Mainstream and Alternative Music Videos

Little Mix- Black Magic

How is the music video mainstream? 

Mainstream music videos are mainly of the pop genre so they include the conventions of this genre. The conventions included in the Little Mix Black Magic music video include bright lighting particularly high key lighting in the setting of the school and bright objects and writing such as the bright purple hair Perrie has, the luminescent yellow writing of their name at the beginning of the video, bright red headphones which is also a use of advertisement to their teenage audience as they are beats which was a popular item to buy at the time this was made (2015), blue sparkles of the magic dust etc. these bright colours also link into another convention of the mainstream videos- the artists are happy, enjoying and content with life. The colours included help to reflect this mood due to the brightness of them which people may associate with pleasant feelings e.g. yellow is associated with joy and happiness. In this video the girls change from wearing quite dull, what some may believe as them representing geeks in the school, to bright flattering stylish clothing. The end results are conventional of this genre as the costume tends to be fashionable in society at the time and mainstream as this makes them relatable and attracts their young target audience who are more likely to be interested in these outfits than anyone else. An example of this is the white short skirt and crop top that Perrie is wearing. The casting in pop music videos is generally young which is evident in this video, especially as they are in a school environment. Makeup is used to emphasise the beauty of the females as the girls are wearing flattering lipstick and eyeshadow for their individual faces and the use of contour and bronzer which is popular amongst teenagers, to compliment their face shape. This video also follows Todorov's theory of a narrative structure to an extent. Instead of starting in equilibrium they are thrown straight into disequilibrium as they fall over and they figure out the boy is not waving at them. However Todorov says this then leads to a resolution where the equilibrium is restored which is shown in this video through Jade finding the book and the black magic where they change there appearance and not only get his attention but embarrass the girl in front of everyone. This is partially conventional of a pop music video as it does include this theory but doesn't strictly follow it. It is also unconventional as some pop music videos included performance rather than a narrative which is typical of other Little Mix videos e.g. Touch. The artists express unity associated wth teens which is conventional of this genre as they are working together to find a solution and get his attention. 

This music video is evidence of mainstream due to it being hugely commercial so it appeals to mass audiences. This is achieved through the conventions it includes to attract their target audience which I think ranges from young girls to young women in their 20s depending on the video. For this video I think it attracts a variety of audience ages for example young girls due to the fun playful aspect behind it as they are in young children's clothing at the beginning, teenage girls due to the narrative and setting, women in their early 20s because of the artists being around the similar age and therefore clothing wise the fashion sense could be similar as well. I also think you can interpret it as being aimed at young men as well due to the artists dressing provocatively in short skirts or shorts and crop tops to portray a sexual atmosphere  This is also shown through the girls changing themselves to grab the attention from the boys in the school and the way the boys react to this shows this video could be aimed at teen boys or young men. This evidence suggests that this video does appeal to a mass audience and therefore can be classified as mainstream. 

Little mix are also signed to Simon Cowell's record label after winning The X Factor UK. This is a big record label due to many other big names signed to it e.g. One Direction, Fifth Harmony, Leona Lewis, Ollly Murs etc. and therefore classifies Little Mix as mainstream and also due to this video being made under this label. 

The artist in mainstream music videos tend to have less control as the video is manufactured by the producers and other song writers. Black Magic was written by Camille Purcell, Ed Drewett, Edvard Forre Erfjord, and Henrik Michelsen. It was produced by the Norwegian production duo Electric who previously worked on another of their albums Salute (2013) and Matt Rad, an additional producer. 

Nirvana- Smells Like Teen Spirit

How is the music video alternative? 

The conventions of this alternative rock included in the Nirvana Smells Like Teen Spirit music video include specific parts of camerawork that they are well known for e.g. close ups of band members particularly in this video there are close ups on the faces of the drummer and the main singer which help the audience to remember these artists and get a feel for the atmosphere they are trying to create through their facial expressions. Another way that the audience are given this is through the use of the music played by the instruments and therefore it is significant that alternative rock music videos have close ups on the instruments as well as they are one of the main focus' of the video. The instruments are also conventional as they are electrical particularly guitars and drum kits. These alternative rock videos tend to include establishing shots of the scene, in this case what seems to be an underground area which is a conventional setting for these videos. There are also conventions for the mise en scene of this genre for example the costumes they wear are typically baggy and of a casual, laid back, carefree style usually a dark colour. This is evident in this video as the main singer who we can see is wearing a baggy t-shirt and jeans. The hair in this video fits the conventions as it is mid length which is typical of not only the actors in the video but the artists themselves. The lighting tends to be low key and natural so it is typical for this video to be filmed in dark rooms which is evident in this video as they seem to be in an underground area which is quite dull and dark. The actors have a carefree placed attitude, which particularly in alternative rock videos is shown by the band as they are the main people seen in a performance video which is what this video appears to be due to the focus on them singing. This convention is shown by the band and the actors head banging and standing around which makes it seem more relaxed and fun rather than too serious. The editing in alternative rock videos generally has lots of shots which is shown in this video with a variety of close ups, long shots, mid shots and establishing shots. The video typically cuts between performance and narrative which is evident in this video when the audience see the band singing and dancing at the front with their instruments and then this consistently cuts to an older man dancing with what looks like a mop from some cleaning equipment in what seems to be a similar setting but in a different place. There also tends to be links between the lyrics and the visuals which is shown in this video through them singing about 'entertain us' and 'lights out' which is portrayed with the cheerleaders dancing and the crowd dancing around them in a room which is quite dingy and dark. The conventional colours included in this video are the red of the poms poms that the cheerleaders have, the green of the top the lead singer is wearing, the black of the room and actors clothing and the general darkness of the majority of the clothing and area. 

Alternative muso videos are typically less commercial and make and release their music independently but this isn't always the case recently. This video was made in 2009 but the song 'Smells Like Teen Spirit' was released in 1991 on DGC records which is quite a big record label due to the number of popular artists who have recorded for them e.g. Coldplay, All Time Low, The Raincoats etc.

The music videos have a specific target audience which for Nirvana in 1991 when this song was released was teenagers. This is still the case nowadays for them as there is a theme of rebellion shown in this video and song, which will always be relevant to young people and teenagers. 

They are often less about the artist/s and more about the music including instrumentals performed by the artist/s. This is evident in this video due to the cameras focus on the instruments played and the section at the beginning of the video where no one is singing and there are several close ups of the drummer playing the drums and shots of the actor dancing e.g. cheerleaders. 

Challenging the status quo by subverting the established conventions is typical of the alternative music videos. This is evident as this video specifically follows its own separate conventions rather than sticking to the 'popular' music that still existed at the time. Nirvana were known for 'breaking the mould' and producing the music that other bands thought about but didn't know how to produce.