mise-en-scene

As music videos are without speech, this means that the videos, especially narrative music videos, use mise-en-scene to indicate character and circumstance. For example, in Ed Sheeran's 'A-team' shows us the woman using drugs through the use of props, and in Hozier's 'Cherry Wine' it is implicitly stated that the man is abusing the woman through the use of make-up. Indie-pop videos often use bright colours to portray a modern, upbeat tone, whereas traditional indie is typically more subdued.