment that is used in the drama studio may be in the way e.g black blocks. In this music video we may use the black blocks for the dancers to use and this may be a risk as they could possible hit themselves on the block or fall over. To prevent this from happening, we will make sure that the dancers are fully stable on the block and will have one of us stand near them incase they fall to catch them. Another risk the location may pose is wires being on the floor, this is because the room is highly technical with lights and its likely to have wires on the floor. A way to prevent any injury happening, we will make sure that the wires are carefully put to the side of our pathways so that we can successfully walk around the room without tripping over them. The weather will not affect us when filming in the Drama studio, as we will be inside. But instead of weather affecting us, a problem we may occur is the lack of time to use the space. This is because the Drama studio is a busy place that is used by students and teachers at our school, so our back up plan is to either schedule a time where we can use the room with the Drama teachers or simply record in the Dance studio instead. 

The second location that will be included in our music video, is a field. This is because it'll portray the artist as having a sense of freedom and happiness which is conventional to the indie genre as they usually freely express themselves in this location whilst running and jumping around. A field conveys the artist as being young, wild and free which will help build a relationship with the audience, as they may be similar age to her and be able to relate to what she is doing with her youthful side. There are a variety of things that will happen in this location. Firstly, we will shoot a time lapse of the clouds moving to represent new beginnings and hope in our music video. The use of this portrays the song as it is about having good memories and wishing you were back there. Our narrative portrays her concept but differently as we are having it about being in a relationship but not being able to fulfil it fully so you just appreciate what you have. The time lapse of the clouds portray this as it symbolises a sign of hope in the music video of what the artist has for her relationship. Another time a time lapse will be used, is when we reverse the whole music video form end to start at the beginning of the music video. This will be in time with the music, which is apart of Goodwin's theory of visuals matching music as the build up in the music will be represented through the reversed time lapse. The affect this will have is to show how 'time flies when they're having fun and make the audience feel like they have to appreciate the moments they have as they'll soon grow up. Furthermore, there is a lake in the field were shooting, so we might have a shot of the couple walking around it and holding hands to show them in a peaceful environment.

Secondly, in this location we will see the artist and other characters at a bon fire event to show the fun things they have done together. We will see the artist and her lover being affectionate to one another and gathered with their friends outside a tent near a fire. The use of this location in this particular scene portrays the artist as affectionate and rebellious as we will see her being intimate with her lover, but also outside late which conveys her as rebellious. The limitation that we may have by using this location is having too many people in the shot which may lose focus on the characters especially when were shooting at a bon fire event. A way to avoid this could be to film them in a more quiet space at the event so that It will still show that they're at the event but make them the main focus. A risk and hazard could be the presence of fire in this location. This is because fire is dangerous and someone might get hurt if not careful when around the fire. To prevent this hazard happening, we will make sure that we have the right equipment to light and put out the fire safely e.g water, matches. Moreover, the weather may effect our filming in this location due to it being located outside and we cannot predict the weather. It may rain whilst we are outside which will effect our filming as we are shooting fire, which would get put out if it was to rain. Also when filming a time lapse of the clouds we want it to be clear and not dark and grey. Our back up plan for if the weather is a issue when filming the time lapse is to simply add a video of a time lapse of clouds in our music video as this will save us time and hassle to create our own. Also, if the rain was to effect our filming for the fire scenes, we will choose another day to film when it is hopefully not raining. 

The next setting that will be included in our music video is a street specifically Camden Market. Having a street as one of our locations is highly conventional to the indie genre, as its a public place and shows the things ordinary people may do e.g go to the market. This may help build a relationship between the artist and audience as they can relate to the location as it's not an expensive place to go. The use of this location will convey the past event of the artist and her lover going out together and being happy. This links in with the Birdy's concept of appreciating wonderful memories as this will portray them as content with each other. Also, Camden is quite a vibrant, busy, entertaining place where indie artists usually perform for example at the electric ballroom, so it'll portray the kind of scene indie artists are likely to be in. A limitation that we may face when filming in this location, is the act of filming the market itself. This is because some stall owners may not feel comfortable with their stall being filmed, so we will have to ask permission to film. A health and safety risk that might occur is again the act of filming. Due to the market being busy, it may be difficult to film as it could get too cramped which may result to the camera being damaged for example getting knocked over. We could prevent this by researching what times the market is less busy and go then or simply chose a quieter stall to film at so that we don't have the fear of damaging the camera due to the limited space. The weather could affect our filming as the market is located outside. As it is located outside it may rain and sine were filming in the winter it will most likely be cold and rain. Our back up plans we have in place for if the weather is not up to standards, is simply have our artist and characters wearing suitable clothing e.g jacket and jumper to keep themselves warm. Also we may have to include iconography especially umbrella in the shot to make sure they do not get wet whilst filming. 

The fourth location that'll be included in our indie music video, is a house. The reason why we have chosen to have a house as one of our locations is so that we convey the artist and her lover in a more comfortable and safe environment. Also it will reflect the indie genre because a house is a recognisable location that artists usually use to show real life personal events e.g relationships. In this location you will see the artist and her lover doing everyday things such as watching tv in the living room and in her bedroom. This will convey the artist as ordinary because she is seen in a known environment which the audience can relate to. 

The bedroom in particular will be used to show them in an intimate excluded place, so that the audience see them together when they are both are comfortable to be open about their relationship. This will engage the audience as they'll be able to relate with them due to the privacy a bedroom has for everyone as its a space where everyone can be themselves and keep their secrets. Bedroom's are conventional to the indie genre as it portrays the artist or characters in a real life setting to convey realism for example in Gabrielle Aplin's Panic Cord video, she is seen on a bed with her boyfriend arguing. The limitations that we may face whilst filming in this location is the time we can use the house. This is because we will have to make sure whoever's house we are using that their parents are ok with us filming in there and schedule a time that we can. There are no major health and safety risks in this location due to it being a personal setting to one of the crew members or characters, so everyone will be aware of everything in the house as the owner will inform everyone where everything is to make sure nothing happens. 


Moving onto iconography, the first will be a tent. A tent is a portable shelter made of cloth, supported by one or more poles and stretched tight by cords or loops attached to pegs driven into the ground However we may create our own tent to make it look indie by having a long sheet over a branch and placing a blanket on the bottom so that the artist and her lover can sit inside it. A tent will be used when the artist and her lover are in the fields camping and sitting by a fire. The reasons why we have chosen a tent to be included in our indie music video, is because it conveys another memory or past event of what the couple have done together and allows to show them intimately. This is because when they're shot inside the tent, it'll show them be affectionate to one another and gazing into each others eyes. The use of a tent will portray the scene as passionate, loving and cozy which the audience can relate to if they have been camping with their partner. The tent shows the audience how the artist is adventurous as camping is a adventurous activity, and also loving and warm when in a relationship because we will see these traits when shooting her and her partner inside the tent. A self made tent is conventional to the indie genre because it is creatively made which gives a personal sentiment to it, which the artist may want the audience to establish as it lets them in to their lives a bit.

To make the bonfire scene more intimate, the use of iconography;sparklers will be evident in our music video. A sparkler is a handheld firework that emits sparks. Moving sparklers quickly can create vibrant patterns. This type of iconography will be used by the artist and her lover when they are at the bonfire scene. They will be shown holding the sparklers and creating a love heart in the air with them to convey their relationship. The reason why we chose to include sparklers in our music video, is to show the fun youthful side of the artist as children usually use sparklers. Also, the sparklers could represent the relationship within the music video as exciting and interesting which will give the audience more of an understanding of their relationship through the heart seen. The use of sparklers is conventional to the indie genre as it is seen as fun and romantic especially through the love heart made from it, which will symbolise their relationship as eccentric and cute. 

The next iconography that will be seen in my music video, is alcohol. Alcohol is a depressant that slows the function of the central nervous system and alters a persons perception, emotion, movement;vision and hearing. The alcohol will be used in the music video when the artist and her lover are in the fields with their friends having fun, dancing and jumping around. The use of this iconography will portray the artist as rebellious and out going because alcohol is usually consumed by her age group at social events. Therefore, the use of alcohol will prompt building a relationship with the target audience who are 17 - 25 as they are most likely to consume alcohol at their age which will be relatable to the artist. Moreover, the alcohol used in the music video will help show how the couple show more affection to one another when under the influence of alcohol due to them not being in their normal state. So this will convey them as happy and content with their relationship because they are under the influence of alcohol. This piece of iconography is conventional to the indie genre, as it may be used to show peoples situations for example it is someones coping mechanism or they have an alcohol problem, which gives a sense of realism as someone in the audience can relate to whats being shown because they could be going through it as well.

If possible, my group may have a piano as one of our iconography in our music video. A piano is a keyboard musical instrument that has wire strings that sound when struck by felt covered hammers operated from a keyboard. A piano would be shown when the artist is singing alone and this will be shot from a side view, mid shot or a high angle shot. The reasons why we have chosen to have a piano in our music video, is to convey the convention in the indie genre of an artist being able to play an instrument. Also, it'll show a performance that will tell the audience that our artist is not only talented vocally but instrumentally as well. This may build a relationship between the audience and the artist, as they will feel fascinated at the fact the artist plays an instrument as well as singing. The use of the piano also is to visually match the music as well because a piano is used in the sound. This will help create more of an understanding about the song and make the video seem more personal to the artist by emphasising what she is singing about through the instrument. Piano's are conventional to the indie genre because of its melodic, light hearted sound which may compliment the narrative or concept shown in the video to give further understanding and meaning. 


Last but not least, the iconography, smoke canisters will be used in our music video. A smoke canister/ smoke bomb is a firework designed to produce smoke upon ignition. The smoke canisters will be see in the music video when the couple and their friends are in the field jumping around and dancing like in the gif. The use of this iconography will portray the artist as young, creative and free which will intrigue the audience to her. The reasons why we chose to include smoke canisters in our music video, is to convey the fun element in the narrative and show the happy memories of the couple. In addition, the coloured smoke connotes happiness, youthfulness and rebellion because the artist and other characters will be seen smiling and laughing, but the fact that they're slightly hidden by the smoke could portray them as living in the moment and not caring about what others think. The use of this iconography may help build a relationship between the artist and them as they see her as a fun person to look up to and go against norms. This is conventional to the indie genre as it'll portray the artists vibrant personality and within this genre, artists usually showcase a part of themselves for the audience to get to know them better.

Planning my setting and iconography has helped me prepare for the filming for my music video, because it has given me and my group a clear idea of how it'll look like. By analysing deeply to why we have chosen particular settings and iconography, it has prompted us with what settings and iconography are suitable for our music video, and to make sure it fits our narrative and the indie genre well. From this post, I am aware of the health and safety risks and limitations that our chosen settings have, however I have made back up plans to make sure that we are in a safe environment when filming and we get our video done successfully. Planning the setting and iconography has given us more time to film, as we know what were going to include before hand and are able to get straight on with it when it comes to the actual filming. This means that we will be prepared when about to film and will not have to think about what to use or do on the spot because we already have a plan. 

Magazine Advert Analysis - Miss Geogiou **

A magazine album advert is the advertisement of an artists album. The purpose of this is to promote the album through synergy e.g magazines to create more marketing. This may even form more support from other companies that could push the sales further for the album.The use of this allows the artist to showcase who they are and introduce themselves to a wider audience through the readers of the magazine as well as the target audience. Overall it produces more advertisement for the artist because they have more ways promoting themselves. The two adverts I will be analysing are for the artists Birdy & Lana Del Rey.   

Birdy

The first artist's magazine album advert I will be analysing is my chosen artist for my music video, Birdy. 
The artist is represented as simplistic through the use of dull colours in her costume and what she's wearing looks ordinary. This is conventional to the indie genre as indie artists often portray themselves as "normal" which makes them relatable to the audience. Also, it promotes the artist as we see her through a long shot which shows us her whole body which conveys her as exposing herself to the audience, so it gives an image of her saying " This is me ". In addition to her costume, the red jumper connotes love and passion, which are generally the themes in her music. However, the red jumper could connote her as being in danger as red usually symbolises danger, this links in with her themes of love and how they could sometimes be intense and dangerous. Moreover, her pink skirt represents her as innocent, girly and sensitive as pink is usually associated with girly girls who have these traits. Also the pink skirt connotes her as being friendly and approachable with a warmth and softness because it's not a dark colour. The setting of the advert looks to be an old room due to the mould on the green wall and dark flooring. This portrays her as old fashioned even though she is young, so it makes her stand out from other artists. Also, the use of a house makes her relatable to the audience as it does not look glamorous and expensive as celebrities homes should look like, which conveys her as ordinary. There are no signs of voyeuristic treatment to Birdy in this advert, this is because she is wearing a jumper over a long shirt dress up to her knees. This represents her as mature and lady like due to her posture and chose of costume, therefore portrays the indie genre, as artists in this genre usually are covered up and not seen in revealing clothes like pop artists. Birdy has an eye covered by her hair in the advert, this shows only half her face and creates a sense of enigma. The use of this could convey her as being mysterious and slowly coming out which is convenient as this is her debuting magazine advert. The colour scheme for the magazine advert is a mouldy green, dark brown, white and beige which is seen throughout. These colours are associated with dullness, ordinariness and nature. This portrays her as natural and ordinary which is conventional to the indie genre because they rely on realism to convey what's going on or happened in their life so that the audience can relate to them. Furthermore, the colours connote agony and grief because of the darkness to them, which represents her as an emotional person who may be grieving especially through her facial expressions being idle. 
The way in which the magazine advert is laid out is the writing is aligned to the left, whilst she is positioned on the right. This keeps the magazine neutral as we see both things on an equal level, so she is seen but also not focused on. This is because indie artists don't really care for the stardom fame and being in the public eye because they're usually introverts and keep themselves to themselves. However, Birdy keeps it neutral so that the audience do see who she is, but the focus is not all on her. When it comes to typography, like the other elements it is quite dull. The big font at the top states her name is capitals in a font that looks quite old fashioned, in the colour that's off white, portrays her as unique. This is because you'd expect to see bright colours and vibrancy in her advert due to her age of 19, however she keeps it simple and dim which makes her stand out from other artists her age. The use of this capitalised typography, illustrates her name and makes the reader aware of who she is through the size but not the colour. Again, making her stand out from artists because of the use of colour not standing out, implying her music does not belong to the mainstream world. Another typography "The Debut Album 'Birdy' Out now' is coloured the same as the title, in an off white colour. The purpose of this is to connect the two together and further promote her as an artist because it is her debut album. Even though it is smaller than the title, the reader can still establish the statement and recognise clearly that it is her debut album, which may intrigue them to check her out due to the use of colours standing out from the rest of the typography. In reference to the rest of the typography, they are in a simple font in the colour white for example, "Tuesday 11 September". The purpose of this is to distinguish the important details written and also to promote her live performance and website. The use of the white typography could connote her as being pure which links in with her debuting as a new artist, which draws readers attention with no adjectives introducing her because she's allowing them to make their own judgement of her music if they come to her tour. This may create a relationship between her and the audience as it conveys her as a type to not judge a book by its cover, which some may like about her and make them engage with her music. 
The style of language is straightforward and informative in the Birdy magazine advert, having no adjectives to describe the artist and her debut album. The reason to this is because it gives the audience the information they need without looking "cheesy". Also, because the language is clear and informative, it promotes the artist's concert and album because it has the details about them on it and nothing else but her name. By not having any adjectives describe Birdy but just have her name on the magazine advert, it creates enigma as the audience do not get informed any information about her but her name, album and concert. Therefore, this promotes the artist due to the mystery created around the debuting artist, as the audience will be intrigued to find out more about her since the advert doesn't give much away. Also, it conforms the convention of the indie genre of relying on realism instead of escapism to promote the artist. This is because it gives the impression that the artist just wants to be real with the audience by having her name as the only information there and image of her. Therefore, portraying realism as we see her as ordinary through the language used and image which doesn't have any extravagance to it, and just shows her. This could portray her as genuine, authentic and not stuck up, as she showcases her self without boasting her self up, which could make the audience admire her because she goes against the stereotype of celebrities being 'up themselves'.

The ways in which the advert promotes the indie music genre is through the use of costume, colours and setting. In summary, the costumes promotes the indie genre as it is quirky, tedious and simplistic which conveys the indie genre due to artists looking ordinary because they want the audience to be able to relate to them. Additionally the colour scheme is quite dark and shallow through the use of setting, which conveys the colours mouldy green, brown and cream. The use for this promotes the genre as indie genres are expected to be located in greenery, streets or houses to convey the realism through these locations so the audience can relate to the artist. 
The advert promotes the artist through the use of typography, positioning and camera shots. The ways the typography promotes the artist is evident through the capital title stating her name 'birdy' and the writing stating that it is her debut album. The use of this promotes the artist because it stands out from the other writing through different colours and also the title is at the top aligned next to her head which emphasises who she is. Furthermore, it promotes the artist through her positioning and camera shot. This is evident as we see a long shot of Birdy positioned on the right next to the typography. The long shot shows her from head to toe which allows readers to see her fully and convey that she has nothing to hide. 
The ways in which the advert attracts to the audience is through the use of typography and artists body language. The typography attracts the audience as it stands out from the setting and her name is seen in a large, bold font which attracts the audience to keep her name in their minds. Also, her body language attracts the audience because she is stood still and her hair is covering half her face. The use of this creates enigma due to her not posing and also the half face implies there more to come from her which makes the audience intrigued in her and want to listen to her to understand more about her.

Lana Del Rey

The second magazine advert that I'm going to be analysing is Lana Del Rey's tour poster. I chose Lana Del Rey to analyse because of her similarities with Birdy in the themes of love in their music, but also because she too belongs to the Indie genre. Unlike Birdy, Lana Del Rey is represented as glamorous and simplistic with through her costume and make up. Lana is seen wearing a cream plain shirt, reddish lipstick and hoop ear rings in the advert, which shows that Lana takes pride in her appearance. This is different to Birdy as she is seen with minimal make up on and no jewellery. It could be argued that this is because both are not the same age and Lana is older and socially allowed to wear make up, where as Birdy is seen as young and young girls are encouraged not to wear as much make up. Another representation on Lana is that she is powerful, through the use of cinematography. A slight low angle is evident showing Lana standing and looking straight into the camera. The use of this portrays her as powerful, confident and implies that she is dominant in her genre or better than her competition. Also, she is represented as aggressive and fierce through her reddish lipstick and posture. The reddish lipstick connotes her as passionate and involved in relationships, but like Birdy's advert it could also connote her as dangerous or the relationships she encounters are dangerous. The similarity between Lana and Birdy using red in their adverts, conveys their music well as they both usually have themes of love and relationships. Lana is seen in an outdoor environment as we see a blue sky and trees behind her in the advert. The use of the blue sky connotes peacefulness, serenity and happiness, and could imply that she feels happy when she is on the road and performing the fans, which may help build a relationship between her and the audience. The colours used in this advert are pink, white, blue and black. The blue, red and white tones give an American feel to the poster, especially the vintage like filter used. This illustrates her as proud to be an American and also shows that is quite old fashioned through the filter. This is similar to Birdy's poster, but instead of using costume to show she's old fashioned, Lana uses the colours in the font and filter. Moreover, the American theme through the colours mirrors the type of music videos that are included in the Born To Die album (the poster is the same image as the album), for example in National Anthem music video she plays the first lady. The choice of image is the same image of her Born To Die album. The purpose of this is to further promote the album more so it gets more sales and it also could suggest that she is consistent as she's repeating the imagery of her album on her post.

The lay out of the poster is that everything is positioned in the middle except her signature. The title in white blocked capitals saying Lana Del Rey is placed above the image of her, where as the date, tour name and essential details (website and record labels), are placed at the bottom of the advert and are smaller. The purpose of having her name as the largest typography, is so that the audience do not forget her name due to it standing out. Also the large font accompanies the image of Lana as it establishes that is who she is. In contrast to Birdy's advert where she kept her layout neutral, Lana's layout purpose is to make sure that the audience know that she is as a confident powerful woman in the music industry. All of the typography are different colours; her name is in white, the date is in blue, the tour name is reddish/pink and the rest of typography is black. The use of the typography being different colours, is to further present the american theme and covey Lana as patriotic. The bright coloured typography are seen more as important because they tell the audience who she is, when the tour is and what it is called. This makes the audience want to further investigate about the tour. The rest of the typography is black, one that stands out is her signature. The use of having her signature on the advert, is to give a personal feel to the poster which makes the audience feel that she cares about them. Also, the signature on the poster gives a private vibe to her tour poster and suggests that if the audience go to her shows, they'll get to see the "real" her, making her tour seem intimate between her and her fans. The style of language is simplistic and straightforward, like Birdy's advert it does not include exciting adjectives to describe the poster. This shows that she's not wasting time and if people want to see the real her, they are welcomed to her "Open Road Tour". The tour name itself gives connotations of a journey, and the word open could suggest that she is allowing the audience to join her in her journey, which helps build a relationship between the artist and audience as they feel like Lana can be herself through her music to them. Also, the vagueness from the simplistic language could be argued to be used so that is doesn't take the attention away from the artist, as the text is dull, therefore making the image of the artist more important. This is conventional to the indie genre, as indie artists use their music to express themselves and share their personal experiences, so by having the language as straightforward, it makes the audience intrigued about her and want to find out more about her.

The ways in which the advert promotes the indie genre, is through the pastel colours used in the colours and the filter. These elements give a softness and and purity atmosphere to the advert. Also the colour scheme portraying the american theme portrays the indie genre, as artists from this genre do like to show wants important to them, which in this case Lana is patriotic.

The advert promotes the artist in many ways, especially through typography and positioning. Firstly, the typography promotes the artist because it shows her name off twice (in the title and her signature), this advertises her because it informs the artist what her name is so that they don't forget. Secondly, it promotes her though positioning as she is seen through a mid shot in the centre where she is taking up majority of the space. This reinforces the labels of her being powerful, dominant and confident, and highlights her importance so that the audience don't forget what she looks like.
The ways in which the advert attracts the audience is through positioning, lighting and typography. The positioning of Lana being in the middle makes her centre of attention which in fact draws the audiences attention and see her face clearly so they wont forget it. Also, the typography attracts the audience because it states her name in bold which could portray her as fearless and confident as she's putting herself out there. The use of high key lighting shows the artist clearly so that the audience see her fully and establish who she is. The high key lighting can can portray her as successful and good, this appeals to the audience as they see her as a role model since the high key lighting puts her on pedestal to show her off.

This research will assist me when planning my magazine advert. This is because I've fully acknowledged what is conventional for a magazine advert and why some of the elements are used, for example in both adverts, Large typography of their names were positioned at the top. I learned that the use of this is to draw the audiences attention to the artist and help accompany the image of them by further promoting their name.  An inspiration I may consider taking from this research, is using a mid shot and a long shot to showcase my indie artist. I learned that from the mid shot in the Lana Del Rey advert, is that the mid shot showcases the artists posture and facial expressions, and a long shot shows the artist from head to toe as seen in the Birdy advert shows the audience the whole of the artist. I've also learned that costume is vital when creating a magazine advert. This is because the costume can connote the artists as many things and foreshadow what the artists music is about e.g Birdy wearing a red jumper connotes her love themed music. When making my advert, I will consider wisely what my artist will wear and how it will portray the song as well as the indie genre Another thing I'll take on board when creating my magazine advert, is having my artists name and the most important details e.g album name as the same colour, creating more importance to them so that the audience remember who the artist is and the album name to create more sales. Overall, when planning my magazine advert I will look back on this post and maybe online to gather more inspirations so that my advert will be conventional to the indie genre. 

Target Audience Research - Miss Miller

Researching into target audience, is where you ask the members of public  what they would like or expect in something. In my case I asked 40 people using a questionnaire about what they would expect in an Indie music and why. The reason why I asked 40 people instead of a smaller amount is because it gives me more reliable information about what to include in my music video, in order to make it successful. The results will help me gather inspirations on what my target audience would like and want to include in an indie music video. In this post i'll be evaluating my results from my questionnaire and vox pops; interviews with members of the public, then consider which answers I will consider to include in my indie music video. find

First of all, I asked my study group what gender they were and the results came out to be more females than male with a percentage or 75% : 25%. This piece of information informs me that females are more likely to watch indie music videos than boys. This find be to the typical convention of having a narrative about relationships within the indie genre that females may draw more too than males. However, my results could be not accurate nor reliable as both genders may have different perspectives on what they would expect in an indie genre and why they watch them. 

I then asked what age they were starting with 16 year olds to 26+. The outcome from this was that the age range of 17-20 had the highest percentage and in second place was 21-25 year olds. This shows that young adults are more likely to watch indie music videos. This could be because the artists may relate to them as they may be the same age as them. Also themes shown in indie music genres may include mild strong themes such as alcohol,drugs and sexual themes e.g kissing. From this find think my target audience will be from 17- 25 because it will be suitable for them if I consider including any of those themes in my music video e.g alcohol as a coping magnesium for the artist who is in a struggle in her relationship.

I asked them next, what themes they would expect to see in an indie music video. From this, the theme that was mostly answered with a percentage of 52%,was a relationship theme. This shows that the audience expect to see some sort of relationship within an indie music video, whether its a happy or an unstable one. From this me and my group have considered making a music video having the theme of a unstable relationship between to females as one wants to come out public whereas one is fine with the relationship being a secret. The second highest percentage was a performance with 23%. This was because the audience thought it was typical for a performance to occur in an indie music video, as they are known to be instrumentally talented as well as vocally. I may consider including a shot of my artist playing an instrument, particularly a piano so that it conveys what the actual artist Birdy plays and also show that she is talented. This information will help me consider making an indie music video based on a relationship, so that the audience can relate to it as it is a real life situation. A particular relationship theme I may consider to incorporate in my music video, is the theme of a relationship breakdown. This is so that I can explore the artist's feelings and emotions through the narrative and express them in way that the audience can relate with the relationship breakdown. Also, it is conventional to include a theme such like a relationship breakdown in the indie genre, as it portrays realism and shares parts of the artist's life experiences which could help build a relationship with the audience as they feel the artist is letting them into their lives. 

I then asked my study group, what would they would expect to see in an indie music video out of the following; filters, green screens or special effects. The option that got picked the most with a percentage of 67%, was filters. This is because some of them believed that filters convey what the indie music video is about, for example an old aged filter will portray that it is in the past or a memory. As this was a huge percentage, I think me and my group will incorporate filters in our music video to convey the past of the relationship so that the audience clearly understand that what is being seen is in the past and not present. I am thinking of including different colours of the filters to show the happy and negative sides of the relationship in the narrative, and these might by orange, yellow, blue etc. as they give connotations of happiness or darkness, therefore illustrating the flashbacks of the relationship further. The reason why I think green screen only got 8%, is due to the fact that indie music videos rely on realism, and with green screens this does not portray that but in fact creates a sense of escapism. This means that my group are very unlikely going to use a green screen because we want our music video to be as realistic as possible so that the audience can relate to it. 

From analysing other music videos, I gathered that the type of camera shots that are used in a music video as important to the genre. So I asked my study group what types of camera shots they would expect to see in an indie music video and why. The camera shot that was said the most was close ups, with a percentage of 62%. This was because they argued that close ups give more of an effect and plus show the artists or characters facial expression, so that the audience have more of an understanding of the the narrative. In my music video I may have close ups showing the artist singing or showing the characters facial expressions especially when they're happy or sad, for example when the artist is seen arguing with her partner, a close up could be used to portray the anger of the artist's partner and then show the artist's sad reaction to her anger through the use of close up shots.  Long shots came second with a percentage of 25% and the arguments for this was because they show the setting the artist is in. Long shots will most likely be included in my music video when the characters are at the different locations e.g market or field, this is show the audience establish where they are. Moreover, long shots would be efficient in showing mise en scene, as the audience will be able to see the costumes and body language expressed from the characters, for example a long shot will capture one of my characters folding their arms to show that they are annoyed. Therefore, I will consider including close ups and long shots within my music video, because I agree that they are helpful in showing the narrative and expressing how the artist or character feels. 

Setting is crucial when planning any type of music video. This is because it helps establish what genre it is, as well as portray the narrative, concept or performance the video is. So when I asked my study group what type of setting they would expect to see in an indie music genre, I got a few that were generally in public places. The location that had the highest percentage with 40% was a Town. This is because indie music videos usually show the characters who are in a relationship in a town or city to show the activities they do together. Therefore, I may consider having Camden town as a location for the couple to be see in, to further illustrate the complications of their relationship as the artist's partner does not like being seen intimately in public by showing them argue in public or the partner not hold the artist's hand, and also Camden is known to be quite indie therefore it is conventional setting.  Not far behind with 35% was a house. I believe this was second because a house as a setting conveys the realism within the video and portrays it in a realistic matter which makes the audience relate to the video. I may incorporate the setting of a house in my music video to show the couple in a private area and show the audience the contrast to how they act when no one is around which will be intimate and lovable. 

An open questioned that was asked in my questionnaire was what types of costumes would you expect to see in in an indie music video and why? The reason we asked this was to get an idea of what type of costume the audience thought was appropriate for the indie genre. In this study people described clothing that were casual such as jeans, top, leather jacket and converses etc. A casual costume was dominant in the study as 65% of people described clothing in this category. They argued that artists wear causal clothing to show they're real people and also match the narrative as well. Also, with the costumes being casual, unlike glamorous where voyeurism or sexualisation is explored, the artist will be portrayed as simplistic and ordinary which is conventional to the indie genre. The second highest was grunge with 27%, this type of style includes thrift store items and the typical outdoor clothing as well as a generally unkempt appearance. My group will consider having our artists and the characters in a mixture of both casual and grunge clothing so that it shows that their relatable to the audience, but also as an individual through the grunge items. For example, the artist may be seen in denim clothing when going out, or sweat pants to show her comfort in a particular scene such as a house scene. 

The 8th question I asked my study group was ' Do your prefer your artist to be more relatable or more like star and why?'. The answer with the highest percentage of 85% was more relatable and like a star was at 15%. The reasons why some said more relatable was because they believed that an artist being relatable adds more of a gritty characteristic and also makes the music video enjoyable because they can relate to whats going on. However, those that said like a star felt like an artist has to be this way because its their source of escapism (escaping reality), and it's more interesting to watch someone else's lifestyle. In reference to the indie genre, I think my artist will be more relatable to the audience through the use of mise en scene, especially costume and location. This is because I want the audience to feel connected to the artist and make them feel like they're not alone in what ever they're going through since the artist portrays it. For example, I may consider the artist wearing casual clothing that is recognisable to the target audience as they may wear it. Also, her hair will be natural to convey ordinariness and her rejection to the glamour that comes with being famous, therefore further portraying realism and makes the artist relatable.

In addition, I asked if they preferred an indue music video to have a clear narrative and if so why? The majority with 92% said yes where as 8% said no. Some argued yes because they like a clear narrative to match the song so they have more of an understanding on what the song is about. Also, some said that they enjoy watching a clear narrative as it makes the song more enjoyable to listen to and visually see. When creating my music video, I will make sure I have a clear narrative so that the audience have an insight on what the song is really about through our interpretation of love loss. Therefore I may incorporate a narrative that is about a relationship breakdown, so that it is personal to the artist and relatable to the audience. This will be shown through showing the positives and negative aspects of the relationship by showing the happy memories in contrast to the couple arguing.  Furthermore, a clear narrative will be conventional to the indie genre because they often have stories in the music video, so that the audience can relate to the situation shown.

From researching into indie music videos, I've found that instruments are conventional to the indie genre. So when I asked my study group what type of instrument they would expect to see an artist play in an music video, the results were Guitar's in first place with a percentage of 62%. This is because indie artist stereotypically use guitars in their music as well as their music videos e.g Gabrielle Aplin plays the guitar in her music video for panic cord, as they give a calm vibe. What came second was piano with 25%, those that said this is because it gives slow paced and emotional sound which relates to the narrative in a music video. From this information, we will take on board the instruments to consider including in my music video to help convey the artists feelings and emotions as well as accompanying the narrative. For example, my artist may be seen in my music video playing an acoustic guitar whilst singing the chorus to help engage the audience in and give importance to the lyrics.

Vox Pops

After the questionnaires, I filmed 5 vox pops as proof for my questionnaire results. Vox Pop is simply the act of filming an interview with members of the public through a media device. I believe creating vox pops was helpful because it gave me an insight of what people were really thinking about when answering my questions face to face. Also, it is a source of primary data, the participants could elaborate more on their answers making my research more valid and reliable to refer to. Moving on, the vox pops I created allowed me to gain more of an insight of what I should consider including in my indie music video for example my artists costume will be casual so that they can relate to the audience.


A subculture is a group of people who are united through a common value system and taste e.g. clothes, music or politics. These groups are also positioned outside of the mainstream (what is popular). The values of a subculture is conformity and rebellion, attitude to capitalism and consumerism, tribal/gang rivalry and traditional or neophyte (new ideas). The three subculture theorist are Hebdige, Grant McCracken and CCCS (Centre for Contemporary Cultural Studies). McCracken argues that the postmodern world is full of diversity and creativity and that subcultures come from various cultures ,but are able to be 'self sufficient'. Hebdige says that if you look deeper into subcultures there is enough richness to warrant renaming subcultures as little cultures. Lastly, CCCS simply argue that all subcultures come from one culture. In reference to my music video, I think the subculture theory that would suit best is McCracken's. This is because my indie music video appeals to a niche audience of people who simply like indie music, however the people in the niche audience may have their differences in values and taste which may lead to creating different types of subcultures. My music video will conform to McCracken's theory, as he explains that in a post modern society there is diversity, therefore I may consider including the diversity element in my narrative by instead of having a heterosexual relationship, I will have a homosexual female relationship to portray the diversity and realism of the modern society. This will make the video more appealing and draw niche audiences to engage with the video and build a relationship with the artist as they feel she is inspirational for going outside traditional norms.

The questionnaire was helpful as it was a quick procedure that gave me an insight on the elements and expectations my target audience had for an indie music video. Therefore expanding my knowledge and understanding on the conventions of the genre through the audience, and helping me with my decisions to make a conventional, yet unique successful music video to sustain the artist's longevity through the relationship built with the audience. Researching into my target audience, was useful as it helped me understand what the public thought was conventional in an indie genre. What I learned from the public's point of view is that the themes of love, relationships and break ups were most expected in an indie music video. This is an example of a theme I may consider using within my music video, because this research has helped me gather what the audience think. From these results I will incorporate inspirations from people's answers and adapt them to fit my music video, so that my indie music video is as conventional as possible. If I was to not research into a target audience, I wouldn't know who my music video is made for, therefore the things I include in the video would have no sense and be pointless. Whereas now I have researched into the target audience, I have an idea on what to include because I have a target audience who I want to meet their needs when making my indie music video.