Monday 7 July 2014

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.

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