Arctic Monkeys Video Deconstruction

Arctic Monkeys- One for the Road                   Signed to Domino              Genre: Indie Rock

SHOT: Mid

LYRICS: ‘One for the road’

EDIT: Slowly zooms in then cuts to next shot

ANALYSIS: In the establishing shot we see a girl stood in a leather jacket with the song name ‘One for the Road’ written on the back. This along with the black and white edit and strange location of what looks like a field at night with a tractor in it, is meant to confuse the audience. It tempts them to watch more to find out what the video and song is about. This is very typical of an indie genre music video.

SHOT: Medium Close Up

LYRICS: Music

EDIT: Cuts to next shot

ANALYSIS: After the establishing shot, there is then a quick series of 4 cuts to medium close ups of each band member in time to the beat of the music. The final member to be shown is Alex Turner, the main singer and lead guitarist of the band. He has been kept last as he is likely to be the one that most people will want to see as he is the face of the band. The close ups of each band member is very conventional of a band music video as their fans will have favourites that they want to see and it gives each member a sense of individuality as well as showing them as a band. The lead singer is not looking into the camera in this shot, he is looking slightly away from it giving the impression that he is either looking at something else or is too self-righteous to look at the audience which adds to his arrogant image in the band.

SHOT: Wide

LYRICS: ‘The cracks in black out blinds’

EDIT: Tracks the vehicle from the front then cuts to next shot

ANALYSIS: This shot shows one of the band members driving a tractor through a country location on a dirt track. This shot does not reflect the lyrics at all and will completely confuse the audience. There is no storyline or relevance to the song at this point in the video. This purposeful confusion is a very typical convention of an indie genre music video. Indie bands/artists often like to make videos that don’t make sense and confuse the audience which is what Arctic Monkeys have chosen to do with this video.

SHOT: Medium Close Up, Wide

LYRICS: ‘I knew this would be on the cards’

EDIT:  Cuts to next shot

ANALYSIS: This is the first time we see one of the band members actually sing along with the lyrics of this song. It is the lead singer that we see sing, again showing that he is the front man of the band. We can see the rest of the band behind Alex Turner, but his positioning in the middle of the shot and infront of the others gives the impression that he is more important; he is the main focus of attention. Their outfits also show that Alex is the lead member of the band. The other 3 are in black suits that are slightly altered to each person, whereas Alex Turner is in a silver blazer, making him stand out from the others. In this shot he uses direct mode of address, involving the audience. 

SHOT: Wide

LYRICS: ‘One for the road’

EDIT: Cuts to next shot

ANALYSIS: This shot again is confusing. We see girls emerge from the fog in what the audience can only assume is the same location the rest of the video has been set in. We have not seen anyone else in the video other than the band and the girl at the very beginning up until this point. The girls don’t really have any relevance to the video, again going along with the convention of indie genre videos not making sense.

SHOT: Wide

LYRICS: Instrumental

EDIT: Cuts to next shot

ANALYSIS: This shot is the climax of the music video. We finally see the entire band playing their instruments. The whole video has built up this this point, including the song. This is the break down in the song. The front man Alex Turner is at the front of this shot; again to show off his talents and we can see the drummer raised at the back. The 2 other members are shown throughout the breakdown in the song. The smoke and girls keep the convention of indie music videos not making sense whereas the band playing live is also another typical convention of an indie music video. The fireworks emphasise the part of the song that is playing and make it more interesting. The song ends quite bluntly and so this is the last few shots that we see, leaving it fresh in the audience’s minds and creating an impression, something that the band like to do.

Mumford and Sons Video Deconstruction

Mumford and Sons- I Will Wait      Signed to Island Records       Genre: Folk Rock

SHOT: Extreme Wide

LYRICS: Music intro

EDIT: Fades into next shot

ANALYSIS: The establishing shot sets the location of the video which is a live performance. We can see the band on the stage and they are all together, showing that they are together as a band. The wide shot is used to show the enormity of the crowd which is meant to reflect the band’s popularity and success. The crowd are all stood up, adding realism to the music video as they are watching the band live. The lighting has also been used to the band’s advantage. The lighting gets darker towards the top of the shot so that we can’t see the back of the crowd, making it looks bigger and almost never ending. This again emphasises the success and popularity of the band.

SHOT: Close up

LYRICS: ‘Well I came home’

EDIT: Cuts to next shot

ANALYSIS: This next shot is the first close up we see of any of the band. It cuts in time with the music to this shot where we can see the lead singer as the lyrics begin. This allows the audience to see who is singing so they can put a face to the voice. The fan will recognise this band member. Close ups are typical of a music video for a band as they give each member of the band a sense of individuality rather than them just being known as the band. This is also for the fans benefit as well as they are likely to have a favourite member so will appreciate the single shot of them. The dark shadowy lighting in this shot contrasts the bright, open light in the previous shot. This is to reflect the change in music. In the first shot the musical intro was loud and upbeat and so they lights were bright, whereas in this shot the tempo of the music slows slightly and becomes quieter which is replicated by the dimming of the lights.

SHOT: Wide

LYRICS: ‘I will wait for you’

EDIT: Cuts to next shot

ANALYSIS: Very much like the first shot, this is used to emphasise the size of the crowd. A wide shot has been used to make the crowd seem bigger, again to show how popular the band are. The lighting in this shot has gone back to being brighter as it is in the chorus when the tempo speeds up again. This shot fits with the lyrics of the song as it cuts to the crowd (the band’s fans’ as the band sings ‘I will wait for you’ which gives the audience the impression that they may be talking about their fans, giving them a link to the video. Also shots like these are slightly promotional. It is likely the band was on tour or had gigs at the time of the music video’s release and so these shots of the crowd enjoying themselves will encourage people to buy tickets to one of the bands shows. 

Muse Video Deconstruction

Muse- Resistance      Signed to Warner Brothers Records        Genre: Rock

SHOT: Wide

LYRICS: Music Intro

EDIT: Panning

ANALYSIS: The establishing shot shows fans waiting outside a venue for one of the bands shows. Fans will be able to relate to this as they are likely to have been waiting outside one of their shows before and so will remember the time they had. The panning is used to make the crowd of people seem never ending. It is to emphasise the amount of people there and therefore emphasises the success and popularity of the band.

SHOT: Close Up

LYRICS: ‘Is our secret safe tonight?’

EDIT: Cuts to next shot

ANALYSIS: This is a very conventional shot for a band music video. This close up allows the audience to see who is singing so they can put a face to the voice. The fan will recognise this band member. Close ups are conventional of a music video for a band as they give each member of the band a sense of individuality rather than them just being known as the band. This is also for the fans benefit as well as they are likely to have a favourite member so will appreciate the single shot of them.

SHOT: Mid

LYRICS: ‘It could be wrong, could be wrong’

EDIT: Cuts to next shot

ANALYSIS: It is extremely conventional of a rock genre music video that we see the artists playing instruments. Throughout this live performance music video we see the band playing each of their instruments. It shows that they can actually play their instruments and they often see it as a way of showing that they care about the music more than the popularity of being famous.  

3 Doors Down Video Deconstruction

3 Doors Down- Every Time You Go   Signed to Universal Republic Records   Genre: Rock

SHOT: Low Angle Wide

LYRICS: Intro

EDIT: Cuts quickly to next shot

ANALYSIS: This low angle shot shows the artists on stage at a live gig. They are performing the song live, showing that they actually play the instruments. The low angle gives the artists on stage a sense of power, making them most important as we are looking up at them. This also creates realism, putting the viewer into the audience, making it seem as if we are actually watching them live. The lighting is dark, highlighting the artists on stage and making the concert scene realistic.

SHOT: Wide Angle Long

LYRICS: Music

EDIT: Quick cut to next shot

ANALYSIS: This shot puts us in the position of the band themselves, involving the audience. This will appeal to a fan as it will make them feel closer to the band; they will feel more involved. This shot also shows the crowd the band is performing to. These shots are repeated throughout the video showing various different locations and venues the band has performed in. This also appeals to the fan as they can recognise the show they attended, reminding them of the time they had there, giving them a personal link to the video and the band. Again the lighting is quite dark with shadows, making the concert location realistic.

SHOT: Medium (hand held)

LYRICS: You take a part of me, a part of me with you’

EDIT: Cuts to a montage of backstage footage

ANALYSIS: This shot shows the band backstage. This is very much a fan video as this allows the fans to see the band backstage, letting them feel more of a part of the band. The lighting here is quite bright, setting it apart from the rest of the video, emphasising the change of location and scene. We can see a member of the band signing something in this shot. This along with the size of the crowds in the rest of the video show how popular the band is. It is almost showing off how well they are doing.

SHOT: Medium Close Up

LYRICS: ‘You take a part of me with you’

EDIT: Fades to next shot

ANALYSIS: This shot stands out from the rest of the video as it is in black and white. These types of shots are repeated throughout the video in short montages. They are pictures of the band put together. As the song gets faster and more upbeat these pictures are shown, cut together at a faster pace than the rest of the music video. They have purposely done this to keep the video exciting and interesting for the audience. 

Coldplay Video Deconstruction

Coldplay- Fix You               Signed to Republic               Genre: Alternative Rock

SHOT: Medium Close up

LYRICS: ‘Lights will guide you home’

EDIT: Cuts to next shot

ANALYSIS: This shot shows the lead singer of the band walking at night time along a road. The close up is conventional of a band’s music video, allowing us to see individual members. This shot is quite confusing to the audience as it doesn’t really make sense or have a storyline. Again this is a typical convention of an alternative genre music video. They often don’t make sense and like to confuse the audience. The light in the background reflects the lyrics of the song ‘Lights will guide you home’ and also adds realism to the road location.

SHOT: Wide

LYRICS: Music

EDIT: Cuts to next shot

ANALYSIS: Later on in the music video the lead singer arrives on stage where the rest of his band are performing the song ‘Fix You’. This makes the rest of the music video make more sense to the audience, he was walking to the gig. This wide shot shows the lead singer on stage and the crowd that he is performing to. The wide shot is used to show the enormity of the crowd which is meant to reflect the band’s popularity and success. The crowd are all stood up with their arms in the air, adding realism to the music video as they are watching the band live. The lighting has also been used to the band’s advantage. The lighting gets darker towards the top of the shot so that we can’t see the back of the crowd, making it looks bigger and almost never ending. This again emphasises the success and popularity of the band.

DECONSTRUCTION INTRODUCTION X2

Now that I have chosen my genre and song I have a rough idea what what I was ideally like to include in my music video using the song 'One Day- DCR'. The next thing I am going to do is to look at some more existing videos, but this time specifically from my chosen genre. This will help me to gain ideas about how I should present my music video and what generic conventions I need to include in order to make it look realistic. 

The music videos I have chosen to deconstruct are below with the youtube links to them:

• Coldplay- Fix You (Alternative Rock)
• 3 Doors Down- Every Time You Go (Rock) 
• Muse- Resistance (Rock)
• Mumford and Sons- I Will Wait (Folk) 
• Arctic Monkeys- One For The Road (Indie Rock)

IDEA CHANGE

Due to many complications such as travel and location problems I have decided to change the idea for my music video. I will still be using the same song and band, One Day by Dutch Criminal Record, however I will now be making a live video footage music video. After deconstructing a few more existing videos I have found that it is quite common and conventional of indie/alternative genre bands to have live footage music videos. 

I will be filming the band at a number of locations and gigs that they will be doing in the next few weeks. The main ones include Wedgewood Rooms in Portsmouth and The Good Ship in London.

I think this idea will appeal to my target audience more than my last as they will want to see them playing live and will be able to watch back shows they have attended.

Target Audience

After deciding on my song and artist I have now been able to work out and analyse who the target audience for my band would be.
Dutch Criminal Record would appeal to both males and females. Being an all male band there may be some sexual appeal for my target audience. My target audience are likely to enjoy alternative and indie music. They will expect to see the band in the music video playing their instruments. I am aware of other things that my target audience are going to want to see for example costumes and specific props and I will be catering to their expectations in my music video.

This is a mind map that I made to remind myself of my target audience's needs and wants.

Music Choice and Initial Idea

Now that I have finished my deconstructions of existing music videos I have an understanding of the generic conventions of music videos for different genres. Now I can decide on what genre and song I want to use for my promotional package for a new artist.

I have decided to focus on the Alternative/Indie genre. I have decided to use this genre because of the style of the music videos of this genre that I have discovered in my deconstructions. With this style I can use my creativity and all of my skills to create a interesting, visually pleasing music video.

I have decided to use an existing band that I know well called ‘Dutch Criminal Record’ (DCR) for my music video. They are an indie genre band that are well known in my local area. They are not signed to a record label and so work independently doing small gigs in and around Chichester. However, recently they have done gigs in places such as London and Portsmouth. They write their own music and lyrics and perform their own original songs live.

After looking through and listening to some of their songs I have chosen to use ‘One Day’ for my music video. It is an upbeat song which fits with the idea that I have for my video. My plan is to play on the fact that they play their own instruments and so I will show off their talents by using shots such as close ups and mid shots showing that they can play. My idea is that the video will be footage of them playing in different locations, for example at a particular part in the song I would like to have the drummer playing alone in a field and then the other members of the band, the bassist and two guitarists, in other separate locations. At the end of the video they will join together to make their band a whole for the final chorus.

In order for my video to work I will need to carefully plan each of my locations and other things such as props and costume in order to keep the continuity up to a high standard. I will also need to keep in mind that the band must be playing at the same speed as their recorded track when I film in order to get their lip syncing perfect when I am editing.