Features to look for:
Genre characteristics
What is the relationship between lyrics and visuals?
What is the relationship between music and visual ?
Are there close ups of the artist and star image motifs?
Is there reference to the notion of looking?
Are there intertextual references?
Is it performance-based narrative-based or concept- based?
-How much of each?
1) "Destiny", by Zero 7
Trip-Hop
'Zero 7' are a grammy-nominated downtempo musical duo, they're also one of my favourite artists. This song features the vocals of the beautiful Sia Furler. The video's views has almost reached the 2 million mark. I remember a few years ago when it only had 100,000 views or so. I am absolutely in love with this song, and music video. I find the vocals so soothing, the visuals correlate with the music, and there is a warm, ambient feeling. This video has always stood out to me, even though it is an animation - it still feels so real. I feel moved by the simple story of two people belonging with eachother - hence the title destiny, yet the viewer can still relate to the sorrow and the pain of the protagonist, even if she is just a drawing.
Tommy Pallotta directed this music video. It has the same interpolated rotoscoping technique seen in such films as 'A Scanner Darkly', starring Keanu Reeves and Robert Downy Jnr. Rotoscoping, is an animation technique in which animators trace over live-action film movement, frame by frame, for use in animated film. Maybe this video feels so real, because the characters and surroundings were orginally real people.
As a genre, Trip-Hop is known for its ambiance and warm tone not only in vocals, but visuals too. Another frequent feature in mainstream trip-hop, is the 'arty-vibe' that can be associated with the genre. Many artists such as Portishead and Massive Attack (thank God that they're also Bristol natives!) can fall into this 'arty' category too. Massive Attack's infamous abstract video, 'Teardrop' of a baby in the womb singing along to the melancholy lyrics. The visuals in 'Destiny' by Zero 7 correlates with the sensual tone, and it makes sense with the visuals to be dreamy.
Lyrics:
Verse 1-
I lie awake
I've gone to ground
I'm watching porn
In my hotel dressing gown
Now I dream of you
But I still believe
There's only enough for one in this
Lonely hotel suite
The journey's long
And it feels so bad
I'm thinking back to the last day we had.
Old moon fades into the new
Soon I know I'll be back with you
I'm nearly with youI'm nearly with you
Chorus -
When I'm weak I draw strength from you
And when you're lost I know how to change your mood
And when I'm down you breathe life over me
Even though we're miles apart we are each other's destiny
Verse 2 -
On a clear day
I'll fly home to you
I'm bending time getting back to you
Old moon fades into the new
Soon I know I'll be back with you
I'm nearly with youI'm nearly with you
Chorus -
When I'm weak I draw strength from you
And when you're lost
I know how to change your mood
And when I'm down you breathe life over me
Even though we're miles apart we are each other's destiny
Chorus & Fade -
When I'm weak I draw strength from you
And when you're lost I know how to change your mood
And when I'm down you breathe life over me
Even though we're miles apart we are each other's destiny
I'll fly, I'll fly home I'll fly home and I'll fly home
The songs lyrics create an effective narrative structure, the protagonist re-tells a story of her and her partner's bond. Therefore there is no need for the visuals to mirror the lyrics word for word. For example, the song opens with "I lie awake", while the protagonist is walking - the mood of the song is conveyed through the warm tone of the visuals and the melodic lyrics and instruments. Yet we can still feel a sense of sorrow and pain as we follow the female protagonist throughout her daily routine. The title is self-explanatory, 'Destiny'.
There are many pans throughout the animation, mainly to show scenery and the protagonist's surroundings. I think this may have been done to show her emotional detachment from those around her, without vocalist Sia, having to say this during the song. There are also many extreme close-ups to show her sadness and pain. I really like the fact that they've used rotoscoping in this video and we do not see real life human beings. It is a performance in a way, but without a glitzy actor that may detract our attention from such a beautiful song. Medium and low/high angle shots are used during the scene when she is on the train. I think that these shots convey an essence of authority and age. For example, a low angle shot is used on the child as he or she is about to fall over. These scenes are also irrelevant to the protagonist's feelings, yet still make an emphasis on her detachment in society.
The music and the visuals correlate with each other, as soon as the instrumental begins, we see scenes of people running on the beach in slow-motion, this sets the pace of a slow, soft song. The song also closes with an instrumental, as couples are scene together - so there is a constinent feeling of slow-motion.
2) "How Soon Is Now?" - The Smiths
Indie/Alternative
The Smiths were an English rock band formed in Manchester in 1982. Based on the songwriting partnership of Morrissey, (leady vocalist) . Many critics have called them the most important alternative rock band to emerge from the British independent music scene of the 1980’s. The Smiths had a grungy, care-free attitude with sweet melodic songs that captured many youthful hearts and are still a favourite today. Ther group were signed to independent recod label Rough Trade Records, they produced four studio albums with them. The Smiths gained a huge following and remain a cult-worthy group still to this day.
"How Soon Is Now", got to number 24 in the UK Singles chart.
The song contains only one verse which is repeated twice, plus a chorus and a bridge. The subject is an individual who cannot find a way to break out of his shyness. Two couplets from the song are well known in pop culture, the opening to the verse: "I am the son, and the heir, of a shyness that is criminally vulgar / I am the son and heir, of nothing in particular", and the chorus: "I am human and I need to be loved / Just like everybody else does".
Lyrics:
I am the son and the heir
Of a shyness that is criminally vulgar I am the son and heir
Of nothing in particular
You shut your mouth
How can you say I go about things the wrong way
I am Human and I need to be loved
Just like everybody else does
I am the sonand the heir
Of a shyness that is criminally vulgar
I am the son and the heir
Of nothing in particular
You shut your mouth
How can you say
I go about things the wrong way
I am Human and I need to be loved
Just like everybody else does
There's a club, if you'd like to go
You could meet somebody who really loves you
So you go, and you stand on your own
And you leave on your own
And you go home And you cry And you want to die
When you say it's gonna happen now,
Well, when exactly do you mean?
See I've already waited too long And all my hope is gone
I am Human And I need to be loved
Just like everybody else does
The lyrics, alot like Zero 7's are sweet and sensual, correlating with the warm tone of the song. Morrisey is extremely poetic, and his songs always have an artistic flair. Many of the shots have been edited by using the montage editing technique. It's as if the quick shots of the beautiful girl are still shots, rather than quickly edited in a sequence. This creates a whimsical, ethereal feeling.
Using shots of a live performance is a convention of many indie music videos. It feels as though, to many indie artists, the performance is the most important aspect of the video. This shows that a relevant narrative structure is vital, and concept is irrelevant.
There are soft guitar riffs, and soft vocals with elegant and distorted visuals. There is a feeling of tranquility. The visuals are also contrepuntal, they focus on industrial things such as factories, and beauty. They are somehow sewn together. There are many close-ups on the female, they and random and of no relevance. However, an abstract music video does not need to make sense and is rather thought-provoking. Alot like Zero 7's 'Destiny', I like the fact that it's not glitzy at all.
3) "Paranoid" - Kanye West
Hip-Hop
Kanye West is an extremely talented individual, known for combining experimental sounds and sampling. He breaks the barriers between genres by mixing different elements from each genre into a huge melting pot. 'Paranoid' features Mr. Hudson and Rihanna.
Lyrics:
Why are you so paranoid
Don't be so paranoid
Don't be so....
Baby don't worry about it
Lady don't even think about it
You worry bout the wrong things, the wrong things
You worry bout the wrong things, the wrong things
You worry bout the wrong things, the wrong things
You worry bout the wrong things, the wrong things
[Verse 1]
Tell me right now
You really wanna spend your whole life alone
A little time out might do you good, might do us good
Before we be done for good
Cause I make it good I could make it hood
I can make you come I can make you go
I can make you high I can make you flyMake you touch the sky hey maybe so
All of the timeYou be up in mine checking through my cell phone baby no
You wanna kill the vibe on another nightHere's another fight oh here we go
Baby don't worry about itLady we'll go out to the floor
[Chorus]
Anyway they don't know you like I do
They'll never know youAnyway they don't know you like I do
They'll never know you
[Verse 2]
All of the time
You wanna complain about the nights alone
So now you're here with meS
how some gratitude leave the attitude way back at home
Yea you see em look
Baby let em look give us cold looks cause we look cold
Yea you heard about all the word of mouth
Don't worry about what we can't control
All the talk in the world lost in the worldTill you finally let that thing go
You wanna check in to the heartbreak hotelBut sorry we're closed
Baby don't worry about itLady we'll go out to the floor
[Chorus]
Anyway they don't know you like I do
They'll never know you
Anyway they don't know you like I do
They'll never know you
[Kanye West]
Baby don't worry about it
Lady don't even think about it
You worry bout the wrong things, the wrong thing
You worry bout the wrong thing, the wrong thing
You worry bout the wrong thing, the wrong thing
You worry bout the wrong thing
[Chorus]
Anyway they don't know you like I do
They'll never know youAnyway they don't know you like I do
They'll never know you
The use of Black and White in this video, creates a surrela 'Sin City' like effect. Even the text in the credits remind me of the film. The video opens with a track shot of Rihanna on a bed. The track moves Rihanna from scene to scene. I really like this clever effect. For a musician of such with calibre, it's strange that she's a cameo and not really a featured artists as she doesn't sing. The mise-en-scene is important, she wears extremely provacative clothes. This can fall into the generic convention of a Hip-Hop music video, where women do not dress modestly. Stop-motion in the extreme-closeups of Rihanna. Possibly because she is a household name, a collaboration with her would make more money for Kanye's record label.
The opening lyrics are haunting and sound effects have been added in "why are you so paranoid?", it sounds echoey - as if Kanye is singing to the viewer, questioning our own paranoia. The mood, lyrics and instrumentals are parallel to the frantic and spontaneous visuals. This video reminds me of 'film noir' movies, when a deranged woman drives a car that seems to be going nowhere. Post-modern intertexuality - Kanye may be original in his music but this video has elements of things that've been done many times before.
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