Analysis Of Music Videos #3

The third and final video I will be analysing is Fearless Vampire Killers' "Bow Ties On Dead Guys" as it fits in with the Hard Rock genre. I am analysing this video because it fits in with the genre of the song I have chosen to do for my video. To analyse the video I will be using CMINTS which stands for:
C - Costume
M - Mise-en-scene
I - Iconography
N - Narrative
T - Themes
S - Sound

Costume

The costume in the video fits in with the genre of hard rock because the outfits they are wearing are mostly black and only a few members of the band are wearing different colours such as white, but the white is under the black. The vocalist has an "emo" haircut with one side of his head shaved and dyed jet black with a red streak from left to right. Three of the other members have darker hair and one of them has a brighter hair colour but it's not too bright to go against the conventions of the genre.

Mise-en-scene

Mise-en-scene includes all parts of CLAMPS which stands for; Character, Lighting, Actors, Make-up, Props and Setting.

Character

The characters in this video are the band itself, some strange masked figures and a guy with a gun. The characters have been chosen for this video because they fit the title of the song. The masked figures may signify dead guys, however they aren't wearing bow ties, the only people in the video that are wearing bow ties are the lead vocalist and lead guitarist.

Lighting

The lighting in this video is low key to represent the tone of the song. It sets the scene for a darker appearance for the band itself. It is effective in the storyline of this video because it shows how the members of the band are fighting for their lives in the sense of that the masked figures are wanting them dead. In the performance parts of the video, the lighting is brighter to say that the band is prepared for a fight.

Actors

The actors in this video are the band itself, five other people on a balcony and five people who are out to kill the band. Instead of the band being only in the performance, they have chosen to take part in the storyline as they can tell it better as they know what the song is about. In one part of the video, the lead singer, Kier is laid on the floor but sat up a little bit, with one of the other characters bending over him in his face as to say that the masked character is going to try and kill him.

Make-up

The make-up used in the video is a mixture of eyeliner and white facial powder. The eyeliner is being worn by all the band members and the white powder is worn by all of the members as well, some of the members have the white powder on their clothing as well. This is used to create an old and dusty feel to the video as it is staged in a dusty theatre type of setting.

Props

The props used in the video are the bands instruments in the performance, a gun, and several flags. the instruments show off the talent that the band has, as not many people have heard of them so they want to get the message of their as talented as any other band across. The gun in the video is carried by one of the other actors and is aimed at the band individually but is never fired at anyone. The flags are red and white on each side, the band has the red flags and the other actors have the white ones. These symbolise that the other actors are pure to the heart but on the outside they are the exact opposite. The red ones symbolise that the band are sinners on the inside but they are the opposite of that on the outside, as they have done nothing wrong.

Setting

The setting for the video is in an old theatre as it gives enough space for the band to perform alongside the actors. The look of the music video is quite thetrical so this setting suits the song well with the lyric in the chorus "burning down my favourite haunts, yeah". This lyric could mean that the bands favourite haunt is a theatre, which may be why they held the video in a theatre.

Iconography

The iconography in the video is one that is hard to see to the audience that aren't into this kind of music. The basic message of this song is about people putting you down by calling you a freak and a weirdo. The signs in this video/song that tell you not to listen to them are mainly in the chorus as the lyrics are,
"So kick and scream all you want,
And burn down my favourite haunts, yeah
We'll see who's laughing in the end
Light up the funeral pyres,
But you know what you get when you play with fire
We'll see who's laughing in the end"
The message in the chorus is that you can let anyone say anything about you or to you, but in the end, you'll be the one laughing in their faces in the future.

Narrative

The narrative in this video a mixture of deadly situations and battle scenes with the band and the other characters. In one shot, Kier goes down hurt and is aided by one of his bandmates back up to his feet. The rest of the narrative is basically about the way that the and can escape from the other actors and survive their ordeal against them. In the end, both sides get away alive and the video ends with a shot of the band in a kind of "that's it, run away!" pose.

Themes

The theme of the song is telling you that no matter what anoyone says to you or does to you, however old you are, that later on in life, you will be laughing in their faces at everything they have done to you.

Sound

The sound in the song is a mixture of palm-muting, octaves and open power chords with the guitars. There are vocal harmonies which you can hear over the top of Kier (lead singer). Also, there is another vocal style which isnt very common in the genre, where one singer sings one line and the other speaks a line over the top. Before the last chorus, there is a few notes played on the pentatonic scale after the little breakdown.

Analysis Of Music Videos #2

The second video I will be analysing is Black Veil Brides' "Knives And Pens" as it fits in with the Hard Rock/Glam Metal genre. To analyse the video I will be using CMINTS which stands for:
C - Costume
M - Mise-en-scene
I - Iconography
N - Narrative
T - Themes
S - Sound

Costume

The costume in this video changes as the video progresses. With Andy (vocalist) being 16 years old at the time this video was made, the audience will think that because he is wearing white for the first half of the video, he is an innocent boy, but as the video progresses, his costume, along with the two other performers, changes from white to black which fits in with the genre of hard rock.

Mise-en-scene

Mise-en-scene includes all parts of CLAMPS which stands for; Character, Lighting, Actors, Make-up, Props and Setting.

Character

In this video by Black Veil Brides, there are only three performers as it was in 2006, there was meant to be another two, but one didn't show up, and the other's dog died the week it was filmed. The characters are fitting in with the genre by all having jet-black hair and black fingernails which they have had painted. They all wear black make-up which also fits in with the genre.

Lighting

The lighting in the performance aspect of the video is high key to bring a bright tone to the message of the song which is, "instead of self-harm, write down your thoughts into something creative". The lighting is effective in both the performance and the storyline as it show how Andy came from being bullied at school to rise above everyone and do what he wanted to do in life. This lighting in the performance is used to show that there is light at the end of dark times such as bullying.

Actors

There are two actors in the video, one of them plays a younger schoolboy Andy, and the other plays what appears to be his older brother. The older brother role seems to be a bit of a bully himself as half way through the video he steals Andy's notebook, later giving it back with a smirk on his face. Andy's character shows teenagers of that age that they are not alone in what they are going through and that there are loads of people the same age being bullied everyday for being different. The actor is chosen so that the audience can see what Andy's school life was like through the eyes of a young boy.

Make-up

The make up in the video is typical of the genre as it represents that some people dress differently to others, especially in the emo part of the genre. The make-up in the storyline of this video could have been used to cover up injuries on younger Andy's face and symbolises that he is not afraid to be himself and be different to everyone else.

Props
The props used in the performance are a guitar, a drum kit with double bass, and a microphone. In the storyline, the main prop is the notebook which Andy's younger self uses to write down his thoughts about how he feels instead of doing anything to himself due to everything that's gong on at school and at home.

Iconography

The iconography in the video is somewhat confusing unless you know the song and video well. The blood on the clothing and microphone at the end suggests that blood is better off on your clothing and instruments and not on your body. The other symbols of the video are that writing down thoughts can help you get through anything bad that is happening in your life.

Narrative

The narrative of this video is about Andy's school days where is is outcast because he dresses differently to his classmates and listens to different music as well. For this reason he is bullied and he carries around a notebook with him in which he writes down all his thoughts into songs about being bullied and being different, but no matter what, you should always be yourself.

Themes

The theme of the song and video is how you are able to overcome all the bad things that have happened in your life such as bullying, and become something much greater than those who take the joy of putting you down. The video shows that you can do this by just writing thoughts down and making them creative, just as Andy did with the song as he was bullied in school.

Sound

The sound in this video is a mixture of chugging on the guitars and arpeggios during the run up to the chorus after the breakdown. The vocals are an equal mix of calm and sung vocal and high pitched scream vocals, it works well with the video because the storyline suggests that Andy was angry at all the hate and abuse he got so the screaming parts of the vocals could signify the fact he is taking his anger out on the people who did bully him in vocal form instead of violence.

Analyis Of Music Videos #1

The first video I will be analysing is Bullet For My Valentine's "The Last Fight" as it fits in with the Hard Rock genre. I am analysing this video because it is in the Hard Rock genre and that is the genre of the song i have chosen to do for my video. To analyse the video I will be using CMINTS which stands for:
C - Costume
M - Mise-en-scene
I - Iconography
N - Narrative
T - Themes
S - Sound

Costume

The costume in this video is seen as part of the Hard Rock genre as all members are wearing skinny jeans, black shirts, and 2 of the members have long "moshy" hair, whereas the other two members have shorter hair. The black clothing represents the genre in a dark way as the majority of bands within the genre wear dark clothing.

Mise-en-scene

Mise-en-scene includes all parts of CLAMPS which stands for; Character, Lighting, Actors, Make-up, Props and Setting.

The characters in this video are the band itself and one other man, who plays both parts of the fighters, one dressed in a black mask, the other in without a mask, to represent good and evil. However, both the good and evil character is played by the same person, so this means that his good and bad side are clashing over a decision. The costume has been picked because the majority of Hard Rock bands wear black jeans and black shirts so it will create a darker atmosphere that fits in with the genre.

The lighting in the video is low key so it will fit in with the genre. The Natural light that is coming through the roof of where they are filming the video is quite dull to create a sort of fight club setting for the fight that is going on to the side of the band. This lighting has been used to create a low tone so that it fits the conventions of Hard Rock by using a warehouse for their set.

In the video, there is only one actor, but the audience will think that there is two actors as there are two people fighting but they find out that they are the same person fighting the good and bad side of himself. The band itself do not act in the video, they concentrate on the performance like most bands in the genre do so that it is easier to promote themsleves. The actor's body language suggests that he is poised for a fight with someone and his shoulders are dropped, his arms are loose, his lower body positioning is that of a boxer so he can be agile on his feet. This also goes for the drug addicted side of him.

In this video, there is no make-up used as the band is aiming to be as natural as possible. This helps the audience to notice that they aren't trying to be theatrical in any way or form so they will be more likely to like the band for the music rather than the performances and videos with the amout of make-up that is used with some bands.

The props used in this video are the bands actual instruments and PA systems, this is to show that they aren't faking what they can play live. The props are; two electric guitars, a bass guitar, a drum kit with a double bass pedal, and a microphone.

The setting in the video is in a warehouse where there is a fight going on to the side of the band. The location for the video is a good location as it is a poorly lit room and that fits the convention of lighting for the genre. It has a large amount of space for both the band to perform and the two people (same actor) to fight at the same time.

Iconography

The iconography in this video is a strange one in the sense that the lyrics of the song especially, "Cold Sweats, Hallucinations, I Don't Wanna Scream To Show The Hell I'm Going Through", are references to drugs, so the band is trying to give the sign that people can win the fight against drugs if they try hard enough, hence why the song is called "The Last Fight".

Narrative

The narrative in "The Last Fight" is basically a fight with yourself against drug abuse which is what the song is about. In the video, there is a masked man and an unmasked man of equal build who are fighting, this fighting goes on throughout the whole song and then the audience find out that they are the same person, one is the drugged up side of him, the other is the side that wants to stop all that.

Themes

The theme of the song and the video is a fight against the right and wrong path, the wrong path being drugs, the right path being able to fight the urge and get clean off the drugs. This fits in with the genre because the majority of bands within the genre put a message in their songs to try get their audience back on track, e.g. drugs or if the audience have been bullied, the song will reflect on the fact that everything will be okay.

Sound

The sound of the video is fast and rhythmic. The way that this song/video fits in with the genre is the way that the pace of the song matches the pace of the video. It is a pumping song which gets straight into the fast palm-muting of the intro which later leads into the shredding solo that Michael 'Padge' Paget perfectly times in with the track which is laid over the top of the video.

Conclusion

In conclusion, this video meets the conventions of hard rock which are; low lighting, fast paced editing, the theme helps people through rough times, the costume which is skinny jeans and black shirts, the props are dark coloured to match the genre as well. The fast paced editing makes this video effective as it matched the pace of the intruments with few shots that are held for more than two seconds. The editing techniques used are straight cuts which cut from one shot to another, this is to show the sequence of events in chronological order so the audience know what is going on and they dont get confused with the storyline.

Asking The Artists Permission

Youth and Whiskey - Black Veil Brides - Lyrics

These words are burning inside me
Spent years in liquid harmony
This dream is who I wanna be
Youth and whiskey
I grew from those who hate me
Stand fast to a razor blade symphony
Cigarettes and lyrics made me
Youth and whiskey

Can you see?
Can you see me?
I'm strong from what they made me
These angels who carry me
They taught me youth and whiskey

Black tides of smoke and misery
A loaded gun and a bastard's history
My temple's full of crazy
Youth and whiskey
No sorrow left inside me
Celebrate the moments behind me
They shine his holy memory
Youth and whiskey
Can you see?
Can you see me?
I'm strong from what they made me
These angels who carry me
They taught me youth and whiskey

(Hey, hey)
Brothers
(Hey, hey)
Fighters
(Hey, hey)
Bottles living for another round
(Hey, hey)
Lovers
(Hey, hey)
Liars
(Hey, hey)
Throttle speeding towards a blackout

Can you see?
Can you see me?
I'm strong from what they made me
These angels who carry me
They taught me youth and whiskey

Genre and Song

The song I have chosen to do for my music video this year is "Youth and Whiskey" by Black Veil Brides. The genre of Black Veil Brides is Glam Rock/Glam Metal. The reason I have chosen this song is that it is a song I love and I am able to play the song on guitar, not to mention that Black Veil Brides are my favourite band .

This is the closing track from Set The World On Fire, the sophomore studio album from Hollywood hardcore glam metal band Black Veil brides. Vocalist Andy Biersack explained the song to Kerrang!: "This is about being on the road, having fun and just learning about life in general. It's showing that you've done what you wanted to do in life and you don't really care about what people say now that you've got this group of friends that will always have your back"

Pitch

This is my pitch for my A2-Level Media coursework which is to make a music video for a song of your choice. I chose "Youth and Whiskey" by Black Veil Brides as it is a song that my band can play and we are in good timing with it. The ideas that I put across were to have the video mainly performance based as that is what most bands form the chosen genre tend to do so I will be fitting in with the conventions of the genre. I will be having some product placement to go with the title of the song by using some bottles of whiskey. I was working on a narrative for the song and I didn't have any ideas for it, but now I have thought about it a bit more, I will be aiming to do something revolving around the vocalist, because he is able to look upset on demand, I'm hoping to be able to use him as an upset guy where everything is going wrong for him, but then a group of friends ask him to be in a band and then everything starts looking up for him.

Music Video Conventions

Group

This year I have chosen to work by myself as I will have all control as to what goes on in my music video. Last year during the 2 minute film opening, I had little control in the editing and storyboarding as I was in a group of three.

Brief

A promotion package for the release of an album, to include a music video promo, together with the following two options:

• A digipak for the album's release
• A magazine advert for the digipak