Artist: The Script
Track: Hall of Fame
Genre: Pop Rock/Hip Hop
Released Date: 19th August 2012
The Scripts music video for "Hall of Fame" incorporates the use of a circular narrative because the action ends where it starts off; the young boy living with his mother in a run down area is found dreaming of what life could be and his aspirations in life, alongside the deaf young girl whose dream it is to perform on stage as a ballerina and at the end of the video it shows the same dream of becoming their life time goal after the audience has been taken through the story and determination of how they see themselves there. I believed that this song would be a good idea to analyse for narrative structures and how they could interpreted in different ways. For example the main storyline could be implied as a linear narrative because it follows their story almost in chronological order.
The opening scene, connotes to the audience that there is someone getting ready for a fight in the boxing ring in the form of a medium shot, with his back turned towards the audience. The scene cuts away to his mother waking him up from his dream which implies to the audience that he wants his aspiration to become reality, this could be interrupted that the male character is inviting us to follow how he strives to reach his goal throughout the story. The third shot is of a young female who desires to perform and become a professional ballerina, and by that time the audience realise that the narrative is about following your dreams and creating an impact on the world. Her deformity of being death could hinder her aspirations but not feeling good enough and being put down by her own self belief, which targets her vulnerability. A similar circular narrative is used by the script in their music video "Breakeven".
To use mise-en-scene is really effective in terms of setting the scene. The entire music video is set around the aspirations of the younger children, from the ballet dance room to the boxing ring. These scenes emphasis the teenagers dreams and ambitions to become what they think they can achieve, right at the start of the music video their is a contrast in how the boy and girl live when placed back into reality. The boy lives in a run-down area, surrounded by crime and less opportunity, whereas the girl, who is suffering from a hearing disability, is seen as cut off from the world and isolated in her dream world, this contrasts to the events of them dreaming, becoming and rewriting what their lives should be like. Then scene 1:02+ where the boy is out on a run and encounters adults who are older than he is, this triggers the dream of becoming a professional boxer and standing up for himself where it is shown that he can't when the group of adults punish him.
In terms of setting, I really appreciated the fact that the narrative began introducing the life difficulties of the two characters and as the audience we sympathise with them and get to understand from their i.e. backgrounds why they imagine themselves as better individuals than they are. The setting also creates awareness with the audience in terms of the use of using childhood aspirations as their life goals because then the audience can then think of there own personal experiences and can relate to the music video. Goodwin also stated that there is a relationship of lyrics to visuals, the 'Hall of Fame' lines are mimicked by using boxing ring fights, this relates to the idea of great boxing legends such as Mohammed Ali and that amplifies the idea of how the teenage boy became inspired by other boxing champions and wants to follow on in his footsteps.
Track: Hall of Fame
Genre: Pop Rock/Hip Hop
Released Date: 19th August 2012
The Scripts music video for "Hall of Fame" incorporates the use of a circular narrative because the action ends where it starts off; the young boy living with his mother in a run down area is found dreaming of what life could be and his aspirations in life, alongside the deaf young girl whose dream it is to perform on stage as a ballerina and at the end of the video it shows the same dream of becoming their life time goal after the audience has been taken through the story and determination of how they see themselves there. I believed that this song would be a good idea to analyse for narrative structures and how they could interpreted in different ways. For example the main storyline could be implied as a linear narrative because it follows their story almost in chronological order.
The opening scene, connotes to the audience that there is someone getting ready for a fight in the boxing ring in the form of a medium shot, with his back turned towards the audience. The scene cuts away to his mother waking him up from his dream which implies to the audience that he wants his aspiration to become reality, this could be interrupted that the male character is inviting us to follow how he strives to reach his goal throughout the story. The third shot is of a young female who desires to perform and become a professional ballerina, and by that time the audience realise that the narrative is about following your dreams and creating an impact on the world. Her deformity of being death could hinder her aspirations but not feeling good enough and being put down by her own self belief, which targets her vulnerability. A similar circular narrative is used by the script in their music video "Breakeven".
To incorporate Goodwins theory, Hall of Fame a relationship in terms of lyrics to visuals to emphasis that any child can always achieve their goal, whatever the circumstances. From 1:52-1:54 there is a series of montage shots which show the female ballerina spinning and that links in with the the drummer when he starts to spin his drum sticks. Another one of Goodwins theoris used in the music video is the use of close ups. The continual visual style of motifs are used to help the audience in identifying who the singer and the band are, in this case the lead singer from The Script and Will.i.am and shown through various close ups, this is to get as much publicity and promotion for the artist as possible. The music video also demonstrates genre characteristics, this means that a stage performance of the band and the featured artist in a warehouse where full instruments are set up and are being played, this is a motif because it is a continual visual style that is seen from beginning to end of the music video. Other music videos that follow the same principles of using a stage performance/band playing is 'Ecosmiths Come Together' music video. The genre itself identifies the sort of narrative and performance that you as the audience is likely to see being Pop Rock/Hip Hop.
To use mise-en-scene is really effective in terms of setting the scene. The entire music video is set around the aspirations of the younger children, from the ballet dance room to the boxing ring. These scenes emphasis the teenagers dreams and ambitions to become what they think they can achieve, right at the start of the music video their is a contrast in how the boy and girl live when placed back into reality. The boy lives in a run-down area, surrounded by crime and less opportunity, whereas the girl, who is suffering from a hearing disability, is seen as cut off from the world and isolated in her dream world, this contrasts to the events of them dreaming, becoming and rewriting what their lives should be like. Then scene 1:02+ where the boy is out on a run and encounters adults who are older than he is, this triggers the dream of becoming a professional boxer and standing up for himself where it is shown that he can't when the group of adults punish him.
In terms of setting, I really appreciated the fact that the narrative began introducing the life difficulties of the two characters and as the audience we sympathise with them and get to understand from their i.e. backgrounds why they imagine themselves as better individuals than they are. The setting also creates awareness with the audience in terms of the use of using childhood aspirations as their life goals because then the audience can then think of there own personal experiences and can relate to the music video. Goodwin also stated that there is a relationship of lyrics to visuals, the 'Hall of Fame' lines are mimicked by using boxing ring fights, this relates to the idea of great boxing legends such as Mohammed Ali and that amplifies the idea of how the teenage boy became inspired by other boxing champions and wants to follow on in his footsteps.
An intelligent analysis which is rooted more to the use of media language than to the theories of narrative. I suggest you change the heading of the case study to: The use of media language in music videos or add another short post focusing on my points 2 and 3.
ReplyDelete1) You say in the last section: .....lines are mimicked by using boxing ring fights....Don't say mimicked instead say "synchronised".
2) Re narrative structure, this music video is structured around performance shots of the band and conceptual shots of the triumph of ambition either in the boxing ring or as a ballet dancer. I would suggest the narrative structure is in a series of montage shots of performance and dreams of success,.
3) For revision of narrative theory in this case montage is used as a form of continuity editing to effect an emotional or intellectual response. The montage technique relies on the symbolic association of ideas between shots rather than association of simple physical action for its continuity.
You need some revision of narrative theory which is not difficult but it can incorporate the use of colour alteration, dissolves etc which indicate an alternative reality or the passing of time.