This promotion video was considered ground breaking and grew to be famous and extremely popular. In this video there is not lyrical representation, which it was so special about this promotion video, it is unconventional, the camera angles, the movements and the overall performance in this video is unconventional.
The meaning of the song; research
"Bohemian Rhapsody" is in the style of a stream-of-consciousness nightmare that has unusual song structure, more akin to a classical rhapsody than popular music"
'The title's "Bohemian" refers to the "easy come, easy go" A musical rhapsody is a "composition irregular in form and suggestive of improvisation",so a literal interpretation is that the song title means "A rhapsody about a bohemian".'
As the video starts, it begins with a low angle view of the silhouettes of the 3 artists, the reason the low angle shot is used is to signify dominance, as the band members are performing in a certain way to look dominant and epic. In this video the directors use a lot of close ups, because this is a promotion video the use of close ups enables the band to get recognition and this gratifies the needs of the audience by showing the band. The director also uses medium shots, this is to get a view of the full band, which is also close enough to establish not only their faces but also a bit of the background, this allows us to see the setting in which the video was produced. The opening shot is very dark and misty this is to represent the genre of the band which is grunge and rock, The Mise en scene represents a grunge feel to the music. also right at the start begins with flames in front of the band members, this represents to me evil, because evil often paints an image of fire and red colours, so i think the purpose of the fire is to represent evil or burning, the song gives off a god like theme and the words and the video work to create the theme of supernatural, the lack of meaning in the song draws more attention to the video its self as people have to draw more conclusions to the meaning of the song. The video shows that they are trying to look Epic and god like. The shot then changes to we can see a shadowed view of the artists faces and the background is it total blackness. The lighting used is spotlights on each of their faces, this is to make the artists the main focus as well as representing the style of music. The artists look ghost like. As this song is unconventional, the video has been created to fit that sub-genre, it has been produced to look quirky and strange. The director has used montage editing instead of continuity editing, this is because montage editing adds to the epic style that the video is also this allows quadruple exposure of the band. The shot changes to a medium close up of two artists on stage wearing very glamorous costumes. This is a very contrasting view of the band. I think this is to represent the variation that the band can perform, this is supported by the various musical instruments that surrounds them. The performers image is also very opposing, referring to the Gothic, long, rock-style hair cuts, against the white shiny, pop-looking costumes, also in terms of the media, stereotypically, good and evil is often represented by the colours black and white. The lighting portrays a very stereotypical 70’s rock band. Generally in the 70’s disco lights were used for pop bands, this consisted of red, blue and green spotlights. This is a factor that creates such an unconventional video because the lighting and costume seems inappropriate for the genre of music that it is accompanying. Because of the lack of musical rhythm, this creates a feel of ambiguity which also adds to the almost supernatural theme that the video creates. The image also presents by use of images an extremely contrasting video and all together creates a very mythological music video due to the fire and the unconventional song lyrics. This video has been made merely to show the performance of the band, although it has been created and edited to look exaggerated and over the top, this is to emphasize the epic style of the video. There is no hidden meaning behind this video, however it was one of the most well known and expensive music promotion videos to produce, this is not only due to the cost of props and materials but also due to the length of the video, which is 6 minutes long. one of the factors contributing to the video being unconventional.
Is this the real life? Is this just fantasy? Caught in a landslide, No escape from reality Open your eyes, Look up to the skies and see, I'm just a poor boy, I need no sympathy, Because I'm easy come, easy go, Little high, little low, Any way the wind blows doesn't really matter to me, to me Mama I just killed a man, Put a gun against his head, pulled my trigger, now he's dead Mama, life had just begun, But now I've gone and thrown it all awayMama, ooh, Didn't mean to make you cry,If I'm not back again this time tomorrow,Carry on, carry on as if nothing really mattersToo late, my time has come, Sends shivers down my spine, body's aching all the time Goodbye, ev'rybody, I've got to go,Gotta leave you all behind and face the truth Mama, ooh, I don't want to die, I sometimes wish I'd never been born at allI see a little silhouetto of a man,Scaramouche, Scaramouche, will you do the Fandango Thunderbolt and lightning, very, very fright'ning me(Galileo) Galileo (Galileo) Galileo, Galileo figaro Magnifico I'm just a poor boy and nobody loves me He's just a poor boy from a poor family, Spare him his life from this monstrosity Easy come, easy go, will you let me goBismillah! No, we will not let you go(Let him go!) Bismillah! We will not let you go(Let him go!) Bismillah! We will not let you go(Let me go) Will not let you go(Let me go) Will not let you go (Let me go) AhNo, no, no, no, no, no, no(Oh mama mia, mama mia) Mama mia, let me goBeelzebub has a devil put aside for me, for me, for me So you think you can stone me and spit in my eyeSo you think you can love me and leave me to die Oh, baby, can't do this to me, baby,Just gotta get out, just gotta get right outta here Nothing really matters, Anyone can see, Nothing really matters, Not hing really matters to me Any way the wind blows
Second analysis
Another video that i thought would be a good video to analyse is Semi charmed life by Third eye blind. I chose this video because i feel it is very contrasting to Bohemian Rhapsody. There is also a connection between Queen and Third Eye Blind because Steven Jenkins (the lead vocalist) covered Queen's Bohemian Rhapsody.
Third eye blind is an all American band and all members are from San Fransisco. The band was formed in the early 1990's and the song Semi Charmed Life was released in 1997.
This video is extremely opposing to Bohemian Rhapsody, this is an example of a conventional video, unlike Queen. This video lasts 3 and a half minutes, the typical length that would be expected in a conventional music video. This video is very subtle in contrast to the Epic feel of Bohemian Rhapsody.
Cinematography: This video is very similar to Bohemian Rhapsody,this is because both of the videos shows the band performing. A lot of music videos have a hidden meaning which is portrayed by the use of cinematography and the mise en scene, however this video shows just the band performing. The camera is used in a way to establish who is in the band 'Third Eye Blind' this gratifies the audiences needs by seeing the band performing, this also gratifies the artists needs by getting recognition. This video includes a lot of close ups, this is aforementioned to get the artist recognition. At the beginning of the video it starts with an image of the world with a overshot of a satellite, and then zooms into the world to show a sign of the American flag in an extreme closeup. The establishing shot shows the world blue, then zooms in onto the world and zooms out of the world to show the image of the blue jacket, this is to make a graphic match into the diagesis, it is also to establish the setting, which is America. As this song is called Semi Charmed Life, i think this is shown to appear patriotic and also to represent the country. The shot then goes on to show a over shoulder shot of a road from the artists car, the artists however are playing with each other and laughing, this is to represent the band and the music as 'feel good'. This is shown because if the genre of the music was rock and heavy music, then the music video would show the artists as unhappy. However as this music is 'feel good' the use of cinematography is manoeuvred in way which shows the artists facial expressions. The camera is also used to film establishing shots, this gets a shot of the place in which the video is set. In this videos case it appears to be set in the suburbs, representing the lyrics as the video presents a semi charmed setting. This is another indication of what type of music this band produces. The video goes on to show an establishing shot a a group of people on motorbikes, this gives a sense of gangs as they are all together, their identity however is anonymous because of the dark lighting, a low angle is used to film this shot, this is because they want to portray dominance, this again shows that the artists want to be in control and dominant.
It then goes on to show a man with a dog, the dog has great significance in developing the type of characters that the band members are, this is because the dog that is shown is a pit bull, stereotypically known as a vicious dog as they are often bred to fight. The man who is holding the dog has a shaved head and gives off the image of being a skin head who in the 60's were known for trouble and causing fights and in general breaking the law so this portrays very well what type of characters they are. There is an over shoulder shot of a band member looking out onto the city. It is an establishing shot so we can again as an audience establish where they are. He appears to be looking out onto new york, New York is generally represented in a way which creates a very busy atmosphere and stereotypically known to be a very busy city. The use of travel has been used a lot on this video by using motorbikes, cars and walking, this is to signify that the artists are on the move constantly, which also connects to criminality. This relates to the lyrics in the song 'I'm packed and I'm holding' these lyrics mean 'i have a gun and i have drugs' by the lyrics immediately represent a very gangster feel and the video represents this. As the main artist (the singer) is saying these lyrics we see him walking down the street by a tracking medium shot, he is wearing a black leather jacket and black clothing. This contrasts to the blue sky which dominates the background. The black clothing is to represent bad and darkness. As he is walking down the street he turns to punch a wall, this is performing aggressive behaviour. This video seems very opposing to the feel good type of song it is, but the fact that the song is happy means that the artist is trying to glorify drugs and violence. Towards the middle of the song it shows the band performing the song
I'm packed and I'm holding,
I'm smiling, she's living, she's golden andshe lives for me, She says she lives for me,Ovation, She's got her own motivation, she comes round and she goes down on me, And I make her smile, It's like a drug for you, Do ever what you want to do, Coming over you,Keep on smiling, what we go through. One stop to the rhythm that divides you, And I speak to you like the chorus to the verse, Chop another line like a coda with a curse, And I come on like a freak show takes the stage. We give them the games we play, she said, I want something else, to get me through this,Semi-charmed kind of life, I want something else, I'm not listening when you say, Good-bye. The sky it was gold, it was rose, I was taking sips of it through my nose, And I wish I could get back there, Some place back there, Smiling in the pictures you would take, Doing crystal myth, Will lift you up until you break, It won't stop, I won't come down, I keep stock, With a tick tock rhythm and a bump for the drop, And then I bumped up. I took the hit I was given, Then I bumped again, And then I bumped again.How do I get back there to, The place where I fell asleep inside you? How do I get myself back to, The place where you said, I want something else to get me through this, semi-charmed kind of life, I want something else, I'm not listening when you say, good-bye, I believe in the sand beneath my toes, The beach gives a feeling, An earthy feeling, I believe in the faith that grows, And the four right chords can make me cry, When I'm with you I feel like I could die. And that would be all right, All right, When the plane came in, She said she was crashing, The velvet it rips, In the city we tripped, On the urge to feel alive, But now I'm struggling to survive, The days you were wearing, That velvet dress,You're the priestess, must confess, Those little red panties, They pass the test, Slide up around the belly, Face down on the mattress, One, Now you hold me, And we're broken. Still it's all that I want to do. Feel myself with a head made of the ground, I'm scared but I'm not coming down. And I won't run for my life, She's got her jaws just locked now in smile but nothing is all right, All right, I want something else, To get me through this, Semi-charmed kind of life, I want something else, I'm not listening when you say, good-bye.
Third analysis
This song is called New York and is performed by Alicia Keys and Jay Z. This song was released in october 2009.
One of the reasons i chose to analyse this video is because i wanted to have a variation, and in terms of style and genre, this music video has almost no relation to my previous two videos. The music genre is RnB which is generally targetted to a younger audience, perhaps aimed at teenagers, contrasting to the previous two videos which would generally be suited to most age ranges in terms of the style of music.
This music video is about glorifying New york, therefore the video is based in new york city center
The use of camera makes the city look glamorous and sophisticated. The video begins with a a series of continuity editing, in this the producers have represented New York. Most of the pictures that are shown have been taken from a low angle which shows that the city is dominant, which is very relevant because of the significance America has amongst the world. The shots are also edited to be in black and white, this again represents sophistication and maturity. The video is very conventional in the respect that is cuts the the beat. After the continuity editing we are shown one of the artists, Jay Z. In this shot it is a medium close up low angle, this makes him look dominant. He is wearing expensive looking clothing and a hat pulled down over his eyes and sun glasses on, this image is sterotypically used to represent gangsters and thugs, and also signifies that he wants to look mysterious, so therefore this is the image that the artist wants to portray, sub conciously targetting a younger audience, by the use of his clothing. The lead up to the chorus shows establishing shots, looking down onto New York. I think this is to show how big New York is and how amazing it looks. The shot then switches to a medium shot of the second artist, Alicia Keys. In this shot she is playing the piano on the streets of New York, i think that this is to represent that she has talent as she is able to play the piano and also this represents that New York is a stage for her to perform to the world on. This perhaps has the intention of saying that she is known all over the world. Behind her is a road with cars going past, there is a long traffic queue behind her, this represents to me that New York is busy and also glamorous. Her clothes are also used to glorify New York as well as portraying the image that the artist want to show. She is wearing leather clothing, which is well known to be a sexy material for a woman to wear, which also shows that she wants to be seductive.New York Lyrics
Yeah,
Yeah, Imma up at Brooklyn,
Now Im down in Tribeca,
Right next to DeNiro,
But i’ll be hood forever,
I’m the new Sinatra,
And since I made it here,
I can make it anywhere,
Yeah they love me everywhere,
I used to cop in Harlem,
All of my dominicanos
Right there up on broadway,
Brought me back to that McDonalds,
Took it to my stash spot,
Five Sixty Stage street,
Catch me in the kitchen like a simmons whipping pastry,
Cruising down 8th street,
Off white lexus,
Driving so slow but BK is from Texas,
Me I’m up at Bedsty,
Home of that boy Biggie,
Now I live on billboard,
And I brought my boys with me,
Say wat up to Ty Ty, still sipping Malta
Sitting courtside Knicks and Nets give me high fives,
N-gga I be spiked out, I can trip a referee,
Tell by my attitude that I most definitely from…
In New York,
Concrete jungle where dreams are made of,
Theres nothing you can’t do,
Now you’re in New York,
These streets will make you feel brand new,
The lights will inspire you,
Lets here it for New York, New York, New York
[Jay-Z]
I made you hot n-gga,
Catch me at the X with OG at a Yankee game,
Sh-t I made the yankee hat more famous than a yankee can,
You should know I bleed Blue, but I aint a crip tho,
But I got a gang of n-ggas walking with my click though,
Welcome to the melting pot,
Corners where we selling rocks,
Afrika bambaataa sh-t,
Home of the hip hop,
Yellow cap, gypsy cap, dollar cab, holla back,
For foreigners it aint fitted they forgot how to act,
8 million stories out there and their naked,
Cities is a pity half of y’all won’t make it,
Me I gotta plug a special and I got it made,
If Jesus payin LeBron, I’m paying Dwayne Wade,
3 dice cee-lo
3 card marley,
Labor day parade, rest in peace Bob Marley,
Statue of Liberty, long live the World trade,
Long live the king yo,
Jay-z Empire State Of Mind lyrics found on http://www.directlyrics.com.com/jayz-empire-state-of-mind-lyrics.html
I’m from the empire state thats…
In New York,
Concrete jungle where dreams are made of,
Theres nothing you can’t do,
Now you’re in New York,
These streets will make you feel brand new,
The lights will inspire you,
Lets here it for New York, New York, New York
Welcome to the bright light..
Lights is blinding,
Girls need blinders
So they can step out of bounds quick,
The side lines is blind with casualties,
Who sipping life casually, then gradually become worse,
Don’t bite the apple Eve,
Caught up in the in crowd,
Now your in-style,
And in the winter gets cold en vogue with your skin out,
The city of sin is a pity on a whim,
Good girls gone bad, the cities filled with them,
Mommy took a bus trip and now she got her bust out,
Everybody ride her, just like a bus route,
Hail Mary to the city your a Virgin,
And Jesus can’t save you life starts when the church ends,
Came here for school, graduated to the high life,
Ball players, rap stars, addicted to the limelight,
MDMA got you feeling like a champion,
The city never sleeps better slip you a Ambien
In New York,
Concrete jungle where dreams are made of,
Theres nothing you can’t do,
Now you’re in New York,
These streets will make you feel brand new,
The lights will inspire you,
Lets here it for New York, New York, New York
One hand in the air for the big city,
Street lights, big dreams all looking pretty,
No place in the World that can compare,
Put your lighters in the air, everybody say yeaaahh
Come on, come,
Yeah,
In New York,
Concrete jungle where dreams are made of,
Theres nothing you can’t do,
Now you’re in New York,
These streets will make you feel brand new,
The lights will inspire you,
Lets here it for New York, New York, New York
