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

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