Monday 19 July 2010

You Me At Six- "Liquid Confidence (Nothing To Lose)" Video Analysis

How are the band represented?

The band are shown to be a stereotypical band as the video features them practising for a music video and relaxing backstage. However, there is a negative feel to the main singer as he is shown to be distracted, repeatedly getting the video wrong and also not socialising backstage. You Me At Six are shown to be a close knit group of friends as they are all wearing co-ordinating colours and are also shown in numerous shots together.

What relationship exists between the images and lyrics in the video?

Apart the the singer being shown as singing the song, there does not appear to be a major relationship between the images and the lyrics at all throughout the video as the band are shown to be recording for the music video. However, as the lyrics do not match the images throughout the video, the video does not look odd as it is consistent. As the images and lyrics do not match, the video has its own effective way of portraying the song.

What relationship exists between the music and images in the video?

At the beginning of the song there is a slow, steady acoustic guitar beat, which is complimented by a gradual zoom out from the band and also a slow motion feel. Whilst this build up is taking place, the camera continues the slow continuous zoom to show the viewer the bands situation and, once the build up and zoom are over, there is a sharp focus and zoom in to give a close up of the singers face, showing that he is the main focus of the video. It becomes apparent throughout the video that whenever the music is slow, the main singer is the main focus and once the climax is reached, then the whole band are shown together, which could show happiness when together- creating a bond.

Are there any inter-textual references to other media forms?

The main inter-textual reference is the conventions of being in a band. The band are shown to be doing things that people expect a band to be doing such as recording a music video, relaxing backstage and creating a strong bond with each other.

What do I like about the video?

The slow motion effect is very effective and the change in zooms is also a good technique. However, my favourite part about the video is the shots of the main singer singing into the microphone with a slight slow motion delay on his singing. I feel like these shots really emphasise the feel of the song and that they work really well with the song.

Thursday 1 July 2010

Panic! At The Disco- "I Write Sins Not Tragedies" Video Analysis


How are the band represented?

The band, Panic! At The Disco are shown to have stereotypical teenage roles as they are being disruptive and causing trouble at a wedding. By playing the teenage stereotype, the band are relating to their target audience, which are teenagers, and allowing them to connect with them. The video also features feminine aspects including make-up, glitter and venetian masks. The main singer is wearing red, which is a very bold colour which is used to represent passion and danger, both of which are applicable to the storyline of the music video. The video does not really focus on the band playing music, more on the roles given in the music video and so it is hard to say how the band as a whole are represented, although it is clear to say that they are shown to be fun loving as once the chorus starts, dancers appear and begin to party.

What relationship exists between the images and lyrics in the video?

The song starts "Oh, well imagine as I'm pacing the pews in a church corridor" and the images being shown at the time are all church like and include a vicar and some traditional wedding decorations, to set the scene for the video. Also, the "Oh well imagine" lyric links to the video as a whole because the video has a fantasy theme to it due to the large amounts of make up and fantasy venetian theme. Another way the lyrics and images link is through the main singer, who is shown singing the song. Later, the song says "Haven't you people ever heard of closing a goddamn door no?" whilst walking through an open door to find the bride having an affair on the groom.

What relationship exists between the music and images in the video?

At the beginning of the song, there is a build up of a beat and whilst this beat is being built up, the scene of the video is being set. As the beat becomes more pronouced, the video becomes more lively. Whenever the chord of the guitar changes the shot changes and so this is a conventional feature of the music video. When the music returns to the build up sequence, the people in the video become calmer and so the tempo and beat of the music infulence the actions of the people. At the end of the video there is a man blowing fire and fire is blown at the same time as the last major chord, and the flame dies at the same time that the chord fades.

Are there any inter-textual references to other media forms?

There is not a great deal of inter-textualtity throughout this video, however there is a number of circus references as the people in the video are dressed as clowns and have over the top make-up. And the main singer in the red jacket acts as the ring master as he is dressed boldly and vibrantly to the other characters in the video, showing his importance. At the end of the video, the screen is full of circus acts such as people on stilts, people hula hooping and a fire breather.

What do I like about the video?

I really like how the video is a little abstract and random, yet fits in with the song perfectly. The abstract theme also links to the teenage portayal of the band. I like how the video is lively and busy and also the use of a story that links to the song. The use of over the top makeup also looks appealing to me, as it gives the video a unique feel.

The Prodigy- "Invaders Must Die" Video Analysis

How are the band represented?

The band are not shown in the video, and this is an unconventional feature of a music video, as the band are usually the main focus. However, the man in the video is shown to be slightly crazy during points in the video, due to an unsteady camera and numerous close ups of the mans face. Another way in which insanity is shown throughout this video is the fact that he is spray painting spiders and turning stray strands of rope into spiders. As spiders are seen to be frightening, this may show that the man has a dark side and that he, too is frightening.

What relationship exists between the images and the lyrics in the video?

The song is called "Invaders Must Die" and for the majority of the music video, the man is shown to be alone, and the video is shot in places in which people are not usually found, such as by an abandoned house and in a field containing telephone pylons. "Invaders Must Die" are the only lyrics throughout the song and so the idea of the man being alone suggests that everybody else that has once been there is dead, which is also supported by the scene in which the man becomes strangled. A major aspect of the video is the fact that it is in black and white, which makes the video appear as a short film, especially as the video does not feature the band in it, and instead acts as a backing track. By having the video in black and white, the insanity an loneliness of the man and is much more effective at showing this than if the video were in colour.

What relationship exists between the images and the music?

The video changes in speed, there are points when the shots are fast and there are others in which the shots are longer panning shots, depending on the tempo of the music. The bass in the music acts like a backbone for the song and is solid and consistent throughout the video. This aspect of the music is reflected in the consistency of certain aspects of the video such as the black and white throughout and the emptiness of the setting.


Are there any inter-textual references to other media forms?
An inter-textual reference occurs between the bands trademark logo and also the spiders that appear are being made by the man throughout, again linking the bands products and also the band to that music video so that they are instantly recognisable. Also, the use of black and white is also reflected in the single cover and the majority of "The Prodigy"'s products, such as Prodigy t-shirts and posters.

What do I like about the video?

I think that the black and white works brilliantly with the song, as the song is very upbeat and hyperactive, and the monochrome contrasts to the tempo and genre to the music, thus making it more effective. Also, the different shot types are very effective in this video as they empahsise that he is the only person there.

My Schedule

In order to complete my project on time, I have constructed a number of deadlines for different aspects that contribute to my final product.
I hope to have completed:
Research by July 24th
Planning by September 10th
Rough Cut by September 20th
Final Cut by October 1st
Album Cover Mock-Up by October 15th
Final Album Cover by Octoer 31st
Audience Feedback by November 10th
Revisions by November 20th
Evaluation by November 30th

Initial Thoughts

As I am considering creating a music video to an "Indie" music genre, I decided that it would be best for me to watch a number of music videos from this genre so that I could compare and contrast them. Hopefully, there will be features that will appear in all of the music videos I decide to evaluate and therefore, I can then incorporate these features into my own project. Even though I am thinking of doing a music genre, I think it would be best for me to also watch a number of music videos from other genres, to allow me to see what style of music video I would like to create and also, if I change my mind throughout my project, then I already know certain aspects of a different genre.