SP - Deconstruction: Muse - Bliss

Artist: Muse

Song: Bliss
Genre: Alternative Rock 
Director: (Not Given)

Year: 2001
Audience: 15-24

"Bliss" is a song by English rock band Muse and is the second track on their second album, Origin of Symmetry. It was also released as the third single from that album in the United Kingdom on 20 August 2001. Matthew Bellamy has said "Bliss" is his favourite song "because it's got all these 80s arpeggios and keyboards on it which remind me of some music I heard on some children’s music programme when I was five. I think I ripped it off that. And that reminds me of when I was a bit simpler, a bit more of a pleasant state." Christopher Wolstenholme said: "We have just always loved playing that song live. Even if you don't know the song it has one of those disco-ey feels to it but recorded in a rock way. It was one of those songs that when we play it live you always know if you are having a bad gig - it will be the song that will get the crowd going." During the tour in promotion of Origins of Symmetry, "Bliss" was usually played as the final song, often coinciding with the release of giant balloons from the venues' roof. At a gig in Australia during the HAARP tour, balloons were released onto the stage, with Bellamy using his guitar to pop them. (Source: Wikipedia)

Muse's Bliss is a mixture of both a performance based and a concept based music video. The performance element features all of the way through the music video as it contains footage of Matt Bellamy, lip-syncing the lyrics to the song. However most of the music video is a concept based idea as the music video features Matt Bellamy standing on a ledge then the song begins as he leaps and begins falling through a hole in space. The hole looks to be on a space station possibly on an abandoned planet, but the clear technology looks to be futuristic and well beyond what exists at this time. The other band members can be seen throughout the video watching Matt Bellamy as he falls each in their own pods. As the song reaches its climax he exist the hole into space and towards what looks like a nebula or a star's photo-sphere. At that points the light causes him to fade out as he begins to turn into dust as he edges closer to a white light and the song fades out. What tells us that it is not a narrative music video and it is a concept idea is that there is no storyline to the video and the lyrics do not fit in with what the actors are doing. It is a completely random idea that they have though of.  

The opening shot of the music video is a close up of Matt Bellamy. Matthew James Bellamy was born on 9 June 1978 and is an English musician, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. He is best known as the lead vocalist, guitarist, pianist, and main songwriter of the alternative rock band Muse. His red hair and his red shirt are striking in this opening shots and are complimented by his dark eyes. This gives him an almost evil look. However soon after, the next sequence of shots reveal that he is in outer space. The technology and Matt Bellamy's clothing and it's colour all add to a futuristic look and it's well beyond what exists at this time. 

At the start of the music video, as i have just mentioned, it features Matt Bellamy standing on a ledge. There are no lyrics at this point and it is just a gentle sound of wind blowing and then the keyboard starts playing. When the song finally begins at the same time he leaps off the platform and begins falling through the hole in space. The hole looks to be on a space station possibly on an abandoned planet, but the clear technology looks to be futuristic and well beyond what exists at this time. This ticks all the boxes for a concept music video. This is obviously a single, random idea. It grabs the attention of the audience. This is because concept videos stand out from performance and narrative routes. The concept route has no boundaries and a creative mind can be used to try new things out. Muse's Bliss is an example of a concept music video. It is very futuristic and for 2001 it is very good graphics. People would never get bored of watching this music video. The audience would be able to watch this video over and over again especially a younger audience which Muse usually target.

Throughout the whole video there are alot of shots of Matt Bellamy, lip-syncing the lyrics to the song whilst falling through this hole in space. This is very different to all the other performance elements i have seen i all the other music videos i have deconstructed. Usually there are shots of the band playing their instruments but mainly of the frontman lip-syncing. Usually there shots of the drummer and bassist for example. These are all examples of what you would expect to see in the performance elements of the music video. However for this music video there are just shots of Matt Bellamy, lip-syncing the lyrics to the song whilst falling through this hole in space. There is alot of shot variety for these sections because it is blended in with the concept sections. They are not two seperate sections like would would usually find. It is all mixed in to one. Fast paced editing is a common code and convention in music videos and this is the case in Muse's song Bliss. This is because the concept music video takes alot of shots to keep it interesting. You can't just have interesting graphics. To keep with the fast feel of the actual song and the vast amount of shots, fast paced editing is a must to compliment both of these things.

It's not just about Matt Bellamy falling through a whole in space. The other band members make an appearence in this music video. Christopher Wolstenholme and  Dominic Howard can also be seen throughout the music video. They feature whilst watching Matt Bellamy as he falls, each in their own pods, along the shaft that Matt Bellamy is falling through. Christopher Tony Wolstenholme was born on 2 December 1978 and is the bassist and backing vocalist for Muse. Wolstenholme also sometimes plays keyboard or guitar instead of bass. Dominic Howard was born on 7 December 1977 and is the drummer for Muse. Again the pods are extremely futuristic and resemble concept music videos. Everything in this music is stereptypical for a concept music video.

 

As the song reaches its climax Matt Bellamy exist the whole and is left into space and starts falling towards what looks like a nebula or a star's photo-sphere. At that points the light causes him to fade out as he begins to turn into dust as he edges closer to a white light and the song fades out. This is an extremeely good ending to the music video because as the song fades out, Matt Bellamy is falling towards the light and it slowly fades out to a white shot. I think this is one of the best ending to a music vidoe i have deconstructed so far and i really enjoyed watching this music video. I liked the concept idea and i thought the graphics are really good. 

Here is the music video Bliss by Muse

Rob Shaw kindly posted a comment on this post and provided an extremely useful link. You can check out the behind the scenes footage of the music video Bliss by Muse by clicking here!

SP - Deconstruction: The Prodigy - Firestarter

Artist: The Prodigy

Song: Firestarter
Genre: Electronic Dance
Director: Walter Stern

Year: 1996
Audience: 15-24

"Firestarter" is a song by the English band The Prodigy, released on 18 March 1996. It was the first single from their third album The Fat of the Land, and their tenth single. It was also the group's first number-one single on the UK Singles Chart, staying on top for three weeks. It was The Prodigy's first big national and international hit, also reaching number one in Finland and Norway. It featured Flint's punky vocals which showcased him as the group's frontman. The title and lyrics were subject of controversy in the UK because of their violent nature. The music video further boosted these controversies. The songwriting credits—among Liam Howlett and Keith Flint—include Kim Deal of alt-rock group The Breeders. The looped wah-wah guitar riff in "Firestarter" was sampled from The Breeders' track "S.O.S." from the album Last Splash. Because of the use of a sample from a 1984 single "Close (to the Edit)" songwriting credits also list Art of Noise's then-members: Anne Dudley, Trevor Horn, J.J. Jeczalik, Gary Langan and Paul Morley. The "Empirion Mix," which does not include these samples, is credited solely to Howlett and Flint. Howlett has also revealed that a version with additional "oomph" will feature in their set at the Warriors' Dance festival organised by The Prodigy. (Source: Wikipedia)

The Prodigy's Firestarter is a mixture of both a performance based and a concept based music video. The performance element features Keith Flint lip-syncing the lyrics to the song. The majority of the music video is a performance based idea but the concept based ideas consist of people running through an abandoned London Underground tunnel at Aldwych.The music video was directed by Walter Stern and Keith Flint's appearance and the video's stark black and white also instigated controversies about being too scary for children watching it. Some television channels even refused to show the video until after the watershed. What tells us that it is not a narrative music video and it is a concept idea is that there is no storyline. The music video and the lyrics do not fit in with what the actors are doing. It is a completely random idea that they have though of and the lyrics and the dancing do not link with each other.

This is the opening shot of the music video and it shows us the setting the video is set. It is set in Aldwych which is a closed London Underground station in the City of Westminster, originally opened as Strand in 1907. Disused parts of the station and the running tunnels were used during both World Wars to shelter artworks from London's public galleries and museums from the threat of bombing. The station has long been popular as a filming location and has appeared as itself and as other London Underground stations in a variety of films. In recognition of its historical significance, the station is a Grade II listed building.

Throughout the whole video there are hundreds of shots of Keith Flint, lip-syncing the lyrics to the song. However these shots are very different to all the other performance elements i have seen i all the other music videos i have deconstructed. Usually there are shots of the band playing their instruments but mainly of the frontman lip-syncing. Usually there shots of the drummer and bassist for example. These are all examples of what you would expect to see in the performance elements of the music video. However for this music video there are just shots of Keith Flint, lip-syncing the lyrics to the song in quite a scary fashion. There is alot of shot variety for these sections. The music video was directed by Walter Stern and Keith Flint's appearance and the video's stark black and white effect also instigated controversies about being too scary for children watching it. Some television channels even refused to show the video until after the watershed. Fast paced editing is a common code and convention in music videos and this is the case in The Prodigy's song Firestarter. This is because the performance music video takes alot of shots to keep it interesting. You can't just have an interesting setting and effects. To keep with the fast electronic dance feel to the actual song and the vast amount of shots, fast paced editing is a must to compliment both of these things. 

 



It's not all about Keith Flint lip-syncing the lyrics to the song. I belive the other band members make an appearence in this music video. I cannot be 100% certain about this but i assume that is the other two band memberw sho are in this music video. The darknes and black and white effect makes it hard to make out clearly peoples faces. Keith Palmer and Liam Howlett can also be seen throughout the music video. Keith Andrew Palmer was born on 21 March 1967 in Peterborough, England. However he is better known by his stage name which Maxim Reality or simply Maxim. He is an English singer-songwriter and MC, famous for his work with electronica band The Prodigy. Gareth Paris Howlett was born on 21 August 1971 and is also a member of the English band The Prodigy. He is better known as simply Liam Howlett and is an occasional DJ, and a music producer.

 

There are several cut shots away from the performance sections of the music video. They are not just of band members as well, as i have already talked about. These cut shots are of some random people who are with Keith Flint in the abandoned London Underground tunnel at Aldwych. The are running towards the camera and then we see them with saws cutting up the old track that used to be used in this abandoned London Underground tunnel. Just all the other sequence of shots it is in black and white and it is a tense sort of atmosphere. Keith Flint is quite sacry in this music video and these shots add to the threatening atmosphere created in the music video. I have previously talked about this but the video's stark black and white effect instigated controversies about being too scary for children watching it. Some television channels even refused to show the video until after the watershed.    




        


Here is the music video Firestarter by The Prodigy

SP - Deconstruction: Editors - Bones

Artist: Editors

Song: Bones
Genre: Indie Rock
Director: The band's bassist Russell Leetch.

Year: 2008
Audience: 15-24

"Bones" was the fifth and final single from An End Has a Start, the second album by Editors. It was only released in Continental Europe under the PIAS label as a download only single. It was released to help promote the band during the festival run and their support of R.E.M. in July during their German shows. "Bones" was one of the first songs off An End Has A Start to be performed live, along with "The Weight Of The World" in 2006. It has since gone through many changes, most notably the bridge and outro of the song which was previewed via a short video made by the band months before the album came out. (Source: Wikipedia)

The Editors Bones is a mixture of both a performance based and a narrative based music video. The performnce element features all of the way through the music video as it contains footage of the band playing their instruments and the bands frontman, Tom Smith, lip-syncing the lyrics to the song. However some of the music video is a narrative based idea as its not just a video including on stage footage, there is also alot of behind the scenes footage shot during the European tour in March and April 2008. It was directed by the band's bassist Russell Leetch. What tells us that it is not a concept music video and it is a narrative idea is that it is not a completely random idea that they have though of. The music video has a storyline to it and it is centred around the band and what they are doing on tour. 

The opening sequence of shots are of of the veunues where The Editors have played on their European Tour in March and April in 2008. The shots are filmed from a point of view and it is meant to feel like amatuer filmimg. This is because the start of the music video is sort of like a diary. It is showing us the places that the band have been in their tour. There are not just shots of venues like my two pictures show, there are also shots of countryside and city centres of the cities the band have been exploring whilst on their tour. The camera shots used for these shots are extremely shakey but this is intended. It is showing there fans what they get up to when they are not playing on their tours. It is an interesting start to the music video beacuse at first we do not know what the shots are of until we see that the actual band members have taken these shots of the places they have been. It all becomes clear that they have taken these shots as a diary entry. That is the effect they are trying to make here.

There are several cut shots away from the original sequence of shots of venues and locations the band have been on their European Tour. These cut shots are of the actual band this time not of where they are playing and looking around. Just like the first sequence of shots there is a very laid back and relaxed atmosphere created here. Again the shots are not staedy and is obiously wanting to shows us what the band get up to. It shows everyone watching the video that these famous people are human and do live normal lives. Alot of people think that because they are famous and have alot of money that they always have to be proffesional. This music video shows that they are allowed to have abit of fun and the harness allow them to do this. They are all good mates and they are all messing around together. There are plenty of shots of the band behind the scenes in thier hotels and basically just chilling out together which alot of fans dont get to see much of. Again this adds to the vibe that this video is sort of a diary entry of their European Tours. So far there has been footage of the venues they have been at, the cities that they have been exploring and footage of them just hanging out together as mates.

Throughout the whole video  there are alot of shots of the band playing their instruments but mainly of the frontman lip-syncing. Throughout the whole video there are alot of single shots of Tom Smith lip-syncing but also single shots of the drummer and bassist etc. These are all examples of the performance elements of the music video. The majoriy of the shots used for these performance sections of the music video are medium shots and close ups. However there is some variation such as panning shots and a high angle shot for example. This is because they want a variety of shots throughout the whole video and the narrative sections mainly use more long takes and slow editing. More is happening in the narrative sections so they need to be using more unorthordox shots rather than close ups and medium shots. Fast paced editing is a common code and convention in  music videos and this is sort of the case in The Editors song Bones especially in the chorus. This is because the narrative sections are used in th verses and as i have just said, there are long takes and slow editing as it is amatuer footage like a diary ebrty. However the chorus is a much quicker part than the others. This affects the pace of editing in this music video. An interesting thing i noticed in the music video was that for the first three quarters of the music video the performance sections were in black and white. However for the last quarter they are in colour. Im not sure why this is the case but the performance shots are filmed live infront of an audience which is also quite interesting.

It is not just the band performing in the performance sections that are used throughout the music video. Because it is a live performance that has been filmed there are alot of shots of the crowd. It gives it a feel as if it is being shown live on TV rather than a music video because usually when performance sections are used in a music video, they are not playing in front of an audience and it is just of the band. It does give off the feel that it i being filmed live when it is actually already happened. This reminds me of the Coldplay song Fix You and Bon Jovi's Livin' On A Prayer that i have already deconstructed. A very similar technique was used in those music videos at the end just like with this one. It is not used very often in music videos but it actually a very effective technique for performnace music videos.

Here is the music video Bones by The Editors 

SP - Deconstruction: Bon Jovi - Livin' On A Prayer

Artist: Bon Jovi

Song: Livin' On A Prayer
Genre: Glam Metal, Hard Rock
Director: Wayne Isham

Year: 1986
Audience: Over 40's

"Livin' on a Prayer" is Bon Jovi's second single from their Slippery When Wet album. Written by Jon Bon Jovi and Richie Sambora with Desmond Child, the single, released in late 1986, was well-received at both rock and pop radio and its music video was given heavy rotation at MTV, giving the band their first #1 on the Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks chart. The single also became Bon Jovi's second consecutive #1 Billboard Hot 100 hit and has become the band's signature song, topping fan-voted lists and re-charting around the world decades after its release. The album version of the song fades out at the end, with a song length of 4:10. However, the version playable on the music video games Guitar Hero World Tour and Rock Band 2 retains the original studio ending of the song, where the band revisit the intro riff and end with a talkbox solo. This version of the song ends at 4:53. The song is also featured in the 2001 movie Rock Star. The song was sung by Sri & David to a sold out house at Mint in San Francisco on 8/20/2011. (Source: Wikipedia)

Bon Jovi's Livin' On A Prayer is a completely performance based music video with no narrative or concept. The whole video is footage of the band playing their instruments along with Jon Bon Jovi, the band's frontman lip syncing the lyrics to the song. The video for the song features shots of the band rehearsing for the first half of the music video, then playing in front of a crowd for the second half. The first half of the video, featuring the rehearsal footage, is in black and white, however the second half of the video, performing to the arena audience, is in color. Both sections have long takes of Jon Bon Jovi signing infront of his band who are set up behind as if they are playing live to an audience. This is because for the second half they actually are. It is a typical setup which you expect to see when you go watch a band live. It is a very old school and very low budget music video which is all about the band but especially the frontman, with most of the shots focusing on him. This is very typical for this time period and was frequently used in music videos. This was probably because it saved alot of money having perfomance videos.

One of the opening shots of the music video is in black and white and it is of the band. They walk up a set of stairs that are out of view and the camera doesnt move at all. This gives the effect that the band are coming up on some sort of lift. This is a really good effect as you cant really see the band members as it is dark and there is a black and white effect. It is mysterious and it goes with the music at the start of the music video which has no lyrics to it. There is a long keyboard note and a guitar with a wah wah pedal. When the music and lyrics do kick in this is when we first see the bands faces clearly. However this shot is a really good start to a music video as this shot is really well framed.

The next sequence of shots is of the crew setting up and the band rehearsing in the Olympic Auditorium in Los Angeles, California. There is music being played at this point but the shots are still in black and white. There is alot of activity happening in these shots and it is very much people setting things up and the band practising there instruments. However it is not just one long continuos shot. There is alot of shot variety at the start of this music video. There are several cut shots away to different crew members and band members. The cut shots are extremely quick and only last a few seconds. Some of the cut shots are of the band waiting for everything to be set up. Some are of more of the crew with a clapper board. It makes it feel as if someone is there filming people setting up without a tri-pod. The camera is shakey and this keeps up the relaxed atmosphere. This effect is meant to be be like this because they want a relaxed atmosphere to be given off at the rehearsal section of the music video. 

In the beginning of the video, Jon Bon Jovi has a harness attached to him. These are some of the cut shots i have just been talking about. The crew members are helping hin put his harness on and he is messing around with it with the rest of the band members. Again this adds to the laid back feel to the start of the music video and shows everyone watching the video that these famous people are human and do live normal lives. Alot of people think that because they are famous and have alot of money that they always have to be proffesional. This music video shows that they are allowed to have abit of fun and the harness allow them to do this. They are all good mates and they are all messing around together. Later on in the music video when it is the real, live performance he soars over the crowd via overhead wires. The crowd goes wild at this point and it shows the progress he has made from rehearsal to the live performance as this time he is not messing around and he goes right over the heads of hundreds of his fans.

Throughout the whole video there are alot of shots of the band playing their instruments but mainly of the frontman lip-syncing. There are single shots of Jon Bon Jovi lip-syncing but also single shots of the drummer, guitarist etc. These are all examples of the performance elements. There is alot of variety for these shots. There are close-ups, medium shots, long shots and panning shots. This is because they want a variety of shots throughout the whole video. Alot is happeining throughout the music video, as i have metioned, so they need to be using more unorthordox shots rather than just close ups for example so the audience dont get bored and loose interest.. Its not just shot variation that is a common code and convention in  music videos it is also fast paced editing. This is certainly the case in the Livin' On A Prayer music video by Bon Jovi. This is because, like i have already mentioned, they have to try and keep their audience interested so they have used alot of shots and fast paced editing to grab peoples attention. The fast paced editing fits in with this type of music video as there is alot happening and not much to take your eye off.

 

It is not just performance sections that dominate the second half of the music video. Because it is a live performance that has been filmed there are alot of shots of the crowd. It gives it a feel as if it is being shown live on TV rather than a music video because usually when performance sections are used in a music video, they are not playing in front of an audience and it is just of the band. At one point near the very end of the music video, Jon Bon Jovi soars over the crowd via overhead wires and the crowd goes wild. There is also shots of banners that the audience has brought with them and it does give off the feel that it i being filmed live when it is actually already happened. This reminds me of the Coldplay song Fix You that i have already deconstructed. A very similar technique was used in that music video at the end just like with this one. It is not used very often in music videos but it actually a very effective technique for performnace music videos.

 

Here is the music video Livin' On A Prayer by Bon Jovi

SP - Deconstruction: Linkin Park - Numb

Artist: Linkin Park

Song: Numb
Genre: Nu Metal
Director: Joe Hahn

Year: 2003
Audience: 15-24

"Numb" is a song by rock band Linkin Park. It was released as the third single from their second studio album, Meteora and is listed as the final track on the record. One of Linkin Park's most well known and critically acclaimed songs, "Numb" topped the Billboard Hot Modern Rock Tracks chart for 12 weeks. The song spent six weeks at the top of the chart in 2003 and six weeks in 2004, making it the only song in history to be the most successful song of the year on the Hot Modern Rock Tracks chart for two years. The song also spent three weeks atop the Billboard Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks chart and peaked at #11 on the Billboard Hot 100. The song was later combined with Jay-Z's song "Encore" to create "Numb/Encore", a massive hit for both artists which was featured on the album Collision Course and earned them the Grammy Award for Best Rap/Sung Collaboration. "Numb" was ranked #95 on Rhapsody's list of the Top 100 Tracks of the Decade. In January 2011, "Numb" was released in a Linkin Park DLC pack for Rock Band 3. (Source: Wikipedia)

Linkin Park's Numb is a mixture of both a performance based and a narrative based music video. The performnce element features all of the way through the music video as it contains footage of the band playing their instruments and the bands frontman, Chester Bennington, lip-syncing the lyrics to the song. However some of the music video is a narrative based idea as the video follows the domestic and social problems faced during a day in the life of an unpopular outcast young female student. What tells us that it is not a concept music video and it is a narrative idea is that the lyrics do fit in with what the actors are doing. It is not a completely random idea that they have though of. The music video has a storyline to it and it is centred around this girl and the lyrics mirror what she is doing in the video. 

The music video was directed by Joe Hahn and one of the first shots of the music video is an establishing shot of a city. I have found out that this particular shot is actually of Prague in the Czech Republic. I have also found out that as are all of the outdoor scenes. However the indoor scenes of the music video are set in a cathedral. Again the cathedral is set in Prague. This shot is put at the very start because it is giving us the information of where the music video is actually set. This is very useful and is usually used at the start of films but it can be used at the begining of muic vidoes, just like this one.

There are sections of narrative elements in this music video and it is featured around this girl. The girl spends much of her time drawing pictures which is a reference to the song "Drawing," which was a demo for the song "Breaking The Habit" another song on the album, revealing that she probably has dreams of becoming an artist. She is largely shunned and ridiculed at school, considering that when she is told off by the teacher for drawing in class everybody laughs at her and teases her, when she trips on the stairs nobody stops to help her up, and that when she tries to join a group of girls at a lunch table they immediately get up and leave, referencing "Somewhere I Belong", another song on the album. Also, there is a scene where her mother is ridiculing her for not being the daughter she wanted, a reference to the song "Nobody's Listening", another song on the album. There are also self-inflicted cut marks on her arms, which actually say "NUMB" - the title of the song. In the end of the video, she is shown sitting in her room, as she ties up her hair with a paintbrush, and throws paint at a canvas in anger. At the end, she runs into the church that the band was playing in, almost as if she heard them, only to find the church left behind empty.

The majority of the music video is of shots of the band playing their instruments but mainly of the frontman lip-syncing. Throughout the whole video there are alot of single shots of Chester Bennington lip-syncing but also single shots of the drummer etc. These are all examples of the performance elements of the music video. The majoriy of the shots used for these performance sections of the music video are medium shots and close ups. However there is some variation such as panning shots and a high angle shot for example. This is because they want a variety of shots throughout the whole video and the narrative sections mainly use more extreme long shots and long shots for example. More is happening in the narrative sections so they need to be using more unorthordox shots rather than close ups and medium shots. Fast paced editing is a common code and convention in  music videos and this is the case in Linkin Park's Numb especially in the chorus. This is because the chorus is a much quicker and heavier part than others. This affects the pace of editing in this music video.

One of the main features of the music video is when the girl is in real time but everything around her is quickened up. Everything is in the background is blurred because it has been quickened up. This makes the girl even more isolated and alone because again she is different. This is one of the best effects i have seen in all the music videos i have deconstructed so far. It is used quite alot in this music video and every time in the narrative sections. It is used when she is at school and when she is at home.It is an extremely proffesional effect and works really well in this music video.

Here is the music video Numb by Linkin Park 

SP - Deconstruction: The Killers - Somebody Told Me

Artist: The Killers

Song: Somebody Told Me
Genre: Alternative Rock
Director: Brett Simon 

Year: 2004
Audience: 15-24

"Somebody Told Me" is the debut single by American rock band The Killers. The song is featured on the group's debut album Hot Fuss and was written by Dave Keuning, Ronnie Vannucci Jr., Mark Stoermer and Brandon Flowers. Lead singer Brandon Flowers refers to this song as "Our most Vegas-influenced song on the album. Sin city, The Strip. It's where I grew up and of course it affects the songs I write. This song has a lot of sexual energy". When The Killers first started out, their music was little noticed by music-buyers and the media, which is why "Somebody Told Me" has been released twice in slightly different forms. The first, with the pink background cover, is the rarer version of the single as it was their first release of it; due to poor sales not as many were produced. When re-released, the cover-art sported a blue background colour and is the more common version of the single. The single peaked at #51 on the US Billboard Hot 100. In the UK it charted at #28 upon its first release in March 2004 becoming the band's first top 40 hit , it was then re-released in January 2005 and reached #3. In Australia, the song was ranked #4 on Triple J's Hottest 100 of 2004. In 2009 it was voted at Number 9 in UK radio station XFM's Top 100 songs of the decade. (Source: Wikipedia)

The Killers' Somebody Told Me is a completely performance based music video with no narrative or concept. The whole video is filled with footage of the band playing their instruments along with Brandon Flowers, the band's frontman lip syncing the lyrics to the song. It has quick takes of Brandon signing infront of a massive screen which is playing a video of the band playing. This is a very clever technique and it keeps the audience interested so its not just one continual shot of the band playing and him signing. Shot variation is a key code and convention of music videos. All of the time bands are trying to think of new ways to use simple techniques to the greatest effects. In this case it has worked really well and it is the first time i have ever seen this tehnique being used. 


 

The opening shot of the music video is of the big screen I have just been talking about. However when you first see the music video you cannot tell what it is. It is polysemic. It could even give off a different reading to what the wanted their audience to think it is which might not be intended. It is a very bright and rather strange start to a music video as all we see is this screen. The camera pans across it and it plays tricks on your eyes and makes a really interesting effect. The colours change as the angle of the camera moves across the big screen. It is only a 2-3 secoind shot but it is a really  attention-grabbing and bizarre start. 

This is the second shot in the music video. I thought i would point this out because I thought it was another interesting shot to start a music video with. Obviously we know who the song is by, but the fact the people are in darkness makes us wonder if it is the band or if the are some other random  people. We also do not know if these figures are shadows on the big screen or if they are just people hidden in the darkness. Another thing that strikes me about this shot are the colours. I strongly believe that there has been alo og thought going in to this. The light blue in the background contrasts with the blue and it gives of a spooky effect. To some up the first two shots are extremely interesting and original whitch i think is a good thing.

As it is a performance music video 90% of the shots are of the band playing but mainly the frontman lip-syncing. This is probably because everyone who wants to be in a band wants to be the frontman for variuos reasons. This could be because the fans, mainly female, always loves the frontman and amire them alot. Another reason could be because the frontman always get more attention than the other band members. Most of the shot throughout the music video are either short and sharp burts of the band members playing their instruments or longer takes of the frontman lip-syncing the lyrics to the song. These are all performance elements of the music video. Just like in many of the music videos i have deconstructed i have found that the majoriy of the shots used for these performance sections of any music video, and it is the same for this case music video, are medium shots and close ups. There are many reasons for this including that the audience want clear shots of their idols and heroes in the music video. Another reason is shot variation. If they get medium and close up shots for the frontman and the rest of the band playing it gives them more leeway to experiment with other shots for more interesting shots in the music video han just the band. It is essential that there is fast paced editing in music video but it is even more vital in completely performance based ones. It is very easy for an audience to get bored of watching the same old shot of the same old frontman and band playing. This is why fast paced editing is key. It keeps everyone interested. Another aspect of this video is the panning and low and high angle shot. There is alot of panning used in this video because it is another technique to keep everyone paying attention to whats happening. Having a panning shot of the band is much more eye catching than a still shot of the band. You could also say having a high or low angle shot is better than just a plain old medium shot of the band playing so it is important to use alot of variation in music videos.

With around 20 seconds to go in the music video it suddenly changes from nightime to daytime. After all of the medium and close up shots of the band playing and several cut shots away to the big screen with alot of different images coming up on it we finally have a completely different shot. We have an extreme long shot which reveals alot about the setting that the band are playing at. We see that they are playing in a very barren and deserted area. The contrast from a video filmed at night with the use of the light in the background from the big screen to a video filmed using natural light fom a sunrise is a great way to end the music video. 



Here is the music video Somebody Told Me by The Killers:

SP - Deconstruction: The Clash - London Calling

Artist: The Clash

Song: London Calling
Genre: Punk Rock
Director: Letts 

Year: 1979
Audience: Over 40's

"London Calling" is the third studio album by the English punk rock band The Clash. It was released in the United Kingdom on 14 December 1979 through CBS Records, and in the United States in January 1980 through Epic Records. The album represented a significant change in The Clash's musical style, which now featured major elements of ska, funk, pop, soul, jazz, rockabilly and reggae far more prominently than in their previous two albums. The album's subject matter included social displacement, unemployment, racial conflict, drug use, and the responsibilities of adulthood. The album received unanimously positive reviews and was ranked at number eight on Rolling Stone's list of The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time in 2003. London Calling was a top ten album in the UK, and its lead single "London Calling" was a top 20 single. It has sold over five million copies worldwide, and was certified platinum in the United States. (Source: Wikipedia)

The Clash's London Calling is a completely performance based music video with no narrative or concept. The whole video is footage of the band playing their instruments along with Joe Strummer, the band's frontman lip syncing the lyrics to the song. It has long takes of Joe Strummer signing infront of his band who are set up behind as if they are playing live to an audience. However it is set outside and it is very dark. It is also raining and very cold as when they sing you can see their breath coming from their mouths. It is a very old school and very low budget music video which is all about the band. This is very typical for this time period and was frequently used in music videos. This was probably because it saved alot of money having perfomance videos.

The first shot of the music video is of Big Ben. Big Ben is the nickname for the great bell of the clock at the north end of the Palace of Westminster in London, and is generally extended to refer to the clock or the clock tower as well. It is the largest four-faced chiming clock and the third-tallest free-standing clock tower in the world. It celebrated its 150th anniversary on 31 May 2009, during which celebratory events took place. The clock was finished being built on 10 April 1858. The clock tower has become one of the most prominent symbols of both London and England, often in the establishing shot of films and in this case music videos set in the city.

After the shot of Big Ben at the beigning of the music video which shows us the setting of the music video the shots shift the focus on to the band members. The shots are very drak and it is hard to make out which band member is which but i think this is intended to add a but of mystery to the music video. The camera quality also does not help but at the time of the music video camera quality isnt as good as it is now. Everything is very dark. Even the band members clothes are very dark. They are all wearing black suits whith a black blazer, black trousers and black shoes. This with the gloomy lighting and poor camera quality shows us the time period the music video is set and this is only the first couple of shots. There is another of someone running down a tunnel. I guess the person is a band member and this shots fits in the the song name. Yhis person is running and the song is called Londons Calling so there is an onbvious link here. The shots are also very shakey which adds a interesting effect to theopening shots. There are no lyrics being sung at this point just instruments being played and these shots are obviously and introduction the music video. It isnt the most interesting start to the music video but it is quite old and it is different.

Throughout the whole video there are very long takes like i said before of the band playing but mainly of the frontman lip-syncing. The majoriy of the shots used for the performance music video are medium shots and close ups. However this particular music video has a panning shot throughout the set-up of the band. The shot starts at one side of the band and it slowly moves across to the other side of he band. There is not much shot variety throughout the video because alot of the shots are very similar and some are even used more than once. The only bit of variation in the whole music video is a side on angle of the band and it is a slight low angle shot. However, just like most of the shots in this music video, it goes on for too long. It is also not a very interesting shot. Its not just shot variation that is lacking in this music video it is also quick paced editing. There are long takes and a lack of shots which results in slow feel to the video. The shots are all very shakey and not very still which gives it an amateur feel which might not be intended but works very well because it gives it a feel as if it is a live performance and a real rock band style. It is also very dark and gloomy which isnt very appealing either. The fact it is set outside and it is raining is stereotypical for British weather.

This music video is not all about the band though. Some of the shots in the London Calling music video by The Clash are cut shots away from the band. For example, I have picked out a few. Some of the lyrics in the chorus are 'Cause London is drowning, and I live by the river. At this point there is a cut shot away from the band and to an darker shot of a river which according to the title of the song must be the River Thames. However we cannot really tell. Another cut shot is of what i think is the London Tower Bridge but again it is so dark we cannot really tell what it is. That sums up the music video really well. There are alot of shots that you cannot really tell what they are or where they are because it is all filmed at night time. The only shots that are easily visible are the performance shots and thats only because there is artificial lighting to illuminate the stage they are on. It is a very old fashioned music video.

Here is the music video London Calling by The Clash