Analysis of Music Videos

Video 1: Black Foxxes – HUSK

The music video contains a mixture of performance scenes and narrative. It includes the band in a house playing the song together. The video shows scenes of cars burning, a girl in her bedroom staring at a TV playing static and the girl being bullied at school. It also shows scenes of the girl attacking a parked car with a baseball bat which shows anger and frustration which goes with themes associated with grunge/indie rock music. The images below show the mixture of performance as we see the singer playing guitar and we also see the girl being portrayed in the narrative sections. 

Camera movement, angles and shots: there are many different shots that come into this song. The first scene shows a close up shot of the lead singer before the song plays and the bands logo appears. The camera then appears on the drummer and quickly pans down to his snare which starts the song. Then we see the first narrative shot of a car on fire which fits well with the heaviness and anger of the song. There are many different close up and medium shots of each band member playing throughout the video, usually the camera focuses on the instruments they are playing.

Editing transitions, special effects: the video uses lots of short shots that transition between the different band members playing and between what is happening in the narrative scenes. There are editing techniques used in the narrative scenes where the girl falls off her bike and the shot is blurred to show her concussion. 

Mise en Scene:

Lighting: the lighting in the video has quite a dark atmosphere as the band plays in a under lit room with what appears to be only natural lighting. The lighting is quite ambient due to the set being lit with natural light from outside and lamps in the room. This adds an element of realism and give the video a grungy type of feel also this is helped by the band being inside a fairly tight room with not a lot of space to move.

Colours: the colours used in this video are quite dull and dark, this helps give off the grunge/indie rock feeling and a rugged vibe. The colours also have quite a cold vibe due to the weather being shown as grey in the video.

Outfits: the outfits that the band is wearing are quite casual clothes which fits well with the genre of indie rock music as it mainly focuses on the music and not the appearance.

Props: props used in the video include the bands’ instruments such as guitar, drums and bass guitar. Also, in the narrative scenes we see props being used such as a TV playing static, a baseball bat and a bicycle being used by the “bullied girl” in the video.

Location: the location for this video appears to be in a house/maybe a large shed type building. The band plays inside a single room that is not very well lit. It appears that the windows are boarded up with wood planks to stop light from entering the building. During the narrative scenes the location changes. We first see the girl inside her bedroom watching a TV playing static, then it transitions to her cycling to her school where she is bullied by two students. Next we see the girl cycling through a woods to a field where she finds a parked car. Then we see the girl attacking the car with a baseball bat, this shows her releasing rage from being bullied.

Representation: the band is represented through the use of mise en scene, camera movements and editing as the use of outfits, lighting and props gives off the indie rock/grunge vibe that we see in the video as we see characteristics of being independent and going against multinational corporations that produce mainstream media. It shows that the band is doing what they want to do rather than letting someone decide what the video should be about for them even with the low budget that they have to produce the music video.

Dominant ideologies: there is an ideology in the music video of frustration and angst due to the narrative scenes. In these scenes we can see a girl who appears quite lonely and awkward being bullied and releasing her anger on objects.

Genre: the genre of music is indie rock which is represented in the video because the atmosphere gives a gritty, real feel due to the band being in a dark, under lit room. Also, the band is a 3 piece which represent indie rock music due to these types of bands being influenced by grunge and punk rock style bands. Punk and grunge bands are stereo-typically known for not having a lot of members within the band.

Intertextuality - whether the video features any intertextual references, where, to what and why?: I think that this video contains some intertextual references to the grunge movement that came in the late 80s to mid 90s due to the use of the outfits looking worn and the use of angerful/depressing lyrics that fit with the characteristics of the genre. Also, the overall dark/angry nature and feel given off by the video.

Andrew Goodwin theory: the music video does demonstrate genre characteristics, for example the use of band performance and narrative showing anger/depressed emotions. There is a relationship between the lyrics and the visuals. The lyrics are represented through the narrative and the performance as we see the girl being represented as being depressed and "wasting away" as the lyrics suggest. The music and visuals are amplifying.

Laura Mulvey theory: I believe that the male gaze theory isn't very prominent in this video. I think that the camera/audience reflects the band in performance scenes as being heterosexual however not objectifying women in any way. However, the narrative scenes do show some signs of males dominating over women as the lonely girl is bullied by both a girl and a boy. The girl is portrayed as being very innocent and vulnerable.

Video 2: Nirvana – Lithium

The video focuses on performance and shows the band playing live at different concerts. Throughout the video, there are different faded edits of the band and the crowd which is a characteristic of grunge music being primarily focusing on the band and building a relationship with them.

Here we can see a scene of the performance happening in the music video. It also shows the editing technique that has gone into this video by superimposing two pieces of footage at the same time. 

Camera movement, angles and shots:  there are lots of different shots used in the video which show the band playing in concert. Mid-shots of Kurt Cobain playing guitar and singing are shown. Also, long shots from far back in the venues to show the whole band playing as a whole. There are some low camera angles that show the drummer playing during the video, this combined with the slo-mo effect used create a very “live feel”.

Editing transitions, special effects: the music video uses different editing techniques. There are many different layered pieces of footage being shown at the same time. They have superimposed different scenes from the band playing live on top of each other and these cross fade. A lot of the footage that is shown in the video of the band playing live has been slowed down and some scenes repeat in the cross fade.

Mise en Scene:

Lighting: the lighting in the video is quite low key as we can see the band on stage in concert only being lit by stage lighting. This relates to the dark/gritty nature of grunge music that was prominent in the 1990's.

Colour: there is a wide mix of different colours seen throughout the music video as the concert lighting changes as we see each different scene.

Costume: the clothes that Nirvana are wearing in the video vary depending on each different concert that is shown. It is mostly quite casual clothes like jeans, t-shirts, leather jackets and sweaters.

Props: there are no purposeful props used in the video as the video consists of Nirvana playing live at a variety of concerts. We see them playing their instruments: guitar, bass and drums.

Location: there are many different locations during the music video as it shows Nirvana playing live at different venues. The footage shown in the video is from the band’s 1991 Halloween performance and scenes from 1991: The Year Punk Broke (1992).

Representation: the band is represented through the use of the technical elements above as they all ink into the genre of music that the band is playing (grunge). The use of low key stage lighting and mixed colours helps focus attention to the band itself, playing and making music that is independent. The outfits that the band are wearing also help represent the grunge movement in the 90's as they are casual clothes which don't distract from the music that people listen to, using their presence as "visual effects". Also, we see the band playing live in concert which represents the focus of the music rather than anything else. 

Dominant Ideologies: The video was shot during the Seattle grunge era (1985-1995). This is when rock music was turned into a much heavier and darker vibe, stylistic changes were made to videos and culture. The video shows this through the use of the heavy guitar riffs and lyrical content. Also, the use of performance shows the attitude by grunge bands at the time.

Genre: the grunge genre is represented in the music video as there is a very angry feel associated with the heaviness of the song through the guitar riffs and depressed/helpless lyrics. Also, the music video focuses on performance only which is what grunge music is mainly focused on. There is no backstory to the video, only the band playing. It gives a sense of rawness and makes the video seem low budget and independent to the major corporations. 

Intertextuality: I don't think that the music video contains any intertextual links to any other sort of media. However, the lyrics in the song may contain something that is relevant to this. 

Andrew Goodwin theory: the music video demonstrates various different stage performances which is a genre characteristic of grunge bands. I think that there is a relationship between the music and visuals as the tone and atmosphere of the music reflect that of the music. For example, when the chorus comes in Dave Grohl is shown rolling the drums which occurs in the music as well. The relationship is quite amplifying and the music reflects the visuals.

Laura Mulvey theory: I don't believe that there is anything in the video that suggests the camera/audience is objectifying women. The male gaze theory is not represented in this video.

Video 3: Soundgarden - Black Hole Sun

This music video is by the popular 90s grunge rock band Soundgarden. The music video contains a mixture of performance and narrative scenes. The screenshots below show the band in the performance section of the music video where they are situated in a empty field. Also, we can see a screenshot from the narrative which shows a group of what appears to be religious people, maybe Jehovah's witnesses.

Camera movement, angles and shots: The video contains different shots of the band and narrative scenes in and at different angles. Some long shots to show the entire band playing as a whole and mid shots of the singer and guitarist together. There are also times where each member of the band individually is shown playing. This shows off their musicianship playing their instruments together. For the narrative scenes there is an array of different shots including close up shots of people's faces to show the "happy" vibe of the story and tracking people walking.

Editing transitions, special effects: The video uses green screen technology to put the band and the narrative in a perfect world ,"dreamscape", where we can see people acting happy. There is special effects used during the narrative scenes appears to show people's faces morphing into different shapes giving off a very surreal feel to the video. Also, CGI was used to show the black hole destroying the town. The band is put in front of a green screen which then puts them into a green field with blue skies, showing the perfect world.

Mise en Scene:
Lighting: the lighting in the music video is quite high key as the setting is a "perfect" world where everyone appears happy and content with life. However, the video takes a dark turn in the lighting when the black hole appears and destroys the world as all the bright colours leave and the band plays in a darker environment.

Colour: the colours used in the video are very vibrant which gives off a happy feel to this "perfect dreamscape" world that the video plays in. However, at the same time this also has a eerie vibe as everything appears "too perfect" and happy. During the chorus where people notice the black hole appearing to destroy the world, the colours change to darker tones such as grey skies, black and red.

Costume: each band member of Soundgarden appear to be wearing casual clothes. The lead singer/guitarist is wearing a t shirt with a skull and other band members wear shirts/jumpers. This shows that they are focusing attention to the music than trying to make themselves noticed through outfits.

Props: props used in the video consist of the bands instruments that they pretend to play in time with the music. In the narrative scenes we can see people inside their homes sitting on couches and watching TV. Also, since the music video uses a lot of special effects a green screen is used to show the band in a completely different location. This is also used for the narrative scenes to put the actors into the dream world.

Location: the music video is set in a surreal "perfect" world where everyone appears to be happy and getting on with life. However, as the video progresses a black hole appears and destroys the world that the narrative and the band scenes are in. The band appears to be performing in an open field somewhere.

Representation: the band is represented through the technical elements of mise en scene (location, props, costume etc) because they are shown in the video wearing quite casual clothes that normal people would wear. This does not let the audience be distracted away from the music or video. The band is also shown playing their instruments which is the performance side to the video. Also, the technical elements help the meaning behind the song be reflected well in the video. The meaning behind the song is that they want the world to end by being destroyed by a "black hole sun" because during the period that this band was popular the USA was dominated by capitalism and big corporations. "Times are gone for honest men" shows that honesty and integrity and other morals aren't celebrated anymore. The use of the green screen to show a dreamscape "perfect" world helps show a fake world get destroyed by the black hole.

Dominant ideologies: The song is about the lead singers views on society and how much he despises how things are. "No one sings like you anymore" the lyrics to the song suggest that morals like honesty and compassion are not celebrated by anyone anymore as capitalism and greed has taken over.

Genre: the band is a 90s grunge/alternative rock band. This is shown in their dark lyrics and the down tuned sound of their guitars playing heavier rock riffs. The lyrics of the song represent their want for the world to end, for example "black hole sun won't you come and wash away the rain"? Also, the genre is represented through their costumes being very casual

Intertextuality: the video has references to TV and how popular it became in the 90s as we see people staring at the TV in a frozen state. This exaggerates how popular it became during this time.

Andrew Goodwin theory: the music video does demonstrate some genre characteristics for rock bands as it contains both a performance side and narrative side. There is a relationship between the music and visuals because as the chorus section comes in, we see the guitarist playing the chorus riff and the drummer doing a fill.

Laura Mulvey theory: There are no references to the male gaze theory in this music video. There doesn't appear to be any signs of men objectifying women.