a) Purpose
The purpose of this music video is to promote Radiohead through the use of audio-visuals. The music video is also used to entertain its audience and does this via a narrative which is conveyed to the audience through jump cuts to and from the performing band- making this a hybrid video.
b) Form
This audio-visual promo is for Radiohead's song 'Just' which is off their album 'The Bend'. It was produced by John Leckie, the English music producer.
c/d) Content and meaning
'Just' denotes a linear and eerie narrative about a seemingly ordinary man lying on the ground; much to the confusion of other pedestrians who gradually gather to ask what's troubling him to lie there. It's a hybrid video, meaning that it cuts between the narrative of the man and the band playing.
The lead singer Thom Yorke is denoted wearing a leather jacket throughout the video, which is very stereotypical of rock as the jacket connotes gritty realism and reflects the fashion of the era. The fact that leather jackets are tough ay connote rock musicians having 'thick skin' and being able to sing about more sensitive topics. One of the band members is denoted as playing an electric guitar which reinforces the rock genre as electric guitars are stereotypically in their music videos.
Throughout the video it cuts between the narrative and the band members playing in a grungy apartment. Typically, music videos are set in run-down flats when they have low budgets which is ironic considering they are a popular band, this may connote that Radiohead are down to earth with their music and easily accessible to an audience of lower class. The dingy, small flat connotes the confrontational and dark nature of the lyrics to make it feel more intimate.
When it comes to gestures, Yorke (the lead singer) is very expressive. The audience experience the pleasure of voyeurism (watching someone when they don't know they're being watched) as Yorke continually sings to the camera to create a more intimate feel. The story taking place on the street is told via gestures and subtitles; the viewer begins to rely on the subtitles to understand the events taking place. There's the significance of the man denoted lying on the pavement to connote defeatism- a major theme in the song which drives the narrative.
Throughout the music video the camera constantly uses a high angle to focus on the man lying down, connoting weakness as in the eyes of the crowd he is below them- it connotes he has hit a low point in his life and the crowd feel he is to be pitied. Whereas when the crowd are denoted they are shown from a low angle as they feel they are more in control of their lives than him and view him merely as a crazy pedestrian. Ironically, the narrative ends with the whole crowd now having joined him lying on the ground from a panning aerial shot. There are lots of close ups of Yorke which is a convention of music videos talked about by Andrew Goodwin in 1992 (he said that there were five conventions of music videos- music, iconography, location, close ups and voyeurism). It also sells the artist as people will now recognise him better because of his expressive nature.
Camera movements are moderate in Radiohead's music video- one of these is tracking as the lead singer Yorke is denoted walking across the room to the window, immediately creating intrigue as the audience don't know who he is or what is going on. He does this multiple times which enforces his relation to the narrative as the story is taking place on the pavement below.
One of Goodwin's conventions was that the music should match the visuals: 'Just' applies itself to this. The camera is constantly cross cutting from the narrative to the performance in time to the song to connote the pacing of the video. At the end of the video the camera pans across the crowd lying on the ground and fades in and out to show new civilians- giving a haunting impression.
All the sound in my video is non-diegetic, though the band are constantly lip-syncing to the song to give the impression they are actually performing in real time. The narrative becomes much more significant as we have to rely on expression to understand the situation.
The song was about Yorke's narcissistic friend and how he caused himself to be in pain. Rock as a genre is stereotypically more open to dissecting hard-hitting topics than other genres. It creates shock factor for the audience when they listen to it. The location of the music video was very stereotypical and also served to help Yorke create a star persona (Richard Dyer) for himself.
e)Genre
This is a rock-hybrid music video that shows both narrative and performance.
f) Audience
It is likely targeting viewers 18+ because of it's mature themes that are thought-provoking. I think it will be targeted at both a male and female audience as it is relatable to both. The video creates verisimilitude and is targeted at a wider audience to relate to those categorised in C2 and below.
a) Purpose
When this audio-visual promo was being created it would've been done so with the purpose of selling the artist- in this case the Arctic Monkeys. It's other purpose is to entertain an audience, and as this music video is a hybrid, one of the methods it uses to do this is by telling a story simultaneously.
b) Form
This is a music video for the Arctic Monkeys. The song is called 'Why'd you only call me when you're high?' and was produced by James Ford for the album AM.
c/d) Content and meaning
This video solely denotes the narrative of Alex Turner (lead singer of the Arctic Monkeys) returning home after a night out and the bizarre activities he imagines occurring along the way.
The audio-visual promo is set on a street in Yorkshire, connoting a gritty realism and creating verisimilitude which makes it more relatable to people with less spending power. As it denoted as being set at night the scene should have low-lighting, but the neon lights from shops make the scene appear much brighter- almost painfully so, connoting how Turner will see the street in his drunken condition. The actual location reflects the state of his mind; run-down and dismal because of his intoxication. During the scene he wears a leather jacket so typical of the rock genre and has his hair coiffed. His hair is iconic by this stage of his career, representing the entire rock genre for a lot of teenagers and they will attempt to copy him because of his star persona. There is also iconography shown through his denoted mobile phone as it relates to the modern generation, connoting a shift in the times. There is the pleasure of voyeurism as we watch Turner without his characters knowledge of being watched- a peek into his assumed life for fans watching.
When the lead singer is walking a handheld camera is used to survey his journey. The camera is denoted as being unstable and shaky, again connoting the state of Turner's mind. When he trips there is a low angle of a homeless man stood over him- the connotations of the low angle are power and intimidation, even though he's homeless he has more control over his life right now than Turner. There are also a lot of close-ups of the lead singer in order to connote how intoxicated he is; Goodwin thought this was typical of music videos. It is easy to see his emotion and makes Turner more recognisable.
At the beginning of the music video there is a lot of editing: the mirror uses overlaying images to show Turner looking into it in a drunken state, later on in the video the clock and the ground also warps to show the effect his intoxication is having on his state.
The music playing is all non-diegetic as are the sounds made by the warping clock and mirror, but in the bar at the start there are a lot of diegetic sounds. Glasses are clinking, people are talking, and even another Arctic Monkeys song is playing in the bar!
'Why'd you only call me when you're high' is about drunk texting, which is a topic that is easily relatable for the current generation the song is aimed at. Turner sees the girl 'Stephanie' as somebody worthy of a drunk text and not an actual relationship- he views her through Laura Mulvey's concept of 'the male gaze', not as a person, leading the audience to rot for the girl more than him by the end of the video. The video fits into the rock genre because of it's dark, grimy and stereotypical location which creates verisimilitude; it's not exotic, it's (as it typically is) a local place for the band members so the audience connect with it more.
e) Genre
This is a rock music video presenting the song through a narrative led along by the lead singer: Alex Turner.
f) Audience
I think the target audience for the music video is likely to be age 16 and upwards at there are themes of a sexual nature but they aren't too explicit nor dragged out for viewers of that age. More women may watch the video because of Alex Turner being quite a predominantly attractive icon, but it will majorly be anyone classed as a fan of rock based on their tastes (Dick Hebdige 1979). This music video is aimed at people of a D category as it depicts what the dingy streets of Yorkshire are like.
a) Purpose
This video was created in order to promote the band the wombats and to provide entertainment for the viewers to draw them into the music.
b) Form
This is a music video created for the Wombats for the song 'Techno fan' from their album 'This modern glitch'. It was actually produced by the Wombats themselves working under 14th floor records.
c/d) Content and meaning
The Wombats' video is a hybrid- although it contains little of an actual narrative and is instead non-linear in switching between the lead singer Matthew Murphy at a party and then to the band performing.
In the music video the camera swaps between multiple locations, the performance area has a lot of space for the musicians to actually perform and move around which Andrew Goodwin believed was a convention of music videos. The party location denoted in the video connotes the lifestyle associated with the genre and will also be more relatable to the target audience. Sunglasses are denoted being worn by Murphy, which shows a distinction between the two performance scenes that look similar with the costume being one of the few differences; sunglasses are also viewed as being 'cool' to wear so adds to his star persona (Richard Dyer). The lighting is important in this music video as it differs from location to location; when they are in the main performance space there's a lot of lens flare because of the bright lights which connote the intensity and truth of the lyrics. This gives the area a greater atmosphere and is iconic of pop-rock videos.
A handheld camera is used to denote the scenes at the party, it connotes the intoxication of the party goers and also reflects the wild nature of the actual party taking place. There are many scenes showed of the party members at a high angle- giving the viewer an almost omniscient presence as they are looking down upon the on-going action. It connotes the lack of control each person is experiencing because of their insobriety. Another conventional example of camerawork here is the wide shot of the band- denoting their location and the members and connoting the unity of the band.
In this music video there is a lot of jump cutting; the chorus cuts constantly between two different scenes of the band performing and does this to the song's tempo (Andrew Goodwin believed this was a convention of music videos). In the chorus there are lights flashing on and off to illuminate the scene, connoting confusion and instability because of the nature of the party as well as making the scene feel more like a gig and mirroring the way in which the song gradually builds up.
Editing is used to imitate the pop-rock genre by creating a non-linear narrative that denotes a lot of focus on the lead singer Murphy to allow him to build up a stage personality for himself. At multiple times throughout the song two very similar scenes are shown side by side but with small changes e.g. a man wearing a hat that changes to a wolf mask. This may connote the party goers intoxication or connote the idea that nothing is ever quite as it seems- Murphy wandering around may hardly be interacting with the other characters because of his inability to understand their bizarre nature.
The sounds in the music video are all non-diegetic, although we see the band performing 'techno fan' it is obvious that the music being used has been edited in over the top.
Laura Mulvey's concept of the male gaze can be applied to this music video as there are a lot of women hanging around either dressed in an exposing fashion, kissing people or doing things with sexual connotations for instance licking whipped cream from their fingers. As Murphy keeps a straight face through the video is adds to his star persona- the watchers will want to copy his lifestyle and go to the same sorts of parties as him because he's seen as being 'cool'.
e) Genre
The 'Techno fan' music video is an indie pop hybrid that shows examples of performances in multiple locations.
f) Audience
This music video is aimed at late teens because of the scenes of a sexual nature within the video and the fact it revolves around a topic that is more relatable to people of this age group. It may influence the audiences lifestyle as the lead singer (Matthew Murphy) is shown at a party. More men would watch the video as the male gaze is fulfilled, and of this audience they would likely be in the B category for spending power because of the music video's themes.
a) Purpose
The purpose of The Sherlocks music video is to entertain their target audience and was created by the producers in the hopes of selling the band to gain them more followers.
b) Form
It's a music video for 'Heart of Gold' by The Sherlocks. It's from their album 'First bite of the apple'.
c/d) Content and meaning
'Heart of gold' is a hybrid music video about a girl with a 'heart of gold' being stood up until she gives up on her partner. It is told in linear order.
Iconically, Andrew Goodwin believed indie videos tend to have black and white filters; and The Sherlocks' video sticks to this convention. The black and white connotes the distressing nature of the narrative, it may also connote each of the 2 main characters like yin and yang- the girl is the white as she is the 'good' one with a 'heart of gold' whereas as the boy is the black as he is the 'bad' one for abusing her kindness. There is the hugely obvious iconography denoted in the video of the acoustic guitar, reflecting the indie genre. Even the locations used are stereotypical- students flats and local streets create verisimilitude and are very conventional (Andrew Goodwin 1992) as they are cheap and easy for indie groups to come by. These locations connote roughness, which reinforces the songs themes. The female protagonist in the narrative is denoted as always dancing, which is a gesture of expression. It may connote freedom or the need she feels to free herself from this cycle of being abandoned by her assumed boyfriend.
As the girl dances towards the end the camera pans, following her around the room. By doing this it signifies her importance and gives her a bigger presence- the devotion of the camera following her connotes attention, exactly what she isn't getting from the boy she is speaking to. When the band are performing a low angle is used to make the audience literally look up to them; the angle connotes superiority and dominance. There are a lot of close ups of the lead singer, close ups are used to sell the artist so that they are more easily recognisable and it enforces their star persona (Richard Dyer).
The song has been edited to cut to the tempo of the song, which Andrew Goodwin (1992) believed was a convention of music videos. The girl also tends to dance to the song's beat, which links the performance and narrative together. It has been edited to tell a linear narrative so the diegesis mimics the lyrics and gradually grows more intense and emotional along with the lyrics. Cross-cutting is also often used to drive the narrative forward; for instance it is used when the dancer is sat in the restaurant and keeps cutting to The Sherlocks at the pub, giving a sense of 'meanwhile' and of foreboding to the viewer.
The sound in 'Heart of Gold' is almost entirely non-diegetic, except for at the beginning and middle of the song. At these parts it suddenly changes to diegetic sound as the lead singer sings and plays the guitar in his room, at these moments it is a lot quieter to signify the importance of the lyrics and connote intimacy.
John Berger's theory was that men acted and women appeared, however in this music video the star of the show is the women- going completely against this theory and probably granting a female audience some appreciation and also sympathy at her situation. This music video is very stereotypically indie because of the locations, filter, etc. These things make the audience feel the music video is more relatable and creates verisimilitude.
e) Genre
This is a hybrid music video of an indie-rock genre, showing many of the stylistic conventions.
f) Audience
The music video will be targeted more towards teenagers of both genders because this is the age in which they will be experiencing the struggle of relationships- as the characters in the music videos are. Dick Hebdige (1979) classed people based on what music they listen to and he called them sub-cultures, they may be influenced by this vide to dress or act more like that band members. I believe this music video would be for those of the spending power around C1 as the locations and costume are gritty and relatable to that audience.
a) Purpose
'Cocoon' is a music video and it's purpose it to promote Catfish And The Bottlemen. It was created to entertain the audience through using audio and visuals to tell a narrative.
b) Form
It's a music video for Catfish And The Bottlemen's song 'Cocoon'. 'Cocoon' was from the album The Balcony and was produced by Jim Abbiss.
c/d) Content and meaning
The music video for 'Cocoon' is made up purely of a majorly linear narrative about a boy falling in love with a female patient in a mental hospital. Clips are shown of the two together outside the hospital but it is never made clear if this happened in the past or is merely the lead character in a dream sequence.
In the music video the lighting is often bright as it uses natural light to illuminate scenes; but it does not appear sunny, instead cloudy outside. The grey illumination connotes depression and gives a sense of being trapped, reflecting the nature of the mental hospital. In the moments shown of the couple being happy together the lighting is often denoted being brighter to connote joy. Costume is significant in 'Cocoon', especially the main woman's clothing. In the scenes where the two lead characters are together she wears a yellow jumper that connotes hope and happiness at being with him- whereas when she is trapped in the hospital she is denoted wearing a red jumper which connotes danger. The outfit is very doll-like, reinforcing her current situation as she is stuck in the hospital and immobile like a doll. Pills are repeatedly shown in the video to support the mental hospital's true nature, but also to reflect the obscurer topics so often covered by indie music.
When the man is being strapped to the trolley for attempting to escape the camera is denoted at a high angle to connote his subservience and lack of control in the situation- he can't stop what is about to happen to him. A handheld camera is used throughout this scene to enforce the frustration he is feeling at being powerless and also reflects his gestures as he is wildly flailing in an attempt to loosen his restraints. There are a lot of close ups of each character- especially the main 'couple'- and these close ups are used to make it more intimate and signify the importance of their emotions in the narrative which is a convention of music videos (Andrew Goodwin 1992).
There's a lot of jump cutting in this music video which is very conventional, but it is mainly used in this case to show different characters habits and emotions. It is also used to cut between the 'good' and the bad that the main characters experience together- although the audience are left to wonder if the good is even real or simply a figment of his imagination. Towards the end of the video the couple are denoted trying to escape and the light from the doorway has likely been edited to be almost blindingly bright and connote hope; almost to the point that it looks like the doorway to heaven if they can at least escape this hospital.
The music in the Catfish and the Bottlemen music video is entirely non-diegetic.
In 'Cocoon' the male gaze is satisfied by the man's attraction to another patient in the hospital. She is denoted as being innocent, the flower she holds onto being white to connote her 'pure' nature, and the audience will likely be attracted to her like the man because of these attributes. She may be viewed as the ideal partner (Carl Rogers) to many of these people.
It is an indie, narrative driven music video about the characters living in a mental hospital.
f) Audience
Late teens and up would be the target audience for this music video because it is majorly based around romance but diverges into darker themes of the way patients are treated. A B1 (middle class) audience would be interested in this music video because of the gritty realism that people of higher class are not as drawn to as it is harder for them to imagine experiencing it.
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