Representation
- How are the band/artist represented?
In this video, the artist is shown to be alone but constantly followed by a large group of people who appear to be cheering him on. I believe this representation adds to his meta-narrative, as in the video he goes from being homeless to being a superhero in less than two minutes. Also, the increasing amount of people cheering him on also connotes to his quick rise to fame as an artist. In real life, the artist has frequently spoken about how he finds his quick rate of success a strange experience, and clearly he wanted to convey that strongly in this video. The climax of the video also contributes towards his writing influence, which is being let down by others and feeling hard done by. Throughout the video he almost fights through the crowd of people in order to get to his final destination, where he is eventually let down by a display of clever editing of the billboards in Piccadilly Circus reading ‘I don’t love you anymore.’
2.) Girls - 'Hellhole Ratrace' (Brown, 2009)
Media Language
What is the ‘message’ or purpose of this video?
The purpose of this video is not only to reinforce Girls’ image as a fairly social band, but also to back up their meta-narrative of being honest and simple in their method of song writing. This main aspect of the band is upheld by the simple music video, which consists of the band socialising at a party, and also staying out until the early hours of the morning. Despite the cutting rate of the video being very slow, the clip is captivating as the music and the imagery are very coherent e.g. the sunrise on the San Francisco hills is complemented by reverberant guitars, and the lyrics, which are about wanting to make the most of life, are visualised by the scenes of the band with their group of friends.
What visual techniques are used to do this and why?
The most prominent visual feature of this video is the use of slow motion shots. These, along with the use of pull-focus, give the video a dreamy effect, again reinforcing the music’s ambience. Aside from this, the things which happen in the video are all un-staged and there are no high-budget special effects used, again showing an honesty about the band.
3.) Bon Iver – ‘Holocene’ directed by Nabil
Institution and audience
How might this video be consumed?
This video was premiered on the National Geographic website, and has been released on Youtube and Vimeo. It is a focussed viewing, as it requires consumers to search for it rather than it being openly advertised e.g. music video channels and T.V. advertisements.
Institutional context of this video
In the case of this video, the record label did not get involved with the creative direction, and the artist worked with Australian director, Nabil Elderkin, who was given complete creative control and chose to shoot the clip in Iceland.
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