Indie Genre Conventions

Location

Indie bands usually perform in outdoor areas; either in a forest scenario or an urban scene. Furthermore the location is usually close to home for the artist, in a familiar location either near their home, spot they use to hang out in or a meaningful place.

Narrative
The videos are usual in an Amplified or Disjuncture style of narrative, ranging from subtle symbolism or links to the lyrics or the video being completely unrelated to the lyrics or meaning of the song. However the artist, usually the singer, is current in the video and mainly plays the 'hero' within the narrative. Also, the narrative is usually shot in a different location to the performance by the band or individual artist.

Camera
Due to indie artist usually lower budget videos, the camera is made to reflect this. Therefore there is a heavy use of hand held cameras to give this personal impression which the indie artist strive for; to have a personal connection with their fans. However, camera techniques genuinely become improved if the band are performing in the video, using various style of shots from: close ups, mid shots, pan shots, low and high angle shots.

Mise-En-Scene

The outfits are usually personal preference of the artist. Generally their own clothes which they feel comfortable in but also highlight their individual personality. So a smart-casual style clothing inspired from vintage or retro styles from previous eras instead of mainstream/ high street clothing.

Editing

Editing generally fits the tempo of the song, varying between fast and slow paced dictated by how the artist or band play their instruments.

Lighting
As mentioned before, locations are usually set outside therefore naturalistic lighting is normally always present in indie videos. There is also a frequent concept in the videos where the video starts in the morning and ends at night therefore showing the change in light from sun rise to night.