Walking As A Key Concept Of Rock Videos (And Goodwin's Theory)

After watching many music videos produced by what are general considers Rock artists and bands, a few common themes appeared throughout the majority. One of the most common occurences was a performance by the band, used to promote the band's image as well as being a convention of the genre's video productions, as stated by Goodwin's Theory. Another theme that frequently appears in Rock videos is the simplistic concept of walking. Despite not appearing to have any context on the surface, walking can actually be seen to connote progress.

As some Rock bands include political undertones within their song lyrics, the connotations of the music video and the lyrics combine to help bands promote a certain outlook. This is achieved by the manipulation of Goodwin's Theory, i.e. the relationship between lyrics and visuals. An example of this can be found in the Enter Shikari song, No Sleep Tonight. This video promotes the band members' political ideologies, as well as bringing into a perspective that the audience can relate to, by utilising several more conventions of the Rock genre. The video connotes fighting back against mainstream society doesn't work alone, but if a group comes together, while promoting a tribalistic sense within the Rock scene, it also implies that an opinion can be voiced. Other conventions used by the video, although not necessarily implied as importantly as the previous examples, include the "angry white youth", a very common convention in Rock videos, and the social value, that persistance is the best way to achieve things. In what could be seen as a natural progression of politically aware Rock videos, Here We Go Again by Shelter, an American Krishnacore band, combines the connotations of walking (progress) with a relatively spiritual video, shows how the lifestyle of the Straightedge movement within the Hardcore Punk scene, which often included politically-charged songs, can sidestep into a Krishna-conscious lifestyle.

However, the themes created by combining connotations of walking with other elements isn't exclusive to political and spiritual ideology. Emotionality is perhaps the most common theme amongst the Rock genre as a whole. The most basic representation of this can be found in the music video for October and April, by Finnish band The Rasmus, shows the conflict between good and evil, light and dark, and postivity and negativity, by use of a highly contrasting colour scheme. Throughout the video, lead singer, Lauri Ylönen, walks through a darkly lit street under black clouds, while the featured singer, Anette Olzon, walks in bright lighting and clear skies. When the two meet it is implied that the light side is triumphant, by ungulfing Lauri and taking him out of the darkness. The location of the video, apparently New York City, may also be an intertextual reference to the variety of views people have of the city.

The simplistic battle of good and evil within the self can be expanded by using a variety of different emotions, such as the energetic emotions of love, and anger, as seen in Broken by 12 Stones. It can also take a wholly opposite approach to life by highlighting the various negative aspects of life, including lonliness, hopelessness, and abandonment. This negativity is used within the video for Boulevard of Broken Dreams, by American Pop Punk outfit, Green Day. The start of the video is an intertextual reference to their previous video, Holiday, and signifies that even the greatest run will eventually end, and can sometimes be followed by a depression. This representation of emotion is achieved through the use of location, i.e. in the middle of nowhere, the lyrics, talk of being alone, and the gradual progression from the beginning of emotion to the end, shown via the band members' constant forward movement. It should also be noted that both Broken and Boulevard of Broken Dreams feature a band performance, in keeping with another convention of the Rock genre.

The music video for Bittersweet Symphony, by British band, The Verve, uses mise en scene that corresponds to contemporary British society to combine the connotations of progression with a variety of elements that the audience may be able to relate with. This, along with the already established conventions of persistance, allows the audience to relate to the character portrayed within the video. Frequent cuts to close-ups of the singer/character, as well as a cameo appearance by the entire band at the end of the video help contribute to the record label's desire to promote the band. The themes of Britishness and questionning mainstream society, which are created through a combination of connotations and representation, are yet again combined in Not The Only Person, by Indie Rock band, The Rumble Strips, to give the singer's views on modern society, specifically the culture clash between class, age, and/or ethnicity. It also connotes the singer's perception of money is trivial, and the tribal tendencies found in gang culture.

Part of Goodwin's theory of music videos, the reference to the notion of looking, is achieved, through different methods, for example, telescopes in Iris by The Goo Goo Dolls, and the use of the cinema screen in Movies by Alien Ant Farm (which also makes heavy use of intertextual reference). Despite the multitude of ways in which the notion of looking can be referenced, a very popular choice is the objectification of women. An example of male bands using female sexuality to increase interest in their own music videos, as well as make themselves look more masculine, is the music video for The Drug In Me Is You, by Falling In Reverse. This video sees the singer, Ronnie, freguently surrounded by attractive and provocative women. This video, along with several other music videos by this band also make reference to Ronnie's previous experiences. However, while it is possible that Ronnie is trying to imply that his time in jail hasn't affected him, it can also be said that he is merely trying to make up for his emasculation.

Objectification and sexualisation of women isn't just used to make male artists seem successful, it is also used to promote female artists, in a similar how to how female artists of other genres are often promoted. The most obvious example of this can be found in the music videos for the Russian duo tATu. Perhaps the most effectively used detail in promotion of the duo was the pseudo-lesbian relationship between the members. This attracted a significant amount of controversy to the duo, partly due it's legitimacy, but also because of the racy implications. The pair tackle this latter issue in their video for All The Things She Said, taking the publicity gained from the controversy and using it to connote the notions of sadness and being trapped, while also using sexual objectification to promote the video. The connotations of walking away are also used to imply that the pair aren't phased by what people think of them. Although this is used fairly frequently in other genres, post notably Pop and Rap, it often takes a back seat to other aspects, particularly the emphasis on talent, in some Rock videos. An example of this is the video According To You, by Australian guitarist Orianthi. Several sections of the music videos have a close-up of Orianthi's guitar frets to show off her skills.

As a confirmation of walking as a convention of Rock music videos, there have also been several instances of the element being parodied. The basic concept of parodied in It Must Really Suck To Be Four Year Strong Right Now, by Four Year Strong, which plays on the conventions of alternative fashion, shown in the wide array of clothing worn by all those in the video, collective identity, i.e. the addition of new characters from the beginning, and even the "band performance", in front of the crowd towards the end of the video. The parodt is further exemplified in Join With Us, by British Soft Rock band, The Feeling. This video begins with several British cultural signifiers, specifically those heavily associated as stereotypes, most notably London businessmen at the beach, as well as the general expectations of rain. However, this soon changes as the band break free from these stereotype restraints, to have fun represented by a fun fair. The band then begin a performance, in keeping with one of Rock's genre conventions, as stated by Goodwin's Theory.

In keeping with the parody of Rock videos, American comedy rockers, Bloodhound Gang, take this to the extreme in most of their videos. The most famous example of this is the video for Bad Touch, which features the band members roaming, once again walking is used, albeit as a minor theme, around the streets of Paris in full-size mouse costumes. The lyrics of the song, combined with the general nature of the video strongly connote an immaturity that makes the band popular with male teenagers. However, the video also makes use of key concepts within the video, albeit often lampooning them. For example, stereotypical cultural signifiers of France, such as mimes, as well as genuine signifiers, specifically the Eiffel Tower, serve to contradict the tone of the song, due to Paris' romantic connatations compared with the misogyny often prevalent in the lyrics and video. The finale of the video also parrodies the genre characteristics of Rock, and popular music videos at the time, by including a dance routine. This makes up for the otherwise absence of a band performance, as well as reinforcing and contradicting the lightheartedness of the video at the same time. This is achieved through the perception that the dance routine is perhaps the most serious aspect of the video, but at the same time highlights everything about the video that is not.

As the connotations of walking, which I chose to have a strong role within my music video, can be combined with such a wide range of different themes, I had to decide which of these would best fit the song. I was instantly able to rule out parody, as I feel this would have been ineffective as a stand alone video. I also felt that it would be impossible to make too strong a reference to Britishness without it appearing forced. After toying with the idea of using political ideology, due to the language used in the lyrics, I decided to set the video around a young male who had recently ended a relationship. I chose to do this because it is something that the target audience may have experienced, and will therefore be able to relate to the main character, and also because the lyrics, when not taken literally, can be interpreted as the thoughts and feelings of the main character.

Despite the most prolific genre convention of Rock music videos being a band performance, I chose to avoid that and go for less common genre characteristics, such as the use of black and white film, which is a nod to early Rock videos. While this didn't help me challenge the genre, I was able to steer away from the cookie cutter style video that some rock bands produce. A relationship between lyrics and visuals is used during the flashbacks, as the lyrics make reference to memories. The relationship between the music and visuals is much stronger, as I made freqent use of editing to the beat. I chose not to use many close ups of the main character, as he is not percieved as singing the song outloud, which may have confused the audience. Instead, it can be assumed that the singing and music is all in head, or as non-diegetic sound. The notion that the music is not heard by the main character implies that the audience is really watching a film, which is the only real reference to the notion of looking throughout. While the black and white imagery is a reference to older Rock music videos, it can also be seen as an intertextual reference to the film, Control, based on the adult life of Joy Division singer, Ian Curtis.

This combination of genre conventions and Goodwin's Theory allow the audience to become immersed within the music video, and connect with the main character. By connecting to the main character, they also form a connection with the music, which will hopefully convince them to purchase future songs released by my choen band.

Music Video Analysis - "Wake Up" by Story of the Year

Story Of The Year - Wake Up by epitaphrecords

This essay is an analysis of the video for "Wake Up" by Story of the Year, a post-hardcore song that was released in 2008. It contains several generic characteristics shared by post-hardcore music videos, including the band performing in a warehouse, and a loose narrative, cutting from one to the other throughout the video. It was directed by Ryan Smith. It targets an age group of 16-25yr olds as its primary age group, who like to avoid sharing the tastes of mainstream/popular culture. In April 2010, I attended a gig headlined by this band and the audience consisted of predominantly this age group, while the gender balance of the crowd was probably slightly in favour of males. The post-hardcore genre of the band and song is an offshoot relatively modern offshoot of hardcore punk music, itself an evolution of the original punk movement in the 1970s. While it began to appear during the 1980s, it experienced a growth in prevalence during the mid-00s. The genre differeentiates itself from the earlier punk rock and hardcore punk movements due to the presence of more complex guitar riffs, a wider range of vocals and varying levels of heavyness within the songs sound.

Even though there is no obvious link between the lyrics and the visuals, there is a link between the concept of the video and the lyrics. Both the lyrics and the narrative come across as derogatory of contemporary society and aim to highlight the negatives of modern life. This aspect is most obvious in the chorus, "Wake up, to the sound of this time bomb, wake up, to it's deafening song." These lyrics imply that it is so glaringly obvious something is wrong and that, if we don't do something about it soon, it will be too late. Visuals that illustrate the lyrics includes, towards the end of the video, where Marsala repeats the chorus several times, the camera becomes shaky and smoke fills the screen, referencing the “time bomb” and “deafening song” that the band believes is about to hit contemporary society.

The video frequently cuts in time with the beat of the song, and even changes pace to keep up with the music. An example of this is the opening of the video.  It begins with images of various places, such as a building, an airport and a highway, making use of shadows and low lighting to give it an air of dystopia,  before cutting to a warehouse where the band are playing. This cut is accompanied by a change in the tone and pace of music and features an increase in the speed of the camera's movement. There are also many close-ups of the lead singer, Dan Marsala, in the video. This is achieved through the use of the conventional camera being used to shoot the music video and a handheld camera, used by Marsala himself, which breaks the potential monotony of the regular camera.

Throughout the video, the logo associated with the album which features the song, The Black Swan, plays a fairly important role. It is used in the narrative in the form of a graffiti emblem sprayed onto plain t-shirts and already appearing on the clothing worn by members of the group within the narrative. It is also heavily featured at the end of the video in several different forms. This includes on buildings, billboards, a water tower, planes and road signs, heavily promoting the band and album. Instead of using sexuality to promotoe the band, Goodwin's notion of looking is referenced with Marsala's use of the handheld camera. By pointing the camera at himself, and with the TV behind him, the video image is looped several times due to what is being shown on the TV also being captured, in turn making it appear on the screen.

As previously stated, both the video and lyrics refer to the band's attitude towards contemporary society and the way in which this attitude is promoted. The notion the effectiveness of a cause you truly believe in is accomplished by highlighting that a small-scale operation is able to make themselves known on a much larger scale, by displaying an image in various places. This is a form of protest as well as a quasi-tribute to anonymous artist, Bansky.
The video contains elements of performance and narrative, cutting from one to the other throughout the course of the video. They are also linked together as they are taking place at the same location, but only existing together towards the end, when a smoke grenade is thrown into the warehouse, to cover the fact that the activists have been there, promptly explodes near a guitarist as he is playing.
The point of this video is to highlight the importance of standing up for the right cause and making sure changes are made before it is too late. There is also a secondary emphasis on the value of grass roots and small-scale organisations of activists that aim to promote their cause.

Goodwinn's Theory on Music Videos

1. Music Videos demonstrate genre characteristics. (E.g. Performance in a Metal Video)

"Sorry, You're Not A Winner" by Enter Shikari shows the band performing in front of a small audience in their living room.



2. There is a link between lyrics and visuals. (E.g. Illustrative)

"Hero of War" by Rise Against contains many clips relating to the war in the Middle East. This complements the lyrics which are about a soldier who ends up doing things he never believed he would while in a war situation.



3. There is a link between music and visuals. (E.g. Illustrative, tone, editing)

"Bodies" by Drowning Pool often cuts according to the music and vocals.



4. The demands of the record label will include the need for lots of close ups of the artist and the artist may develop motifs which recur across their work. (A visual style)

"Unleashed" by Epica frequently cuts away from the story of the video to show close-ups of the band. The entire band also feature in the story itself.



5. There is a frequent reference to the notion of looking (Screens within screens) and a particularly voyeuristic treatment of the female body.

"Iris" by Goo Goo Dolls is based around looking through telescopes at people going about their lives. Scenes from The City of Angels are used for this.



6. There is often an intertextual reference.

"1985" by Bowling for Soup contains many references to things from 1980's, specifically 1985, culture, both visually and in the lyrics.

Analysis of "Just Like You" by Three Days Grace

“Just Like You” is a 2004 song by Three Days Grace, a Canadian Post-Grunge band. The video is based around the idea of everybody conforming to an image that higher powers choose. This is accomplished by portraying everyone wearing identical jumpsuits and masks. While the band doesn’t conform to this image, the crowd’s view of the band is distorted by a glass wall that portrays them in the same way as they are dressed. The higher powers watch over the crowd to make sure they all obey while faceless armed guards are stationed all around the room. This is likely an intertextual reference to the 1927 film, Metropolis.

After a power surge causes the lights to flicker and the true image of the band breaks through the glass wall, members of the crowd begin to slowly react to the music. At first it is a very slight reaction, however it begins to increase. The higher powers begin to notice this and motion to a guard. When the guard move towards the member of the crowd who is most active, he abruptly stops in fear.

As they continue to play, the band is able to shatter the glass wall, immobilising the guards and causing the crowd to shield themselves from the glass. As the crowd begins to remove their masks the lights are shown once again, this time flickering constantly. This connotes that the higher-ups have lost their power over the crowd. The crowd begin moshing as the guards are lost in the crowd. The video ends with the crowd as it was at the beginning, possibly connoting that you can’t escape the higher powers.

The video is generally about breaking free of conformity and enjoying yourself. However, it also refers to the use of force to maintain control, when a superior motions to a guard to stop a non-conforming crowd member. As the final shot of the video is identical to the opening shot it implies that even if you rebel against an authority it is a futile attempt to escape their control. The identical jumpsuits and masks worn by both the superiors and the crowd may refer to the fact that members the same society/culture/sub-culture often wear similar clothing. The fact that the superiors are also wearing these clothes connotes that they also control the fashion styles, rather than it being free choice. Use of the glass wall may also be a reference to the influence of authority in deciding whether the masses are allowed to see the truth or what they want them to see. This is also present in the use of armed guards to prevent anyone breaking the pattern of conformity.

All of the references within the video are the band’s view on how the everyone is controlled by higher powers, by using the music industry as an example.

Video Task

Rifoki - Zombie Attack from Dim Mak on Vimeo.

This video styles itself as a 1950's Horror film based on a zombie invasion. This is interesting because it takes advantage of editing to achieve such a state.



This is my favourite of the three videos as it uses many different devices that all add to the video. Not only does it use a large number of different clips of animals fighting in the wild, it also contrasts this with the portrayal of the band. The entire band are playing inside a cage, something normally associated with captive animals, while a free tiger roams around outside. Also, the lead singer is wearing what appears to be a coat made of feathers. This implies that humans are at the top of the animal kingdom.



This video is unusual as it doesn't follow the convention of it's genre, i.e. the band performing. Instead it uses an odd sequence that more closely resembles a dance video.

A2 Intro