Download - Textual Analysis Netkey Music Video
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7/30/2019 Textual Analysis Netkey Music Video
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Netsky- Love Has Gone
Music Video Analysis
Drum & Bass music video 2
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7/30/2019 Textual Analysis Netkey Music Video
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1. Point of view shots are used significantly through out the music video. Where the narrative is
one that covey's friendship, childhood and youth, this shot is very fitting, for the purpose of
placing us as viewers directly into the action as the young kids run away from the shop keeper,stealing a variety of sweets. Point of view shots are quite conventional to the drum and bass
genre, as the music videos are so fast paced, POV shots can parallel the speed by giving us a
first person view of the action commencing in the video.
POV shot of the street
the boys run down. It
is especially effective
here as it really
captures the
narrowness of the
street, and the light at
the end of it.
Significant perhaps inthat it represents the
freedom these
children have one
that is always there.
2. The next highly conventional shot to the drum & bass genre used in this
music video is close ups. Drum & bass videos posses an excess of close ups,
this is because their narratives usually revolve around that of a person/people,
who's emotions are key to the narrative. Close ups allow the charactersexpressions to be viewed and acknowledged vividly, in these two screen shots
we view two young boys who are totally elated.
I would deem this shot as a two shot, but
also a close up. It is close enough to see
how they are both sharing a headphone
each, and a shot like this is conventional
to the drum & bass genre as it overtly
reaffirms the theme of friendship.
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7/30/2019 Textual Analysis Netkey Music Video
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However, the close ups used in this video are not restricted to clarifying character
emotions. Here the boys are running through the streets placing stickers on the walls,
phone boxes, taxis etc. Hospital records is the record company Netskey is signed to,
an image of their logo is also seen, the H under the boys hand. What this does is
within the video market both the release of the album and the record company. The
close ups make it very visible to us, and this is needed as the shot is only their for a
brief second. It is almost subliminally enters our minds as viewers. Therefore, in terms
of the uses and gratification model, the audience would use this video for both
escapism(engrossed in the hedonistic lifestyle of the children), but also informational
purposes as they are informed of the artist, the record he is signed to etc.
What is highly conventional to the genre, besides the shot, is this idea of marketing and
inter-textual advertisement within a music video. Modesteps Sunlight exemplified this
upon analysis, where post sick notes of other drum & bass artists where written on post
stick notes and stuck to the heads of the protagonists.
Even a web link to the record
labels site. This allows the
audience to further their viewing
experience through the use of
Web 2.0.
What is highly conventional to the genre,
besides the shot, is this idea of marketing
and inter-textual advertisement within amusic video. Modesteps Sunlight
exemplified this upon analysis, where post
sick notes of other drum & bass artists
where written on post stick notes and
stuck to the heads of the protagonists.
3. In terms of Camera angles low angle shots are u
used throughout the music video. In this example wecan see and extremely low angle shot, at the point
where the boys open their rucksacks and are
shocked to see the number of sweets they contain.
The low angle shock seeks to reflect how they
believe, now, that they are in power as they have
these sweets.
Shots of a low angle are
highly conventional to the
drum & bass genre, as it is agenre associated so much
with drugs, friendship, shots
like this can convey a certain
meaning to the audience, or
reflect the effect of a drug for
example: Making them feel
empowered, in control,
dominant, similarly when
they are with their friends.Many drum & bass music
videos use low angle shots
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7/30/2019 Textual Analysis Netkey Music Video
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4. Although there is arguably one main protagonist in this
video, the young mix raced boy, the 3 other friends that
travel with him are also main characters. Therefore, Wide
shots are used a lot in this music video. This allows the
audience to view them altogether, as a group, and this in
itself reaffirms the theme of friendship, adhering to
conventions of the drum & bass genre as mentioned
before, this theme is very iconic.
Skateboard also seen in the
shot, as a representation of their
youth. Youth is a key element to
the drum & bass genre as
noticed in my modestep music
video analysis, and therefore this
shot is relatively conventional in
terms of symbolism.
Finally, I would like to note upon shots that used in this video that I would like to incorporate into my music video. There are quite a
few shots from behind the characters, most probably taken with a steady-cam. These shots are interesting as they hide thecharacters face, their identity, and in that moment can only be judged by there movements. I believe this builds up far more tension.
Handheld camera work is used to a great extent in this video; the jaunty, unstable shots that this creates reflects the recklessness in
these boys lives, stealing from shop keepers, running through the streets, annoying to members of the public. This is very
conventional to the genre, hand held shots and this notion of recklessness, and will most defiantly be incorporated into my music
video.
Finally I like directors work, taking long tracks of the boys feet alone. These are great shots and build the suspense need, released
on the drop of the song. This makes the songs drop far more cathartic if there is some sense of a build up, and therefore thesetypes of shots work well with Drum & Bass music videos, as visual build ups are needed to reflect the musical build up of the song.
Tracking shot of the protagonists feet running. This
is a shot I would like to incorporate into my music
video
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Mise-en-scene
1. Costume: The clothing of the main characters is very stereotypical to that of young
children. We see no braded garments; as at that age, the superiority some brands of
clothes can give one does not exist, clothes are merely for the purpose of keeping one
warm and allowing them to have fun at that age. This is interesting as there is also one shot
of a homeless person, holding a bag that has an expensive brand name on it, yet still goingthrough the bings for food. It is also a beautiful juxtaposition of colour; dark clothes of the
homeless person, elegent colour of the bag, the two extremes of life. Perhaps what the
director is trying to convey is the notion, that, all we really need are the necessities to life:
Friendship, love, warmth, etc, and I believe by uses the hypodermic needle theory as a
study, we can argue that this message is directly received by the audience as the entire
music video never stops conveying these notions.The clothing warn by the children also, in a
way, reflects the clothing that would be warn by
teenagers or the older generation attending a
drum and bass rave. Baggy clothing to allow for
movement, colorful clothing, hats, lack ofexpensive brands etc. The costumes are then
highly conventional to the drum & bass genre.
2. Lighting: The entire music video takes place during the day, and Im presuming during
the brightest time in the day as the sun is shining down upon the boys heavily. In fact
the setting, minus the one short scene in the sweet shop, takes place entirely outside.This is highly fitting for the revolving themes of the music video: Freedom, friendship,
what better place is there to depict such things other than the outdoors? There is none,
and therefore the setting is highly conventional to the drum & bass genre, even though
it is not depicting a rave or drugs, freedom and friendship it Is conveying.
The narrative of the music video follow no real structure. One of the boys meets his
friends who has stolen some sweets, and from then on they run from the shop keeper
and have a day out in the sun, playing, laughing, eating. Again, the notion of freedom;
no structure to their lives, just fun.
Image of the outdoors, near a beach.
Theme of friendship and freedom easily
conveyed, and accepted by the audience.
The lighting is bright, sunlight is the only
from of lighting I presume. (no three point
lighting, no spot lighting, no low keylighting).
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Not only is the natural light bright, but there is brightness (in colour) throughout
the entire music video. For starters the reds and greens on the protagonists
clothing are examples of where bright colours are used, the beach is lit brightly,
the packaging of the sweets, even the narrow streets have a bright natural light
at the end of them. The watermelon the children eat on the bench is a stunning,
rich red that is so beautiful in colour, representing the fruits of summer and the
holidays. This somewhat excessive use of primary colours throughout the music
video is very conventional to the drum & bass genre as it is a revolving colour
theme, and seeks to construct this notion of total, unabridged happiness.
3. Props: The main props given prominence throughout out the music video are: One of the boys skateboard, the other boys drum
sticks, the sweets they steal, the protagonists back pack and the water gun. Broadly defined, these are all symbolic of youth and
therefore highly conventional to the drum & bass genre. The drum sticks; clearly a reference to the genre. Drum and bass. It is this
notion of creation, and the liberation of music, as the boy messes around with this drum sticks whilst running down the street, free,
restricted by no-one. The water gun is an interesting symbol, conventional to the genre in two forms. 1st it is keeping in with the
theme of youth and childhood depicted in this music video as the boys squirt each other through the streets with water, laughing and
joking. However secondly, many argue that violence is something associated with this music genre. A water gun is still a gun, and a
gun is a symbol of violence. However the director subverts this notion by turning the violence associated with this music type on its
head, using a water gun, with clear close ups and wide shots depicting the boys having a pleasurable time.Boy playing with his drummer sticks down
the street. Notion of creating music
implemented into every day society: back
streets, civilians etc.
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7/30/2019 Textual Analysis Netkey Music Video
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Editing
1. Id like to comment firstly on the editing technique of using slow motion.
Slow motion is used throughout the entire music video, it is an editing
technique highly conventional to the drum & bass genre as it allows the
visual aspects of the music video to reflect the pace of the song. I.e. all
drum & bass songs slow down at certain points and it is normally herethat slow motion is used. In this music video it is also a highly
conventional technique as it really captures the natural phenomenon;
being a child and being free. Also in terms of music video narratives all
narratives have faced paced moments as well as slow paced moments,
here is no different. The slow motion is used to capture the protagonists
free movements and interactions with each other, presenting their
friendship and childhood in a far more stylish and, it would suffice to say,
cool manor.
Slow motion used here 36 seconds
into the music video; conventional in
that it is an iconic image that is
depicting the friendship of the boys,
but also sets the initial pace of the
music video before we reach the
drop of the song.
Last shot of the music video. This is a long take where the
camera is situated on the floor and the children are
jumping around playfully looking directly at the camera. It
is edited to be in slow motion. This is exemplar of how
slow motion is conventionally used to capture the
emotions and free spirit of the characters far more than a
normal speed shot. Also, present here is the use of
graphical editing. Netskey appears in the screen center
in a very artistic graphical design, with the letters rotating
on a pivot. The slow motion works well with the graphical
editing, and together they make for a smooth transition
into fading out.
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2.Secondly, The editing technique that is in fact used the most throughout the music video, above all others,
is Jump cutting. Why? I believe, there are many reasons for this.
Perhaps every drum & bass video I have seen and analyzed consists of this editing technique. The abrupt
jumping that the characters make due to this editing technique 1stly reflects the recklessness of their actions
in this music video. 1 has stolen from a shop, sweets, and now they are running away. The jump cutting
continues as they venture down the street, causing mischief and mayhem. This is a very conventional editing
style to the drum and bass genre as it reflects the speed of the song also. The abrupt, disjointed cutting is in
perfect time with each beat during certain sequences, and this, I believe, really seeks to reinforce the hardbaseline beats that the drum & bass tracks consist of. A powerful type of music reflected in this hard,
powerful editing style.
It is an editing style that I
believe is mandatory
when making a
conventional drum &bass video, and this is
why I shall most
defiantly be
implementing this editing
technique into my Music
video.
Use of jump cutting: boys seen running down the street. The use of jump cutting
makes them appear to be running much faster than they indeed are, this editing
technique allows the director to manipulate time, and this is why it is conventional to
the drum and bass genre, it can make things appear to be moving at a greater
speed.
Jump cutting used when the boys are sitting down to eat their sweets.
Speed created through this editing technique, reflecting the speed of
the 152 bpm song.
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7/30/2019 Textual Analysis Netkey Music Video
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3. Finally, I would like to note on the continuity editing used in the music video. It is used far less
in comparison to jump cutting, however when used it is normally before the drop of the song. This
is because after the drop, the jump cutting is used to reflect the sheer displacement of power the
drop of the song creates. The continuity editing used before hand serves the purpose of building
up to the drop, to a certain extent.
Here we can see the use of continuity editing early on in the music video. It is used briefly as it
shows, in a fluid and chronological motion, the boy coming out of the shop, meeting his friendsand opening his bag of sweets. The use of continuity editing before the drop of the song ( this is
when the shop keeper comes out and chases them), is conventional to the drum & bass genre as
it is in keeping with the build up to a song and clearly the director wants the audience to follow
the narrative. Jump cutting here would be far too confusing. But, even more conventional, is that
it is not used very much. Again, it is the use of jump cutting that takes prominence as an editing
technique.
There is a lack of special effects in this music video.
From the music videos I have analyzed so far, I would
argue that this is very conventional to the drum & bass
genre.