When shooting on our video, we needed to make sure that we were representing the star image of our artist correctly and as we had planned to do. This was done through the costumes that he wore as well as his action when singing in the forest.
The costumes worn by the artist in both the narrative thread and the performance element connoted that our artist was an organic, indie artist, as he worn simple clothing such as a flannel shirt and black jeans. He also wore a jacket in some shots. We constructed the costume in this way, taking inspiration from other indie artist like James Bay, Tom Odell and Hozier. The use of this clothing signified that our artist is an indie artist as it is relaxed and casual, much like these other indie artists. This also conforms to indie artists not standing out based on their appearances as the clothing was nothing special, just simple shirts and jeans.
In the video, Jay is seen to be wearing wristbands which we feel help connote that he is an indie artist as they can be used to demonstrate where he has been and the things he has experienced. This is important because as an indie artist, he writes songs from personal experiences and things he has seen. The wristbands therefore signify all the places he has been and the things he has witness or gone through. Additionally, in some shots, Jay is seen to be wearing a pork pie hat which makes him easily recognisable and also further identifies him as an indie artist. This applies to part of Dyer's
Star Image theory in which he states that artists have something that the fans can imitate and copy and that also makes them recongisable. This is something we have done through the use of the wristbands and more importantly the hat. Dyer states how this is important as it is something that the fans can wear to be 'just like Jay Harper'.
An additional aspect of Jay's appearance which is significant in the connotation that Jay is an average person is the fact that he wears glasses. This is important because it signifies to the audience that he like everyone, he too has imperfections but wont hide away from them. This suggests that he isn't afraid to show who he really is as well as connoting that again, his appearance isn't what he wants to use to achieve success as he could construct the image that he is perfect by wearing contacts, however, he chooses not to and to show his true, natural self.
During the performance element, we connoted that our artist is a serious indie artist through directing him to use his body language to show his passion for the song and musicality. It was important that he didn't smile in this element as this would not have connoted the right attitude for an indie artist. I think that it would have been even more successful in connoting that our artist is a serious, organic, indie artist if we used the guitar on location.
Furthermore, when filming in the studio, we featured a guitar which further signifies that he is an organic, indie artist. This is because the use of this instrument connotes that he has other talents than simply singing. We took a wide range of shots including close-ups and wide angle shots. I feel as though the close-ups are particularly important because they can show the audience that Jay can actually play the guitar and that he is doing so in the video. The shots from further away will be less effective in highlighting this because although it can be seen that he is playing the guitar, it could be hard to tell that he actually is playing it rather than just moving his hands around.
In terms of location, we represented Jay's organic nature by having him perform in a rehearsal studio as this connotes that he is practising to perform and is working hard to master his craft. This therefore signifies that he is hard-working and determined to do well, however, like an indie artist is shows that he wants to do well based on his skills and talents as an artist. We also placed Jay in the forest and outdoors locations constantly throughout the music video. This was done to make him seem more organic and natural by surrounding him nature and organic objects. He also clearly enjoys being outdoors and is in touch with nature which connotes that he is an indie artist as it is unlikely that a pop artist will be found in the forest.
Overall, I believe that we have effectively demonstrated that our artist is an organic indie artist using a variety of methods from costume to props and locations.
