Daft Punk3 music video analysis

By Thomas Griffiths – 0601

Centre Number - 33751

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Group background knowledge and introduction

2 songs which I have analysed were first featured on the Daft Punk album “Discovery”, the songs are from a film called “Interstella 5555: The 5tory of the 5ecret 5tar 5ystem”. The film was made using only music from Daft Punk, along with no dialogue (other than lyrics) and minimal sound effects. This film was then split up into “episodes” and each episode was featured as a music video for a song on the album. As the film was co-created with Daft Punk, the music videos where created to their standards. This of course makes the music videos very similar and easily categorised as both performance and narrative styled music videos.

The final song is not from this album, however, so it does not follow the same idea as the other 2. The final video is a conceptual music video, however I will explain the music videos in more detail when I get to them.

One More Time

Album: DiscoveryRuntime: 5:22Category: Performance/narrativeGenre: House/techno

Although the characters in the video arenot real, they are designed to be likethe band themselves, this is the reason why the music video is also performance. The characters are fictional as there are only 2-4 people in the group.

CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE VIDEO, YOU WILL BE TAKEN TO YOUTUBE

(This is a YOUTUBE clip, click link to play)

Overview

• Although it is animation, the same techniques still count, such as “lighting” and “angles”.

• Storyline is added to include the audience and create a cliff hanger.

• Song ends with bell sounds, which is the start to the next song on the album and in the storyline.

• The video matches the Groups style as it is vibrant, fast paced (with quick transitions), bouncy and leaves the viewer wanting more.

Shooting through space Tells audience that the song will be fast

Perhaps danger? Relation to opening of Star Wars films?

Planets, which are easily observed and can be related to by audience

Informs us that artist is “different” or “alien”

Camera spirals, showing a “zooming motion”, informing audience of area

Close up of lips, shows audience that this is the singer

Officially starts the songTitle of song is first lyric

Again shows audience that the group is different

Establishing shot, to show area

The beauty of animation is emphasised, as made up worlds can be created and look so amazing. Makes the audience feel as if they are there too

Bright colours, showing that the song and group are bouncy and bright

“Rave” disco styled lighting, can be related to

Changes, showing disco style

Harmonic colours

Puts viewers into audience’s shoes

Over shoulder style Also point of view style

Harmony emphasised

Low angle, looking up to show their skill at playing

Perhaps point of view of fictional audience/crowd

Panning shots of neighbouring houses Bright colours houses, emphasising brightness of music and the group’s style

Establishing the setting

Inside homes, seems to be house party

Families all listening to same song, showing that the music is for anyone

Shows the group had fun creating the music

Same thing again, people both old and young listening (and dancing) to the song

Also establishes city more, shows mass of buildings and its beauty

Vocals are emphasised here, and overlaying of images is used to emphasise happiness

This also gives off a good vibe to viewers, making a “feel good” atmosphere

Showing their love for the music

Panning shots complimented with overlaid close ups of band

Lights it background to add atmosphere of gig

More emphasis on instruments, with “negative” hue overlay of band member clapping cymbals together

A slow tilt creates a smooth and happy feeling for viewers

Tilts upward to show night sky

By this time the viewers have become a part of the video, and the darkness symbolises danger, which is inevitable no matter how much the viewers don’t want it

Focus distance switches from characters dancing to a red light on what seems to be a radar. Of course red has connotations with danger, and it is obvious that the viewers know what is happening

Characters’ smiling faces are still visible

Shadow/silhouette of a person, darkness symbolising danger

This dark character seems to be watching our “heroes” and this creates a tense atmosphere

This shows that there is always a story behind Daft Punk’s music

Red, in the case having connotations with blood, anger and evil

Cloaked characters are mysterious and make the viewers want to find out who they are

Bells start and a silhouette is standing in a doorway, creating a tense atmosphere

The audience is sure that danger is on the way as the video ends, creating a cliff hanger. Giving the feel that the music always leaves you wanting more

Aerodynamic

Album: DiscoveryRuntime: 3:38Category: Performance/narrativeGenre: House/techno

Although the characters in the video arenot real, they are designed to be likethe band themselves, this is the reason why the music video is also performance.The characters are fictional as there areonly 2-4 people in the group.

CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE VIDEO, YOU WILL BE TAKEN TO YOUTUBE

(This is a YOUTUBE clip, click link to play)

Overview

• The second part to the video.

• Fast paced music with fast paced transitions and movement on screen.

• Instrumental, perfect for video as singing wouldn’t fit the panic setting.

• Vibrant style of group is emphasised in this video.

Precision with music, everything is in time

Light switches on with bell sound

Colourful vibrancy on screen, showing brightness of artists

Darker side is shown as vibrant colours are faded away

Gradient used to emphasis darkness

Party style still occurring (as this follows on from pervious video)

Quickly comes to a sudden holt as music picks up

Danger and panic begins here

Looking up at “bad guys”, as they have power and superiority

Panic shown on characters faces, shock sets in for viewers also

Smoke overpowers crowdViewers feel panic building

Same chords playing, creating atmosphere as if the same thing is taking an eternity, which is common in a situation like this

Character running away from smoke, creating more panic

This character straight away becomes protagonist

We want the character to escape

Chords still playing

Viewers are shown that rest of band has been captured, emphasising need for final one to escape

Female character held at front, as females are often seen as vulnerable and helpless

Chords change and music becomes even higher tempo, adding to the panic atmosphere

Viewers are willing the character to run faster

Masked man precisely applies ammo to his weapon, to show the precision on the group’s music

Close up used to emphasise danger in this piece of equipment

Zooming effect of weapon is used to show inevitable future for the character. The viewers hold onto a last glimpse of hope that the character may get away

Panic of both music and visuals allows the style of the group to be shown as very up pace

Uncommon shot of firing of weapon. The shot is repeated from different angles. This is used to emphasise the precision and power in this single shot

This obviously shows the group to be very precise when writing and creating music

The “panic” styled layer of the song dims down at this point, because the character has been caught. Heavy drum beat tells us this.

Shows that the band puts meaning behind their music

Antagonist character is seen for second time since first music video, with close ups of his expression, to show his evil smirk.

He remains a silhouette in order to keep the viewers interested and add a cliff hanger as to who he is

Another cliff hanger is added at the end of this video, there may be a possible last hope

Red symbolises power, and in this case the viewers hope that it is enough power to save the heroes

Around the world

Album: HomeworkRuntime: 4:01Category: ConceptualGenre: House/techno

Being conceptual, this music video is more of an art form than a video. It has no real meaning behind it, it contains no specific start middle or end. However it is very moving and artistically choreographed.

(This is a YOUTUBE clip, click link to play)

CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE VIDEO, YOU WILL BE TAKEN TO YOUTUBE

Overview

• This music video is different from the other 2 which I have analysed so far.

• It is a conceptual video as there does not seem to be any narrative to it.

• The video was taken in one session from many different cameras in a single studio, no “takes” where made (it was one continuous piece).

• The video is very complex, however it can be broken down easily.

Firstly seems obscene and very nonsense-like

Panning, showing different “stations” for dancing to take place

Patterned dancing, the women lift their arms in waves

Build up for song is obvious, and colours in background portray that

Master shot, showing all of dancers, but not all are active or lit up

Rest of dancers form a circle around the centre podium

“Funky” dancing up the steps is shown by the strangely dressed men

It becomes apparent that each “group” of people is being portrayed as a “layer” of the music

This is again shown when the women dance up the stairs to the tune of the song

The astronauts begin to dance also at this point, as they are matching the vocals of the song

As the focus of this part of the song is the vocals, the astronauts are mainly lit, along with the white dancers on the central podium. This is because these 2 “layers” of the song are the dominant ones.

The precision in choreography shows how precise the group is with their music creating skills

In contrast to the previous slide, everything is lit up now, showing how the song is evenly levelling out all aspects of the song, from the beat to the tune

The background lighting also changed, to show the difference in this part of the song

Again to show precision and emphasis on a single entity in the song, the camera focuses on the white dancers on the central podium and they are also predominantly lit

Also the background lights match the colours of the white dancers’ clothes

(This is a YOUTUBE clip, click link to play)

Here we can see what I have been saying in action. Notice that as the men run down the stairs, a certain part of the song will play. This can be best explained when the men move only to this specific layer of the music, along with the astronauts dancing to only the lyrics in the video above. (you can watch the clip as many times as you like by replaying it on youtube)

THIS IS THE THIRD SHORT CLIP USED FOR ANALYSIS, CLICK HERE TO SEE THE VIDEO

YOU WILL BE TAKEN TO YOUTBE

Arial shot, which is unusual, much like the song and the style of the music

Gives us a 3 point perspective of what is happening

This clips shows the precision in choreography, which is an indicator of how precise the music is, which is obviously a trend in Daft Punk’s songs and style. It is clearly visible how each individual “set of dancers” matches an individual aspect of the song, as stated earlier.

(This is a YOUTUBE clip, click link to play)

THIS IS THE SECOND SHORT CLIP USED FOR ANALYSIS, CLICK HERE TO SEE THE VIDEO

YOU WILL BE TAKEN TO YOUTBE

The mass of different “characters” could show how diverse the musicians are with their music

This can also be said for the diverse amount of colours in the background

(This is a YOUTUBE clip, click link to play)

Again we see how difficult it must have been to choreograph this video, as it was a single take. These final moments of dancing finalise the piece as a work of art, as is the style of the music. No matter how many times the lyric “around the world” is said, it never gets boring, as is the same with the dancing, it always amazes viewers.

THIS IS THE THIRD AND FINAL SHORT CLIP USED FOR ANALYSIS, CLICK HERE TO SEE THE VIDEO

YOU WILL BE TAKEN TO YOUTBE

As the music video comes to a holt and the song fades, the lights dim and the dancers stop.

At this point, the viewer feels fulfilled and entertained, whish is the meaning of the video

Thank you for paying attention