Summer Research Task

Chick Lit – We Are Scientists

(MUSIC VIDEO)
Laid out in a narrative format, the video is and laced with comic, contextual references to classic ‘Western’ film.
Band members Keith and Chris play the roles of cowboys and follow the standard codes and conventions of these movies to a point where the viewer is completely oblivious to the fact that this is indeed a parody video. They realise this when it is revealed that the duo are not herding cattle as what is suggested in the clip, but tiny adorable Pomeranian dogs. The comical reveal is enhanced further as the two clumsily chase and tackle the dogs in an attempt to catch them; slow motion has been placed here in the editing stages to make scene seem dramatic and serious as an old Western movie may have.
Perhaps one of the most memorable scenes in the clip is the ‘quick draw’ between Chris and a singled off dog. Quick draws are such a classic feature in Western movies and are usually played out with extreme close-ups of each dueller, back and forth to exaggerate the massive suspense between them; this scene mimics this perfectly, making Chris seem pathetic for being so afraid of such an unintimidating dog, and adds a nice extra touch when we realise that he was in fact reaching for his dog leash rather than a pistol.

However, this video is not pure narrative. The band sneaks in parts of performance in a way so subtle that they still seem to be in character. For example, nearing the end of the video the two are sitting by a campfire playing acoustic guitars together which doesn't appear out of place. For the rest of the video however they aren’t seen with instruments and instead Keith (the vocalist) breaks the fourth wall and sings directly to the viewer.
(ADVERT)



Not dissimilar to their videos, We Are Scientists' tour advert is based around contextual humour. Unlike what you'd expect from a tour poster, it doesn't strike the viewer as anything related to music at all; Keith and Chris are dressed in formal wear and are posing in a particular way reminiscent to salespeople. Upon further inspection, the viewer realises that the text written on the poster is a parody of a business advert, using ridiculous catchphrases to interest and amuse. Beneath this are the tour dates, which are perhaps the only feature of a tour poster which they have used.

(DVD)

Unfortunately, We Are Scientists have not produced a DVD so I chose to analyse another Indie band's DVD - Keane.
What is instantly noticeable about this cover is the lack of colour; everything is in black and white besides a few font samples in which they have chosen to highlight in a beige colour. The photo featured on the front is one of the band on a quiet road(?) at night, walking away from their camera looking as disheartened and solemn as the colour scheme.
It's artsy, calm and serious, a binary opposite to We Are Scientists, which is perhaps a suggestion to their potential buyer that they should expect similar things from their music. The large white font against the black dead space at the top of the photo is attention grabbing and in a stern serif font.

Killswitch Engage - Starting Over
(MUSIC VIDEO) The video is based in a dark cityscape and is a perfect combination of both band performance and storyline.
We get several establishing shots of roads around the city which are alive with the blurring lights of fast moving cars which suggests this video will be completely sped up. However when we see the band, they're moving in normal time amongst the lights. The two characters of the storyline are moving in different time and speed also, however unlike the band, they aren't moving at a normal speed - they're in slow motion.
The characters begin by staring at each other in a way that is difficult to determine their relationship with each other. Soon, there is a moment where a gust of wind, possibly from the cars, blows them both back, briefly shocking them into normal speed before they regain eye contact and they slow down. From this point, the two have expressions of desperation as they reach and move towards each other, as if they have had a sudden realisation moment.
Eventually, the two manage to leap into the air at each other and, instead of colliding, they embrace each other and warm golden lights encircle them.
However, as the viewer feels there has been a sense of resolve, there is a zoom out from the girl's eye and we see she is still looking blankly at the boy in the street.

The slowness of the characters enforces the significance of the moment between these people as they have completely detached themselves from the world around them, their prolonged eye contact suggesting they are communicating with each other without words and seem to be thinking the same thing. The gust of wind is a reminder that there are still things going on around them and it appears to make them realise that they don't have much time to express how they feel, so they simultaneously begin to run towards each other. Leaping through the air, the viewer is concerned about them colliding and falling, however they hug and float in an ethereal way, lights coiling about them showing the love and warmth, and we begin to think that their love makes them powerful and capable of doing this.
Then, quite suddenly, we zoom out from the girl's eye and see she hadn't moved from the start, and the happiness from before drains as the video itself does when it fades to black. Perhaps it is symbolic of their relationship, that she believed they were special and exempt from everything else and that their love was magical, and yet she finds herself in the same place she started, as the song suggests, alone and lost.

(ADVERT)

The advert is dark as it is comprised mostly of quite desaturated colours. It features a roaring leopard, which is representative of strength, masculinity and a wild temperament, be that describing the band's persona or their music. On the topic of which, they do not feature their faces, which is a suggestion that their personalities are less important than their music, so they have chosen to have an graphic based advert to illustrate their sound.
The leopard could also be an animal representation of the vocalist, as it appears to be screaming in the same way he does; the leopard's beauty could be symbolic of the meanings and softly sang segments of their music.

(DVD)

The cover is not subtle in telling the viewer the genre of music it contains. The most prominent feature is the large golden skull emblazoned across the cover which spills onto the back as well. With the skull being a very classic symbol of death, its developed into being the representative icon for heavy metal music. The symbol is worn, chipped and metallic, perhaps a visual description of their sound.
Their band name is written in a mixture of silver worn typewriter font and fancy script, which is very much like their music; masculine and angry but at times soft and beautiful.

Britney Spears - Break the Ice
(MUSIC VIDEO)
This video by Britney Spears is very unique as it is completely in the style of Japanese cartoons. It is completely storyline based and features no performance excluding her character 'speaking' the lyrics at occasional points.
On the surface its an exciting action anime video, however it is completely symbolic of how Britney wants to represent herself with her new sound.
She is represented as anime as she wants to appear exotic and youthful as the cartoon, and she has chosen to be an action heroine to personify her strength through the hard times of her personal life.

She breaks into some sort of laboratory, in which she sees an innocent version of herself contained in a testing tube. She places a time bomb on it and she seduces and kills the man responsible, before diving out of the exploding building. This is symbolic of her being a changed woman, that she doesn't want people see her as an innocent little girl anymore. By seducing and killing the man in charge, she explains the woman she has become - a powerful and sexual woman whom we should respect.

(ADVERT)

As Britney's album is called 'Circus', she has appropriately decided to advertise it as though it really were a circus. It uses bright red and yellow colours to really capture the retro circus feel, flouting various colourful and exciting fonts. It could portray Britney as good entertainment and iconic as well as youthful and fun. There are no photographs of her however the idea that she is the headline of this fictional circus makes her seem more iconic. Perhaps it is a metaphor suggesting she is the 'leading act' of pop music.

(DVD)

The colours immediately noticeable as they are so light; representative of her youthfulness and femininity. On the cover, Britney is dressed in Elvis Presley's iconic clothing, however it is more sexually provocative . This is symbolic of her being the Queen of pop in the same way Elvis was the King of Rock n Roll. It also suggests shes more hip and attractive, making her an appealing female role model.