Key points about videos from the genre chosen: strongly image based (fashionable, band concerned with their image), often narrative performance or performance alone (performance coincides with image), rarely any dance routines, rarely large budget videos (‘indie’ comes from ‘independent, DIY attitude), band often present in video. Music videos of this genre demonstrate Goodwin's theory of genre characteristics.
The Kooks- Ooh La
Single released from album, Inside in/Inside out, 2006.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uwrq2o6Woiw&ob=av2e
Judging from the lyrics the song is about a girl, who would appear to have been quite naïve to the cruelty and toughness of the world and what she is yet to face. We are informed of this as they lyrics explain ‘you didn’t understand, there’s money to be made, beauty is a card that must get played’. It is also suggested that she had dreams of becoming a star but before long she realises how difficult life can be and faces crisis, reflected in the lyrics ‘the world just chewed her up and spat her out’ and ‘go to Hollywood and pay the price’. In conclusion the song tells the sad story of a girl whose dreams are crushed by reality.
Although at no point are the lyrics visually mirrored in the video and are not directly presented on screen there is a connection between the story told through the lyrics and the topics explored (i.e the video does not follow Goodwins illustrative theory). The lyrics are not contradicted.
Firstly the topic of show business explored on several occasions which is a topic hugely discussed in the lyrics. The first is of the band being interviewed on a French television show but they do not understand what it is they’re being asked and the front man looks blank, questioning the enthusiastic interviewer -'what?'. This can be linked to the lyrics 'you didn't understand, there's money to be made'.
The second instance whereby the theme of show business is seen is of one band member and girl who are being interviewed in a messy looking room, lounged across a bed. There is a man with a microphone, yet again speaking enthusiastically and photographs are being taken. The man (band member) seems at ease, enjoying it, smiling etc whereas the girl is not smiling. Yet again this almost reflects the lyrics meaning that fame and show business are not what she expected and her naive attitude is changing as life gets harder.
Girl (actress) shown continuously throughout –presented as innocent, childish, beautiful (camera focus upon her face), pure etc –riding bike, climbing walls, filming the boy, smiling etc. This correlates with Goodwin's theory of voyeuristic presentation of women, whereby we simply observe the actress as an audience, as do others in the video. This is a physical representation of the innocent, unaware girl in the lyrics.
Towards the end of the video it is implied that the girl shown throughout is hit by a car, or is involved in an accident of some kind whilest riding her bike through town. She is shown with a look of shock on her face before the image is cut and the word 'fin' is shown on screen. The use of the word 'fin' symbolizes her demise at the hands of the 'cruel world' discussed throughout the lyrics. To further support our assumptions that she has been killed, an ambulance is also later shown. The inclusion of this incident in the video connotates that innocence and naiivity cannot survive in the world as it is too harsh and unforgiving, mirroring the lyrics ‘world just chewed her up and spat her out’. While the band members also included in the video who were shown to be better adjusted to fame and show buisness all survived and are seen at the end mourning the death of the girl and paying their respects, presenting them as empathetic, attracting audience's as it contradicts their image/fame orientated image, creating normality for them. This 'miniature film' allows audiences to become familiar and attached to the characters, meaning that they will want to watch the full video in order to see what happens to the characters and will feel moved by the sudden death of the girl and mourning by the band.
In conclusion I find that Goodwin's theory of music videos is indeed applicable to this music video. Although there are moments of illustration between what is shown on screen and the lyrics of the song, the video primarily amplifies the lyrics of the song instead of mirroring them.
Target audience of this video-
Teenagers to mid twenties- video very image orientated, which after previous research I found to be a key attraction for those within the above age group to the Indie genre. As it is a performance video, presentation of the band and their image is inevitable. The band are shown consistently throughout even if they had little to nothing to do with the sub story of the boy and girl being told. They are shown committing rebellious acts –stealing giant ice cream cone from shop- which will attract younger audiences to the band as the ‘bad boy’, rebellious image and carefree attitude is attractive to both girls and boys –girls want to be with them and the boys want to be them. Also a focus is put upon the band members and the girl who shown in fashionable, casual clothes that will inspire young audiences and influence their style and attitude- skinny/tight jeans, leather jackets, sunglasses, rosary beads, Winklepicker shoes and Trilby hats.
The song lyrics do not specify a particular meaning. They are ambiguous and allow audience members to interpret the words with relation to their own feelings and experiences. A possibility as to what the song is about, with concerns to the singer is battling through or overcoming a drug addiction/social problem in the singer’s rock and roll lifestyle, but addressing the audience as if to say ‘ don’t insult me when you’ve been here before too/when you’ve done it too’, reflected in the lyrics ‘don’t knock it, don’t knock it if you’ve been here before’.
The video is a performance video with a very slight underlying moments of amplification, coinciding with Goodwin's theory of correlation between lyrics and visuals.
We also see him standing in front of the wall, singing directly towards it with great emotion and passion in his face. This suggests he is confronting the barrier or problem that is isolating him. This could also reflect the lyrics –‘Don’t knock it if you’ve been here before’, whereby he is standing up to those who are judging him.
Throughout the performance scenes of the video explosions are seen in the background, sending pieces of brick and ashes flying across the set. These explosions and acts of destruction are a visual representative of the destructive patterns and lifestyle that he is trying to escape.
Also and perhaps more significantly, the video opens up to a shot of a light bulb exploding. This could potentially symbolize that the light has left his life/he has destroyed the light in his life and is now left in darkness. Throughout we see light bulbs included on set that are not lit, yet again supporting the claim that they represent his lightless life.
Falling ash continuously throughout is a constant reminder of the remains of what he once was/what his life once was. His world is almost falling down around him.
Another way in which the lyrics are potentially amplified through the video is via the shot of the singer pushing his way through a large crowd who are walking in the opposite direction to him. He struggles his way through the people, bouncing off of them as he walks. This is representative once again of his struggle to overcome addiction/problem? And of him facing people who are against him along his journey.
The target audience for this video are young people aged about 16-25. This audience will find attraction in this video as firstly, it is a performance video, meaning that they will be able to watch their idols and gain influence from them, as expected of an Indie/Alternative video. Secondly because both the lyrics and video are powerful, emotive and symbolic. This is something audience members highlighted as something that draws them to the genre as they like to be able to relate to the lyrics and artist and like to be moved by what they see on screen and hear. Also we can understand this video to meet Goodwin's idea that the needs of the record label to publicize the group and meet audience requirements are met via focus on the band throughout and re-ocurring close ups.
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