Music Video Deconstruction: Gotye- Easy Way Out

Artist: Gotye
Song: Easy Way Out
Album: Making Mirrors
Genre: Indie Rock
Director: Darcy Pendergast
Year: 2011
Audience: 18+
Country of Origin: Australia

The opening shot of a film or music video is possibly the most important shot as it establishes the atmosphere, characters and setting. From this shot, one can infer that the atmosphere is monotomous and rather unexciting. The character appears to be a young man living by himself (single bed) in a rather grey apartment. Interestingly, and perhaps not immediately noticeable, there are a variety of ‘dead’ object in the room- a trophy head, a withered plant and an empty birdcage. These would seem to suggest that the place the man is in not worth living in or for, or something equally sinister. A similar message could be drawn from the peeling wallpaper on the left side of the shot.

The second shot shows the man in kitchen eating breakfast- coffee or tea and a huge cigarette. Most people smoke cigarettes to relieve stress, so perhaps the character does so too. This would mean that he is under stress/strain.

          


The next shot shows the character at work, typing repetitively on a typewriter, the pile of paper to right getting higher and higher. Here one sees the continued colour scheme of blues and greys, generally depressing colours. The shelf behind him is virtually empty, indicating that the job he works is very pedestrian, and does not require much else. 

                                                     

The video consists of five settings (bedroom, kitchen, workplace, tram, bathroom) all leading round in a circle, going against the song title, ‘Easy Way Out.’ Progressively, things get worse and worse in each scene as seen above in the ‘work’ setting. From a brightly lit office, it turns into a dark, bloody hell, as papers begin to stack up. The other rooms become darker, grimier and more derelict each time the circle is repeated. Another example would be the tram/train sequence- each time, the small space becomes more and more packed with different people and the walls rapidly covered in graffiti. All the chaos was started by a single cigarette being misplaced on the kitchen table, suggesting that consequences in life are perhaps not forseen.

Easy Way Out Music Video:

Music Video Deconstruction: Marina and the Diamonds- 'Hollywood'

Artist: Marina and the Diamonds

Song: Hollywood
Album: The Family Jewels
Genre: Indie
Director: Kinga Burza
Year: 2009
Audience: 17+
Country of Origin: UK

The opening close-up shot shows Marina mouthing the words 'American dream is the American queen', making the viewer focus on the lips and the lyrics being spoken, giving insight in to content of the video. In this case, a satirical portrait of America. The frame cutting off below the eyes may signify the 'facelessness' of America,  focussing on instead on the artificial- the painted lips. These bright red lips could signify the 'beauty' of America. It also creates a strong contrast to the dark hair surrounding the face, making it the focal point of the viewers attention. The camera zooms out to concentrate on Marina's face and the large American flag cake with a single candle. This may personify how America is driven by consumerism and capitalism. Make-up has been used to create a sultry/seductive look thus enticing male viewers and furthering the theme of beauty and consumerism.


                                                                       

 Here, the shot is canted and a reflection of a woman, described in the lyrics as 'tall, tanned, hot, blond called Anya…', conforming to the American stereotypical woman, with a twist. I like how the problem of reflecting camera crew was 'solved' via the paparazzi. The 'Anya' actress has been styled reminiscent of Madonna and suggests a similar lifestyle, as seen by the paparazzi behind her.  The lines of the mirror going through the face of 'Anya' could suggest the cracks in superficiality and/or a split in personality, two facedness- this could be interpreted from the lyrics: 'Why do you wanna be a hollywood wife? 'Cause I don't wanna end up living in a dive on Vine, You'd do anything for a dime…'  Next, the camera focusses on the singer on a patriotic bed, dressed accordingly in the same colours: red, white and blue, with the addition of gold, perhaps symbolising wealth and capitalism. The blue brocade curtain in the background also supports this interpretation.

This shot reminds me of Sam Mendes' film American Beauty- rose petals featured heavily in the film. Here, instead of red, the petals are blue, maybe suggesting loneliness among beauty. Within the shot, the predominant colours are blue, creating a strong contrast between Marina's bright red lips and cheerleader shirt. The shot also breaks the fourth wall, the 'character' of the film is interacting with the viewer by blowing blue petals at their 'face', making the viewer feel involved.

In this wide shot, we are shown a variety of American stereotypes: cheerleader, jock, glamour model, politician (Barack Obama), call girl, all of which are clothed in the patriotic colours of the American flag. The lyrics being sung in this shot are: 'A fat security making place for me…', again mentioning something that American is known for- its airtight security. The purpose of this line with this shot is to show the viewer everything that we 'know' about America, it's reputation.                    

These two shots focus on what America is most famous for- it's popular culture. The Academy Awards (first shot) are the most broadcast/televised and prestigious events of the year, representing wealth, fame, honour, pride and narcissism- the golden statue. This shot exemplifies this further through the setting- ornate white and gold stucco decorates the walls and just above Marina's head hangs a massive chandelier. The shoes she wear's are also gold, again representing money, and the dress (silver and shiny) is one typically seen on the 'red carpet'. While clutching the award the lyrics say: 'I've been living in the movie scene (puking American dreams)' evoking the famous quote from F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby: 'Her voice is full of money.'  The last shot depicts Marilyn Monroe and Elvis Presley look-a-likes, furthering the concept of American iconography. It subtly shows the viewer everything they know about America, satirically juxtaposing the lyrics. This video generally. reminds me of The Great Gatsby,
with its warning of superficiality, consumerism and broken dreams

HOLLYWOOD- MARINA AND THE DIAMONDS OFFICIAL MUSIC VIDEO:

                                   

Music Video Deconstruction: Hurts- 'Somebody To Die For'

Artist: HURTS
Song: Somebody To Die For
Album: Exile
Genre: Indie 80's Revival
Director: Frank Borin
Year: 2013
Audience: 17+
Country of Origin: UK

The opening shot is perhaps the most important shot of any film, as it immediately conveys the atmosphere and tone of the film to the audience. In this instance, we see a man making a cross on a jetty in a quiet landscape, suggesting that film will be about isolation, religion and despair. The shot is at a slight angle as the camera sways to the sound of the water. The use of a wide/long shot allows the viewer to take in the setting of the film, in this case open water, creating a sense of mysteriousness. The next shot depicts a young woman, dressed in a habit. Our first reaction is to say she is a nun, but the colours of her clothes, blue and white, tell us that she is the Virgin Mary. However, Mary is typically represented as a plain woman, which this character is not, judging by her heavy make-up, usually used as a means of temptation. Therefore, she embodies two values- purity and temptation, also shown through her interactions with other characters in the film. The bright colours of her habit and make-up are at odds with the otherwise desolate landscape, as seen by the dead tree behind her, further suggesting that she is in someway 'special'.

Following the pattern of religious imagery, a later shot shows a man washing his face from a bowl, mimicking baptism. Notice that everything in this clip that is in colour is linked to religion: blue baptism bowl, red crucifix on the wall (not pictured), red prayer cushions on the bed. Baptism typically symbolizes a re-birth, and this metaphor is further supported by the character donning a fresh, clean, white shirt. Also, all three walls have windows indicating

Another religious icon- not only is the character making a cross, but is also 'walking on water', a reference to Jesus' similar feat mentioned in Mark, Matthew and John's Gospels. Also, the 'split' of the sky and water makes it appear as if the character is standing on the curve of the earth, very much like in religious Renaissance paintings.

The biblical reference to the "burning bush". As a powerful religious symbol, it represents many things, such as God's miraculous energy, sacred light, illumination, and the burning heart of purity, love and clarity.  The violence and aggression of the fire are at total odds with the colourful, childlike house in the background.

Target Audience

This post sees the formation of a Target Audience Profile; this is necessary in terms of creating an image and literary account of our potential target market.

Coachella 2013

As our music video conforms to the indie genre, our target audience must be the select group of people that listen/enjoy that genre. Specifically, we are targeting middle class, unique, intellectual men and women. We have chosen to target both men and women because the gender of the genre consists of both male and female listeners. If I were to describe the most common example of my target audience, they are likely to be young intellectuals with a middle class background- parents who have attended university, each earning £25,000, living in a detached house worth £279,000, all of which would be in the ABC1 bracket. The young men and women attending university or the equivalent are likely to achieve professional status in the future. In terms of relationship statuses, I think our audience are typically ‘in a relationship’, boyfriend and girlfriend kind of  relationship. At indie music festivals such as Reading/Leeds, Coachella, The Great Escape, Electric Picnic, Boardmasters and T in the Park, you can often see boyfriends with the girlfriends on their shoulders, offering them a better view of the musical performance. 

To depict an image of the target audiences personality: They are educated, sophisticated people with strong opinions, who are open-minded and perceptive. They care deeply for their friends, attending events such as festivals/gigs and holidays together. Their love for music knows no bounds, and they enjoy discussing music with others, getting passionate about their favourite artists, while remaining open to try something new. Generally, their iPods contain a variety of artists from the past and present. In terms of music videos, I think they would generally not seek them out, but would watch them if they had the time, preferring to appreciate the music, rather than the video.

I can only presume that some of the favourite artists of our TA could be; Arcade Fire, Marina and the Diamonds, Foals and White Lies. However, I can imagine some being interested in artists in  sub-genres of indie such as Electric Six, Yeah Yeah Yeahs (Garage Rock), Fall Out Boy, Paramore, Panic! At The Disco (Emo/Pop Punk). In addition, I believe some of our TA would also have an element of nostalgia and appreciation of past bands such as The Smiths, David Bowie, Depeche Mode, Queen, Bikini Kill, Nirvana, Patti Smith and The Ramones.

Electric Six

Yeah Yeah Yeahs

Fall Out Boy

Paramore

Panic! At The Disco

Depeche Mode

Bikini Kill

Furthermore, I can see our target audience being avid film fans, enjoying films from a variety of directors and genres such as Resevoir Dogs, Sex Lies and Videotape, Casino Royale, A Home At The End Of The World, Tangled, Black Swan, Donnie Darko, Seven Psychopaths, The Hunt and Wreck It Ralph. As for literature, I think classic authors such as John Steinbeck, Fyodor Dostoyevsky and Oscar Wilde would be appreciated as much as contemporary authors like Steig Larsson and Ian McEwan.

Clothing and appearance- wise, stereotypes will apply. Girls will have long hair, boys short, although this may be different in sub-genres. For women: cut off shorts, vintage/printed shirts (too big), floral patterns (skirts, scarves, dresses), boots, patterned tights, crocheted or fringed vests or jackets, denim, stackable bracelets and rounded sunglasses. For men: plaid shirts, brogues, loose t-shirts,  necklace, hat, hoodies, skinny jeans. Smoking would also be common.

                           Here are just a few images that I feel, portrays the lives of my target audience.