Genre Conventions of Alternative Rock

 In the genre of alternative rock there are conventional features which are seen in the majority of music videos. These conventions are used to connote an image which many bands wish to follow so that they belong to a scene and gain a response from the target audience that they wish to reach. By following these conventions, the music videos promote the band to their potential fans where they may be shown on music television channels (e.g. MTV Rock), broadcasted on radio stations (e.g. Q, Kerrang!) and in more niche cases, posted on blogs, web-zines and internet channels.

The alternative rock genre often comes with a range of stereotypes which are represented through the mise-en-scene in the video. Lighting is usually not excessive in this genre as there is never a large focus on glamour as the artists tend to break the conventions of most mainstream artists. In most music videos within the genre there is mainly usage of natural lighting rather than a clear focus of flashing lights which is normally used in hip-hop and pop music. The props which are used within the genre are often not excessive to maintain a casual appearance around the artists. It is often found in alternative rock videos that the artists keep a smart-casual dress sense to progress this stereotype. In The Strokes’ music video for Juice box, the band furthers this impression through resisting showing their wealth in their clothing choice, yet keeping their attire suitable to the genre. In context of the video, they star with a variety of actors who also dress in this smart casual manner. They are shown performing everyday activities to appeal to their younger target audience who would be watching music videos. In alternative rock videos, the band are often seen playing the song whilst the narrative unfolds as a sub-plot. This essence is used to create a personal effect on the video in this genre, enhancing the idea that the artists are skilled in playing their instruments; this is shown in the video below.

 In terms of editing, music videos in this genre are often appropriately cut without appearing chaotic. In most cases, the cuts which are used match the pace of the song which is being played. This is to keep the product at a professional level which leaves the audio as the most important area in the video. If the editing is not kept to the tempo of the song, it is normally at the same speed as the narrative to maintain a suitable appearance. Occasionally, there are specialized cuts used such as fading, however this is always kept to a limit. In Interpol’s video for NYC, the band use fading cuts more than an average music video. This is because it matches the pace of the song and narrative of the video as a quiet and dark output. There are specific uses of editing where the band is shown in a negative lighting fill; this is accompanied by blue and red lit backgrounds. In alternative rock, depending on the bands style there can be uses of editing such as this as certain artists wish to convey a diverse image. 

 Cinematography and camera techniques are used in alternative rock music videos to highlight the artists as they play the music in a lot of cases. This is normally through extreme close-ups on the band and their instruments as they play along to the audio. Following this idea, the cinematography additionally features medium close-ups which include the whole band as they play in a setting (the setting is often where the narrative develops). Varieties of worm’s eye and bird’s eye shots convey the significance of the band in the music video as they show dominance to their project; whereas bird’s eye shots often reflect the narrative or show the band as a whole. In the music video for Radiohead’s Street Spirit (Fade Out), the band breaks the regular conventions for the ideologies of alternative rock videos. However, they follow a lot of conventions which are often found in the cinematography and camera work. This is through using close-ups to reflect the narrative and pace of the song where the intro shows the vocalist laid on a car bonnet waiting for the song to start. The video shows the band stood around a caravan site where gravity changes and strange events occur. The camera work for this shows medium close-ups where the whole band is pictured during the main verses; this is to show their importance to the song. Bird’s eye shots are used where the breaks in the song progress and the narrative allows a creature to fly near the vocalists personal space, this shows the shot through the perspective of the animal. There is a lack of tracking and panning in this text as the tempo of the song is slow and progressive which produces a calming effect on the audience.