THE ROCK GENREMEDIA A2 ANALYSIS OF THE ROCK GENRE AND IT’S SUB

GENRES.

IT’S SUB-GENRES INCLUDE:

-ALTERNATIVE ROCK-PUNK ROCK-MODERN ROCK-INDIE ROCK-HEAVY METAL-DEATH METAL-GARAGE ROCK-ROCK N ROLL

THESE ARE ONLY A FEW MAJOR ONES; WIKIPEDIA LISTS OVER 200 SUB GENRES OF ROCK

ORIGINS

• ROCK IS A POPULAR MUSIC GENRE ORIGINATING FROM 1950S AMERICAN ROCK N ROLL AND PROGRESSING THROUGH THE YEARS INTO DIFFERENT STYLES (OR SUB GENRES), THIS CHANGE WAS PARTICULARLY PROMINENT IN THE 1960S. HOWEVER THE ROOTS OF ROCK LAY MAINLY IN BLUES AND COUNTRY MUSIC FROM A MUCH EARLIER PERIOD.

CULTURE

• ROCK HAS GIVEN WAY TO MANY SUB CULTURES OR CULTURAL MOVEMENTS: GROUPS SUCH AS MODS, ROCKERS AND PUNKS.

GENERAL CONVENTIONS

• THE GENRE IS MAINLY DOMINATED BY WHITE MALE ARTISTS• DRUMS AND BASS GUITAR BUT CENTERED AROUND THE ELECTRIC

GUITAR.• A GENERALLY DARK TONE• ARTISTS PORTRAYED AS WITH AN EDGE/REBELLIOUS, GOING

AGAINST SOCIETY AND CONFORMITY• IN MUSIC VIDEOS IT’S VERY COMMON TO SEE SNIPPETS OF

PERFORMANCES; THE BAND ASSEMBLED • SHOTS OF AUDIENCE JUMPING AROUND FROM LIVE

PERFORMANCES OR CREATING THE ILLUSION OF A LIVE PERFORMANCE.

CAMERA SHOTS AND EDITING CONVENTIONS

• IT’S HARD TO IDENTIFY A PARTICULAR STYLE OF FILMING WITHIN A GENRE AS MOST MUSIC VIDEOS INCLUDE A VARIETY OF DIFFERING SHOTS TO KEEP THE VIEWER INTERESTED FOR THE DURATION OF THE WHOLE SONG. HOWEVER, WHEN LOOKING AT THE ROCK GENRE THERE ARE A FEW THAT APPEAR IN THE MAJORITY OF VIDEOS

GROUP SHOT

(The Rolling Stones- Doom and Gloom)

This shot from the most recent of the Stones’ videos shows all members together.A group shot is used to show them as a unit.

CLOSE UP (OF INSTRUMENTS)

(JET – ARE YOU GONNA BE MY GIRL)

Here a close up shows the guitarist playing the iconic riff of ‘Are You Gonna Be My Girl’, inarguably the most well known Jet song.

There is a major focus on instruments in rock and this is visible in this shot not only through the camera’s focus on the guitar but also through the contrast of the white background with the black guitar neck (/fret-board).

MID SHOT (OF FRONT MAN/ LEAD VOCALS)

(Arctic Monkeys- Arabella)

A Mid Shot of the lead/front-man can give the viewer a better impression or a fuller insight into their style and image; arguably a big part of a musicians identity. From a mid shot we can also get a better idea of setting while simultaneously not foregrounding it.Here Turner wears a white shirt with rolled up sleeves and the top buttons undone depicting a semi casual look. In a way it could be viewed as breaking conventions as a smart white shirt would normally be worn in a neat and formal manner. This could reflect the conventional idea of Rock Artists not abiding by societies rules and expectations.

CLOSE UP

Red Hot Chilli Peppers- Snow (Hey Oh)

A close up of the vocalist Anthony Kiedis.Close ups are often used to show the emotions of the vocalist and can be used in order to foreground specific lyrics too.

GROUP SHOT- BAND AND CROWD

(Franz Ferdinand- The Fallen)

In this Franz Ferdinand video the illusion of a gig is created. The camera shows what would seem like a P.O.V shot of an audience member; capturing the crowd and the band simultaneously.

Live performances are often recreated (or actual live performance footage is used) for music video purposes in the rock genre due to the convention of Rock artists not being a commercialised product (-the stereotype of pop) but rather being in the music industry because performing their music is their passion.