Blog No.15: Music video analysis (fourth example)

Example: 4

 

Camera work

Since this music has an exciting and happy theme, at 1:07, the camera uses a rotational technique visualising the band. As usual, canted angles are used to portray a feeling of madness and excitement. This sort of technique will be difficult for us to film in term of the type equipment used and how to do it exactly. However, like the first example, it uses a reverse tracking shot as the band is singing and walking towards the camera / viewer. Using tracking and reverse tracking shots allows the viewer to feel involved in the music video.

 

Visuals and lyrics

The idea of illustration mostly happens at 1:30 as the actors perform movements that are similar to the lyrics. For example, as soon as Bruno sings "fill my cup put some liquor in it, take a sip and sign the check", one of the members pours him a drink whilst Bruno signs some paper. Most of the lyrics are related to the visuals in this video, but what has "Michelle Pfeiffer" got to do with this song?

 

Mise-en-scene

Likewise, the costumes in this video represent the type of music genre (hats and sunglasses). However, unlike the third example, more than one location is included. Although it's all set in the same town, it was filmed in streets, salons and clubs. Since this music has a happy theme, the locations would have to be safe and friendly. Although we want to shoot in safe locations (a school and an inn) we also want to shoot in dangerous locations, too (car park and dark alleys). This idea can depict a change from sadness to happiness as the character gets rejected from the start and accepted at the end.

 

Editing

Cross cutting techniques are mostly used to visualise every location that has been shot. At 1:50, Bruno is seen depicted with someone shining his shoes, whereas at 1:55, he is depicted in a hair salon. We could use cross cutting techniques for both our narrative and performance, the camera can cut back and forth from the narrative to the performance.

 

Narrative

This video may have focused more on the performance, but there are some elements of narrative used. It could be about a gradual progression to becoming a famous band; since they started singing in the streets and finally in a club house. Our idea for the narrative is a bit similar. It could depict a gradual progression from majority to minority (rejecting the tedious rules of society and joining the band) or the fact that Pop music assembles people together.

 

Performance

Near the start and end of the music video, Mark Ronson uses a technique with the cutting of the camera at both 0:15 and 4:24. Performances are mostly where the band play since it looks all dark and studio-like. In case we are filming in the school studio, we could use a technique of lighting or cutting in order to make the creativity with both the narrative and the performance even. Although the video includes the band it doesn't include the instruments that are used to play this song. This could make our whole video easier to film without the use of instruments but we are still intended to include instruments in our video.