Music Video Analysis

The Kills - Last Day of Magic

• Image: The Kills' music videos are really interesting to look into mainly because of their stereotypical traits of the indie genre. The whole entire mise en scene are low budget and worn down, not containing any complex and expensive effects which would be typically expected of other music videos. The setting is really low budget and dim, the light is always dark and at night and the costume is quite trendy yet still downtrodden.The plot of the music video is featuring some scenes of live gig performances on a cheap camera, maybe even handheld, and then also a lot of scenes of violence between and main female and male, portraying the disagreement of a couple having arguments and violent acts.

• Genre: This music video conforms to the stereotypical indie genre because of varied elements; their clothes and appearance are what some people would class as individual (indie) and the way they act is quite unique, they appear to be intoxicated with drugs and alcohol and live the rebellious lifestyle which is often promoted in indie genre music videos. The lighting is dim and the camera is also out of focus, which is similar to the other videos i have analysed, coming to a conclusion that this music genre is about the music, not the quality of video or the flash cash or cars, it's about raw talent and lifestyle.

• Editing: All of the camera movements feature the camera following the actors in the video, or moving due to their reactions and movements and the editing in the music video is very sharp and fast paced, although they've chosen to stick to simple straight cuts instead of fades and fancy transitions, this outlines the simplicity of the production and the message the video portrays.

• Connotation: I think that all the domestic violence and fighting between the couple in this video is a connotation for a problematic relationship, to show friction between a couple is defying the elements of a typical love story music video and displaying the negative side of relationships.

• Target Audience: I think this video is aimed towards late teenagers who are rebellious and violent and can relate to alcohol usage and violent relationships, or maybe just teenagers who attend gigs and live a wild and free lifestyle.

The Kooks – She Moves In Her Own Way

• Image: This video appears to be filmed on a handheld camera and follows the band around on their travels. The quality of the camera isn't that good and the lighting is dim which creates a vintage effect. This effect is very common in all types of indie genre production, whether it is advertisement, CD covers or music videos, purely because that is what appeals to their target audience, inflicting style and fashion as a party of this music genre.They appear to be on holiday or in different countries, maybe even on a music tour, which makes the mise en scene hard to analyse because they’re in a different setting in every different cut. Therefore the costumes are all different throughout and so are the surroundings.

• Genre: One element of the indie genre is that a lot of the music videos will be based on, and will emphasise the importance on raw music and talent, for example in this video, there are a lot of filmed scenes of music being played or the band on holiday playing songs with each other, this is used to separate the indie genre from, say for example R&B where usually, the videos will be focused on money and women, rather than the song itself. This makes the indie genre especially appealing to listeners and promotes the music rather than the perfect lifestyle. The indie lifestyle portrayed in the video, is displayed as poor living, drugs, alcohol, girls, friends and music, the typical late teenagers aspired lifestyle, the kind of lifestyle that would attract the typical target audience.

• Editing: The camera shots are in a mixture of long shots, medium shots and close ups and are often in a documented style, as if the person with the camera is just watching the band and their every move, this makes the band and their music seem much more down to earth and low key. All of the editing features straight cuts instead of fades etc. in order to expand on the idea of simplicity.

• Connotation: The scenes of travelling could connote the idea that the singer or persona is moving on with his life and is experiencing new things and forgetting the past and his original routes, therefore he is forgetting about past lovers and problems in his life.

• Target Audience: The actual song speaks about the lead singers love for someone and he often directs his lyrics towards the lens, as if he is singing it to her but however none of the video relates to romance or unfolds the story further which is quite exciting and down to earth. This would relate to late teens and early adults who are new to love but love music and the rebellious lifestyle.

Arctic Monkeys – Fluorescent Adolescent

• Image: There is quite a surreal and frightening idea behind the video for this song, it features clowns throughout who seem to have violent intentions and are quite frightening, showing violent act and death among others which contradicts what clowns are supposed to do, make people happy and entertain, they are making people aggressive and frightened.The video is mostly filmed on and unsteady handheld camera, shaking as people are fighting and showing also a documented view on the situation and making the scene seem more realistic, even though it’s something far from realistic. The lighting is natural daylight which also adds to a sense of realism. The costume is normal clothing vs. clown dress up, which makes the video, which is supposed to be serious and an upsetting situation, almost hilarious and entertaining. 

• Editing: The editing is just straight cuts so that we know what is going on in the situation rather that messing around with transitions and match cuts, fades. If the cuts were slower, the situation would not have seemed as frightening and panic stricken, it would feel relaxed and would not make the scene match the song lyrics or portray the message that the band wanted to portray.

• Genre: The only thing that is stereo-typically indie about this music video is the unique idea or costume ideas and the use of low quality camera shots. The music video is mostly based on telling a story rather than promoting a band or a lifestyle.

• Connotation: I think, taking the song's meaning and lyrics into consideration, the contrast between one gang of men in normal outfits, and the others in clown costumes emphasises the indie meaning, the idea of being different and unique, the way the clowns are dressed represent the indie culture, they look a lot more interesting and exciting than the other gang.

• Target Audience: The song is about a girl, about how she lost herself and who she was and how she is not liked anymore by the singer. This is portrayed through a different scenario in the video, as the clown is friends with one of the gang members but he has to kill him in the end and let go of their past, this is an interesting twist on the lyrics and meaning of the song which fits in with the stereotype of indie music genres, strange and unique. This song would appeal to people who have been through heartbreak or who have fallen out of love with their partners, normally young adults, because of the scenario in question and because of the typical age that indie music appeals to.

The Vaccines - Post Break-Up Sex

• Image: In this video, we see snippets of the band playing the song and also cuts between these shots and the actual story line, including the female and male involved in the situation, the female looking glum and under the weather, obviously because of the way she is feeling about what has happened and because she is missing her former partner. We can tell she is feeling depressed because of her blank facial expression and body language, she is always silent and often facing looking down at the ground with a straight face, almost appearing to be in deep thought.

• Editing: The soundtrack to this music video is not quite slow, nor fast, it's quite relaxed and mid paced, however the editing and the camera movements are mostly slow and depressed to portray the feelings and emotions of the actress' and the actors in the video. The singer is singing about emotion and relationships which helps most people relate to the song and the situation that the song is describing and forms a connection between the viewer and the band, promoting their music instantly. Even though there are a lot of straight cuts in the video between the two scenes, a lot of the editing uses fade outs and fade in transitions, and match cuts in order to switch scenes but not spoil the atmosphere of the video and to make it flow a whole lot nicer; the sun is in the background of most shots, the editor uses the sun to fade into other shots, using the sun as a base of the fade out to white effect.

• Genre: This music video is quite typical of the Indie genre, because all the elements are often seen in other music videos in this particular genre. For example, the dimmed lighting and vintage styled settings and clothing. The lighting is often faded, alongside the colours in the video which are not as bright and vibrant as other genres. Another convention of the indie genre that is displayed in this video, is the body language and the general feel of the video, the actors are usually quite care free, straight faced and do not show a lot of excitement, the actors in this video do exactly that.

• Connotation: The obvious connotation i could pick out of this video is the television we briefly see in the video behind the actress as she is distressed, it is broke and the screen is flickering and buzzing, this could be emphasising the emotion that the actress is feeling and representing her anger through an object instead of directly through her actions and body language.

• Target Audience: The target audience of this music video would be young adults who have broken up with their former partners and are in a sad part of their life and have found comfort in this song because it explains how they're feeling perhaps. It is also aimed at late teenagers because this is the sort of life they aspire to maintain; cool, rebellious and adult-like.

The Wombats - Tokyo 

• Image: The music video for this song is quite different from the others and strays a lot from the stereotypical conventions of an indie music video. The colours are bright, the singers and actors are quite energetic and it's based a lot in clubs in Tokyo, rather than in a run down apartment. The clubs are exciting and do not fit the indie label, they appear to be living the typical hip hop lifestyle with the girls, money and success, however the music they produce are typical indie genre.Surprisingly however, the singers do not look too pleased with their life and tend to look depressed and down, they sing the lyrics in to a microphone without any emotion portrayed on their faces and tend to look worn out and bored with their lives.

• Editing: The majority of the editing is made up of mid paced straight cuts that often fit in with the beat of the song, to make the video flow a lot more and look more professional, rather than if the editing was out of pace with the song itself. Even though more professional cameras are used in this video, the directors still stick to the theory of making the video look like your average hand held camera at a party, by keeping the shots unsteady and portraying the lifestyle as natural and fun, rather than clean cut.

• Genre: This video does not fit the stereotypical conventions of the indie music genre at all, mainly because of the style of filming, the colours used and the whole direction of the video, it does not promote the indie lifestyle like the others did, it promote the hip hop, r&b lifestyle more and flashes money, drugs and alcohol, rather than music, travelling and friends. It is more of a high class indie genre, showing the high side of the celebrity lifestyle and almost purposely making the viewers feel jealous of the lifestyle in question.

• The Target Audience: It's more than likely that the target audience for this song and video is early adults and late teens, however it is a lot more mature than other videos i have looked into so it may be a little bit too advanced for the common teenager.

questions:


1. from your analysis do you agree with Gunter Kress' statement that genre is simply a repeated structure? what might be the ideological significance of this?
2. gledhill argues that the difference between genres appear to different audiences, how have the conventions of the music videos/digipaks you have analysed been used to appeal to their intended audience?
3. fiske and wales argue that genre is an intertextual concept. what evidence have you found to support this from the texts you have analysed?
4. using the internet, research metz's four stages of genre. can you attach examples from your analysis and from your wider knowledge of the music genre you are working in?

Cd Cover Analysis

Analysing a CD cover

The Kills- Midnight Boom

Image (genre): The main image in the picture is a quite retro/polaroid styled photograph in high contrast colours to portray a dramatic and intense look to the cd colour. The colours are also quite dated and have the effect of a disposable camera which usually reduces quality of the photograph, giving it a photo with high noise amounts and muted colours, relating to the genre which is indie. The indie genre often likes to emphasise the idea of retro, vintage and dated items and music, avoiding any sort of futuristic fashion or music style. 

There is quite a rebellious indie feel to the cover because the girl has he shoes on the bed and they seem like messy and bad behaved teenagers, with a life revolved around music and everything not in order. This appeals to the target audience of the indie genre because a lot of teenagers live the sneaky and rebellious lifestyle with a life revolved around music gigs and smoking and drinking, something encouraged by this genre, with a don't care mood inflicted. 

A slight high angle / long shot is used to display how messy the singers are, and to emphasise their rock star lifestyle, as well as being close enough to see their faces and expressions. The camera angle is also not directly on point which shows the laid back lifestyle of the indie genre, giving it a homely and more personal feel, creating the effect that the band maybe took the photo themselves on a mobile or disposable camera, portraying the band as genuine and meeting the conventions of the indie genre.

One persona in the image is playing guitar, which portrays that it’s all about the music, and the other one in staring into the camera lens and connecting with the buyer of the cd, we can tell she might play a more important role in the band, as her face and body is much more highlighted using high contrast, bright colours and high exposure, unlike the other band member who is dressed in all black and is looking away from the camera lens, however the way the lead vocalist is staring into the camera, it creates the idea that she is speaking or connecting with another band member, one that is maybe out of the shot and taking the photograph personally, this creates a more homely feel and less of the celebrity lifestyle, as usually, other genres such a r&b and pop will take their album covers in a studio with lots of expensive gadgets and clothes, to emphasise the high class lifestyle, whereas indie, it's all about highlighting the fact that it's all about the music and not the money. 

They are also on a side of the room which seems faded and has a cold temperate, this image matches the single’s title because of the mise en scene, it does look like the middle of the night, using a messy bedroom and dimmed lighting. They are also sitting on the same side of the room and on the same bed, the emphasise a relationship of some sort, probably more likely to be friendship, because they look like they are both engaging in music and writing songs, and their body language does not seem to be close or romantic, this portrays a sense of being acquainted or friendly but not in a romantic sense, a lot of indie music videos portray music and not the exploitation of women or sexual relationships, unlike other genre's which tend to do this a lot.

Title (genre): The artist title is large and red to put emphasis on how important publicity is for the band, maybe because they’re less known than other bands that they dream to be like. It could also be in a red colour to emphasise the word "kill'' almost looking like kill as in murder, and making the red be an emphasis on blood and death, giving this album cover quite a serial effect. The bands name is also in capitals and bold to stand out on shelves and to point out what the band's name is, rather than the name of the single/album, which is less important, but because the title is in smaller text, it makes the audience question it more because we do not know the story behind it and why it is in small, it makes the audience wonder and want to listen to the music. 

The single title is smaller and in black, maybe to relate to the theme of night-time, or just because it looks presentable underneath the band’s name. I feel like this cd cover is aimed at late teenagers aged 16-20 because of the music style and because of the lifestyle that is represented in the image, a lot of people in this age group will appreciate music a lot, especially the indie genre, they all have a different unique style and appreciate individuality rather than the older generation who may not understand the style of music or the style of fashion.

 

The Wombats – This Modern Glitch

Image; The image itself represents an anonymous feeling to it, because of the missing identities in the photo and the empty surroundings. It’s very unique and interesting, as the cd cover is stylish and is typical for the indie music genre and shows a group of people who all dress similar however look unique and the same time, creating an indie feel to it, as the idea of indie fashion is supposed to conote the idea of individuality, and not only is the fashion unique and individual but the the general music and the album cover is also individual and it has a unusual approach to it in some sense but also fits in within one genre in particular which is indie music. The lighting and editing of the photo has been dimmed and aged to create yet another retro/vintage look to it, almost making it look like a holiday picture from older years, the colours used are bright and uplifting, giving the audience the impression that the music will be uplifting and in a summer theme, listing feel good songs under their tracklist however the bright, uplifting colours have been dimmed and muted in an attempt to fit to the indie genre, for example, for a lot of indie music covers, the photograph usually looks as if it has been taken on a low quality or disposable camera, which also fits to the idea that it is a summer break, where young people record their holiday moments on a disposable camera and a lot of times take photos that see them all together.

However what goes against this, is that every subject in the photograph are holding up an image infront of their faces to show a hidden approach, however instead of an image that relates to the music or band, the image is quite unusual and is an image on an animal, a strange animal which looks to have been extended or warped. This fits to the idea that indie music is unsual and not fitting to other musi genres, creating a quirky outlook on life and making the music seem more exciting and bringing listeners and fans in, as most people want to be percieved as different and quirky. 

I like the way the layout of the cd cover and photograph really works together, the way the photo was taken, lines up the sky in order to place a title there, therefore the photographer thought this out, before he took the picture he knew where everything would be placed on the cd cover. I also think it is really effective how the people in the photograph, although we have no idea what they look like and what their faces look like, we know they are staring into the camera lens and probably look quite happy, which makes the album seem more personal and makes the consumer feel more affected by the music, feeling like the album is a gift from the artist. This fits to the usual stereotype of indie, as alot of the albums and digipack cover looks quite personal and directed to the audience which makes the audience aware that it's all about being genuine and about the music, unlike other genres where the music is nothing but a pathway of fame and money and status, indie genre's are about raw talent and the music in general.

Title: The title is quite fun and quirky, the way it isn't in a straight simple font and the band’s name looks fun and exciting compared to the title of the song; it portrays the band as fun and quirky and advertises their music well. the title of the album is named ''This Modern Glitch'', i have researched what the word "glitch" could relate to in order to find out the bands intentions in naming the album. I found two results, one being ''a glitch is a short-lived fault in a system" which means that it could mean that something is wrong, maybe in life in general but this could be easily related to the cd cover design, how it appears like it is a average holiday friend photograph but something is wrong in the photograph, identities are missing and images replace faces. However the other fitted meaning i have found was that "glitch is a style of electronic music that emerged in the mid to late 1990s", on this research i found out that a glitch was an electronic effect used in music to make it seem unusal or dated, for example, the noise effect of the cd skipping or an electronic humming sound, distortion of sound or the effect of a vinyl record scratching.

A long shot is used to fit the scenery and the group of people in, head to toe but leaving enough space for titles and printing. The long shot also emphasises the extent of the anonymous message, because we’re not close enough to see or relate to the models on the photograph and although the cd is presented in a person manner, we are not close enough to the band to understand their intentions and it makes us feel slightly confused and unusual which links back to the meaning of indie music and the general codes and conventions of indie music, how everything is linked to being weird or unusual in an attempt to be different and to defy general patriarchy and stereotypes in society. In this photograph, only one girl is facing the wrong way which also makes the genre stand out, indie means being unique and different, so this cd cover almost highlights the content of indie music and it’s meanings.

Two Door Cinema Club

Image: The image itself on the cd cover is humorous yet mysterious; the photograph of the cat is funny because of the expression on his face, looking  shocked and scared, which also links in with the rest of the photograph, how the lighting looks mysterious and scary, the rest of the photograph is dark and chilling, and suddenly there is a huge, overwhelming bright light in the centre of the photograph shining onto the cat and used in a high angle shot to show power of whoever is looking down on the cat and portraying the cat as weak and helpless. the colours that are used are quite cold and depressing, using muted blues and whites, which gives quite an eery feeling to the image, somewhat ghostly. This does not match the band's music however, as their music is known for being upbeat and positive, which is why the c.d. cover relates to the indie genre, as indie music is known to be quirky, unusual or complex in emotions or just the beat and the rhythm, it tens to sway to the idea of being different and mixing up average songs in a way that makes the listener feel different also. 

Dark coloured cats tend to bring the idea of bad luck and a haunting feeling with them, which is why the image seems quite dark and intimidating, especially how the eyes look shocking and paranormal, staring into the lens, making the c.d. cover more personal, as it feels like the subject is staring at the consumer, linking to how the indie genre usually makes their music more personal to the heart and the listener. However even though the cat appears helpless, as he is lying on the floor in an intimidated and submissive position, his eyes are bright and radioactive showing threat directed to the camera lens and emphasizing the feeling of intimidation or defense, which may give the consumer and idea of what the music is about, being overwhelmed and helpless, maybe in the form of love songs and generally feeling alone.

Title: The title is positioned the way it is, and designed that way to look bold and exciting but also to fit the main features in, such as the cat’s eyes, ,maybe to get across to the consumer that the image on the cover is important and relative to the music and it shouldn't be dismissed, as it might be important to the concept of the music. In a lot of cases, indie music is about the music, so i doubt the album cover was made just for the sake of it, with no reason, it most probably relates to the music, It is situated there to highlight that the cat is watching us and that the picture is supernatural and radioactive. The title is in white to highlight the idea of purity, as white is usually a pure and angelic colour, portraying natural and raw feelings, which may be connoting that the genre is all about raw and pure music and the voices as well as the lyrics.

The album was named "tourist history" because of their hometown Bangor in Northern Ireland, because of their towns tourist reputation and how famous it is as a small town to visit. This reason alone makes the album very personal to the consumer, as it is a part of the bands lives put into a piece of their music, making the listener feel more connected with the band and yet again emphasizing the idea that indie music is very personal and natural, trying to involve their fans more than anything. because the title shows personal values, it makes us think that the image on the cover is also personal, maybe it is their own photograph they have had edited to put on their album cover, making their whole product personalized to their own loves and for their fans.

This is a very strange idea for a music cd cover but that shows that the indie genre is unique and different to other music genres, mainly because of its wacky and unusual ideas but also, you can notice that they don’t feature the band members faces or identity on the cd cover, this is because in this genre of music, it is often more about the music, unlike genre’s such as rnb and hip hop which has a stereotype for portraying the wrong impression on women and money and fame, highlighting that money is everything and that music is all about flaunting what you have, when it isn't at all.

The Vaccines

Image: The main image is quite quirky and creates a feeling of confusion, not only because of the unique shapes and colours in the image but also because of the image drawn on the cd cover, the face is missing and this is not at all what you'd expect from a album cover, which links in with the song title "what did you expect". Because the colours are contrasting, the eye is drawn towards the title and the band name which is important for advertisement and for buyers to identify the band straight away in the shops. One the first note, the impression of  the cover being quirky and different fits the genre of indie music, as their main aim is the to be different to the rest, as in this genre of music, individuality sells more than anything, as audiences and listeners like the be perceived as different. The cover does not have a set image that sets the scene for the album content; it confuses the consumer instead, as the cover does not have a meaning and is indeed quirky and different. the moustache in the image represents a posh, high class person with a sense of fashion that is possibly set years in the past, vintage infact, something highly related to the indie genre a77nd fashion, as well as the facial hair, the outfit is a high class also.

Title: The title is very smart and business-like which matches the picture, as the suit and moustache portrays a high class effect and makes the whole design appear posh and upper class because of the lifestyle displayed on the cd cover. It's placed in a way that it centers the consumers attention to the bands name so they instantly recognize the band and what genre of music it is.

Genre: This cd cover would not be instantly recognized as indie genre because of the unique design, it does not match the type of class or lifestyle that indie bands usually lead, in fact it defy's the stereotype which i guess is unique and could be classed as indie. Usually what we would expect from a band like this and generally from the indie genre is at least a photograph as the cover, a photo that looks dated but still contains an image of the band and their instruments or an image that is close to their hearts, something that represents music is usually expected however in this album cover, we cannot see any clue of what type of band it is nor does it have any relation to music or the indie genre. However because the name is famous and we instantly recognize this indie band, we can start to read the album cover and unfold the actual conventions that are represented on the cover itself.

Florence and The Machine

Image and Title: Florence is the unique selling point in this cd cover because she is the largest image in the frame, therefore her fans will straight away recognize her and know that this is the cd they were looking for. The image very much ties in with the title of the album "lungs". There are some lungs tied around her neck, maybe suggesting that she is losing her breathe or hanging on to life, this may be a underlying reference to romance or a partnership she has had with someone. Not only do the lung suggest that meaning, but also portray her as a bold and unique personality, as this design is not something you would see every day. 

She is also surrounded by flowers with suggests she is a very grounded person or very feminine and fragile, as well as her feelings. The blossom in the tree could also represent being fragile or even the idea of blossoming into a new person with a positive influence, especially seeing as Florence's songs are usually about love but in a a different approach, that typical love songs, she disguises her lyrics with interesting concepts and words, using nature as symbolism for her feelings, not only in her songs but also in the c.d. cover. 

The title is in bold and white which stands out and makes Florence appear to be loud and outgoing. Overall the album cover is very feminine and unique, Florence herself and the backdrop behind her are delicately designed; Florence looks beautiful and angelic because of her outfit, she is not wearing the typical female clothing but is wearing some sort of light floaty and pure white blouse, with some sort of chained effect leading from her shoulders to her elbow which connotes that maybe she is held back and tied up in the subject of love or is holding herself back from getting hurt,  it also makes her look heavenly and like an angel, as i mentioned before. 

The backdrop looks meaningful and spiritual because of the attention to detail and the mystery the background holds, it looks like some sort of secret entrance into a garden or even her heart, maybe referring to her song choices for this album and suggesting that her music in somewhat emotional, loving, deep and an expression of her life and emotions connected to romance. This gives away a lot about Florence and therefore makes the album appear more personal, almost letting her fans into her heart and into her deepest secrets.

Genre: The colours in this album cover are quite unique and quirky, the tones of them have been changed to create a quite indie feel, this portrays Florence as bold and different from others. and also emphasizes her sense of fashion, style and love for vintage, as the cover looks quite dated as well as stylish. Overall I think this cd cover matches the genre because of the unique design and the strive to be different, it's not like any other music cover and therefore focussing on the theme of indie. The way Florence dresses typically fits the indie fashion style.

Something it doesn't have that would fit to the typical conventions of the indie genre is an image of the whole band looking young, fun and musically inspired, or maybe with drink or standing around in a dated place, an old street, bedroom or warehouse. A lot of indie bands do this because they like to show fans that life is all about not caring and having fun but showing passion in the music at the same time, which is why a lot of album covers include guitars or other instruments, however Florence has gone for a more personal and feminine approach than the typical side, although she has included basic conventions such as faded and dated colours and indie clothing, you would not guess this was an indie genre.