Genre Analysis -
General -
In what context did you encounter it? (web, film, TV etc.)
I first encountered a number of indie/alternative rock music videos on websites such as YouTube.
What influence do you think this context might have had on your interpretation of the text?
By watching a number of indie rock music videos on YouTube, I was able to discover a variety of techniques which influenced me massively, for e.g. the use of black and white or the use of shots of the band performing and behind the scenes etc. I then emulated these influential techniques whilst filming my music video.
To what genre did you initially assign the text?
The genre of music I chose for my media project is indie/alternative rock.
What is your experience of this genre?
I experience this genre on a regular basis, as the majority of music i listen to is from this area. I also watch indie rock music videos, read indie rock magazines such as NME and watch interviews with indie rock band members.
What subject matter and basic themes is the text concerned with?
The main subject of my music video is the band. The theme of my video was emulated from various indie rock music videos, in particular Oasis' cigarettes and alcohol, as my video shows the band performing the song as well as behind the scenes footage.
How typical of the genre is this text in terms of content?
My video is very typical of the genre, as i emulated a number of techniques which are used in existing indie rock music videos. The bands clothing and personality of the band, the black and white effect and the simplicity and low budget theme of the video are all typical features which are used in indie rock music videos.
What expectations do you have about texts in this genre?
I expect videos from the indie rock genre to be interesting, entertaining and to have a certain edge or talking point which separates the video and the genre from other genres.
Have you found any formal generic labels for this particular text (where)?
I discovered that the formal generic label for this particular text is indie rock music. I discovered this through research and planning.
What generic labels have others given the same text?
The majority of my audience also gave my text the same generic label, and labelled the video as indie rock. However, others from my target audience have also given my text the generic label 'alternative.'
Which conventions of the genre do you recognise in the text?
There are a number of conventions of the genre which can be recognised in my music video. The use of black and white is a common technique used in indie rock music videos, as is the Mise en scene included. The setting, costume and use of props e.g. guitars are stereotypical of indie rock, and represent the genre in my music video. The simplicity of the video also portrays the conventions of indie rock, as simplistic music videos are commonly used in the indie rock genre.
To what extent does this text stretch the conventions of its genre?
Where and why does the text depart from the conventions of the genre?
As stated previously, my music video does not
Which conventions seem more like those of a different genre (and which genre(s))?
What familiar motifs or images are used?
Which of the formal/stylistic techniques employed are typical/untypical of the genre?
What institutional constraints are reflected in the form of the text?
What relationship to 'reality' does the text lay claim to?
Whose realities does it reflect?
What purposes does the genre serve?
In what ways are these purposes embodied in the text?
To what extent did your purposes match these when you engaged with the text?
What ideological assumptions and values seem to be embedded in the text?
What pleasures does this genre offer to you personally?
What pleasures does the text appeal to (and how typical of the genre is this)?
Did you feel 'critical or accepting, resisting or validating, casual or concentrated, apathetic or motivated' (and why)?
Which elements of the text seemed salient because of your knowledge of the genre?
What predictions about events did your generic identification of the text lead to (and to what extent did these prove accurate)?
What inferences about people and their motivations did your genre identification give rise to (and how far were these confirmed)?
How and why did your interpretation of the text differ from the interpretation of the same text by other people?
Mode of address -
What sort of audience was your text aimed at (and how typical was this of the genre)?
How does the text address your classmates?
What sort of person does it assume they are?
What assumptions have you made about their class, age, gender and ethnicity?
What interests does it assume they have?
What relevance does the text actually have for you?
What knowledge does it take for granted?
To what extent do you resemble the 'ideal reader' that the text seeks to position you as?
Are there any notable shifts in the text's mode of address (and if so, what do they involve)?
What responses does the text seem to expect from your audience?
How open to negotiation is their response (are they invited, instructed or coerced to respond in particular ways)?
Is there any penalty for not responding in the expected ways (think in terms of enjoyment for the audience or consequences for the institution)?
To what extent did people find themselves 'reading against the grain' of the text and the genre?
Which attempts to position your audience in this text do they accept, reject or seek to negotiate (and why)?
How closely aligned is the way in which the text addresses you with the way in which the genre positions you (Kress 1988, 107)?
