To start of our research for a music video it makes sense to take a closer look at existing works, examining the key ways the video is assembled to promote the artist, genre or song. We can break down the development of a video into 4 key concepts, if you like, and look in depth at how they function.
Genre
Bloc party are labeled as an english rockband, sometimes refered to as 'indie' putting them in the same genre as the likes of Franz Ferdinand and The Killers. Certainly some similarity's can be drawn but I think if one was to look at them they would conclude that bloc party are not at all atypical of this genre, thus they make an interesting case study. Genre plays a huge part in all aspects of a video so while we analysed it separately from Representation, Narrative and Media language in class I would like to cross between the fields for my own analysis, which I will be able to explore more thoroughly.
Representation
Lets first look at what the bands appearance in this video says about them. We can see that they are all young men but they seem to be an odd assortment and don't appear to be the most likely of companions. They are casually dressed with no way to identify them as a band, they certainly don't appear to be rockstars.
To better define what one might expect representatively from a rock band take a look at these two press shots, one is modern Scottish rock/indie band Franz Ferdinand and the other is Bloc Party.
Franz Ferdinand have exactly the sort of band dress code I would expect of this genre, Smart clothes show that they are within the rock genre but their's nothing grungy about them, they are modern indie or "individual" rock artists of the 21st century. The tight fit, because they know they can pull it off, attracts the audience to their youthful looks and suggests virility. The black and grey make them seem edgier, moodier, and is certainly what you would expect to see, unlike the casual mish-mash of colour that is Bloc Party.
So why are Bloc Party and their PR not making the effort to make them more conventional to the genre, using a formula with proven success? Well it's easy to take four lithe caucasian men and cookie cutter them, but there's a real array of people in bloc party, spanning race and sexuality not commonly represented within this genre of music, I understand not all of that is suggested in the video (for example it is not evident at all that the lead singer is homosexual, this is just a widely know fact) however I felt all of this was worth touching on as it is something our group will have to consider when thinking about our own artist and representing her.
Back to the video, Bloc Party seem to be representing if anything an unsettled youth, young men longing for their place in the world, so perhaps they are in fact aiming to identify with their audience rather than becoming idols. They don't seem to be figures to aspire to be; they show a lack of confidence and idle frustration, and they seem to be drinking to improve the low mood. Alcohol is certainly associated with the rougher lifestyle a rock band might lead but I think it strikes sympathy with the audience more than anything else.
The setting is more representative of the genre, while the nightclub might not be relevant to their specific musical style it places that emphasis on the effects of music that would be vital for any musical artist. More so the lighting and mise-en-scene is dark and grungy representing typical music from their genre very well.
To better define what one might expect representatively from a rock band take a look at these two press shots, one is modern Scottish rock/indie band Franz Ferdinand and the other is Bloc Party.
Franz Ferdinand have exactly the sort of band dress code I would expect of this genre, Smart clothes show that they are within the rock genre but their's nothing grungy about them, they are modern indie or "individual" rock artists of the 21st century. The tight fit, because they know they can pull it off, attracts the audience to their youthful looks and suggests virility. The black and grey make them seem edgier, moodier, and is certainly what you would expect to see, unlike the casual mish-mash of colour that is Bloc Party.So why are Bloc Party and their PR not making the effort to make them more conventional to the genre, using a formula with proven success? Well it's easy to take four lithe caucasian men and cookie cutter them, but there's a real array of people in bloc party, spanning race and sexuality not commonly represented within this genre of music, I understand not all of that is suggested in the video (for example it is not evident at all that the lead singer is homosexual, this is just a widely know fact) however I felt all of this was worth touching on as it is something our group will have to consider when thinking about our own artist and representing her.
Back to the video, Bloc Party seem to be representing if anything an unsettled youth, young men longing for their place in the world, so perhaps they are in fact aiming to identify with their audience rather than becoming idols. They don't seem to be figures to aspire to be; they show a lack of confidence and idle frustration, and they seem to be drinking to improve the low mood. Alcohol is certainly associated with the rougher lifestyle a rock band might lead but I think it strikes sympathy with the audience more than anything else.
The setting is more representative of the genre, while the nightclub might not be relevant to their specific musical style it places that emphasis on the effects of music that would be vital for any musical artist. More so the lighting and mise-en-scene is dark and grungy representing typical music from their genre very well.
Narrative
The narrative of this video would be described as linear. The whole thing is one short episode going forward in time conventionally. Disruption is subtly introduced through use of special effects as the lead singer, who is both a participant in this video along with the narrator, starts off looking thoroughly disheartened but then continues to think about feeling empowered and shows a strong emotional reaction. This power is potentially from drink or other substances however the viewer is encouraged to feel the music is both giving him the confidence and representative of it as it builds along with his feelings. Equilibrium returns as he returns to his previous mental state and in the video that is shown by his position in the room, back to those familiar worn red sofas.
It is interesting to note that the lead singer is both Participant and Narrator and to top it off he also observes other members of the band. I feel that this video is Illustrative of the song, just take a look at a selection of the lyrics:
Tonight make me unstoppable
And I will charm I will slice I will dazzle
I will outshine them all
Standing on the packed dance floor
Our bodies throb in time
Silent on the weekdays
Tonight I claim what s mine
Is it so wrong to crave recognition?
2nd best runner up
Is it so wrong to want rewarding?
To want more, than is given to you
Media Language
Again this video is not entirely true to it's genre, one of the most obvious things I noticed straight away was that the cuts are surprisingly slow, whereas you would expect quick cuts within a rock song. However this slow cutting certainly helps illustrate the story and the characters mental state. The special effects go much deeper into revealing the characters mentality.
Starting off barely noticeable, chaotic patters and bursts of a disorientated and dis-allusional reality begin to appear.
This might suggest the use of psychotropic drugs which would certainly tie in with the commonly held view on "sex, drugs, and rock and roll" and would go further to solidify their place within the genre. However I think these effects are more about representing the artists headspace and emotional state. The way clips change as if someone took a match to them, holes getting burnt into the footage show that the lead is admitting his frustration at his life and throwing away his usual placid demeanour.
Starting off barely noticeable, chaotic patters and bursts of a disorientated and dis-allusional reality begin to appear.
This might suggest the use of psychotropic drugs which would certainly tie in with the commonly held view on "sex, drugs, and rock and roll" and would go further to solidify their place within the genre. However I think these effects are more about representing the artists headspace and emotional state. The way clips change as if someone took a match to them, holes getting burnt into the footage show that the lead is admitting his frustration at his life and throwing away his usual placid demeanour.
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