Textual analysis of music videos

Green Day- American Idiot

Director- Samuel Bayer

 



We broke down the music video regarding the questions that we were given. These allowed us to see the conventions of different genres of music and how performance, concept and narrative based videos were constructed. This could help us when we come to planning and making our own music videos.

This is the music video for 'American Idiot' performed by Green Day

 

We looked at different features of the music video to identify the genre and the conventions that it followed.

 

The genre of American Idiot falls within Punk. This can be identified through the heavy use of dark colours such as black, from their outfits, Billie Joe's eyeliner and the instruments. However this is contrasted by the colours of red from the tie and green from the back drop. The use of a dirty green colour of the American flag as the back drop also conforms to the punk genre as it supports the rebellion that they focus on in their song. Punk music was not only known for it's anarchic rebellion that was aimed to achieve throughout young adults, but also for the fashion statement that it made. Artists in the punk genre are known for their almost dishevelled look and this can be seen in American Idiot by Green Day members having tattoos, eyeliner and the continuous use of swearing.

 

The relationship between lyrics and visuals

As previously suggested, the use of the worn down, colour faded American flag as the backdrop they are conforming to the idea of the rebellion that they are focusing on- not being controlled by the media and therefore losing individuality.

 

 

The relationship between music and visuals

The visuals in the music video have a main focus on the instruments that are being played, the two guitars, the drums and vocals. This is important as this is what can be heard in the music. This is constructed through the use of close ups and shots of the whole band playing. Here is an example of this below:

 



 

Green Day have their star motif of a hand grenade. This is visible in several of their music videos, not only American Idiot but also Boulevard of broken dreams as seen below:

 

 

By including this in more than one video creates a link between the object and the band and therefore makes them more recognisable as a band and their products.

 

American Idiot by Green Day is mainly performance based as it focuses on the playing their instruments and performing the song. However it has an element of concept- based due to the discoloured flag collapsing into a flood of liquid, representing the breakdown of America. Within this music video they break the four- wall rule. This is when they reveal what is happening behind the camera through another. 

 

Texual analysis 2

Here it goes- OK GO

Trish Sie and Self- directed

 





 

The genre of this music video is Indie Pop. The music video has an element of Indie to it, due to being a relatively simplistic idea of choreography on running machines. This also is likely to have been low cost. The pop part is represented by the bright colours used in the outfits and the fact that there is choreography in the music video, which is a convention of pop.

 

The relationship between the lyrics and visuals

The title of the song is Here it goes again. Within the lyrics there is a lot of repetition of the title and this links with the choreography on the treadmills and how they are repeating the same movements over and over.

 

The relationship between the music and the visuals

The movement of the visuals within the music video is in time with the music and this makes it flow easily. As well as this the use of instruments in the music are simple, which is similar to the formation of the music video.

 

There are not any close-ups in this music video, and it appears to have been film using a single shot set up. This also creates a simplistic touch and could represent the simplicity of life, and how repetitive it can be.

 

This music video is concept- based as treadmills do not particularly have any relevant link to the song itself and therefore it doesn't clearly make sense.