1. Conventions Within a
Music Video of the
Indie Folk Genre
Daughter - Still
Sauzanne Micael

2. Daughter - Still
Daughter formed as a band in 2010, after drummer Remi Aguillella and guitarist Igor
Haefeli joined Elena Tonra as the singer. Since this initial formation, the group have
since went on to release two EPs and one full album. They are very familiar with the
London scene, performing numerous gigs in their start up and going on to tour with
artists such as Ben Howard. Their fresh take on the Indie Folk genre is very innovative
and relates to their target audience. As a personal fan of their music, I decided to look
into a music video of theirs so that I could explain why I found my self targeted as part
of an audience.

3. Mise-en-Scene
Lighting
The lighting used throughout the music video is all artificial lighting. This is due to the
action taking place at night. Lighting is mainly used in the foreground of the shots to
highlight the females facial features and expression. This enables audience to relate to
the young female as they can identify with her young youthful appearance. The range of
colours remain consistent in a dim theme, which combines nicely with the melancholy
motif.
Facial Expressions & Body Language
Both the male and female characters body
language is tense and stiff. The audience can
attach this aspect of the video to the title of
the song and lyrics ‘still’. At one point, the
female character curls up into the foetal
position. This action generally connotes a sad
state of mind as people usually revert to it
when they are feeling stressed, depressed etc.
The audience is engaged in response to this as
they question what could have made her feel
that way.

4. Editing
The video manipulates the use of cuts to
explain the narrative in a sequence of shots.
This allows the audience to understand the
storyline quite easily. From the use of
editing, the audience is able to
acknowledge that this is a narrative based
music video. Besides this use of editing, the
simple editing techniques means those
viewing the video are solely focused on the
content of what they are watching and not
extra added aspects that could potentially
distract from the synopsis. Also, the pace of
the music combined with the editing
connects well. However, the artist is seen in
all the televisions shown with the use of
editing and a pre-recorded shot as she sings
the song. This is a physical link between the
song and the music video.
Transitions

5. Sound
The introduction of the music video begins without any
supporting score, besides the diegetic sounds of the young
girl climbing the stairs. This also includes ambient sounds of
the environment and the keys in her hand jiggling together.
This process allows the build up of suspense to occur as the
audience is made to wait to listen and be aware there is a
narrative to follow. The general sound of the music is
strongly conventional to the contemporary sound of indie
folk music. Indie folk is the combination of indie rock
melodies with the acoustical sounds of contemporary folk
music. Daughters gentle and whispery like sound is
personified in the music video as the setting and time of day
is night therefore the whispering effect of the score is
relevant to entirety of the conception. The volume of the
track stays consistent throughout the music video and
overall has a melancholy motif. Therefore, as a response, the
audience is made to feel sympathetic in a sense towards the
characters within the music video.

6. Camera (Angles/Shots/Movement)
A combination of shots are used to express and highlight the dark nature of the lyrics. This
includes the use of close up shots that truly depict the young females unhappy state by focusing
on the intensity behind her eyes. Several close up shots are also used, combined with the sharp
cuts in editing to represent the sequence of the girl undressing. From these shots, the audience is
able to sexualise the girl as they witness close – up shots of very feminine parts of female body
such as the shoulders and lower torso.
According to the male gaze theory, this allows males to observe the female in a different state as
well as allowing females to view themselves differently. The wide angled shot is demonstrated in
the overview of the bedroom, enabling the audience to consume more detail as they can see the
layout of the bedroom, picking up on different props such as the television in which we can see
the band Daughter performing the song. Very little camera movement is used within this music
video as it is all based around the static shots of the camera. This is interesting as this is quite
different to most videos, especially in a narrative based structure. This could be done to reflect
the standstill nature of their lives, combining well with the theme of the songs.

7. Lyric Break Down
I'll wrap up my bones
And leave them
Out of this home
Out on the road
Two feet standing on a principle
Two hands longing for each others warmth
Cold smoke seeping out of colder throats
Darkness falling, leaves nowhere to go
It's spiraling down
Biting words like a wolf howling
Hate is spitting out each others mouths
But we're still sleeping like we're lovers
Still with feet touching
Still with eyes meeting
Still our hands match
Still with hearts beating
X3
Two feet standing on a principle
Two hands digging in each others wounds
Cold smoke seeping out of colder throats
Darkness falling, leaves nowhere to move
It's spiraling down
Biting words like a wolf howling
Hate is spitting out each others mouths
But we're still sleeping like we're lovers
Still with feet touching
Still with eyes meeting
Still our hands match
Still with hearts beating
x3
I'll wrap up my bones
And leave them
Out of this home
Out on the road
Two feet standing on a principle
Two hands longing for each others
warmth
Cold smoke seeping out of colder throats
Darkness falling, leaves nowhere to go
After analysing the lyrics, it is made obvious that they explain a story of troubled love.
Therefore, an audience would expect to see a couple within the narrative of the music
video and clear signs that either of them are unhappy within the relationship. This is
represented by the imagery of the words and also with the personification of the words
used, shown by the highlighted sections.

8. Conventions Used Within the Music
Video
• Slow movement
• Dim lighting
• Simple Editing
• Narrative
• A narrative based on two main characters