RC - Technical analysis: You me at six, 'Kiss and tell'

I chose to do a technical analysis of this song, as this band is of an alternative rock genre, which is similar to the band we are doing our music video for, also, I feel that this specific song relates well to our chosen song. I am particularly intrigued by how the camera has been used,primarily the camera movements.


Throughout the duration of this video the camera is always moving, so that there is no shot that is completely still.

-The video starts of with a panning MS of a black, electric guitar surrounded by black and white balloons on the floor (0.00);

-the camera then moves onto a MS of an empty glass bowl on a shelf, which is covered by left over food (0.01);

- MS of a megaphone on a sofa, which has an item of clothing and different coloured poker chips on it (0.02);

-MS shot where the camera zooms in slightly to four photographs pinned to a yellow/orange speaker, each photograph is a picture of the band, and each separate one has a word written at the bottom of it, spelling 'you me at six'. The head of a guitar is on show and is leaning against the speaker, and a random lead is dangling down so that it covers the last photograph slightly (0.02-0.03);

-panning MS of a brown/beige, metal drum equipment, with a microphone and its lead placed on one of the drums (0.03-0.04);

-MS of a white manikin wearing a black top hat placed against a white/beige wall, with two bulbs, one yellow and one blue, hanging above the manikin, with a tall lamp standing next to the manikin (0.04);

-MS ped up of drum equipment, from a different angle, this time a guitar is in show (0.05);

-the camera moves to a MS of a dirty, upturned paper plate on a blue and white squared floor, with leftover food surrounding the plate (0.05);

-Ped down of a white/beige ceiling covered with black and white balloons and black paper decorations draping down (0.06) the music playing here is still just the instrumental introduction;

-the camera then pans down to a MLS of a group of people dancing to the lead singer now singing, you can still see the ceiling decorations, as well as two speakers, one either side of the singer (0.06)

-over the shoulder MS of the singer with people dancing in front of him (0.07);

-MS of singer and guitarist, the singer is expressing his words in an angry manner (0.08);

-CU of singer singing into his microphone (0.09);

-MS of the drummer drumming (0.09-0.10);

-CU of the black electric guitar, with the hands of the guitarist in show strumming the strings. The drums are in the background to the right. (0.10)

-MS of guitarist's face with the guitar's amplifier/speaker in the background, to the left of him. The guitarist has mid- length dark brown hair and is wearing a black shirt. He seems to be concentrating on what he is doing (his eyes are closed) (0.11);

-slight low-angle, MS of another guitarist, who is singing the lyrics of the song. Black curtained background, which contrasts with the orange/yellow lighting. It seems that this contrast is a recurring theme throughout this video (0.11-0.12);
-slight high-angle, MS of yet another guitarist, wearing a black and red checked shirt, also singing along to the song. A white wall is shown to the right of him, with his guitar's amplifier/speaker on show too. (0.12);
-MLS of band altoghter performing the song, with the crowd infront of them dancing along (0.12-0.13);
-slow ped up, MS, of the bottom half of a girl wearing hardly anything standing and dancing on a dark green leather sofa, which is placed infront of a wall. On the sofa is a TV, some sort of gold, glitter, decoration. To the right of the sofa are two light bulbs, one green and one red, which are hanging down the wall on a piece of wire. To the left of the sofa is a tall lamp, with other objects cluttered around it (0.14-0.15)





-zooming in and out MS of lead singer, singing in the same spot (0.16) -panning left MLS of the band and the crowd, in the same place as before (0.17);
-panning right MS of the drummer (0.18);
-possible POV, MS of the singer performing and two other band members, with a red headed girl blocking the view slightly (0.19-0.20);
-ped down (MS) of one of the guitarist's performing (0.20).


I only analysed a short section of this video because of its fast cutting rate, which meant that within only the first 20 seconds of this video there were already 20 shots.

Evaluation:

Having carried out a technical analysis I was able to see, shot by shot, how a music video of our chosen track's genre is created to produce an effective series of visuals. From looking at another artist's work I am given the opportunity to benefit from any techniques they use, may they be visual, camera, or editing techniques, or even just the use of mise en scene. Therefore we can translate these techniques into our work, to hopefully improve our overall video.

From this analysis I have idenitified how important meat shots are in composing a video that is of the greatest effect and appeal; it appears that meat shots are used in order to gain audience attention, as the audience is given real insight into the artist(s)/character(s). From looking at the meat shots used in this video I recognised how first person mode of address is also a significant factor, as these types of shots break down the fourth wall, once again allowing the audience to feel a part of the video; again proving that techniques used to involve the audience are key to a video's success.

This video includes a lot of shots due to its fast-cutting rate (one shot only lasts between 1-2 seconds), and our own music video is supposed to be around three minutes long, which has made me aware of just how much footage we need to compile a video that has a feasable amount of shots. It has also enlightened me to the aspect of a video needing a lot of filler shots, as it is crucial that we film more than needed to ensure we have enough.

It has also been made clear to me that we don't always have to follow the conventions of our type of music video; we can break the rules to some degree. Nowadays, in a post modern world, this is becoming more and more of an upcoming thing to do.

One last thing I learnt is the use of lighting and colour in aid of creating mood/atmosphere and how important it is in order for our video to be relevant to our concept. An example of this would be when we do our party scene; our aim is to create an environment which is dark, but also with the effect of strobe lighting, this environment would not be created if the lighting was bright and therefore connoting daytime.