Music Video Analysis of Paramore - Monster

For part of my A2 media I have decided to create a music video. To do this I need to research existing music videos and find out the codes and conventions to create a successful music video. To start of I am Analysing Paramore's video for their song Monster.

Here is the band Paramore with lead singer Hayley Williams, guitarist Taylor York and bass player Jeremy. They formed in 2004 and are signed with independent record label Fueled By Ramen. I chose to look at this video because it is the same genre as the song I intend to make a video for, so many of the conventions will be the same.

 In the first few shots we see the band laid floating in water, which later goes with lyrics in the first verse which are 'You where my consciecnce so solid now you're like water' which could be lead singer Hayley Williams referring to her past relationship with Josh Farro who used to be the lead guitarist for paramore but in december of 2011 him and his brother Zac Farro (drummer) decided to leave the band because they believed the band was all about Williams and none of the others where important to the fans or record labels. Also the lyric 'We started drowning, not like we'd sink any further' which again relates to the relationship or Williams and Josh Farro saying that there relationship was going down hill and it couldn't really get any worse. However even though the lyrics talk about sinking, they're not sinking, they're floating, so you could say that them floating is showing strength. The shots in which the band are in the water you see they are all wearing the same colour which is black. Also the water they are laying in happens to be really dark too. The dark colours in these shots could be to do with the unpleasant experiences the band has gone through with the loss of two of their members and the rumours. In some of the other shots we see the band members once again all wearing the the same colour but this time the colour is 'nude' which gives off the impession of being naked. During these scenes it's quite angry and we see the band hitting and kicking walls bearing in mind the 'nude' colour, this could be a sign of the band breaking out and just being them selves and not giving a care about what's thrown at them but also with the lyrics 'i'll stop the whole world, from turning into a monster, eating us alive' they have to look strong and fierce like they're not scared. The video is filmed in an old vintage hospital, usually a hospital is a place of safety but in the video there is explosions and shaking which the band is running away from, this could be the band running away from the past with the Farro brothers and all the rumours made. We also see Williams sat on a hospital bed in which it is surrounded by dead flowers with a note saying 'This is not the end' so with the flowers being dead it's like saying the old band is dead and they're getting a new start with the three of them. At the end of the video we see all three band members come together in a room in which their instruments are located so they have being brought together to continue and be successful and forget about the past. The last shot in the video is of the water without the band in it, this could mean that the band is no longer 'drowning' from the loss.

The most dominant camera shot throughout the music video is a close up. Throughout the video we see each of the band members with a close up of their faces, this type of shot is usually used to show expression, which in this video the band will show upset and anger. Many other shots used throughout the video is long shots and wide shots. There is lots of camera movement throughout the video such as tracking shot and pan shots. There is also lots of jump cuts in the video which are done to go in time with the music, it also goes with the anger and is used to prevent the music video from been peaceful.

There is two prime colours in this video, Black and Nude. It's mainly the clothing, but also the colours of the walls in the hospital are a nude colour. There is also bits of blue on the walls which goes with the odd pieces of clothing which are blue/denim. All in all the whole surroundings are quite dull and dark when it comes to the water scenes in which black is the prime colour. Orange is also a colour which is included quite alot, William's hair is orange and then in the hospital room when we see her sat on the bed, we see an orange T.V and orange flowers. The video is quite dull because it will reflect on what has happened in the past. It has an element of verisimilartude because the location in the video doesnt change much and isn't too much for the audience to take in.

The narrative of this music video is pretty abstract. If you didn't research the band and their past you probably wouldn't have a clue. But basically it's about putting up a fight and not losing and being in control and not letting anyone stop you. Through the video we just see the band in an old vintage hospital which looks asif it is being attacked and then we just see them in the water which is what's holding them back so much (aimed at Josh Farro 'so solid now you're like water'). The narrative of the video is performance because we see the band performing without having to go see them but it is also slightly abstract when we see the band in the water.

The genre of this music video is Alternative Rock. I can see this from the conventions used; there is the stereotypical instruments that you would see in a music video and the video is very angry and outgoing like the Rock genre. The dark colours used also gives away the genre. The narrative of the video is performance because we see the band performing without having to go see them but it is also slightly abstract when we see the band in the water.

This music video is aimed at Paramore fans and fans of the Alternative Rock genre which are stereotypically know as people who wear skinny jeans and dark colours and also known to have bright colours in there hair like lead singer Hayley Williams, she inspires many of her fans. The band members represent their fans and many of their fans will go for the same sort of look and copy their style. I would say the age for this video is 12 and above. People don't usually tend to listen to this sort of music until that age. The video is suitable for prime-time screening because it contains nothing inappropriate.

My Chosen Song

So I have chosen to create a video for the song Uprising by the band Muse. I have been planning what I have been wanting to do threw the summer and I really like this song , it makes me think of people being rebellious and taking control, breaking free and standing up for yourself. I Would appreciate it if you could answer my Polls about this song and polls on how you would like my Music Video to look.

History Of My Chosen Medium

Music Videos are produced as a way to promote an artist and their music what they release into the charts. Music videos started off as promotional films which you would buy or where shown in the cinema. The films showed the artists acting and also performing many of their songs, artist’s songs were also played in cartoons in the 1930’s.

Animation was a start and many cartoons in the early 1930’s featured popular musicians performing their songs. Early animated films by Walt Disney contained famous classical pieces for example ‘Fantasia’ and ‘Silly Symphonies’. Warner Brothers still to this day use artist’s songs in ‘Looney Tunes’ and ‘Merrie Melodies’. The WB cartoons where usually based on songs from upcoming WB films.

In 1965 Bob Dylan released his promotional film ‘Don’t Look Back’ directed by D.A. Pennebaker and was filmed in black and white and includes a clip which was all done in one shot using cards with the main words of the song which is been played. This was one of the first promotional films produced and was a great success. From here more music promos were made.

The Beatles also released their first promotional film ‘A Hard Day’s Night’ in 1965 which was directed by Richard Lester. This film was also a great success and is also shot in black and white and contains dialogue and musical sequences. Also in 1965 The Beatles released their second film ‘Help!’ which was a big improvement from the first film as this was shot in colour. The Beatles began to make promotional clips in which they would be distributed and broadcast in other countries so they could promote themselves and their music without showing their faces. In November 1965 The Beatles videotaped 10 black and white promo films which were filmed by the British production company Intertel.

Michael Jackson’s ‘THRILLER’ took music videos to a whole new level, lasting fourteen minutes and costing $500,000, been quoted as the most influential music video of all time. Jackson’s promotional film helped more black American artists gain more airtime on MTV. It was influenced by dance sequences from Hollywood musicals. Madonna’s video ‘Material Girl’ from 1985 is one of the best know videos to be based on a Hollywood musical which is said to be based on Jack Coles ‘Diamonds are a girl’s best friend’ from the film ‘Gentlemen prefer blondes’ from 1953 starring Marilyn Monroe.

Promotional films were also filmed at gigs. Top of the pops was a UK show that started showing music videos in the late 1970’s but where restricted on their use of music videos but in ways this was good because good videos increased sales because people could not wait to see them again, for example David Bowie who got his first UK number one in 1980 for the very popular ‘Ashes to Ashes’ which was a great promo produced by David Mallet. Also in the 1980s it was MTV that showed how important music videos where. Buggles ‘Video killed the radio star’ was filmed in 1981. It was the first music video to be played on MTV. In 1985 MTV created VH1 which featured much calmer music, then in 1986 Channel 4 started broadcasting ‘The Chart Show’ which showed none stop music videos. In 1992 MTV started naming the directors of music videos to get them more recognised. Many directors had an individual, recognisable style and worked in high production values these where usually called Auteurs. An example of this is Radiohead’s ‘Street Spirit (Fade Out)’ which was directed by Jonathon Glazer in 1996 and shot in Black and White. Most Auteurs usually ended up working in film or advertising.

In the mid-2000s MTV had many sister channels that showed reality TV shows and began to focused more on genre of chart/pop music. Convergence became very important. In 2005 the internet became video friendly and the famous website ‘YouTube’ was created. YouTube was so successful that it began to affect production values of music videos and the ways that they were marketed. In 2009 30 seconds to mars’s video ‘Kings and Queens’ was released and uploaded on YouTube and all in the same day gained over one hundred million views, forty million on MySpace and was featured video of the week on I-Tunes and was one of the most downloaded videos to be shown earning it to have four nominations at the 2010 MTV Video Music Awards. This made them the most nominated rock artist in VMA history in one year.  Lady Gaga’s music video was the most viewed on YouTube in 2010 gaining over 350 million votes by 2011 But  it was then later beaten in early 2011 by Justin Bieber’s video ‘Baby’ which gained 500 million views. The internet is the main income growth for record company produced music to this present time.

Brief

My task is to produce a music video and also choose to create two of the following.
- A website homepage for a band
- A cover release as part of a Digipak (CD/DVD package)
- A magazine advertisement for the Digipak (CD/DVD package)

I have chosen to do the magazine advertisement and the cover release as part of a Digipak. Also in the task we are required to give our performer/artist their own identity. For example if I chose to use a Paramore song, I would be able to use the song but would have to come up with a different band name.