Panic! At the Disco- This is Gospel

Genre: Alternative Rock

1. In the beginning, an overview is shown through the camera panning up towards the lead singers face. The medium shot presents the protagonist to be lying on a table in a dark room. The use of low-key lighting has allowed the music video to take place in a dark room and it foreshadows the dark, mysterious events about to take place in the music videos narrative. This shot enforces Goodwin’s theory on music genres have their own style and iconography. Alternative Rock is a genre, which disregards the commercialism of mainstream genres and cultures. The protagonist begins of with the general laid- back casual look in this genre, which suggests his unawareness to the situation he is in.

2. In this shot the intensity of the lighting has increased, which conveys the sudden change of atmosphere and events. The change in lighting suggests he is the main as he is receiving body checks to see if he his healthy for organ donations. The medium shot contains the surgeon’s hand is checking the protagonist’s body. Goodwins theory of a relationship between the music and the visuals is as there is a repetition of the words ‘this is the real life’. This represents his reality of being put into an operation. The costume attire of gloves, masks, hats and scrubs reveals the surgeons job occupation. In the mise en scene it shows that there is dirt on his white t-shirt; to convey he’s in a life and death situation. The relationship between music and visuals engages the audience’s attention as they are curious to what is going to happen later on.

3. However in this medium shot the protagonist has sprung to life, to represent how he is retaliating against being cut open. Although in the scene it shows how the four surgeons hold him down. This expresses the idea that your body is no longer yours once you pass away. The camera focuses on the side of the protagonist to present the raw emotions of his struggle of wanting to get out. The scene goes against the general set up and props used in an alternative rock video as they use band instruments, but in this music video it focuses on visually linking the story and the music.

4.In this shot the protagonist has been groomed and neatly put into a coffin. The coffin signifies his death as it the general symbolisation of death. The medium shot gives the audience a full expression of his face, which emphasises his idle state as he been shut out from his life and reality. His groomed attire of a suit and tie reflects the idea that a sermon has been held and he is ready to be buried. However the protaganist seems to be wanting to escape death as he has not experienced the real –life.

5. A close up shot in where he is singing and we see he water around him that has come in through the coffin. The close up reflects Robert Dyers Star Theory as the audience expect a close up of the star. However the genre differs from a pop song. The water portrays how he is submerged to the bottom and how he has no other way of coming back. The water signifies his fighting spirit due to the water in the sea having strong currents. Also, it could suggest how he has submerged from reality. However the lyrics contradict this scene visually as he states ‘I won’t give up without a fight’.

6. This scene reiterates his life and death situation as he keeps repeating the words ‘fear of falling apart’. Links in with the shot above as he is being restrained by ropes which conveys the idea of death pulling him in and he keeps fighting as he is afraid of death and is not ready to face it. The medium shot present his black surroundings. The colour black has a symbolism of death and connotes the idea of how death has over powered his will to live.