Performance – The Killers – Mr BrightsideSaeed Moulai

Fact File

Artist/group? The Killers Name of the song? Mr Brightside Which album, when was it released? Hot Fuss. 23

September 2003. Who directed it? Sophie Muller

Is there a plot in the music video? If yes – give a short outline.

The music video is The Killers performing in front of a small crowd of around 20 people and the main vocalist (Brandon Flowers) is looking at a woman in the audience whilst she is looking back at him. It appears as if he is singing the lyrics to her. Whilst he is doing this the woman’s attention are constantly changing between Brandon Flowers and another man in the audience, for the rest of the music video both men are vying for her attention and ultimately Brandon Flowers wins her over, but once he finally has her he appears to leave her.

Is it a performance video concert), a narrative video a plot/storyline), or a conceptual video (metaphorical/abstract form – the aim is not to tell a story, but create a certain mood)? Explain

This video is clearly a performance video due there being a stage, instruments, microphones and an audience. Although frequently throughout the video there are elements of shots which when put together tell a narrative story of what is explained above.

What is the song about? – read the lyrics and give a (very) short summary.

The song describes a man talking about how a woman who he is in love with is with another man, and everything that they are doing is unfolding in front of his eyes. The song also goes on to talk about jealousy.

Is there an obvious connection between the lyrics and the music video? Explain the (lack of) connection.

I think there is an extremely strong connection between the lyrics and the music video. In a large proportion of the shots the lyrics he is singing are describing what is going on in the shot. This can be seen on many occasions, one being where the lyrics go “I just cant look its killing me” and Brandon Flowers looks away as the male character is intimately touching the female actress. In most scenes the shots mirror the lyrics and what is going on, obviously apart from when the shots are focusing on the band and the stage.

Who is the target audience of this video? Why do you think so – explain (choice of costume, plot, actor/performer’s movements, attitudes, etc.).

I think that the target audience for this video are people aged 16-30 of both genders because this age category is a time where relationships and battling for relationships start. The music fits the age category well because many people this age can empathise with the lyrics and get a sense of meaning from them. The attitude of the Brandon Flowers in this music video is very much the mentality of an average person in the 16-30 age category. At this age people only think about themselves and not about the thoughts of others, not at one point does it appear that either men think about what the woman they are vying for wants, and this video also shows the foolishness of people this age and how hard it is to find love, this can be seen in the ending shots where he eventually realises that after all the effort battling for this woman, he doesn't want her.

Does the video focus on the artist/group, or are other characters in focus?

The video focuses on three main characters. One is the female character who is heavily made up and looks almost doll like, and the other two are the two men battling over her. One is from the band (Brandon Flowers) and is performing whilst battling with the other character who is a bearded man in the audience, who is always looking smug and unassuming. Other characters in focus are the audience and the other members of the band playing instruments.