Individual Post - Harrison Twinn

No One Knows - Queens Of The Stone Age




The genre characteristics that are shown within this video are that of the alternative rock genre (or more specifically 'psychedelic rock'). Some of these conventions include the band's performance and their own capabilities with the instruments, as well as having a short narrative that runs through the duration of the video. The vocalist (and some other members of the band) also address the audience, not to send at a message per say, but to sell themselves on their iconic features and image.

The lyrics and clips shown match with each other in terms of the subject they are showing and singing to the audience. The narrative they show is something very abstract and strange in terms of its cohesiveness and the way in which the visuals is being amplified. For example, when they drive the car into the animal, the audience would expect it to stay dead. But as the video progresses, the deer gets back up and ties each member of the band to the front of the car, which is what was meant to happen with the deer. This narrative matches with the lyrics though, which metaphorically presents the topic of relationships and how one person in the relationship may want to get revenge on the other person. This happens with the deer in the video; it wanted to get its own back on the ones who ran it over.

The music also matches the video. At different points in the video, when the music is amplified, the video shows shots that get even more extraordinary as it progresses. With the lyrics, it makes the video and music seem to convey the artist's feelings of revenge and wanting to get their own back on someone. This is mostly shown with the deer taking over the car and driving the members of the band to the deer's house and wife.

The thing that sells this video in particular is the image of the band members including their own unique talents with their own instruments. This is also done with their performance and iconic looks by the record label. Unlike some music videos, this one includes a cameo appearance that also took part in the band's performance which was of David Grohl, and famous songwriter well known by his other band, the 'Foo Fighters' and by performing multiple roles such as being the vocalist, drummer and guitarist. His appearance helped attract fan-bases as well as fan-bases of this band.
The motif the band had developed was a one of showing a combination between short narratives and performance in a way that seems extraordinary. For example, during their performance in the video, the outlines of their bodies glow different colours to make them stand out more from the dark background they had behind them.

There are some points in the music video that makes it seem as if the audience was placed into the situation the band was in. At one point, a low angle shot was used inside the car when the deer was driving it. This was to show how the tables had turned between the deer and the ones who ran it over and how much power it had over the band members.
Also, there was only a brief moment where there were voyeuristic treatments of female bodies. These females wore revealing clothing, so the majority of the male audience would be attracted to the video this way.

There is one intertextual reference that the video makes that could've been taken from multiple films. But one of these films (even though it is a recent film) is 'The Watch', when a few men accidentally ran over what seemed to be an alien, which causes it to want revenge. This could be said the same in this music video; the idea of letting the deer get revenge makes the whole video extraordinary when the concept of running it over seemed normal in the first place.

Quelle Surprise - Enter Shikari



The genre characteristics in this promotional video are taken from the rock genre (a hybrid between post-hardcore rock and electronics). One of these characteristics is the band's capabilities with their own instruments and performing with each other. Within this convention, the vocalist is constantly addressing the audience. This is so he and the band can get their political messages and beliefs across, which is another characteristic of the rock genre.

In terms of the message they are trying to convey to the audience, the lyrics and video act together as one to give the band's views to the audience in a frustrated manner. One of the ways they do this is through their performance, which is set within a claustrophobic area. The way they perform both in their narrative and in the way they play with their instruments makes them seem as if they are trying to break free from what space or objects that were restricting them. For example, each member of the band is tied up to an elastic rope with they all are trying to move away from to head towards the light. Also, the video was set in dark places and the only means of light they had were handheld torches and construction lights, which gave the topic presented a bigger depth in the respect of its message.

The music is constantly amplified throughout the video, which matches the visuals perfectly. Throughout the song, the footage shown make quick transitions from one shot to the other to make it seem distorting and confusing. The bands uses this during their performance to reinforce their political issue. There are some points that tone down the song, and when this happens the video tends to contain the same content but with more slower transitions and less movement to match the moment.

There are some close-ups of the band members to sell their video on, but because they are contracted to their own label, there is more freedom in what they do to reach wider audiences. This band are fairly known for their freedom in making the video and using the micro areas in different ways to make the video more appealing. One example is the way in which they edit the music video to make the video itself and the band members dynamic. They do this by using different camera angles on the same band member and jumping quickly from one angle to the other to, not only fit with the music, but to also make them seem more significant as the shot changes angles. Another way in which they sell themselves is with the way they perform. Apart from this video, other of their promotional works are quite similar in terms of their short narrative and their ability to perform with one another during different intervals. The narrative in this video relates to their given subject using the mise-en-scene around them, such as the elastic ropes that were preventing them from reaching the bright light at the end of what seems to be a tunnel or cave.

In the beginning, the audience is addressed by the vocalist who was standing in front of what seemed to be a computer screen, and when the vocalist acts as if he is interacting with the 'computer', it looks as if he is giving us an overview of the topic they are explaining to us, which in this case is on the problems of the industrial world. The lyrics during this intro are also used to give us this image.
Also, at points when the narrative is shown, the handheld shots that are being used to show it almost makes the audience feel as if they were involved with the struggle to break free from the restrictions the band were feeling, shooting the footage as a variety of different angles, such as close-ups, long shots and canted angles.

This video could be said to have intertextual references, and one of them could be another recent film called 'Source Code', because the message of this video and the film's message are both very similar in comparison. The music video portrays the message of the mechanical world we live in and how the power of some people, such as the government, as one example, can lead to us unwillingly obeying their instructions and lies. The film is slightly different, but sort of has the same message. The main character in the film is put through a timed sequence of a past event that is under police investigation which he is forced into because of his comatose condition. The police could be said to be the ones who benefit from this investigation, but the main character however could be considered to be the tragic hero because of his inability to escape his coma. The messages of both the video and film say that we are forced into situations that we sometimes don't have the power to change, and these situations benefit the one's who are conducting them.