Music Video analysis

Alt J- ‘Breezeblocks’

Goodwin’s points

•Music videos demonstrate genre characteristics (e.g. stage performance in metal video, dance routine for boy/girl band).

 •There is a relationship between lyrics and visuals (either illustrative, amplifying, contradicting).

 •There is a relationship between music and visuals (either illustrative, amplifying, contradicting).

 •The demands of the record label will include the need for lots of close ups of the artist and the artist may develop motifs which recur across their work (a visual style).

 •There is frequently reference to notion of looking (screens within screens, telescopes, etc) and particularly voyeuristic treatment of the female body.

 •There is often intertextual reference (to films, tv programmes, other music videos etc).

Alt-J is an Indie band from Cambridge. One of the first most noticeable things about the music video to the song ‘Breezeblocks’ is that it is very dark, contributing to the feeling of sadness it is trying to convey. Most the video is played backwards, adding to the sense of anger and creating a distorted feeling especially when the fight between the man and the woman is in full swing. The reversed playback of the video is also quite typical of the indie style, purely because it is something that is not often used in music videos. There are many links between the video and the lyrics: the first two lines of the song: ‘She may contain the urge to run away but hold her down with soggy clothes and breezeblocks’ almost prompts the image of the woman in the bath under a breeze block and just as it is technically the end of the video, sums much of its narrative and themes. Links continue throughout the song as visuals continue copy or reference the lyrics in different ways. The artists do not feature in the video, however, there are many uses of close ups to capture emotion in the actor and actresses faces, this intensifies the harsh and gloomy feel of the music video. There isn’t any immediate references or connotations of voyeurism, this may be because the song already has quite a clear narrative  and that indie music videos often tend to contradict conventions that are typically used in music videos. Alt- J aren’t massively famous at the moment, so it’s unlikely that they have made ( or at least I am not aware of) any particular references to movies, TV shows or other music videos. I think being that that band is not very well known and that they themselves are not even in the music video; I wouldn’t say that their record label is trying to sell the band through the music video but more trying to artistically convey the narrative of the song to it’s audience.

Green day- 21 Guns

The song 21 guns was written as a war protest There are many uses of stereotypical rock characteristics in this music video. Shots of the band members playing their instruments are used frequently. Jump cuts and hand held shots create a dramatic effect. The grey background and props and enclosed setting creates a gloomy atmosphere. Cuts and camera work becomes more erratic as the song the music quickens in pace and becomes louder. Frequent use of typical music video methods are used, such as, cutting on the beat. Bullets start to fly through the set at the drop of the song, further increasing the drama of the video. Relationships between the lyrics and the visuals are frequent, such as the at the first use of the lyrics “21 guns” bullets start to fly through the set, puncturing the props. Many close ups of both the actors and the musicians are taken, capturing emotion. There are a few very subtle voyeuristic references such as when the girl is captured in the mirror. An intertextual reference could be the movie ‘Transformers 2’ as it features two attractive young adults of whom appear to be on the run from the law. There is that and the fact that and the film itself features the song on several occasions.