I came across this studio video, by Parkway Drive. They do not follow the same genre structure as Pop Punk, but as far as studio performances are concerned, genre guidelines are irrelevant.
It shows exactly what a studio video requires. The editing of the video is appropriate, and the shot variety is fantastic. It shows all sorts of miscellaneous shots to introduce the video; tuning pegs, guitar amps and shots of them talking. It's perfectly cut to the beat, switching from mid to long shot on the bell cymbal at the intro.
The video is filmed in perfect grey-scale to give it a smooth, but metallic and shiny finish; the lighting is strong and everything is deliberately contrasting to match the black and white editing.
It doesn't show them as anything out of the ordinary when it comes to playing. They're not throwing themselves around like they would on stage, because the extra energy isn't required, and instead channelled through playing. This is why studio videos work so well; they show the determination that goes in to creating their music. This is an element I have tried to achieve through my video.
As for the colour finish, I'm not sure whether high contrast or grey scale is what my video would require, but I certainly aspire to have a music video as well-polished and as smooth as Parkway Drive have.
Punk evolved in two ways since its downfall: The birth of Pop Punk and the birth of Hardcore
Punk is a major genre that has split in many ways, but these are the two polar opposites. Punk can be divided into two categories: The ideology, and the image. The ideology of Punk was anarchical, and anti-establishment. This was presented through the political protest or the screw-society enigma it presented; often through the unedited or undoctored sound of the music, or the torn up, outrageous or provocative fashion sense. A clear example of imagine over ideology is Sex Pistols, who were the figureheads of commercial punk. They are reprented as dirty, provocative social outcasts who society have disregarded, or political hierarchical structures do not compensate for.
In the video for God Save The Queen, it's very clear what the image stands for. The opening shots show them standing around on stage to a backdrop of anarchic posters; the Queen's face against a Union Jack flag, with their title over her eyes, as a direct protest.
Their stance however, is very nonchalont, with very little interaction, which is a contrast to the angst in their ideology, and what we would expect to see of them. Their presence is minimal to focus on their image, which is how they are presenting their ideas of protest and anti establishment.
Punk then weakened, as the image grew out. Their representation was no longer presented through how they looked, as the generation grows up, or being become accustomed to seeing such striking or unordinary visual elements of a sub-culture; it was no longer protesting the way it wanted to. The focus therefore, came from the ideology and the meaning of the music.
Therefore, Punk re-shaped itself musically. Along came a generation of people who didn't care how they dressed, but had such fury or anger towards themselves or others. Pantera were at the forefront of this idea. Their song 'Walk' clearly demonstrates the emotions that was once felt in punk, and is intensified in more violent concepts in the new hardocre/punk crossover.
The stage looks fairly simple and their presence is more daunting or aggressive when playing. The lead singer presents his image in a more raw human form, a more masculine or militant presentation of image. The shaved head and tattoos are now the striking or aggressive connotations of the time.
The lyrics are simple and are about violent themes. Their body language consists of solid movement - far less fluent and almost effeminate than punk; clenched fists and stamping is a visual display of anger and their presentation of musical motive. Essentially, the representation of the bands in this genre is to emphasise the raw aggression and anger they feel. It's apparent the attention to image has gone, but the feelings and attitudes of punk have intensified.
Now in the modern day, this branch of punk is purely ideology. Known as Hardcore, the genre name is mainly reflective of the music. It's a very solid, very aggressive and unwelcoming sound, reinforced by the angry stage presence or actions of the band. The video below is for Emmure and their song 'Solar Flare Homicide'displays exactly how they are (or wish to be perceived).
The base anger and fast paced editing of their music video isn't overly depictive or defined in sense of their image, but the body language and human interaction between them all defines this as the next evolution (or arguable devolution or proliferation of Punk).
Alternatively, Punk took a completely different route. The elements of punk that were focused on the image, and evidently the camaraderie of the sub-culture has been carried through, but in a different sense. The focus has become less on being different or outrageous and focuses instead on the fun and the energy that the genre or sub-culture had to offer. This genre was Pop Punk
And far as the genre goes, New Found Glory are at the top, and have been for decades.
This video is a monument, and it shows exactly what kind of people they are; they are quite the opposite of must bands. They do not take their 'job' or 'profession' seriously, because to them, that is not what it is. They're guys that have grown up physically, but still have the teenage party mentality, and they're free. Therefore, they are fun.
This is exactly how they wanted to be represented. They don't want to present themselves as vulgar and offensive as Punk previously did; they portray themselves as funny, as friendly and as entertaining. They even show their fan base as funny.
They do not care for image or appeareance, hence the bassist showing off how fat he is in their video for 'My Friends Over You'.
However. This video is a whole decade ago, 10 years before Decade (an analysis piece on my blog) which is an example of modern Pop Punk. It has evolved, or more so grown up. Seemingly, it has returned back to the image concepts of Punk, as now there is far more focus on how the band is dressed, or how they look on stage or wherever else, than what they stand for. Motives aren't now anti-establishment, and stopped being when Pop Punk was born. It's now more about having fun, or being fun - quite the contrast to what Punk stood for. The focus is now whether a band member is attractive, or appealing to female audiences, or whether or not fellow musicians might admire a certain band member. Essentially, it has gained an element of theatrics or vanity; the outrageous visual appearances of Punk are now represented by the children of that genre, the casually dressed, but with maintained appearances, not the rugged dirty or carelessness of Punk.
This is visible in Young Guns' video for 'Bones'. The focus (minus the dancing girl narrative) is on the band, and mainly the frontman, as this is now the formula for the ideal Pop Punk band.
Essentially, Punk has made some form of decrescendo, in the sense that the two key ideals of Punk have dissolved or devolved into two different themes: The Look, and The Sound.
The look being the appearance and their presentation and the sound being the anger, the presence and the connotations of their band.
Concealing Fate by Tesseract is a huge musical project that was filmed during recording.
As a performance based video it lays down some important rules;
1) cut to the beat.
-you can not have a performance video that is not cut to the beat. Complete synchronisation is required for the video to make visual sense.
2) Follow the pace.
-When editing it is very important to follow the pace of the song and match it to the edit. So, a faster section of song would require a faster pace of transition.
3) Follow the solo
-When a musician takes the solo, it is the focal point of the song. Therefore, it should be the focal point for the video.
4) Follow the intricacies
-Songs are full of little fills and parts that will only be fully acknowledged if you bring attention to them. Ensuring you have them shot and in time will enhance the song.
5) Film the whole band.
-The lead singer is not the focus of the band. He is merely the vocalist, and one of 4 or 5 usually. Capturing the band equally creates an all rounded music video and is vital to promote the song and the band as a unit.
6) It's a performance video
-There is not much need for acting or filler in a performance music video; it weakens the visual element of their performance and musicianship.
These 6 rules are ones I have followed with strong devotion when filming my music video.
The narrative structure for this music video is generally unconventional - the narrative does not follow a plot line or a story line, but it is in complete synchronisation with the music and follows the themes of the song. It also follows the musical structure of chapters (verses/chorus etc) For example, when the pace of the song picks up or slows down, the editing follows. Up until 0:40 seconds, the editing is slow, but when the drums enter the song and introduce the first section of song, it carries the speed of the editing with it. It can be referred to in similar musical terms - crescendo and decrescendo of pace. The narrative is linear, completely reliant and proportionate to the development of the song - the narrative is the representation of the song; there are no inferences or hidden meanings behind shots, but the shots are effective in portraying the instruments playing that section in the best possible way.
This is genre atypical again; it's not pop-punk, but its also a performance (and obscure) genre. 'polyrhythmic' progressive metal and follows all the same performance conventions. The video relies on more intricate camera work and has a less demanding focus on other narrative features. The genre itself is far from 'glossy' or decorative. Image is not an issue either; all members are wearing plainly coloured clothes. This is a contrast to Pop Punk. The analysis of Decade - Brainfreeze follows the genre conventions, but also the narrative expectations of the genre. The lighting is particular and exciting; a vintage feel is given by the plain hanging light bulbs. Mise en scene is addressed well; a very old-school look to the studio and they are dressed up fashionably (casually) and the editing progresses with the song.
My video is a cross of the two; my lighting is honest but effective; dual flood lamps gave the strong lighting element that Tesseract use, but without the determined solemnity that they have - Pop-Punk, and indeed the song I'm using is far too upbeat for the tone they hold. The song is upbeat and if they were to be solid in their performance, then there would be no enjoyment or any relevance for a visual element. However, due to the strength of their performance, the focus on the intricacies of the song (Rules 3, 4 and 5) and the narrative of the song is then therefore carried through their performance. My narrative is linear, with strong crescendo and decrescendo of pace. It follows all the audible elements of the song and captures them visually to all round enhance the experience of watching the video. It's very important for my video to have captured the minor sections of song in unconventional or unusual ways. Also, due to the genre itself, I found that my intention to use a barn was inappropriate to the video and didn't suit the narrative. The narrative being, pop punk being a very city-based genre - unrelaxed, upbeat. The fast pace of the song was more appropriately captured in a small confined space; the studio.
This video, is another video by the band, which reinforces all my previous statements about the genre. This is a self-sanctioned and financed music video by themselves; so they have exotic and bizarre lighting and their use of mise en scene is far more focused on the song: Monster Mashed is all about energy drinks, so hyperactivity and cans everywhere is a must - it creates a narrative in a way. But the shot variety shows that these music videos are shot in the same way - the same shot types and shot angles appear throughout the genre.
Balancing above my head
An edge with potential
Collateral damage
My, it's a savage way to fall
And if there's one thing I've said
It's to know when to play dead
Managing to stay above
Despite outlines of chalk
Out on the town, gotta frown cuz we've slowed to pretty much a walk
And if there's one thing I say
It's to live for yesterday
Child lid still a problem
Bayside on my CD player
Never one for attention, guess I'll just make do and slay the time
The sword of Damocles will bring you down
Haunched over, crouched on your knees
Sweating like a rapist in court
No, I'm never bored (not as it is in here)
Take the A off apathetic and what have you got?
And if there's one thing I've said
It's to know when to play dead
Take a D out of sedated and you can't stand up
It's irrelevant; the merriment; you really meant that glee you said
And it's all in my head
And if there's one thing I'm good at
It's curiosity and the cat
Child lid still a problem Bayside on my CD player Never one for attention, guess I'll just make do and slay the time The sword of Damocles will bring you down Haunched over, crouched on your knees
Sticking with the same genre of my chosen band, this band are a classic example of genre conventions of Pop Punk. Decade have filmed a music video in their own studio, for simplicity. There is no narrative, other than them playing their instruments. Pop Punk doesn't necessarily require a narrative story in a music video - it's usually solely performance based, as narratives can become quite vague or unnecessary. It's true that there is a sense of vanity in Rock/Punk/Metal and various sub-genres, that the focus is on them, not a story line. Nonetheless, the video has some great examples of atypical shots and the kind of thing to expect.
[0:06] My personal favourite: the sweeping dolly shot, at the drummers level.
Drummers aren't a focal point, they're stuck at the back. The guys with the guitar and the mic are in front, and they're granted more attention. However, this shot allows the whole band to be in the shot, but focus on one particular member.
[0:19] Everybody looking at eachother: The whole point of pop punk, is that it's young, energetic, and friendly. Friends that have decided to make a band. The whole smiling at eachother thing reinforces that it's more about playing songs they like, and enjoy, than anything else.
[0:29] Mandatory guitarist eating microphone shot: When back up vocals are featured, there is always a shot of the back up vocalist singing them. It's a strong feature, and should be entirely cut to the beat. It should be kept to a midshot, or a side on shot.
[0:35]
1) Jumping: Jumping is vital, band movement is a definite requirement in a music video based entirely on performance, and jumping is a recognisable and most obvious form of this. Jumping shows the energy and enjoyment of the genre; they're fully immersed in playing the song and having fun with it.
2) Slow motion playing: When changing into a breakdown, bridge or middle 8 that's comparatively softer or slower, it's not surprising, like in this case, to see some slow motion. Not for a prolonged section of time, but it is an effect that accents something like a band jump perfectly. Too much could ruin it, so it needs to be used within reason.
[1:13] Avoiding eye contact with the camera: the whole point is that the camera is omniscient, and catches them from all angles or positions. A huge shot variety is required for this, but typically, the band pretends the camera isn't there - like they're practicing or just having fun, and it's being documented. It preserves the natural feel of them playing, prevents it looking like they're forced to play.
[2:02] Instrumental intricacies: Any point in the song where a musician plays an interesting fill or solo, that becomes the focal point at that moment, it's usually included. For example, the drummer is playing a fill to carry the chorus into a middle 8, and it just marks a change. The focus is remaining on the instrument and the music yet again; the narrative is entirely made up of them playing their song.
[2:39] Generally, preference of the instrument and the outfit is chosen over the member's face. This is a touch that I like, and this video uses perfectly. It donates adequate and equal proportions of the shot to each member, or maintaining them all within the frame. There is no dominant member in the video.
The editing is so fast paced, due to the upbeat nature of Pop Punk, and this song especially. The usual variety of shots are wide midshots showing most of the members, or sweeping dolly shots that portray them all individually within the same shot.
This fits in with the genre expectations set by the fans, who don't ususally recognise the band as the people, but as the collective group, and expect to see them play as they would onstage, the video reflects their persona on stage entirely. So to see them stationary, with almost 'wooden' presence betrays the ideas or visual portrayals the fans have for the band.
Kasabian videos often feature heavy narratives; the song 'Fire' almost seems like an adaptation of an old Western film - the ending is very much a parody of Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid's iconic ending.
It starts with shots of them being introduced - Tom walks up to the reflective window and sings to himself, looking at his reflection and possibly thinking through his proposed actions - setting a story for the music video. Serge is also introduced, pulling a classic Western pose.
We then come across a flash forward, showing a bag full of sheet music been blown across a dusty road, in slow motion. This is the first instance that we realise that music is being used as a substitute for other things - sheet music represents money and their guitars are used as guns.
We see various characters being introduced, all their stories intertwined - an omnipresent narrator shows all aspects.
An effective aerial shot shows all these characters coming together.
The editing for this section is generally slow - the feel and tempo of the song is currently soft and slower, so the editing is set to match that. However, when the chorus kicks in, the editing picks up a bit, and switches over to a different perspective.
We can see this town is quite linear, like an old Western town would be - the location is perfect for the story, and the use of vehicles add a sense of modernity to the mise en scene.
The perspective given now, is from CCTV cameras in the bank itself. The post production effects consist of making the shot grainy and a timer, to give the impression of genuine CCTV footage from this bank. We again see the representation of music brought up again; Serge is brandishing his guitar in a pose that suggests violence - like a gun aimed at those around him. A clever musical touch onto a classic western theme.
The music video is generally linear, but on occasion returns to Tom singing to his reflection again - giving a sense of a protagonist and a character embodying a parallel narrator - his vocal line is carrying the story. It also returns to a shot of the bassist, who is dressed to look somewhat like an average southern American and a VW Campervan following alongside - suggesting towards a getaway vehicle.
The plot then loops again, becoming circular, as it shows Tom's entry into the bank, as oppose to Ian and Serge's entry into the story.
The police are then introduced - first through them carrying on the gun/guitar metaphor - which is perfectly portrayed by them picking up guitar's from a gun rack, in the recognisable police-emergency fashion, and the brilliant poster next to it; it's continued by the police shooting a band member in the bank, creating a plot dynamic, called a twist. The video also returns to its linear format.
"No loaded or concealed guitars allowed beyond this point"
A brilliant mid shot that shows the police engaging in musically thematic violence, and an extreme close up of the first 'gunshot' all in a tight shot
The bank vault scene is deliberately a tight shot, to show the claustrophobia and panic in this section of the story - we see the shot member against the wall. The editing remains fast paced, but the transition is a soft fade, to reflect the synth section between the choruses.
The editing remains fast again, but the camera shots enjoy a longer duration; the shot variety consists of mid shots from both infront, and behind the characters, to show their getaway.
The screen shot shows a clip where the camera follows Serge around the corner. He's taken the traditional country western musician getup - Cowboy hat and a guitar strapped behind; a perfect use of mise en scene to enhance the story behind the video. This section also features shot/reverse shot of the police chasing them.
The next few shots are where we start to see a parody of the ending to the Western classic Butch Cassidy and the Sun Dance Kid
Classic Western Style camera shot
Serge's guitar can now shoot bullets. Either mise en scene joke, or a continuation, but, with his facial expression, gives an almost 'Scarface' feel "say hello... "
The shot/reverse shot of them looking at eachother is almost identical to the final scenes in BC&SDK
The bag being thrown is the sequence before we realise the flashforward that the music video starts with originates from this section - we realise that the story is near it's end.
The plot of this music video then alters again; we see the sheet music floating across the screen, and return to Tom viewing himself in a very reflective window. Out of nowhere, the music video becomes circular again - the VW Campervan is driven again, everyones still alive, and walking into the bank.
The video, therefore becomes circular. It ends prior to the music video either completing that sequence, or beginning again, so it's a rather confusing narrative. It follows heavy flashforwards and flashbacks that make it unclear which is which. Furthermore, it's unsure of which tense we are in. Whether the start is a flashback or flashforward or present time. These questions run throughout the whole video. While most of the section remained linear, the returning to various clips make it circular and confusing. However, that does not make it uneffective or by any means unappealing as a narrative. Due to the popular culture reference to Butch Cassidy also allows a pre-figuring or prediction of events (and the anticipation of the famous ending scene) There remains several questions - why are they robbing the bank? Whats the value of the sheet music? the sense of enigma further enhances the plot line.
Essentially, as far as narrative structures go, this music video is condensed full of narrative elements that create a thick and comprehensive story line.
The second music video I'm going to list is Linkin Park - What I've Done
The music video starts in the same way it ends - the first and last shots are just reversed to signify open/close or beginning/ending. The video itself is a reflection of the song - the song is intended to be a reflection of guilt, of any bad or wrong-doing. Therefore, the music video takes the viewpoint of mankind, and reflects upon all that is wrong in this world. It's a very emotive video - it's expression lies in the wide variety of clips it uses.
The editing is extremely fast - shots rarely last more than 3/4 seconds. The fast pace emulates chaos and reflects the context of the song.
All shots of the band are either long shots, shots at peculiar angles, or -the most frequently used angle- the rotational shot from below.
The first music video I'm going to list is a song by a band called Letlive. called Muther.
Contextually, this song is about the lead singer's (Jason Butler) difficult upbringing and the song is a narrative story.
The song is about his father, a jazz musician (hence the jazzy break down towards the end) never being around/dying early in his life, and his mother either moving on too early for Jason's liking, or his mother cheating on his father. Either way, he is angry and does not forgive her.
(perception of lyrics)
The music video thematically is a gathering of people and Jason and a form of love interest are walking around the room. She is interacting with various people whilst he remains very much oblivious and anonymous to them and perhaps her. He's following her around, perhaps trying to tell her something, and she wanders off.
The shots altercate between slow motion and regular speed, but still keep the audio in time with the video. It's shot almost entirely on a handheld camera and follows the erratic and unpredictable movements of the two fully animated characters in this video.
For extra effect and to fit in the theme, there is a 50's jazz feel - the use of blur and the added effect of a warped or damaged film reel giving markings and imperfections in the video also contribute to the 'damaged' or 'broken' idea of this video. Somewhat cliche, but a nice touch.
The use of writing the lyrics or words across the screen in scrambled, brief writing both compensate and reiterate the emotion of the vocals.
