The genre I have chosen for my music video is alternative rock. This style of rock music started to became popular in the 1990's after it emerged from independent music. The word 'alternative' refers to how the music is branded as unconventional. Examples of well-known alternative rock artists include:
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Nirvana
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Foo Fighters
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Coldplay
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The Killers
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Oasis
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Arctic Monkeys
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Avril Lavigne
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Blink-182
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Bjork
Alternative rock is an umbrella term used to describe the style of music that originates from the early 90's, this means that the genre has lots of different aspects to it. This genre is usually characterised by bands who appear to have a "bad" or non-conformist attitude. It became the most popular music of its time period which was quite ironic as it was seen as being anti-mainstream. The popularity of the genre was so ironic to begin with because its entire purpose was to be the opposite of what everyone wanted to hear. To be considered a true alternative rock artist, they have to get rid of what is usually considered normal and almost do the opposite.
The Conventions of Alternative Rock Music Videos
Alternative rock music videos sometimes tell a story (narrative video), they can also be mainly a performance video which just focuses on the artists performing the song or, it could be a conceptual music video which most likely uses editing technology to produce effects and made-up things/people. These would all use a variety of camera shots such as close-ups of the artists and their instruments in order to show both skill and passion, long/establishing shots of the entire band or setting and POV shots. The layout of the band during music videos consists of the lead singer at the front and in the middle with guitarist(s) on either side -depending on the amount of band members- and lastly, the drummer would be at the back.
In music videos, artists would conventionally be seen wearing dark clothing that has a carefree and casual vibe. Props that would be expected are sunglasses as this enforces a sense of mystery, instruments and sometimes dangerous objects which build tension and intrigues viewers at the same time. Lighting in these types of music videos are stereotypically low-key and natural which links into the setting of the videos being situated in places like clubs, on stage and in deserted areas.
Iconography is the visual representation of symbols and images. Alternative rock music videos usually contain the artists representing themselves as most videos are performance based, and so would focus on the band lip-syncing to the lyrics and playing their instruments. Mise en scene elements would help to show iconography and help the audience get a better understanding of the meaning behind the video. However, when the music video is more narratively based, iconography would help to show the conventions and stereotypes for the storyline, so it's easier for the audience to comprehend what is being portrayed and what the genre is.