Indie/Alternative Genre

Music Video Conventions

Mayra Nassef
 How the Music Relates
• The Alternative genre is a rather diverse one, there are many sub-
genres such as Alternative Pop and Alternative Rock. However, the
majority of Alternative music is quite non-mainstream, experimental,
intimate (which is largely based off of the artists being independent)
and being quite innovative (hence alternative ).
• The majority of Alternative artists are Indie (Independent) artists and
most of the conventions of their music videos are directly correlated
with that (it has become a selling point for them too however as some
audiences like the intimacy this offers between artist and listener.
 Lowkey-lighting and Dark
Colour Schemes
• Although this is a convention
that leans on Altern
Rock/Altern Hip-Hop, it’s still
widespread generally in
Alternative videos. It usually
matches the dark subject
matter of the lyrics and creates
a dark, brooding
moos/atmosphere. It is rather
Heathens – twenty
common for artists to create a
one pilots
personal rather emotional tone
to the video as well.
 Monotone/Vintage effect
• A monotone filter is layered on many music
videos to add to the dark/emotional tone of
the video but also add an element of
timelessness and duality (many use this
symbolically as well). It adds an element of
artistic flair and sets a usually personal
tone.
• Vintage effects (filters and grainy/old
cameras)are usually used in videos where
artists tend to draw inspiration from older
generations of Alternative (Lana Del Rey,
etc.) and also to create a feeling of nostalgia
and add to the idea of timelessness and lack Mariners’ Apartment Complex –
of adherence to mainstream music that
tends to follow trends.
Lana Del Rey
 Star Image: Having Actors and Not
Having Them
• Many Alternative music videos
have actors rather than artists in
order to not distract the audience
from the narrative/concept (some
do both such as Numbers!) and
create a more simplistic feel as
to make the concept of a song a Numbers - Daughter
universal concept rather than
placing the artist in the center
(which could be distracting).
• If artists are the main aspect of
the video (Goodwin's’ theory
portrays this convention), many
close-ups are used to convey the
artists’ emotions so that the Runaway - Aurora
audience is placed in a privileged
position where a connection can
 The Everyday Setting
• Many Alternative artists are
independent artists and therefore use
everyday locations due to limited
budget (studio, parks, streets, etc.),
which surprisingly can make a
narrative more jarring: it places the
narrative in places all the audience
might have been to and therefore
make it more relatable. If the video
isn’t a narrative, it adds to the Teddy Picker – Arctic Monkeys
inclusion of the audience in the
production process (a more intimate
feel).
 Bands: Parallel Editing (Narrative
and Band)
• Some videos have both a narrative (usually
with an actor) with cuts to the band
(usually using parallel editing) or
interestingly in some, the band is playing
in the location of the narrative (Numbers
as well) which shows the artist as an
Numbers - Daughter
observer of the narrative (excluding a
focus on them usually). The inclusion of an
artist always adds to the idea of intimacy
between the audience and them while the
exclusion creates a more cinematic feel:
it’s more focused on narrative.
Just - Radiohead
 The Hand-held
• Hand-held music videos are a
common convention especially
with artists that generally have
a lower budget. It also adds a
more personal feel and places
the artist on the same level as
the audience rather than
1979 – Smashing Pumpkins
showing them in a refined
manner (with high quality
cameras, etc.)