Chosen Song I am Going To Reconstruct

I chose this song as I felt I needed a fast paced music video to be able to have quick edits and have the ability to show more content to the viewer. Bastille are a Indie Rock/Pop band from the UK that first formed in 2010. Originally Dan Smith,the lead singer, was a solo performer and decided to form a band. The four piece consist of Dan Smith, Chris Wood, Will Farquarson and Kyle Simmons. In December 2010 the record label EMI decided to offer the band a record label with Virgin Records. Bastille are a fairly new band and are not yet "huge" in the US. In May of 2013 Bastille released their Haunt EP in the US via itunes and on september 3rd they released their debut album 'Bad Blood' in the US via itunes, helping them to gain a bigger and worldwide fanbase. I feel this video from Bastille is very abstract rather than narrative, which I hope to create and show throughout my video, but also still keeping a meaning to make the viewers stay interested.

Bastilles Narrative Videos

Laura Palmer by Bastille is a narrative video which depicts a vague and bizarre story where group leader Dan Smith is kidnapped and released within less than two minutes, four people wear rubber masks. Towards the end, after being released, Dan Smith is given a rubber mask which looks like Killer BOB (Twin Peaks main antagonist). Dan Smith dons the mask and removes it after a few seconds.

The version of the song used in the video is unique to it because of a sudden an unexpected interruption in the music. During the scene where Smith is kidnapped, which is shown as a camcorder shot, there is a jump-cut as in a badly edited VHS tape - to a completely unrelated shot of a dog howling, also shot with a camcorder, and the song stops in the middle of the second chorus. After five seconds, the video cuts back to a more neutral point of view shot and the song resumes.

Myself, I am going to look into using the camcorder shot within my own music video as it relates to the genre and will relate to my initial ideas.

Bad Blood was the second single to be released from the album. It reached a peak of number ninety in the UK Singles Chart. The music video to accompany the release of Bad Blood was first released onto YouTube on 29 June 2012 at a total length of three minutes and thirty-four seconds. I believe this music video shows the narrative of a girl who has had a relationship with a boy, who in the music video is played by the lead singer from Bastille. The girl let him drown and disappear and the relationship turned sour. This bothered her and played on her mind so she tried to salvage what was left of the relationship by going back to old memories. In the end it looks as if the friendship was dragging her to drown too, so she let go of all the memories in a box.

Other Videos Relating to the Genre

Two Door Cinema Club - Changing of the Seasons

Editing- The editing throughout this video is mainly straight cuts to show the narrative developing. There is also use of blurs which is typical of the indie genre to create more of an abstract look than a high-tech super natural look. Black and White throughout whole video. Slow motion is also used.

Sound- We hear the development of the narrative begin through diegetic sound as Two Door Cinema Club act out a conference about themselves and their music. This then leads into the song that we hear throughout. 

Mise En Scene- Leather Jackets, Sun Glasses, Suit Jackets, Turtle Necks, Old fashioned clothes such a tartan skirts on girls. Lighting is near enough all the same throughout due to black and white effect. Microphones, stage and smoke for performance. Old looking building when skips back to conference. Old looking house for the party aspect of the music video.

Cinematography- Pans, Tracks, Handheld shots, zooms, Tilts, Medium Close Ups and Cantered angles.

The 1975 - Sex

Editing- Jump cuts from live band performance to narrative. The main use of editing is straight cuts from one shot to another. There is also the use of effects when the boy takes drugs so that we are looking at the world through his perspective making the image look abstract and unreal. Fast cuts are used when boy takes drugs to abstract images.

Sound-The song starts with the boy and girl having a conversation this then straight cuts into a diegetic sound of a muffles police siren before cutting into the song that we hear throughout.

Mise En Scene- The band are in black skinny jeans, lose cut tops (black and white), denim waist coat. Boy actor is in skinny jeans, lose cut tops. Girl is in baggy tops, bikinis, less clothing such as bra and knickers. Minimal make-up is used. Hair is messy and unstyled to create care-free teenage look.

Cinematography- Cantered angles to support unstable vision of boy when using drugs. Pans, Tracks, Handheld Shots, Video camera shots as if one of the actors within the music video is filming the footage, Long shots, close ups, zooms.

Foster The People - Pumped Up Kicks

Editing- Straight cuts are used but also flashes to get from one shot to another. Blurs are once again used which are also used in the TDCC video above this shows the continuity throughout indie/rock music videos. All colour shots. Fades are also used to get from shot to shot.

Sound- Song throughout. Echos from the microphone when recording are used this makes the music sound live and as if we are at a performance from the band when listening to it.

Mise En Scene-Performance area again as scene in all three videos, stage, instruments, microphones, live performance. Lose tops, jeans and black shoes/vans throughout the band. Shots at a recording studio. Follows band on a journey, houses, roads and signs used throughout. Lighting goes from sepia tone to natural lighting and also colours are used when performing such as reds, blues and greens. 

Cinematography- A lot of handheld camera footage, to develop the narrative of them almost video blogging their journey. Pans, Tilts, close ups are used throughout.