Research Into Chosen Music Genre - Miss Miller

Research Into Chosen Music Genre

The genre I have chosen to create my music video from is the indie genre. I have decided to choose this genre because it includes songs that have a lot of emotion and narrative based music videos. I believe that it will be fairly easy to interpret our own idea into a song from this genre as the lyrics usually explain in depth what the song may be about and how the artist may be feeling. It is imperative to establish a genre before you choose an artist as you need to understand the type of person that they are and the type of music and material that they want to create.

Lana Del Ray - High by the Beach

Codes and Conventions

One of the codes and conventions shown within this indie music video is the setting. Usually the setting in indie genres are low budget settings that which make the audience focus more on the artist and their performance. These settings are usually places such as studios, cities, parks, houses or forests. This is a code and convention that is also portrayed in Lana Del Ray's "High by the Beach". The music video is set in a beach side house with very little furniture inside where Lana spends most of her time singing and dancing around in. This is conventional to the genre as it takes little distraction away from the artist and her performance.
Another code and convention is that the performance in the music video is usually partnered with a narrative. This is because it helps the audience to engage in the song and also avoid loosing them from lack of interest. Due to the indie genre music videos being quite simplistic this makes it intriguing and mysterious for the audience which makes them want to carry on watching the video to the end. Especially in this music video by Lana as she gives nothing away at the beginning of the video to what could be happening in the narrative in the middle of the video. The narrative in this portrays Lana getting followed by paparazzi in a helicopter to which she shoots and blows up at the end of the video. This narrative shows Lana to be of some importance and also shows her as heroic as it could be interpreted that she is disposing of the antagonist in this music video.

Mise-En-Scene

Lighting

The lighting used within the "High on the Beach" music video is mainly high key lighting, with lots of natural light due to her living in a open house by the beach. This lighting represents a positive light which shows of the artist as you can see her very clearly. The lighting is mainly high key until the narrative in the video starts to become more tense as Lana decides to get her gun to shoot the paparazzi. At this point the lighting starts to become low key. This is evident where Lana goes downstairs and runs into a much darker and colder room. This is conventional as it corresponds to the negative impact that is happening due to the narrative in the video. The low key lighting represents Lana as starting to become frustrated and therefore it presents a sense of hatred and anger which builds into her eventually killing the paparazzi. This change in lighting helps to give the audience a more in depth understanding of the change in narrative. It makes it clear that something bad or negative is about to happen as it shows Lana almost closing herself away from the audience so they are unable to relate and build a relationship with her unlike in the beginning of the music video when the lighting was very high key and the audience could easily make out Lana's facial expressions to see she was very content and happy in the video.

The change in lighting to low key form high key

Screenshot to show Lana running towards the light almost as if she is running into a better place

Iconography

During Lana's music video there is a very limited use of iconography due to the fact that her music video is very simplistic in order to keep the focus on the artist and her performance and also the narrative in order to create no difficulty for the audience. It also helps to make the video that much more mysterious in order for the music video to appear more memorable for them. The main use of iconography in the video is the use of the large gun she uses to blow up the paparazzi in the helicopter outside her house. This type of prop represents Lana's anger and hatred towards the paparazzi, it also shows her as to be an independent women who will stand up for what she believes in which is in this case her privacy, and she will go to extremes to get what she wants. This prop makes it hard for the audience to completely relate to the situation but they can understand how Lana may be feeling and the stress and negativity that may come with having such a popular, busy and successful lifestyle as an artist. Therefore this could help the audience build a relationship with Lana as they can begin to understand the everyday problems she may face and how they may be pushing her to the edge where she feels she is hopeless with no way of helping herself.

The use of iconography is presented as a large gun 

Location

The location of Lana's music video "High by the Beach" is set in a 3 story house which is set right next to the beach. Although the house looks almost futuristic due to its flushed white setting it also looks quite low-budget and poor quality at the same time. This however is conventional to the indie genre as they usually use low budget locations to ensure the focus remains on the artist for the whole duration of the video. The location also shows Lana to be down to earth and undesirable of using grand locations for her music videos which the audience could relate to as they could imagine themselves being able to live in a house like this and they may then relate Lana to being an ordinary woman. The fact that the house the video is set in has very simplistic furniture and has all white walls may also represent Lana as a person. This may be portraying that Lana is a free person and is almost like a blank canvas who is ready to explore and delve into her career and herself as a person.

The location of the setting

Positioning

In the music video the camera constantly follows Lana throughout the video which makes it very easy for the focus to be on the artist at all times. Additionally the positioning of the artist adds to this as Lana is positioned very central in the whole duration of the video. This may also help with the narrative as the audience will never miss out on what Lana is doing to understand the narrative and it will also give the audience a sense that the artist is the most important thing in the scene, which further gives the artist a sense of importance. With Lana being the centre of each shot this helps the audience to build a relationship with her as they could see themselves being in this position and relate to what she may be doing. For example reading a magazine.

Lana's positioning is mainly central throughout the video

Costume

Lana's costume in the music video consists of a long loose white maxi dress with a light long blue cardigan with lace detail on top. This costume could almost look like a night gown which could make Lana look as though she was in some type of dream. The use of costume is very light as it frequently shows the dress blowing in the wind along with her loose brown hair which is left to fall around her shoulders the duration of the video. Lana also wears minimal makeup in the video which is unnoticeable for the audience. This type of look represents Lana to be free to make her own decisions. She may also be free with her thoughts and feelings as it corresponds with her setting on the beach that is a largely open space with not much around. The lack of furniture and simplistic house setting could also correspond to the idea of Lana's personality of being free being portrayed within the video. The audience could then relate to this and build a relationship with the artist as they can begin to understand that Lana is a woman who creates her own style and doesn't care what others think of her as she is free to be her own person.

Cinematography

A noticeable technique used in the "High on the Beach" video is that the majority of the video is of a handheld motion. The cameraman who uses a handheld camera follows Lana from the beginning shot after the panning shot of the beach at the beginning of the video. This type of technique makes the audience feel as though they are within the video and following Lana personally. This helps the audience to build a relationship with the audience as they feel as though they are there with the artist which almost makes them notice and understand the artists thoughts and feelings more and they would by looking at a facial expression in a mid shot. This type of camera technique is also conventional to the indie genre as it is usually used to show a memory or a shot from the past as this shot is the most realistic looking camera technique. In this case in Lana's video the handheld camera technique helps to relay the narrative to the audience, this is because when Lana is running, the shaking camera movement makes you feel as though you are running behind Lana and are experiencing the same emotions that Lana may be feeling at the time. This is also helping the audience to build a relationship as they feel on the same side as Lana as they are beside her for the whole video.

The handheld camera technique follows Lana throughout the video

Another frequently used camera shot in the video is a long shot. The long shots show the majority of the setting and the artist. These types of shots generally help the audience to understand the message behind the video as they can see everything in the shot. These types of shots portray the most information to the audience so is generally used to portray a message or narrative to the audience so they can understand in depth and not loose interest due to a lack of understanding. This is beneficial to the audience as it helps them to build a relationship with the artists as their main focus is them in the centre of the setting. This is used especially in Lana's video as she is the main focus in a very simplistic setting which doesn't give the audience very much information other than she as the artist has a very big sense of importance within the shot.

Editing

The main editing technique used in the "High on the Beach" music video is a slow paced editing technique. This is used to create the atmosphere of the music video as one that is slow yet mysterious and intriguing. The slow paced editing allows the music video to flow at a nice pace which is easy for the audience to pick up a narrative and also connect and build a relationship with the audience as they have a longer time to focus on her and watch her to relate with her. The slow paced editing shows that Lana is a relaxed and easy going person who doesn't make rushed decisions or work too hastily. This is beneficial as the audience can relate to this as they may also be people who are usually like this in every day situations. The audience will realise that Lana is an ordinary woman and they can relate to this as most of the things she does they can remember their emotions when in the same situations.

The target audience for Lana's "High by the Beach" music video is mainly ages 16-35 as this includes her own age in this bracket. I would say she targets her music at a wide bracket group as she usually sings and writes songs about mature themes with most people in this age group would have experienced themselves at some age in this age group. This is so that the audience can relate to the themes in the songs and therefore would make the song more memorable as they can also relate to how they felt compared to how the artists portrays their feelings on the situations in the music video. They can also build a relationship with the artist as they can sympathize with how she may be feeling due to the fact they may have experience of the same situation.

The style of the music video is primarily narrative based with elements of performance based as the video shows various shots of Lana singing and acting/ dancing. This style of music video is conventional to the indie pop genre as these genres usually focus on the artist and their talents without the over dramatic use of editing and mise-en-scene effects. A performance/narrative based style of music helps the audience to build relationships and relate to the audience in an indie genre as they are usually singing and writing songs about realistic themes which most of the target audience would have experienced once in their life and can therefore relate to it.
Lana Del Ray is represented as a free minded yet important woman in her "High on the Beach" video. This is to show her target audience that this is her personality portrayed in a video as she wants them to be able to see the true her and her real personality. This will make the target audience realise that Lana is somewhat an ordinary woman and doesn't always live the super busy lifestyle that most pop stars are made to live in. This is also expressed in her narrative of the video when she shows that sometimes being a successful music artist can make the artist face problems that create hatred and fury.

Goodwin's Theory

Goodwin's theory of links between lyrics and visuals is used within Lana's music video. This is evident when the lyrics "All I wanna do is get high by the beach" are played and Lana falls down on her bed. This shows that she wants to be able to have a stress-free time and have fun without having the paparazzi following her. This type of action corresponding to these lyrics helps the audience to understand deeply into what message the artist is trying to portray. It also gives them an understanding into how the artist may be feeling as they are listening to the lyrics but also watching the artist as she partners the lyrics with an action which may make more sense to the audience. This is conventional to the indie genre as the genre focuses mainly on the performance of the artist and the narrative. By using links between the lyrics and the visuals then this is further focusing on Lana's performance but also creating more of an in-depth narrative for the audience to follow along with.

Ellie Goulding - Explosions

Codes and Conventions

There are many conventions of the indie genre portrayed in Ellie Gouldings "Explosions"music video. The first convention is the live performance element that is the majority of the content in the video. The video follows Ellie Goulding singing the song live at a gig. This is conventional to the music genre as the genre usually focuses more on the artist and their talent other than a concept based music video. This also helps the audience to notice the artists talent as they are the main focus for the duration of the music video is on the artist themselves. Another code and convention of the indie genre used in Ellie Goulding's "Explosions" music video is the use of a black and white filter. This is a code and convention of the indie genre as filters are usually used to create a rustic feel as this is conventional to the genre as it has a preference to be different and edgy in the material that is produced in the genre. This helps the audience to rely on the artist and their performance to gather an understanding of the message being portrayed in the song and also the characteristics the artists wants you to recognise. This is because the main focus is on the artist with no distractions from any other elements in the video for example the colour, design or narrative.


Mise- En- Scene 

Location

It is conventional in the indie genre that the locations of the music videos are low - budget settings and are usually places that are easily accessible for people. However in this music video Ellie Goulding is seen performing on a stage which isn't usually a place that is easily accessible for normal people to go to, however Ellie hasn't set her video in a grand setting witch shows her to be a down to earth girl which is what the audience can relate to. They can build a relationship with her as they see her as an ordinary girl just like them and they can see themselves in her position or situation.

The location of the stage

Lighting

The lighting used in the "Explosions" video is quite low key as the use of a black and white effect has been edited over the whole video. This doesn't represent hatred or anger as the song is mainly about love so we could therefore gather as an audience that something negative has happened to Ellie in a recent relationship which she is voicing in her song. This type of lighting will help to create a melancholy atmosphere for the song and music video as one of which the audience could relate to. they could build a relationship with the artist as they have maybe experienced something like this themselves and can therefore to relate to the feelings and emotions that are produced when this happens to someone.

Costume

Ellie Gouldings costume is very basic and casual. Although there are a variety of different outfits that Ellie wears in her video they are all what you would class as everyday clothing. For example she is seen wearing a t-shit and shorts with boots and a beanie hat. This type of outfit represents Ellie as a relaxed and down to earth girl through the use of her costume. Most artists from the pop genre for example would be wearing a extremely fancy dress with a lot of makeup to represent themselves in a way that would appeal to the audience. however Ellie being from the indie genre wants to portray herself to the audience as a person who embraces her own style and wants to show her real personality through her use of songs and music videos. This is relatable for the audience as they begin to see Ellie as a role model who makes her own decisions and is free within herself and her thoughts. They could then build a relationship with the artist because they may want to be more like this themselves or live a similar lifestyle to which they can understand how Ellie may be feeling.

Ellies costume

Iconography

Due to the music video being that of a live performance based style of video and a lack of narrative in the music video there is also a lack of iconography used in the music video. The main piece of iconography used within the music video is Ellie's microphone that she is singing into for the majority of the music video. This type of iconography represents Ellie as having a passion for music and shows that she loves what she does. This represents her as a girl with a passion and the audience can begin to relate to this as they can sense her compassion for the music and start to see that she is just an ordinary girl that loves to sing. This could help for the audience to build a relationship with the audience as some of the audience may also want to live a lifestyle like Ellie and this will show the audience that this dream could come true if you are true to yourself and also your passions in life. 

Positioning

The positioning of Ellie Goulding in her music video is mainly central throughout. This is conventional of the music genre of indie as it has a main focus of the artist and their performance. Especially as this music video has a lack of narrative it helps for the main focus to be on the artist and her singing the whole time. This helps the audience to relate as they are constantly intrigued by Ellie's performance and there is nothing to take the attention of the audience away from the artist. They can then build a relationship with the artist as they begin to learn about her as they watch what she does in her music video. Due to the performance being live the audience can realise that most of the artists true intentions are coming out as she sings and they can see her true character when she performs and they way the artist wants to be portrayed in the music video.

Cinematography

The main shots used in Ellie's "Explosions" music video are long shots. These types of shots show the artist, the setting and usually most of the iconography if there is any used in the video.In Ellie's video the long shots show Ellie perfuming on stage with a large audience. Using these types of shots helps to show the audience and portray a certain message across that she enjoys her career and wants to show this through live moments from her previous performances. This makes her relatable as an artist as it shows the audience that she enjoys to produce work for her fans and that she is also grateful of the love she gets from her audience. This helps to build a relationship with the audience as the majority of these are her fans who would enjoy to see that Ellie Goulding uses footage of her fans in her music videos.

Another conventional shot in the music video is the use of close up shots to show the artists facial expressions. By the use of a close up shot to show Ellie's facial expressions it shows the artist how she may be feeling and if she is portraying any emotion of the song through her facial expressions. This is conventional to the genre as the main focus is always on the artist. Therefore the artist wants the audience to be able to understand everything that they may be feeling and also how they feel about the song they have written as they are usually about real life experiences. This will help for the audience to build a relationship with the artist as like Ellie's "Explosions" video she is singing about a real life experience about love. This is a popular theme for indie genres and the majority of the target audience can sympathise with Ellie and understand her emotions as they have experience something similar before.

Editing
The main editing technique used in Ellie's Gouldings music video is the black and white filter that has been edited over the whole video. This is conventional to the indie genre as a black and white filter or sepia filter is usually put over the video to give it a more rustic look as this is a generic convention of the genre. Not only does it give the video a rustic feel it also almost makes the artist look like a blank screen and her lyrics and song is the colours she wants to present to the audience and almost send a message to them about how she is feeling. This is something that the audience could relate and help them to build a relationship with them as they can feel as though Ellie is singing personally to them. The use of the black and white filter affect also takes no attention away from the artist which is conventional to the indie genre of keeping the main focus on the artist for the duration of the music video.

Goodwin's Theory

The music video is a performance based style of video to enhance and promote the artist. By having the whole duration of the video being Ellie perfuming it is further promoting her as she is seen as a talent and a role model to the audience. This is a generic convention of the indie genre as they want to portray their artist as pure talent and want the audience to focus on them and watch more or their work and material. By Ellie singing the song and choosing the types of shots that show Ellie singing and performing with passion it helps the audience to relate with her as they can see the love she has for performing. This would then help the audience to build a relationship with her as they would enjoy to see how she interacts with her audience and fans which the majority of the target audience are due to them watching her music videos. 

The target audience for Ellie Goulding's music video is mainly teenagers to young adults from an age bracket of 16-25. This is because her main themes are about love and heart break which is also generic for the indie genre. Most of the target audience would be able to relate to themes like this as they would have experienced something like this or felt some type of emotion involved within these themes that they could relate to when they watch one of Ellie Goulding's video. They could then build a relationship with the artist because they will feel concocted with them as they would feel as thought the artists is personally talking to them and almost giving them advice or give them hope about the situation they may be in. This will further promote the artist because the audience will feel a connection with them that will most likely want to watch more of the material to find out Ellie's opinions on certain subjects that they would have been involved in themselves.
Ellie is represented as a ordinary girl in her music video who has a great passion for her work and career. She also comes across as someone who is free and makes their own decisions of how they wanted to be interpreted for example through her use of costume and makeup. She is also represented as a raw talent as the video shows her to be purely singing and performing for the whole video. She has no distractions from her and is still able to keep a main focus on her due to her talent.

My research into artists from my chosen genre as helped me in planning my own music video. I have taken inspiration from both of my artists as they are people who express themselves freely and also with passion for what they do. Although not both f the artist use a narrative I believe that I will use a narrative in my music video as I believe it help my attention better than Ellie Gouldings video where it was a constant video of her performing. However I do believe that using an element of the artist performing also expresses a talent which the audience can easily connect and relate with so I have also taken inspiration from that. I also like how Ellie Goulding's video uses a black and white filter. I have taken some inspiration from this but I believe I would only use a filter in my video at certain times to create some type of significance. For example a memory or flashback scene to help my audience gain a deeper understanding of the narrative.