RESEARCH: Analysis of 3 Music Videos

Blink 182 - Rock Show

The video opens with some white on black titles explaining the concept of the video followed by some handheld "documentary-esque" shots of the band members coming out of their tour van and talking directly to the one camera. They explain the videos concept further. As Blink 182 are of the pop-punk genre (a sub-genre to punk), this DIY/Indie method (i.e. 3rd wall breaks and handheld camera) demonstrates the punk-ethos which influences the band.

The band are also in all back: with large logos printed T-shirts and either shorts or black jeans. This is conventional of many rock/alternative and is a predominant colour set for a band to use: usually red, white & black. (Other examples of similar bands: foo fighters, green day & white stripes.)



Their hairstyles are also cut short: conventional of the pop-punk genre and steering away for typical "rock" long hair.

The shots of them spending their cash on random things are constantly intercepted with live performances. The first performance being shot in a room with fish eye lenses: which are always cut with the lyrics synchronized (lip syncing) to the song. This is to emphasize that a large element of the band is their live shows: also exaggerated by their jumping and energy going into the performance.
This is demonstrated to a further extent by the 2nd performance venue shown in the video: in front of a large hyper crowd.

Performance number 2 also shows lots more connotations towards the bands genre. We see a lot of close up shots on the singers face & instruments. This helps bring out the front man's role leading the band as-well as emphasizing the role of the instruments in create the music. The handheld camera is continued with no nicely polished shots - as the grittiness contributes to creating the strong punk/indie vibe. Low angle and overhead shots are also used (with many slightly "dutch-ed " angles) helping to create the artistic imperfections.

The shots of them spending money on various  things are all handheld shots hinting back to the "punk-ethos" mentioned earlier. Gaze theory can be applied to the women in bikinis car washing: suggesting that the video is appealing to the bands fan base which may be mostly male and of a younger/teenage age.
The dancing man also helps displays the bands sense of humor - conveying their jokey personality within the video.

Furthermore, later on in the video we see: the drummer smashing up a TV, a car being smashed from a crane/ran into from the bands van & skateboarding.
All these things hint towards the punk genre (in particular skateboarding- which carries conventions towards the sub genre of "skate punk" witch Blink 182 are often categorized) and help convey the bands attachment to the genre.


All the shots are edited frequently (however not fast cuts) at times where it feels comfortable alongside the music (keeping the edits smooth) however aren't matched "to the beat".

The video ends with the title of the Album "Take Off Your Pants and Jacket" trailing a plane - helping promote its release as well as "Rock Show" being one of the albums single releases.

Green Day - Geek Stink Breath

"Geek Stink Breath" is another pop-punk style song. As expected, the video has similarities with the Blink 182 video. There are many close ups on their instruments and the singer/front mans face to emphasize their importance. A mixture of many extreme low angles and high angles are used to create a "punk/alternative" vibe along with handheld shots showing off a DIY punk work ethic. The edits and movement are frequent however not fast cut and aren't matched "to the beat".

Additionally, the live performance from the band (stressing how important their live shows are towards their image) intercepts with other clips, with lips synced to the song. These other clips however aren't random things they are spending money and are instead close-ups on dental surgery taking place - tying in with the songs lyrics and title.

The mise-en-scene of the live performance is vital towards the image the video is portraying for the band. The room they are playing in is a red/orange which complements their black outfits which are conventional of genre and similar to the ones Blink 182 wore. They all also dyed their hair extreme colours: conventional of the punk style as it make them stand out and not appear to care what other people think. Other details such as the gaffer tape securing the mic to the stand and the stickers covering the singers guitar give the video a DIY vibe - hinting at another punk, anti-mass production idea.

The performance has also had the shots heavily edited in post production. A grainy pinstriped texture has been added to make the piece feel more gritty. A high contrast is used on all the shots too to make the colours pop out and seem more extreme. Also the colours seem to warp as if the shot is damaged. This adds to the DIY vibe as well as adding a more manic feel to the video connoting genre conventions. They may also be complementing the lyrics content - reflecting the references to oral problems associated with the use of meth - creating a trippy colour palette in the video.

The imagery of the tooth being pulled out is extremely graphic - exaggerated by the extreme close up handheld camera's being used. This would have been done to purposely create controversy and create a reason for people to be drawn to the video. This also is a strong punk rock connotation. A lot of the shots are from the POV of the dentist, in conjunction with some really close shots on the patient/dentist making him look freakish and horrific.

Nofx - Bob

"Bob" is a song of the ska punk genre and moves away from the 2 previous pop punk songs. However, many conventions are carried over. It opens with a small narrative setup (like the concept setup in the blink video) demonstrated by some unprofessional "child like" drawings: giving the independent, DIY, punk vibe. The live performance interjects the narrative shots (mirroring the narrative in the lyrics: in particular "rides a scooter") with close ups on the singers face. Also the performance shots are edited to be black and white - giving it a certain punk feel in contrast to the brighter scooter shots. There are also examples of handheld shots in various places creating a similar effect.

The rest of the video follows the lyrics in the videos in and out of sync. E.g. we see the man (Bo") shave his head however the lyrics "once a day he shaves his head" aren't until later on in the song. In contrast the lyrics "will he ever walk the line" meets with a shot of Bob literally trying to walk  line . Lip syncing is also used on the performance shots. Furthermore, when the shot of the van driving past is played the trumpets play a "van-like" sound - meaning the video is "mickey-mousing" the instrumentation.

Some camera movement and edits are atypical of the genre. For example: we have big cinematic, smooth camera movement and pans up on Bob on his scooter and smooth fade transitions are used. This isn't as we'd expect as punk music is generally praised with its imperfections. One bizarre sequence is at 1:14 where the same shot is repeated in a loop - further aiding the DIY character of the video.

There is also less emphasise on the band members and their appearance as all shots on the band are mostly above shoulder level or cut away from too quickly to be a predominant features. The outfits in the ska section (e.g. sun glasses & white trilby hat) are more about enhancing the contrast of section than to acting as a uniform for the band. The DIY/ unprofessionalism of these sections (i.e. the bassist playing a block of wood with a sting attached to it) help convey the bands gentle sense of humour. However, one way the band market their image in the video is by splashing their logo around the video: particular on the bus stop seen in the last shots.

The rate of shot change and style of shots also mirror the music changes. Moving from the opening to the ska/trumpet section we get a slower edit rate, longer shots and colour performances of the band dancing (less frantically). This dramatically changes when the ending plays its faster section and the cuts are frequent, unstable and mostly based on performances and general "mania" from the crowd.

Conclusion



In conclusion for our video which we plan to be for a song of a similar genre we would have to make sure that we follow the common conventions that are common between all the videos.