Music video analysisBlink 182 - Bored To

Death

The current ideas about music videos come from Andrew Goodwin ‘Dancing in the distraction factory’. He proposes that there are 7 ‘rules’ for music videos-

1. Music videos demonstrate genre characteristics 2. There will be a relationship between the lyrics and the visuals3. There will be a relationship between the music and the visuals4. The demands of the record label include the need for lots of close ups of the artist. This may develop motifs which recur, giving them a

visual style5. There are frequent references to the notion of looking and the voyeuristic treatment of the female body (male gaze) 6. There will often be intertextual references7. There must be technical aspects such as mise en scene, camerawork and editing

Blink 182 - bored to deathThe establishing shot of the video is a school hallway; this shows the viewer where the video is going to be set and sets a tone for the video as it could suggest that it is aimed at a younger audience. It is a long shot which begins to zoom in; this then leads to a cut to a different scene in a classroom when the music begins. The introduction views the students passing around a note; the mise en scene plays a key role in this scene as there is a lot of high key lighting and most of the students are wearing brightly colured clothes. The camera then focuses on one particular row in the classroom where it tracks across, to give the illusion that someone is walking down this row. The shot also has a rack focus effect as everything in the shot is out of focus apart from one male character who is sat with a vacant and ‘bored’ expression; the focus being on him shows that he is the main character for the narrative of the video. He is wearing black which creates a big contrast to the location and the people surrounding him.

The colour black also suggests negativity, the unknown and mystery and gives the impression that he is an individual who is unique and prefers not to follow general trends which matches the style of the music as the genre is rock/punk which is associated with being alternative and different. This draws on point 1, 3 and 7 of Andrew Goodwin’s ideas on music videos as this shows a link between the visuals and music and it shows characteristics of the genre. There is then a jump cut once the lyrics begin; the video changes from narrative to live performance. immediately , there is a close up of the lead singer in the band. This links to point 4 of Andrew Goodwin’s ideas. The close ups show the importance of a frontman in a band and they also create an intimate feel to the video as the audience gets to see the band on a more direct and personal level.

There are other close ups showing the same character but from a different angle. This gives the audience different perspectives to look at. This type of music is based upon heavy guitars and drums which is why there are close ups of the drummer.This gives emphasis on the use of the instrument and the ability to play it, implying that the band has good experience. The close ups are frequently used throughout the video and they are generally evenly divided between the members of the band. The shots do favour the lead, however, it focuses on the other band members more than other videos would,showing equality, companionship and closeness among the band.

The close ups of the band show that they are quite heavily tattooed which is one of the conventions of the genre, linking to Andrew Goodwin’s first point about music videos featuring genre characteristics. Tattoos are a convention of the rock/punk genre as they are an ostentatious show of rebellion and not caring about not fitting into the social norms of society. Traditionally, people with tattoos were sailors or criminals, both groups of people who are generally outcast characters; this relates to the style of music as rock music is different to the typical genre that most people listen to and the tattoos are a way of showing that you are different as they represent self expression and non-conformity. The cutting pace is fast and generally fits with the beat of the music which creates a visually appealing look as it creates continuity between the music and the video. There is a close up of the protagonist’s hand, defacing a table with scissors. This expresses his boredom and defiance against the rules, which links to the theme of rebellion. When the song kicks in and becomes more upbeat, the visuals match this. Andrew Goodwin states that there will be a relationship between the music and the visuals and this is displayed here. There are multiple shots throughout the video of the band playing however, it is a long shot which shows the crowd also. This is an important feature as it shows that they are playing on a small stage which suggests that they are not overstated despite their success and they are staying true to who they are as unique artists and not following the typical route that most bands go down in the industry after success. This also shows that the gig they are playing is quite intimate, demonstrating that they have a close relationship with fans and want them to be involved in their music as much as possible. The crowd are seen to be very lively and clearly

enjoying the music which gives the audience a good impression as the band appears to be extremely popular. The popularity of the band contributes to their reputation as it shows that their music is well liked among consumers. The movement within the shots begins to speed up also when the song kicks in, making the video seem more chaotic and fun to represent the teen’s reckless behaviour. Other characters are introduced in the video such as a young girl who the audience may perceive to be a romantic interest of the main character’s. This suggests that the video is trying to relay the message of being young, audacious and in love. There is a scene in which the couple go to a record store. This adds a retro element to the video as records are quite old fashioned, however, recently they have grown in popularity and have become stylish. The pair listen to music in the shop and are seen to be letting themselves go and having a good time, dancing and laughing etc. The style of music that Blink 182 plays is alternative rock which, as I have mentioned previously, is not the typical style which means that fans are usually hardcore and dedicated. This element of the video presents the pair as music lovers who are genuinely interested and involved which the audience can relate to. Other characters also include a group of friends; following on from my earlier point, the group are all wearing black clothing which portrays their alternative style and how they are not prepared to fit into society’s norms, also matching the style of the music. The group of friends are seen doing a range of different activities such as going to a skatepark, the beach, and sneaking into a pool to swimming in someone’s back garden. All of these things relate to the songs lyrics as they are fun ways to enjoy and be thrilled by life while you’re young. The lyrics read ‘life is too short to last long’; the music video relates to this as it emphasises the fact that you should enjoy life while you’re young, having fun with no regrets and generally appreciating life and being happy without being too serious. This also links to Andrew Goodwin’s idea that there will be a relationship between the lyrics and the visuals. A long shot of a staircase is shown and the couple are seen ascending at a low angle making them seem bigger. This suggests their superiority; this may be a result of them being rich in happiness. At this point, the narrative and the live performance merge as the couple go to the gig that Blink 182 are performing. There are lots of close ups of the crowd and people among the crowd, showing pure enjoyment, again, revealing the popularity of the band and their music.

There are mid close ups of the couple kissing whilst the crowd are still active around them. This adds an element of romanticism and suggests that they are completely lost in the moment, continuing the theme of enjoying life to the fullest.The main feature of the outro of the song is the drums; the shots use special effects and the whole video rewinds. The audience sees the video, but backwards, as if it is going back in time, whilst periodically interjecting a shot of the drummer to focus on this. The video ends with a close up of the desk which the male character had earlier been defacing. The words ‘bored to death’ are scratched into the surface, clearly showing his attitude and feelings, whilst relating to the song title. The band end the video with this close up to create continuity between the beginning and the end of the video so it all links together and also the viewer is reminded of the name of the song making them aware of it and they are left with this image, making it stick in their head.