RESEARCH ON MUSIC VIDEOSRESEARCH ON MUSIC VIDEOS

Paramore - DecodeThis shot shows the contrast in the figure and the light background. Also the guitar is very incongruous to the setting making it seem disfunctional and adds to the mysterious sound.

This high angle shot makes the band look vulnerable as the music is slightly sinister this adds to the idea that they aren’t safe. With them being in the woods its like something is look down on them from above.

This head shot creates all focus on the lead singer. Her hair stands out against the dull background adding to the emphasis on her. This shot is repeated throughout and creates suspense to the music.

The use of black clothing representing death whilst physically exploring in a woodland full of life causes juxtaposing incongruous effects. It makes them look like shadows, adding to the eerie feel.

This low angle shot displays the guitarist streamlining in the same way upwards as the trees however the trees leave the shot and he doesn’t therefore adding a sense of trap and that he can’t escape.

Near the end we are left with a shot of them without their instruments so they’re no longer in their element, they’re alone, with dull ground making it seem dark. Looking upwards for an escape which creates that mystery.

Paramore – Brick By Boring BrickThis establishing shot reveals the tone and subject to come throughout the video. By placing her on a swing adds a sense of fantasy which plays on the dream like tones used as it appears like a fantasised world. ‘Yeah you built up a world of magic’ these lyrics make out as if it’s in her head. Graphics have been used to create this effect.

This shot creates the idea of ‘the light at the end of the tunnel’. This shot is played just before the chorus comes in and it almost acts as a build up towards it. Creating more of an effect when it comes because the shot comes into the light creating a climax.

This shot corresponds with the lyrics ‘Go get your shoveland we'll dig a deep hole’ and by actually having someone dig a hole makes it feel like she’s singing those lyrics to the man digging and brings the story to life. Creating reality in this fantasy world.

The song comes from their album ‘Brand New Eyes’ and they have incorporated the cover with the video to carry through the brand and make it recognisable. They’ve done this by having an orange tone throughout and having butterflies in video. Also with the lyrics ‘You can see it with your eyes’ they’re constantly referring to the album.

The closing shot is the lead singer walking away from the hole dug. There is dark clouds to the left contrasting with the light in the direction she is heading. Making it out as if shes’ heading towards the light at the end of the tunnel, which as been played on before in the video.

PARAMORE SHOW ANALYSIS

The orange tones have been carried through into the show to create that intertextuality. This makes them recognisable as a band and relatable to the audience as they feel like they know them and can identify with that. The lights were orange a lot of the time and the confetti that came down was orange too. This

adds to the how effect of being at a Paramore concert.

They also used green, red and blue lighting a lot. The green relates to the videos they have done in the woods. The reds relate to the lead singers consistent hair colour and the blue relates to the album cover as blue lights are being projected on to them. They also had smoke machines and dark lit lighting which created an eerie and atmospheric effect. This added to the stereotypical rock feel which the audience could engage with. Ethereal glows in the use of light to add a spiritual feel and make it reflective of life and grit.

Chase and Status – Count on me

The bold imprinting writing projected onto the urban setting bodes well to create the feel of the drum and

bass genre. This gives it edge. The canted angle on the writing adds interest. The minimal props used

exaggerates the writing in the forefront. The cold colours makes it feel like a ‘cool’ time.

The shadows add mystery to the video using other forms of life to display people. The concrete ground adds the sense of ‘urban’. This low to the ground shot makes the guy appear distorted. The fact he’s on a bike fits in

with the road scene and reflects a ‘gang’ trait.

The blacked out background juxtaposes with the bright fire light. The composition makes the lighter

the main focal point and the connotations of lighters are smoking, danger and fire and these are all very

urban things.

This represents rowdy behaviour which corresponds well with the upbeat music. This shot occurs when the beat drops and this resembles a release of energy and the loss of control. The fact the guy is in the middle isolated while a crowd is situated around him in the darkness emphasises

his bold action as he’s singled out.

This reflects quite an old retro feel. The close up shot of the tape reveals dust with exentuates the

old feel. The subject matter makes motion apparent and is intertextual with the topic of

music.

This shows a festival scene and sets that ‘summer’ feel to the song as you associate

upbeat music with sun and partying. This shot reflects that.

MARTIN GARRIX – ANIMALS

The use of masks disguises something that’s really there and therefore creating ‘the unknown’. It is fitting with the song title ‘animals’ but almost plays with the fact that in society we don’t view humans as animals,

however we are. This is conforming to society however subverting from the fact that we are in fact animals.

It then shows them in a human context and how they differ from everyone else, juxtaposing the appearance through shapes

as the rabbit ears are peaking above the crowd. The use of a party/rave scene interlinks with the sound of his music as it’s loud and party like. This challenges people’s conceptions of a

party like scene as it is dominated with ‘animals’. This could be playing on the ‘party animal’ idea and insinuating his music

makes people go wild.

By flicking between these two images fast creates a strobe like effect which reflects the concert. It also

makes the human appear the same as the lion. Playing on the idea that this is really turning them

into animals. It is also before the drop so this builds up the suspense and the juxtapositon of a human

and a lion shocks people leading up to it.

This shot shows an inflatable crocodile being thrown about the crowd. Showing that the humans are having fun and joking about the animals but they almost don’t know what’s coming. Foreshadowing what is to come when the people in masks are apparent to them. This makes the crowd appear vulnerable and builds to the

suspense of the song.

Modestep – Show me your sign

The dark alleyway presents an urban setting. The smoke behind the woman adds a presence. The low angle shot makes her walk even stronger.

The depth of field is on the knife, emphasising the sense of violence. The knife segments the image in two. The use of close ups. This image has a relationship between the lyrics and the visual having an illustrative effect. Andrew Goodwin’s theory proves this and it also amplifies the meaning of the song through that connection.

The in focus lighter projected onto her face matches the colours in the background. This emphasises the black hair shooting down, segmenting the image. The out of focus faces in the back are muffled and create that sense of mystery and the unknown.

The video suddenly transitions into cartoon. This reflects the mechanical sound of their music visually. It was as if the characters in reality entered a new world. This bodes well with the modern sound to the music.

By using an eye match cut from the woman in the top right from reality to cartoon shows the transition from reality to the animated world. The two girls hold the same pose and this shows the difference in visual.

The low angle shot reveals the sky and the building above him. It makes him seem quite powerful as he takes up most of the shot. This adds the element of power to the image and as the song is really powerful this compliments each other.

Of Monsters and Men – Little Talks

This video has been digitally produced to create a surreal effect. The band ‘Of

Monsters and Men’ originate from Iceland so they’ve brought that Scandinavian, Norse feel to the video through the use of gargoyles and

boats that you’d typically see there. This is branding the band with a Norse feel. A lot of

the scene transitions include fade ins and outs. This is to add to that mystical effect and

create a smooth flowing world of it’s own. The tones in the video are all very black, grey

and white. So when something colourful comes into the shot, it is magnified due to

that juxtaposition with the other scenes. For example the girl with the red and blue and

gold make up and the CGI background to enhance the contrasting colours. This

background colours aid the girls make up to make her appear majestic which adds to the

overall mystical effect. A lot of the shots have light backgrounds and there are shapes and

figures imprinting onto it. This emphasises those Norse feeling objects which

emphasises the fact they’re from Iceland.

Pendulum - WitchcraftThis scene corresponds with this lyrics sung “A snapshot from where you were born”. This is entwining the lyrics and the video together which connects the video the song and brings it to life which is what it’s supposed to do. It contrasts with the rest of the video as this is the only non surreal or graphic part. Interlinking with the word ‘snapshot’ as it’s only a snapshot in the video, emphasising it even further.

This scene is a woman rising to the surface as the lyrics sing “Well I lift you up”. This is playing on the topic of the song as with it being called ‘Withcraft’ in the olden days to test if women were witches they would be thrown in the water and if they floated they were witches. This historical context adds a clever sense to the video.

This scene is during a *raging instrumental* and it contains lots of rubble being captured in a fast motion corresponding with the fast pace beat. This makes the music even more effective as it’s as if the music has been put into motion and gives it more flow and action.

During the raging instrumental the drums play for the majority of it and when the lazer darts out for a split second that’s when the bass is dropped on that beat. Making the lazer correspond to the beat of the music adding the effect of how it all flows. Making it all in sync and gives the bass more power.

This scene is played when the lyrics ‘she’s come back from the club’ are sung. The girl is in darkness with plants being reflected onto her skin. The contrast between real life coming back from a club and pendulum’s version makes it feel quite sinister, and the earthy feel to pendulum is carried through with the plant shadows.

As the lyrics ‘we gotta get out’ are sung, rubble gets vibrated off the ground as if it’s an outburst and something alive is trying to escape. This is almost a reflection of the drum’s sound waves travelling upwards and corresponding to the lyrics of getting out and travelling in a different direction to where they come from. The rubble is emphasised due to the contrasting colours of the dark and light, creating a juxtaposing colour scheme to make the rocks more evident and therefore have more of an effect on the lyrics.

Pendulum - Crush

The red fade on the shot keeps the surrealism in this video. Even though they’ve focused more on reality in this video there are still elements of the un-natural.

This graphics in this shot of the superimposition keeps the Pendulum surrealism going.

A lot of shots are close ups to reveal detail to add to the lyrics. Emphasising the action to make the words more obvious to create a link.

This close up displays an intensified expression which emphasises the mood through the dark lighting. The high angle used adds a sense of vulnerability. The lack of light creates a sense of confinement.

The proximity in the shot makes him more isolated with the empty space surrounding him. This reveals the ground and plays up to the ‘earthy’ feel Pendulum have created with their brand.

This shot of people from behind makes the person watching feel like they’re following them and almost part of the video, giving them an insight into something the wouldn’t have seen otherwise.

This shot adds normality to the video, revealingreality to contrast with the subject of the video.

Placing her to the left of the shot creates an interesting composition. The direct approach to the camera angling puts the person watching on her level.

Ending with an empty space makes it feel slightly eerie and is in keeping with the nature notion.

Pendulum – Watercolour

The colour of the eye is Pendulum’s main colour- blue. It is also a match cut from the planet and makes the video flow through shapes. By using a human eye it makes us feel like part of nature and puts us into perspective.

The beam of light reveals a person and this adds an eerie feel to the video and makes the person watching wonder what’s in the rest of the darkness as only a snippet is lit up.

They have included a planet to maintain the earth feel they have throughout their branding. This follows Andrew Goodwin’s theory about having a distinct visual style that reoccurs throughout their work due to the record label trying to gain brand awareness for the band that is recognisable.

The drums are incongruous to the setting of being outside in the rain. This combines reality and surrealism to make an unnatural shot. Juxtaposing the natural and the unnatural to insert a feeling of uniqueness and something you wouldn’t normally feel.

The use of natural matter is used to reflect an ethereal feel and symbolises Pendulum as a brand. The water is a match cut from the rain so it is almost a microscopic image and feels like they’re revealing detail like people try gain from s space.

The use of clouds in this shot is to symbolise space and that is carried throughout Pendulum’s work. The lighting being in the middle creates a ‘vignette’ effect and blacks the corners out leading the eye in.

The light darts onto his face revealing only a snippet of him which adds to the sense of mystery. The strobe emphasise that sense of the unknown.

It’s as if he’s defying the light and this adds impact to the powerful music. Its as if this is a turning point in the video and the music is about to change.

This resembles the drop and puts all the mystical features into perspective of reality. It injects relatable realism to their work and brings it back down.

Knife party concert

• At the Knife party concert who is made up of two of Pendulum used Pendulum themed colours and images to continue their ‘brand’ and feel of music. As they’re only DJs now the only way they can express themselves other than the music is through the light screen in front of them. This was filled with lots of graphics and colourful effects. Transcending on a journey through space and as you can see in the red light screen the lines are shaking this is reflective of their raging music and creates an air of being out of control. This is the way they correspond the stage to the music instead of when in Pendulum they energetically moved around the stage.

Knife party’s videos have more narrative whereas in contrast Pendulum’s videos are graphic based and use the theme of surrealism. As they’re similar style music, this gives our video music some scope as to which route we go down as both ideas for videos work with that style of music.

Combining the two ideas to combine reality and surrealism could be incorporated too.

KNIFE PARTY PENDULUM

ANALYSIS

CHOSEN BAND - PENDULUMWe have chosen Pendulum as we feel like with their style of

music you can create anything. Something with narrative – or something that doesn’t make sense through the use of the

unknown. This gives us scope to work with to create the best possible video.

Pendulum Video Locations

This location is focusing on colour and the contour the hilltops make. This reflects their nature focused band brand. This helps the viewer

identify it’s their band faster. As their music is upbeat it’s like the suns

setting and progressing towards to the night to come.

This shot reveals quite an earthy subject. The space surrounding the figure makes

them look small emphasising their lack of presence in this location. The low angle shot reveals the hill looking a lot taller than the figure making the figure look

vulnerable.

The use of a wood adds a sense of spookiness to their music. The dark

figures in the background are disguised by the trees creating a sense of

vulnerability to the figure at the front of the shot. The tones created by the wood give off a sense of nature and

emphasises the black figure due to the contrasting tones.

The way they have used a window to project a reflection on to the characters adds interest to the shot. The use of the reflecting barrier almost joins the two

characters together. Another part of the reflection muffles the man’s face and

makes him appear distorted. This bodes well with the electronic sounding music.

The use of the trees being projected onto the sky from a low angle shot casts lines and segments the shot.

This adds a creepy feel and makes it feel like the characters are trapped

and overcast by branches.

The use of somebody’s face on an extreme close up shot makes it almost hard to tell what it is at first glance and with a fast cutting rate this will appear

extremely abstract. Reflecting the ‘mad’ feel to their music.

Pendulum’s most used shot - Close ups

The use of close ups reveals detail within a subject we aren’t sure on and plays with the ‘unknown’. It can show texture to initiate and ethereal feel. It can also reveal an expression

that reflects the music and is more powerful due to the emphasis on their face.

PENDULUM SHOW - LIGHTING

Their gigs include the strobe lasers used in their music videos, which almost brings Pendulum to life. They have also brought the colours from the album cover to the tour of that album as a lot of

Pendulum’s work is in keeping with it’s colour with the songs ‘Hold your colour’ and ‘watercolour’ all relating to the theme of colour which makes up a big part of their brand.

PENDULUM SHOW STAGING

Pendulum’s staging is energetic and lively to match their upbeat style of music.

This builds the crowd up and creates an enjoyable show because the people who go

see them want to rock out to them and feel their energy.