MUSIC VIDEO ANALYSIS

ROCK VIDEOS

THE KILLERS – MR BRIGHTSIDE

The music video starts off with the killers in the centre of the frame- this instantly tells the audience that it is their music video as they’re the first thing we see, it promotes them to the viewer instantly.

From here the shot jump cuts to an establishing shot of what looks like a burlesque show. we can tell this from the mise en scene – there is a heavy use of the colour red; this is quite a sexual colour to go with the stereotype of burlesque. also the women are in big elaborate costumes which are quite sexual in the way of how much skin they show but also in the video they show their lingerie performing as a show to an audience of just men. this plays on voyeurism and the male-gaze as its depicting women as how the men want them to behave; the girls are being pushed around from man to man when he chucks her an apple. the make-up is very heavy on the girls however on the close up of the main girl (played by izabella miko) she’s very pale and white which gives the impression of innocence, she also has pink blusher and lipstick which gives the impression of sweetness – this contrasts the message of the song as Brandon Flowers is singing about jealousy.

The video has performance of the band singing the song to the people of the show – we know they’re the band from the close up of Brandon flowers lip-syncing the song but also due to the use of props i.e. the band members have their instruments therefore we know that they are the band. also the band is dressed a bit differently to the other actors in the music video as they’re wearing suits/waistcoats which are quite smart however the other man in the video is wearing robes to show his wealth. the lighting on the band is very bright but when telling the narrative it goes quite dark as the mood changes.

Above is a close up shot of Brandon Flowers showing him looking at the girl, the next shot allows the viewer to follow his eyeline – it also shows his emotion.

<- A group shot of the band, showing them performing the song with their instruments.

The narrative of the video depicts a love triangle between the main girl and Brandon/ the Wealthy man who comes across as a pimp who is managing all the girls in the video. This reflect the lyrics of the song as Brandon becomes jealous of the girl with the other man and we know this as he sings ‘But she’s touching his chest’ then says ‘I Just can’t look its killing me’ as he feels jealous that she’s with the other man and he can’t watch anymore because he is too hurt. The video depicts this narrative in an arty way i.e. the burlesque atmosphere; as its indie rock the settings don’t have a set stereotype.

Above is a close up shot of Brandon Flowers and his love interest however she then runs off to her ‘master’ which we see in the next two shot.

The editing of the video mainly consists of a lot of jump cuts as it’s quite a fast paced song and it jumps from the performance to the narrative of the girl- it cross cuts of the wealthy man and the girl to Brandon and the girl. Another form of editing is at the start when it fades in and at the end it fades out. The camera shots in this video vary when showing the band it often uses a long shot to show the whole band to a mid-shot and then from here it zooms into Brandon’s face so we can see him lip-synching but we can also see the hurt on his face from seeing him and the girl. Wide shots are used to show the setting of the burlesque area, this pans round to a two shot of the girl and a man. The most common shots used are close ups and two shots.

ALL-AMERICAN REJECTS – DIRTY LITTLE SECRET

The video for Dirty Little Secret is a concept/performance based video; it’s about (as the title says) keeping secrets, in Nick Wheeler and Tyson Ritter’s case they made up a story about not really liking his girlfriend and trying to keep her under wraps. He says "I'll keep you, my dirty little secret. Don't tell anyone, or you'll be just another regret. Who has to know?" which tells us that his intention is to keep the relationship to himself, and he wants her to do the same. The video conveys a more general feel to the audience of keeping secrets as it shows members of the public - sharing their secrets on plaques and we see this right at the beginning.

Mise en Scene of Dirty Little Secret:

Props: The video opens showing the band performing the song as they have their instruments i.e. microphone stands, drums, bass and guitars along with the lead singer – we know from these props and this stereotype that it is a rock band. Also the other props used are the actual cards which the secrets have been written on, these are important to get the message of the video across.

Hair, make-up and Costume: The band are in smart-casual clothing (another stereotype of alternative rock bands) skinny jeans, t-shirts, leather jackets, converse etc., however they’re quite dull colours. When it shows shots of people holding up their secrets it shows them in normal everyday clothes to represent the fact that they’re normal people however the colours of the clothes are very bright in contrast to the band. The band stereotypically have long hair another iconic image associated with rock bands.

Lighting/ Colour: At the start of the video the lighting on this is very dark and the dominant colour is black; this is to convey the message of secrecy, it represents how a secret is kept from people i.e. the band being kept in the dark so we can’t see. However as the band starts to sing the lighting becomes a bit brighter yet it’s still dark which connotes the idea of a secret. During the performance there are flashes of light – this could be a sense of realism which the audience could relate to seeing them in concert as flashing lights are often at concerts with a darker background. When it proceeds to show people revealing their secrets on plaques the lighting is high key and very bright, this conveys a happy atmosphere which contrasts the idea of them keeping secrets.

Setting: The setting of the video is split into two sections, setting where the band is and setting where the everyday people are. The band are set up in what looks like a warehouse where it’s very dark. Behind the band is a huge wall filled with the cards with the secrets written on them this links in with the message of the song as it’s primarily about secrets. Where the people are shown with their cards, all the backgrounds are different yet they’re everyday places i.e. on a street, outside a building, at a park – which again is trying to convey the idea that they’re normal everyday people yet they still have their own secrets. With the exception of a couple who are placed in front of a screen.

Shots: The main type of shot used are close up shots which I think add to the message of the video, the majority of close ups are of the lead singer so we are able to read his emotion and be able to understand how he feels about the song. Mid-shots are used on the majority of the people in the video to show them and their background but then it either cuts or zooms in to the secret on the card which is emphasising its importance in relation to the song. There is a shot in the video which is a bird’s eye view of the guitarist playing but there are quite a few groups shots of the band showing them performing, showing their ability to play their instruments as seen by the close ups.

Editing: Right at the start of the video there is a montage of people with the cards, which goes very fast to fit in time with the beat of the song and is too fast to be able to read. However it slows down in the middle of the song and the mid shots zoom into the close up shots but it gives enough time to be able to read what is on the card before It cuts to the next shot. Then towards the end of the song when the guitar is coming to an end the editing goes back to really quick cutting to all of the shots of the cards we have already seen yet in time with the music before it pulls backs and fades out. The editing stick closely to the beat of the song and works well.

ALL TIME LOW – A LOVE LIKE WAR

The video for All Time Low – A Love like war is a performance based video. The video opens with an ambient sound of the film reel playing which makes the audience feel like they’re going to watch a film and captivates their attention. The song is about a relationship which is deadly – they don’t get on and argue a lot.

Mise en Scene of A Love Like War:

Props: The video switches between the cinema setting and the performance of the song; the props add to the effect of the settings. In the cinema setting to start with we see the whole band sat together watching the ‘film’ therefore it tells the audience what band’s video it is but it also gives a sense of unison. Alex Gaskarth is sat with a bucket of popcorn which is a stereotypical item you would buy at the cinema therefore it gives it more of a cinema atmosphere. Jack Barakat is sat with a guitar which tells the audience that he is a part of a band – he then proceeds to get up and play confirming this. He then walks across to where they are performing – we know this as there are mic stands, amplifiers, drum kits etc. to make it look realistic.

Hair, make up and costume and colour: The band are dressed in smart – casual clothes again i.e. jeans, t-shirts etc. The colours of the costumes for the band are dark colours i.e. black jeans and a grey t-shirt. This is sticking to the typical rock genre so that it makes it clear what kind of genre the band belong to – this is confirmed by the tattoo’s on the bands arms which are visible to the audience. The song is featuring Vic Fuentes who dresses in a red t-shirt, jeans and a cap. The colour red can be associated with love to make him seem more desirable to the female audience but it can also be associated with danger another stereotype of rock music. As he is wearing different clothes and in red this differentiates him from the band so that the audience know he is only featuring in the track.

Setting: The video is set in two places; the cinema and the stage. The cinema has a vintage feel to it as the screen is in black and white and it has the big old fashioned red curtains. The stage is then shown where the band are performing the song we know this via the use of the props however it is very dull colours, the use of black is predominantly used which conveys the rock conventions. However as the song goes on the stage gets messed up by the band chucking popcorn around etc – this is a rock conventions i.e. by being rebellious. This also links to the song lyrics as the relationship was a very messy one.

Shots: the most common type of shot used is the close up shot (again) this is to convey the emotion of the band across to the audience but it is also making the band seem desirable to the female audience to those who like the band; along with this you can clearly understand the lyrics. However in the cinema scenes we know they’re watching the film as there is the use of eyeline matches and reaction shots which makes the audience then want to see what they are watching. The tracking shot is used throughout the video to so it makes it feel as if the audience is following the band throughout the shots and it adds emphasis onto the next shot which makes the audience more intrigued as if they were watching a film.

Editing: The main type of editing in this video are the transitions – unlike the other rock videos cuts aren’t used. There is a lot of invisible editing as it looks like the video is just rolling in one shot however there is a fade to black transition at the end of the video.

Lighting: The lighting of the video is again quite dark, the cinema setting is quite dim which is realistic as when you go to the cinema the lights get turned out therefore it’s a dim setting – to the audience it gives it a sense of realism. When I looks from the screen to the back of the cinema there is a bright light flashing where the projector is. When the band are performing in the stage area towards the front of the stage is lighter than the back of the stage which again is giving a sense of realism as when you go to a concert the front of the stage is lighter as that is where the lights would be. The main colours used are quite dark and dull i.e. blacks and greys' except for in the cinema where there are red curtains and yellow pop corn tubs.

Lighting / colourSettingShotsEditing