Music Video Analysis 2 - Chris

Name of Track: Whistle for the Choir
Artist: The Fratellis



This video is useful for my coursework as it shows a UK based alternative rock band similar to Arctic Monkeys. It is also a performance based video, with elements of narrative.
The setting is a dark street in Glasgow. This is typical in alternative rock video's as it is a sub-urban location.
The Genre Characteristics shown in the video are the urban British town, and how they are playing their instruments, typically drums and guitars. There are strong relationships between the lyrics and the visuals. Such as when he says "And it's 4 in the morning, and I'm walking along" it is set during the night and he is walking along a street. It is also shown when he says "Because I may be a beggar and you maybe the queen" he is lying on the streets, similar to a begger.
Roland Barthes' theory of "Grain of Voice" is relevant to this video. There is a typical northern accent and can be trade marked to this artist. This also occurs in Arctic Monkeys songs and videos. There is a clear sense of first person mode of address. The lead singer, Jon Fratelli, is looking directly at the audience, and is singing to us. This gives the audience a sense of para-social intimacy, as he is looking at the audience and talking to them. The video also starts with a ECU of his eye and then moves to a CU of his face and upper body, showing the audience him singing and looking at us. The song does contain a narrative, but it is not a complete narrative. This encourages the audience to watch repeat viewings to try and understand what is going on, this is the narrative fuzz.
This video is an example of illustration. It uses the video to reinforce the lyrics and the meaning of the song. It is about a guy, the lead singer, who meets a girl who he thinks is to good for him but wants to be with her anyway. This is shown through the lyrics "Because I may be a beggar and you maybe the queen", showing how he thinks she is a lot better then him.
The camera shots in this video are slow moving, Steadicam shots. There are a wide range of close ups as well as long shots of the city scape and walking into the moonlight. The post-production digital effects include a high contrast level, with a grayish/green tint to it. However there are bold primary colours that stand out, such as the yellow lines on the pavement.
The "Meat" of the video is where there are cuts to close-ups of the singer's face and this is evident in "Whistle for the Choir". The video starts off with a close up of his face, and there are lots of shots of his face when he is walking towards the camera and singing.
The Mise-en-scene is useful to the video as it constructs a sense of authenticity and realness as the performance is shown and they are in "a big big city". It is also set at night which reinforces the lyrics "And it's 4 in the morning, and I'm walking along".