Music Video Analysis

Of monster and men – Little Talks

CGI has been heavily used in this video to enhance its surrealism and overall appearance. The video shows the band travelling through an unknown world, various exuberant scenes and mystical monsters have been created to visually excite the viewer whilst it also reflects on the bands quirkiness.

The sudden burst of colour in the monochrome video adds excitement and further enhances the surreal look of the video. The heavy use of colour also focuses the viewers attention on the lead singer.

A close up camera angle is used to introduce the viewer to the lead vocalists face. The close up also shows direct address, this connects the viewer to the video and also allows the woman to convey the emotion and power of her character through her facial expressions. The heavy make up also adds to the surreal aspect of the video.

There is a strong reflection between the video and the bands Icelandic background. The use of a traditional Icelandic ship and statues is a clever way of showing this.

CGI is used here effectively to create a demonic bird with 2 heads. This gives the video a ‘nightmare’ quality which could reflect the surreal theme shown throughout the video.

The characters are shown swinging along the rope, this movement is effective as they move in time to the beat, therefore connecting the song to the video.

Here we see a close up of a band members face. It is a contrasting shot as it shows realism and surrealism together, the human head against an underwater background. This bizarre combination represents the quirkiness of the band.

Close up two shot is used to show reaction and identity. By using a tracking shot to show the band stood together it implies a sense of unity within the band.

Sub focusSub focus are a drum and bass band. Their videos reflect the modern genre and its futuristic sound. The song is called ‘Tidal Wave’ and the video relates to the title well as it is set on the beach, using shots of waves to reinforce the title. Fast cuts at the beginning match the beat of the song, shots of locations such as the blue sea, white sands and sunsets are also used to set the idyllic scene, this implies that tidal wave is an idyllic song. In the video we see the female singer exploring her surroundings. As Sub Focus’ target audience is young people she appeals to the audience with her stylish hair, make up and attire. There is also an element of male gaze, as she is clearly styled to look attractive. The video is vibrant in colour which reflects the sound of the song as its high tempo. Camera effects are an important element in the video, layering and mirrored images are used to add a surrealism, this ties in with the sound of the band as they are quite futuristic.The story of the video shows a man and woman travelling separate journeys to find something. This rlates well to the chorus lyrics ‘I’m tired of being on the outside, I wanna know what its like.’ This could be interoperated as the man and woman are searching for something because they are tired of being alone, as the video suggests. The ending shows them both discovering a perculiar circular object in the sky, almost UFO like. This successfully concludes the story line, making the video feel meaningful and also reinforces the futuristic link between the bands music genre and the video.

Chase and Status are another drum and bass band with a similar sound to Sub focus. They use fast cutting rates to reflect the fast tempo of the song. The drum and bass genre is most commonly played in nightclubs, the band therefore has a huge young adult fan base and its important that the video appeals to this audience. I believe that the video has achieved this through their use of young adult characters engaging in activities associated with their age, such as attending festivals and raves. I think Chase and Status are trying to portray an image that they are ‘cool’ in order to further appeal to the young audience. The characters are styled in street wear, e.g branded hooded jumpers and hats. There is also a lot of close ups and camera work focusing on smoking and drinking, arguably these are habits considered to be cool amongst the 18-30’s. The audience can relate to this as for many of them this is the image they portray themselves, so they can connect to the video and song. The song is fast tempo and the video has a fast cutting rate, this connects the two together. An important part of the video is the use of real footage from Chase and Status playing at a festival, camera work shows a vast crowd of people enjoying their music.This makes the audience appreciate the success of the band and also it sets an energetic atmosphere, matching the energy of the song. The video also uses a sequel of images to enhance the excitement of the video, images such as dilating pupils, arm hairs standing upright and a fast heartbeat monitor all imply intense excitement, I believe this is the effect that the song is supposed to have on the audience.

Chase and Status – Count On Me

Pendulum - witchcraftThe song ‘Witchcraft’ reflects well in the music video. A use of dark lighting and colours connotes ideas of mystery and evil, both things associated with witchcraft. A woman floating underwater gives a sense of something supernatural, another connotation with witchcraft. As the song gets faster there is an increase in the cutting rate. A key theme of the video is the idea that the woman is coming back to life, at the start we see her floating with her eyes closed, as the song as the song progresses she starts to move and rise. As she becomes more ‘alive’ the songs tempo increases, linking the song with the video.. Close ups are used repeatedly on the bands instruments, this shows off the bands skills and also creates a link between the visual and musical elements. The clothes the band wear are black, this is fitting with the colour scheme of the video. In contrast, the woman is wearing a white dress. Implying that she is different from everyone else, perhaps in the paranormal sense. The sharp contrast between the heavy use of black throughout the video and the white dress, makes her a focal point. Lighting is used effectively in the video, flashes of bright light and lasers add create a sense of chaos and exhilaration. CGI is used in the video to enhance the setting, in the video objects such as stone and rubble float in the air as if gravity doesn’t exist. This adds to the surreal and supernatural theme that appears throughout. Another idea is that the video is set in space, where there is no gravity. This would relate well to the song as there are lyrics such as ‘you gotta get out, go far away.’

Pendulum - watercolour

The video for watercolour is set on an unknown planet eclipsed by the sun, this adds an element of surrealism, reflecting on the bands futuristic style. Watercolour is the lead single from their most successful album ‘Immersion’. With it being the lead single it is important that the video reflects what the album is all about. The idea that that the band are immersed in darkness connects to the album title, however by the end of the video the band are fully exposed to sunlight. This could be perceived as the band persevering to break the boundaries of music, sucessfully rebelling againt the conventions of mainstream music. This could also relate to the lyrcis ‘’feed the fire, break your vision.” This implies perseverance and motivation. The band are renowned for their powerful songs, as the use of heavy bass dominates their music. This is reflected in the video. The band are shown to be fighting natures elements wind and rain. Close ups of their faces are used to show physical distress as they battles against the strong forces. This conveys the idea of power so there is an obvious link between the song and video. Throughout the video the lead singer is standing in front of a large stack of speakers. This reinforces the drum and bass genre as close ups show the vibrations from the loud music.

Pendulum – The Island Pt.1 The video starts with the shadow outline of an island, letting the audience know

where the story is set. The idea that the location is an island reflects the title. Just like

the other Pendulum videos, surrealism is a running theme. The video shows a girl

waking up in an unknown vast desert land on the island. The audience is clueless as to

why she is there, this adds mystery to the storyline and keeps the audiences attention.

As the song increases its tempo, the intensity of the video as the woman is distressed

that she cannot the mystery object in the far distance. Throughout the video, cuts of

the lead singers face are shown as he sings the narrative, this connects the band to the

video. The ending of the video is the most important element, it shows the woman

taking a fall down a hill and we see her unconscious on the floor. ‘The island’ is a two

part song, meaning there will be a second video so It is important that the video ends

on a cliff-hanger. This is a clever technique to promote the band as there is an instant

buzz created around the second part, as the fanbase are intrigued to know what will

happen next.

Theres a lot of intertexuality used on the pendulum website. This is an important technique to promote the brand image, as the more recognizable the image is, the more popular it will become. Firstly we see that Pendlum is bodly written across the top of the web page, this ensures that it is the first thing the viewer sees and straight away you feel like you’re at the centre of all things pendulum. The important thing about this title is that this font is consistently used for anything with their name on it. Another example of intertextuality on the site is the background. The album cover for their latest single ‘Crush’ is also the background, and therefore promoting the single. The website also uses a banner to advertise the bands latest single, it clearly stands out against the rest of the page with its segregated box and large title. Its important to exhort every way of promoting this single in order to increase sales. Another unique point about the background is that it gives the viewer the option of actually changing the background to a variety of past single covers. This makes the fans feel more connected with the band and website as they can personalise the site. There is also an option to listen to pendulum music as you view the sight. This promotes the bands music and also makes the viewing time spent more enjoyable. The website has to be a source when the fans can get acess all areas of Pendulum and the brand. Different parts of the website include updates, pictures/videos, band background information, and tour dates. Its important to include all of this so there is a constant buzz created, seeing updates and new pictures/videos being published on the sight will excite fans. The site not only needs to appeal to current fans but also people who don’t know that much about the band, having back ground information will help them understand more. Another important aspect of the site is that it offers a service called ‘The other side’ in which fans can create a memebership where they receive exclusive information about the band. This ensures that the fans feel close to the band as it adds a personal element.