Throughout the video of Monster the six main points of Goodwin's theory are shown and represented very clearly but there are also some other factors that relate to the band that are shown too.
Firstly, the video demonstrates its genre, rock/pop/punk, by showing performance scenes of the band in the video. All of the band members are performing in separate rooms, Hayley is singing and Taylor and Jeremy are playing their instruments, at the end of the video they all end up in the same room with their equipment which shows their bond within the band. This is very typical of Paramore style and representation of their genre; only one of their music videos has not got a performance element to it (Brick by Boring Brick), it also typical of similar bands such as All Time Low (from America), and You Me At Six (from United Kingdom). Both of these bands music videos are very dependent on performance scenes and almost every single one of their videos includes a performance.
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| Performance Shot |
The next point of Goodwin's theory that is recognizable is the link between the visuals and the lyrics. The first verse of the song references water. "You were my conscience, So solid now you're like water, We started drowning, not like we'd sink any further, But I let my heart go, It's somewhere down at the bottom". While these lyrics are being sung there are images of the band laying in water and shots of their faces in reflections to make them look as though they are under water, thus the lyrics are amplified. Also, the shot of the band laying in the water has quite a religious theme, kind of like a baptism, this is because of the bands Chrisitian belfiefs and has been reflected very subtly into the video.
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| Laying in the Water |
As Paramore are part of a record label, Fueled By Ramen, there are demands for a variety of shots and angles to be used in the video. From looking at some of Paramore the main visual style seems to be close ups of Hayley, the lead singer, as she is the main focus of many of the videos, with her band members providing a support role. But there are many close ups of all the band members during performance scenes. Another part of the band's visual style is their use of colour, in Monster much of the colour is provided from the clothes the band are wearing, such as such as their tops and trousers, and Hayley's hair. The use of Hayley's hair colour is very recognizable for fan fans of the band.
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| Hayley's Iconic Hair Colour |
There is a noticeable link between music and visuals, such as when Hayley is laying in the water and singing, the water around her is moving with the music creating a dream-like ripple effect. Also, as the chorus starts there is a use of pyrotechnics which are in time with the music. This creates a sense of performance and theatre and really makes the chorus stand out. Another link between the music and visuals is when the band start hitting and banging on the walls of the rooms they are in with their hands and feet but also their instruments. It’s a slight reference to rock artists who smash up their equipment and reckless antics of the rock genre, such as Pete Townshend of The Who and Jimi Hendrix. This is, I would say, the strongest link between music and visuals throughout the video, as it is in time with the drum beats and feels very significant when watching the video.
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| Hitting the Walls |
During the video, it’s difficult to spot any immediate inter-textual references like in some videos. Although, the location used for the majority of the video, the abandoned hospital, is similar to the opening location of the film 28 Days Later. In 28 days Later the main character is shown wandering bewildered through an abandoned hospital much like when Paramore are running through the corridors of the abandoned hospital in their video.
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| Hospital Scene in 'Monster' |
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| Opening Scene of '28 Days Later' |
Paramore’s
target audience are mainly 14-25 year old males and females. The majority of
fan are based in America but there are also a lot of fans in the UK too, these
following points are based around UK fans. Their income is fairly low as many
are still in education but they are most likely to shop at places such as Vans,
H&M and Schuh this is because although these shops are alternative they are
a mainstream alternative. Other bands they might listen to include All Time
Low, Blink 182, You Me At Six and Muse. This is because these bands all make
music in the same genre, also because some of them are bands that have
influenced the members of Paramore or bands that have been influenced by
Paramore. The target market would also be people that love to go to gigs and
see bands live. Fans are a very important point of how well a band does as its
those people who buys the music, gig tickets, merchandise etc.
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| Paramore Fans |
Finally, throughout the video there are references to looking and watching. This is best shown when the video is panning around the hospital and you can see into different rooms, it’s like you are looking into their private space. There is also a use of TVs which reference the notion of looking and watching, especially when Taylor
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| Taylor Watching TV |
A competent analysis Vickii and a continuing improvement in your expression and use of media terminology.
ReplyDeleteI've done a little bit of research into this band and note that their ideology is informed by their Christian beliefs and they are described as "punk pop" (the lead singer's hair colour indicates a punk influence which in this case is highly commercialised. I'd like you to add to your analysis the demographic of the target and audience of the USA band to include similar bands or music videos that would appeal to the audience.