Character/actor choices

The reason I chose the girl is because she demonstrates the indie genre through her dress sense and also what she likes. I also chose her because I wanted to have the couple in the video to have chemistry that doesn't look too fake. She did drama at GCSE so I thought she would be good at acting, also her and the boy in the video are a couple in real life therefore I thought they would work in my music video.

Tribe for target audience

My target audience ...

You are an Indie Scenester! You are at the forefront on the indie scene – you know all the major players. You’re always ahead of the game – moving on to the next thing once everyone joins in. You like to look good and your icons go beyond the centrefold of the NME – your current look is James Dean meets Grace Jones. Just wait – everyone will be wearing it in a year’s time.



Indie Scenesters occupy the space previously inhabited by Trendies (and Ravers before them) – people who want to be ahead of the crowd and are willing to invest time and effort into the paraphernalia and detail of their sub-culture. A decade ago they may well have been Ravers and a couple of years back they were listening to bands like Klaxons, the pioneers of nu-rave. Indie Scenesters exist thanks to the fashionable status of guitar music (though for them it’s often about mixing it up with more electronic sounds) and are linked to the general rise of instant fashionability – of fashion and music trends having much faster lifecycles thanks to the commodification of cool. Scenesters don't mind bands achieving mainstream success, but prefer them before the masses cotton on – their own version of second album syndrome. There is significant role reversal in the Indie Scenester Tribe, with both boys and girls dressing in tight fitting clothes and often sporting make-up and accessories. The relatively recent return of the Ray-Ban Wayfarer (in all colours) is big with this crowd as they love to be the first to pick up on the rebirth of a once popular fashion item.

Scenesters are festival goers – if they can blag it. The real action, though, is in small, sweaty, adrenalised clubs. Scenesters are more bothered about iPods and drinking than phones or conscious materialism. Online communities such as those found on drownedinsound.com are important as they allow visitors to discuss, diss or discover the latest cool bands.

The list of bands they like is ever changing. TV On the Radio, The Vivian Girls, Vampire Weekend, Spank Rock and Shit Disco are some of the sounds they like, as is hip French label Ed Banger Records, the home of Justice.

The look – skinny jeans, Converse, stripes and Americana T-shirts – shifted for a while when nu-rave came on the scene, but has come full circle as the genre became too mainstream, reflecting the fickleness and speed of quick changing trends in music having an impact on fashion. Currently labels such as American Apparel, Topshop/Topman and Uniqlo are high street staples, with House of Holland appealing to more affluent members of the Indie Scenester crowd.

Find your tribe

Apparently I am a ...

You are a Townie! Your job might be a bit boring but it brings home the bacon and helps you save up for those two weeks away to Spain. Your weekends are set in stone – trip to the shops in town, buy yourself something nice, head to the All Bar One with friends, have a laff, maybe go for a club, as long as there’s none of the indie weirdo music. Keep it straight, you say.



Most people have little choice but to start as Townies (unless, perhaps, your parents are artists, musicians or eccentrics!). You have to make a decision to join a different Tribe, to break away from normality, to find your own niche, and indeed many make this decision as they move through their teens. But then again, many do not…

This tribe is the core of the British population. Townies are relatively diverse in entertainment choices but unsurprisingly stick to mainstream options. Generally speaking, they possess conservative political views on subjects like asylum seekers and immigration. In some places the term ‘townie’ is used to refer to vaguely disruptive and boozy groupings closer to chavs, whilst in others it describes the mainstream in less pejorative terms. We refer to the latter.

TV celebs, talent contests and, still, soaps, are big with this bunch. No surprise, so is ‘consensus music’ like R’n’B, pop and mainstream hip hop. But music isn't ultimately a key cultural driver.
Instead, holidays and socialising score higher. Fashion-wise, think Ben Sherman, Ted Baker and Lyle & Scott for the boys and River Island and Miss Selfridge for the girls – complete with a winter tan. Ideas from Trendies often filter through to the Townies. And, interestingly, Ugg boots are as popular with Townies as with Rahs (though probably more like to be fake copies). Picture Cheryl Cole without the designer labels and you are well on your way.

How are music festivals changing?

How are music festivals changing? What does this reveal about the music industry, identity and target audiences?

Music festivals have rapidly changed over the past years; they have now diversified which has included music which targets a niche audience, there are festivals such as ‘Big Chill’ which targets an audience that have past their best, who used to go to raves in their younger years. Music festivals have become more corporate, festivals such Glastonbury and V festival now have large food and drink companies selling their products. Ticket prices are sky high, reaching £200 for the more expensive festivals; this supports the ideology that music festivals are becoming more mainstream. Also the prices have risen because of revenue streams, because of illegal downloading, artists need to make their money through festivals because they don’t through retail.  At many of the major festivals there are numerous stages, this has caused audience segmentation. It means that a lot more people go to the festivals however; they are split into niche audiences due to the interests of the audience. The reason that people are going to music festivals is changing, they now go for the experience, however, it is not what it once was. There is now upmarket and people can rent luxury tents. The music festivals are changing dramatically and it is affecting its audience and the artists there.

Location Shots

These are the location shots for my music video. My music video will be shot at the beach and also in a confined room which will contrast the feelings of freedom and entrapment.

The wombats - Let's dance to joy division analysis

The genre of this music video is indie; the conventional music video for this genre is usually a band performance. The music video for this song sticks to the typical conventions as there is a performance, however it is intercut with shots of children dancing. This appeals to the target audience because it shows the people in the video breaking free, therefore they could to. The storyline in the music video is about the band forcing children to break free and gain their freedom. The video challenges Todorov’s theory of equilibrium disruption and new equilibrium. There is a slight disruption where the band members start flying whilst playing their instruments. There is never a new equilibrium as it finishes with the band members still flying. The disruption is never resolved.

The video begins with many close ups of the lead vocalist of the band plugging in the instruments, the close ups create a connection between the band and its target audience. The target audience is people with alternative style, generally teenagers at school. The target audience is also people who are seriously at music. The music video is aimed at both genders, this is because although there are all males in the video, the song is about breaking free which appeals to both genders and is also shown in the video. The music starts as the lead vocalist arrives at the microphone. They are in a white room with the band’s name written on the wall. This focuses all of the attention on the band itself and the name of the band, other than the surroundings. The only lighting in the room at the start is a flashing light and when it is on it creates key lighting on the lead vocalist. Most of the shots near the start are mid shots of the band playing their instruments which give the band all of the power in the video to engage their listeners. There is a close up of the band’s name written on the wall, it creates a sense of unity among the band members, showing that they are all part of one thing and the name that the audience is familiar with. It also advertises the band; some people may hear or see the video of the song but not know who it is. Having the name written on the wall in the video means that it’s audience can download or buy their songs.

The bands genre is demonstrated greatly by the mise en scene of the closed in room, and all of the instruments around them. This is because the people who follow the indie genre are farely enclosed in themselves and with their particular group of friends and other people in that genre. The actions in the video link to the lyrics of the song, such as ‘and raise our glass to the ceiling’ links to when the band physically rise to the ceiling, this creates a sense of chaos as it is out of the ordinary and something that the audience is unfamiliar with. It shows that anything is possible for the band creating a feeling that it can be the same for their audience. The clothes that the band is wearing are stereotypical of the genre such as skinny jeans and tops, usually with bands on it, or shirts such as the lead singer is wearing. It relates to the fans style and it puts them in a position which is closer to the fans which link the two of them.

Many of the shots are quick and usually from a hand held camera which means that the music video is unstable suggesting that people who like this genre of music are different and unique. There are many high angle shots which suggest that the audience look up to the band and shows that they are in control. The quick shots create a sense of chaos, yet again, but this is before the singing starts. As soon as the lead vocalist starts singing all the focus is on him and the camera is steady. There is then a mid – shot of the band members, with a black back drop. All the light is coming from them suggesting they are god like figures and they are trying to persuade their fans to break free. This is followed by many close ups of instruments that the target audience are familiar with creating a sense of security when watching the video after the scene of chaos that was before which familiarizes the fans with what is being seen in the video once more. 

Towards the end of the video the colour of the lighting changes, the room becomes all different colours. It flashes from a black room to being lit up by one of these colours. This focuses all the attention on the band when they are on the screen as it is only for a short amount of time before the room is black again. By the end of the video everything is chaos, which links to the fast pace of the song. There are many quick shots from person to person. It is a handheld camera again which means that the shots are very shaky and disorientating for the audience.