Goodwin's Theory has some key ideas to the perfect music video and how each video is classified. As the genre of our song is alternative/rock, I have decided to analyse a video by Evanescence as they have a very similar style in terms of the way they present themselves in music videos, on stage while they perform.
Some genre characteristics of this video is the colour and lighting to it including the mise en scene and props used. The lighting and colour is very important for a genre to be identified. The stereotypes for an alternative rock song would be a darker atmosphere and in a way very surreal but still linking to the lyrics making it either with dark colours or very contrasting colours like black and white or in the grayscale. Evanescense has a certain star image as well as that so the tones of light and mise en scene are very important for the setting of the music video. It is filmed in various locations such as a forest and even the performance scenes are filmed in an outdoor space with provided darker light and colour to match the style of the artist and support and encourage their star image. As well as this consumers and fans have certain expectations of the band's image, so the genre characteristics help that image evolve. In the video it is snowing therefore it has a cold atmosphere both metaphorically and literally.
There is a clear link between the lyrics of the song and the actual music video visuals, it is less literal and more metaphorical, so as Steve Archer's theory states the video does match the song, but does not match it lyric by lyric, therefore it is known to be amplification. It takes the idea of the song and creates a piece to show the band's image clearer.
There is also a strong relationship between the music and the visuals that are seen in the music video. The visuals are quite dark in terms of concepts, and it is also very fairytale like. The main band member, which is the female lead singer is wearing a ballroom gown which makes the atmosphere feel like it is set in a dark fairytale world like Snow White etc. The atmosphere and visuals are cold and so are the strong lyrics, evidently linking the two.
There are usually a lot of close ups of the face and body of the lead singer linking this to voyeurism as the body parts usually shown in the video are exposed in a sexual way, but the concept of the videos is usually not that prone to voyeurism, but some sexual body language is incorporated in the band's visual style.
Evanescence, like any alternative/rock band has a certain style and star image, The audience and Evanescence fans have certain expectations of a band, Evanescence has a certain fairytale like dark style which resembles metal bands, but it is softer, dream like and surreal. This clearly shows that the music video matches a performer's star image. Certain elements and shots in the video are underwater, which is very symbolical and could show that the lead singer is suffocating and dying inside. It is made very metaphorically and is very artistic in the way the concepts are displayed.
Star image is also very important to their fans. Fan's get inspired by the band's star image and sometimes replicate their style in the way they dress or act. They get influenced by the band's style. As Richard Dyer's theory states their fans usually have emotional affinity to the band as they usually dont quite mimic or copy the band's image but are strongly influenced by the meaning beneath the lyrics, which is usually very personal and helps them get through personal problems, they might be having in their lives.
No comments:
Post a Comment