Music Video Analysis

CharacterThe main character in the video is a man dressed in dark clothes, skinny jeans and a leopard print and leather jacket. His costume is fussy and stereotypical of the rock music, the genre of the song. He is also wearing heavy make-up around his eyes. This makes him look cat- like and aggressive which, again, is stereotypical of the rock genre because of iconic rock artists such as Kiss and David Bowie who wear similar make-up. Another way in which the characters in the video portray the genre of rock music is by the way that they walk down the path through the park. They strut confidently as they perform their song, displaying arrogance. This is another stereotypical trait of a rock artist as their music is powerful so they are expected to act equally as powerfully. The other characters in the video are people dressed as different symbols which are mentioned in the song. Their costumes look to be made from papier mache and therefore not professionally made, giving the video a homemade feel.

NarrativeThe narrative events featured in the video are of the main singer of the band singing to someone. The video appears to be homemade creating a sense of sincerity in what he is saying. The people that are dressed as different objects create a conceptual feel as they appear to be random to the rest of the narrative. It is only when the singer sings the lyric of where the object is from that it makes sense to the audience as to why it is there. The video is mostly a performance by the main singer supported by the other three band members. He looks directly into the camera throughout the video, telling us that he is singing to someone and trying to tell them something through the song. A narrative enigma is, however, created as we as an audience are not aware of who he is singing to or what exactly the message is that he is trying to put accross.

IconographyThe main artist wears heavy eye make-up which is iconic to well known rock artists such as David Bowie. This suggests that he is a rock musician and this is supported by the leather jackets, skinny jeans, jewellery and dark colours that both he and the three other band members wear. The costume as a whole is therefore iconic of the genre of rock music. At one point in the video men are seen taking photographs of the band as if they are the paparazzi. The use of this image depicts fame and is iconic of the celebrity image. As the band is new to the music industry, this use of iconography could be suggesting that their aim is to become well known musicians. Another example of iconography in the video is of the people dressed as playing cards and dice. They are associated with the casino and Las Vegas which is also iconic of the wealthy, celebrity lifestyle which the band aims to live.

Setting

Only one setting is used throughout the video, a pathway through a park. This suggests that because the band is not well established they have created a more simple, homemade video that is more personal to them. It also creates a more intimate setting because the camera is very close to them throughout the video and it gives a homemade feel. This gives the illusion that the main singer is singing to someone close to him and that he wants them to know that the video is personal to them. The costumes that are used on the extras in the background also look homemade, adding to the intimate, personal mood that the video creates.

Technical and Audio Codes

The high-key lighting utilised throughout the video presents a happy, positive atmosphere which contradicts the powerful rock genre of the music. Only one type of shot is used for the entire video and the camera never cuts away from the band. This back tracking shot depicts a homemade feel to the video because someone filming something from home would not take into account different shot types. The video is more personal and intimate to the person that the main singer is singing to because he is always looking into the camera, therefore directly addressing his audience. The homemade style of the video adds to this personal mood. The camera shakes slightly at the beginning of the video as if it is hand –held. Again, this makes the video seem as if it is homemade and personal.