D.I.Y.

Generic analysis
A2 Media Theory
Alex Rhodes

D.I.Y. Generic analysis

General
In what context did you encounter it? (web, film, TV
etc)
I encountered the indie genre through the web and looking at
videos from indie music bands, as well as looking at magazine
publishers such as NME (both the paperback version and their
online website). The web played a vital part in the way I
encountered the genre, however going to shops such as HMV also
played a part as I was able to look for CDs by different indie artists
that I was interested in and choose an album to listen to.

What influence do you think this context might have

had on your interpretation of the text?

I dont think it played a huge influence however I believe having

parents who were interested in the genre so would have listened to
the genre often is what gave me the biggest influence.

To what genre did you initially assign the text?

Indie/Alternative genre

What is your experience of this genre?

It is the main type of genre that I listen to, and I like to believe I
listen to a range of music however this is the genre that mainly
focus on and have been interested in for a while.

What subject matter and basic themes is the text

concerned with?

It varies depending on the artist, from something they would see on

a night out as a teenager to their own personal views politics and
money etc.

How typical of the genre is this text in terms of

content?

This is what you would expect from the indie genre as this is what
most artists base their lyrics on and a lot of the artists are people
who like to get their point across to all their audience.

D.I.Y. Generic analysis

A2 Media Theory
Alex Rhodes
What expectations do you have about texts in this
genre?
The only thing to expect from this genre is that it will include the
usual musical instruments which are what this genre is based upon.

Have you found any formal generic labels for this

particular text (where)?

The one indie/rock label I have found to be related to this genre is

Rough Trade Records, and this is what many artists who come
under this genre use such as Palma Violets and going back to the
80s with The Smiths.

What generic labels have others given the same text?

EMI records have often been mentioned around the indie genre.

Which conventions of the genre do you recognize in

the text?

To what extent does this text stretch the conventions

of its genre?

All the texts I have observed all tend to stick to the conventions
however as the genre of indie is spreading such as Indie
Pop/rock/electronic etc. there isnt one set of conventions that it
would usually have to follow.

Where and why does the text depart from the

conventions of the genre?

The text tends to stay within its genre.

Which conventions seem more like those of a different

genre (and which genre(s))?

What familiar motifs or images are used?

Using star image, so basing the text on the front man is often used
as the majority of the shots are of the front man so the audience
will recognise who it is.

Which of the formal/stylistic techniques employed are

typical/untypical of the genre?

D.I.Y. Generic analysis

A2 Media Theory
Alex Rhodes
Using star image is typical of this genre and the attire that the band
would wear are all typical of this genre. As we have tried to aim it
specifically at our audience there isnt really anything that is
untypical.

What institutional constraints are reflected in the form

of the text?

What relationship to 'reality' does the text lay claim

to?

As it is something that is realistic with whats happening in the

video, it is a realistic video with the setting; however the
relationship decreases slightly with the use of the editing
techniques that we have used.

Whose realities does it reflect?

What you would expect to see at a gig with the way the band is
performing together.

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?

That the audience would like a quick tempo song and the band
looking enthusiastic performing as thats what they would expect
and what rather than the video telling a slow story.

What pleasures does this genre offer to you

personally?

D.I.Y. Generic analysis

A2 Media Theory
Alex Rhodes
I like the whole idea of it being a genre associated with younger
people who are interested in going out, and I am interested in the
variety of sub genres within indie as it constantly growing due to
post-modernism.

What pleasures does the text appeal to (and how

typical of the genre is this)?

The text appeals to the outgoing nature of the genre which is often
very typical of it.

Did you feel 'critical or accepting, resisting or

validating, casual or concentrated, apathetic or
motivated' (and why)?

I felt critical in the way that we were always trying to get things to
be right, and we had to often think things through or change plan
quickly, we were always validating everything to ensure that it was
going to work, such as making sure it would look fitting in an indie
video, and I believe we were always motivated which is why we
tried to do something new.

Which elements of the text seemed salient because of

your knowledge of the genre?

The elements which seemed most salient was the way that it looked
enthusiastic and the way the band were enjoying themselves as
with an indie audience, that is what they are like and would expect.

What predictions about events did your generic

identification of the text lead to (and to what extent
did these prove accurate)?
They proved to be as expected and we proved these were accurate

What inferences about people and their motivations

did your genre identification give rise to (and how far
were these confirmed)?

That young people like going out and going to enthusiastic,

enjoyable events which were shown in this video by the pace of the
editing.

How and why did your interpretation of the text differ

from the interpretation of the same text by other
people?

D.I.Y. Generic analysis

A2 Media Theory
Alex Rhodes
Because everyones opinion differs, and this occurs especially when
people are discussing musical conventions.
Mode of address
What sort of audience was your text aimed at (and how
typical was this of the genre)?
It was aimed at a younger audience who were familiar with going
out and going to different indie gigs.

How does the text address your classmates?

IT addresses them as it relates to an experience that they may have

themselves going out and seeing a band they like.

What sort of person does it assume they are?

A sociable, outgoing teenager/young adult

What assumptions have you made about their class,

age, gender and ethnicity?

I assumed that they were going to be of a younger age, a mixture of

genders, mainly the white ethnicity and slightly more working class
than the upper class.

What interests does it assume they have?

Socialising and into music.

What relevance does the text actually have for you?

Something that I can relate to from past experience, even more so

as I have seen the actual band so I could picture I realistic scenario
for the video.

What knowledge does it take for granted?

What younger teenagers and adults would be interested in

To what extent do you resemble the 'ideal reader' that

the text seeks to position you as?

The ideal reader would be someone who is into a range of indie

music, they like going out and going to different gigs by indie
artists.

D.I.Y. Generic analysis

A2 Media Theory
Alex Rhodes
Are there any notable shifts in the text's mode of
address (and if so, what do they involve)?
No it tends to stay within the same address.

What responses does the text seem to expect from

your audience?

For them to visualise like they experienced seeing the indie band
live themselves, and for them to get the idea it is an enthusiastic
and quick tempo song.

How open to negotiation is their response (are they

invited, instructed or coerced to respond in particular
ways)?

There is a heavy focus on the band being live which implies that
they may have been invited into the idea of seeing the band live as
that is what the focus of the video is on.

Is there any penalty for not responding in the expected

ways (think in terms of enjoyment for the audience or
consequences for the institution)?

They may not take to the video as well due to the fact that there is
no added elements it other than the live performance by the band.
This may decrease the enjoyment if the audience prefer videos
which include a story to it rather than showing the band playing
live.

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)?

Due to us being consistent and not changing the scenario our video
is often accepted even with the editing of the intro flashes etc. this
could be due to the fact that it makes the video look more
enthusiastic which is what they would want. They only negotiate it
by saying that if an audience was included it would have made a
more realistic setting.

How closely aligned is the way in which the text

addresses you with the way in which the genre
positions you (Kress 1988, 107)?

D.I.Y. Generic analysis

A2 Media Theory
Alex Rhodes
It is something that often represents the genre as you will often see
numerous music videos of a band performing live at their own gig.
This shows that under this music genre it will often aim at its
audience by showing them playing live.

Relationship to other texts

What intertextual references are there in the text you
have created (and to what other texts)?
There are no intertextual references.

Generically, which other texts does the text you

created resemble most closely?

It is a mixture of both Oasis Cigarettes & Alcohol and Arctic

Monkeys I Bet You Look Good On The Dance Floor

What key features are shared by these texts?

The use of editing to make the video black and white, and the
concept of making the video a performance with the band playing
on the stage.

What major differences do you notice between them?

The Oasis video includes an audience, and Arctic Monkeys dont use
editing effects like we have and isnt in black and white.