Analysis Of Three Music Videos

Savin’ Me – Nickelback 

This is probably one of my favourite music videos for a number of reasons as it has a very gripping plot and tells a story to perfection. Therefore this is something I would like to emulate within my music video as I feel telling a story is the most effective way to engage the audience and as Nickelback seemed to have made a habit out of this and I would like to follow in their footsteps.

The main purpose of the music video is provoke sympathy to the protagonist, who is saved from death and in turn saves somebody else. The idea of using a ‘death clock’, for want of a better characterisation, made me want to watch on as at the start of the music video the audience is shrouded in mystery. This element of mystery is again something I would like to incorporate in my music video.

One of the methods used
to keep the audience guessing
and retain their attention.

The special effects are something that grabbed my attention instantly with this music video, but the fact that they were rather simple encouraged me also. Short, sharp scenes will be something we will be looking to use as anything extremely long would be playing with the audience’s attention span. The correlation between the pace of the song and of the video is something that works well here and is something I will bear in mind when brainstorming ideas for shots.

The depiction of
this character
leaves the audience
shrouded in mystery
from the outset.

The mise-en-scene of the video depicts a typical American city, and the strange looking male at the outset of the music video is definitely juxtaposed with the actual protagonist. As expected, the actors within the video are of excellent quality and I feel substandard acting would’ve ruined this music video and this is something I don’t want to happen when creating a music video, therefore I would like to find actors who can express enough emotion accordingly.

The misunderstood protagonist could provide a direct relation between him and certain audience members, which would in turn enhance the popularity of the video. Ultimately, I feel that telling a story within the music video I will create will be ineluctable and I want to engage the audience whilst shrouding them in mystery and Nickelback’s ‘Savin’ Me’ will certainly be in my mind when I attempt to do so. 

Chocolate – Snow Patrol

This music video is another one that tells a story yet keeps the audience guessing at the meaning of this story, and how they could relate to the protagonist. The music video primarily depicts the world around the protagonist and how everyone seems to be panicking; yet the protagonist is entirely calm. This could have many meanings, and therefore this gets the audience thinking from the outset and I definitely would like to provoke thought from the audience.

Something as simple as portraying
a character as calm can help to
provoke relation from the audience.

Pace is something that is used to great effect in this music video and the fast pace of the song is undeniably juxtaposed with the calmness of the protagonist. Not only are a variety of shot lengths used here, but a variety of shot types such as tracking shots and close ups are used and this not only heightens the meaning of the story but it gauges the audience’s attention and this is something my group will have to bear in mind also.

The ‘end of the world’, depicted in this music video could be an allegory for the end of a relationship or a friendship and while the last lines suggest this much; the mise-en-scene is used to do so, regardless of the audience’s interpretation. The usage of an hourglass as a motif works well in regard to the pace of the song and how this could have an unsettling effect on the audience and we will certainly focus on how our music video would make the audience feel.

This music video, compared to the one I have analysed previous has one difference in regard to the story told. The story within ‘Savin’ Me’ is more explicit and we will have to make the distinction between a story told explicitly to the audience and a story that is left more open to the interpretation of the audience. At this moment, I would prefer to the do the former whilst shrouding the viewer in mystery.

This narrative is very much open to
interpretation, but I would prefer to have
an explicit story whilst retaining mystery.

Ultimately, the first two music videos I have analysed are not only of the same genre, but they are of a slightly similar genre to the song I actually want to base our music video on. Therefore, these music videos may be an inspiration or could even find themselves becoming an intertextual reference within the music video; and my research will undoubtedly shape my final product. 

The Man Who Can’t Be Moved – The Script

This music video is another, which depicts a story explicitly to the audience and provokes relation in the manner that they may feel they can relate to the protagonist. As the vast majority of the audience would have been in a similar situation to him, this helps the music video become more popular and help the audience feel more connected with and involved in the video, which we would want to emulate.

We want to ensure that the audience
can relate to our characters
and the narrative.

It is not a coincidence that the three music videos I have chosen to analyse are from bands, as The Fray’s ‘You Found Me’ is of course from a band itself and I feel this will help shape my ideas efficiently. The mise-en-scene is similar to that of the two previous music videos but there is something different here, as effects such as seeing the protagonist through a television screen would help to maintain the audience’s interest.

The band is shown in all three of the music videos that I have analysed and this is another choice that we will have to face, of whether we would want to feature a ‘band’ or just solely tell a story. As I feel I am very adept in the planning part of projects, I will be looking to make an informed decision on all the choices we make and on whether we want to conform with the conventions of said music videos or not.

All three of these videos feature bands,
but this isn't something we have to do.

The relation between the protagonist here and with the audience is something I will be looking to tap into during the creation of my music video. I feel that this connection between the characters and the audience is imperative to a successful music video and therefore during the casting of actors and creation of characters I will be making sure the audience would potentially relate to them in the video.

Succinctly, there are several choices we face in regard to conventions of music videos, like those I have analysed but if one thing is for sure it is that this will have undoubtedly shaped the planning stage of my music video already. Throughout further research that I will conduct I will have these music videos in mind and I have no doubt they will provide inspiration towards the creation of my music video.