Thursday, 31 March 2022

Contextual analysis 2- Numb (Men I Trust)

 


The music video by the band 'Men I Trust' effectively uses filters and cameras in order to produce an 'old-school' look, complementary to the slow pace of the song. This is something I would like to adopt in my own video , at least at some points, as I feel like it will add an extra dimension to the video and separate from the narrative I wish to create. In this case they have used the filter throughout which works with the song and video on whole as there is no set narrative. 

Editing: As mentioned above for this video set editing has been used throughout in order to create a subtle '90s-00s' camera theme, the band themselves are an indie/alternative
band meaning their audiences may find comfort and familiarity within the alternative editing methods. The filter they have used over the video makes the video seem grainy and adds 
character, they may also be attempting to mirror the quality of old tape recorders. With three 'frames' being seen in shot at one time gives the effect that it has been recorded on a tape recorder and transferred onto authentic film. As well as this they have decided to use small, yellow subtitles for the lyrics, this is reflective of that in old school 80s movies and videos and further provides a sense of authenticity that they were attempting to create.

Mise-en-scene: In terms of the mise-en-scene they have kept it quit simplistic, I'm guessing this is what they were aiming for as this simplicity is reflected through the narrative and editing style also. The video starts with the artist getting on a train and then walking
down a street. Majority of the video is styled in this way with no extravagant use of props but simply 'using what's already there'. The lead singer, Jessy, is the only character shown other than passers by and is not shown in any unnatural clothing, this is further extending the simplicity they are trying to create. As well as this, in a scene of the artist walking down the street she is seen wearing 'retro' lightweight headphones, reflecting the simple and vintage look they were aiming for. To follow on with the realism, throughout the video the day is passing chronologically, this is evident through the sky getting gradually darkening when approaching the evening. Further scenes are showing in more naturalistic setting such as on the train, in her house with a change of clothes indicating a different day and later on the beach in the evening. The video then ends with the sun setting, adding a sense of closure for the narrative that seemed to just be the simplicity of her day. 

Narrative: This video lacks a solid, obvious narrative but could arguably have underlying messages that could come under the umbrella term of 'narrative'. There is not set story or multiple characters, no problem faced that the characters have to resolve. However, the naturalistic and authentic mise-en-scene and lack of performance could present the idea that the purpose of this music video is for audiences to appreciate the simplicity and focus more on the editing.

Camerawork: In terms of camerawork, alike other aspects of the video there is an authenticity they are trying to withhold. Therefore, the camerawork is purposefully 'unprofessional' to match the editing and 'old-style' filter, specific camera shots can still be
identified but aren't as 'clean cut' if filmed professionally. The videos starts with close up shots of the artists, mimicking a video filmed by a romantic partner through the breaking of the fourth wall and direct eye contact. This is then followed by shots of artist, Jessy, walking down the street, this could be correlated to Massive Attack's 'Unfinished Sympathy' with the one continuous shot of Shara Nelson on the LA street. However, this differs slightly with the breaking up of shots with different scenes and perspectives. Within these walking scenes mid + long shots are used, in order to establish the mise-en-scene, props/outfits as well as adding depth and dimension to the video 


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Statement of intent- Final