Textual Analysis - Arctic Monkeys

Arctic Monkeys - When The Sun Goes Down

Genre - The genre of the piece of music and the artist who has created the piece of music is alternative indie rock. However the genre of the video the music is played with is a drama, the storyline featured in the video is one which the viewer would expect to see in a soap or in a drama film. The video features mature themes of abuse and violence which you would expect to see in a drama show which is on late at night. Considering the genre the things that happen in this video are expected.
 

Narrative - the main storyline of the video is the fact that there is a woman, how seems to be homeless and a prostitute who has no control over her life and is just being pushed around by various men in the video.   The main themes of the video are Love, Relationships and Sex. TODOROV's 5 stages is seen in this video, 3 stages are seen in this video, the stages being equilibrium, disruption, recognition. There are only two main characters in this video who you can establish a role for, one of which is the woman who is the prostitute and the other is the man who seems to be following her everywhere she goes and who at one point picked her up and put her in a car.

Representation  - Men are shown very stereotypically in this video, for example, the fact that the main male in this video is using the woman as a possession. Also the males in the video are shown to have a lot of power as throughout the video they are doing things like coming out of bars and socialising and not doing anything constructive with their lives, indirectly implying that woman have to do the important things in life and men can just go off and have fun. The artists in the band aren't featured in the video and the song they are singing isn't about their lives, it sounds like they are singing about peoples lives they have seen or things in everyday life they have observed.

 

Visual Codes - The video is set mainly in what seems to be a council estate which can have connotations of a lack of money or a well established secure life, the setting is mainly naturalistic, rather than having the video set in a studio, this gives the audience an idea of what the band are like.  The other place the video is set is in a bedroom, this links to the fact the girl sleeps around and because for a lot of people a bedroom means security, he fact she is in one could mean she is searching for security. The lighting is used effectively, throughout the video everything has very dull and naturalistic lighting, however the shots in the bedroom are all light with a very warm, glowing light which helps back up the fact the woman finds security in the bedroom.

Technical Codes - The camera angles used on the males in the video show how they have a lot of power and don't have many issues in their lives. The woman has many close ups of her throughout the video, this helps give the audience a better idea and chance to see how she is feeling by being able to see her facial expressions closer. The cuts in this video at some points, especially during the chorus are made to fit the beat and tempo of the song, this shows how the song flows but also the video uses the beat of the song to show the different pace that the woman's life takes.

Audience - The audience of this video could be either males or females as the video doesn't contain anything that swings toward any particular gender, however the video is probably best suited to be watched by people over the age of 18, maybe even 21 as there are many mature themes throughout. The obvious mature theme is the fact the woman is a prostitute and is handled violently throughout the video, but also what seems to be a drug deal happens at one point.  

 

This analysis will help me when it comes to making and constructing my music video as it has given me an in-depth insight into  the conventions of a music video and how it is individually structured and also targeted at the audience. This analysis breaks down every aspect of the music video and allows me to see how the genre of the music video effects what is done in each area.

Textual Analysis - Tegan and Sara

Tegan and Sara - I Was A Fool

Genre - The genre of the piece of music and the band that are singing it is Indie Pop, however the genre of the video that is playing over the music is Drama, because both the music and the video feature themes of heart break and relationships. In this video the viewer should expect to see a link between the visuals and the lyrics of the song, while also seeing performance by the two members of the band as this is typical of all their videos. The unexpected element to this video is the fact that there is a major narrative and storyline as this is rare considering the bands previous videos.

Narrative - The main storyline of this video follows the female actor as she deals with the break up currently happening in her life, there is no major theme as the video is set in the present day. This video features 3 stages of Todorov's 5 stages, it features a destruction, a recognition and an attempt at fixing the issue. Like most music videos, this video features one main character who is trying to deal with a break up, and it also features the two members of the band Tegan and Sara who are singing the song and doing the performance in the video.

Representation - The video has mild traces of representation, the female in the video is seen to be the weak, heartbroken one out of the couple, however you never actually see the other person in the relationship, you simply see their name on a phone, which is 'Sidney' and because that is a name both males and females could have the stereotype of the women being the weak and heartbroken one in the relationship may not apply as strongly here. However the fact that the main character is a woman who is heartbroken does fit with the stereotype women are given when dealing with relat

ionships. The artists in the video are constructed in a very interesting way, the fact that they are performing, but also featuring in the background of the shots implies that they have also felt how the actress in the video is feeling.

Visual Codes - The video is set in multiple rooms in a large house, this is typical of someone who is going through a break up as it is unlikely that they would want to leave their house and go out in public. The video overall doesn't use one major colour, however the performance section of the video is done in a very dark and dull environment, and the acting is mainly done in a brighter environment implying that the main female in the video is trying to get over her heartbreak but finding it hard as her life is going from light to dark like the video. 'How I prayed for you calls' is the lyrics which is song when a shot of her phone ringing comes up, this links the video and the lyrics together smoothly.

Technical Codes - One member of the band, Tegan, who is playing the piano is shot from a high angle multiple times implying to the audience that she is vulnerable or has once been in a vulnerable situation like the actor in the video. The female in the video, when she is taking the broken painting out to the bin, is shot from a low angle, this shows the audience that she is regaining power and overcoming her pain and heartbreak. The camera angles changing from being low on the main actor to high as the video progresses shows the progression that the female has had through overcoming her pain and heartbreak.

Audience - This video is mainly appealing to people over the age of 18, because they are the group of people who are most likely to be able to relate to feeling the way the people in the video do. The clothing and style of the actor and the band members in the video is very youthful and young meaning the video would most likely relate to people who are 18-35. The demographics of the video is most likely E & D.

Institution - The record company require multiple close up shots of both of the band members in the band, this is so people who are watching the video focus more on the band than on other characters in the video, and also so the public get a better understand and can remember what the members of the band look like.

Textual Analysis - Plan B

Plan B - Writing's On The Wall

Genre - The genre of the music featured in this music video is alternative/rap however the genre of the music video is drama. The music video has some very typical narratives considering the genre, it has very strong narratives of Love and Heartbreak which are typical of the genre Drama. When you learn the genre is Drama so expect to see things such as performance from the artist in the video which is featured, along with links to the lyrics, also featured. However you also wouldn't expect to see so of the events which feature in the storyline. 

Narrative - the storyline of this video features a male and a female going through a rough patch in their relationship because of the males carer and life style. The main theme of the video is that of the 1970's, the style of the housing and clothing in the video indicate this. The video has a recognisable structure in terms of Todrov's 5 stages, this video features equilibrium, destruction and recognition, meaning that the video ends when the characters in the video acknowledge the issue. The only main recognisable characters in this video are the male who is the protagonist and the female who is the antagonist.
Representation - a recognisable type of representation which is evident in this video is that of gender, initially you see both males and females being represented stereotypically because the female is at home make dinner for the man and doing housework, where as the male in the video is out enjoying night life and partying, both of these actions show actions stereotypical to that gender. This video makes the male look in the wrong and like the bad guy, whereas it constructs the female to look like the victim, this is very stereotypical of music videos, if the artist is male they tend to be made to look like the hero or the most important.
Visual Codes - The setting of the video helps the viewer understand how the two main characters in the video are being constructed to fit stereotypes. The women in the video is seen in the kitchen and around the house, doing various different jobs, mainly for the males benefit and getting the house ready for his return, this is seen to be very stereotypical of females. The male is seen in a nightclub/concert environment which could be seen as a dangerous environment for someone who is in a relationship with someone. Also nearer the end of the video the male is seen with another female in the back of a taxi, the windows are steamy, this could have connotations of sex and romance. The female is seen wearing and surrounded by bright, bold colours, this puts her in a positive light, whoever the male is seen in dark, dull colours making him seen negative and bad. The video features some written iconographic, you discover the males stage name which is 'Strickland Banks', this may mean something to the viewer so they can link this character to the artist of previous videos, also it says 'Sold Out' next to his name implying that he is popular.
Technical Codes - Effective camera angles are used in this video to help the viewer understand how the characters are feeling, there is a large amount of close ups on the male performance showing how he is feeling and also because the record label typically require this of a video, there are multiple close ups of the food the female is preparing to help back up the stereotypes she fits into. Also during the phone call between the male and the female there is a high angle shot on the female showing how she is a in a vulnerable position. The editing in this music video is fast pace, this could reflect confusion in the characters, another thing which could reflect confusion is the fact that the camera cuts off pieces of the females face and is peering from behind cupboards and other pieces of furniture.
Audience - The target audience of the this video is mainly people who are 18+ purely because the narratives of the video are about relationships and people who are over that age will be able to relate to it, also because of the setting of the video, in a nightclub, people overt the age of 18 would be able to relate and understand that setting. The main demographics which this video would appeal to are E and D, which are blue collar works, the unemployed and students.
Why? - I did this textual analysis as it will help me when I come to making my video, it will aid me in planning out my music video as it will give me an insite into conventions which are used in music videos, specifically ones that are made by an english artist.

Textual Analysis - Nirvana

Nirvana - Smells Like Teen Spirit 

Genre - the genre of this video for Nirvanas song 'Smells Like Teen Spirit' is Drama/Performance , and the genre of the band and the song is Rock. The genre of the music makes the audience expect a performance type video, however because it is mainly all performance, it can shock the viewer as they may have expected a stronger narrative or some acting.

Narrative - The narrative of this video is very loose, there is no obvious narrative or storyline, the audience are made to understand that the video is set in a high school due to the fact there are young adults and cheerleaders. The video is mainly a performance set in a high school due to the genre, so the narrative isnt the main focus in this video.

Representation - there are some mild traces of represenation in this video. The representation of gender is shown at the start when we see the females in the video 'cheering on' the men in the video, this could be seen as showing  that men  are more powerful than women. Also the band and specifically the main lead singer of the bad Kurt Cobain is constructed as being someone who lives a hectic almost broken life as he is seen in normal clothing in a desolate environment.

Visual Codes - The video is set in a school gym, this could be because the band members or lead singer have profound memories from when they were at school, however it could also be the chosen setting because the word 'teen' is used in the title. A very dull orange colour is used through out the video along with a smoke effect, this gives the video a very mysterious mood. 

Technical Codes - initially a lot of long shots are used to help establish the setting of the video, also the camera focuses a lot of the band members to begin with, this is because the record company require the artist to be featured a great deal. Pans and sweeping shots are used near the end to help the viewer get a better feel and understanding of what is happening in the scene in the video, also the male gaze theory is present near the end when the camera focuses on the cheer leaders. 

Audience - the audience this type of music and video would be aimed at is mainly the 16+ market purely because the song and the band sing about things that probably wouldn't be understood by anyone younger than that age, and also because most people over that age would be able to relate to the setting and the situation of being in a concert like environment. 

Real Media Texts - Comparison of Music Videos

One of the first things me and my group noticed about the 3 music videos I looked at in the previous post is the link between the genre of the music in the video and the number of shots used in the video. In the first Video 'Still Into You' almost 200 shots are used in the 3:41 of the video, this is because the song is an upbeat pop song, so the amount of shots may have something to do with the tempo or mood of the song. However in the second video for 'I Was A Fool' just over 100 shots are used in 3:31, this is because this song is an alternative/pop song, also the tempo of the song is a lot slower than the first, this means that not as many shots are used. The Third song I look at has a considerably shorter video overall at 2:44 and also only uses 71 shots. The length of this video is obviously dictated by the length of the song, but the fact it is an alternative/indie song means that the song is most likely going to be made by a band that has a lot less budget to work with as apposed to a band that makes a pop song, This is most likely the reason that there are less shots used.

Another point me and my group found when discussing the videos I looked at was the amount of locations used in each video. In 'Still Into You' almost 10 different locations were used in and around the house that they were filming in, this is mainly because the band has the budget to decorate and use multiple rooms in the house, garden and also the hall where the ballet is performed. In the video for 'I Was A Fool' although the video is set in one location, multiple parts of the location are used like in the first video, about 5/6 different places in the house it was shot at are used in this video. The last video for 'Diane Young' only uses about 2 locations, the majority of the video is shot around the table in the dinning room, and then there is one other shot in a dark room, this is most likely down to the fact the band is alternative/indie and can't afford to use multiple locations for their videos.

Real Media Texts - Music Video

The grid below shows different music videos, by different artists who create music is different genres. It allows me to see various different aspects in each video, which makes it easy for me to compare each one, for example I compare the genre of each one with the setting of the video, this will allow me to see what the typical conventions of settings are for each genre, something I will need to take into consideration when creating my video. It most importantly allows me to see the number of shots used in each video, which when compared to the different genres shows me a lot about how many shots I should use in my video.

Video	The Narrative	Settings	Number of shots	Transitions used	Representations seen?	Genre of music	Duration
Still Into You -Paramore	Celebration/Party situation with members of the band.	Mansion house, Garden, Performance hall, Bedroom.	191	Fades, mainly standard cuts	Gender – Female surrounded in beginning with feminine coloured items in a bedroom, males in video seen on bikes, can be seen as stereotypical for this gender.	Pop	3:41
I Was A Fool – Tegan and Sara	Follows break up of main female character.	In bedroom/house environment, some scenes on balcony/ in garden.	116	A large amount of fades are used when the setting or scene changes.	Gender – the female in the clip is upset and heartbroken showing how women are stereotypically seen to be weak and venerable.	Alternative/Pop	3:31
Vampire Weekend – Diane Young	Dinner party, celebration event.	Dinner Table, Garden.	72	Pans are used to go from character to character even though it is a continuous shot, mainly standard jump cuts are used.	Age – most of the people in the video are young adults, the fact they are partying and drinking loosely backs up the fact that young people drink and party.	Alternative/Indie	2:44

Specific Knowledge of Music Videos