G324 - Frank Turner - The Way I Tend To Be - Folk Music Video Analysis

Frank Turner's music video for his single The Way I Tend To Be is a symbolic narrative video, shown through the distinct storyline that runs throughout. There are slight aspects of performance within the clip, shown through the lip sync, however this is to add to the narrative of the video, rather than to showcase Turner's performance.

The video clearly appears to fit the folk genre of music due to the locations used within the video and the simplicity behind it. This style of video is quite common within the folk genre and therefore allows it to adopt common conventions of the genre, such as the artist's clothing and the aforementioned locations. It is, however, quite common for folk music videos to have narratives which appear simple yet have much deeper meanings and this is adopted for Turner's video. The narrative appears to symbolise Turner's uncovering of the past, depicted through the digging of the hole, before walking away from it whilst the crowds of people appear to symbolise the way in which curiosity can compel us to become involved in events of little meaning to us.

The video itself does not appear to tell a complete story but rather is depicting a smaller story from within a much wider one. The video beings with Frank Turner stood in the countryside, wearing a sign, with a shovel over his shoulder. There is no explanation to why he is there which is what leads the audience to believe that the video begins part through a much larger story. The video then follows as he walks
alone a path through the countryside. There is then a shot from Frank's point of view that is used to indicate how far he has come which is followed by another section of the narrative following Frank as he strays from the path. Turner then stops to remove the sign before continuing on his way and it is seen that a female character begins to follow him. Frank then walks into the middle of a field and begins to dig a hole and the female character watches him in confusion. The remainder of the video shows Frank continuing to dig a bigger and deeper hole whilst more people begin to gather around the site, gaining media attention. The video ends with Turner climbing out of the hole and walking away. The lack of explanation to this is what cements the idea in the reader's mind that this is merely a small section of a much larger story.

The record company's role within the video is to ensure that the video reflects and compliments the emotional music. This is important for the genre of music as well as for the representation of the artist. The video features a non-stereotypical representation of gender through the way that it depicts Frank Turner as an emotional person which is usually a trait associated with female characters. This allows him to become more relatable to his audience as he displays a more honest depiction of himself. Turner has a highly active and prominent online presence through social media networks such as Facebook, Twitter and YouTube which he uses to distribute his music and to keep fans updated on albums and singles being released. He also has an active blog and forum on his website which he uses to connect with fans and update them on changes in his career.

The video is set in a few similar locations in the countryside including a forest and a field. This connotes the way in which Frank is attempting to get in touch with his emotions as he becomes in touch with nature. The most dominant colours within the video are the earthy tones of nature which are present for the duration. This creates a sense of calm and simple beauty which reflects the lyrics of the song. My favourite shot composition is at 1:28 when the camera becomes the head of the shovel. This is because it creates a feeling of being involved with the action whilst simply gliding into the narrative of the video.  There are a few instances within the video where the camera becomes the shovel and therefore moves with it which I have previously mentioned. Other than this, there are many instances when the camera tracks Turner which has been done to help accentuate the simplicity of the narrative and the journey that Turner is on. The editing of the video is slow-paced and on beat which reflects the song's purity and serenity.


The target audience for this video appears to be working class teens and adults, between the ages of 14 and 40, which is indicated by the people staring in the video and the simple style of the video. The people featured within the video are all from varying age groups, with no particular age group being represented more frequently. This could be in an attempt to retain his wide fan base that was obtained through continuous touring and a performance at the London Olympic Opening Ceremony. The audience are most likely to access the video through YouTube which allows them to share it across other social media platforms such as Facebook and Tumblr.

This analysis will help me when it comes to making my own video as it has allowed me to explore Frank Turner's own style of music video and therefore has given an idea as to what I should aim to achieve with my own music video for his music.

G324 - Mumford & Sons - Hopeless Wanderer - Folk Music Video Analysis

Mumford & Son's music video for their single Hopeless Wanderer is mainly a performance video, with aspects of a symbolic video evident throughout. This is due to the way in which the band are depicted to be performing the song for the duration of the video, whilst their methods of doing so and the tone of the video changes over time. This makes it seem apparent that the different sections of the video all symbolise different things.

The video appears to be centre around the folk-rock genre due to the main folk tone combined with the crescendo at the end of the song which is accompanied by footage of the band destroying their instruments. This suits the aesthetic that the band have developed over many years within the industry, intertwining two distinct genres almost seamlessly. Mumford & Sons have revolutionised the folk-rock genre and their release of Hopeless Wanderer helped to signify their change in sound from classic folk to heavier rock.

The typical narrative of folk/rock videos is based around a performance which is clearly shown throughout this video. In addition, it is almost unheard of for a folk music video to not include the artist and it is clear within Hopeless Wanderer that this has not been subverted within the video. The typical narrative of folk music tends to focus on the simple struggles of everyday life, such as love and self-discovery, whilst the typical narrative rock music focuses on combating these struggles. This is partially seen within the clip, however the narrative appears disjunctive and unstructured in this manner.

Mumford & Sons' use of iconography is sparing and subtle yet still visible within the video. Their use of the boat which they all sat in symbolised the hopelessness and travel which links to the song title itself - Hopeless Wanderer. Their video which rises in eccentricity subverts the norm of folk music videos which tend to remain calm and relaxed throughout. This helps to emphasise the presence of the rock element within the song. Despite seeming abnormal, this style has become a regular occurrence for the band, being mirrored in their videos for Winter Winds and The Wolf and therefore aids in the recognisable nature of the video.

The video for Hopeless Wanderer adopts the theme of self-discovery, indicated through the way in which the band's attitude changes throughout the video and through the shot of the two band members kissing. This indicates discovery of sexuality which then relates back to the overarching theme of sexuality within the video. This all reflects the bands discovery of their new sound. However, it is clear that there is no real narrative structure to the video and any narrative theories have been avoided.

It begins by introducing each of the band members with their instruments in the middle of a sunny meadow to symbolise peace and freedom before proceeding to show the band walking down a dirt track with all of their equipment, symbolising change and progression. The video then goes back to focusing on the band playing in the meadow before a change in location to inside a barn is used to indicate the way they have become enclosed by the music that once made them so free. These three locations are used intermittently throughout the majority of the video to allow for easier
understanding of what each symbolises. At 2:50, a new location is introduced to the video of the band being huddled in a small boat in the middle of a lake. This symbolises the band's ambition to change through the use of the boat and also indicates isolation through their stranded in the lake. The video then progresses to show the men back in the barn and it is at this point that the two men kiss. Immediately after this, the band are shown to be performing on a stage, evidently making a mockery of themselves and the folk genre. This symbolises how they have realised how their connection with folk music has prevented them from gaining as much success as they could have done if they had made music for a different genre. Following this, the video shows the band in the barn destroying their instruments. This indicates the way in which they are abandoning their old sound. The video ends with the band walking away from the camera down the dirt path. This symbolises the band's moving onwards in their career and leaving their past behind.

Within the music video, Mumford and Sons create a non-stereotypical representation of sexuality. This is achieved through presenting the two men that kiss as masculine through their clothing and beards, rather than as stereotypically effeminate. This allows the audience to understand the futility of stereotypes without having this opinion forced upon them. The band have been constructed in a way which makes them appear young at heart through their high energy performance. This is important as it allows them to appeal to a younger audience as well as retaining older fans. However, due to the lack of narrative structure, it is difficult to deduce which shots are most important within the video and why this would be the case. In addition, it does not appear that the video directly reflects the lyrics in any way and therefore the narrative becomes even more confusing throughout.

At the beginning of the video, the editing is slow-paced to reflect the calm of the folk aspect of the song. However, as the song continues, the pace of the editing increases before slowing at the end again. This keeps the editing on beat of the song for the duration of the video. There are several times throughout the video that the camera pans around to the left or right. This is done to allow the entire band to be seen within a single shot which helps to present the equality amongst the members.

The target audience for this music video appears to be middle class males and females between the ages of 17 and 35 due to the unstructured narrative, the calm atmosphere becoming high energy and the style of music. The most likely access method for the fans of the band is through their YouTube channel which is frequently updated with new content such as music videos and live performances of their music. However upon the video's first release, it may have been available on some Sky TV channels. The video helps fans to picture the bands change in demeanour and calls upon them to support the changes being made.

The record company's role within the video is to help continue Mumford &Sons' development from folk to rock music efficiently. This is important for them as in changing their sound, the band risk losing audience members and fans from the earlier stages of their career. Therefore, the record label need to ensure that the video targets both the old audience and any new potential audience members to prevent loss of potential earnings. Mumford & Sons' online presence has been growing over the years through the creation of a Facebook page, a twitter account and a much more regularly active YouTube account. This has enabled them to reach out to a wider target audience as their music has progressed.

Completing this analysis has allowed me to fully understand the way in which the band has constructed one of their music videos to encompass two very different genres. This will help me when it comes to creating my own music video as I will be able to use some of the most effective aspects within my own to improve its quality.

G324 - Initial Ideas On Genre and Audience

Genre:
The first decision that we had to make before creating our music video was which genre of music we would target. This was a difficult decision for us to make as we both listen to completely different styles of music. To help us decide which genre of music we would make a music video for, we considered conventions of multiple genres before comparing these with each other.


We decided that we wanted to be able to have a simple narrative which would enable us to focus on showcasing our skills with camera work and editing. This prevented us from making a rap video as the majority of rap videos we have seen before have complex narratives which intertwine with one another. In addition, the narrative of rap videos are usually focused on sex, drugs and violence which are not themes that interest us in any way.

We also knew that we would have very limited resources and equipment for shooting the video due to low budget. This took away our option of creating a pop video as we felt that we would not be able to produce a realistic pop video without having lots of props and locations as well as extensive use of lighting and SFX.

We decided against making a rock music video due to Sam's utter dislike for rock music. I accepted that forcing him to make a video for a music genre he doesn't like was unfair due to the amount of time and effort we would be having to spend in creating the video. Not only this, but due to his dislike of the genre, Sam doesn't know much about it and this would have made the entire process much slower.

Finally, we decided against making an indie video due to indie music usually being quite slow. This would make it hard for us to cut the video on beat and limits our opportunities in terms of camera, narrative and editing. Therefore, it became clear that making an indie video would be far too easy for what we aimed to achieve.

Due to it's low budget production, simple narratives, and combination of both slow and fast beats, folk music appeared to be our best option. In addition, we both like folk music and therefore this will make the process more enjoyable for us both.


The official definition of folk music is music that originates in traditional pop culture or that is written in such style.

Audience

We have decided to target both males and females from a wide variety of ethnic backgrounds and social classes between the ages of 15 and 25. This is because we believe that the song itself is more directed at this age group without paying regard to other information. It clearly indicates the importance of remembering memories and taking a record of them, through the repeated symbolism of polaroid pictures, which makes it appear that it is aimed at younger people who potentially don't understand this importance. There is a sense of nostalgia surrounding the video as well as it appearing to be a form of passing on life advice, more appropriated to a slightly younger audience.

Audiences tend to attract and captivate audiences using one of two potential methods. The first of these is through spoon-feeding of information via the Hypodermic Needle Theory. This prevents the audience from having to concentrate on what is being shown to them. When Hypodermic Needle Theory is used, the audience are likely to be attracted through intriguing  and extravagant images yet simple narratives. The second potential method is through use of the Uses and Gratifications Theory. This relies upon the participation of the audience for the narrative to be understood and accepted. When Uses and Gratifications Theory is applied, the audience are more likely to be attracted by more diverse and harder to understand narratives which require attention. The chosen method used will help to establish genre and give the audience an idea of what to expect from the video.

For our video, we intend to adopt the Uses and Gratifications Theory as this suits the folk genre a lot more than the Hypodermic Needle Theory. Not only this but it allows us to develop a more sophisticated narrative with deeper connotations than we would be able to create if we had chosen to attempt to follow the Hypodermic Needle Theory. We think that this will also suit our chosen audience as we believe that it is this age group that are most likely to watch music videos and pay attention to them, rather than just placing the video on in the background of their other activities.

G324 - Narrative Pitch Based On Lyrics

In class, we were given an activity to help us understand how to use lyrics to create a narrative idea. To do this, we were played a song that we had never heard before and told to come up with an original narrative for a music video in small groups. We were played the song multiple times and each time we were able to add more detail to our ideas. Below is the sound file of the song we were played, Autophilia by The Bluetones, and the narrative idea that we created.



Video Idea:
The video would begin with the protagonist, the singer, entering a shop. The shop would look like a car show room but would be full of girls with huge price tags hung around their necks. Each of these girls would be wearing different coloured dresses; 16 in total. The protagonist would choose one of these women and buy her, taking in all of her features with his eyes. The video would then show the two of them going on a date, during which they mess around and have fun, laughing in the sun. At the stage of the song when the protagonist sings "I'm on a double yellow line", the two would be balancing along the double yellow lines painted on the road. This shot would be copied every time the line is sung. The video would continue to show the protagonist and the woman on multiple dates with each other. Then, during the third verse, the two will be shown to be having an argument, before resolving it and reliving their first date together to remember what they have. After the last line, the camera would pan from a front view of the protagonist to a side view which would reveal a beautiful car parked behind him on the double yellow lines, where the woman had been. This would connote that the entire time, the protagonist had been singing about a car, rather than a woman, that he loved.

The music video would be a comedic pop video and the narrative would be typical for the genre as it would be focused on the love aspect of the song. Any references to love within the video will be expected, however the ending of the video would be unexpected as it would reverse the concepts created. There would be a vague intertextual reference between the video and Shallow Hal - a Jack Black film - due to the way in which Hal sees girls incorrectly which links to how the protagonist will be viewing his car as a woman.

The video would explore representation of gender as it would present the female in a very stereotypical way as being the weaker gender. It would also present the male figure as being masculine and dominant which is stereotypical however the video would also subvert the male stereotype by presenting the protagonist as being emotional, a trait which is usually viewed as feminine. The artist would be shown in the video as themselves and would be presented as being wealthy and obsessive.

It would be aimed at a niche audience of male teenagers between the ages of 15 and 19 in the middle class. This is because we believe they would be most likely to understand the humorous aspects of the video as there is the potential that they would be able to relate to the narrative. The video would target this audience by including characters of a similar age and from the same demographic group.

The video would be set in California suburbs due to it's connotations of wealth, success and a glorified lifestyle. The dominant colour of the video will be blue due to it's connotations of both calm and loneliness. This would therefore foreshadow the revelation at the end of the video.

Real Video:



The Differences:
It is evident through watching the real video that though the two ideas are similar, there is one key difference between our idea for the video and the real video. This is that within our video idea it is shown throughout the majority of the video that the protagonist is in love with a girl and it is only unveiled at the end to be a car whilst in the real video it is clear throughout that the protagonist is in love with the car.

G324 - Analysing Lyrics - Craig David

It is important to analyse lyrics as it allows you to gain an understanding of the artist's intentions within the song. It can also help to create an image of a narrative that you can develop for a music video. It s for this reason that I completed an exercise in which I analysed the lyrics for part of a song I had never heard before and then developed a basic idea of a narrative for the song. After completing this exercise, I looked at the real music video for the song to see how it's narrative differed from the one which I had developed. Below are the lyrics for the song followed by my analysis of them. I have also annotated the lyrics with my narrative ideas in red.

Craig David - Seven Days

On my way to see my friends - Craig walking down the street singing at the camera, long shot

Who lived a couple blocks away from me. (owh) - Craig walking down the street singing at the camera, long shot

As I walked through the subway, - Cuts to Craig walking through a subway station, medium tracking shot

It must have been about quarter past three, - Cuts to close up of watch face

In front of me - Camera pans left and up

Stood a beautiful honey with a beautiful body. - Camera stops panning at a medium shot of a stereotypically "beautiful", blonde young woman

She asked me for the time, - Cuts to close up up of Craig singing in a studio

I said it'd cost her her name, - Close up up of Craig singing in a studio

A six digit number and a date with me tomorrow at nine. - Cuts to medium close up of woman, writing a number down on a piece of paper

Did she decline? - Cut to a medium long shot of a male friend sat at a bar, asking Craig the question
No. - Cut to a medium long shot of Craig at a bar, answering his friend's question

Didn't she mind? - Cut to a medium long shot of a male friend sat at a bar, asking Craig the question
I don't think so. - Cut to a medium long shot of Craig at a bar, answering his friend's question

Was it for real? - Cut to a medium shot of a male friend sat at a bar, asking Craig the question
Damn sure. - Cut to a medium shot of Craig at a bar, answering his friend's question

What was the deal? - Cut to a medium shot of a male friend sat at a bar, asking Craig the question
A pretty girl aged 24. - Cut to a medium shot of Craig at a bar, answering his friend's question

So was she keen? - Cut to a medium close up of a male friend sat at a bar, asking Craig the question
She couldn't wait. - Cut to a medium close up of Craig at a bar, answering his friend's question

Cinnamon queen? - Cut to a medium close up of a male friend sat at a bar, asking Craig the question
Let me update. - Cut to a medium close up of Craig at a bar, answering his friend's question

What did she say? - Cut to a close up of a male friend sat at a bar, asking Craig the question
She said she'd love to rendezvous, - Cut to a close up of Craig at a bar, answering his friend's question

She asked me what we were gonna do; - Close up of Craig at a bar, answering his friend's question

Said we'd start with a bottle of moet for two. -  Cut to extreme close up of Craig's mouth, zooms out to reveal him speaking to the woman

[Chorus]

Monday. - Cut to close up of daily calender, flip's from Monday to Tuesday

Took her for a drink on Tuesday. - Fade to long shot of Craig and the woman at a bar together
We were making love by Wednesday - Fade through calender showing Wednesday to the two in bed together, long shot

and on Thursday and Friday and Saturday. - Fade back to calender and flip through the days up till Sunday

We chilled on Sunday. - Fade to a medium long shot of the two cuddled up on the sofa together watching TV, OTS of the couple towards the TV

I met this girl on Monday. - Repeat as above

Took her for a drink on Tuesday. - Repeat as above

We were making love by Wednesday - Repeat as above

and on Thursday and Friday and Saturday. - Repeat as above

We chilled on Sunday. - Repeat as above

By reading through the lyrics, it is immediately obvious that Craig David is singing about meeting a girl. This is a common narrative for pop music and remains simple. This means that the music video is also likely to be simple. However, there could be a hidden meaning behind the lyrics. It is possible that Craig David is writing about the way in which men are pressurised into being smooth and quick-witted with the ladies and therefore constructs this story to reflect the way in which men often make up situations in order to boost their ego and to seem cool to their friends.

Below is the real music video, which I had never seen until after having completed this analysis and brief narrative idea: