[MP] Evaluation (1)

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  Using Goodwin's Critical Framework (Dancing in the distraction factory, 1993) Maritime are classed in the indie/rock genre and as such hold a DIY attitude to their music. This independence is shown in our video with the simple studio setup used for the performance aspect and the regular park in which the narrative is set. These factors contribute to the lo-fi feel of the video, removing the ties to wealth and chart ratings. Also, the outtake that features at the end of the song reinforces the meta-narrative of the band as simply playing music for fun, without any commercial influences or specific band image to uphold.

• The main link between the visuals and the lyrics is that of the T-shirts. ‘Infinite parade of punk rock T-shirts’ is the main hook, and is reinforced by the use of stop motion to highlight the coloured T-shirts that were donned by the actors in our video.

• The visuals link with the music largely through the cutting rate of the video. The cuts match the beat of the music, with the bass drum beat being adhered to strictly during the stop motion sequences. With the upbeat feel of the song, the visuals show the band messing around and having fun, creating a joyous atmosphere to the video.

• Close ups are a central part of the majority of music videos, and our lead singer has the highest number of these, taking screen prominence through meat shots of his performance. The other band members are also shown in close up to push the consumption of the band to the audience, although not nearly as much as the lead singer.

• Whilst there is no use of mirrors to reflect the band and increase consumption, there are a number of voyeuristic shots of our lead singer. This is shown by the dismemberment of the lead singer by showing his lips. This sexualises the lead singer, a technique that is normally used for female stars. This challenges the conventions of sexualisation. 

• Our video could be loosely related to the video for OK Go’s ‘End Love’ (Gunther/Lieberman, 2010), as bright coloured costume is important in both videos. However, the videos differ in the precise choreography in OK Go’s video and the more improvised style of our own video.

• [Performance, narrative or concept] Our video is an almost 50/50 mix of performance and narrative. The stage performance has the feel of a backstreet club which is where many small indie/rock bands start out, with The Forum in Tunbridge Wells being an example of one of these.

• Our production conforms to the conventions of a music video by having all of the main aspects that join together to make a music video. A quick cutting rate is used which is often in time to the music to pack as many different camera techniques into the video. This helps to sell the band/artist to the audience by only giving them glimpses of their idols, meaning that the audience will strive to complete the incoherence of the star. To continue, our production is about 3.5 minutes, the average length of a music track, and our lead singer lip syncs with the song, fooling the audience into believing that they are actually singing the recorded song.

• Our video is not one that possesses a specific narrative in particular, preferring to simply present the artist as they are in narrative fuzz. This fits in with the song not having any particular meaning, holding only the upbeat happy feeling that is pushed onto the audience by the music and the visuals of the band having a good time.

• Our production could be viewed as polysemic. It presents youthfulness, friendship and joy, whilst also pushing the feeling of sadness onto the audience with the lyric ‘when you can’t break through with the one that you want’. This juxtaposition of good/bad feelings creates the star incoherence that audiences wish to untangle, continuing their consumption of the star.

• The T-shirts in our video are iconic of the ‘fun’ feel of our video, with the bright colours emphasising the bands individuality from other mainstream artists. Throughout the performance, the guitars and mic also add to this angle.
• In Dyer’s terms (Stars, 1998), our video conforms by presenting the star in accordance with his two paradoxes. Initially, our star (the band) is most certainly present throughout the video, performing all parts of the performance and the narrative. They are also absent however, in that there is very little breaking of the fourth wall which keeps the band separate from the audience watching. What little breaking there is is very fleeting, meaning that interaction with the audience is very limited. To continue, the star is presented as ordinary by the normal park setting that is used for the narrative fuzz and their normal costume (with the T-shirts perhaps being a slight exception). On the other hand, the performance aspect of the video shows the star as extraordinary, as they are playing good music, a skill that many people idolise.
• Our video is postmodern as it adheres to the terms that define postmodernism. The band members are poking fun at themselves by falling in a fountain, jumping into trees and generally being silly. This is similar to the Red Hot Chili Pepper's video 'Can't Stop' (Romanek, 2003), which features strong postmodern aspects.
• It could be read that women are less important than men in our video as none feature (apart from the feet of one) in any prominent roles. However it is conventional for indie bands to be comprised only of males therefore presenting a dominant reading of heteronormative discourse.
• The preferred reading of our media production is a reinforcement of dominant ideologies in which the youth are explorative and excitable. This is shown with the use of fun and humour throughout the narrative sequences, including wearing a bucket as a hat and messing around on a fountain. An oppositional reading may be that the youth do not respect the proper use of objects and public places, instead wishing to disobey rules for their own gain.