Research 6 - Alternative Rock

Foster The People - Pumped Up Kicks

'Pumped Up Kicks' by Foster The People, is the genre of alternative rock. The typical conventions of this genre are mainly focused on the band, including live performance. Normally, the video is filmed in a big open space and effects are used, such as scratched or black and white, to give it a grungey feel.

This first shot focuses on the band, showing that the convention of having shots of a performance from the band is very important. In this shot, depth of field is used, where two band members can be seen playing the drums and keyboard. The lighting brings the focus on these bands members against the black background, drawing the audiences attention straight away to the aspect of the band.

This shot adds variety to the video, due to the location and lighting. The silhouettes against the setting sun brings a natural feel to the video, as the colours are very calming and reflects the mellow tones in the music.

This shot shows the audience who are watching the band perform. The atmosphere seems very energetic as the audience are dancing. Also, the video shows a dark/grungey vibe, which creates the "rock" atmosphere. As well as giving it a feel that it is not polished, which relates to the alternative rock conventions.

This shot focuses on the instrumental part of the song, where keyboard/drums/guitar are seen. A blurred effect is used, which ties in the convention of the alternative rock genre, as it brings a different effect to the lighting by dulling it out and making it more mellow.

Again, the natural feel to the video is shown again in this shot, where the band members are seen surfing. The use of black and white emphasises the alternative rock genre as it gives it a grungey feel.

The scratching effect and pale colours further emphasises the alternative rock conventions. The carelessness and sense of rebellion of jumping off a cliff into the water makes it more grungey, but also adds variety to the shots, gripping the audiences attention.

The final shot shows the lead singer finishing on a big note. His mouth is wide open and his eyes are closed showing the intensity. The lighting behind really draws attention as it is very bright. This shot blurs as the music fades out, then finally goes pitch black.