Music Video Analysis 3

The Strokes - Someday

The music video Someday by The Strokes uses mise en scene to represent the members of the band and the genre of music; the band are displayed as being stereotypical rock stars through the use of props for example throughout the music video the band members are seen smoking [image 1] and drinking which is a stereotype of indie bands. This portrays them as quite rebellious and laid back. The costumes also reinforce the genre of the music; the band members are wearing ripped jeans, leather jackets and denim shirts which reflect the rock and roll stereotype and make the genre of the music instantly recognisable. To add to the representation of the band members a lot of people featured in the video have tattoos which has negative connotations as tattoos are related with punks and aggressive, lower class people. However, Tessa Perkins argues that stereotypes can be challenged; therefore the people with tattoos in the video don’t have to be seen as negative characters in the video but can be viewed as cool to the target audience. The setting is also used to portray the band as typical rockers; for the majority of the video the members are in a bar with dark lighting. This incorporates the idea of night life which connotes them as wild and exciting people. One prop used in the video helps portray the idea the band know a lot about music through the use of a music player which allows one of the band members to choose the music being played. This is good for the band's image as it shows they are passionate about music and therefore have a good knowledge. Other props include a pinball machine which reinforces the verisimilitude of the setting and connotes that the band are fun people and enjoy spending time with their friends. Many of the people in the video are wearing very casual clothing which contrasts with pop music videos as they are known to take the costume very seriously. This way, The Strokes belonging to an indie label, promote the opinion that the music is more important than the image which appeals to the target audience. Another scene in the music video is shot in a studio which adds the performance element to the video.

 

In terms of cinematography, lots of close ups are used on the band members face to emphasise their importance in the video, this is a convention used in many performance and narrative music videos to present the protagonists. As it is a music video, we expect to see the artists in the video and see them in a positive way. Medium shots and medium close ups are also frequent towards the end of the video to display the performance aspect of the video. The band members are presented using their musical instruments which includes the guitars, drums and microphone; this fulfils the audience’s expectations and conventions of a music video. It creates verisimilitude as the audience are aware that the people performing in the music video are members of the band so the music video relates to the artist’s lives and is realistic. Michaels Shore’s argument that music videos are surface without substance can be applied to this video as the video bears no meaning whatsoever but uses cinematography and editing to make it entertaining. Other effects of cinematography include a hand held camera technique as this gives a very personal connection between the band and the audience; it also portrays the video as a documentary/family video to create realism. Medium shots are used frequently throughout the video on specific band members. This allows props to be visual in the shot and the setting to add to the mood of the video; for example there is medium shot of the band's singer sat down on a couch smoking. The use of a medium shot allows the audience to see the protagonist's clothes, which are scruffy, reinforcing the rock star look, a pile of clothes on the back of the couch which adds to the care-free but messy lifestyle [image 2] . Also, the edge of somebody sat next to him on the sofa is seen which adds the sense that the band are very social and go out a lot. Next, there are many two shots used in the video which connotes that the band are all very close, one two shot is of two band members drinking alcohol together which portrays them as reckless but also very close as friends. [image 3]

Moving on, editing is used to add subtitles to the intertextual references to the American game show ‘Family Feuds’. This is interesting for the viewers as the whole set of Family Feud’s uses the exact same mise-en-scene as seen on the actual TV programme; creating realism. The subtitles appear on screen to subtitle the speech made during the sequence however the audience cannot hear the sound which would disturb the diegetic sound of the song. It also uses montage editing as it doesn't follow a particular narrative story; this also is a formal convention of music videos. The montage editing gives the video a personal tone as it is an in look into the band's life because of the realism created by the shots taken in the bar with friends. Furthermore, there are a number of jump cuts during the music video found most frequently at the beginning; this sets the scene by presenting two different locations which makes the video more entertaining. This implies that the band members like to be busy and don't enjoy staying at home which emphasises the genre stereotypes of rock as rock stars are known to always be on the road, partying.

Finally, there is a mix of diegetic and non-diegetic music as for the majority of the video the music is non-diegetic as they band members are seen having conversations whilst the song is played over the top as this follows the formal conventions of music videos. However, the last few edits of the video shows the front man and band members singing and playing along to the song in time which implies it is diegetic as both the audience and the people featured in the video can hear the music.

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