The document analyzes and compares two music videos from the alternative rock genre - "Fluorescent Adolescent" by Arctic Monkeys and "Gives You Hell" by All American Rejects. Both videos conform to conventions of the genre through their use of comedic narratives, random elements, and portrayal of the bands as unconventional artists. However, "Fluorescent Adolescent" is more unconventional in its performance and narrative that does not relate to the song lyrics, while "Gives You Hell" shows a more typical alternative rock band through its conventional body language and narrative that loosely connects to the lyrics.

1. Genre Music Video Analysis

2. • I will be analysing 2 music videos from the
alternative rock genre. These include Arctic
Monkeys – ‘Fluorescent Adolescent’ and All
American Rejects – ‘Gives You Hell’.

3. Genre

4. • With Fluorescent Adolescent it
is easy to tell it is an
alternative rock video as it
includes a comedic approach
to the video as well as some
form of narrative which is
conventional with most
alternative rock music videos.
In particular the visual
elements within the video
such as the concept of
gangsters fighting clowns, and
a narrative that doesn’t go
with the song, shows that this
is a alternative rock music
video.

5. • Similarly with Gives You
Hell, there is a narrative that
becomes clearer throughout
the song. This as well
introduces a comedic
approach, therefore
conforming to the conventions
of an alternative rock music
video. Particular visual
elements used such as the
rivalry between the
neighbours and the rock star
lifestyle being shown by the
lead singer and his band mates
tells us that this is an
alternative rock music video.

6. Setting and Decor

7. • In Fluorescent Adolescent the
setting and décor of the music
video is ‘grainy’, similar or that
of a drama film or programme.
This connotes to the audience
that there is a deep storyline
to the music video. The
director may have chosen this
to be ironic as the actual
narrative of the music video
does not fit with the setting or
décor of the actual music
video. Although in doing this
the music video does fit the
alternative rock genre of music
videos.

8. • However with Gives You Hell the
setting and décor is made to look
similarly with that of a sitcom
that lives in a suburban area. This
connotes to the audience that the
narrative of the music video is of
a normal couple. However
similarly with Fluorescent
Adolescent, the narrative
progresses and shows that the
setting and décor doesn’t fit the
narrative. The director may have
chosen this for the same reason
as the Fluorescent Adolescent; to
be ironic. Because of the this the
setting and décor do fit the
alternative rock genre of music
videos.

9. Costume

10. • With Fluorescent Adolescent
the costumes are of gangsters
and clowns. This may connote
to the audience that the
narrative of the music video is
already not going to make a
lot of sense. The director may
have chosen this because he
was looking to make the video
as random as possible. It is
because of the randomness of
the costume and the storyline
that it does in fact fit the
alternative rock genre of music
videos.

11. •
With Gives You Hell the costumes are
that of a suburban couple and of rock
stars. This would connote that there
will be some sort of interaction
between the 2 different kind of
people. The director may have
chosen this to make sure the
narrative can be seen visually as well
as within the music video itself.
Because they’re dressed in rock star
clothes it does fit the alternative rock
genre of music videos. The lead
singer/frontman of the band is
dressed differently to all the other
people ion the video. However he
plays 2 people and therefore doubles
the effect. This shows that they are
the most important member of the
band.

12. Props

13. • In Fluorescent Adolescent the
props in the video are bags,
chains, cars, vans, chairs and
boxes. These connote to the
audience that as the majority
of these props are used as
weapons that there’s a lot of
violence within the narrative
of the music video. The
director has most likely chosen
them as they are typical
weapons used by gangsters in
hand to hand combat. As the
props fit the narrative it does
in a way fit the alternative rock
genre of music videos.

14. • In Gives You Hell the props used
are amplifiers, megaphones,
hoses, lawnmowers, microphones
and instruments. This connotes to
the audience that the band is a
typical alternative rock band. This
is because they have instruments
and random props to go with the
narrative of the music video. The
director would have chosen these
to make the video generic to the
alternative rock genre. With the
directors choice of the props used
within the video, they have made
the video fit to the alternative
rock genre.

15. Body Language and Movement

16. •
In Fluorescent Adolescent the body language
and performance used within the video
connotes to the audience that the band itself
is very random as their performance does
not fit the alternative rock genre typically.
The director may have chosen this because it
fits with the more random, unconventional
side of the alternative rock genre that the
artists seem to represent. As it is
unconventional to the genre, it doesn’t fit
the genre conventionally, but does still fit the
genre unconventionally. Different audiences
would interpret the style of the music video
as bad as it does not fit the expectations of
the typical audience for the alternative rock
genre, others would however deem this as
correct as it is expected for the artist to be
unconventional. The artist does not move
differently to everyone else.

17. •
In Gives You Hell the body language
and movement would connote to the
audience that the artists are a typical
alternative rock band as the style is
conventional to the genre. The
director would have chosen this
because the artists are renowned for
this style of music video and wants to
portray the same image. This
therefore fits to the alternative rock
genre. Different audiences might
interpret this as conveying to the
mainstream policies of alternative
rock and therefore lacking originality.
The artist moves differently to
everyone else to show that he’s the
front man. This creates the effect
that he’s the most important
member of the band.

18. Performance

19. • In Fluorescent
Adolescent the artists
are of little importance
as anyone could have
been used as there
were no scenes of the
band playing or singing.
The performance of the
artists however adds to
the narrative of the
video.

20. • In Gives You Hell the
artists are of
importance as they are
acting in the narrative
while also showing
themselves as a band.
Their performance adds
to the effect that they
are a generic alternative
rock band.

21. Narrative

22. • In Fluorescent Adolescent
there is a narrative. The
artists take part in the
narrative as actors. The
narrative however
doesn’t link with the lyrics
of the song whatsoever.
The narrative only adds to
the music video to show
how random the artists
are.

23. • In Gives You Hell there is a
narrative. The artists all take
part in the narrative. The
narrative slightly links with
the lyrics of the song but
instead of talking about a
woman, they are talking
about their annoying next
door neighbour whom he
has a rivalry with. The
narrative adds slightly to
the music video to show
them as a generic
alternative rock band.