The Prodigy: Voodoo People (Pendulum Remix)
In this video we see a selection of people running through ordinary streets whilst blindfolded, monitored by the band (The Prodigy). There is link here between the content of the video, and the song title. They have used the theme of 'voodoo' by showing the risk of death almost as a game, and using this to find the strongest individual. This theme has been taken, and applied to a modern day situation, and we can clearly see who is in control not only through obvious things such as costume (the everyday clothes worn by the blindfolded show these are simple, ordinary people, whilst the suits or longer coats worn by the band clearly show they have a vast amount of power when compared to the runners) but also through aspects of media such as camera angles, as there is clear use of low and high angle shots to clearly show the band looking down on their captives. This video is set at night, and this really adds to the element of danger shown in the video. This is also shown at the point where the runners reach the main road, which puts the situation into perspective, and we see how a situation we may see as a risk in everyday life, has now been made even more of a danger. Now that the true nature of danger in the video has been brought forward, a great sense of tension and suspense has been created, and this will no doubt impact on the viewer, as they will now be intrigued as to who survives the 'game' at the end of the video.
The music style is drum and bass, and has a slight jungle feel to it, which is often used in drum and bass, highlighted mostly by the almost screechy high pitched sound effects mixed with the fast repeated cymbols in the drum sections, which keep the song flowing (reflected in the movement of the runners we see on screen). The video links well with this concept, as there are two locations: a very urban setting based around the city, and another in the woods towards the end of the video. The urban location could have been used to represent a 'concrete jungle', and the dangers in this situation are highlighted (such as the passing cars on the motorway), whereas the woods could have been used to represent a more traditional jungle style setting, showing different dangers for the runners (roots or trees etc..).
The group or artist feature in this video, as the rulers or controllers of the game, and in a way, the runners' lives. Most of the group are dressed in suits, or long coats, which show sophistication or class, while there is one unique figure, Keith, who is wearing a white blazer/jacket, and has white hair, which all make him stand out among the characters. While the others simply watch the 'game' being played, this character appears to make sly interferences with it, as we see where he throws a bracelet/necklace under one of the runners, causing him to trip, and is then taking pictures of the fallen runners on a cameraphone. He displays entirely different characteristics to the others, which displays use of Propp's narrative theory, involving a range of different types of character in the video, creating a much deeper and varied narrative.
Flux Pavilion: Bass Cannon
In this video we see a selection of people being put through a test to survive the 'Bass cannon', instantly showing a clear link between the video and music. The lyrics in the song, though repeated are 'let the bass cannon kick it', and each time these are featured we see an extreme close up showing quick shots of people lip syncing these lyrics, which keeps bringing back the theme of the video, and constantly reminding the viewer of what is happening in the video. The repetition appears almost like a hook, and we see here how the artist has related the video to the original song very strongly. The visual images of the characters being blown away by the cannon are timed carefully with the music, and reflect the bass use of bass in the main section of the song. The original song appears almost like a parody, as clearly the whole point of the song is the immense amount of bass created, and this is reflected in the video, which appears comical and definitely not at all serious, simply an exaggeration of what the artist expects the viewer to experience whilst hearing the song. Other elements in the video link with the original song, such as the heart monitor and the metronome, which both move in time to the music, to create a clear sense of rhythm.
Typically videos in this genre, namely dubstep, tend to create a lare show of energy, to reflect the music. This video does so, through the slow motion close ups and bright lighting used, which timed correctly, work to create a high energy atmosphere surrounding the video. This video shows no real performance aspect, and is a narrative throughout, which is common in electronic music, as generally there are no real live instruments used, so a perfomance video wouldn't contain much content, aside from a live performance video, for example of a concert.
The artist does feature in this video, and appears to be in control, as he is mixing or tampering with the song played to the other characters, he is effectively in control of their experience, and responsible for them, which shows a large sense of power. This is also shown where the artist uses his hands to mime the effects the characters are feeling, showing that he and what the experience are directly linked, again showing his dominant role in the video.
There aren't many obvious uses of intertextuality in this video, but the events in the narrative could be interpreted as a reference to a real life scientific experiment, as the characters being subjected to the test are almost like animals, without any control over their fate in the experiment, and the two chracters controlling the strength of the cannon, along with the artist are dressed in laboratory coats, highlighting this link.
Travis Barker ft. Steve Aoki: Misfits.
In this video we can see a mixture of both performance and narrative genres, and there is a very clear link between both the lyrics and video. The narrative, in short, is that a group of riot police approach a young girl, and this is a signal for a group of characters to prepare, and assault the group of police. The song is titled 'misfits', and even at the beginning of the video we can see this theme reflected along with themes of anarchy or rebellion, through the male character's costume a and appearance (namely his sleeveless shirt and tattoos) and the actions performed, such as the spray painting of the bike. This theme is highlighted immensly at the end, with the charge against the police squad, a clear statement about how these characters feel, and through the lyrics at the point of the charge: 'F*** the order, we choose disorder'. The use of the word we shows a clear reference to a group, and indicates that everyone involved feels the same way as the artist. If we look at this in a broader sense, it could be seen that youths' act of rebellion could be seen as a metaphor for the artists' view on music, as both artists are renowned for exploring a variety of genres of music, and taking a unique approach to the creation of their music. This video then, could be seen as a statement of what they both believe, namely to avoid the 'order' of traditional or conventional music styles, as they both originate from different styles of music (Travis Barker started out playing drums for Blink 182, a rock/pop punk band, while Steve Aoki comes from a more elctronic background, centered around dance), therefore the coming together of these two artists, mixed with the shouted/screamed vocals creates a very anarchic atmosphere, and the song is very heavy when compared with other songs of similar genres.
The artists are both featured in this video when the performance is shown on screen, and this challenges most conventions of electronic music, as the artist would normally not perform, aside from a live or concert performance, mostly because there would be little to show, due to the lack of instruments or members of the group. The reason that this performance is successful, is due to the collaboration of artists, as with just Steve Aoki there would be little to show, but with the addition of Travis Barker, there is now a lot more to be included, and this challenges usual conventions, due to the inclusion of a live drummer. This is an example of including the 'star' in a music video, and in the performance sections we see mostly close ups of the two artists, which is almost like a sense of labelling, as Travis and Steve both have distinct features about them (For example Travis's full body tattoos), which will increase the likelyhood of recognisation by the viewer, for example if someone were to walk in as the video was playing, they would see these music icons and instantly recognise them.
There are a few elements of intertextuality in this video, mostly small references which help build up the whole atmosphere of the video. For example, there are many items linked with youths, or 'misfits' in modern life, such as the bmx bike and the general costume worn by the characters who lead the charge against the police (caps, hoods etc...). There are also links with activities that may be considered rebellious, again such as the spray painting, but also there are a few particular shots of people participating in one on one fights, while others watch, which could be a reference to the game/idea of fight club, which is in no way controlled or supervised, relateing heavily to the themes surrounding the song and video.
Mike good analysis keeo using media language and can you post the emails or tweets you have sent so far to try and gain permission and then the lyrics and song.
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