MusicVid Analysis: AC/DC "Heatseeker"

ACT: AC/DC
TRACK: Heatseeker
YEAR: 1988
DIRECTOR: David Mallet
GENRE: Hard rock
MAIN AUDIENCE: M 18-35
LYRICS

The track opens with the group's huge logo projected onto what looks like a TV screen; the track title also featuring at the bottom in perspective.

The main guitar riff kicks in which is a cue for the guitarist to come bursting through the screen, which has been set up with practical effects to explode.

He is dressed in a mock school uniform and throws his cap onto a lever which pulls it down; this set is deliberately cartoon-like and comical with over sized levers and a daft notice.

After various stock footage shots of missile silos, turning keys etc. we see the missile being launched. This is then cut together with more performance footage from the band.

Most of the performance footage shows the band from a low angle to signify their importance and musical skills.

In the foreground of these scenes are the ever-present fans, whose waving arms sometimes blocks the camera's view of the group.

Yet more stock footage of planes launching etc. this ties in with the song's lyrics.

An extremely wide shot showing the group and the stage in all its glory. We can see more of the crowd as well as the massive AC/DC screen and the rotating set dressing.

More footage to demonstrate the missile's journey around well known landmarks such as the pyramids.

The missile travels past skyscrapers.

The missile reaches its destination, the Sydney Opera House. This has been appropriately chosen as the group itself hails from the area, and it is where they are performing within the narrative of the video.

The missile bursts through the back wall in a large practical stunt similar to the one at the very beginning of the video.

The hatch at the front opens and the guitarist flies out and onto the stage, performing a solo.

He performs on a walkway that allows him to be surrounded by the crowd. These shots are filmed from low and mid angles.

The final shots reverse the damage done by the missile and it backs out of the stage, allowing for wide shot finale, before a fade to white finishes the video.

ClassVid: Winning Pitch Summary

ClassVid Pitch

The original video has now been watched a staggering 1.6bn times, and this number continues to climb. I think that's about 1/4 of the population of the entire planet - although obviously some of the views will be from the same people. It's also the most watched video on YouTube by quite a long way. The number of remakes, parodies, ads, celebrity versions is also impressive - so perhaps 'Gangnam Style' is just the world's most successful example of viral marketing.

Anyhow, the reason I chose to pitch this is largely to do with its memetic status and worldwide popularity.

Music Vid Analysis 2

ACT: Urban Hype
TRACK: Trip to Trumpton
YEAR: 1992 
DIRECTOR:
GENRE: Techno/Acid house 
MAIN AUDIENCE: M 20-35

Trip to Trumpton is a dance track released by the group Urban Hype in the early 1990's. It followed a short lived trend of basing dance tracks upon audio sampling from various TV shows of the previous few decades; other examples of this included the tracks Sesames Treet by Smart E's. In this case, the track features audio snippets from late 60's children's show Trumpton, and the video also makes several visual references to this show.

The track's lyrics consist solely of quotes lifted directly from the show that inspired it. The video opens with music taken from the show before becoming more traditionally dance based.

The fast paced editing is common for such a fast, upbeat track, and their are visual links with elements of 60's culture and style. The video includes performance footage, notably mixed with deliberately surreal clips

Music Vid Analysis 1

ACT: Bee Gees

TRACK: Stayin' Alive

YEAR: 1977

DIRECTOR: 

GENRE: Disco

MAIN AUDIENCE: M/F 15-35

 Opening shots are of abandoned and derelict buildings. We initially see no performers although the opening of the track is playing. This creates a narrative enigma as we have no clues as to the location or characters.

The three performers are introduced in a mid-shot that tracks with them as they walk. This signifies their importance, particularly the one who is centrally framed.

Another tracking shot; this follows the performers from the other side of the derelict train carriage.

 This is the first full body shot of all three performers walking together.

The mise-en-scene is notable as it depicts a run-down and decrepit location, similar to a studio back lot that in the earlier days of Hollywood film-making would've featured a number of permanent standing sets.

The central framing and zoom on the lead performer here reinforces the notion that he is the most important.

Another 'travelling' shot that features all three performers together moving across the landscape. These shots are used to fill in the breaks between the chorus and the verse.

The low angle here reinforces the performers importance and dominance. Still, the backdrop is quite striking and the three appear small next to it.

The lead also has many close ups which the other performers don't have. This would also reinforce his dominance. At this point, the video reuses various shots and some complete clips from earlier points.

The joint arm pointing action would signify that the climax of the song has been reached.

The performers grow increasingly small, and the long shadows of their surroundings would suggest that the day is drawing to a close, and so is the song.

This shot seems to suggest that they are travelling on a train which is slowly moving away.

Group Planning

For our group Mini-vid, we had to come up with 60 seconds of a music video and then plan and shoot it. Afterwards we would each edit an individual version of it and add effects, utilising Final Cut Pro to the best of our abilities.

The track we chose was Stayin' Alive - a cover version by Ozzy Osbourne. Roughly the opening minute of the track would be used to create the video, as our concept matched the track in that both featured a long introduction before the song started.

Our main idea was originally thought up by George, and it created a narrative around a character who would eventually be played by Jake; this showed his entry to the school and his journey through the main hall and into various corridors. The rest of the group recruited various extras, who along with ourselves, filled in the background and played the rest of the parts. Very few props were needed for the video and we all wore our own clothes. The main notable exceptions were the large pair of mirrored sunglasses that Jake's character had to wear, and various paper balls that needed to be thrown to create an atmosphere of chaos.

After the narrative was shot, including scenes where characters were required to be throwing the paper balls and running past each other, we moved onto some performance footage. This consisted of Jake lip-synching to the track against a plain white background, so that it would be easier to layer him into existing shots in our edits. It also was necessary as it was realised that in our haste to shoot all the footage we had neglected to include any shots of lip-synching in the narrative - something that was vitally required for the video.

Originally further scenes of Jake's character in the corridors were to be filmed and the chaos going on the background would've been longer and more elaborate, but these were cut due to both timing concerns and the practicalities of organising a large group of people to perform such an elaborate routine - especially as any finished result would've had to have been shot from several different angles!

Mini-Vid Editing

I started with the original, unaltered, track, with video to be added later. The track provided a structure for the footage to follow, and ensured that the timings would remain accurate throughout.