Textual Analysis: Guns N' Roses - "Paradise City"

Camera

The opening shot is a handheld shot that pans across the empty stadium the band are due to play in - essentially acting as an establishing shot for the video. This allows the audience an insight into the magnitude of the stadium and allows the camera to convey the gargantuan nature of the arena to the audience. Similar to the "Sweet Child O' Mine" video, the video documents the band setting up through the use of a handheld shot to give the video a 'rough around the edges' look and also to give the audience a sense of involvement - almost allowing them to feel as if they are one of the crew and are there with the band. Mid shots are used frequently to capture individual members of the band and reveal some of the environment they find themselves surrounded in - usually scaffolding which shows just how much work goes into the preparation of the bands shows, which connotes hard work and dedication. Long shots are also used, again, to convey to the camera the magnitude of the gig and just how big of a performance that gig was, this gives the audience a barometer of the bands success. This is also done by using close ups before zooming out (almost like a dolly zoom) to quickly reveal the size of the arena in behind the band performing sound checks. This connotes how hard working the band are - the fact that they are remaining energetic and animated even throughout the duration of their sound checks which sends a message to the audience as to exactly how diligent the band are and also how focused they are on making music. In addition to this, it is not rare to see the band presented through the use of a mid shot/long shot to capture them all together sharing the confines of the frame - this connotes that there is great camaraderie and mutual understanding between all the band members and represents them as having a sense of togetherness. More iconic members of the band (Slash and Axl Rose) are frequently subject to tracking shots to connote importance as if to say to the audience that we should in fact be watching these members' every move. The main theme in this video is to give the fans an insight into what it is like to be in the band and also the crew, which is why handheld shots are used to retain verisimilitude/realism within the video and whip pans (again) have been used quite often to quickly shift attention and ensure the video remains exciting. Fundamentally, the video is perpetually creating eyeline matches with what either the crew or the band members themselves would see. Throughout, a series of low angle shots are used to enhance the gargantuan nature of the stadium in which they are playing and also connotes significance and great importance of the band member being filmed.

Mise en Scene

As with "Sweet Child O' Mine", the band wear very 80's metal style of fashion to adhere to the conventions of the subculture. This includes many leather items with buckles, but more iconic members of the band e.g. Slash and Axl feature many of their signature attire that are essentially indices of their presence. For example, Slash still wears his signature top hat and sports a mop of frizzy hair, whilst Axl maintains his skinny fitting clothes and sailors hat - this gratifies the audience as they are seeing what they want to see, they are seeing all the individual elements of the Mise en Scene that make up the band as a cohesive whole. Again, Gibson Les Paul guitars are another feature of the video that are seen as an index for Slash, something that immediately alerts the audience of his presence - just like smoke signifies fire or a footprint. Sunglasses are also a trademark feature for almost any rock band and Guns N' Roses are no different and they maintain a hard rock look - almost holding a mirror up to their fans and the way in which they dress - this finds favour with the band's target demographic as they belong to a subculture and they must reciprocate the interests and tastes of the fans. Throughout the video, the band take up the majority of the confines of the frame when taking into account the rule of thirds, this connotes that these members of the band in particular are of great importance.

Editing

Many cuts are used throughout the video and this is mainly due to the fact that binary oppositions are created by contrasting footage of the band rehearsing (doing sound checks) and performing live. There is also a monochrome effect used although this is used less towards the middle of the video (when the heavy guitar riff starts) and colour is used to make the video more vibrant - creating synergy between the audio and the visuals on screen. This fast paced style of editing is employed to keep up with the frenetic pace of the song, again, creating that all important relationship between the audio and the visuals in order to allow the audience to enjoy the text and decode it without trying - making for easy viewing. It was also important to ensure that the correct footage was used over the music, for example, it was vital that they created a lip syncing effect coupling the live gig footage with the correct part of the song so that the visuals matched the audio - one example of this is at 02:00 when Axl sings the pre-chorus lyrics. The monochrome effect is used to distinguish the band's lives on stage and off the stage: whenever they appear to be joking around in hotels or famous cities it is documented through the use of a monochrome/black and white effect added in post production, however, whenever the band are on stage they are presented through a more vibrant use of colour - this then creates another binary opposition.

Sound

Unlike in "Sweet Child O' Mine", there is no other use of sound apart from the soundtrack itself which was recorded and then released in 1988 (US) and 1989 (UK), but as I mentioned previously, there is a distinct relationship between the music and the visuals that appear on screen an this is maintained throughout the video to retain synergy and continuity within the video in order to make for easy viewing for the audience who will be subconsciously decoding the text and giving it meaning themselves.

Textual Analysis: Ugly Kid Joe - "Cats In The Cradle"

Camera

Many high angle shots have been used to represent the young boy in the narrative to make him look somewhat more diminutive, vulnerable, insignificant, weak and inferior. This is definitely something I will look to incorporate in my own work should I choose to use the theme of children in my narrative, as it only exaggerates how they can be presented as isolated and this will give me the subject of binary oppositions to talk about in my evaluation. When the vocalist features, he is centralized within the frame and funnily enough does not receive as much screen time as the characters in the actual diegesis of the video, which connotes that the band are proponents of minimalism and would rather allow the narrative of the song to be continuous than use up all of the screen time themselves. However, when filming the man bearing a pigs mask, the camera represents him through the use of a low angle shot to connote superiority, and also make the figure look more formidable. Also, long shots are used to show the difference in stature between the boy and his father to elicit a sense of empathy and compassion from the audience, and with the way the lighting has been adapted it presents the characters as mere silhouettes which creates an element of iconography within the video - an image that will stick with the audience and remain in their mind until they spot similar references of intertextuality in other texts. At one point, a canted angle is even used to connote that the scene is a memory or that maybe even that the audience are viewing something they should not be looking at, whilst also making the audience themselves feel isolated to help them empathize with the protagonist in the narrative/diegesis.


Mise en Scene

Throughout the video there is low-key lighting used, which is interesting considering the theme of the song and in fact the diegesis is about the relationship between a a young boy and his father, which creates a binary opposition between youth which we normally see as carefree and enjoyable and the dark lighting which casts far more negative connotations about the general feel of the video. This low-key lighting works well in conjunction with the clothes worn by the band - the vocalist in particular sports a very dark shirt as this goes hand in hand with their identity as a rock band and as a subculture, this is a binary opposition to the characters in the diegesis such as the child who wears slightly more vibrant colours that are made out as ostensibly dull by the low-key lighting. This lighting is more apparent when the vocalist features on screen, he is given slightly less time on screen than the characters in the narrative which goes someway to connoting that the band are more focused on the narrative of the song and making music than 'showboating' in the video, which is a performance/narrative video. In terms of the chiaroscuro elements of the video, it is shaded quite darkly when referring to the narrative, this in turn gives the impression of a distant memory or nostalgia and gives an incredibly psychedelic effect, however, this is slightly more to do with editing but can be made applicable to the mise en scene. In addition to the notion that the band want to exhibit the narrative rather than take up all of the camera time themselves, the vocalist is at times (notably at 01:44) obscured by branches of a tree/plant, which goes even further in showing that the band are trying to avoid allocating themselves all the screen time which is done to signal that they are not interested in taking all the 'glory' in terms of the video and they merely want to focus on producing music, which will earn them fundamentally respect from fans and other artists alike.

Editing

A blurry and almost 'watery' effect has been added to the video in post production to give the effect that the footage is a distant memory in the recesses of the protagonists' mind, and also connotes nostalgia successfully through this editing technique. There is also an obvious use of inter-cutting between the vocalist narrating the diegesis and the narrative itself within the text to ensure that the narrative develops and unfolds quickly so that the audience do not become bored by the video which may otherwise seem mundane. Slow motion has been employed at times to give a more dramatic effect to the footage, whilst in the editing process it has been maintained that there should be a synchronous relationship between the audio and the visuals, this is why when cuts are made to different parts of the narrative corresponding to what is being sung (e.g. 01:08 when the vocalist sings "could you teach me to throw?" footage of the boy playing with a ball and then throwing the ball follows, maintaining a good relationship between the audio and the visuals corresponding to the lyrics). A dip/fade to black is used at 01:39 to connote the end of one part of the narrative and the beginning of a new and also this happens to be when the chorus ends - again, maintaining this good relationship between the narrative, visuals and audio.

Sound

In terms of sound, as I have previously mentioned, there is a distinct relationship between the audio and the visuals, but other than this, no sound effects or non-diegetic sound is used and it is merely the original "Cats in the Cradle" soundtrack that was released in 1992 that gave the band exponential growth in popularity and great commercial success.

Textual Analysis: Guns N' Roses - "Sweet Child O' Mine"

Camera

The camera uses a series of different angles and shots to add different connotations and meaning to the video - which is a promo video and so promoting and marketing the band is in the director's best interest. The opening shot is a handheld shot of a huge piece of cloth or curtain featuring the band's logo, this immediately captivates the audience and uses semiotics to engage them and inform them that it is a Guns N' Roses song. In addition to this, the use of a handheld shot elicits a sense of viewer involvement allowing the audience to really engage in the text and feel as if they are there themselves. It also gives quite a minimalist approach to filming making a statement/point that the band are fully focused on the production of music rather than lavish, pristine music videos. The next shot is a mid shot of lead guitarist Slash - this establishes a good relationship between the audio and visuals as at this point the iconic opening guitar riff is the only diegetic sound to feature. It then quickly intercuts a number of mid shots of other members of the band as well as the band's crew members. This shows the band members who are not yet active in between shots of Slash which creates a sense of ambiguity. Following this, as the vocals begin, lead singer Axl Rose suddenly receives more screen time and features more in the video to maintain this relationship with the visuals and audio to allow the audience to decode the text more easily. In addition to this, to continue the ''rough around the edges' minimalist approach the director has employed the use of a whip pan - this again gives the audience a sense of involvement as if they are actually there but it also shifts attention quickly, ensuring that the director controls the audience and they focus on exactly what he wants them to see. Notably, the camera quickly whip pans from lead guitarist Izzy Stradlin to drummer Steven Adler - this connotes that despite the fact the band must be presented each individually, the director still wants to balance screen time and represent the band as a cohesive whole. It is also noticeable that at times (notably Izzy Stradlin) makes a direct address with the camera breaking the fourth wall - this denotes that the band want to address their audience directly and involve them in their success, this breaking the fourth wall is an attempt to break the wall between the lavish lives the band members live and the normal day-to-day lives that their fans live, making the fans feel as if they are in the band and 'one of them'. At some junctures in the video, the band are represented through the use of a two shot incorporating two or more band members - the director does this to show camaraderie between the band members and present them as a cohesive whole after showing the constituents of the band individually. Long shots are also used at times to give a further insight into the location they are playing: a rehearsal hall - this shows off their dedication for practicing and making music in order to provide the best performance possible for the fans, and this is exactly why long shots have been deployed at sporadic intervals. With regards to the rule of thirds, the more iconic figures in the band such as Axl Rose and Slash receive lots of screen time and also take up a large portion of the screen and are almost centralized every time they appear on screen. Also, the use of a handheld shot is repeated throughout the video in order to connote this minimalist approach, and nearly none of the shots featured in the final edit are stabilized through the use of a tripod or camera dolly. The lead singer often receives the most screen time during the chorus in order to, again, maintain this all important relationship between the audio and the visuals.

Mise en Scene

Many of the visual themes in the video (the Mise en Scene) are deployed for obvious reasons: for example, the band all wear tight fitting leather trousers and dark colours to fulfil their 'metal' look and market themselves as a brand identity and a subculture. Iconography is also used in the video - Slash himself is an icon, whilst all of the indices that make up his appearance (top hat, Gibson Les Paul guitar, frizzy hair etc.) are given exposure to present Slash as an icon - he is instantly recognisable. In order to further elaborate on their minimalist approach to producing music, they are filmed in a rehearsal hall to manifest a dedication and genuine passion for music as they know that this will resonate to critics and fans alike.

Editing

The video features a lot of inter cutting at a very fast pace in order to keep up with the music, and also keep audiences interested. There is also a use of a time lapse - this is clearly a post production technique and it has been specifically employed to denote the length of time the band spend setting up for rehearsal - again manifesting their devotion and passion for making music, as it is used specifically to show equipment being set up. Another very interesting feature that has been used post production is the use of a monochrome effect - this also contributes to the band's belief of minimalism as it has been used in their work before in videos such as "Paradise City" and so this is clearly a theme they want to continue to use to make themselves noticeable, almost carving out an identity by making use of such conventions by which they can be noticed. It seems that assemble editing has been used - the band have been given creative freedom to some extent to almost 'do what they want'. The director has obviously told the band what to do (perform the song) but in terms of footage it has been collected randomly and put together in a specific order in the post production process. Although, the video has probably been subjected to the process of linear editing, as the director must have had a predetermined order in which he wanted the video to be arranged.

Sound

During the beginning of the video, the light sound of talking among the band's crew is heard, before plugs and electrical equipment being inserted into sockets is heard. This, again, gives the viewer a sense of involvement allowing them to feel as if they are there with the artist. It also gives the video a sense of verisimilitude. In addition to this, just before Slash starts the guitar riff three 'beeps' are heard from what sounds like a metronome to signal to Slash to start the guitar riff. Again, this makes the audience feel like they are there at rehearsals with the band members themselves and also allows for greater verisimilitude and realism in the video. Apart from this diegetic sound, it is merely the original recording of "Sweet Child O' Mine" that plays in conjunction with the visuals in a performance video.

Textual Analysis: Oasis - "Supersonic"

Camera
As it has become increasingly apparent, each band member receives some degree of screen time, however, the amount of screen time they receive and through what camera techniques differ greatly. For example, during the opening stages of the video frontman Liam Gallagher is represented through the use of an extreme close up, and is central to the frame. On the other hand, the drummer is presented through a loose frame and the lead guitarists and bass player are represented through a mid shot. This connoted that (as has been a commonality amongst the analysed texts) the frontman/vocalist is of the most importance when it comes to marketing the video. Despite this, long shots are used sporadically to make the band look more of an alliance, standing with the frontman at the front, drummer at the back and the two guitarists/bassist just behind the frontman - the archetypical formation of a band, causing them to look powerful but organised. Much of the filming is done with a handheld grip - this gives the viewer a sense of involvement and brings them closer to the action, creating a sense of empathy between artist and consumer. Some of the handheld shots create a sense of verisimilitude for the viewer, which subverts the dissolve techniques used in the editing of the video which makes for an interesting video, as there is not only realism but also a distortion of reality.

Mise en Scene
The band are stationed on a rooftop, which is incredibly windy which adds to the choppy nature of the song which features hard rock guitars with striking riffs. Although the band sport mod clothing, it is often difficult to decipher the colour of the clothing as the majority of the video is in black and white, however it is clear that they are wearing mod shirts and frontman Liam Gallagher wears sunglasses with a retro jacket, this fashion has to be relevant and appeal to the right demographic.

Editing
Many cuts are used again, sometimes cutting to clips of trains to connote the bands power and dominance in the music industry and also staying relevant to the narrative of the song: "She's into Alka Seltzer, She sniffs it through a cane on a supersonic train". This is why the cuts are made in reference to the train as a quick flash of an image that is reinforced by the lyrics is likely to stay in the viewers mind. The fluctuation between black and white and colour makes the video incredibly interesting as it suprises the viewer, who never knows whats coming next, this in conjunction with some of the dissolve techniques that are used are aesthetically pleasing to the audience and create a sense of mystery. Cuts are also made to concord planes, as 'supersonic' denotes a speed that is greater than the speed of sound, which is why the director has chosen to include fast modes of transport such as trains and planes - this informs the viewer of the narrative and they are passive recipients to the narrative merely from hearing the song in conjunction with watching the video.

Sound
The soundtrack is merely the recorded single "Supersonic" written by Noel Gallagher and performed by Oasis, no sound effects where used during the production process.

Textual Analysis: Blur - "Parklife"

Camera
The camera represents frontman Damon Albarn and cameo appearance from Phil Daniels through a low angle shot to emphasise the importance of the two protagonists. An ECU is used on Daniels' tie to show the audience that the two men are dressed up in suits as salesmen, before a POV shot is used in conjunction with a high angle when looking at the door. This connotes that Daniels and Albarn are of importance and suggests to the viewer that they are the protagonists and significant in the video. A two shot is then used from the point of view of the customer to denote that Daniels and Albarn are acquaintances, this informs the consumer that they are the subject of the video. The camera often zooms into either Daniels or Albarn to again reinforce their importance to the narrative and extend the time that they are on screen. Many ECUs are also used on Albarn as he is of great significance to the band as the frontman. Throughout the chorus, a series of cuts are used to create a build up of suspense and keep the pace of the video fast to create excitement. A mid shot is used to show the band together during the chorus of the song. At times, a series of mid shots, close ups and extreme close ups are used to show Albarn dancing to keep the video interesting.

Mise en Scene
As previously mentioned, during the verse of the song the two protagonists are dressed sharply in suits as salesmen, however during the chorus, Albarn and the rest of the band sport casual clothes to give a binary opposition to what they wear during the versus, when portraying the narrative to the audience.

Editing
A series of cuts are used to quickly to keep up with the upbeat music, apart from this there are no other particularly striking editing techniques used apart from jump cuts, which are used to give extra detail about a particular scene, before reverting back to the original angle, for example, when Daniels shouts at someone on the pavement, a jump cut is used to get the reaction of the civilian before reverting back to the original camera angle inside the car. Jump cuts are used to give more information about a certain scenario, to gain another reaction or facial expression.

Sound
The soundtrack is the recording of "Parklife" written by Blur and performed by Blur and Phil Daniels.

Textual Analysis: Blur - "Song 2"

Camera
The video starts with a loose frame which makes the drummer look isolated, as the drums are the only instrument playing at the beginning of the song, this creates ambiguity as to where the rest of the band are - keeping the audience interested. It then shows the guitarist on his own in a loose frame on his own, then a close up of front man Damon Albarn before using a mid shot introducing all of the band together as a whole. The gradual introduction of each band member creates a suspense that keeps the audience guessing. Mid shots are used often in this video as it is a performance video, which documents the band performing the song, although not live. Occasionally, extreme close ups are used to focus mainly on the front man to convey his importance to the audience, who are traditionally most interested in the lead vocalist. The camera also uses an incredibly fast zoom to zoom into certain aspects of the shot, whilst occasionally a whip pan is used in order to suprise the audience.

Mise en Scene
The band perform in a rather obscure environment, decorated by wallpaper that has clearly been influenced a paisley 1960's design. This, like with many other bands, gives an 'indie' style to their video as it is a retro design sported by other successful bands such as The Beatles and The Who. The band themselves wear very casual clothes such as plain t shirts and dark wash jeans. This is worn as these styles were at the height of fashion during the 90's 'BritPop' era and therefore this sense of fashion would have appealed greatly to a young demographic at the time.

Editing
Cutaway shots are used to cut away from the original shot and show another aspect of the musician, for example, in the opening the drummer is playing the drums, and the camera cuts to a close up of his foot pounding the bass drum.  This is used to provide the audience with more information about that particular shot, allowing them to see the mechanics behind the process of playing the song giving them a detailed insight. Continuity editing is used throughout the video, unlike some other videos in which parallel editing is used, this video provides a chronological account of the performance of the song, this continuity is favorable to some people, who don't like jumpy videos. It is suprising that the director has chosen to include continuity in the video, as the song is incredibly fast and aggressive. The different shots are seperated by standard cuts, which allow the audience to see each band member individually, although the frontman is given the most exposure, which is a commonality in music videos.

Sound
The soundtrack used is the original recording of Blur's "Song 2" written by Blur, though the audio has been specifically adapted to match the visuals perfectly, as the visuals are also fast and aggressive.

Textual Analysis: The Kooks - "She Moves In Her Own Way"

Camera
Close ups are used to help familiarise the audience with the band members and give them a sense of identity, it also allows the audience to see facial expressions in detail. The close ups are mainly used on the lead singer to convey his importance to the group. Each member of the band receives screen time, however the frontman (Luke Pritchard) receives the most screen time and is centralised, the director has clearly taken the rule of thirds into account and decided to give the singer the most exposure. The camera often zooms into certain members of the band to reinforce significance, such as the lead singer/songwriter of the band. This connotes importance. There is a mixture of two shots/long shots/close ups that film each member of the band individually and again as a whole, this is two give each member an identity but also to reinforce the band's importance as an alliance. A low angle is sometimes used to connote importance and inform the audience of the band's status in the music industry and also outline how important the songwriter is in the band's progress.

Mise en Scene
The band are all wearing 'indie' attire such as mod shirts and skinny jeans, also known as 'drainpipes'. This fashion allows them to build a band identity that makes them recognisable to their fans and remembered by people. The style is designed specifically to link into their music, they are an indie band and follow this up with the clothes they choose to wear in their videos, it allows them to attract fans with similar interests and they have targeted a specific demographic by choosing this attire. High key lighting is used a lot of the time to give an upbeat dimension to the band's music and render their audience with a means of catharsis. Many of the video was shot in LA, which will attract a lot of attention as this is a very popular location and will allow the band to market the single efficiently, which is effectively what the music video is designed to do.

Editing
At the beginning of the video, the tour bus is tracked, which connotes importance and informs the viewer that those inside the tour bus are significant and that they should be followed. A series of cuts are used throughout the video, although they are quick to keep up with the tempo of the song, and also to keep the viewer interested. Jump cuts allow the band to be presented in a number of different environments in a very short space of time, which makes the video interesting and keeps the audience on edge.

Sound
The soundtrack used is the original recording of "She Moves In Her Own Way" written by The Kooks. The soundtrack has been adapted to match the visuals.

Textual Analysis: Arctic Monkeys - "When The Sun Goes Down"

Camera
The video starts with a combination of a close-up and a soft focus, blurring the background so that the subject is visibly clear. It is snowing, and the camera captures the girl (a prostitute) staring pitifully into the camera, whilst her surroundings make her look isolated. A mid shot follows this which shows her at the top of a block of flats in a deprived area, this follows the narrative of the song, which describes an area in the suburb of Sheffield which is renowned for prostitution activity. Two shots are used to represent the girl and the men who exploit her together, which informs the audience that they are the girl's clients and therefore manifesting a clear affiliation between the two parties. This ensures that the audience can comprehend the narrative. At one point, a loose frame is used to show that the girl is isolated and vulnerable. With regards to the rule of thirds, the girl is centralized the majority of the time. The use of a two shot also allows the director to manifest the difference in size between the girl and the antagonist, it allows the audience to see a clear binary opposition between the girls more diminutive figure and the man's slightly taller build. This technique has been employed to show a clear contrast. Extreme close-ups are used throughout to represent the mix of vacancy and pity in the girls expression, which causes the audience to sympathize with the girl.

Mise en Scene
The girl is sporting a parka on top of a bland grey hoodie, with less than impressive tracksuit bottoms and trainers. This attire subverts the natural stereotype of a prostitute, however, it connotes that the woman's less-than-lavish appearance is because she is struggling financially, which helps the director build meaning and help make the video as relative to the narrative in the song as possible. The song's antagonist (referred to as a 'Scummy Man') is wearing a long trench coat, which connotes that he is ostensible and has something to hide. At one point he wears a black shirt, a colour connoting evil and uncertainty, which further justifies the director's decision to use these colours in the video.

Editing
A series of standard cuts are used throughout to keep up with the pace of the music and maintain audience interest, as seen in their video "Brianstorm". Jump cuts are also used to disorientate the viewer and also convey how disorientated the character is. At times, parallel editing is used to create a sense of foreboding and an anxiety in the viewer, which causes them to become engrossed in the video as they want to see how the narrative culminates. The director has refrained from using tracking shots, as this would connote that the woman is of importance. The omission of a tracking shot suggests that the girl has been left behind by society and she walks unnoticed, which is relative and plays into the hands of the narrative.

Sound
The sound is the single "When The Sun Goes Down" by Arctic Monkeys with no added effects to adapt it to the video. There is no need for the vocals to be synced, however there is continuity that is maintained between the soundtrack and editing/camera work to keep the viewer interested.

Textual Analysis: Ed Sheeran - "A Team"

Camera
The promo opens with a few extreme close ups on the song's protagonist to capture facial expressions. After a soft focus, it cuts to a mid shot of the protagonist (a young female prostitute) lying asleep on a bench, this emphasises the fact that she is isolated and lays down the foundation of the narrative for the audience. A soft focus is then used to blur the background and focus on the girl, this reinforces her importance to the narrative. After this, the busy London night life is shown to progress at incredible pace, whilst the girl remains in the same position with the frenetic traffic/pedestrians scurrying past her. This connotes that she has been ostracized by society. The girl is then shown applying her make up through an extreme close up, suggesting that she has two identities: one in which she is pure and innocent, and one which suggests she is hiding behind a mask and doing what she has to to earn a living and survive. Quite often, the girl is represented through the use of a high angle shot, which connotes that she is inferior.

Mise en Scene
During the opening scenes, the girl is dressed in clothes that are anything but exorbitant, and as the video progresses, she is shown to be more scantily clad. The entire video is represented through black and white to outline the simplicity of the matter, and evoke a sense of depression from the audience. Throughout the video the lighting is always dark, to highlight how extreme the issue actually is. The lighting creates a sense of foreboding right from the beginning of the feature. The video is set in the busy streets of London, the crowds of people not only add a sense of verisimilitude to the feature but also deprive the girl an identity which plays into the hands of the narrative.

Editing
A soft focus is employed in the video to shift importance and emphasise significant elements of the narrative. This is noticable when the protagonist is waiting at the bus stop, she is blurred and the background is visibly clear, however, the focus shifts and the background becomes more blurry until difficult to decipher, until all the emphasis is placed on the young girl, who is on her own and this adds connotations of vulnerability. At the beginning of the feature, a tracking shot is used to highlight the fact that the girl is the song's protagonist and she is the subject of the narrative. The vocals often dictate what happens in the narrative of the video, which is why standard cuts are used to jump to different obstacles/scenario the girl faces in daily life. Cuts and jump cuts constitute the majority of the video as it is an efficient way of including all the relative information in the song, which makes up the bulk of the narrative in the case of most music videos. Also, a monochrome effect has been applied as a post production technique which is somewhat of a commonality for more indie videos and is certainly something I will take into account to possibly incorporate into my own work.

Sound
The sound features the pre-recorded single "A Team" written and performed by Ed Sheeran, no post production sound effects are added to the video.

Textual Analysis: Arctic Monkeys - "Brianstorm"

This video qualifies as a 'performance video' - it documents the band playing the song surrounded by exotic dancers and fast flashing lights. The video was directed by Huse Monfaradi in 2007.

Camera
The camera uses a series of fast paced cuts that keep in time to the frenetic speed of the music . The video opens with a long shot, which includes all members of the band within the camera frame, although they are silhouettes which creates ambiguity - the environment they are in is also obscured. A POV shot is used from the drummers perspective during the opening scenes, to emphasize the importance of the beat, as the song is played at an incredibly fast pace. There are also some over-the-shoulder shots used that are angled behind the drummer, presumably to allow the camera to see the rest of the band in front of the drummer and render the audience with a sense of involvement. Two shots are often use to include more than one member of the band and connote that they are an important unit. Frontman Alex Turner is often represented through a low angle shot which gives connotations of superiority.

Mise en Scene
The band all wear relatively dark clothing with navy and black being the primary colours worn by the band, this connotes that the song bears a dark and mischievous meaning. The band, although most noticably frontman Alex Turner, sport retro 'mod' attire such as Chelsea boots and Harrington jackets with skinny jeans. This sense of fashion gives the band an identity that their fans are familiar with and can relate to, giving them a sense of identity too which allows them to empathise. The band often sport retro 1960's clothing to come across as 'indie', this style of fashion encapsulates their sound and makes them recognisable.

Sound
The soundtrack features the original product written by the Arctic Monkeys, with no additional sound effects to supplement the music video. The music is perfectly in sync with the visuals.


Editing
The video features an array of intercuts which include exotic female dancers performing in front of a computerized display. There is also an array of intercuts which show a man, whom the audience postulate is the song's protagonist, in a rather lavish jacuzzi interacting with attractive women. To further accentuate the speed of the song, a series of whip-pans are used throughout the middle of the song to disorientate the audience. The whip pan spreads between the dancers, who are made more visible by the computerised display behind them. The director has also chosen not to adhere to the 180 degree rule - it has been documented that the omission of the 180 degree rule often results in the audience being disorientated. The video manifests a clear lack of continuity, however, this is all relevant as the song is played at a fast frenetic pace and the director has recognised this and feels that this lack of continuity could actually work well.