Thursday 20 September 2012

Shot Count - The Killers: Somebody Told Me




Shot count: Approximately 130

This video is considered Rock, as it reflects on the typical conventions of Rock genre. This is due to the fact that nearly all of the footage taken is of the band playing their instruments. The video is very fast in the beginning, and moves on to a slower pace as the artist sings. The video also features beat counts, where the video cuts resemble the beat of the music.

Throughout the video, it's made apparent that Goodwin's theory applies, due to the fact that Brandon Flowers is in the main shot all of the time. The reason for this is because Brandon is the lead vocalist, and therefore the music producers will ensure that the main star is focussed on, in order to sell the band to new and potential fans all the time, which ties in with Jason Mittel's theory that music videos use genres to sell products, with the band being the product in this scenario.

A lot of panning shots, as well as zooms and tracking shots, are used throughout the video to add an element of interactiveness, rather than the typical conventions of media where the camera is in fixed position. It's also worth mentioning that the shots in the video aren't limited to a handful of shots; the shots are taken at all angles and distances (long, medium, close-up shots).

During the entire the video, the band play in front of a giant screen, showing them playing the same song, but during daytime rather than at night. This iconography can be a visual representation of Claude Lèvi-Strauss' theory with the use of light and dark, and how it relates to binary opposites. In the literal term, the band are playing in a darker environment, with a brighter version behind them. However, in the interpreted term, the band could be playing sinisterly, as the dark theme is commonly used in Rock videos. This sense of internal conflict can portray the dark emotions and anger that the singer is clearly feeling about his ex-girlfriend moving on. This anger is channeled a lot into the lyrics.

In addition, Hall's theory states that for the visual representation to work, there must be a visual presence which the audience can recognise and relate to. In the video, the theme and storyline are related to the emotions that many face when an ex-partner moves on. In this case, the main vocalist discusses his experience after his ex-girlfriend has moved on. The video also features a sense of bitchiness which is quite common, and relatable.

This also ties in with David Gauntlett's theory that an image must be retained, as The Killer's songs are most about relationships or potential partners; as well as Barry Keith Grant's theory that familiar characteristics are typically covered in a music video.

© Dan Spurway

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