LO1 - Analysis of Music Videos

Twisted Wheel Ride


Purpose
The purpose of the music video is to promote and to advertise the band and its music. It is also to entertain the audience watching it by having a narrative within the video.

Form
The videos form is in a music video which is for the song 'Ride' by the group Twisted Wheel. It follows a narrative which is related to the lyrics.

Content and Meaning

Narrative
The narrative to "Twisted Wheel Ride" is very unusual and mysterious. Its bazar narrative creates spectacle to the viewers, as we are intrigued to why they are taking this dummy on an adventure.

Props
Iconography such as instruments are key elements throughout the video. The instruments are symbolic in the video as they identify each band members position, as well as connoting that they produce their own music.


Location
Different locations are used in the video, to connote realism. Locations such as the street sides emphasise the feel of verisimilitude, reality and low budget. Other locations used in the video are country sides, train track, forests and river, which again all reinforce the idea of realism. grittiness and niche. 

Costume
Casual clothing is used in the performance and narrative to portray their personality, this goes with Carl Rodgers theory of Ideal Self, as due to their personality  being passed through the video it will make their audience want to be like them or be with them "Ideal Partner".


Camera Work
Panning is a camera movement that is used to follow the members/people in the video, it is effective as it makes the audience feel involved in the music video. Over the shoulder shots are used as well in the narrative to create secrecy and to focus on the subject. It connotes importance. Shallow depth of filed is used to focus on the paddling pool going down the stream as this is a subject matter of the narrative, again connoting importance.

Editing
Crosscutting is a frequent edit used throughout the video to jump from the narrative and the performance. This is done to reinforce key elements in the music video to make the narrative more understandable and relatable to the lyrics. A fade is used at the end of the music video to close up the narrative to create a dream effect, as the narrative is strange.

Sound
The sound in this video is non diegetic as it is  the bands song 'Ride' in the background. At the start of the video however there is an example of diegetic sound as we hear birds chirping as though that's the sound coming from that footage.
 Genre
Twisted Wheel falls into the genres, indie rock, punk rock, post-punk revival and this video does very well to reinforces these genres with the indie styled narrative.

Audience
Twisted Wheel stereotypically attracts more of a male audience due to the lyrics of songs are more relatable to men; however it can attract women to. The mature themes that are communicated through the video make it more targeted to a age group of 16 and up, as its more understandable. They would be ABC1's too to be able to afford albums, gig tickets etc.



Bloc Party - Banquet


Purpose
The purpose of the music video is to promote and to advertise the band and its music. It is also to entertain the audience watching it by having a narrative within the video.

Form
The videos form is in a music video which is for the song 'Banquet' by the group Bloc Party.

Content and Meaning

Narrative 
"Banquet" is just a performance music video, there is no narrative to it.

Props
Instruments are shown throughout the video as iconography. It is effective as it makes it more personal to the band and we as a audience know what members of the band play each instrument. It also connotes how the band produce and create their own music, which emphasises the passion the band have.

Gestures
Passionate facial expressions are used throughout the performances, which connotes happiness and love towards the band. This is effective as it makes the audience enjoy the music even more. Direct mode of address is used sometimes in the music video, which is effective as it makes the audience feel more involved and makes is understand the lyrics more.

Costume
All of the band members are wearing very casual clothing, which is symbolic as it gives the band identity. For their specific audience Carl Rodgers theory of Ideal self fits in as people will be admire by there cool chill look so they will be seen as an Ideal self.

Camerawork
Close ups are used frequently on instruments and band members faces to again reinforce identity in the band, as well as making it more personal to them. A camera movement that is used is zooming in which is used to emphasises key parts and iconography in the music video, for example instruments.

Editing and sound
A black and white effect is used throughout the hole video, which reinforces the genre of the music video- Indie. Although, right at the start of each band member is standing in front of a wall with a circle which has a different colour to each member. This represents the band members favourite colours which adds identity to the music video to make it more personal. The sound within Banquet is non diegetic as it has just the song playing over the top of the video. It is anchored to the pace of the visuals which is a convention of music videos ( Goodwin 1992).


Genre
The genre of Bloc Party falls into indie rock, alternative dance and art punk, which is way the black and white effect on the music video reinforces the genre of indie.

Audience
The target audience is more suited towards a older male audience, as matures themes are in there music videos and lyrics. They would be ABC1's too to be able to afford albums, gig tickets etc.


Arctic Monkeys - Teddy Picker


A). Purpose
The purpose of the music video is to promote and to advertise the band and its music. It is also to entertain the audience watching it by having a narrative within the video.

B). Form
The videos form is in a music video which is for the song 'Teddy Picker' by the group Arctic Monkeys. It follows a narrative which is related to the lyrics.

C/D). Content and Meaning zooming in

Narrative
The video doesn't contain a narrative; however there are shots of the band walking around local streets. It is mainly filmed of them performing in a recording studio.

Props
Shots of instruments are used to connote the genre of music- rock as well as showing what band members positions are to make it more personal and effective. It signifies how the band produce their own music and the enjoyments the get from it.

Costumes
Leather jackets are used which is stereotypically  the "rockers" look. This is effective as wearing them in their music video helps to reinforce the genre of their music, as well falls into Carl Rodgers theory of Ideal self as their audience will want to copy their "Hard rocker" look.

Location
The location is in a small compacted recording studio, which creates verisimilitude. Some shots are used outside of the band members working in local streets, which can make the music video more personal to the band, which is effective to us as a audiences we feel more involved within the music video.

Camera Work
Zooming in is a camera movement frequently used to signify iconography, such as instruments and band members faces. This is effective as it shows identity and makes it more personal to the band as it shows what members play what instrument. It also shows how they produce their own music. Tracking movement is also used to follow the movement of the band members, which is effective as it makes the audience feel involved. A low angle is used on Alex Turner (main singer) whilst singer to connote his power and status in the band.

Editing and sound
Cross cutting is used when the band members are seen to be recording their song, to sitting together in the studio together to then walking around local gritty areas together. This is effective as it links the video together. A form of jump cutting is used to keep within the pace and beat of music, the effect this has is that the audience is involved in the movement of the beat. There is an instance of diegetic sound at the start of the video, where they are warming up, playing and singing in the studio before the recording. This allows the audience to see the star persona of the band and the music that they create. This is a common narrative structure of a indie music genre as the origins of the music is about artists making their own music.

E). Genre
Arctic Monkeys falls into a lot of genres. The genres they fall into are Indie rock, post punk revival and psychedelic rock.

F). Audience
Arctic Monkeys target audience will be for younger audience mainly, 15-20, due to the lyrics and the lifestyle they promote; however not to young as mature themes are communicated throughout lyrics and their music videos. I would classify Arctic Monkeys target audience as C1, C2 and D.


Catfish and The Bottlemen - Kathleen

A) Purpose
The purpose of the music video is to promote and to advertise the band and its music. It is also to entertain the audience watching it by having a narrative within the video.

B) Form
The videos form is in a music video which is for the song 'Katleen' by the group Catfish and the bottleman. It follows a narrative which is related to the lyrics.

C/D) Content and Meaning

Narrative
There is no narrative to this music video, it is a straight performance.

Lighting
A red sinister lighting is used to emphasises are reinforce the lyrics of the video. The word death is mentioned as well as cuts. Red connotes blood, danger and death, so the red low key lighting has been used to create a dark moody element to the video. It is effective as it creates a link to the lyrics.

Props
Iconography, such as instruments, are used and shown to signify identity. The guitar is stereotypically a "rock" instrument, therefore signifying the genre of music they produce. We are shown which band member uses what instrument, which brings the element of identity in; we are shown what band member plays what part in the band. It is effective as it makes the music video more personal to them.

Location
The location is in a basement/empty room. It has a lot of spaces which signifies the negative space around them. The negative space in the room reinforces the negative meaning in the lyrics sung, so this is effective as it creates a link.

Camera Work
Close ups are used on members at different points but it also cuts to a long/wide shot where you can see the entire band all playing at once instead of it focusing on one member. The camera is kept still throughout the video and the artists are moving around instead of getting different angles by moving with the camera the band itself move around.

Editing
An editing technique used is ghost effects, which is effective as it creates the illusion of lag, or more than one person. This is fitting with the pace of the music, therefore following conventions (Goodwin 1992)

E) Genre
Catfish and The Bottlemen fall into many genres: Alternative rock, indie rock and post-punk
revival.

F) Audience
The audience for Catfish and The Bottlemen revolve around teens upwards, which are into the indie punk. As the music is not pop it wouldn't appeal to a wide range  of younger children.They would be ABC1's too to be able to afford albums, gig tickets etc.


The Kooks - Naive

A) Purpose
The purpose of the music video is to promote and to advertise the band and its music. It is also to entertain the audience watching it by having a narrative within the video.

B) Form
The videos form is in a music video which is for the song 'Naive by the group The Kooks. It follows a narrative which is related to the lyrics.

C/D) Content and Meaning

Narrative
The narrative of the music video is about a girl that is cheating on her boyfriend but he is afraid to leave her because he believes that she can chang. It shows how he does not want to ask if her cheating is true because he is afraid of the answer, this relates to the lyrics.  The Lead singer is the main actor in this music video like in most indie music videos.

Lighting
The lighting in this music video in some places is dark and dingy as it relates to sadness as the music video is about the female cheating on the male which will effect the male and make him sad. The lighting gives off a bad atmosphere as it will help relate to the lyrics.

Props
In the music video there are no definitive props as it is all narrative and no live performance, there are no instruments in the video, but as they are in a club and it is dark you couldn't really tell where they are but due to them having glasses and drinks in their hands it helps signify where they are.

Location
The music video is shot in a flat where the 'couple' are living, the shots vary all around the flat but then the video cuts to them all being in a night club. The club is very dark with a red tint to it, the red light connotes the bad side of the video while the rest of the video is trying to connote resolving the issue.
Camerawork
The video is mainly using tracking shots whilst the lead singers walks through the crowds at the party.  This allows the audience to feel part of the action and also involved in the scene, The fact that the scene takes place at a party, represents the lifestyle of subculture of indie kids. There is also a lot of close ups of the main singer and iconography of the subculture of the audience. The close ups of the lead singer is a common convention used in music videos as it reinforces the band image and the importance of their role too. The predominant angle used in the video is a low angle of the lead singer. Again this is used to connote his importance and establish his  dominant star persona ( Richard Dyer 1975) in the band.


Editing and sound
There are not many editing techniques used in this music video, the video consists of jump cuts that match the audio of the song ( Goodwin 19920 and at the end a straight cut the black to end the video. There is use of the song that is anchored to the visuals which is repetitive  of close ups of the main singer in order to establish him as the face of the band. The use of the red filter on the video relates to the themes that the sing refers to throughout. the

E) Genre
The Kooks fall into a few different genres ranging from Indie rock, Indie pop, Britpop and Post pop revival. 

F) Audience

The audience for the kooks would be older teens and also young adults due to this song being 8 years old it would bring back memories to the older generation of kids, as this band is what they would have listened to when they were younger.They would be ABC1's too to be able to afford albums, gig tickets etc.