Mirco Element: Simplicity

From research of recent indie videos (2012 era) there has been an increase in music videos which take on the simplicity style. This generally does not include a main narrative presence within the video and focuses souly around the artist performance. Personally, I believe that taking on this 'stripped-down' approach to a music video works exceptionally well and hieghtens the focus of the artist. The style of simplicity is evident in Gabrielle Alpin's music video for her cover of 'The Power Of Love' where the focus is entirely on Gabrielle playing piano and singing. This style is one of which I wish to incorporate into my music video as our chosen genre is indie and to use a simplicity style would make our video 'current' with other established indie artists. Below is Gabrielle Aplin's video 'The Power Of Love':

Micro Element: Focus Shift

Another micro element we wish to include in our music video is the camera effect of focus shift; this is where the camera, usually due to zooming in and out on a specific object, both sharpens and loses its focus on an object. This technique engages the audience's attention on certain points in the video as well as allowing for a smooth continuity in progressing through the video. The 'Beautiful Clutter' video incorporates this technique perfectly in a vintage/ indie style which is another factor my group and I wish to use. As can be seen on the images on the left, the focus shift highlights specific points which have possible symbolic meaning to the song, lyrics or artists themselves.



Beautiful Clutter from Tristan Ofield on Vimeo.

Micro Element: Day To Night/ Carrying Objects/Outdoors

Ben Howard's music video for 'Keep Your Head Up' contains all three micro elements in which we want to use in the creation of our music video. By having all three in one music video, we are able to analyse how each micro element is used and coincides with each other to create a full product.

Day To Night
The first micro element is the inclusion of day to night in a music video. "Keep Your Head Up' frequently uses establishing shots and low shots to portray the time of day. This is a common convention of indie videos. If we were too use day to night in our music video we could also play around with camera flares which create a great affect when filming and will conform to the indie style. By identifying clearly to the audience, the time of day and the change in brightness, gives the impression that their is progress within the artist, as if the sun is setting out a literal and chronological structure to the video.

Carrying Objects
The video features Ben Howard carrying objects throughout the video in order to build a water slide. There are numerous times when the video use slow motion editing when he's carrying either a hay bale, shovel and bucket to purposely identify to the audience what indeed he is carrying. In terms of cinematography, Ben is filmed using: multiple close ups of the objects and the way he's holding them; mid shots to show the path he is following; tracking and panning shots to highlight him moving through the forest and lastly, low angled shots (as the video progresses) to impose ambiguity to the audience into what it is that he is building.

Outdoors
The outdoors shots are filmed in a similar way to the day to night shots, by using establishing shots to identify the location in where Ben is: in this case a forest. Further close ups and panning shots of the environment and the surroundings helps the audience identify what is is that's occurring in the video.

Micro Element: Performance

From research of our chosen genre, the majority of Indie videos will contain a performance from the band playing their instruments. This feature is a key element which we want to include when we go to create our music video and it will help us coincide with the Indie conventions. The video I am going to analyse is 'Two Door Cinema Club's' - 'Something Good Can Work' as it has a high focus on performance of the band within the video.

This song is a typical Indie Alternative genre as it contains a strong focus on the band performing as well as a high involvement of stop motion; a micro element which I analysed in a previous post and a editing and cinematography technique my group and I want to include. 
The first 15 seconds of the video uses a still mid shot of the band playing their instruments, guitars and bass, individually. This gives both a focus and individualism to each performer and establishes a personality and role within the band. Therefore, giving the band a personality and allowing the audience to 'get-to-know' them personally, to a certain extent.

By keeping the camera in a fixed position means that the band had to interact and move towards the camera as shown by the image on the left. However the absence of technical equipment like the amplifiers, drum kit, microphones gives a indie and unique approach to the performance; something which would suit our music video well as the artist will be playing a acoustic guitar. The increase in speed of the stop motion as the video progresses is an aspect which really intrigues us and would be a interesting approach to take in our video. 

Micro Element: Stop Motion

Another technique my group and I want to incorporate in our music video is the camera and editing technique of stop motion. Stop motion is either a photographic or camera animation technique which stimulates the impression of jagged movement created by filming one or two still frames at a time then either speeding it up or slowing it down (dependent on the intentions of the group or individual) during the editing process.

Despite this video by Western Spaghetti not being a short film rather than a music video, it still presents the idea of stop motion and the effect it portrays. By either filming or photographing each still frame it gives a lack of continuity and sleekness; a jagged disjunctive feel to the video. However, my group and I hope to take this technique and apply it to our idea of the artist bringing furniture to a place in a forest and building his own miniature house; the stop motion will allow us to show him moving the furniture and putting it up in a unique and original way.
This technique really ties in with the conventions of an indie genre as its original and different to other current videos out now and been out in the past. It's a technique which, if done right, will look really effective and intriguing for the audience.

Micro Element: Polaroid Pictures

In order to gain a better grasp and knowledge on developing our cinematography and editing skills. One technique my group and I are hoping to include in our music video is the use of Polaroid photos and the idea of moving images/ a video playing in the shot. Therefore I looked at 'The Streets' video for 'Fit But You Know It' which uses this technique very well.


As can be seen in the video, the band take the idea of flicking through Polaroid photos while incorporating a moving image within it. My group and I hope to do the same concept however with the idea of either flicking through a relationship; from start to finish or flicking through a lifetime; from young to old. Our idea takes a more indie approach as 'The Streets' are a rap/ alternative pop group therefore using the concept to suit the conventions of that genre.

By using photos it gives an original approach to a music video, showing a progression in narrative within the video as well as keeping the audience intrigued to where the images will end up or the story that they will show. In the case of 'The Streets' video, the Polaroids show a holiday which the band take and the singer is reminiscing on the holiday while looking through the photos; commenting on the women who features in the images.