Research: Music Video Genre - Unconventional Video

Motion City Soundtrack - Her Words Destroyed My Planet

Primarily, this video is rather unconventional. It is set in a school hall during a science fair, so it is set on location in a school. 

The video has a choreographed dance routine at the end (pictured below) with all the band members and a few extras and this is unconventional as indie based music videos are often performance based in the sense of the members playing instruments, not putting on a show with a dance. Also, the band members are seen frequently throughout the video and not just used as performing space fillers. However, during the video the lead singer gets singing shots, but these are taken at a mid-long shot, which isn't conventional as most bands tend to go for close-ups of the singers.  

Indie-rock music videos often dwell into the retro-futuristic and kitsch scene and style for videos, as is it differs from the norm but still gives a nostalgic sense of familiarity with the video. In this video, the idea behind is is a science fair and (as pictured) some of the projects fit under this criteria. This also adds to the comical and childlike aspect of the video, removing the seriousness and sticking to fun which many bands do not do.

The video also has a form of narrative, which uses the 'Equilibrium, Disruption, Re-equilibrium' method. The School Science-fair is the original equilibrium which is then disrupted by the bands entrance, who act as bully characters and outdo the students with all their work. The Re-equilibrium happens at the end when two students fire lasers at the band after winning all the awards, as revenge, returning it to how it was at the start; peaceful and without the band forming as competition.
Something that is unique to this video is that the band themselves are the disruption, which makes the viewer question why they are bringing themselves the negative image in the video, but still adds to the humor.

The bands look is conventional, though they are wearing 'uniforms'  as they ass their tattoo's baggy shirts, baggy pants, use of layering, and this gives the uncaring appearance look, that is found often in the indie music scene.

'Got a job at Uncommon Grounds
I finally shaved off that beard

Sold my Xbox to Jimmy down the street

Hell, I even quit smoking weed

I'm taking an online course

I'm learning to speak Japanese'

The video is also complimentary to the lyrics, which is important as Andrew Goodwin's theory mentions the importance of having a parallel of lyrics to the video, as its about a boys reminiscence of a relationship that he keeps regretting things that happened and thinks about what he did wrong to and changes himself to make him a better person, thus the band going back to high-school to do better and giving a better effort then their probable first time around.

Overall this music video is a very interesting example of a non conventional style of the indie-rock genre, as it borrows conventions from other genres to basically point fun at them and themselves in the process.

- Teigan Kiss